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184,916 | eveningstandard--2019-09-20--Friends 25th anniversary Google Ross Joey Rachel Chandler Phoebe Monica for character Easter e | 2019-09-20T00:00:00 | eveningstandard | Friends 25th anniversary: Google Ross, Joey, Rachel, Chandler, Phoebe, Monica for character Easter eggs | Twenty five years ago today, one of the most famous and iconic sitcoms of all time aired for the first time. Friends captured hearts and minds over the course of its 10 seasons, making household names of the actors, hairstyles and phrases (just how are you doin, exactly?). It became one of the most watched TV shows on earth from 1994-2004, with millions glued to their TV screens to watch Ross, Rachel, Monica, Chandler, Joey and Phoebe live their lives in Manhattan. And to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the iconic TV show, Google has provided some excellent 90s nostalgia in the form of several Easter eggs hidden within the site's search function. Each of the six-man cast members has been given their own special feature, so you can now "pivot" your own computer screen or have your own rendition of one of Phoebe's iconic songs at the touch of your fingertips. To unlock each Easter egg, it's fairly simple - all you need to do it search the character's name in the search bar. Easy. So for example if you type Phoebe Buffay' into Google and click on the guitar that then appears, you will hear a rousing rendition of Smelly Cat along with an animated picture of said cat walking across your screen. The other characters all have their own egg, with each one a different icon which represents some of their best moments in the show. Alternatively, if you’re looking to brush up on your 90s sitcom lingo, just search “Friends glossary” for a quick lesson in New York vocab. This isn't the first time Google has decided to jump on the cultural bandwagon with a unique Easter egg. In April when Avengers: Endgame finally landed in cinemas, Google cleverly made half the search results disappear at the click of Thanos' fingers. Can this BE any more Google? | Tom Herbert | https://www.standard.co.uk/tech/friends-25-anniversary-google-ross-joey-rachel-chandler-phoebe-monica-easter-egg-a4242411.html | 2019-09-20 12:33:45+00:00 | 1,568,997,225 | 1,569,590,570 | human interest | anniversary |
185,935 | eveningstandard--2019-10-06--Glastonbury 2020 Tickets for festivalaposs 50th anniversary sell out in 34 minutes after aposhi | 2019-10-06T00:00:00 | eveningstandard | Glastonbury 2020: Tickets for festival's 50th anniversary sell out in 34 minutes after 'highest ever' demand | Tickets for Glastonbury 2020 sold out in just over half an hour. The festival, which takes place in June next year at Worthy Farm, Somerset, is now in its 50th year. Organiser Emily Eavis, daughter of found Michael, said demand this year was higher than ever, with 2.4m people registering to vote. All 135,000 tickets for the 2020 event were bought within 34 minutes, according to organisers. Disappointed fans who missed out can try their luck at the ticket resale in April. A tweet on the official festival account said: "Tickets for Glastonbury 2020 have now sold out. Thank you to everyone who bought one, and sorry to those who missed out. "There will be a ticket resale in April - plus we'll be announcing details of a special ballot for the sale of 50 pairs of tickets in the coming days." Ms Eavis added: "We have now sold out. Thank you all for your incredible, continued support. "Demand was higher than ever, with over 2.4million people registered. Bring on 2020!" Ticket and coach packages for next year's Glastonbury festival sold out within half an hour of going on sale on Thurday, according to organisers. Glastonbury celebrates its 50th year in 2020, and big acts are expected to be booked to appear on the various stages at Worthy Farm. Fans have speculated Sir Paul McCartney, Madonna and Taylor Swift could be among the headliners. Glastonbury 2019 was headlined by Stormzy, The Killers and The Cure . | Stephanie Cockroft | https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/glastonbury-2020-tickets-for-festivals-50th-anniversary-sell-out-in-35-minutes-a4255201.html | 2019-10-06 07:38:00+00:00 | 1,570,361,880 | 1,570,632,923 | human interest | anniversary |
188,012 | eveningstandard--2019-11-05--Mariah Carey 'freaks out' as she marks 25th anniversary of All I Want For Christmas Is You | 2019-11-05T00:00:00 | eveningstandard | Mariah Carey 'freaks out' as she marks 25th anniversary of All I Want For Christmas Is You | Mariah Carey has said she is "freaking out" over her hit song All I Want For Christmas Is You entering its 25th year this Christmas. The pop icon, 49, first released the song in 1994, entering the UK charts at number 5 before rising to number 2. It is one of her most successful songs to date, having spent a total of 92 weeks in the UK charts and rose again to number 2 over Christmas in 2017 and 2018. The song has charted in the USA each year at Christmas time since its original release. Speaking to Cosmopolitan, Carey said: “The more I hear [that it’s turning 25], the more I freak out. I’d rather just say it feels like it’s going to be a great anniversary for the album. We’ll call it a birthday. It’s not that it scares me, it’s just if you don’t acknowledge time, you don’t have to deal with it.” When writing the song, Carey said she decided to "get into the Christmas mood" before writing the hit. “I just sat down, decorated a little tree and put on It’s A Wonderful Life and tried to get into that mood," she said. "Then I sat in this small room with a keyboard and started doing little melodies and stuff. I was going over all the things I think about at Christmas time that make me happy and how to turn it around and make it into a love song.” Last week, the star’s 1994 album Merry Christmas - which All I Want for Christmas is You featured on - was re-released today to mark its 25th anniversary. She also released a tongue-in-cheek video launching the start of the festive season. The video kicks off as Carey goes to sleep dressed in her Halloween costume, still wearing a glam rock-style wig and heavy eye make-up and clutching her phone in her hand. The camera then zooms in on the phone screen as the time changes to midnight on November 1, marking the end of the Halloween celebrations. The famous opening notes of All I Want For Christmas play in the background as Carey’s phone flashes with an incoming call from Santa. Carey’s fans hailed the singer for fully embracing the festive season, with many Twitter users joking that she’d been gearing up for this moment all year. Read the full interview in the December issue of Cosmopolitan – on sale now | Isobel Frodsham | https://www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/celebrity-news/mariah-carey-freaks-out-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-you-a4278961.html | Tue, 05 Nov 2019 11:11:10 GMT | 1,572,970,270 | 1,572,960,850 | human interest | anniversary |
188,957 | eveningstandard--2019-11-12--Moby debuts 'Animal rights' tattoo to mark his '32 year vegan anniversary' | 2019-11-12T00:00:00 | eveningstandard | Moby debuts 'Animal rights' tattoo to mark his '32 year vegan anniversary' | Moby has unveiled a new double sleeve tattoo to celebrate his “32 year vegan anniversary.” The musician, real name Richard Melville Hall, debuted the bold design - which consists of the words “animal rights” in block capital letters - on his Instagram and Facebook accounts on Tuesday afternoon. He shared a photo of himself wearing a short-sleeved grey t-shirt, posing with his arms outstretched and his fists clenched to clearly show off the inking. “As November is my 32 year vegan anniversary I thought I’d get a tattoo (well, technically 12 tattoos) to celebrate,” he wrote. “I’m a vegan animal rights activist for many reasons, but ultimately because I believe at the core of my being that every animal has the right to live their own life, according to their own will. Thanks @thekatvond @highvoltagetat #veganforlife #animalrights.” The singer, 54, credited his new tattoo to Kat Von D, the tattooist and former star of reality show LA Ink. Von D is also famed for her animal rights activism and for her eponymous make-up brand, which is vegan and cruelty free. In September, Moby revealed a neck tattoo celebrating his vegan lifestyle, which read “Vegan for life” in capital letters. At the time, he said that the inking was “a pretty safe bet” as he had been vegan for “almost 32 years” at the time. “Also, working for animal rights and animal liberation is my life’s work,” he added. “And to state the obvious, it’s a double entendre…” The star is well known for his dedicated to a plant-based lifestyle and owns a vegan restaurant in Los Angeles, Little Pine. He is also the founder of Circle V, a music festival which celebrates animal rights and raises money for animal protection charity Mercy for Animals. | Katie Rosseinsky | https://www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/celebrity-news/moby-debuts-animal-rights-tattoo-to-mark-32-years-as-a-vegan-a4285441.html | Tue, 12 Nov 2019 16:54:01 GMT | 1,573,595,641 | 1,573,605,108 | human interest | anniversary |
223,382 | freedombunker--2019-11-09--Reflections on the 30th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall | 2019-11-09T00:00:00 | freedombunker | Reflections on the 30th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall | Today is the thirtieth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. It is undeniably a happy occasion—not only because the fall of the Wall was good in itself, but because it presaged the collapse of communist tyranny throughout Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. But the history of the Wall also carries some important lessons that we have not fully learned even today—lessons about the nature of communism, but also about the importance of freedom of movement across international boundaries. Most of what I wrote on the twentieth and twenty-fifth anniversaries of the fall of the Wall remains relevant today, and much of what follows is adapted from those earlier posts: In several ways, the Wall and its collapse are fitting symbols of communism. They demonstrate several truths about that system that we would be wise not to lose sight of. First and foremost, Cold War-era Berlin was the most visible demonstration of the superiority of capitalism and democracy over communism and dictatorship. Despite the fact that East Germany had one of the highest standards of living in the Soviet bloc, it had to build a wall to keep its people from fleeing to the capitalist West. By contrast, West Germans and other westerners were free to move to the communist world anytime they wanted. Yet only a tiny handful ever did so. Decisions to "vote with your feet" are often better indicators of peoples' true preferences than ballot box voting, since foot voters have better incentives to become well-informed about the alternatives before them. Even more powerful evidence is the fact that many East Germans and others fled communism even when doing so meant risking their lives. Second, the Berlin Wall was an important symbol of the way in which communist governments violated the human right to freedom of movement, one of the most important attributes of a free society. If people are forcibly trapped under the rule of the government in whose territory they happen to be born, they are not truly free; rather, they are hostages of their rulers. Finally, the sudden collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989 vividly demonstrated the extent to which communist totalitarianism relied on coercion to maintain its rule. Some Western scholars and leftists contended that most Russians and Eastern Europeans actually supported communism or at least preferred it to the available alternatives. The events of 1989 gave the lie to this notion. Once the Soviet government and its puppet states in Eastern Europe signalled that they would no longer suppress opposition by force, the Berlin Wall was quickly torn down, and communist governments throughout Eastern Europe collapsed within months. Despite all of the above, I am somewhat conflicted about the status of the Berlin Wall as the symbol of communist oppression in the popular imagination. My reservations have to do with the underappreciated fact that the Wall was actually one of communism's smaller crimes. Between 1961 and 1989, about 100 East Germans were killed trying to escape to the West through Wall. The Wall also trapped several million more Germans in a repressive totalitarian society. These are grave atrocities. But they pale in comparison to the millions slaughtered in gulags, deliberately created famines, and mass executions of "kulaks" and "class enemies." The Berlin Wall wasn't even the worst communist atrocity in East Germany. As historian Norman Naimark has documented, Soviet occupation troops in East Germany raped some 2 million German women, executed thousands of political prisoners (only a minority of whom were Nazis or guilty of war crimes), and imposed extensive forced labor on much of the population. It is true, of course, that German troops committed comparable, and often even greater, atrocities in the USSR. But the one set of wrongs in no way justifies the other. Forced labor and concentration camps continued on a substantial scale even after the Soviets established an "independent" East German state in 1949. Terrible though the Berlin Wall was, focusing on it as the main example of communist injustice may actually lead people to underestimate how awful that system truly was. It is a bit like portraying Kristallnacht or the Night of the Long Knives (both atrocities had death tolls roughly comparable to that of the Berlin Wall) as the main example of Nazi oppression, rather than the Holocaust. It is right to commemorate the fall of the Wall, and to mourn its victims. But we should also remember that it was just the tip of a much larger iceberg of communist oppression. Indeed, those other oppressive policies were the main reason why so many Germans (and others) sought to flee communism in the first place. The true lesson of the Berlin Wall is not merely that the Wall itself was unjust, but that it was meant to perpetuate other, far more severe injustices by making it impossible to escape them. That lesson remains relevant today, as socialist dictatorships continue to oppress millions in Cuba, North Korea, and Venezuela. In western nations, "democratic socialism" has gained ground in recent years. While most of its advocates do not want to go as far as the communists did, the two ideologies nonetheless share a great deal of dangerous common ground. In addition to overlooking the broader significance of the Wall for the nature of communism, too many people are also inclined to ignore its broader implications for the value of international freedom of movement. For millions of people around the world today, like for East Germans until 1989, international migration is the only realistic way to escape a lifetime of poverty and oppression. Yet governments—including those of liberal democracies—routinely use coercion to stop them from "voting with their feet." That coercion sometimes includes literal walls—like the one President Trump hopes to build on the US border with Mexico—and brutality like that which is all too common at immigration detention centers right here in the land of the free. To top it off, building Trump's wall would require seizing the property of thousands of Americans who live along the border—a disdain for private property rights that the communist rulers of East Germany would surely find congenial. Many try to differentiate Western immigration restrictions from the Berlin Wall on the grounds that there is a crucial difference between locking people in their homeland, and locking them out from some particular destination. Alternatively, it could be argued that East Germans were trapped in a more oppressive system than most migrants today. But these distinctions break down upon inspection. I summarized some of the reasons why here: [Some] argue that there is a distinction between locking people in completely and "merely" preventing them from leaving for a specific destination (such as the US). But surely we would still condemn the Berlin Wall if the East German government had said its purpose was to block its citizens from moving to the West, but they were still free to leave for other communist nations. As a practical matter, moreover, the US border is Mexico's longest and most significant land boundary, by far, and blocking exit rights through that border is a major restriction on Mexicans' ability to go anywhere by land. Another possible distinction between the two cases is that East Germans were locked into a far more oppressive regime than Mexicans would be. But Mexico's corrupt and often deeply unjust government is far from wonderful, and being confined there would force many potential migrants to endure what may well be a lifetime of poverty and exposure to violence. Moreover, the right to exit is not limited only to citizens of the most oppressive regimes. If Canada or the United States were to block their citizens from leaving, that would surely be a gross violation of human rights, even though Canada and the US are substantially freer and wealthier societies than Mexico. Forcibly confining people to the US or Canada is less unjust than confining them to Mexico. But it would be a grave injustice nonetheless. Another possible way to justify the distinction is to analogize national governments to private homeowners or clubs, who have the right to keep people out for virtually any reason they want. But that theory has deeply illiberal implications for natives, as well as potential immigrants. If taken seriously, it would justify giving government almost as much totalitarian control over our lives, as the government of East Germany once wielded over its people. Economist Bryan Caplan has some additional criticisms of the distinction between "locking in" would-be migrants and "locking out." Among other things, he explains how the East German policy could easily have fallen within the latter category, if the communists had been willing to make a few modest modifications. Ultimately, both types of policies represent massive coercive government intervention to prevent people from taking advantage of opportunities offered by free markets and civil society. I would add that some of the people forcibly kept out by US and other western nations' immigration policies are indeed fleeing East German-like levels of oppression. Consider, for instance, Venezuelans fleeing the horrifically oppressive socialist government of that nation, or Cuban refugees fleeing communism, who are now often barred from staying in the US, thanks to a cruel policy reversal by President Obama, which Trump has kept in place. The oppression facilitated by Western governments' immigration restrictions is, at least in most cases, not nearly as great as that perpetuated by the Berlin Wall. But the two injustices are nonetheless similar in kind, even if—usually—different in degree. Our governments' policies are not nearly as bad as those of the East German communists. But we should aspire to a higher standard than that. We should celebrate the anniversary of the fall of the Wall. But, at the same time, we should make a commitment to ending similar injustices that remain all too common today. | Ed Krayewski | http://freedombunker.com/2019/11/09/reflections-on-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-fall-of-the-berlin-wall/ | Sat, 09 Nov 2019 15:40:17 +0000 | 1,573,332,017 | 1,573,346,294 | human interest | anniversary |
345,285 | newsbusters--2019-11-07--Liberals Hail Matthews on 20th Anniversary as ‘One of the True Pillars of Our Democracy’ | 2019-11-07T00:00:00 | newsbusters | Liberals Hail Matthews on 20th Anniversary as ‘One of the True Pillars of Our Democracy’ | This week marks 20 years for liberal pundit Chris Matthews having his show Hardball on MSNBC (after being on CNBC from 1997 to 1999) and, throughout the week, the show will offer words of congratulations from celebrities, journalists, fellow pundits, and members of Congress. Through the first three days, it’s gone about as well as you would have expected, chock full of liberals in the above categories and syrupy praise for a man who was hailed as having “a great political head,” hosting a show that’s “the gold standard,” and even being a “pillar of our democracy.” Look out, Chris, as it looks like more than a few out there have thrills up their legs! Leading off Monday and Tuesday, there were liberal late-night comics with good wishes. CBS’s Late Night host Stephen Colbert joked that Matthews “can inhale now” after 20 years while HBO’s Real Time host Bill Maher humorously quipped that “there’s no one I’d rather get talked over in a three-second satellite lag.” There were plenty of celebrities too. They included Ben Stiller, who boasted that “I really love your show” and been “a huge fan.” Woody Harrelson offered hello from Bangkok, and Michael Moore joked that “only one of us is getting into heaven” before mimicking his awkward laugh. 15 elected officials were included in tributes Monday through Wednesday and, not surprisingly, not a single one was a Republican. With that in mind, it was amusing to observe how so many were so complimentary and claimed that, well, he plays hardball. On Monday night, the cast featured Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who asserted that Matthews “ask[s] tough questions” and “has a great political head.” The next day, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RH) hilariously told the camera that “Hardball bring[s] out the gritty truth behind the headlines” and colleague Ed Markey (D-MA) affirmed that Matthews’s show was “the gold standard for political news.” In another set of tributes, 2020 Democrat Kamala Harris thanked Matthews for “always throwing the fast pitches” while fellow compatriot Amy Klobuchar argued that “I cannot think of a better time to have Chris Matthews on the air.” And on Wednesday, the three elected Democrats offered up real doozies (click “expand”): SENATOR CHRIS COONS (D-DE): To Chris and the whole Hardball team, congratulations on 20 years of smart analysis, spirited debate, and always telling it like it is. CONGRESSWOMAN JACKIE SPEIER (D-CA): You're one of the best standard bearers for the power of the fourth estate. You’re a fierce watchdog for the American people, so keep on grilling us. CONGRESSMAN ERIC SWALWELL (D-CA): Every time I come on the show, I never know what types of hard balls, curve balls will be coming my way, but I always know I can expect pride and professionalism from the team as they put that into the show every single night. So here's to many more years of Chris Matthews and the team shaping the dialogue and holding American leaders to account. And last but not least, there were 15 colleagues who chimed in with perhaps the most fluff. During Tuesday’s show, NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt boasted that the first thing he watches after his newscast because of his “unique ability to cut through the daily heapings of political word salad.” But White House correspondent Kristen Welker went above and beyond her colleagues, rivaling Speier for the worst quote for gushing that not only has he “turned tough interviews into an art,” but he’s “one of the true pillars of our democracy.” Wednesday’s shout-outs began with a cute and humorous back-and-forth with the core four of Morning Joe (Mike Barnicle, Mika Brzezinski, Willie Geist, and Joe Scarborough) and the last section with fellow MSNBC hosts Chris Hayes and Chuck Todd, but the next set brought a thick lather of praise (click “expand”): Stay tuned for later this week when NewsBusters covers part two with the tributes that could arise on the Thursday and Friday shows. To see the relevant transcript and all the tributes from MSNBC’s Hardball on November 4-6, click “expand.” STEPHEN COLBERT: Congratulations on an incredible run, Chris. 20 years of Hardball. You can inhale now. [LAUGHTER] CONGRESSMAN JERRY NADLER (D-NY): Hi, Chris. I just want to congratulate you and the entire Hardball team for 20 years of important television. SENATOR SHERROD BROWN (D-OH): 20 years? Congratulations, Chris, on 20 years of Hardball. What an accomplishment. What a job. What a show. CONGRESSMAN TED LIEU (D-CA): Happy anniversary, you and your show are awesome. SENATE MINORITY LEADER CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): Hardball is a great show. You’ve done great work. You ask tough questions. You have a great political head and I hope there are many, many more years of success. DEBRA MESSING: Chris, 20 years? I have been watching you for 20 years. BEN STILLER: Hey, Chris. It`s Ben Stiller. I just want to say I really love your show. I’m a huge fan. Happy 20th anniversary. WOODY HARRELSON: Chris, congratulations. A warm greeting to you from Bangkok at 3:30 in the morning. Twenty years, man, that’s awesome. MICHAEL MOORE: Hey, I just wanted to say congratulations to Chris Matthews from one Irish Catholic to another. Only one of us is getting into heaven and I think you know who that is. [IMPERSONATES MATTHEWS’S LAUGH] NICOLLE WALLACE: Chris Matthews, 20 years. How do you do it? I don’t know. You’re an inspiration, you’re a joy, you’re a pleasure and you’re one of my favorites to be on the air with and to watch. Congratulations, my friend. BRIAN WILLIAMS: Congratulations on 20 years. This is not a career, by the way. This is 20 years playing one position. On behalf of this loyal viewer, thank you, my friend, for always asking the questions that matter every night of the week. Congratulations. BILL MAHER: New rule, Chris Matthews owes us 20 more years of Hardball. I’m honored to call you a friend and there’s no one I’d rather get talked over in a three-second satellite lag. [LAUGHTER] [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] Congratulations on getting this far. The first 20 years are always the hardest. [LAUGHTER] SENATOR SHELDON WHITEHOUSE (D-RH): Congratulations, Chris Matthews, on 20 years of Hardball bringing out the gritty truth behind the headlines. CONGRESSWOMAN KAREN BASS (D-CA): Chris Matthews, one of my favorite shows, your analysis, your hard-hitting interviews. Thank you so much for your work. SENATOR EDWARD MARKEY (D-MA): Hardball is the gold standard for political news, and it’s because of you. Congratulations on 20 years, and we’re all looking forward to 20 more, my friend. SENATOR MICHAEL BENNET (D-CO): Hi, Chris Matthews. It’s Michael Bennet from Colorado coming to you from Manchester, New Hampshire to congratulate you on 20 years of Hardball. PETE BUTTIGIEG (D): Chris, congratulations on 20 amazing years. Looking forward to see what the next 20 will be like for you. SENATOR KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA): Hey, Chris. Happy 20th anniversary of Hardball and thanks for always throwing the fast pitches. SENATOR AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-MN): I cannot think of a better time to have Chris Matthews on the air than right now during this Trump era, because you don’t take any bull. You keep pushing through and mostly, you cover what matters. I can’t wait to see the next 20 years. LESTER HOLT: Chris, 20 years in and you are still throwing the heat on Hardball. You’re the first thing I watch after I finish my broadcast each evening. Your unique ability to cut through the daily heapings of political word salad has never been more important. So, to you and the entire Hardball staff, congratulations on a remarkable milestone, 20 years and wishing you many more. Go get ‘em, pal. KRISTEN WELKER: Chris, congratulations on 20 years of Hardball on MSNBC. As a Philly girl, you have always been one of my biggest inspirations. You’ve turned tough interviews into an art. You are one of the true pillars of our democracy. ANDREA MITCHELL: Twenty years of Hardball? That is just amazing. Congratulations, Chris Matthews, the entire Hardball team, for your success for your 20th anniversary. JOE SCARBOROUGH: You know, Willie, it was 20 years ago today that Sergeant Matthews — GEIST: Can you believe it's been 20 years, Mike Barnicle of our good friend Chris Matthews and our favorite show, Hardball, screaming the headline and then getting us going for an hour. Nobody in this business has more passion for politics. Nobody — GEIST: — has more perspective on politics than Chris Matthews. MIKE BARNICLE: Not only can I believe it, I lived it. 20 years ago today, Chris Matthews called me and asked me to be on Hardball. BARNICLE: Yes. I was on — I was on — BARNICLE: — one of his earliest shows — yes, really — on one of his earliest shows and I've been waiting 20 years later. Is he going to call me back? SCARBOROUGH: Mika, I've said before to Chris, it is your favorite moment of the day — BRZEZINSKI: I love the open. I’m obsessed with it. I wait for it every night. SCARBOROUGH: There's only one Chris Matthews and there’s only one Hardball. Thank you so much for 20 amazing years. SENATOR CHRIS COONS (D-DE): To Chris and the whole Hardball team, congratulations on 20 years of smart analysis, spirited debate, and always telling it like it is. CONGRESSWOMAN JACKIE SPEIER (D-CA): You're one of the best standard bearers for the power of the fourth estate. You’re a fierce watchdog for the American people, so keep on grilling us. CONGRESSMAN ERIC SWALWELL (D-CA): Every time I come on the show, I never know what types of hard balls, curve balls will be coming my way, but I always know I can expect pride and professionalism from the team as they put that into the show every single night. So here's to many more years of Chris Matthews and the team shaping the dialogue and holding American leaders to account. YAMICHE ALCINDOR: Congratulations, Chris, on 20 years of Hardball. You're such an inspiration, you're so smart. It's an honor to be a guest on your show. ROBERT COSTA: You've contributed so much to American political life, providing junkies like me and millions of others a daily dose of what they crave, a sense of history, a love of politics. JON MEACHAM: No one does it better. No one understands history and the romance of politics better than you do. CHARLIE SYKES: Chris, congratulations on 20 MSNBC and being blessed with being able to talk about this amazing news cycle. CHRIS HAYES: Hey, Chris and the Hardball crew congratulations on 20 years. It is astounding, amazing, impressive and before I started in nightly television and someone told me, oh, you know, this show was celebrated for 20 years, I'm like good for them and I'm like how? How? How did you do it? CHUCK TODD: I sit here and say, “20 years?” Chris, it's more than 20 years, but this is the beauty of you, Chris Matthews is you’re — you're always so youthful, you’re always so energetic that even though you've been doing this for I think 30 years, we've decided it only feels like 20. That's how energetic and youthful you — you have actually changed the space time continuum. | Curtis Houck | https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/curtis-houck/2019/11/07/liberals-hail-matthews-20th-anniversary-one-true-pillars-our | Thu, 07 Nov 2019 00:30:00 -0500 | 1,573,104,600 | 1,573,132,474 | human interest | anniversary |
472,911 | rightwingwatch--2019-09-20--Trying to Find the Tea Party at its 10th Anniversary Rally | 2019-09-20T00:00:00 | rightwingwatch | Trying to Find the Tea Party at its 10th Anniversary Rally | Fewer than 200 Tea Party activists gathered on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building on Thursday for a rally declaring socialism its top enemy. Yesterday’s event was meant to celebrate the Tea Party movement’s 10-year anniversary. In September 2009, tens of thousands of protesters marched under the Tea Party banner in Washington, reported Fox News at the time; the Tea Party’s “Taxpayer March on Washington” demonstration was the conclusion of a “34-city, 7,000-mile bus tour” that began in California. But the size of the crowd at yesterday’s rally in front of the U.S. Capitol was a tiny fraction of the turnout the movement mobilized a decade ago. Said to be born of a now-infamous on-air rant by CNBC personality Rick Santelli in which he criticized plans for federal funding for the refinancing of home mortgages in the wake of 2008’s financial crisis, the movement rallied a decade ago on libertarian-styled calls for less government intervention in the economy. Tea Party adherents opposed President Barack Obama and his administration’s agenda, particularly on the issues of healthcare and the government response to the economic crisis. Tea Party rallies were also notable for the racism expressed by some participants in response to Obama’s presidency. As The New York Times reported in depth, Tea Party leaders organized followers around an agenda that included reducing the national debt and deficit and limiting the government’s involvement the areas of the economy that lawmakers and the Obama administration were attempting to resuscitate. The Tea Party was a major force in local and national politics, helping to elect dozens of politicians to Congress in the 2010 midterm elections. But in the Trump era, the Tea Party has joined the rest of the GOP in a choir of pro-Trump sycophancy. The Trump-GOP tax bill dramatically increased the debt, but conservative activists, including those once part of the Tea Party, largely supported it. “We’re not going anywhere. We’re here to tell the President of the United States, ‘Stand strong, keep on the fight, [and] we back you, because you stand between us and them,’” Mark Levin, a prominent conservative political commentator and the headline rally speaker, said during his speech. Rally speakers yesterday made no mention of the blooming national debt under the Trump administration, massive spending bills passed by GOP-controlled Congressional bodies, or the fact that the Trump administration has offered huge subsidies to American farmers. Instead, the rally borrowed its namesake and message from a line that President Trump declared during this year’s State of the Union address: “America will never be a socialist country.” As The Intercept noted at this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Republicans have been explicit in stating that their strategy heading into 2020 is to frame the general election as a vote between capitalism and socialism, despite the fact that only one Democratic Party presidential candidate has used the word “socialist” to describe himself and that none have called for the abolition of capitalism. Right Wing Watch has documented numerous instances of the socialism-scare strategy being adopted and deployed in right-wing organizing spheres, including among the religious right. On the mic, Morgan Zegers, founder of a new youth organization called Young Americans Against Socialism (YAAS), recounted her experience as a lifelong Republican who had a roommate in college who claimed to be a communist to explain her organization’s plan to produce viral videos to turn young people away from socialism. (Polling has shown that young people are more open to socialist policies than prior generations.) YAAS is advised by Bill Montgomery, co-founder and senior advisor of Charlie Kirk’s conservative youth group Turning Point USA, which has taken a similar tone opposing what it paints as widespread socialist organizing in the United States. Zegers said that she believed her communist roommate was well-intentioned, but misled. Zegers said she was confused why someone who had been educated in America would have in her room a poster depicting communist leaders, of which Zegers’ description sounded familiar to a mass-produced poster parodying the “Communist Party.” In a direct message on Twitter this morning, Zegers confirmed that poster she was describing was a similar parody poster. “My generation was raised on participation trophies, so we lack those values of hard work. We went through the education system, where we weren’t really taught about the dangers of socialism and communism,” Zegers said. “So, we’ve got to do something about it.” “That’s the future of America,” one crowd member remarked to another during Zegers’ speech. Numerous elected officials joined Tea Party activists in front of the Capitol. Rep. Mo Brooks of Alabama appeared and told the crowd that free enterprise was partly responsible for making the United States “empirically” the best country in the world and that Democratic Socialists, he claimed, were infiltrating government at every level to destroy America. “There is a conspiracy amongst the socialist Democrats to take our own government from us by allowing non-citizens to [vote to] control our future as a country. That is wrong and we have to fight for our republic,” Brooks said. “The socialist Democrats are an amoral party. They are undermining traditional moral values on a daily basis.” Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas said that “those Democrats are all about socialism,” claiming that the American free-enterprise system was the greatest enemy of poverty. He urged activists to oppose socialism by adopting cheerful attitudes in contrast to an allegedly joyless left-wing enemy. “This is all about partisan leftists undermining the Constitution and undermining the Bill of Rights, which means we need to explain why liberty matters,” Cruz said. “Contrast the joy of freedom, of America, with the angry intolerance of the socialist left.” Rep. Jody Hice of Georgia reminisced about the major Tea Party march in Washington 10 years ago, remarking that it “shook our entire world.” He told activists that Democrats were disregarding the Constitution, citing a hearing earlier in the day in which some Democrats argued for the District of Columbia to become a state. He instilled a sense of urgency in combating what he characterized as a socialist insurgence in America. “Never, ever, ever, would I have imagined, nor would have you imagined, that we literally would be facing a genuine obstacle, a genuine opponent, trying to force socialism down our throat,” Hice said. “We need another grassroots movement of leaders right now more than ever before.” Rep. Louie Gohmert of Texas told activists that billionaires are funding socialist causes because they believe that they’ll get to be part of a special ruling class after socialism is implemented, but were doing so to their own demise. “The billionaires don’t understand. They keep giving millions and millions to turn us socialist. They think they’re going to be part of that tiny little ruling class where all the rest of us are minions,” Gohmert said, going on to warn that billionaires are often put in prison or graves after socialist rule is implemented. Gohmert also compared the Trump administration’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel to Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, which the Civil War president issued despite strong opposition. Levin, who rally participants referred to as “The Great One,” implied that every Democrat seeking the presidency in 2020 was aligned with socialism. Levin went on to cite the food selections available at many grocery stores, airplane travel, and air conditioning as triumphs of American capitalism and constitutional values. “Socialism is the opposite of liberty. Under socialism you surrender your heart, your soul, and your mind to Elizabeth Warren, to Bernie Sanders, to Cory Booker, and all the rest of them,” Levin said. He also told activists that journalists in America are actively working against liberty, and said that the press “is supposed to be free to support our principles, our founding principles, which are not hard to support.” The rally was notably covered by a gaggle of BlazeTV employees, but seemingly few reporters from other national outlets. (BlazeTV merged with Levin’s network CRTV last year, and Beck was one of the Tea Party’s most prominent voices during his tenure as a primetime host on Fox News Channel.) Throughout the rally, echos were heard of the Tea Party’s reputation for harboring racists and activists who embrace more extreme right-wing ideologies. Randy Corporon, a longtime Tea Party activist in Colorado, spoke about his work with far-right political columnist Michelle Malkin and anti-immigrant activist Tom Tancredo in his state against left-wing protesters calling for the abolition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Corporon said that law enforcement had given their plans for a counter-protest rally this weekend at a location used by opponents of the Trump administration’s punitive policies against immigrants for political demonstrations at an ICE facility in what he described as “very leftist” Colorado. During an aside in his speech during which Levin argued in favor of military action against Iran, an audience member hoisting a copy of Levin’s latest book above his head yelled: “They’re subhuman cockroaches!” | Jared Holt | https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/trying-to-find-the-tea-party-at-its-10th-anniversary-rally/ | 2019-09-20 15:37:59+00:00 | 1,569,008,279 | 1,569,590,616 | human interest | anniversary |
484,571 | skynewsus--2019-01-10--The Sopranos stars reunite for 20th anniversary | 2019-01-10T00:00:00 | skynewsus | The Sopranos stars reunite for 20th anniversary | Widely hailed as one of the greatest TV shows of all time, mafia drama The Sopranos is credited with paving the way for how modern television is made. Now, the cast of the groundbreaking series have reunited to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its debut and remember its star, the late James Gandolfini, who died in 2013, aged 51. Gandolfini played New Jersey mob boss and patriarch Tony Soprano, with fans following his trials and tribulations balancing criminal activities with family life, often through his visits to his psychiatrist, played by Goodfellas actress Lorraine Bracco. Image: (L-R) Edie Falco, Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Robert Iler all attended the reunion Image: Michael Imperioli and Tony Sirico were also among the cast members at the celebrations Edie Falco, Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Robert Iler were among those to gather in New York to mark the anniversary, along with Gandolfini's son, Michael. Falco, who played Tony's long-suffering wife Carmela, spoke to Variety about her experiences on the show. "It feels very weird," she said. "First of all, that it's 20 years, that's crazy. And not that I don't think of Sopranos, but when I do, I almost feel like it's a dream I had. "It's a very private relationship with that chapter of my life and then here I am with cast members and realising that they all have a private relationship with it and when we get together it becomes very much alive and it becomes so obviously wrong that Jim (Gandolfini) isn't here. "Which is not something I think of on a daily basis, but obviously he was an integral part of the show but also of the alchemy of our cast. It's a very unusual, very rich experience, being here." Image: Iler and Sigler were joined by Michael Gandolfini The Sopranos, which ran for six seasons and won 21 Primetime Emmy Awards and five Golden Globes, is credited with changing the TV genre and making way for more mature series on the small screen, including The Wire, Breaking Bad and Game Of Thrones. When the series ended after eight years in 2007, many fans were angered by its famously abrupt ending, which leaves the fate of the Soprano family a mystery. Image: Series creator David Chase (centre) with Gandolfini and Falco in 2007 However, Falco said she is a fan of the way it finished, saying everyone has "different theories about what it meant and I love that". A [**Sopranos prequel, titled The Many Saints Of Newark**](https://news.sky.com/story/bada-bing-the-sopranos-set-for-movie- prequel-11282378), is in development. The screenplay by original Sopranos creator David Chase is set in 1960s New Jersey, and was co-written with another former Sopranos writer, Lawrence Konner. | null | http://news.sky.com/story/the-sporanos-stars-reunite-for-20th-anniversary-11603700 | 2019-01-10 13:20:00+00:00 | 1,547,144,400 | 1,567,553,189 | human interest | anniversary |
485,819 | skynewsus--2019-08-13--Friends episodes to hit US cinemas to mark 25th anniversary | 2019-08-13T00:00:00 | skynewsus | Friends episodes to hit US cinemas to mark 25th anniversary | Fan favourite Friends episodes will be screened in US cinemas to mark the show's 25th anniversary Friends fans, the one where you get to see them all on the big screen is finally here. No, it's not the film announcement viewers have long been hoping for, but it's the next best thing - a special event bringing some of the best episodes to cinemas in the US, as well as exclusive interviews and previously unseen content. Friends 25th: The One With The Anniversary marks 25 years since Rachel did a runner on her wedding day, introducing the world to Monica, Chandler, Ross, Joey and Phoebe. The show, one of the most popular TV series of all time, was nominated for 62 Emmy awards during its 10 seasons. Starring Jennifer Aniston, Matt LeBlanc, Courteney Cox, Matthew Perry, David Schwimmer and Lisa Kudrow, it followed the lives of the six friends as they navigated their 20s and 30s living in New York. Twelve fan favourite episodes will be screened at more than 1,000 US cinemas over three nights in September and October. Could we be any more excited? Well, yes, probably, because there is currently no information on whether a similar event might be planned for the UK, so keep those fingers crossed. Otherwise, get yourselves over to the US. The anniversary celebration has been organised by Fathom Events and Warner Bros, and will feature episodes including The One Where Ross Finds Out, The One With The Prom Video and The One Where No One's Ready, as well as the series' pilot show. Warner Bros Television president and chief marketing officer Lisa Gregorian said: "The cultural impact that Friends continues to have, 25 years after its premiere, is astounding, a true testament to the genius of [executive producers] Marta Kauffman, David Crane, Kevin Bright and the incredibly talented cast. "It is so amazing to know that the series is still bringing people of all ages together. We could not be more excited to deliver these digitally remastered episodes to theatres - for the first time ever! - so that together, in a shared experience, our loyal fans can enjoy some of their favourite Friends scenes in a new way." Tickets go on sale on Friday on the Fathom Events website. | null | http://news.sky.com/story/friends-episodes-to-hit-us-cinemas-to-mark-25th-anniversary-11784355 | 2019-08-13 10:00:00+00:00 | 1,565,704,800 | 1,567,534,315 | human interest | anniversary |
568,483 | tass--2019-08-02--Festivities of Moscow Olympics 40th anniversary to start 3 weeks ahead of 2020 Games | 2019-08-02T00:00:00 | tass | Festivities of Moscow Olympics’ 40th anniversary to start 3 weeks ahead of 2020 Games | New stadium and giant Olympic Village: How Tokyo changed with a year to go to 2020 Games MOSCOW, August 2. /TASS/. Celebrations of the 40th anniversary of the Summer Olympics in Moscow will be held three weeks in advance to the opening ceremony of the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Honorary President of the Russian Olympic Committee Vitaly Smirnov told TASS on Friday. At a March session of the Presidential Council on Physical Culture and Sports, Smirnov voiced a proposal to observe the 40th anniversary of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. The Russian president said then "It is a good idea," and issued instructions to the Russian Sports Ministry and Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin on backing up the idea. "The festivities will kick off three weeks before the [2020] Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo," Smirnov said. Stanislav Pozdnyakov, the president of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), announced to TASS in April that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) voiced its plans to take part in the celebrations on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the 1980 Olympics in the Russian capital. Smirnov added that invitations to the 1980 Olympics’ 40th anniversary celebrations would be extended to heads of all international sports federations, including to IAAF (the International Association of Athletics Federations) President Sebastian Coe. "I believe that the invitations will be extended to all international sports federations, there must be no discrimination, moreover, Coe is the champion of the Olympics in Moscow," Smirnov said. "He will certainly get an invitation. Why not?" At Moscow's 1980 Summer Olympics, Great Britain’s Sebastian Coe won gold in men’s 1,500-meter and silver in men’s 800-meter running. He is also the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics gold medalist in men’s 1,500-meter race. The 1980 Summer Olympics was held in the Russian capital of Moscow between July 19 and August 3. The Games, hosted by the then-Soviet Union, were marred by a boycott by a number of foreign countries, including the United States, in protest of Soviet military presence in Afghanistan. Addressing the first ever World Olympians Forum (WOF) hosted by Moscow in 2015, IOC President Thomas Bach claimed the boycott could have been avoided if the IOC and the world leaders "could have listened to the Olympians at that time and the boycott could have never happened." The 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo are scheduled to be held between July 24 and August 9 and the 2020 Summer Paralympic Games will run between August 25 and September 6. The Olympic flame will be lit on March 11, 2020 in memory of the 2011 tragedy and the Olympic torch relay will start on March 26, 2020 from the Fukushima Prefecture. | null | https://tass.com/society/1071655 | 2019-08-02 13:44:14+00:00 | 1,564,767,854 | 1,567,535,006 | human interest | anniversary |
599,730 | thedailycaller--2019-02-22--Its The 39-Year Anniversary Of The Miracle On Ice Hockey Game | 2019-02-22T00:00:00 | thedailycaller | It’s The 39-Year Anniversary Of The Miracle On Ice Hockey Game | Friday is the 39-year anniversary of the greatest event in American sports history. On this wonderful day back in 1980, a scrappy group of college hockey players from the USA defeated the Soviet Union in the greatest hockey game ever played. The two teams took the ice during the winter Olympics in Lake Placid, and what happened next shocked the world forever. The young American squad led head coach Herb Brooks defeated the Soviet juggernaut 4-3. Mark Johnson, Jim Craig, Mike Eruzione and the rest of the American squad pulled off the unthinkable by beating the Soviets. (RELATED: Watch ‘Miracle On Ice’ Legend Mark Johnson’s Wisconsin Jersey Retirement Ceremony) Pretty much nobody thought we had any chance. After all, the Russians had crushed in an exhibition game weeks earlier. There was no reason to believe that the Americans would somehow turn it around so quickly. What the world saw that fateful night in Lake Placid is still celebrated to this day. Against all odds, the Americans didn’t yield an inch on the ice. When the clock hit zero, the USA was on our way to the gold medal game against Finland. The impossible had happened, and the impact is felt just as strongly today. Seriously, I question whether or not you love America if watching that game or watching “Miracle” doesn’t give you chills. I’ve seen grown men cry as they watch the clock tick down, and they do it nearly 40 years later. I wasn’t alive to watch it happen in 1980, but I probably watch “Miracle” at least once a month right now. I’m that addicted to the underdog story, and I’m that proud of the boys who laced up their skates that night. It was another beautiful reminder that the United States of America is the greatest, and that communism sucks. | David Hookstead | https://dailycaller.com/2019/02/21/miracle-on-ice-39-year-anniversary/ | 2019-02-22 01:43:53+00:00 | 1,550,817,833 | 1,567,547,712 | human interest | anniversary |
688,733 | theguardianuk--2019-02-05--Sky News marks 30th anniversary with behind-the-scenes footage | 2019-02-05T00:00:00 | theguardianuk | Sky News marks 30th anniversary with behind-the-scenes footage | Sky News is celebrating its 30th anniversary by broadcasting non-stop behind-the-scenes footage of its newsroom all day, offering viewers a sanitised insight into the exhausting process of keeping a 24-hour news channel on air. Staff had been warned in advance not to say or do anything that they would not want to be broadcast, with more than 40 cameras and microphones placed around the Sky News offices on Tuesday. Some journalists had already arranged a post-it note system for awkward conversations. Desks were unusually tidy. News meetings were conducted with the utmost seriousness, with few jokes and no swearing. All of this was overlaid with football-style commentary describing what viewers were seeing, which often provided more insight than the raw footage. Staff appeared deeply self-conscious that their discussions were being broadcast to an audience of several thousand people, many of them journalists at rival organisations and media reporters desperately hoping to spot an embarrassing mistake. Some tried to look relaxed in what was clearly one of the least relaxing workplace environments ever. Digital editor Mark Alford, in a morning news meeting with his team, cracked a joke before turning to another member of staff: “Gemma, what have you got on showbiz?” Gemma replied: “Before showbiz, I don’t know you if you’ve seen this but Adam Parker just sent an email from Staffordshire police saying that four children have died in a house fire.” Suddenly the tone changed. Staff ceased their awkward laughter and adopted serious expressions, aware that their reactions were being broadcast live. Orders were given to scramble and then send a breaking news alert. Gemma returned to her showbiz list: “Angelina Jolie is in Bangladesh visiting the Rohingya … Paul McCartney has got a gold Blue Peter badge …” “For his services to music,” said Gemma, doing her best to do her day job. “Took him a long time to get a badge!” said someone else. A few moments later an alert was sent to those with the Sky News app announcing the house fire deaths in Staffordshire. Every awkward moment is broadcast live. There’s the slip of the tongue in which a staff member accidentally promises an interview on Northern Ireland with the deceased singer George Michael, rather than the former US senator George Mitchell. A separate news gallery filled with directors had been set up to ensure that footage of the main news gallery could be broadcast live. There was footage of editor-at-large Adam Boulton sitting on his own in a TV studio while waiting to go live, which always carries its risks. During one discussion on how to cover actor Liam Neeson’s comments on race, news output editor Nick Phipps asked his staff to find someone to go on air and make the argument that the views were “not acceptable”. “But fundamentally the piece is about Liam Neeson and what impact these comments will have on him and whether people want to see his films,” he added. At the end of a different news meeting, Sky News reporter Ashish Joshi swept in to ask veteran presenter Colin Brazier how the team meeting went. “It’s a quiet news day. It’s a patchy news day,” replied Brazier, who then admitted viewers had seen a sanitised version of what really happens behind the scenes: “Normally there’s quite a lot of gallows humour, which we excised from that meeting.” Sky News editor John Ryley was interviewed by one of his employees, as the on-screen caption described him as “one of the leading figures in British TV news”. “We feel it is very important that news organisations are transparent about the decisions that we make,” said Ryley, who helped to organise the strangely compelling experiment in newsroom transparency. “I’m keen to demonstrate that.” What Sky News Raw demonstrates is the effort and level of staffing needed to run Sky’s news output across TV, radio, and online – plus the detailed consideration that goes into every piece of material. But as the saying goes: if you like laws and sausages, you should never watch either one being made.”. Journalism could possibly be added to that list. | Jim Waterson Media editor | https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/feb/05/sky-news-marks-30th-anniversary-with-behind-the-scenes-footage | 2019-02-05 13:00:36+00:00 | 1,549,389,636 | 1,567,549,581 | human interest | anniversary |
690,686 | theguardianuk--2019-02-18--The Cure Disintegration 30th anniversary shows to debut at Sydney Opera House | 2019-02-18T00:00:00 | theguardianuk | The Cure: Disintegration 30th anniversary shows to debut at Sydney Opera House | British rock group the Cure will be celebrating their landmark eighth album Disintegration with a 30th anniversary live show, which will have its world premiere and Australian exclusive at Vivid Live at the Sydney Opera House in May. Released in 1989, Disintegration peaked at No 3 in the UK album charts, making it the band’s highest-charting record. Songs such as Lullaby, Lovesong, Pictures of You and Fascination Street cemented the band’s success in the United States too. By 1992, the album, described by this publication as “exquisitely morose”, had sold more than three million copies worldwide. The Cure will be playing the record with a full band, featuring lead singer Robert Smith alongside Simon Gallup, Jason Cooper, Roger O’Donnell and Reeves Gabrels. This will be the second time the Cure have played Vivid Live after 2011’s Reflections shows, at which the band played their first three albums in full: Three Imaginary Boys, Seventeen Seconds and Faith. This time, the band will play Disintegration along with other tracks from their back catalogue. Announcing the 2019 shows, Smith said: “Our Reflections shows in 2011 were truly memorable experiences, and with the excitement surrounding those early album performances in mind we are more than delighted to be announcing our return.” While the band has a series of festival dates scheduled across the globe through the year, the Disintegration shows in Sydney are being billed as a “world premiere” – but no other venues or dates have been announced. The idea for the shows came about after Vivid Live curator Ben Marshall contacted Smith directly asking for footage from the 2011 tour. While chatting, Marshall said he asked if Smith would consider performing Disintegration in its 30th year. Smith said he would love to. Marshall described Disintegration as an “immaculately glacial, majestic album marrying raw, intense emotion with some of the biggest hits of their career”. He added that the Cure’s choice of venue for their tour’s debut was “both a perfect fit and an immense honour”. Tickets to the four shows will be available via a ballot system, which is now open for applications. The Opera House says the system will “ensure everyone has an equal chance” at tickets while minimising website congestion. | Steph Harmon | https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/feb/19/the-cure-disintegration-30th-anniversary-shows-to-debut-at-sydney-opera-house | 2019-02-18 23:54:27+00:00 | 1,550,552,067 | 1,567,548,170 | human interest | anniversary |
705,494 | theguardianuk--2019-07-20--Apollo 11 Buzz Aldrin greeted by cheers on moon landings 50th anniversary | 2019-07-20T00:00:00 | theguardianuk | Apollo 11: Buzz Aldrin greeted by cheers on moon landing's 50th anniversary | As Donald Trump reiterated his determination that Americans should walk on Mars, Mike Pence marked the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing at the Apollo 11 launch site in Florida on Saturday. Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, accompanied Pence to Kennedy Space Center and showed him the pad where he began that momentous journey 50 years ago. Aldrin later got a standing ovation during a speech by Pence. Mission commander Neil Armstrong, the first man to step onto the moon on 20 July 1969, died seven years ago. Command module pilot Michael Collins, who did not land on the moon, did not attend the Florida celebration. Pence said Apollo 11 was the only event of the 20th century that “stands a chance of being widely remembered in the 30th century”. The vice-president reiterated the Trump administration’s push to put Americans back on the moon by 2024. In a presidential message to mark “Space Exploration Day”, Trump said: “Sustained exploration that extends from our Earth to the moon and on to the Martian surface will usher in a new era of American ingenuity, drawing untold individuals into the fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and defense.” Elsewhere around the US, even as parts of the country sweltered under dangerous heat, anniversary events attracted sizeable crowds. At the Museum of Flight in Seattle, the spacecraft that carried the three-man crew to the moon and back to Earth was on display as part of a traveling exhibit from the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC. The Seattle museum added its own artefacts and some from private collections, including engine parts from Apollo missions that were salvaged from deep in the Atlantic ocean by Amazon chief executive Jeff Bezos. Visitor Gilda Warden sat on a bench and gazed in awe at the Apollo 11 command module, Columbia. “It’s like entering the Sistine Chapel and seeing the ceiling. You want to just sit there and take it in,” said Warden, 63, a psychiatric nurse from Tacoma. A celebration planned for Times Square in New York City was moved to a hotel due to the heat wave affecting the east coast and midwest. But the game went ahead at Yankee Stadium, where former space shuttle astronaut Mike Massimino threw out the ceremonial first pitch to former pitcher Jack Aker, who was on the mound when the 20 July 1969 game was interrupted to announce that the Eagle had landed. Armstrong and Aldrin were “A1, No1, higher than major league,” Aker said. In the aptly named Apollo, Pennsylvania, located in Armstrong county not far from the town of Mars and Moon Township, the local historical society revived an annual moon-landing celebration. All of the Apollo astronauts have long been honorary citizens of Apollo, the society’s Alan Morgan said. In Armstrong’s hometown, Wapakoneta, Ohio, a smaller-scale event went ahead as local athletes competed in “Run to the Moon” races. Wapakoneta 10K runner Robert Rocco, 54, a retired air force officer from Centerville, Ohio, called the moon landing by Armstrong and Aldrin “perhaps the most historic event in my lifetime, maybe in anybody’s lifetime”. At events around the US, clocks counted down to the exact moment of the Eagle’s landing on the moon, 4.17pm ET, and Armstrong’s momentous step onto the lunar surface, at 10.56pm ET. The powdered orange drink Tang was back in vogue for toasts, along with MoonPies, including a 55lbs, 45,000-calorie MoonPie at Kennedy’s One Giant Leap bash in Florida. About 100 visitors and staff at the American Space Museum in Titusville, across the Indian river from Kennedy, cheered and lifted plastic champagne cups of Tang at precisely 4.17pm. “This is what we’re here for, to share the American space experience,” explained executive director Karan Conklin, who led the toast. | Associated Press in Washington | https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/jul/20/apollo-11-moon-landing-trump-buzz-aldrin | 2019-07-20 21:05:41+00:00 | 1,563,671,141 | 1,567,536,333 | human interest | anniversary |
712,018 | theguardianuk--2019-10-11--Westminster Abbey treasures go on display for 750th anniversary | 2019-10-11T00:00:00 | theguardianuk | Westminster Abbey treasures go on display for 750th anniversary | A precious fragment of the shroud of Edward the Confessor and ancient royal manuscripts will be laid on the high altar at Westminster Abbey during a service to celebrate the 750th anniversary of the gothic church. The abbey was consecrated on 13 October 1269 after Henry III rebuilt a basilica constructed on the same site by St Edward, the Anglo-Saxon king and the first English saint to be canonised by Rome. The Queen and the Duchess of Cornwall will attend the anniversary event on Tuesday where some of the abbey’s most beloved treasures will be on show. King Edgar’s grant of land in 960 enabling the establishment of the very first Benedictine monastery where the abbey now stands will be placed on the altar. The 14th-century Litlyngton Missal will be opened alongside it. Two elaborate 13th-century manuscripts signed by Henry III are on public show for the first time in the abbey’s galleries. In tightly written ink script on vellum (calf skin) and with impressive wax seals on silk cords, they reveal Henry’s wish to be buried in his new church alongside Edward, whom he venerated. They also reveal his pawning of gold, precious stones and jewels when he ran into financial difficulty during the extravagant rebuilding. For centuries, Westminster Abbey has been at the centre of national life, and it has been described as Britain’s Valhalla, after the burial hall of Norse mythology. The Very Rev Dr John Hall, the dean of Westminster, said: “I don’t think there is anywhere in this country that has precisely this link with our nation’s history.” Sovereigns have been crowned, married and buried here. Countless heads of state have laid wreathes on the grave of the Unknown Warrior. Some of the country’s leading figures are interred or commemorated within its walls, including Geoffrey Chaucer, Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin and Charles Dickens. On visiting in 2011 when he was US president, Barack Obama exclaimed: “Here you have the history not only of England and Great Britain but of the Commonwealth and the whole of the English-speaking world.” The site’s exact history is still a mystery. Monks may have founded a small community here as early as 604. When the Confessor chose the spot to establish his palace, which eventually would become the Palace of Westminster, he built a new monastic church. His Romanesque basilica is depicted in the Bayeux tapestry. Henry III, a devotee of Edward, began the creation of the abbey as it is known today. The famous west towers would not be added until 1745. “Westminster Abbey was here before anything else,” said Hall. “We were two miles south-west of London and on a remote damp little island, Thorney Island, just surrounded by tributaries of the Thames and the Thames itself. Now we have the Palace of Westminster, the supreme court, the government offices in Whitehall. So now the centre of government is around here and the abbey is very much part of that particular community.” Links with royalty and parliament go back centuries. With two exceptions, every English and, subsequently, British monarch has been crowned here since William the Conqueror in 1066. “The Confessor and the Conqueror were the first sovereigns to associate themselves closely with the abbey, and they also made Westminster their place of residence and the seat of government, hereby connecting church and state in a bond that has lasted and evolved across the subsequent millennium,” writes the historian and president of the British Academy, Sir David Cannadine, in Westminster Abbey: a Church in History, published to mark the 750th anniversary. It survived Henry VIII’s dissolution by becoming a cathedral. Mary I re-established it as a monastery. Elizabeth 1 established it as a royal peculiar – answerable to the sovereign and outside the jurisdiction of the Church of England – and named it the Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster. Its status as a royal peculiar means other faiths can pray there. It is for all faiths and none. In recent years its services have marked the anniversaries of the Srebrenica massacre, of Kristallnacht, of the liberation of Auschwitz, of the death of Martin Luther King. Its annual Commonwealth Day service is invariably attended by the Queen. Its fame has been fanned by televised ceremonies including the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the extraordinary funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales. It attracts 2 million tourists and worshippers a year. “It has been a house of prayer and devotion for much more than a millennium. It is a building of outstanding architectural significance and an unrivalled national mausoleum,” said Cannadine. “It’s close and lengthy relations with the parliaments of governments of this country are unequalled by any other church in any other nation.” | Caroline Davies | https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/11/westminster-abbey-treasures-go-on-display-for-750th-anniversary | Fri, 11 Oct 2019 11:19:47 GMT | 1,570,807,187 | 1,570,799,628 | human interest | anniversary |
747,531 | theindependent--2019-02-15--Drake releases aposSo Far Goneapos mixtape on Spotify and Apple Music for 10th anniversary | 2019-02-15T00:00:00 | theindependent | Drake releases 'So Far Gone' mixtape on Spotify and Apple Music for 10th anniversary | Drake’s breakout mixtape So Far Gone has been released in its original form to streaming services, including Spotify and Apple Music, for the first time. The mixtape celebrates its 10th anniversary this month. It was the major catalyst in launching Drake’s international career, having been well-received by critics. Both “Best I Ever Had” and “Successful” were released as singles from the mixtape, with the release also featuring guest vocals from Omarion, Lloyd, Lykke Li, Lil Wayne and Bun B. The rapper announced the news on Instagram, thanking a series of people, including his manager Future the Prince, Bun B, actor Ben Baller and Omarion. He also thanked the team behind his record label Ovo, including Noah Shebib, Oliver El-Khatib and Boi-1da. Shouting out to rapper Trey Songz, he wrote: “a decade ago you were the first person to recognise potential and give me a co-sign.” In reference to basketball player LeBron James, he wrote: “a decade ago you came to my release party at 6 Degrees and made me the biggest artist in the city off your presence alone.” He also thanked Kanye West, adding: “a decade ago I rapped over your beat cause you just made the best s*** and even though you stay wildin on twitter these days I will never forget what you contributed to the game and my career.” | Clarisse Loughrey | http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/drake-so-far-gone-mixtape-streaming-10th-anniversary-kanye-west-lil-wayne-a8780376.html | 2019-02-15 13:10:00+00:00 | 1,550,254,200 | 1,567,548,403 | human interest | anniversary |
751,883 | theindependent--2019-03-19--Metallica announce SampM 20th anniversary concert with San Francisco Symphony | 2019-03-19T00:00:00 | theindependent | Metallica announce S&M 20th anniversary concert with San Francisco Symphony | Metallica have announced a special concert with the San Francisco Symphony to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their 1999 live LP, S&M. The show, titled S&M², is scheduled to be the debut show for the city's Chase Center venue on Friday 6 December. A pre-sale will open on 19 March (Tuesday) from midday PT until Thursday 21 March at 11.59am PT. General tickets go on sale on Friday 22 March at 10am PT. The band wrote on Instagram: "We're honoured to take part in the grand opening of the Chase Center in San Francisco as we celebrate the 20th anniversary of S&M. Join us at what is sure to become a cultural landmark in the Bay Area for S&M²." S&M was the last Metallica album to feature former bassist Jason Newsted, and was produced by Bob Rock, James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich and conductor Michael Kamen. Metallica's most recent album, Hardwired... to Self-Destruct, was released in 2016. The band play a string of UK stadium shows beginning on 18 June at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester. | Roisin O'Connor | https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/metallica-s-m-concert-20-years-san-francisco-dates-tickets-anniversary-a8829321.html | 2019-03-19 08:52:00+00:00 | 1,552,999,920 | 1,567,545,631 | human interest | anniversary |
755,733 | theindependent--2019-04-10--On the 21st anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement the Brexit elite are putting my familyaposs | 2019-04-10T00:00:00 | theindependent | On the 21st anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, the Brexit elite are putting my family's peace at risk | Today is the 21st anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, when politicians from eight different political parties in Northern Ireland, as well as the British and Irish governments, came together to end decades of bloodshed. Upon the signing of those documents, the text of the agreement was sent to every household across the island or Ireland before it was voted on in a referendum in both nations. Every year, early April is a time for reflection in Northern Ireland, and usually a cause for more than a little celebration. Indeed, as the Good Friday Agreement spoof twitter account tweeted this morning: "Best birth certificate ever." I was three years old when the Good Friday Agreement was passed, but I have grown up in the shadows of the Troubles. And though I am privileged to have lived in a time of relative peace, no one should be under any illusions about the challenges of my home nation. Peace is not a destination; it is a journey and a process. The Northern Ireland Peace Process shaped my upbringing, and I’ve seen first hand the massive difference it has made. Just over a decade ago, my sister and I were bullied as children, beaten up for wearing the Catholic school uniform in a majority Protestant estate. Now my sister’s children have friends across the religious divide. My sister’s partner is a Protestant, too – the possibility of their relationship a result of this process, and their children the children of peace. If they had been born even 10 short years ago, they would have been called "mules" for being from a "mixed" family. The Good Friday Agreement was the start, not the end, of peace in Northern Ireland. We are still working on it. It is a gift, and one which has to be earned every single day. To watch members of the Brexit elite so blithely throw that gift away – unwittingly, and without a care in the world – is incredibly frustrating. I’m worried. I am worried that we are about to crash out of the EU with no safeguards on peace process funding, or guarantees on our border; I am worried that the sectarianism and violence which is never far from the surface in Northern Ireland is on the cusp of bubbling over once more. We know that any form of Brexit threatens a hard border in Ireland, putting our peace at risk. We also know, unfortunately, that most if not all of the decision makers in Westminster do not appear to understand this. So on this most auspicious of 21st birthdays, I would like to make a wish: give Brexit back to the people of Northern Ireland and let us decide our own future in a Final Say referendum. Rosie McKenna is a support of For our Future's Sake. She lives in Northern Ireland | Rosie McKenna | https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/brexit-northern-ireland-good-friday-agreement-hard-border-sectarian-violence-a8863516.html | 2019-04-10 13:26:00+00:00 | 1,554,917,160 | 1,567,543,295 | human interest | anniversary |
757,596 | theindependent--2019-04-22--Saved by the Bell cast reunite for 30th anniversary | 2019-04-22T00:00:00 | theindependent | Saved by the Bell cast reunite for 30th anniversary | The cast of Saved by the Bell reunited to celebrate the show’s 30th anniversary. Mario Lopez, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Elizabeth Berkley and Tiffani Thiessen – alongside their spouses – got together for a celebratory dinner at Petit Trois in Sherman Oaks, California, according to USA Today. Posting an image from the dinner to Instagram, Gosselaar wrote: “This is what 30+ years of friendship looks like.” “Friends forever...” Lopez, Theissen and Berkley all captioned their images with, referencing the title of a song by the show’s fictional band, Zack Attack. Lopez also shared a video from the meetup, writing that the group ate “an obscene amount of food”. He added: “Great group right here... Now it’s time to play credit card roulette for the bill.” Saved by the Bell originally ran on NBC from 1989 to 1993, spawning two spin-offs (The College Years and The New Class) and two films. | Clarisse Loughrey | https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/saved-by-the-bell-cast-30th-anniversary-reunion-mario-lopez-a8880886.html | 2019-04-22 08:08:00+00:00 | 1,555,934,880 | 1,567,542,129 | human interest | anniversary |
763,665 | theindependent--2019-06-26--Pride month Stonewall names Donatella Versace as new ambassador ahead of 50th anniversary | 2019-06-26T00:00:00 | theindependent | Pride month: Stonewall names Donatella Versace as new ambassador ahead of 50th anniversary | Italian fashion designer Donatella Versace has been named as a new ambassador for Stonewall – a charity that campaigns for the equality of lesbian, gay, bi and trans people across the globe. On Tuesday, the 64-year-old announced the news on Instagram alongside a photograph of her holding the LGBT+ flag and wearing a T-shirt that features the Versace logo over a glittering rainbow. “I’m truly honoured to become a Stonewall Ambassador and so excited to be coming to New York for World #Pride and celebrate #StonewallDay!” Versace captioned the post. “Join me in supporting the initiative that commemorates the 50th anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall Riots and continues to fight for full #LGBTQ + equality.” Versace has been a long-time supporter of the LGBT+ community, having been a patron of the Elton John Aids Foundation for many years. Versace’s brother, Gianni, was also one of the fashion industry’s first openly gay designers before his untimely death in 1997. Speaking to WWD, Versace said she is looking forward to adding her voice to the millions of others who demand change. “In 2019 it is not acceptable that there are people who live in fear because of the person they love, or worse they are persecuted, thrown out of their homes,” Versace said. “We all need to voice our concern so that everyone can stop living in fear and is free to be whoever they want to be. We need to stop the hate and the discrimination to create a society that accepts diversity, treats everyone equally and is inclusive.” In addition to the news, Versace has announced that the Italian fashion house is launching a collection of limited-edition Stonewall T-shirts with proceeds going to support Stonewall Day and Pride Live – a global campaign to highlight the importance of remembering the riots. The T-shirts will be available to purchase at the brand’s Fifth Avenue boutique and online at Versace.com. This year, Stonewall Day, which falls on 28 June, commemorates the 50th anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall Riots. Otherwise known as the Stonewall Uprising, the incident saw members of the LGBT+ community fight back against harassment from the police in Greenwich Village, New York. The riots, which saw protesters take a more militant approach in which they demanded respect and equality, has long been lauded as one of the first major moments in the LGBT+ community’s campaign for wide-scale social change. It is expected that more than 50 Stonewall ambassadors, which includes the likes of Madonna, Anna Wintour and Whoopi Goldberg, will attend the commemorative event. | Sarah Young | https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/donatella-versace-stonewall-ambassador-anniversary-pride-month-lgbt-a8974936.html | 2019-06-26 06:26:33+00:00 | 1,561,544,793 | 1,567,538,004 | human interest | anniversary |
765,276 | theindependent--2019-07-04--David and Victoria Beckham share throwback photos to mark 20th wedding anniversary | 2019-07-04T00:00:00 | theindependent | David and Victoria Beckham share throwback photos to mark 20th wedding anniversary | David and Victoria Beckham have marked their 20th wedding anniversary by sharing a series of throwback pictures on Instagram. On 4 July 1999, the celebrity couple married at Luttrellstown Castle in Ireland, two years after meeting at a charity football match. Two decades later, the Beckhams have celebrated their anniversary by sharing a collection of photographs taken throughout their relationship on social media, ranging from snaps taken on their wedding day to fashion faux pas. On Thursday, David's posted several pictures from their wedding, the 2014 Met Gala and of the couple with their four children. "WOW 20 years, look what we created," the former professional footballer wrote in the caption. "Love you so much." Victoria, meanwhile, shared a video compilation of throwback pictures on Instagram, writing in the caption: "20 years today. I love you so much xxxxx Kisses x @davidbeckham." On his Instagram story, David also shared a card he and Victoria were given by their seven-year-old daughter, Harper, for their anniversary. The card features cartoon versions of the couple and their children, Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz and Harper. "You are the best parents in the entire world," the card reads. "We love making memories with you." Several Instagram users wished David and Victoria congratulations on their relationship milestone. "Happy Anniversary both," wrote Rebekah Vardy, who is married to England footballer Jamie Vardy. To see all of David and Victoria's best fashion moments throughout the years, click here. The Independent's Millennial Love group is the best place to discuss to the highs and lows of modern dating and relationships. Join the conversation here. | Sabrina Barr | https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/love-sex/david-victoria-beckham-instagram-wedding-anniversary-marriage-a8987561.html | 2019-07-04 08:30:00+00:00 | 1,562,243,400 | 1,567,536,889 | human interest | anniversary |
345,858 | newsbusters--2019-12-06--In Face of Impeachment, Jobs Market and Stock Market Steamroll Along | 2019-12-06T00:00:00 | newsbusters | In Face of Impeachment, Jobs Market and Stock Market Steamroll Along | While the liberal media continue their ongoing impeachment obsession, and with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) directing her chairmen to draft articles of impeachment, the jobs market and stock market continue to steamroll along. “Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 266,000 in November, and the unemployment rate was little changed at 3.5 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today”[emphasis added], according to a Dec. 6 United States Bureau of Labor Statistics News Release. “Notable job gains occurred in health care and in professional and technical services. Employment rose in manufacturing, reflecting the return of workers from a strike” [emphasis added]. And the stock market is also rallying. Investor’s Business Daily released a Dec. 5 story with the following headline: “Dow Jones Led By Gains From Nike, Apple; Stocks Defy Trump Impeachment News.” CNBC called the jobs market results a “stellar performance,” and further noted that the “266,000” figure for November was “better than the 187,000 expected by economists polled by Dow Jones.” And CNN even admitted Dec. 6 that a “couple of generations of people have not seen this kind of unemployment rate." CNSNews.com reported Dec. 6, “158,593,000 Americans were working in November, the 24th record of Trump's presidency.” CNSNews.com also noted that “average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls rose by 7 cents to $28.29. Over the last 12 months, average hourly earnings have increased by 3.1 percent” [emphasis added]. The 3.1 percent increase in average hourly earnings even slightly beat expectations of economists (3.0 percent) polled by Dow Jones, acknowledged CNBC. CNBC also noted that the jobs growth was “the best since January,” and the BLS report cited one possible reason for this: “Manufacturing employment rose by 54,000 in November, following a decline of 43,000 in the prior month. Within manufacturing, employment in motor vehicles and parts was up by 41,000 in November, reflecting the return of workers who were on strike in October” [emphasis added]. “[T]he job gains were spread among a multitude of sectors. Health care added 45,000 positions after contributing just 12,000 in October,” [emphasis added] CNBC reported. Other sectors continued an upward trend as well, including leisure and hospitality, which the BLS noted, “continued to trend up (+45,000). The industry has added 219,000 jobs over the last 4 months.” Transportation and warehousing also continued “an upward trend in November (+16,000). Within the industry, job gains occurred in warehousing and storage (+8,000) and in couriers and messengers (+5,000),” the BLS reported. Financial activities employment also continued an upward trend (+13,000), “with a gain of 7,000 in credit intermediation and related activities. Financial activities has added 116,000 jobs over the last 12 months.” So much for the liberal media’s summer nervous breakdown over “recession” fears. In the stock market, the news was also positive for President Donald Trump’s economy. Investor’s Business Daily noted the following: “Multiple Dow Jones stocks traded in key buy zones, including Nike (NKE), Disney (DIS) and Microsoft (MSFT). Dow giant Apple (AAPL) gained 1% intraday after an analyst upgrade. IBD 50 component RH (RH) vaulted 12% higher on a strong earnings beat.” The stock market “remains in a confirmed uptrend, despite the Trump impeachment news,” The Daily reported. “Markets reacted mildly to the news of the House moving to formally impeach the president. As of now, it appears likely that Trump will be acquitted by the Senate and not be removed from office, which explains the very mild market reaction,” [emphasis added]. The President tweeted in response to the news Dec. 6: “Stock Markets Up Record Numbers. For this year alone, Dow up 18.65%, S&P up 24.36%, Nasdaq Composite up 29.17%. ‘It’s the economy, stupid.’” It appears that despite the ongoing media-hyped impeachment charade, the Trump-era economy has continued to defy the odds. >>Help fight back against the media's impeachment crusade.<< | Joseph Vazquez | https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/business/joseph-vazquez/2019/12/06/face-impeachment-jobs-market-and-stock-market-steamroll | Fri, 06 Dec 2019 11:30:00 -0500 | 1,575,649,800 | 1,575,677,726 | labour | labour market |
386,115 | npr--2019-07-03--This California City Has The Nations Worst Job Market Im Applying Everywhere | 2019-07-03T00:00:00 | npr | This California City Has The Nation's Worst Job Market: 'I'm Applying Everywhere' | This California City Has The Nation's Worst Job Market: 'I'm Applying Everywhere' To visit California's Imperial Valley is to enter a sleepy place worlds away from the glamorous boomtowns of California's coast. Pickups outnumber BMWs. Vast farms irrigated by the Colorado River stretch as far as the eye can see. Few tourists walk its hot, dusty streets. Yet the valley lies just two hours from the beaches and swanky subdivisions of San Diego, in the hard, rocky desert terrain near the Mexican border. The valley is different in another way, too. While the United States is enjoying the healthiest job market in half a century, the metropolitan El Centro area has what the U.S. Labor Department says is an unemployment rate of 16.2%, the highest in the nation. By comparison, the rate for the country as a whole is 3.6%. For people like 57-year-old Graciela Panduro, who lost a job at Walmart two years ago because of poor circulation in her legs, good jobs can be hard to find. "I'm applying everywhere and they always say, 'Leave us the application over here and we'll call you.' But no calls," Panduro says. She and her adult son — also unemployed — live off the money her husband makes as a handyman. Panduro was standing inside the community center in the little valley town of Heber, where the county has set up a food bank. Outside, a line of people waiting to get in snakes around the parking lot. Many carry umbrellas to protect themselves from the brutal sun overhead. Some 250 families show up at the center each month to get free food — milk, cheese and meat — distributed by volunteers and paid staff. Many of the jobs here are agricultural: The Imperial Valley is home to thousands of acres of farms that grow cauliflower, potatoes and spinach and require a large seasonal workforce. Some of the farmworkers live here; many others cross the border from Mexico a few miles away to work every day. Once they become too old to work in the fields, however, few jobs are available other than retail and fast food. And even those can be hard to get, says Alba Sanchez, who works for the Imperial Valley Food Bank. "We have a lot of stores closing down right now," she says. "Sears closed down. We have a lot of other stores closing at the mall that employed these families and they're out of jobs." The Imperial Valley does have middle class residents, many of whom work in government and law enforcement. U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which patrols 71 miles of the Mexican border nearby, is a big local employer. Two state prisons are also located nearby and the valley was delighted to get them, says El Centro City Council member Cheryl Viegas-Walker. "When everybody else was saying, 'Not in my backyard,' the whole NIMBY thing, 'Don't dare site those prisons here,' we were like, 'Please. Bring them here. Bring the jobs here,' " she says. Viegas-Walker herself came to El Centro as a young woman after her husband took a job at a local law firm. At first, she was less than thrilled to live in the valley. Today, she says she has become its biggest cheerleader. She likes the small town feel of the city, the fact that she can drive to work in six minutes. Unlike most of California, El Centro is also affordable: A nice house on a palm tree-lined street in the better part of town can be had for about $200,000. Like Viegas-Walker, many local officials argue that the unemployment rate is lower than the Labor Department claims and is skewed by the large number of seasonal workers in the area, many of them coming from the much larger city of Mexicali, Mexico, next door. City officials also say their efforts to lure new businesses have been hurt by California's comparatively high minimum wage, which they say has driven some jobs into Arizona and even Mexico. But no one disputes that there aren't enough good jobs. "It's one thing to have a job. It's another thing to have a job that pays a [good] wage and has some upward mobility, and certainly that's where [the Imperial Valley] economy continues to fall short," says Mike Bracken, chief economist at Development Management Group, which advises local businesses and communities on development. Viegas-Walker acknowledges that people with college degrees tend to leave El Centro for greener pastures. She knows that firsthand: Her own two grown sons now live in Oregon and New York. "We do have a brain drain. I mean, my two sons will not return to the valley. They won't come back," Viegas-Walker says. Many of those who remain have few options for work. In the United States, the poverty rate was 12.3% in 2017. In El Centro, it was more than twice that. "Our economy is not diversified. It's a very narrow economy. It's either farm or government or teaching or low-income, with a few other exceptions," says Sara Griffen, executive director of the Imperial Valley Food Bank. A few years ago, Jessica Solorio, who grew up in El Centro, noticed a growing number of homeless people gathering in a local park. She decided to cook up a meal of chicken teriyaki and rice and take it to them. It soon became a regular thing. "Me and my friend fed the homeless one night, and we posted on Facebook, then we asked who was going to take the next night. And from there we've just been feeding the homeless every night," she says. Today she heads Spread the Love, a drop-in center where homeless people can spend their afternoons sleeping on cots or just sitting in the air conditioning. Among those stopping by is Henry Lee Poston, who says he has spent much of his life in prison or on the streets. Raised in Oklahoma, he's never gotten used to the heat in the valley. It makes being homeless that much harder. "One thing is it's too dang hot here," says Poston. "I have blackouts because of the heat. And there's nothing I can do about it." Poston has been looking for work in the valley for a long time with no success. "I've tried and tried and tried and tried," he says wearily. "They keep telling me the same thing. 'You're not socially acceptable.' Whatever the hell that means." If he ever does get a job, he has one goal: To leave the valley and return home to Oklahoma. | Jim Zarroli | https://www.npr.org/2019/07/03/738146040/this-california-city-has-the-nations-worst-job-market-i-m-applying-everywhere?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=news | 2019-07-03 15:48:45+00:00 | 1,562,183,325 | 1,567,537,107 | labour | labour market |
367,720 | newyorkpost--2019-01-06--New York has become a hot buyers market for job seekers | 2019-01-06T00:00:00 | newyorkpost | New York has become a hot buyer’s market for job seekers | If you woke up on New Year’s Day resolving that this will be the year you finally quit complaining about your job and get a new one, your timing is perfect. While the unemployment rate hovers near all-time lows nationwide, jobs in the Big Apple are being created at a faster clip than almost anywhere in the US. “Overall, job growth in New York City is tremendous,” says Raleen Gagnon, managing director of global market intelligence at ManpowerGroup Solutions, one of the largest recruitment firms in the world. Why the boom? New York City is now the birthplace of more than 7,000 new startups, it houses some of the world’s largest finance, fashion, entertainment and technology employers and is a mecca for tourists who eat, sleep, shop and consume here. And, as the nation’s largest city, it has a budget of more than $89 billion, much of which will be paid out to city workers. For New Yorkers, this translates not only to choices in employers and professions, but also whether they want to be on someone’s payroll, hang their own shingles or work a series of gigs. As a result, companies who need to hire find themselves in an interesting predicament. What can they do to win the talent that everyone else needs, too? “We’re increasingly watching our clients step up their games and make stronger offers,” says Jonathan Silverman, a recruiter at Atlas Search in Midtown. We’re not just talking about money. “It could also be a flexible schedule or the number of days off. There are lots of ways to negotiate,” says Gagnon. Needless to say, the hotter the job, the greater your leverage. We looked at data and reports from the Conference Board, Indeed, LinkedIn, ManpowerGroup, the New York City Economic Development Corporation and Tech:NYC, and these are some of the areas where jobs are growing the fastest. Thanks to the booming economy and regulators who force companies to comply with a gazillion regulatory rules, the demand for workers in accounting and finance in New York City is growing at as much as 83 percent, according to ManpowerGroup. Hot job titles range from auditors, to certified public accountants to tax accountants. “This is unlike any market we’ve ever seen,” says Silverman. The need to hire people to move goods to, from and across the city, and then door to door, is huge — and it keeps growing. All it takes to get started in this profession is a set of feet, wheels and an ability to follow directions; although, in some cases, a state ID, driver’s license and good driving record are also required. Jobs can be found in person at small businesses and restaurants, on Web sites, or by simply signing up on apps like Amazon Flex, Grubhub for Drivers, Postmates Fleet and others. Right now, New York is generating these jobs more quickly than Silicon Valley. The demand for blockchain developers, data scientists, machine learning specialists and software developers is growing faster than the city’s universities, worker development organizations and tech boot camps can train them. Consequently, the New York technology ecosystem has created more than 326,000 jobs, according to Julie Samuels, executive director of Tech:NYC, a group that represents New York-based tech firms. And with Amazon and Google expanding their presence in the city, 31,000 entirely new jobs are now in the pipeline. Some of the jobs this industry creates aren’t even in technology. “They might be in finance, sales, media, real estate or fashion,” says Samuels, pointing to Spotify, which also hires for roles in areas like artist and label marketing, content programming and marketing strategy. The experts were pretty much blindsided by this, but there’s a scarcity of blue-collar workers. Restaurants are having trouble finding enough waitresses, dishwashers and cooks. Building maintenance, HVAC workers, and groundskeepers are in short supply. Never mind home health aides, nursing assistants, hard hats and day laborers. This might be because “these jobs are not easy,” says Gad Levanon, chief economist at the Conference Board, a highly respected research group which released a report on the new finding in December. Also, baby boomers in these professions are retiring, while millennials and Generation Z are going to college rather that choosing blue-collar careers. Employers are responding to this by treating these workers better. “Wages are rising rapidly,” says Levanon. “Some blue-collar workers are already making as much as white-collar workers,” he says. Amazon will start hiring in Long Island City later this year and they’ll be bringing in a diverse pool of workers — some 25,000 over the next several years, according to a company spokesperson. They will be looking for talent in everything from robotics to cloud computing and coding, as well as “people on the business side [and] workers who will keep everything running,” says a company spokesperson. While there will be a wide range of salaries, the average is projected to be $150,000. You can look out for job ads on the Web, as well as Amazon job fairs. “When we hire, we look for diverse, talented candidates who are passionate about what they do and who want to innovate with us,” says Ardine Williams, vice president of people operations and worldwide human resources at Amazon. “We know firsthand that New York is brimming with talent that is a great fit for Amazon.” | Virginia Backaitis | https://nypost.com/2019/01/06/new-york-has-become-a-hot-buyers-market-for-job-seekers/ | 2019-01-06 19:47:49+00:00 | 1,546,822,069 | 1,567,553,755 | labour | labour market |
385,514 | npr--2019-05-20--Hot Job Market Is Wooing Women Into Workforce Faster Than Men | 2019-05-20T00:00:00 | npr | Hot Job Market Is Wooing Women Into Workforce Faster Than Men | Hot Job Market Is Wooing Women Into Workforce Faster Than Men Gaby Gemetti thought she was failing. After having a second child, she struggled to be a good mom and also a good employee. "I felt like I wasn't a good mother," she says. "I was waking up in the middle of the night thinking about, 'Oh, my presentation,' or just work in general." So, even though Gemetti was moving up the management ranks at a top tech company in Silicon Valley, she gave up the job four years ago to stay home in Santa Clara, Calif. As hard as it was, Gemetti's decision was particularly driven by her son's needs, when he started requiring regular therapy. But she missed working on team projects. And recent headlines spotlighting the need for women in technology piqued her interest in looking for a job again. So she got back to work. Over the past three years, women in their working prime such as Gemetti have been entering the workforce at more than double the rate of men. Don't see the graphic above? Click here. That recent rise comes at a time when the economy is humming along and the unemployment rate has reached historic lows, which means there are more opportunities for workers seeking higher pay and better benefits. Those benefits appeal to working mothers like Gemetti. In March, she started a "returnship," a new type of program to recruit and retrain women like her who are looking to resume their careers. The new gig, managing a team at Cisco Systems, gives her time to occasionally pick up her kids from school. Women returning to jobs at higher rates since 2015 dramatically reverses the trend of the previous three years, when women were leaving the workforce at twice the rate of men. It is also a reversal of a nearly two-decade drop in the percentage of working women. During World War II, women started entering the labor force in large numbers. That trend didn't stop for decades. Until 2000. Then it started to dip — a decline that continued through the Great Recession and ended in 2015. Now, many employers are struggling to find workers and are trying to lure them with more family-friendly benefits, such as flexible hours and paid leave. That's attractive to women, who continue to remain the primary caregivers for children and elderly parents. There are other things contributing to the expanding female workforce — the growth of industries such as health care and education that rely heavily on women, for example. Women also are making inroads in historically male-dominated fields such as manufacturing and construction, says Martha Gimbel, research director at the job site Indeed, an NPR sponsor. "In a tight labor market, employers are willing to look at applicants that they might have dismissed in the past," she says. Another draw for women: Employers competing for workers are paying more. But is it enough, given a number of other financial barriers to women working? Their return to work means there is greater demand for child care, which is harder to find. And, unlike Canada and Europe, the U.S. doesn't subsidize child care. "If a woman has a relatively low hourly wage, maybe it makes more sense for her to take care of her own children," says Claudia Goldin, an economics professor at Harvard University who researches women in the workforce — even if that means earning less later in life when a woman goes back to work. "Can wage growth support workers paying for more expensive child care?" Gimbel asks. The employment gains American women have made in recent years pale in comparison to countries such as Canada and Sweden, where a higher percentage of women work. "This is a real indication that there's something wrong," Goldin says. Women in the U.S. face greater financial headwinds. Much of that is tied to their role as default caregivers in many families. Paid time off to care for children and sick family members remains relatively rare. Some cities and states require it, but federal law does not. That makes it harder to keep a job. There's another disincentive, Goldin says: Married women with working spouses are taxed at a higher rate. The calculation to work, or not, is personal and practical. But that choice has also long been judged and criticized as a subject of culture wars. In the 1980s, it centered on "latchkey children" — kids of working parents who unlocked their own homes after school and looked after themselves. The #MeToo movement reignited workplace debates, including inequity in pay and women's representation in executive ranks. Many employers are now trying to address that. They're adding retraining and mentorship programs to encourage women to return, and are explicitly recruiting women, says Sonu Ratra. She took a career break and founded a staffing firm and a job-placement and support group called Women Back to Work. "There has been a cultural shift in the last two years," Ratra says. "Women are being celebrated more today than ever." And that shift isn't just felt by women. When Gaby Gemetti decided to go back to work, both she and her husband shifted their schedules. "We were like, 'Oh God, child care. What are we going to do about the kids?' " she says. Gemetti is fortunate. Her mother and a part-time sitter can pick up the children from school most days, while Gemetti and her husband alternate on others. But between her daughter's swimming and dancing lessons and her son's baseball practices, it's still a daily logistical challenge. That juggle hasn't gotten any easier, she says: "Practice is at 5:30, so you have to leave work at 4:30 in order to get them ready to scramble, and then what are you going to do about dinner?" It's all part of the calculus Gemetti and other women are making as they return to the workforce. | Yuki Noguchi | https://www.npr.org/2019/05/20/722947290/hot-job-market-is-wooing-women-into-workforce-faster-than-men?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=news | 2019-05-20 16:43:27+00:00 | 1,558,385,007 | 1,567,540,449 | labour | labour relations |
385,514 | npr--2019-05-20--Hot Job Market Is Wooing Women Into Workforce Faster Than Men | 2019-05-20T00:00:00 | npr | Hot Job Market Is Wooing Women Into Workforce Faster Than Men | Hot Job Market Is Wooing Women Into Workforce Faster Than Men Gaby Gemetti thought she was failing. After having a second child, she struggled to be a good mom and also a good employee. "I felt like I wasn't a good mother," she says. "I was waking up in the middle of the night thinking about, 'Oh, my presentation,' or just work in general." So, even though Gemetti was moving up the management ranks at a top tech company in Silicon Valley, she gave up the job four years ago to stay home in Santa Clara, Calif. As hard as it was, Gemetti's decision was particularly driven by her son's needs, when he started requiring regular therapy. But she missed working on team projects. And recent headlines spotlighting the need for women in technology piqued her interest in looking for a job again. So she got back to work. Over the past three years, women in their working prime such as Gemetti have been entering the workforce at more than double the rate of men. Don't see the graphic above? Click here. That recent rise comes at a time when the economy is humming along and the unemployment rate has reached historic lows, which means there are more opportunities for workers seeking higher pay and better benefits. Those benefits appeal to working mothers like Gemetti. In March, she started a "returnship," a new type of program to recruit and retrain women like her who are looking to resume their careers. The new gig, managing a team at Cisco Systems, gives her time to occasionally pick up her kids from school. Women returning to jobs at higher rates since 2015 dramatically reverses the trend of the previous three years, when women were leaving the workforce at twice the rate of men. It is also a reversal of a nearly two-decade drop in the percentage of working women. During World War II, women started entering the labor force in large numbers. That trend didn't stop for decades. Until 2000. Then it started to dip — a decline that continued through the Great Recession and ended in 2015. Now, many employers are struggling to find workers and are trying to lure them with more family-friendly benefits, such as flexible hours and paid leave. That's attractive to women, who continue to remain the primary caregivers for children and elderly parents. There are other things contributing to the expanding female workforce — the growth of industries such as health care and education that rely heavily on women, for example. Women also are making inroads in historically male-dominated fields such as manufacturing and construction, says Martha Gimbel, research director at the job site Indeed, an NPR sponsor. "In a tight labor market, employers are willing to look at applicants that they might have dismissed in the past," she says. Another draw for women: Employers competing for workers are paying more. But is it enough, given a number of other financial barriers to women working? Their return to work means there is greater demand for child care, which is harder to find. And, unlike Canada and Europe, the U.S. doesn't subsidize child care. "If a woman has a relatively low hourly wage, maybe it makes more sense for her to take care of her own children," says Claudia Goldin, an economics professor at Harvard University who researches women in the workforce — even if that means earning less later in life when a woman goes back to work. "Can wage growth support workers paying for more expensive child care?" Gimbel asks. The employment gains American women have made in recent years pale in comparison to countries such as Canada and Sweden, where a higher percentage of women work. "This is a real indication that there's something wrong," Goldin says. Women in the U.S. face greater financial headwinds. Much of that is tied to their role as default caregivers in many families. Paid time off to care for children and sick family members remains relatively rare. Some cities and states require it, but federal law does not. That makes it harder to keep a job. There's another disincentive, Goldin says: Married women with working spouses are taxed at a higher rate. The calculation to work, or not, is personal and practical. But that choice has also long been judged and criticized as a subject of culture wars. In the 1980s, it centered on "latchkey children" — kids of working parents who unlocked their own homes after school and looked after themselves. The #MeToo movement reignited workplace debates, including inequity in pay and women's representation in executive ranks. Many employers are now trying to address that. They're adding retraining and mentorship programs to encourage women to return, and are explicitly recruiting women, says Sonu Ratra. She took a career break and founded a staffing firm and a job-placement and support group called Women Back to Work. "There has been a cultural shift in the last two years," Ratra says. "Women are being celebrated more today than ever." And that shift isn't just felt by women. When Gaby Gemetti decided to go back to work, both she and her husband shifted their schedules. "We were like, 'Oh God, child care. What are we going to do about the kids?' " she says. Gemetti is fortunate. Her mother and a part-time sitter can pick up the children from school most days, while Gemetti and her husband alternate on others. But between her daughter's swimming and dancing lessons and her son's baseball practices, it's still a daily logistical challenge. That juggle hasn't gotten any easier, she says: "Practice is at 5:30, so you have to leave work at 4:30 in order to get them ready to scramble, and then what are you going to do about dinner?" It's all part of the calculus Gemetti and other women are making as they return to the workforce. | Yuki Noguchi | https://www.npr.org/2019/05/20/722947290/hot-job-market-is-wooing-women-into-workforce-faster-than-men?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=news | 2019-05-20 16:43:27+00:00 | 1,558,385,007 | 1,567,540,449 | labour | labour market |
387,521 | npr--2019-11-01--Job Market Resilient In October Despite GM Strike, Beating Expectations | 2019-11-01T00:00:00 | npr | Job Market Resilient In October Despite GM Strike, Beating Expectations | U.S. employers added 128,000 jobs in October as the unemployment rate inched up to 3.6%. Friday's report from the Labor Department suggests job growth remains resilient, despite the ongoing trade war and temporary setbacks such as the United Auto Workers strike at General Motors, which was settled a week ago. Job gains for August and September were also revised upward by a combined 95,000. "Overall, it was a very strong report when you consider some of the headwinds," said senior economist Sarah House of Wells Fargo Securities. "While the labor market might not be growing quite as quickly as it was in 2018 or even in the early part of this year, it's not collapsing by any means either. Employers are still out there hiring. More people are collecting a paycheck. And that's all a good sign for consumer spending." Investors welcomed the better-than-expected report. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 index both jumped sharply in the first hour of trading. Don't see the graphic above? Click here. The GM strike did take a bite out of manufacturing employment. Factories shed 36,000 jobs in October. Some 46,000 GM workers are now back on the job after 40 days on the picket lines. "They were starting to feel a little bit of the pinch, but they're glad to be back," said Randy Freeman, president of UAW Local 652 in Lansing, Mich. "They're glad to be working, and having this behind them, and going into the holiday season." Manufacturing has also suffered from slowing demand in the rest of the world as well as the president's trade war. A separate report from the Institute for Supply Management showed manufacturing activity contracted in October for the third consecutive month. That was offset in the October jobs report, though, by strong growth in the much larger services side of the economy. Services — such as hospitality and health care — are typically consumed locally, and so are less affected by global forces. The modest rise in the unemployment rate came as hundreds of thousands of new people entered the workforce. "That's encouraging that folks feel like there's job opportunities out there," House said. "We're getting more people coming in and looking for work." Average wages over the past 12 months have increased 3%, a slight acceleration from the previous month. The U.S. economy is growing more slowly now than it was earlier in the year — dragged down in part by weak business investment. On Wednesday, the Commerce Department reported that the economy grew just 1.9% between July and September. Eventually, that slower growth could become a drag on the job market and that in turn would cut into consumers' buying power. But Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell told reporters this week he's not worried yet. "That's a risk that we've been monitoring, but we don't see it yet," Powell said. The central bank cut interest rates by a quarter percentage point on Wednesday to guard against further slowing. But Powell suggested that might be the last rate cut for a while, unless the economy worsens. "Consumers are doing well and are focused on the good job market and rising incomes," he said. "That is the thing that is pushing the economy forward and it doesn't seem to have been affected so far by weakness in the other areas." | Scott Horsley | https://www.npr.org/2019/11/01/775121995/job-market-resilient-in-october-despite-gm-strike-beating-expectations?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=news | Fri, 01 Nov 2019 08:44:00 -0400 | 1,572,612,240 | 1,572,646,552 | labour | labour market |
432,688 | prisonplanet--2019-09-12--The Signs Of A Slowing Job Market Are Visible And Many | 2019-09-12T00:00:00 | prisonplanet | The Signs Of A Slowing Job Market Are Visible And Many | Signs that the job market is slowing have been piling up this week. One of the “brightest” and most touted pieces of the American economy is showing cracks, and many are taking notice. It took a little time, but United States businesses have warned over the past year that the effects of tariffs would ripple into the labor market. We continued to warn that the effects of this trade war on the American worker and consumer would be felt heavily, while the nation of China is left largely unscathed. But until now, it appears that not many have listened. According to Business Insider, the Labor Department on Tuesday said the number of job openings fell by 31,000 in July to a seasonally adjusted 7.2 million, the latest sign of weakening labor demand. The results showed openings remained plentiful, but they came just days after the department reported weaker-than-expected figures for August employment. “Last week’s jobs report sparked a debate over whether the slowdown in hiring is due to an economy hitting full employment, but today’s JOLTS report indicates that this is actually a labor market that is losing momentum,” said Nick Bunker, an economist at Indeed Hiring Lab. The US added 130,000 nonfarm payrolls in August, a slowdown from a month earlier and compared with forecasts for an addition of 160,000. Economists said the real increase was closer to 105,000 last month, however, without taking into account a wave of temporary workers hired for the 2020 census. Earlier Tuesday, the National Federation of Independent Business said small firms reported fewer open positions that they could not fill in August as outlooks for the economy dimmed. “The good news — relatively — is that capex plans rose a point, though the trend remains weak and continues to signal a clear downshift in business investment through the end of this year and into early 2020,” said Ian Shepherdson, the chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics according to Business Insider. The downturn in the economy has been obvious for a little while, and Trump’s trade war is shaking things up in the wrong way. A majority of Americans think a recession will hit the U.S. next year, and most are blaming Trump for starting an economically devastating trade war. This article was posted: Thursday, September 12, 2019 at 5:12 am | admin | https://www.prisonplanet.com/the-signs-of-a-slowing-job-market-are-visible-and-many.html | 2019-09-12 10:12:25+00:00 | 1,568,297,545 | 1,569,330,349 | labour | labour market |
453,800 | redstate--2019-01-15--Veteran Unemployment At All Time Low Thanks to Booming Job Market but Hurdles Still Lay Ahead | 2019-01-15T00:00:00 | redstate | Veteran Unemployment At All Time Low Thanks to Booming Job Market, but Hurdles Still Lay Ahead | For years it hasn’t been looking good for veterans trying to find a job after serving their country, but according to new data, veterans are finding it easier to be employed now more than ever. According to the Military Times, a number of veteran service organizations and popular brand names began working on the problem and before we knew it, the Bureau of Labor Statistics is reporting that veteran unemployment rates for the latest generation of soldiers dropped below four percent in 2018: For veterans of all generations, the unemployment rate was similarly low, dropping to 3.5 percent from 3.7 percent last year. The 3.8-percent annual unemployment rate for 2018 continues a seven-year trend of declines since 2011, when post-9/11 veteran unemployment peaked at 12.1 percent – more than triple the 2018 rate. These figures are below what economists have traditionally considered “full employment,” and some would say it’s worth celebrating — especially since the 3.8-percent rate was on par with nonveterans in 2018. And nationally, the economy is looking up, with the U.S. hitting three consecutive months of a 3.7 percent unemployment rate last year, a low the country hadn’t seen since the 1960s. A good economy that employs its soldiers after they complete their service is definitely worth celebrating, and Robert Lerman, a labor economist at the Urban Institute tends to agree. “Right now, I would say it’s a massively good time to look and find something,” said Lerman who added that the unemployment rate “calls for a big celebration.” “It’s also something that we want to try to sustain, which is the harder part, but you know, for now, jobs are plentiful, and that’s a lot better than jobs not being plentiful,” he said. While this is all good news, it’s not the end of the story. The Military Times noted that while employed veterans is a societal plus, it’s not the end of the road. With the economy and job market looking good, it’s time now to focus on getting veterans jobs that best suit them. This is important as many veterans report leaving their first jobs within the military in less than a year: Armstrong said underemployment is a common complaint among veterans who transition into the civilian workforce. This problem is being dealt with, however. “The conversations and focuses of employers, as well as those who serve veterans in this space, are shifting from, ‘Let’s make sure you get a job’ to ‘Let’s make sure the job is a good fit,’” said Nick Armstrong, senior director of research and policy at the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University. All we need to do is keep the economy rising and our veterans will have a much easier time finding meaningful work after they served our country. | Brandon Morse | https://www.redstate.com/brandon_morse/2019/01/15/veteran-unemployment-time-low-thanks-booming-economy-hurdles-still-lay-ahead/ | 2019-01-15 14:00:53+00:00 | 1,547,578,853 | 1,567,552,435 | labour | labour market |
486,460 | skynewsus--2019-12-06--Trump hails 'blowout' job numbers as stock markets bounce | 2019-12-06T00:00:00 | skynewsus | Trump hails 'blowout' job numbers as stock markets bounce | US economic growth has slowed this year but pay growth has remained steady and demand for workers is strong Donald Trump has tweeted his satisfaction after a closely-watched report suggested the US economy was in a healthier place than feared. At the end of a week dominated by an escalation in the US president's trade war, which pulled US indices back from record highs, it was revealed that hiring in the American economy jumped to its highest level since January last month. The numbers in the non-farm payrolls report smashed market expectations on every level. It showed the US jobless rate falling to 3.5% - matching its lowest level for 50 years. In all, 266,000 net new jobs were created across the economy. Economists had expected a figure around 180,000. The Labor Department also reported wages rising by a better-than-expected figure of 3.1% compared with a year earlier. It also revised sharply higher the number of jobs created in both September and October. The report showed a minimal contribution from seasonal workers ahead of Christmas. The figures were a surprise in that the US central Bank has cut rates three times back-to-back amid signs the US economy was slowing sharply - a consequence of falling confidence and damage from the effects of the trade war with China. Markets took fright earlier this week when Mr Trump signalled he was in no rush to find a settlement with Beijing. He also threatened to open new trade war fronts through tariffs on goods from Argentina, Brazil and France. But sentiment shot up when the jobs report was published on Friday. The president tweeted: "Stock Markets Up Record Numbers. For this year alone, Dow up 18.65%, S&P up 24.36%, Nasdaq Composite up 29.17%. "It's the economy, stupid." US stock markets did open almost 1% higher while in London the FTSE 100 built on earlier gains to trade more than 1% up shortly after the numbers were published. The dollar - also knocked by the trade war developments - rose against a basket of currencies, including sterling which saw its value climb back above $1.31 on Wednesday. The jobs report was published ahead of the latest meeting of the Federal Reserve's rate-setting committee next week. It had already signalled a wait-and-see approach, suggesting no further rate cuts this year as economic growth remained strong despite a slowdown. Commenting on the non-farm payroll report Neil Wilson, chief market analyst at Markets.com, said: "Should we worry about the Fed pivoting again? I don't think so and the market clearly thinks the same. "The Fed can stand this sort of hot reading for a while yet - jobs growth is averaging only 180k this year vs 223k last year. "And whatever privately you might think about whether the Fed should be maintaining an easing bias in this environment, it's made it very clear that it will take a sustained and pronounced rise in inflation to warrant a hike. "The danger is that the jobs numbers start to run so hot that individual members start thinking about hiking again to cool things down." | null | http://news.sky.com/story/trump-hails-blowout-job-numbers-as-stock-markets-bounce-11879667 | Fri, 06 Dec 2019 14:21:00 +0000 | 1,575,660,060 | 1,575,678,302 | labour | labour market |
545,618 | sputnik--2019-10-02--Marketing Company Shuts Down Social Media After Shaming Bikini-Wearing Job Applicant | 2019-10-02T00:00:00 | sputnik | Marketing Company Shuts Down Social Media After Shaming Bikini-Wearing Job Applicant | A marketing company has removed all of its social media and has shut down its website after shaming a job applicant online on Wednesday. The company in question, Kickass Masterminds, seemed to find a bikini-clad photo of Emily Clow from Texas, who applied for an internship position with the firm, problematic. In response to the application from the 24-year old, the company reposted a screenshot of the picture and put it on their own Instagram Story, shaming her and calling her out for not being "professional". Clow took to Twitter in response, furiously saying: “I was objectified earlier today by a company because of a picture of me in a bikini. They claimed it made me an 'unprofessional'" They screenshot the photo, posted it on their insta story and called me out. I am still baffled that the company handled it in such a manner”. She posted the company's Instagram story post of her photo which they had captioned with a message for applicants. “PSA (because I know some of you applicants are looking at this): Do not share your social media with a potential employer if this is the kind of content on it," the caption allegedly read. "I am looking for a professional marketer – not a bikini model.” "Go on with your bad self and do whatever in private. But this is not doing you any favours in finding a professional job." In a dramatic turn, however, the company's entire social media presence seems to have been scrubbed from the net. Their Twitter, Instagram, and website have all since been deleted. Clow's story generated widespread sympathy from all over Twitter, with positive responses coming from many who were left baffled by how she could have been considered unprofessional. The CEO of the company, Sara Christensen, was accused of hypocrisy by users online for sharing photos of herself in her bra. Some users even called for Clow to sue the company. | null | https://sputniknews.com/us/201910031076948317-marketing-company-shuts-down-social-media-after-shaming-bikini-wearing-job-applicant/ | 2019-10-02 23:05:38+00:00 | 1,570,071,938 | 1,570,221,786 | labour | labour relations |
596,703 | thedailycaller--2019-01-02--15 Minimum Wage And A Booming Job Market Crush Army Recruiting As It Struggles In Liberal Cities | 2019-01-02T00:00:00 | thedailycaller | $15 Minimum Wage And A Booming Job Market Crush Army Recruiting As It Struggles In Liberal Cities | U.S. Army recruiters are finding their jobs harder and harder as a booming economy and healthy job market draw away potential recruits, especially in the blue cities where the Army is shifting its focus. “We want to go into Boston, Pittsburgh, Kansas City,” Maj. Gen. Frank Muth, head of Army Recruiting Command, told The New York Times. “These are places with a large number of youth who just don’t know what the military is about.” The Army moved its goal of 80,000 recruits in fiscal year 2018 down to 76,500. But it still fell short with 70,000 recruits, reported Army Times. Army retention, however, remains high at 86 percent. So the Army is changing its recruitment strategy. It will have a “big push” in 22 cities, from Baltimore to Denver, as well as advertise on social media like Facebook and livestreaming platform Twitch, reported The New York Times. (RELATED: Iraqi Cleric Who Called US A ‘Great Serpent’ Is Mad He Didn’t Get Advance Notice Of Trump’s Christmas Visit) Recruiters are playing up how the Army can set young people apart in the job market and help them pay for education. But with unemployment at a 49-year low, many potential recruits are able to envision viable careers for themselves without an assist from the Army. The New York Times story focused on struggling recruiters in liberal, techie Seattle, where e-commerce giant Amazon is headquartered. The $15 an hour minimum wage for many employers in Seattle makes joining the Army seem less appealing than it does to potential recruits in the South and Texas. That’s where a disproportionate amount of recruits hail from. Even high school administrators try to make the Army recruiters’ jobs harder. Sometimes recruiters are greeted by protesters who bring up civilian deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan or military sexual assault. “Legally, the high schools have to let us in, but a lot of times, they’ll just ignore our calls,” Sgt. First Class Jeremiah Vargas, chief of Seattle’s only recruiting station, told The New York Times. “A lot of schools don’t want us to talk to their kids. They want them to go to college, and see the military as a last resort.” Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected]. | Evie Fordham | https://dailycaller.com/2019/01/02/us-army-recruiting-problems/ | 2019-01-02 22:44:06+00:00 | 1,546,487,046 | 1,567,554,275 | labour | labour market |
589,292 | theconservativetreehouse--2019-08-22--US Jobless Claims Drop Unexpectedly a Sign of Continued Labor Market Strength | 2019-08-22T00:00:00 | theconservativetreehouse | U.S. Jobless Claims Drop “Unexpectedly”, a Sign of Continued Labor Market Strength… | According to the U.S. Department of Labor [data here] companies hiring American workers are not complying with the media “recession” narrative. Yes, another day, and yet another data point reflecting the “unexpected” & continued strength of Main Street. WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The number of Americans filing applications for unemployment benefits fell sharply last week, suggesting the labor market was holding firm despite a manufacturing slowdown and concerns the economy is on a path toward recession. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 12,000 to a seasonally adjusted 209,000 for the week ended Aug. 17, the Labor Department said on Thursday. The decline was sharper than expected. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast claims would drop to 216,000 in the latest week. […] The four-week average for new unemployment benefits claims was lower than the corresponding week in July, a positive signal for employment during the month. There are few signs a bitter trade war between the United States and China was spilling over to the national labor market, although growth in manufacturing jobs has slowed this year. (read more) Most democrats, like most Wall Street media pundits, know absolutely nothing about how a free and independent U.S. Main Street economy works. CTH has been saying since Trump’s announcement in 2015 there’s almost two generations of people who have no concept of an independent U.S. economy; and all of the subsequent ramifications therein. Now we are seeing an odd benefit to their lack of knowledge. If the politicians don’t know how Main Street works, specifically during the reversal period where policy operates in the space between Wall Street and Main Street, then they can’t find a tool to ruin it. PS. With the continued devaluation, subsidy maneuvers and continued efforts at transnational shipping from China, it might be a good recommendation for President Trump to raise the initial steel tariffs from 25% to 35-40% range. | sundance | https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2019/08/22/u-s-jobless-claims-drop-unexpectedly-a-sign-of-continued-labor-market-strength/ | 2019-08-22 17:52:49+00:00 | 1,566,510,769 | 1,567,533,785 | labour | labour market |
651,375 | thedailyrecord--2019-08-05--Tesco to axe 4500 jobs as supermarket giant announces UK-wide store closures | 2019-08-05T00:00:00 | thedailyrecord | Tesco to axe 4,500 jobs as supermarket giant announces UK-wide store closures | Around 4,500 staff at Tesco are set to lose their jobs in the latest round of redundancies at the UK's biggest supermarket , the company has announced. The majority of workers will go from Tesco's Metro stores - of which there are around 30 in Scotland - with other positions going at some Express and larger stores, Tesco said. Bosses want to overhaul the Metro stores, which are bigger than Express stores but smaller than larger supermarkets, saying that shoppers tend to use them for top-up shops, rather than buying bigger baskets. The company said in a statement: "The Metro format was originally designed for larger, weekly shops, but today nearly 70% of customers use them as convenience stores, buying food for that day." The changes to stores will include fewer products in the back of the store, with more moving straight to the shop floor when they are delivered. Staff will also be expected to be more flexible, working across different departments and adding more focus on keeping stock levels high during busy lunchtime rushes, among other tasks. There will also be a "leaner management structure" and workers will be given headsets to communicate more easily throughout the stores, the company added. In 134 Tesco Express stores - out of 1,750 - there will also be a reduction in opening hours due to low footfall. Jason Tarry, Tesco UK and Ireland chief executive, said: "In a challenging, evolving retail environment, with increasing cost pressures, we have to continue to review the way we run our stores to ensure we reflect the way our customers are shopping and do so in the most efficient way. "We do not take any decision which impacts colleagues lightly, but have to make sure we remain relevant for customers and operate a sustainable business now and in the future." Earlier this year Tesco revealed it would be cutting 9,000 staff as it slimmed back its store offerings, shutting deli counters in some outlets and reducing the amount of time they are open in others. Shopworkers' trade union Usdaw, which represents over 160,000 Tesco staff, said it is calling for Government action to tackle the crisis in retail. Pauline Foulkes, Usdaw National Officer, said: "Our members at Tesco are shocked and dismayed by yet another round of potential job losses, coming just months after 9,000 staff were put at risk in stores. "We will be working hard to make sure that any members potentially affected by these proposals are supported at this difficult time and throughout the consultation period. "This issue is not confined to Tesco, our high streets are in crisis, with jobs being lost due to shops closing, retailers folding and businesses engaging in significant restructuring to survive. We need the Government to address the worries and concerns of shopworkers and our members." | [email protected] (Simon Neville) | https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/tesco-axe-4500-jobs-supermarket-18836335 | 2019-08-05 16:22:21+00:00 | 1,565,036,541 | 1,567,534,826 | labour | labour market |
688,314 | theguardianuk--2019-02-02--What 2000 job cuts tell us the free market kills digital journalism | 2019-02-02T00:00:00 | theguardianuk | What 2,000 job cuts tell us: the free market kills digital journalism | In December 2016, Jonah Peretti, the charismatic founder of the digital news and entertainment company BuzzFeed, penned his annual memo to his 1,400 staff. The memo outlined some of Peretti’s frustrations after that year’s US presidential election had revealed how much shoddy and misleading content was circulating online. His own news site had revealed some of the biggest stories in the “fake news” scandal that engulfed Facebook. But Peretti’s remedy was not regulation or chastisement of Facebook, but a concern that the old guard of so-called “legacy media” were also to blame. “Media companies have been much too slow to shift to digital,” he wrote. “They’ve clung to print and broadcast, even when it was clear audiences are moving elsewhere. This means the budgets for quality journalism are focused on the wrong places, creating a void that is filled by the cheapest possible content, often from questionable sources.” In New York City, in January 2019, it is brutally cold. Winter has arrived with savage consequences for digital publishers, including BuzzFeed. In the space of two weeks, about 2,100 jobs have been lost across the media, with many disappearing from purely digital publishers. BuzzFeed’s layoffs amounted to 15% of its total staff, a loss of around 220 jobs across all departments, including in its widely admired New York newsroom. On Friday, Vice, another media company once associated with fast growth, said it would lay off 10% of its workforce, while last month, the phone company Verizon, which owns Huffington Post and Yahoo, cut 800 workers in its media division. In the UK, the Pool, a website aimed at women launched in 2015 by radio presenter Lauren Laverne and magazine editor Sam Baker, went into liquidation, with 24 journalists facing redundancy. Many of these layoffs played out in real time on Twitter as journalists reported on the fumbling and often ineptly cruel ways in which they were let go. Reporters at Vice knew of the layoffs and sometimes had their email accounts closed before being told by the company they were among the casualties. Job losses in the media are not unusual. In newspapers, particularly in the local and regional press in the US, the past decade has been catastrophic. Between 2008 and 2017, the number of newsroom jobs in US newspapers dropped by 45%, to 39,000, and all US newsroom jobs, including TV and radio, declined by 23% overall. Among the layoffs so far in 2019, newspaper companies McClatchy and Gannett have announced early retirement and redundancy rounds. But the polar vortex that has engulfed digital publishing, though relatively small by comparison, has left the industry, and journalists in particular, reeling. The long slow decline of newspapers has been well documented, as advertisers and readers have increasingly shifted their attention to digital platforms. But for the companies that were lauded for having understood the social web faster than legacy media to falter sends a signal too dire for many media companies to contemplate. Many of us are concluding that the commercial internet makes profitable journalism exponentially harder, and in many cases impossible. Media consumption habits on the mobile social web have changed radically. Around 68% of adults in the US get at least some of their news from social media platforms, and the majority of those cite Facebook as the primary source. Facebook’s valuation is now above $470bn (£360bn). Google’s market value has risen from $200bn in 2012 to almost $800bn. Google and Facebook between them dominate the digital advertising market. In the same week that BuzzFeed announced its job losses, Facebook reported record revenues of almost $17bn for the last quarter of 2018. Despite a year of horrible publicity, from being blamed for contributing to genocide in Myanmar to a series of scandals around data and privacy, Facebook’s business appears as strong as ever. The primary mistake most digital publishers made was to imagine that platform companies, and particularly Google and Facebook, had any serious interest in helping them sustain their businesses. The amount of data large platform companies collect and control enables them to offer far more efficient advertising than any publisher, and the business of making online content profitable is rigged against anyone who wants to run even a sparsely resourced newsroom with experienced reporters. Peretti’s memo to staff after the layoffs was instructive about what would be needed to be sustainable: “We can build a profitable media businesses on top of Facebook and YouTube,” he writes, “but only when the content we make is high quality, with massive scale and relatively low production costs.” Whatever this content might be it is unlikely to be in-depth investigative reporting, which is neither cheap to produce nor generally something that attracts “massive scale”. If BuzzFeed, Vice and other digital publishers who suffered despite a booming advertising market cannot make the social web work for them, it is likely that those who do will not be reliant on advertising. It is also likely that this year’s job losses are merely the beginning of a new publishing depression. In regions such as the US, which has relied almost entirely on a free market to hold the powerful to account for the past 70 years, the lack of well-funded and abundant civic or public media is particularly sharply felt. In what seems like an attempt to apply a sticking plaster to an amputation, both Facebook and Google are now funding efforts at the local level to increase reporters and newsroom resources through schemes such as Report for America. Between them, the digital duopoly is spending $600m over the next three years on supporting journalism. But involvement of big tech in serious reporting is both ethically awkward and, so far, largely ineffective. It was not the deliberate intention of Google, Facebook, Twitter and others to drain the advertising pool that supported journalism, but they did not particularly care whether publishers survived or failed. BuzzFeed had an almost symbiotic relationship with Facebook, collaborating on projects and helping it promote its tools to other publishers. However, reports suggest that after adjusting its algorithm to demote news, Facebook’s traffic to BuzzFeed and other publishers’ sites has dropped dramatically. Plenty of people tout advice for what might work for news outlets, be it podcasts or newsletters, or having a very small niche audience, or the increasingly popular membership models or new types of subscription. And there are real examples of where different models are working, notably in non-profit and niche sectors. The New York Times and Washington Post (which operates under the protection of the billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos) are large, well funded and have both been growing their newsrooms when others are shrinking. Both have seen success with charging readers subscriptions, but there are very few organisations that can replicate either their brands or their resources. The future of journalism will generally be smaller and more challenging in the short term and remains uncertain in the long term. However, the problem now is so clear that even the most advanced digital thinkers can see it: a digital free market for journalism doesn’t work. Emily Bell is professor of professional practice and director of the Tow Center at the Columbia Journalism School, New York | Emily Bell | https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/feb/02/what-2000-job-cuts-tell-us-the-free-market-kills-digital-journalism | 2019-02-02 18:27:00+00:00 | 1,549,150,020 | 1,567,549,869 | labour | labour market |
712,517 | theguardianuk--2019-10-15--UK's robust jobs market dented amid big fall in employment | 2019-10-15T00:00:00 | theguardianuk | UK's robust jobs market dented amid big fall in employment | The number of people in work fell by the largest margin in four years in August as the uncertainty created by the Brexit talks weakened Britain’s previously robust labour market. The employment figures dropped by 56,000 in the three months to the end of August from the previous quarter after a shake-out of high street retail jobs and redundancies across much of the manufacturing sector. Unemployment increased back to 3.9% of the working population from 3.8% in the previous quarter to reflect growing signs that the jobless total is about to begin a sustained rise from its previous 40-year lows. A recent surge in pay also came to an end in August after average weekly earnings dropped, from 4% to 3.8%. Pay including bonuses also increased at 3.8%. Annual total pay growth, adjusted for inflation, was put at 1.9%, with annual growth in regular pay estimated at 2%. Another indication of the worsening situation could be found in the falling number of vacancies, which dropped for an eighth month in a row from the January peak of 861,000 to 813,000 in August. Chris Williamson, chief business economist at IHS Markit said: “The disappointing numbers are not a blip but the consequence of a steady deteriorating trend seen over the course of 2019 so far. What’s more, the business surveys indicate that the job market continued to weaken in September, hinting that the rate of job losses likely accelerated.” Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) covering the last year were more buoyant as the employment rate rose to 75.9% from 75.6%. According to the ONS, much of the rise was down to women over 60 staying in the workforce following the new state retirement age. The annual data covering number of people considered to be economically inactive fell 0.2 percentage points from last August to an estimated 21%, although the worsening situation in the three months to August meant it was up 0.1 percentage points on the previous quarter. Ian Stewart, chief economist at Deloitte, said a slowdown across production and trade was filtering into the labour market. “These numbers show that the period of remarkable resilience in jobs and earnings is coming to an end. Next year is likely to see unemployment edge higher, albeit from very low levels – the first sustained increase in nine years,” he said. Jon Boys, labour market economist at the CIPD, the professional body for personnel managers, said: “Today’s statistics will certainly prompt more speculation that the labour market has reached its high-water mark. “Employment numbers may be down on the last period, but it’s worth repeating that they remain just below record levels. The labour market is still in good health.” The figures follow a report by the TUC that showed that between 2016 and 2018 pay rises were more generous among the very top earners. It found that people in the top bracket saw their hourly pay increase by an average of 7.6% from £58.73 in 2016 to £63.18 in 2018, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) annual survey of hours and earnings. Over the same period, the real terms pay of average workers rose by just 0.1% or 2p to from £12.71 to £12.73. In line with previous studies by the New Economics Foundation and the Institute for Fiscal Studies, the TUC said that average pay in real terms, when adjusted for inflation, was still worth less in real terms than before the financial crisis. | Phillip Inman | https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/oct/15/uks-robust-jobs-market-dented-amid-big-fall-in-employment | Tue, 15 Oct 2019 11:55:47 GMT | 1,571,154,947 | 1,571,143,851 | labour | labour market |
811,232 | thenewyorktimes--2019-01-04--December Jobs Report Highlights Economys Strength Despite Market Tumult | 2019-01-04T00:00:00 | thenewyorktimes | December Jobs Report Highlights Economy’s Strength Despite Market Tumult | “It’s much higher than expected,” said Julia Pollak, a labor economist at the online employment market site ZipRecruiter. “The overall picture is that there is strong job growth on Main Street and it continues to be quite robust, despite uncertainty on Wall Street.” And the unemployment rate seems to have risen for good reasons — more people are being drawn into the job market, perhaps because of higher wages. The labor force grew by a healthy 419,000 people last month. Over all, employers added more jobs in 2018 than they did in 2017, at a monthly average of 220,000. But last year was unique, because Congress passed a big corporate tax cut that essentially bathed a sizzling economy in lighter fluid. Optimism among consumers and businesses soared. Manufacturers and builders kept hiring despite trade tensions and a slowdown in the housing market. “People got used to these eye-popping job-growth numbers,” said Martha Gimbel, director of research for the job-search site Indeed. Even if hiring slows in the coming months, she said, “it doesn’t mean that anything’s wrong, it just means we are heading back to normal.” December’s figures do not account for workers furloughed during the government shutdown, which began after last month’s surveys were conducted. | NATALIE KITROEFF | https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/04/business/economy/jobs-report.html?partner=rss&emc=rss | 2019-01-04 14:48:58+00:00 | 1,546,631,338 | 1,567,553,964 | labour | labour market |
816,515 | thenewyorktimes--2019-11-01--‘There’s Absolutely a Problem Here’: Readers on Long Job Hunts Even in a Strong Labor Market | 2019-11-01T00:00:00 | thenewyorktimes | ‘There’s Absolutely a Problem Here’: Readers on Long Job Hunts Even in a Strong Labor Market | I’ve been a recruiter for 25 years. I’ve watched clients blindly pivot to younger candidate résumés for no viable reason. It’s a sad and unnecessary bias. Personally, I can report that once my former boss learned I was 50, I lost my “most favorite status” and was pushed out of my former company after five years of exceptional service. I now work for myself, which is great and daunting, but I really didn’t have a choice. Now, when I go visit clients, I scan the open office for people like me. Sadly, there aren’t any. When I ask if ageism is part of a company’s diversity training, I get puzzled looks. One may think that age discrimination occurs only here in the United States. Not so. My sister, with a Ph.D, works in London. She, too, is paid less than her male peers. She mentioned to me that she was looking for another position. She said, “Who wants a wrinkly old lady?” I was a “data processing” headhunter for 30 years through the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s and I can let you in on a little secret: age discrimination was, and still is, the only form of discrimination still allowed in these litigious times. If you could code, it didn’t matter if you were a minority, a woman or right off the boat — there was a job for you in the burgeoning tech market. | Geneva Abdul | https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/01/reader-center/job-market.html?emc=rss&partner=rss | Fri, 01 Nov 2019 13:19:11 +0000 | 1,572,628,751 | 1,572,646,517 | labour | labour relations |
816,515 | thenewyorktimes--2019-11-01--‘There’s Absolutely a Problem Here’: Readers on Long Job Hunts Even in a Strong Labor Market | 2019-11-01T00:00:00 | thenewyorktimes | ‘There’s Absolutely a Problem Here’: Readers on Long Job Hunts Even in a Strong Labor Market | I’ve been a recruiter for 25 years. I’ve watched clients blindly pivot to younger candidate résumés for no viable reason. It’s a sad and unnecessary bias. Personally, I can report that once my former boss learned I was 50, I lost my “most favorite status” and was pushed out of my former company after five years of exceptional service. I now work for myself, which is great and daunting, but I really didn’t have a choice. Now, when I go visit clients, I scan the open office for people like me. Sadly, there aren’t any. When I ask if ageism is part of a company’s diversity training, I get puzzled looks. One may think that age discrimination occurs only here in the United States. Not so. My sister, with a Ph.D, works in London. She, too, is paid less than her male peers. She mentioned to me that she was looking for another position. She said, “Who wants a wrinkly old lady?” I was a “data processing” headhunter for 30 years through the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s and I can let you in on a little secret: age discrimination was, and still is, the only form of discrimination still allowed in these litigious times. If you could code, it didn’t matter if you were a minority, a woman or right off the boat — there was a job for you in the burgeoning tech market. | Geneva Abdul | https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/01/reader-center/job-market.html?emc=rss&partner=rss | Fri, 01 Nov 2019 13:19:11 +0000 | 1,572,628,751 | 1,572,646,517 | labour | labour market |
1,080,517 | usnews--2019-11-30--North Alabama Faces Formidable Challenges in Job Market | 2019-11-30T00:00:00 | usnews | North Alabama Faces Formidable Challenges in Job Market | HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (AP) — A new study finds that north Alabama could face serious challenges to find qualified workers to fill the many jobs that have flooded the region. Deloitte analyzed the situation and its findings signal a potential crisis in the future that will require an extraordinary effort to overcome, Al.com reported. A national recruiting effort is needed to attract people to fill the jobs, said Darin Buelow, global location strategy leader for Deloitte. In a recent presentation to area civic leaders, Buelow said the Huntsville area must fill about 25,000 new jobs by 2023. However, it comes at a time when Alabama is experiencing a record-low unemployment rate of 2.8%. It’s even lower in the Huntsville area at 2.1%. “The only way to get some of those people is to get some of them to move here," Buelow said. "Sure, we can convert more of them that are in the economy now, maybe convert some of the non-workers and turn them into workers. “But we need to also ramp up a moonshot effort to get people to be interested to move to this region,” he added. Launch 2035 hired Deloitte to study the labor market. Launch 2035 is regional business-led initiative that has facilitated closer working relationships with the area’s elected leaders in Madison, Morgan and Limestone counties. The study projected that 14,000 new jobs in the region will be created over the next three years, "translating to approximately 25,000 direct, indirect and induced new jobs," according to Deloitte's executive summary. "That's going to exacerbate the supply and demand gap that the Huntsville area experiences now," Buelow said. Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | Associated Press | https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/alabama/articles/2019-11-30/north-alabama-faces-formidable-challenges-in-job-market | Sat, 30 Nov 2019 17:08:24 GMT | 1,575,151,704 | 1,575,141,184 | labour | labour market |
1,090,132 | vox--2019-04-05--The latest jobs report shows why its still a workers labor market | 2019-04-05T00:00:00 | vox | The latest jobs report shows why it’s still a workers’ labor market | Employers added a solid 196,000 new jobs to the US economy in March — slightly more than economists expected, according to the latest jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But wage growth slowed back to a crawl. Despite the tightening labor market, workers only got a 4-cent average hourly pay raise in March. A month earlier, wages jumped about 10 cents, the fastest they had risen since 2017. And all the hiring in March didn’t do much to change the already super-low unemployment rate, which is still 3.8 percent. The new data shows that the US economy remains strong even though it’s not really booming. For example, average monthly job growth in the first quarter of 2019 was about 180,000, which is lower than the 223,000 monthly average during the same period in 2018. The decrease isn’t alarming; it just suggests that the economy isn’t growing as fast as before, and that the current labor shortage is making it hard for employers to fill all the open positions. The strong labor market is a good sign for workers. Such a low unemployment rate means that nearly every American who wants to work, and is able to, has snagged a job by now. And those who lose their jobs, or decide to leave, probably won’t have a hard time finding another position. However, the latest jobs report once again shows little wage growth, which remains the biggest weakness in the American economy. The average US worker hasn’t seen their paycheck get much bigger since the Great Recession, which ended around 2009. In March, private sector workers (excluding farmworkers) got an average 4-cent hourly raise, adding up to an average hourly pay of $27.70. In the past 12 months, average hourly earnings have only increased by 3.2 percent, and that doesn’t even take inflation into account. The jobs report does point to a strong and steady economy, though, with the most new jobs created for hospital and ambulance workers, nurses, and software developers. So even though Americans are finding jobs pretty easily, they still aren’t seeing the so-called “economic boom” reflected in their paychecks. Slow income growth has been the most persistent problem afflicting the US economy in its recovery from the Great Recession. Wages have barely kept up with the cost of living, even as the unemployment rate dropped and the economy expanded. March’s 4-cent average hourly wage hike suggests more of the same, despite a surprising 10-cent jump in February (At first, the labor department recorded an 11-cent increase, but revised it down by a penny). Over the past year, the cost of food and housing have gone up, so paychecks have had to stretch further. But because of recent falling gas prices, the annual inflation rate has fallen to 1.5 percent, compared to a high of 2.4 percent in 2018 (based on the Consumer Price Index). So when you take inflation into account, workers’ wages grew about 1.9 percent within the past year. That’s much faster than they’ve been growing since the recession started in 2007, but it’s still pitiful when you compare it to the sky-high payouts corporate CEOs are getting. Frustration over stagnant wages is also the major underlying factor behind widespread worker strikes across the country in places like California, Illinois, and Missouri. Congressional Republicans had promised that their massive corporate tax cuts would help the average worker, but the gains have been meager. In response, voters in some states have forced businesses to give low-paid employees a raise. In November’s midterm elections, voters in Missouri and Arkansas overwhelmingly approved ballot measures that will raise the minimum wage for nearly 1 million workers across both states. And as a result of the new laws, low-wage workers in 19 states got pay raises on January 1. Those laws have helped boost wages so far in 2019. Next month’s jobs report will show whether a growing labor shortage will force employers to hike wages even faster — and whether that’s enough to ease frustration among workers who still struggle to pay their bills. | Alexia Fernández Campbell | https://www.vox.com/2019/4/5/18296601/march-jobs-report-workers | 2019-04-05 15:20:00+00:00 | 1,554,492,000 | 1,567,543,966 | labour | labour market |
1,099,961 | westernjournal--2019-02-07--Applications for US Jobless Aid Fell Signaling a Strong Job Market | 2019-02-07T00:00:00 | westernjournal | Applications for US Jobless Aid Fell Signaling a Strong Job Market | The Western Journal has not reviewed this Associated Press story prior to publication. Therefore, it may contain editorial bias or may in some other way not meet our normal editorial standards. It is provided to our readers as a service from The Western Journal. The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits dropped sharply last week, a sign that layoffs are rare and the job market is strong. The Labor Department says weekly applications for jobless aid fell 19,000 to 234,000, a low level that indicates businesses are holding onto their employees. The four-week average, a less volatile figure, rose to 224,750. Businesses are hiring at a healthy pace that has surprised economists, who expected job gains would slow as the number of unemployed dwindled. The jobless rate stood at just 4 percent last month, when employers added 304,000 jobs, the most in nearly a year. With labor scarce, many companies are reluctant to let workers go, likely because they fear it will be hard to replace them. In its 10th year of expansion, the economy faces an unusual number of headwinds. But so far, employers have largely shrugged them off. The 35-day partial government shutdown likely sliced growth in the first quarter by roughly 0.3 percentage points at an annual rate, economists say. Other challenges loom: Slowing growth in Europe and China is weighing on U.S. exports. And an ongoing trade fight with China could also ding the U.S. economy. Many economic reports are still delayed because of the shutdown, making it difficult to gauge the impact of these trends. The first estimate of the economy’s growth in the final three months of last year won’t be released until the end of this month, nearly 30 days later than scheduled. The Associated Press contributed to this report. We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards. | AP Reports | https://www.westernjournal.com/ap-applications-for-us-jobless-aid-fell-to-low-level-of-234000/ | 2019-02-07 13:33:29+00:00 | 1,549,564,409 | 1,567,549,375 | labour | labour market |
1,101,380 | westernjournal--2019-02-25--Bongino Blasts AOC over 52K Salary for Staffers Shes NOT Paying This Living Wage You Are | 2019-02-25T00:00:00 | westernjournal | Bongino Blasts AOC over $52K Salary for Staffers: ‘She’s NOT Paying This “Living Wage”, You Are’ | Democratic New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has faced some criticism for her recent tweet praising herself for the salaries being paid to those who work in her office. “Leadership starts with our choices. That’s why I decided that no one on my staff will make less than $52k/year. It’s likely one of the highest entry-level salaries on the Hill. We pinch pennies elsewhere, but it’s worth every dime to pay a living wage,” she tweeted. “We think that if a person is working, they should make enough to live,” said Corbin Trent, Ocasio-Cortez’s communications director, according to Roll Call. However, commentator Dan Bongino noted that it was important to remember that in government, it is not the elected officials but the people who ultimately pay salaries. “She’s NOT paying this ‘living wage,’ YOU are. Does she really believe her own nonsense?” Bongino tweeted. TRENDING: Kamala Harris’ Father Turns on Her: ‘We Wish To Categorically Dissociate Ourselves from This Travesty’ – Report Because members of Congress can only spend a fixed amount overall for staffing, Ocasio-Cortez made a decision to cut at the top. The top pay for anyone in Ocasio-Cortez’s is $80,000, Trent said. Roll Call reported that the median pay for a chief of staff is $154,634. Lee Drutman, a senior fellow at New America’s political reform program, said that not every office can attract candidates using the pay scale Ocasio-Cortez is using. “I’m sure there are a lot of people who are really excited to work for her, and who might be willing to forgo some salary for a few years just for the excitement of working for a member who is so hot right now,” he said. “But is that sustainable for the long term?” The issue was debated Sunday on “Fox and Friends.” Co-host Pete Hegseth said that he believed the congresswoman’s pay policy was “actually socialism and communism on display,” Hegseth said the salary structure would mean Ocasio-Cortez’s chief staff will earn a salary below the “actual market rate.” Hegseth wondered at the end of the show if Ocasio-Cortez would fill that gap out of her own wages. “She makes $174,000 as a congresswoman. She should probably redistribute some of that will you share some of that money. Will you share some of that money, Miss Congresswoman, with the rest of your staff who is not making as much as you?” he asked. “Let’s not forget where that money comes from. They are not making that money in her office,” noted commentator Katie Pavlic. “They’re not running a business where they’re making a profit and money is coming in with revenue. That money comes from taxpayers, and given to her office, and she can move it around. If it was market-based maybe she could pay entry level staffers $52,000 a year given the market value of those positions in the private sector,” she said. We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards. | Jack Davis | https://www.westernjournal.com/bongino-blasts-aoc-52k-salary-staffers-not-paying-living-wage/ | 2019-02-25 09:12:41+00:00 | 1,551,103,961 | 1,567,547,444 | labour | labour relations |
1,101,380 | westernjournal--2019-02-25--Bongino Blasts AOC over 52K Salary for Staffers Shes NOT Paying This Living Wage You Are | 2019-02-25T00:00:00 | westernjournal | Bongino Blasts AOC over $52K Salary for Staffers: ‘She’s NOT Paying This “Living Wage”, You Are’ | Democratic New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has faced some criticism for her recent tweet praising herself for the salaries being paid to those who work in her office. “Leadership starts with our choices. That’s why I decided that no one on my staff will make less than $52k/year. It’s likely one of the highest entry-level salaries on the Hill. We pinch pennies elsewhere, but it’s worth every dime to pay a living wage,” she tweeted. “We think that if a person is working, they should make enough to live,” said Corbin Trent, Ocasio-Cortez’s communications director, according to Roll Call. However, commentator Dan Bongino noted that it was important to remember that in government, it is not the elected officials but the people who ultimately pay salaries. “She’s NOT paying this ‘living wage,’ YOU are. Does she really believe her own nonsense?” Bongino tweeted. TRENDING: Kamala Harris’ Father Turns on Her: ‘We Wish To Categorically Dissociate Ourselves from This Travesty’ – Report Because members of Congress can only spend a fixed amount overall for staffing, Ocasio-Cortez made a decision to cut at the top. The top pay for anyone in Ocasio-Cortez’s is $80,000, Trent said. Roll Call reported that the median pay for a chief of staff is $154,634. Lee Drutman, a senior fellow at New America’s political reform program, said that not every office can attract candidates using the pay scale Ocasio-Cortez is using. “I’m sure there are a lot of people who are really excited to work for her, and who might be willing to forgo some salary for a few years just for the excitement of working for a member who is so hot right now,” he said. “But is that sustainable for the long term?” The issue was debated Sunday on “Fox and Friends.” Co-host Pete Hegseth said that he believed the congresswoman’s pay policy was “actually socialism and communism on display,” Hegseth said the salary structure would mean Ocasio-Cortez’s chief staff will earn a salary below the “actual market rate.” Hegseth wondered at the end of the show if Ocasio-Cortez would fill that gap out of her own wages. “She makes $174,000 as a congresswoman. She should probably redistribute some of that will you share some of that money. Will you share some of that money, Miss Congresswoman, with the rest of your staff who is not making as much as you?” he asked. “Let’s not forget where that money comes from. They are not making that money in her office,” noted commentator Katie Pavlic. “They’re not running a business where they’re making a profit and money is coming in with revenue. That money comes from taxpayers, and given to her office, and she can move it around. If it was market-based maybe she could pay entry level staffers $52,000 a year given the market value of those positions in the private sector,” she said. We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards. | Jack Davis | https://www.westernjournal.com/bongino-blasts-aoc-52k-salary-staffers-not-paying-living-wage/ | 2019-02-25 09:12:41+00:00 | 1,551,103,961 | 1,567,547,444 | labour | employment |
73,586 | breitbart--2019-09-25--Hunter Bidens 83K per Month Burisma Salary Raises Questions About Role | 2019-09-25T00:00:00 | breitbart | Hunter Biden's $83K per Month Burisma Salary Raises Questions About Role | The younger Biden, who has a history of getting rich from entities tied to his father, is at the center of controversy after President Donald Trump suggested the Ukrainian government look into his business dealings in the country. Although the former vice president has attempted to paint the issue as an abuse of power on Trump’s part, many have noted the unanswered questions surrounding his son’s tenure at Burisma points to serious conflict of interests, if not outright corruption. The most prominent and perplexing question is how and why Hunter Biden was appointed to the company’s board of directors in the first place. As Peter Schweizer, senior contributor at Breitbart News, detailed in his book, Secret Empires: How the American Political Class Hides Corruption and Enriches Family and Friends, Hunter Biden had no prior experience with either the energy industry or Ukraine before joining Burisma in April 2014. In fact, his background in investment banking, lobbying, and hedge fund management paled in comparison to that of current and past members of the company’s board of directors. At the time of his appointment, ethics watchdogs highlighted the younger Biden’s lack of qualifications but were more concerned about the appearance of a conflict of interest. In particular, many worried Hunter Biden’s ascension to the board of directors, a position that paid at times more than $83,000 per month, was related to his father’s position as the Obama administration’s point man on Ukraine. The poor optics not only raised flags among ethics watchdogs, but also with Hunter Biden’s own business partners. Christopher Heinz, the stepson of former Secretary of State John Kerry and co-owner of an investment firm with Hunter Biden in 2014, rushed to play damage control with State Department officials at the time of the appointment, according to internal emails obtained by the Washington Examiner. Adding to concerns is the fact that at the time Hunter Biden joined Burisma, the company was seen as actively courting western leaders to prevent further scrutiny of its business practices. The same month Hunter Biden was tapped for the group’s board, the government of Great Britain froze accounts belonging to Burisma founder, Mykola Zlochevsky, under suspicion of money laundering. Zlochevsky, a former Ukrainian minister of natural resources, would later be accused of corruption for using his office to approve oil and gas licenses to companies under his control. Joe Biden’s role in the entire matter has only increased suspicions of conflicting interests. As the sitting vice president, Joe Biden led the Obama administration’s response to the Russian invasion of Crimea in 2014. In that role, he pushed billions of dollars in aid to the Ukrainian government, some of which allegedly was filtered to Burisma. More troubling, however, is an episode that took place in 2016, when Joe Biden pressured the Ukrainian government to fire Viktor Shokin, the country’s top prosecutor. Officially, the former vice president has claimed his threat to withhold U.S. aid to Ukraine if Shokin was not fired came from the Obama administration, which had lost confidence in the prosecutor’s abilities to root out corruption. Unofficially, though, it was well known that Shokin was investigating both Burisma and Zlochevsky for wrongdoing. Regardless of the reason, Shokin’s successor closed the investigation into Burisma and Zlochevsky, allowing the oligarch to return to the country after having fled in 2014. The appearance of impropriety on the part of the Bidens has also been underscored by the inability of father and son to get their stories straight. Last week the former vice president claimed to never have discussed his son’s business ties with Ukraine during a campaign appearance in Iowa. “I have never spoken to my son about his overseas business dealings,” Joe Biden angrily said, before pivoting the conversation to Trump’s alleged misuse of power. The former vice president’s claim, though, directly contradicts his son’s on the topic. The younger Biden admitted during a series of candid interviews for a New Yorker profile published in June that he in fact had discussed his foreign business interests with his father on at least one occasion. “Dad said, ‘I hope you know what you are doing,’ and I said, ‘I do,’” Hunter Biden told the magazine. Since making his initial statement in Iowa, Joe Biden has reverted back to his long held position of refusing to discuss his son’s dealings publicly. The silence has left a lot of unanswered questions about Hunter Biden’s role at Burisma. “Again the question is, what was [Hunter Biden] being paid for?” Schweizer said during a recent appearance on SiriusXM’s Breitbart News Tonight. “These entities were not giving the money away. They were paying Hunter Biden for something. He’s not selling his expertise, so what exactly was he selling? And that’s what needs to be investigated.” The question is all the more important given Hunter Biden’s history of profiting from his father’s political connections. As Breitbart News reported, the younger Biden scored a job fresh out of law school with his father’s top campaign contributor. In 1996, Hunter Biden was hired for an undisclosed position with MBNA, which at the time was one of the nation’s largest credit card companies. The job raised eyebrows from good government groups as MBNA employees had just donated $63,000 to Joe Biden’s reelection campaign in what appeared to be a coordinated manner to sidestep federal campaign finance regulations. Hunter Biden would continue working for MBNA in one capacity or another until the mid-2000s, while his father was writing bankruptcy legislation favored by the company. | Haris Alic | http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/breitbart/~3/_CkMxsSYwxk/ | 2019-09-25 18:46:31+00:00 | 1,569,451,591 | 1,570,222,213 | labour | employment |
4,244 | activistpost--2019-03-15--Busted Club Of Rome Reveals Gushing Support For Green New Deal | 2019-03-15T00:00:00 | activistpost | Busted: Club Of Rome Reveals Gushing Support For Green New Deal | The venerable global elite group, The Club of Rome, has tipped its hand by gushing over the Sunrise Movement and the Green New Deal. Founded in 1968, the Club of Rome was the original elite group who created crisis-mode global cooling and then global warming. They produced the infamous treatise called “The Limits to Growth” that was positioned as “A Report for The Club of Rome’s Project on the Predicament of Mankind.” Limits to Growth proposed a resource-based economic system in the likeness of Technocracy, and called for economic equilibrium between population and available resources. When the Trilateral Commission was co-founded in 1973 by David Rockefeller and Zbigniew Brzezinski to establish a “New International Economic Order”, Club of Rome members intermingled with the Bilderberg group and members of the Commission. The totality of the Green New Deal spectacle in America is precisely in line with the global elite’s plan to force Sustainable Development upon the entire world. In the Club’s statement below, they state “We know the facts. We have the solutions. We just need the political will.” The purpose of Green New Deal movement is specifically to develop the “political will” to implement their “solutions”. The recent tweet that spilled the beans on Club of Rome’s support is pictured below. The organization sponsoring these youth protests is the Sunrise Movement. Their website states, We’re building an army of young people to make climate change an urgent priority across America, end the corrupting influence of fossil fuel executives on our politics, and elect leaders who stand up for the health and wellbeing of all people. We are ordinary young people who are scared about what the climate crisis means for the people and places we love. We are gathering in classrooms, living rooms, and worship halls across the country. Everyone has a role to play. Public opinion is already with us – if we unite by the millions we can turn this into political power and reclaim our democracy. These students may think that they are “ordinary young people” but they are completely unaware that they are being shamefully manipulated and orchestrated by the global elite to drive the world into Sustainable Development, aka Technocracy. In The Club of Rome’s 1991 book, The First Global Revolution, they stated: Thus, The Club itself takes credit for coming up with the global warming mantra in order to drive global adoption of Sustainable Development. In other words, global warming was an intentional, premeditated fraud. The full statement released by the Club or Rome in support of the above Twitter posting is reproduced below: People always tell me that they are so hopeful that young people are going to save the world. But they are not. There is simply not enough time to wait for us to grow up and become the ones in charge” Greta Thunberg This week, hundreds of thousands of students in multiple cities across the globe will once again follow in the brave footsteps of Greta Thunberg by staging climate demonstrations. Their call to world leaders is simple yet true: “it is time for less talk and more action on the climate”. We deem the students’ concerns to be utterly justified and irrefutable and will continue to play our role in ensuring ambitious climate action. These courageous young leaders point to challenges for the planet and humanity which have long been recognized by the scientists, economists, business leaders and experts within the Club of Rome*. It has been 50 years since the “The Limits to Growth”, which alerted the world to the acute environmental and demographic challenges ahead. Decades of exponential growth in both population and consumption are now colliding with the limits of the Earth’s biosphere. We concur with the Extinction Rebellion and the student protesters that we cannot turn a blind eye to the dual tipping points of species extinction and climate change. Emergency action is more necessary than ever and cannot be put off any longer. We no longer have the luxury of time! We know the facts. We have the solutions. We just need the political will. Global action is lagging and is often woefully inadequate, stymied by political meandering. This is why we are calling on governments across the world to listen to the call for urgent action from young people, scientists and experts and translate these calls into concrete Climate Emergency Plans with clear targets and time lines. To avoid the worst outcomes, global carbon emissions must be cut by half by 2030 and to zero by 2050. For the wealthier nations, this increases to around 80% by 2030, with full de-carbonisation less than a decade later. This is an unprecedented task, requiring a reduction rate of at least 7% annually; no country has to date achieved more than 1.5%. The only possible response is emergency action that will transform human social, economic and financial systems. Yet we also believe that the existential threat from climate change, if heeded now, offers the possibility for a societal renaissance of unprecedented proportions. This is the vision we seek to promote – a vision of the future, which ensures well-being for the many and harmony between humanity and the planetary boundaries that protect us. A vision which speaks to the calls from young people marching on the streets in towns and cities across the world. Engaged citizens of all ages demanding action by their politicians on climate change is of paramount importance, to hold us all accountable for delivering on our climate goals and ensuring that we seize this opportunity to sustainably transform our economies. Let us find the vision, the leadership and the creativity to collaborate in developing constructive solutions for a decent future for present and succeeding generations. We have the capabilities: we must now find the will and listen to the enlightened youth who have taken time away from their studies to march on the streets to be heard. You can read more from Patrick Wood at his site Technocracy News and Trends, where this article first appeared. | Activist Post | https://www.activistpost.com/2019/03/busted-club-of-rome-reveals-gushing-support-for-green-new-deal.html | 2019-03-15 20:00:42+00:00 | 1,552,694,442 | 1,567,546,061 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
5,574 | activistpost--2019-09-11--The Official 911 Explanation is The Greatest Coincidence Theory Ever | 2019-09-11T00:00:00 | activistpost | The Official 9/11 Explanation is The Greatest “Coincidence Theory” Ever | On September 11, 2001 I was completing my last year of training as an Anesthesiologist at the University of Pennsylvania. That morning I, like many of us, sat transfixed for hours watching the continuous television coverage of the events that were unfolding in New York and Washington D.C. I was scheduled to work the night shift. When I arrived at the hospital most of the doctors and nurses who had worked during the day were still at their posts. The hospital had instituted an emergency plan of operation, expecting a possible mass casualty situation if and when hospitals in the New York City area became overwhelmed. It turned out that not a single injured person was brought to Philadelphia for medical attention that night. Tragically, very few in the buildings managed to escape with their lives once the buildings fell. Nearly three thousand innocent people perished in the sudden and unexpected collapse of the Twin Towers. Some of these were first-responders in uniform or street clothes who rushed towards the buildings after they were struck by planes, fully expecting to lead those inside to safety. A great many of these heroes suffered the same fate as those who were trapped inside. These courageous men and women, many of whom were police officers and firefighters, knew and accepted the dangers inherent in their commitment to public service and safety. What they did not know was that steel skyscrapers that are largely undamaged with only isolated fires could instantaneously suffer a rapid and global collapse, not just once but three times on the same day. It is understandable that they were caught off guard because such an event has never happened before or since. Two thousand, seven hundred and forty nine people died in the collapse of the Twin Towers. Only three hundred whole bodies were recovered. Despite a painstaking search lasting months, no others were found intact in the rubble. However human tissue, in the form of bone fragments measuring less than a centimeter were found upon neighboring rooftops hundreds of feet way. One victim’s body, we had learned months later, was broken into over 200 separate pieces: NY Times: Medical Examiner’s challenge Our bodies can be fragile, but is it reasonable that falling building material can do these things? At the time I gave it little thought. Now, after seventeen years of clinical practice where I have personally seen what happens to a human body when exposed to bullets, trucks, chainsaws, wood-chippers, falling debris, industrial presses and chemical explosions, I have begun to wonder. My life changed one evening in 2017 when my wife showed me a thirty-second video clip on YouTube. After watching it several times I felt, in the deepest of ways, that I had swallowed the “red pill”, the one offered to Neo at the beginning of the movie The Matrix. I include this often used reference here because Morpheus, before giving Neo the pill, wisely made him understand that he was only offering the truth and nothing more. With that sentiment, I offer it here : I didn’t recognize the building but I soon learned that it was another skyscraper that fell to the ground on September 11, 2001. That was building 7, a 47-story steel structured building in the World Trade Center complex. I only became aware of its destruction sixteen years after 9/11. I have since learned that most Americans still do not know that three buildings, not two, were destroyed in Manhattan that day. What was initially puzzling to me was not only the manner in which Building 7 fell but that it was not hit by a plane. The official explanation states that Building 7 came down, in under seven seconds, from the failure of just one of eighty columns on the twelfth floor. It didn’t seem possible that a steel structure could collapse that quickly, completely and symmetrically from the failure of a single column. On the other hand, it seemed just as improbable that the official explanation could be so wrong. Wasn’t it all explained in the 9/11 Commission Report? Wasn’t there something on public TV that proved the official explanation? What was initially puzzling very quickly became deeply disturbing. These words are offered to those who have some curiosity about why a growing number of people continue to maintain that the destruction of the three skyscrapers in the World Trade Center in NY on September 11, 2001 were due to controlled demolition events and not just plane collisions and office fires. Much has been written about this. Most of what appears in print or on digital sources has not been written by structural engineers or architects but by journalists or non-professional citizens who have endeavored, to the best of their ability, to present what “others” have discovered. Sadly, as is the case with any potentially divisive issue, there are those who seek to spread unverified data and use dubious lines of reasoning to solidify a biased position. This is happening on both sides of the argument, and it is having serious repercussions. How can anyone know who or what to believe these days? The growing inaccessibility of the truth is extinguishing our collective curiosity and in its place is growing a sense of resignation when it comes to knowing such things as “facts”. When it is unclear which way to proceed, it is only natural to make assumptions and take the path of least resistance and go along with what we are being told. I have a background in Electrical Engineering and Medicine. I do not claim to be an authority on how buildings are to be constructed or razed. However I do believe that anyone with an open mind and some basic understanding of how the physical world reliably reacts to common forces of nature can easily discern fact from fiction and likelihood from implausibility. I have spoken to scores of people from all walks of life about this topic. I have found that between an open mind and a basic understanding of the physical world, the former is more important and, it seems, more rare. At this time we live in a society where people who either believe (or even consider believing) in an alternative theory of events are labeled “conspiracy theorists”. This is unfortunate because it carries the connotation that if a person believes that the official narrative of ANY event is inaccurate or falsified then they, by definition, believe that ALL official narratives are inaccurate and designed for a hidden, ulterior motive. Because some “conspiracy theories” are particularly absurd and in some cases offensive, credibility is quickly lost among those who hear of an alternative explanation, even if the explanation is cogent, dispassionate and supported by scientific consensus. This is very dangerous. By heaping all “conspiracy theories” into the same pile it is very easy to miss the signal in the noise. In order to approach the vast topic that is 9/11 it is best to first take a moment to acknowledge that everyone has biases. Biases are prejudgements that arise from putting the cart in front of the horse. In other words, if a piece of evidence is offered, it will often not be considered objectively if its veracity implies something highly improbable. After all, how is a reasonable person supposed to accept something that leads to an unreasonable conclusion? This is how bias arises in a quick but untrained mind. In order to avoid this misstep it is imperative to first establish what is unreasonable and what is impossible. The purpose of this piece is not to dictate what is impossible, nor is it to explain what other people (“experts”) claim to be impossible. The purpose is to accurately describe what is required of the conventional explanation of the events of 9/11 in order for it to be true. What may seem impossible to one person may be possible to another. Ultimately, we make our own choices about what we believe is possible. All the pictures and video footage from space will not be able to convince “flat-earthers” that we live on a planet that is spherical because the idea that the ground they walk on is not flat would be impossible from their point of view. To them, it is more likely that the evidence has been forged. If a person cannot entertain the possibility that they may be wrong there is no room for their view to evolve. Those who maintain that the World Trade Center Buildings 1 (the North Tower), 2 (the South Tower) and 7 (the 47-story skyscraper one hundred yards from the North Tower) were demolished from explosive demolition events (as well as planes with regard to the North and South Tower) had to first acknowledge that the likelihood of this possibility was extremely small, but not impossible. The implications of such a theory are disturbing and far-reaching. It would imply that the event had been planned, months or possibly years in advance by individuals that had access not only to advanced explosives but to the buildings themselves. It would also imply that there were far more than 19 terrorists involved. The most disturbing implication is that news sources that we rely upon have been grossly inaccurate in reporting the facts or were complicit in hiding a horrible lie. This possibility would shake the very foundation of our idea of freedom. Before dismissing this possibility immediately it is worthwhile to weigh what is being risked by considering it objectively and what is at risk by not. I did. This is why I did not dismiss it at the outset. This also why I found it absolutely necessary to trust no one other than myself and why I personally believe others should too. We who believe that explosives were used on 9/11 are very aware that many regard our position not only as flippant but destructive, unpatriotic and disrespectful of those who suffered or lost their lives from the aftermath of this event. I am able to understand that. If you feel that way are you able to understand why a person who is completely convinced that the established position is wrong is doing the most patriotic thing they can by trying to respectfully explain their position? Both sides are fighting to preserve our freedom and honor those that lost far more than we, yet having a fair and open exchange of ideas is nearly impossible these days. I and many who share my view are endeavoring to change this. At the outset of my research into these events I acknowledged that the possibility of this version of events was extremely unlikely but not impossible. If you believe that this scenario is impossible at the outset I suggest that you read no further. On the other hand, if you are able to regard it as an extremely unlikely yet possible scenario, I invite you to read on and make up your own mind. Many claims have been made about what did and did not happen that day. There is a considerable amount of eyewitness testimony from citizens and first-responders that directly challenge the official narrative. There are also independent organizations of pilots, firefighters, architects and structural engineers that publicly state that the official narrative is inaccurate or inconsistent with the laws of nature. If you are aware of these organizations you may find them to be believable and trustworthy. But why should you? Because I cannot absolutely verify that these organizations and witnesses are truthful or knowledgeable I will exclude their opinions and only rely on information that has appeared on mainstream media or in the “official” explanation of the events of that day, the 9/11 Commission Report and the extensive supporting technical discussion provided by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Before we explore any inconsistencies of the official explanation it is important to clarify what the “official” explanation states. The 9/11 Commission was organized by the Bush Administration in response to the pressure placed upon it by the families of the 9/11 victims and the concerned public to explain why and how the buildings came down. The 9/11 events also represented the three biggest structural failures in modern history. Because this also directly impacts public safety, the 9/11 Commission tasked the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST), a branch of the Department of Commerce, to perform a technical investigation into the cause and mechanism of the failures. NIST is a body of engineers, scientists and applied mathematicians that are responsible for establishing and enforcing standards for industry in the interest of public safety. NIST was responsible for explaining why and how the Twin Towers and World Trade Center Building 7 were destroyed on September 11, 2001. It is their report which stands as the “official” explanation that I will be examining. Few have actually read the thousands of pages of the body of the report and the numerous technical attachments provided by the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST). Most people believe that NIST explains how those three buildings came down. It does not. Instead it attempts to explain how those three buildings could have come down from plane strikes and (or in the case of Bldg 7, only) office fires. This may seem like a minor technicality but it is in fact a major oversight. The investigation presupposes that the planes and/or fires were the only cause and disregards the possibility of other causes. Every possibility was not considered. In fact, only one was. Prior to September 11, 2001 a steel-framed building has never collapsed from any event except a planned demolition. Why didn’t the official explanation explore this possibility as well? For some people this may seem like an inflammatory attack on the official report. After all, millions of people watched the planes hit the buildings on TV. Why should any other explanation be entertained? To a scientist, or any organization interested in due diligence (e.g. NIST), it is grossly negligent to not explore all conceivable possibilities before arriving at any conclusion. Even an eleventh grade chemistry student must address other possibilities that may explain the results of their experiment in their lab report. Putting all geopolitical ideology aside, we must agree that a diligent, scientific approach to understanding the structural failures of these massive buildings is required for the interest of public safety alone. On 9/11 our world suffered the three biggest structural failures in the history of modern skyscraper design and yet only one hypothesis was ever considered. There are two ways to disprove NIST’s hypothesis. One way is to prove an alternative one is absolutely true. I believe that the alternative explanation, controlled demolition, has been proven, but ultimately it requires that some faith be placed in the opinion or findings of someone else. For this reason I exclude any discussion of it here. The other way to disprove the official explanation is to find any assumptions they made to prove their version of events and demonstrate these assumptions to be false. Recall that NIST did not explain how and why the buildings fell, they attempted to explain how the Twin Towers might have fallen from plane strikes and office fires. Is there anything required of their explanation that is impossible? Each of the Twin Towers was 110 stories, about 1300 feet tall. At the end of the collapse of each one there was a pile of rubble and steel on the ground that was on average 1-2 stories tall. In other words, the pile of debris from a 110-story building made from hundreds of thousands of tons of steel and concrete, its contents of office furniture, electrical generators, HVAC components and plumbing was reduced to a pile 2% of its height. Proportionally, if a ten-story building falling upon itself did the same thing it would leave a pile about 2 feet high. The question is, what happened to all the building material and its contents? George Pataki, then Governor of NY was struggling with the same question soon after he visited Ground Zero a few days after 9/11. Here he is on CNN: The Governor was mystified at the absence of concrete at the base of the building. He plainly states that lower Manhattan was covered with 1-3 inches of pulverized concrete dust. There were hardly any blocks of concrete to be found. We can understand how any structure can fall; even a steel structure can be brought down if key components of its structural integrity were compromised. The building would presumably lean to one side or another and come crashing down upon adjoining buildings leaving enormous piles of twisted girders and material everywhere. That is not what happened to the Twin Towers. They fell straight down leaving relatively little material at their base. Imagine a wrecking ball knocking a building apart. Swinging a wrecking ball back and forth until a building is leveled takes a lot of energy. How much energy would be required to not just knock the Twin Towers down but to crush all the concrete in the buildings to dust? NIST’s explanation proposes that no added energy was needed to bring the buildings down and pulverize the concrete and dismember its steel. They posit that gravity alone caused each twin tower not just to fall but to crush itself. We can all imagine a building falling down, but crushing itself entirely? It would be impossible to construct a building that could pulverize all of its concrete and rip apart all of its steel from its own weight. How could such a structure stand to begin with? The Twin Towers had been standing for thirty years. Of course something could knock them over, but why would we accept that on that particular day they were heavy enough to pulverize the very concrete they were made of into billowing clouds of dust that spread over lower Manhattan? If you are not careful your mind will rationalize that this could indeed happen because the buildings were “extremely heavy”. NIST in fact refers to “the enormous weight” of the top portions of the buildings crushing the bottom portions through a collapse sequence that was “inevitable” once the supporting columns and lateral trusses were weakened. NIST, however, suspiciously omits any discussion of the behavior of the building during the collapse in their discussion. The top portions of the building were indeed “heavy” but heavy compared to what? By suggesting that their weight was enough to crush the bottom portions of the building within a few seconds how then can one explain why the building could stand in the first place? The vast majority of the steel skeleton of the building was undamaged from the plane strikes. Why would it break apart suddenly and uniformly from a weight it was designed to hold indefinitely? Consider a different situation. Imagine a very tall stack of bricks. There is a limit to how many bricks can be stacked one atop another because at some point the weight on the bottom brick will be enough to crush it. In engineering terms, the compressive strength of the brick on the bottom will be exceeded if the stack is too tall. Let us say that the bricks are stacked as high as they possibly could be without crushing the bottom brick. We then strike the stack near its top hard enough to damage some of the bricks or even displace them out of the stack. We can all imagine the bricks ending up in a pile on the ground. Why would we predict that they would all end up crushed into a pile of dust? If the bottom brick was able to withstand all of the weight upon it before we destabilized the stack, why would the entire stack, including the ones at the top, be pulverized by its own weight? That would be impossible. NIST does not address this conundrum directly but simply states that it must be possible because that is what we “observed”. This is a reasonable conclusion only if no other explanations are entertained. In fact, even if we choose to ignore other possible mechanisms of collapse this theory requires another impossibility to work. In order for the top portion of the building to crush the lower it must be stronger than the lower portion. Take a simpler example involving bricks again. Let us say that you needed to crush a single brick into dust. The only tool that you have available is a pickaxe. Would it work? Maybe. But what if the pickaxe itself was made of brick too? Every time you struck the brick hard enough to make it crumble the axe would necessarily break apart as well. In physics this is described by Newton’s Third Law of Motion, which dictates that objects acting upon each other must be subject to equal and opposite forces from each other. By proposing that the upper portion of the building (approximately 14 floors in the North Tower for example) could completely crush the lower portion (96 floors) while remaining intact we are introducing another impossibility. The upper and lower portions of the building were made of the same building materials! In fact, the upper portions of the building were lighter and less sturdy than the lower portions because they were designed to hold up less weight. If the upper portion was in fact crushing the lower portion why isn’t it getting crushed itself? Newton’s Third Law dictates that whatever force the upper portion is imparting upon the lower must be imparted to the upper portion as well. Getting the top to drive itself through a more heavily designed structure by dismembering and pulverizing it on its way down while remaining intact itself is impossible. Calculations have been made about how much energy it would take to pulverize all of the concrete in the buildings and it turns out that it is more than twice as much as the gravitational potential energy of the standing building. In other words, even if all the energy of the falling building was converted into crushing the concrete and dismembering its steel frame there would still be a large deficit of energy. For the purposes of this discussion, forget about the calculations. I have seen them and believe them to be accurate but why should you agree with me? Let us say that the weight of the building could pulverize itself. That is already impossible as was mentioned above. But, if we suspend rationality and continue with NIST’s logic yet another impossibility arises. If the concrete is being pulverized, energy is being expended. The only source of energy in the official explanation is the kinetic energy of the upper part of the buildings. Kinetic energy is the energy possessed by a body in motion, in this case, the upper part of the building which was put in motion by gravity. If the kinetic energy is being used to pulverize the concrete, the fall of the building should have been slowed. Both Twin Towers fell at approximately 6.3 meters per second squared, or approximately two-thirds the acceleration of gravity. If that doesn’t make sense to you, look at any collapse video. The top of the building is accelerating towards the ground at more than 64% of free-fall. If you were to have jumped off the top of the tower as it began to fall you would have hit the ground just two seconds before the top of the building did. You would have barely beaten hundreds of thousands of tons of reinforced steel and concrete designed to do one thing: remain standing while supporting the structure above it. The towers, like all modern buildings, were built to exacting standards which demanded three to five times the strength to hold up the building. This is an extremely large safety tolerance, yet we watched them crumble to the ground under their own weight. It would have been impossible for such an over-designed structure to come down that fast through itself from nothing but gravity. Each tower took about 12 seconds to fall. On average, 9 floors per second are being destroyed. I am not denying the buildings came down quickly. They did. We have ample, undisputed footage of both collapses. But are we observing buildings crush themselves or are we actually watching buildings fall because the very material they are supported by is being destroyed by another source of energy? Is it possible to know? It is. The buildings are falling at rates that dictate that the concrete and steel are putting up a fraction of the resistance they were designed to provide. Yet the materials, by virtue of their dismemberment (steel frame) and pulverization (concrete) are behaving as though they are meeting extreme force. Materials do not get destroyed unless they are meeting extreme force. We must conclude that the integrity of the materials must have been or were being compromised at the time of collapse. There was not any “crushing” going on. We have been in fact watching buildings falling because the very materials holding them up are being synchronously pulverized and ripped apart by a source of energy not acknowledged by NIST but clearly present. You cannot “see” energy, you can only infer its existence by the behavior of the system you are examining. The behavior of the buildings as they fell prove that there was another massive source of energy at work. Collapses with the rapidity that we witnessed, leaving only pulverized concrete and dismembered steel, would have been impossible from gravity alone. It took three months to put the fires out at the World Trade Center. Here is the CNN news report which documented that: It is well reported that the FDNY flooded Ground Zero with millions of gallons of water, completely submerging the basement fires. Ground Zero was covered with water for months. Fire can only exist if an oxygen source is present. The media reported that the fires continued to burn because of heat from the friction of the fall. That is impossible. I am not suggesting the fires were not burning for three months I am only pointing out the basic truth that the only way fires can burn underwater is through a chemical reaction that has an oxygen molecule as a reactant. Heat itself does not provide oxygen for a fire to burn. There must have been an oxygen source in or on the material that was burning. It is well documented that hundreds of four- and eight-ton steel frame members were thrown 600 feet away from each of the Twin Towers at speeds clocked by physicists of 80 mph. Gravity works in only one direction. If the only force acting on the building was straight down it is impossible for structural members to be thrown perpendicular to the force. This necessitates the presence of an explosive, or expulsive, force perpendicular to the force of gravity. Finally, there is the problem with building 7, the building referenced earlier. It was a modern steel structured skyscraper 47 stories high that suffered isolated fires on several floors. It was not hit by a plane. Watch the collapse again: Even today many Americans do not know that a third building was destroyed on 9/11. It occurred about seven hours after the second twin tower was destroyed. Building 7 fell in under 7 seconds. The building fell uniformly through the path of (what should have been the) greatest resistance into its own footprint. Unlike the Twin Towers, this building fell at freefall. If you were standing on its rooftop when it started to collapse you would have hit the ground at the same time if you jumped off the building. This means that not one of the 80 columns in the building gave any resistance to the fall. Once again, if the structure put up no resistance to the fall, why did the columns get crushed? NIST took seven years to come up with their analysis of the fall of Building 7. They used computer simulations to attempt prove their theory that it was caused by the failure of a single column from isolated fires that lead to the type of collapse we witnessed. No matter how much they tweaked their model, they could not get it to fall in the way we observe in the video. Their conclusion: The entire building suffered a complete and sudden collapse from a single column (Column 79 on the 12th floor) that failed as a result of normal office fires. An isolated column failure cannot cause a steel building to fall at free-fall acceleration – or symmetrically. That is impossible. Using their own computer model, NIST has effectively disproven their own hypothesis. If a new, four hundred foot wide, 47-story building can fall at the speed of gravity through its own supporting columns from the failure of a single column on just one floor, why do demolition teams need to painstakingly set up hundreds of explosive charges on multiple floors to demolish old buildings? NIST spent seven years trying to explain what happened and couldn’t. Why didn’t they look for another explanation after they proved themselves wrong? What exactly was their mandate? In the previous section are listed five impossibilities that NIST would require you to believe could happen in order for their explanations of the destruction of these buildings to suffice. Perhaps I am wrong about what is possible and what isn’t. At this moment, however, I cannot accept that buildings can pulverize the concrete and dismember the steel that they are constructed from, or that gravity can throw things laterally or that fires can burn underwater without a source of oxygen or that a steel skyscraper can collapse symmetrically from isolated office fires at freefall acceleration. If that were not enough, one must still contend with the numerous inconsistencies and incredible coincidences that the 9/11 Commission and NIST insist upon. I have chosen the following five to demonstrate. United Airlines flight 93 was the fourth plane that was hijacked that morning. It never struck a building like the other three. It crashed into a grassy field in rural Pennsylvania. The official report states that much of the plane and its passengers vaporized on impact. I cannot say that this is impossible, I can only say that this has never happened before. Unless a plane ends up at the bottom of an ocean, plane crashes leave debris fields and passenger remains that can be analyzed. Very little was found at the site, yet this plane crashed into a field on American soil on a sunny Tuesday morning. The coroner claims that only bits and fragments of human remains were found. There was no fuselage or luggage. However, two Saudi Passports managed to escape unharmed. This is “improbable”. This story brings up another glaring inconsistency with the official explanation. Two planes can tear through steel and concrete yet this one vaporizes when striking dirt? The 9/11 Commission report states that over a dozen cellular phone calls were made from passengers in both of the planes that struck the Twin Towers. Time logs indicate that the calls were made while the planes were in flight. The recordings of the passengers can be heard. The passengers clearly state the planes have been hijacked. They sound distracted but calm. Several of the calls lasted more than a minute. Is it possible that the hijackers would have permitted those calls? Absolutely. It is also possible that the calls were made quietly without their knowledge. The problem with the story is that some of these calls were made on personal cellular phones while in flight. This is nearly impossible today, eighteen years later. The idea that this could have been possible in 2001 is difficult to accept. Cell phone towers are designed to detect and transmit signals laterally, not upward. Even if a connection could have been made momentarily the tower would have had to immediately hand the signal over to another station rapidly due to the speed of the plane. There were no breaks in coverage on the recordings. As of this year, 2019, I have not been able to get consistent cellular phone coverage on a plane flying at more than a few thousand feet of altitude. What does this mean? One cannot definitively know; one can only conjecture. I only offer it as another glaring inconsistency of the official explanation. What would be the benefit of including this in the official report? It is customary for NORAD (the North American Aerospace Defense Command) to deploy fighter jets when an airline hijacking is in progress. No fighter pilot ever made visual contact with any of the planes that were hijacked on 9/11. There have been some explanations for this including the fact that the airliners’ transponders were turned off by the hijackers and couldn’t be tracked. What is not as generally known is that very few fighters were scrambled that morning. Most of our Air Defense system was engaged in flight exercises over the Midwest and Canada that very morning. Operation Vigilant Guardian (among others) was a live exercise involving fighter squadrons and military bases that was conducted on the morning of September 11, 2001. The terrorists happened to have picked the very morning that most of our assets were unavailable to protect even the most defended building on Earth, the Pentagon. How are we to know that these exercises actually took place? Here we have a link to then Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld and General Richard Meyers (Joint Chiefs of staff Chairman) answering questions about this exercise. At approximately 7 minutes into the clip General Meyers confirms that in fact four exercises involving our air defenses were happening while the hijacked planes headed to their targets. Moreover he reveals to us that the exercises were designed to simulate hijacked planes being used as weapons to fly into buildings: Is it possible that the terrorists knew about this opening in our air defenses? Yes. Is it possible that they just got extremely lucky with the timing? Yes. Neither of these possibilities can be deemed impossible. It is the improbability of this “coincidence” that is striking. NIST does not explain definitively how either of the Twin Towers fell so quickly. They propose a possible explanation involving trusses weakened by jet fuel and office fires that eventually sagged and gave way allowing the concrete floors they supported to fall but more importantly causing the peripheral columns to bend inward allowing the upper sections of the building to fall upon the lower. The calculations which should describe the tensile strength of the columns and estimated weight of the building that would allow such a collapse to progress are not given. Instead NIST references a research paper that was written just 48 hours after 9/11 by an engineering professor (Zdenek P. Bažant) from Northwestern University and his graduate student. You can read their paper here: “Why did the World Trade Center collapse? A simple analysis” In this paper the two authors propose a mechanism that they believe could explain a progressive collapse. If you choose to examine it you will find it to be a technical paper and largely uninterpretable unless you are a mechanical engineer. However, there are a few points that the curious among us will find unmistakably puzzling. First is that on page 4 the authors state: This assumption should strike you as mysterious. The author is assuming that when the top of the building began to collapse all of the columns on the damaged floors failed completely and synchronously. Why would they make that assumption and what does it matter? It has a direct bearing on what would happen next. The authors are trying to prove their hypothesis that the top of the building had attained enough downward velocity at the beginning of the collapse sequence that a progressive collapse was inevitable. Whether or not this is true cannot be known by you or I without trusting another’s opinion, but does it make sense that every column (287 in all) would suddenly give way at precisely the same time and offer no resistance? The other glaring inaccuracy that can be readily interpreted by the lay reader is the estimate of the weight of the upper portion of the building. The weight used in the paper: “…mass of the upper part (of North Tower) ≈ 58·106 kg”, is exaggerated by nearly a factor of two. But how are you or I to know what the actual weight of the upper portions of the buildings were or what the column strength actually was? I admit that we the public, cannot know without trusting another source. However shouldn’t we expect that NIST would, at the very least, demand that those crucial values be consistent with their own? They didn’t. In fact, the paper NIST references doubles the weight of the upper portion of the building and reduces the column strength by a factor of three compared to their own estimates! In other words, if you use NIST’s own estimate of the weight and strength of the building in the model they reference, a progressive and complete collapse would be impossible. NIST did not verify this professor’s calculations but merely stated that because another party claims it to be possible it must be so. As astonishing as it seems, this is as far as NIST goes to address the incredible mystery we all witnessed when the Twin Towers unexpectedly fell to the ground. This glaring omission was initially the source of skepticism in the scientific community. Later an article in the magazine Popular Mechanics was published to explain a possible collapse sequence. A similar explanation appeared in a documentary on NOVA. Neither the Popular Mechanics article nor the documentary reflect NIST’s official explanation. The Popular Mechanics article and the NOVA documentary both attribute the collapse to “pancaking” floors, falling one upon another. They both suggest how one floor falling upon another could hypothetically cause a chain reaction, yet neither addresses how the central and peripheral columns, the steel skeleton that held the floors and building up could have been destroyed. These simplistic explanations also fail to explain how concrete floors can create a “pancaking” collapse while at the same time be blown out of the building in massive dust clouds. Many of us picture of a stack of floors falling upon a single floor high up in the tower, dismantling it from its supporting trusses and slowly speeding up as each successive floor adds to the momentum of the falling mass. Once the first floor goes, we have been told, the rest is history because now the falling weight is even larger. However, it is clear from every video of the destruction of the two towers that all the concrete is blowing out in huge clouds as the top of the building is descending. We also have the physical evidence of pulverized concrete blanketing lower Manhattan. If all the material is being blown outwardly, what then is doing the crushing? These popularly cited explanations are markedly incomplete and do not actually reflect the official explanation, yet they live on in people’s minds as an adequate representation of what happened. NIST and the research paper above explain that the collapse of each twin tower was initiated on the floors that were struck by the planes. The columns on these floors failed, they hypothesize, because the weight of the upper portion of the building exceeded their strength when the lateral trusses that connected the peripheral and central columns sagged from the heat of the office fires burning on those floors. The upper portion dropped on to the lower and the rest is history. NIST claims that the upper portion, having fell the height of a single floor had enough momentum to sequentially overcome the next 95 floors of reinforced steel and concrete. As mentioned earlier, NIST did not consider whether this was mathematically possible. It must have been, they state, because the building fell to the ground and thus, they say, the details are not relevant or within the scope of their analysis. A closer examination, for those interested, is given in the paper by Dr. Bazant. Perhaps this seems reasonable to you, but is it scientific? It is not. Dr. Bazant’s explanation, when examined more rigorously, requires a number of highly improbable events to have occurred. First, his model requires that every single column on the floors damaged by the plane collisions failed completely, simultaneously and synchronously in order for a collapse to be initiated. Additionally, his model ignores the energy required to bend, buckle and twist the columns as the upper portion began to “fall” upon the lower. NIST, by supporting Dr. Bazant’s model, chooses to assume that these columns effectively vanished. This is the only way enough momentum from the falling sections might have been delivered to the lower sections to initiate a potential collapse. Recall as well that Bazant uses an estimated weight of the building that is twice what NIST calculates. It is very clear from all of the footage of the towers burning before the collapse that the fires were not equally distributed across the damaged floors. There were 240 peripheral and 47 central columns in each twin tower. Does it seem reasonable that every single column on that floor would suddenly fail at precisely the same instant without offering an ounce of resistance? The improbabilities continue to mount as the collapse progresses. In his model, the upper section of each building falls through and annihilates each floor below successively. As it does so, all 287 columns on each floor had to have failed at precisely the same instant in exactly the same way. This is the only way the buildings could have fallen straight down. This happened 80 times in a row in the South Tower and 95 times in a row in the North tower. In his model, once the upper sections of each building bulldozed their way down unaffected, they then crush themselves when they hit the ground. This is the official explanation. Interestingly one could look at this entirely differently. Having every single support column fail simultaneously, some suggest, may actually be something common. We would know this, they say, because it happened twice on the same day (tower 2 followed by tower 1). I think it points in exactly the other direction. The fact that something that unlikely happened twice essentially assures us that some other mechanism was in play in both instances. Much debate has taken place over the temperature of jet fuel and the melting point of steel. It is true that the melting point of steel is significantly higher than the temperature of burning jet fuel (2500 F vs 1500 F). However, supporters of the conventional story maintain that over time, the heat would have weakened the steel to the point of collapse. It is difficult to prove they are wrong. This is often central to the argument of many “debunkers”. It has been demonstrated that given enough time, steel weakens near the temperatures of burning jet fuel. However, even if the strength of the steel had been compromised, steel does not fail from heat in the way that Dr. Bazant requires. As steel gets hot and begins to approach its melting point it will begin to bend and distort gradually from the load it is bearing. It does not snap apart instantaneously like a pencil. It is also difficult to believe that so much of the fuel would have remain ignited for so long. It is obvious that most of the fuel exploded when the plane struck the building. Huge fireballs erupted which burned a great deal of the fuel at the moment of each plane collision. NIST themselves confirm that most of the fuel erupted at impact and that the fuel that had entered the building had burned completely in the first ten minutes. Does it seem likely to conclude that those massive structures would have entirely collapsed from a ten-minute burn? Even if much of the fuel did not ignite immediately but found its way inside the Twin Towers how hot could it have been? Video clearly demonstrates that the smoke billowing from the fires was black, indicating that they were oxygen starved (and thus cooler) for most of the time they were burning. NIST’s explanation requires the temperature around the supporting columns be at or near 1500 degrees where the plane hit in order for the steel trusses to sag and a collapse sequence to begin. If that were the case, how can we explain the unfortunate people in the building that appeared at the periphery on the very floors that were hit waving and exhorting others to help them? If it were 1500 degrees on those floors they would have been incapacitated in a few seconds. The columns on these specific floors were required at some point to catastrophically and instantaneously buckle for the collapse to be initiated. It is highly improbable that the steel was as hot as NIST states. Perhaps these points don’t make you reconsider the official story. I cannot look away. If there were no other way to explain these impossibilities I would shrug my shoulders and go with the official explanation. The difficulty is that there is a simple alternative explanation for all of these impossibilities and inexplicable observations. Controlled demolition involves rigging a building with charges designed to first cut the supporting columns so that other charges, when detonated, will destabilize the structure. This is precisely how steel framed buildings are demolished. If timed correctly, the building can be blown up from the top down (Twin Towers) or bottom up (Building 7). The collapse will be very fast and sudden. If it is demolished from the bottom up the building will fall at or near the acceleration of gravity (building 7). Depending upon the energy density of the explosive used, concrete will indeed be pulverized and so too can large fragments be thrown laterally. One explosive that is being suggested as the one that could have been used is nano-thermite. Nano-thermite is a variant of a well-known chemical combination known as thermate (essentially elemental Aluminum and Iron Oxide). When heat is added to these reactants, the oxide molecule leaves the Iron and bonds with Aluminum releasing a great deal of energy in the form of heat. Within a few seconds this reaction produces temperatures that exceed 4000 degrees F, easily enough to melt and cut steel. This reaction is impervious to water because the oxygen is provided in the Iron Oxide reactant. It would explain why metal continued to burn for three months despite being doused with water continuously. Three independent teams have confirmed the presence of nano-thermite in thin red flakes that were found in and near ground zero. How do we know that this material was really found? We cannot know, we must trust another party, yet this would explain what the conventional narrative cannot. By dismissing independent researchers that claim to have found proof of explosive material we are, by default, trusting NIST and their opinion that searching for such evidence was unnecessary. However if we accept that material was actually found we arrive at an explanation of what we are observing : a massive source of unexplained energy, lateral expulsion of materials, pulverized concrete, dismembered steel, chemical reactions that took months to complete and a coherent model of what happened that day. The following is a video of the collapse of the North Tower, WTC 1, the first tower that was hit and the second to collapse. It is in slow motion. It is narrated by David Chandler, a professor of physics. You can choose to dismiss his narrative comments. I cannot vouch for him. He may not be an unbiased investigator but examine the details of what is in front of our eyes: Does this seem like a building collapsing under its own weight to you? If it does, how should it look like if it were instead being blown to bits from explosives? If you aren’t sure how that should look close your eyes for a moment and use your imagination and then look at the sequence again. Large building components are being thrown outwardly leaving debris in a circle 1200 feet in diameter around its base. Is this building falling down or blowing up? If this footage doesn’t bring up any questions for you I invite you to look again closely and focus on the corner of the building closest to the camera. You can easily see that this corner column with surrounding concrete is crumbling as the “wave of collapse” passes down the building. That column was undamaged from the 96th floor (where the plane hit) all the way to the base of the building. Keep your eyes on the corner column as the wave passes through it. What forces are acting upon it? There are no fires burning near that column. It was not supporting any more weight than it had been for the past 30 years. In fact, because the upper portion of the building was falling at ⅔ the rate of gravity all the columns in the lower part of the building would necessarily be holding up only ⅓ the weight they had been previously. Why then is this (and all the other columns) getting crushed? Interestingly, the NIST addressed the possibility of a controlled demolition in just one paragraph of thousands of pages of technical explanations and discussion. They decided not to investigate that possibility because, they claimed, no explosions were ever witnessed. Yet there are numerous accounts from first responders unequivocally stating that they witnessed explosions in the buildings. In fact 156 firefighters reported that they heard or witnessed explosions in the Twin Towers prior to their collapse. If you don’t believe their accounts we still have the mainstream media on that day reporting that explosions were occurring before the buildings fell: If explosions were taking place in the buildings before the collapses, they must be considered to be causative factors in their destruction. Despite the eyewitness testimony and extensive mainstream media coverage of explosions in the buildings NIST believed it was unnecessary to examine the remaining steel or the ubiquitous dust for explosive residues. Was It Negligence or Something More? Why didn’t they? Did they have some incentive to not look? If so, what could it have been? Let us say that they did decide to examine the debris for explosive material. What if they ended up finding some? Why couldn’t they simply conclude that the terrorists rigged the building? What would be the danger in that? After all it wouldn’t be the first time a terrorist organization attempted to blow up the World Trade Center with explosives. Everything would have still played out the same way, right? Not exactly. It would have led to the conclusion that security in the three buildings was so shoddy that this happened under their watch. It would have taken demolition experts months to set this up. It would be hard not to accuse the WTC security of being in cahoots with the terrorists. Suddenly things would start to point to a “conspiracy”. If evidence of explosives were found they would also have to explain why the terrorists needed to fly planes into the buildings if the buildings could have been detonated at anytime. That would be extremely difficult. This is why some refute the possibility of a controlled demolition. If terrorists rigged the buildings with explosives, why would they sacrifice themselves by flying planes into them when they could have just pushed a button? It is a compelling argument, but what assumptions are we making when using it? When we dismiss the idea of controlled demolitions because planes were flown into the buildings we are assuming that whoever orchestrated this wouldn’t care if their identity would be revealed. Terrorists wouldn’t care if planes or bombs were involved. They would only want to be given full credit for the atrocity. It would be illogical for them to fly planes into the buildings when they could have detonated the buildings at anytime. If evidence of explosives were found it would necessarily point to a conspiracy because planes were flown into the buildings too. Hijacking a plane on a given morning is one thing. Rigging explosives up and down three Manhattan skyscrapers is a feat far more involved. The plane collisions would have been immediately identified for what they really were: red herrings. Terrorists would not need both bombs and planes, only conspirators would. Once that is established, attention would come to the sheer complexity of the effort required to bring three separate buildings straight down, synchronizing the charges so that the demolition will appear to be a gravitational collapse and not simply the detonation of explosives. This kind of endeavor would require more than 19 terrorists armed with box cutters. The magnitude of the possible conspiracy would begin to emerge. The forces behind such an act would clearly wield influence beyond what we consider possible in a free society. Entertaining such a thing is uncomfortable. It is no surprise that many wish to look no further. But do the governmental agencies that are entrusted with public safety have that luxury too? Perhaps they have been unwillingly doing someone else’s bidding all along. There is no proof of any of this as reported in any mainstream media source. It is a hypothesis that would explain all the impossibilities that exist. It would also allow us to dispense with the absurd collapse sequence proposed and not require the fires to have been burning so hot. How Could This Have Been Orchestrated? Putting speculation about dark, hidden forces aside let us return to the practical aspects of how this could have been accomplished. The engineers that designed the Twin Towers insist that in order for the buildings to fall, the central columns had to have been compromised, not the peripheral columns that the planes struck. Indeed, if you closely examine the initiation of collapse in the North Tower, it is perceptible that the massive antenna on the roof begins to shift and fall simultaneously with the rest of the building. This slow motion video captures this at approximately seven seconds from the start: The antenna is directly supported by the central columns. There is no video that captured the extent of the damage inside the tower but it is clear that the plane, which is essentially a hollow tube of aluminum and fiberglass, had to first go through concrete and reinforced steel 14 inches thick. It is possible that a plane’s fuselage can severely damage concrete and steel columns if the energy of the collision was high enough. It would be impossible, however, for the plane to remain intact after encountering the peripheral columns. Again, this is Newton’s Third Law of Motion. If the steel on the outside of the building was destroyed, so too was the plane. There would have been little left to damage the more sturdy central columns. How could anyone have accessed the central columns of the Twin Towers for months, setting up the explosives? It seems preposterous that buildings of that size could have been rigged for demolition, even if there were enough conspirators involved. How could it have been secretly arranged in buildings that house tens of thousands of employees and visitors every day? Surely somebody must have seen something. How could this have been accomplished under the public’s nose? It seems impossible. Then we have this interesting piece of information: Twin tower elevator renovation This is a cover from Elevator World, a publication about elevator technology. In the spring of 2001 they reported that all of the elevators in both Twin Towers underwent a major renovation over a period of several months. The elevator renovation has been confirmed by people who were working in the Twin Towers before 9/11. The elevator shafts are surrounded by the central columns. There is no proof that the elevator renovation in both buildings was a cover for the rigging of the central columns, but is it possible? The controlled demolition hypothesis only attempts to explain the observed physical behavior of the buildings on that day. No perpetrators can be identified. No motive can be known. If conspirators set up the demolition who then was flying the planes? Science will never be able to answer these very salient questions. On the other hand, the 9/11 Commission and NIST, the authors of the “official” explanation, do not even attempt to explain how basic laws of physics can be violated yet they were able to establish the identity of the perpetrators and what their motives were before the third building even fell to the ground. Nonetheless, it is their explanation that has continued to dominate the narrative for the last eighteen years. Rather than reflexively labeling the controlled demolition theory as a crazy idea held by “9/11 Deniers” so that it can be conveniently packaged as a “Conspiracy Theory” and dismissed on moral and intellectual grounds, it is more apt to focus on all the absurdities of the official explanation. Hundreds of thousands of tons of steel breaking apart in seconds synchronously? Fires burning in Manhattan for three months? Four massive military exercises occurring on the same morning as the attack? A fourth plane vaporizes yet a passport is found intact at the crash site? The official explanation is the greatest “Coincidence Theory” ever conceived. The most important next step is to pause and consider what has been offered here. Ultimately, each must decide what is true for themselves. Even if one chooses to instead defer to others’ opinions, that is a decision made individually. Truth is a function of how deeply and how objectively one looks. I would urge everyone to not only look for what must be true but also for their own biases. In our personal search for the truth we are well advised to examine what our motivations are. For many, the possibility that we have been misled and duped into supporting costly wars that have indelibly changed the political landscape of the planet seems too ghastly to entertain. Why look further if it leads to such conclusions? This is indeed a delicate matter and requires a certain presence of mind to look beyond knee-jerk reactions. The controlled demolition of the buildings in Manhattan on 9/11 does not dishonor the brave first responders, the innocent people who lost their lives that day or the hundreds of thousands that have died and suffered in the eighteen years since. In fact it may shed light on the possibility of a profound truth about humanity. Instead of a world where no-fly-zones and walls separate good from evil perhaps we live on a much different planet. A planet where the vast majority of its inhabitants are actually peace-loving and cooperative, but have been taught to be afraid and angry by the tiniest fraction of us who would benefit from such a climate of antimony and adversity. Is it possible that this has been the case all along? Was 9/11 actually a “glitch in the matrix” and not the proof of terror around the corner that we have been told? How many more years will pass before we are ready to acknowledge that we may have always been a peaceful people? We may never absolutely know who was ultimately responsible and why they felt it necessary to not just damage the buildings but to dismember them and spread their remains over all of lower Manhattan while sacrificing and endangering thousands of innocent lives. At this time the only blame that can be justly placed is that upon the 9/11 Commission and NIST. Their explanation violates basic laws of physics and principles of engineering. Furthermore, by refusing to examine all possible explanations they have been grossly negligent in their task as scientists and as servants of the public. The next steps forward surely must include a diligent investigation of why NIST failed so spectacularly as an entrusted agent of public safety. Although I am an Electrical Engineer and a practicing Anesthesiologist, I consider myself to be primarily an Epistemologist. In other words, I am most interested in how we, as individuals, know what we know. It doesn’t require much inquiry to see that most of us adopt narratives largely from what we have been told. Conscious Media, or the dissemination of information devoid of bias so that it may be considered openly and objectively is therefore vitally important to any society that is interested in the compassionate pursuit of truth. I offer my perspective as a physician and engineer in the hope that it potentiates Collective Evolution’s mission to responsibly explore relevant topics and events in a manner that encourages curiosity and engagement. This article was sourced from Collective Evolution. Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Follow us on Minds, Twitter, Steemit, and SoMee. Become an Activist Post Patron for as little as $1 per month. Provide, Protect and Profit from what’s coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today. | Activist Post | https://www.activistpost.com/2019/09/the-official-9-11-explanation-is-the-greatest-coincidence-theory-ever.html | 2019-09-11 17:15:01+00:00 | 1,568,236,501 | 1,569,330,353 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
11,817 | aljazeera--2019-04-08--What is a no-deal Brexit and how would it affect the UK | 2019-04-08T00:00:00 | aljazeera | What is a no-deal Brexit and how would it affect the UK? | London, United Kingdom - Fears that the UK will leave the European Union without a Brexit deal are back at the top of the agenda as the clocks tick towards a new deadline on April 12 - just days from now. Despite the potential for considerable disruption, British people are being told by their government to keep calm and carry on - because contingency plans are well advanced. Alongside the stockpiling of food and medicines, use of motorways as truck parks, and emergency planning by local councils, military chiefs have also been ordered to keep 3,500 troops on standby. There are even undisclosed plans to declare martial law. In the world's oldest democracy, Brexiters present this as an effort to wrest democratic control from Europe. Cynics are not convinced, pointing to secret cabinet documents about no-deal planning - codenamed Operation Yellowhammer - that were uncovered by journalists and paint a more chaotic picture. These warn of a "critical three-month phase" after leaving the EU and "unforeseen issues and impacts" during which even the best-made plans could be overwhelmed. In a divided Britain, the prospect of "no deal" evokes both fear and enthusiasm - but how would it affect the country? Brexit has already put the UK's political system under strain, opening deep divisions in the two main parties, Conservative and Labour, which a no-deal scenario could bring to a head. Experts say Brexit has also damaged perceptions of politicians, routinely ridiculed in the popular press for their failure to agree to a reasonable solution. Observers believe Brexit has empowered the far right, with long-term implications for Britain's democracy, while also intensifying calls for political reform - especially modernisation of the old-fashioned voting system. A no-deal Brexit could also have damaging implications for Europe itself, further straining relations with the UK's neighbours, harming key economic partners, and potentially exacerbating populist pressures. A no-deal Brexit would mean that there would be no "transition period" to ease the UK out of the bloc and all EU regulations would instantly cease to apply - causing disruption that some economists say could shave at least 2 percent off the gross domestic product (GDP) by the end of 2020. The UK government would not have to pay an annual 13 billion pounds ($17bn) to the EU budget, but would also lose key subsidies such as the 3 billion pounds ($3.9bn) for farmers under the Common Agricultural Policy. Overnight, Britain would lose the benefits of the EU's 70 international trade deals, reverting instead to World Trade Organization (WTO) rules governing how it deals with imports and exports. EU tariffs, VAT and a ban on food of animal origin would confront British exporters with the same obstacles to trade as those facing other non-EU countries. The prices of some imports, especially fresh vegetables and fruits, could soar by up to 10 percent in British shops and a likely fall in the value of the pound would trigger inflation. New import controls at borders could disrupt freight traffic as trucks going to and from the EU complete customs declarations, causing bottlenecks on motorways in southern England. Higher import prices, freight delays on both sides of the Channel - and inevitable panic buying - could exacerbate shortages. In theory, a no-deal Brexit frees up the UK to agree trade deals with other countries - something it cannot do as an EU member - but the benefits are limited, because these take years to complete. When it comes to financial services, EU leaders know which side their bread is buttered on - and a raft of "mini-deals" to soothe capital markets have already been agreed. In the longer term, however, there are fears a no-deal Brexit will chill investment in the UK, hitting jobs, and that manufacturers will abandon Britain for the continent. Some sectors could be hit hard. House prices could plummet, mobile phone roaming charges could rise, and British people will lose consumer protection for products bought in Europe. Northern Ireland is even at risk of blackouts, because no deal would undermine the legal basis of the all-island electricity market it shares with the Irish Republic. Opponents of a no-deal Brexit fear its impact on the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Such a scenario would load pressure to enforce customs controls creating a "hard border" manned by uniformed authorities - a move that would threaten to revive old tensions. A no-deal Brexit would cut UK access to EU criminal databases, with the counterterrorism chief of London's Metropolitan Police warning this would be "very bad" for policing. And British people had better get used to their beloved queues - the EU would reciprocate on any UK border checks, leading to long delays at passport control. They may even have to go through airport security twice if they transfer to a connecting flight. A no-deal Brexit has significant implications for expatriates - the 1.3 million Britons in EU countries and 3.7 million Europeans in Britain. British people in the EU have been advised to register as residents and they may lose access to free or discounted healthcare. The UK has pledged to protect the rights of EU citizens and their families in Britain - but they will need to apply for "settled status", and the rules are stricter in a no-deal scenario. British travellers will not need a visa to stay for 90 days in the Schengen area, but may need one if they stay longer. And once there, they will notice important changes. It will be more expensive to use UK bank cards, they will have to pay for health insurance, and they may require an International Driving Permit. Pet owners will no longer be able to use the existing "pet passports" that make it easy to take their animals abroad, and will have to visit a vet months in advance of travelling. | null | https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/04/deal-brexit-affect-uk-190408100826063.html | 2019-04-08 10:38:53+00:00 | 1,554,734,333 | 1,567,543,605 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
22,114 | bbc--2019-02-01--Brazil dam disaster How do you clear tonnes of toxic sludge | 2019-02-01T00:00:00 | bbc | Brazil dam disaster: How do you clear tonnes of toxic sludge? | Dozens of people died and hundreds are still missing after a dam collapsed at an iron ore mine in Brazil. The rupture released a sea of contaminated muddy sludge sliding towards the town of Brumadinho, eventually covering an area the size of 300 football pitches. The mud buried the dam site's cafeteria, where workers were eating lunch, before engulfing nearby houses, vehicles and roads. As hopes of finding anyone alive dwindle, thoughts are now turning to how to deal with the 12 million cubic metres of mud that was released. Built in 1976, the dam was used to hold residue from the mine, which it is feared may contain harmful chemical substances. So, how will it be cleared up and how could the operation be guided by lessons from past disasters? Before and after photos show the vast scale of the destruction caused by the sliding mud. Vale, the mining company responsible for the dam, has announced plans to deal with the debris. These include building barriers to contain the mud in the area around the dam, dredging a section of the nearby river and constructing barriers to sift out the fine residue. This case is especially sensitive because of the number of bodies thought to be buried by the mudslide. "It isn't just mud there, it's people's families. Everything will depend on how rescue efforts go. And it will take a long time," says Anderson Amparo, from Brazil's Environmental Protection Agency (Ibama), which, along with other agencies, is responsible for determining what to do with the waste. And he says even if the authorities were certain that there were no more bodies in the mud, it would not necessarily be cleared in its entirety. "In some areas it is best to plant over the land to restore it to its original use, whether it be agriculture or forest," Mr Amparo says. Miguel Felippe, a professor of geoscience at the Federal University of Juiz de Fora, disagrees. Although it is not yet clear if the mud in Brumadinho is toxic, he says some environmental damage is to be expected. "This debris is very likely to contain harmful chemical substances," he says. "Even if there are no traces of heavy metals, which are the most worrisome, like arsenic, there are others which are sure to be there and will float downstream, as the mud has already reached a river, so, environmentally speaking, it would be best to remove the material." Vale says an analysis is under way and the results are expected within the next two weeks but it is too soon to say for sure that the mud is toxic. The mine waste, known as tailings, may contain traces of nickel, magnesium, cadmium, iron oxide, ammonia, silica, silt, clay, mercury and arsenic, says Bráulio Magalhães Fonseca, a geologist at the Federal University of Minas Gerais. And experts say the level of toxicity will depend on the concentration of each substance. Roger Doome, director general of the Industrial Minerals Association Europe, in Brussels, says that implementing an appropriate clean-up response depends on assessing the specific type of contamination. If that can't be removed, it needs to be neutralised, he says. "And if the elements are flowing down the river, it is almost impossible [to avoid contamination]." Different cleaning techniques will need to be applied to different types of mud. Prof Felippe says the top layer of mud could be removed through dredging or using excavators. "As you get closer to the soil, more sophisticated technology is required because heavy machinery may damage the soil, exposing it to erosive processes," he says. Brazil went through a similar tragedy in 2015, in what was considered to be the country's worst environmental disaster. A dam burst in the nearby town of Mariana, also owned by Vale, in partnership with BHP Billiton, releasing 43.7 million cubic meters of mining waste and killing 19 people. Most of that waste - about 90%, according to the environment agency - was never removed. That disaster led to a public campaign to introduce tough legislation on the mining industry. But campaigners were disappointed by the regulations eventually passed, saying they failed to address their demands for stricter safety measures. They had also called for a ban on the type of dam involved in the Brumadinho disaster. Mr Doome recalls two accidents he says set a precedent for how the mining industry in Europe responds to accidents where dangerous substances are involved. In April 1998, a dam burst in Aznalcóllar, Spain, releasing almost seven million cubic meters of mine tailings. The acidic mud and water were tainted with heavy metals and travelled for over 40km (25 miles) down the Guadiamar river, contaminating 4,500 hectares (17 sq miles) of land on the Doñana National Park, a Unesco world heritage site. The clean-up operation took over three years and cost 240m euros (£210m), according to Spanish newspaper El Pais. In 2000, tragedy hit the Romanian town of Baia Mare. A dam partially collapsed, releasing about 100,000 cubic metres of water contaminated with cyanide. The water ran down streams towards the Tisza river, reaching the Danube and the Black Sea. "Since those tragedies, we have adapted European legislation so that now we have a strict action plan and legal requirements," Mr Doome says. "For instance, if we assess that there is a minor risk [of spilling], by law we have the obligation to provide an emergency plan, internal and external. "The plan must be ready and in place even before the mine starts operating." The Brumadinho dam had passed safety inspections. Five people involved in the inspections have been arrested as part of an investigation to find out whether the process was fraudulent. | null | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-47061559 | 2019-02-01 00:47:43+00:00 | 1,549,000,063 | 1,567,549,964 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
25,384 | bbc--2019-04-06--How can Boeing regain trust | 2019-04-06T00:00:00 | bbc | How can Boeing regain trust? | Boeing's boss has admitted that a failure in its 737 Max jet's anti-stall system, MCAS, was a factor in last month's Ethiopian Airlines crash. That disaster, and a Lion Air 737 Max crash in Indonesia five months ago, left a total of 346 dead. Boeing is working on changes to the MCAS system to restore trust. However, apart from talk of cancelled orders from some carriers, airlines have, so far, stuck with the plane and 5,000 orders remain on Boeing's books. We spoke to three analysts to see whether they thought the aviation giant can reassure customers, both airlines and passengers, that its plane is safe. I think you have here the fundamentals of the "rolling unravelling" of a strong Boeing brand. Boeing's strength was built up over decades, but it meant many made the mistake of regarding the first incident [Lion Air] as a "one-off". When it became "two-off" on a fleet of just over 350 aircraft, which were also a new variant and a 4th generation design of an aircraft that had design roots in the 1960s, the alarm bells sounded. Boeing has several groups it needs to convince. Global regulatory authorities used to accept the US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) certification, but it is now unlikely to be waved through with the same trust bearing in mind the FAA was so behind the rest in grounding the aircraft. Boeing will have to deal with at least four separate regulatory authorities as it seeks to return the aircraft to service safely. Airline customers are unlikely as yet to cancel current orders - although at the very least the market for Max aircraft is likely to soften for a while. There's a further cost to consider, as carriers awaiting aircraft and having to put emergency plans in place are going to seek financial compensation. Then there are the human elements. The pilots and crew understand far more of the deep technical issues and will be understandably vociferous about the absolute integrity of the revised hardware, software and procedures. In the light of the evidence to date, they are likely to be very critical and need significant reassurance and explanation. While many passengers probably do not recognise their aircraft type, events like this inevitably get people talking. Any further incidents, even if slightly related to these issues, would be utterly disastrous for public opinion and really shake trust in aviation safety. But in the long term, given there are more than 14,000 single-aisle aircraft in service globally and half of these are Boeings, it is hard to see a scenario where the Max is not returned safely to service and in the long run accepted by the travelling public as a safe aircraft. Compensation is going to be significant factor, and the sums involved are likely to be eye watering. Boeing has a big reputational challenge, although to put it in context the company is well over 100 years old and is one of only two big suppliers [with Airbus] known for producing safe and dependable aircraft. It has to restore the trust of airline customers and the public but I think its customers will still be confident that safety can be restored. It is actually difficult to cancel an order, there are cost penalties and there are only two companies in this market. Airlines build their fleets around one brand of plane, it makes sense in terms of parts supplies and the specialist training for engineers and pilots. Not only that, both Airbus and Boeing have packed order books, so switching to the other company just delays delivery of the new planes. For the passengers? We're emotional beings. I've had friends around me asking whether I'll be flying on a Max. Mostly people simply don't know what they're flying on and don't really care. When I ask people 'what did you fly on?' - most don't even know if it's an Airbus or a Boeing. This though will sharpen people's attention, for the short term at least. These incidents do fade from the memory. Back in the 1970s there was an aircraft, the McDonnell Douglas DC10 which had a couple of unrelated bad accidents. However, that plane went on to have a safe and reliable career. The other constituents that need reassurance are pilots, after all, they're the ones with the responsibility for safety in their hands. So Boeing has to go out with clear messages of explanation and assurance. Marc Szepan, lecturer in international business at the University of Oxford Saïd Business School and former aviation executive There is an old saying in the aviation industry that illustrates how airlines tend to look at aircraft and engine manufacturers: "You sell (engine) thrust, we buy trust!" Throughout Boeing's history there has been a strong commitment to safety. In the spirit of this tradition, Boeing - in co-operation with regulatory authorities and the airline community - should focus on identifying the root cause or causes of the recent 737 Max accidents and then put in place well tested substantial solutions rather than premature "symbolic" band-aids. Boeing needs to be aware of the disconnect between the speed of modern day social media-driven news cycles on the one hand and the significant time a thorough root-cause analysis requires on the other. So it is important for Boeing to communicate candidly and honestly - and empathetically - both with airlines and passengers as the accident investigation and product improvement process moves along. The video statement by Boeing's chief executive is a good step in that direction. | null | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-47824683 | 2019-04-06 23:57:48+00:00 | 1,554,609,468 | 1,567,543,764 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
30,203 | bbc--2019-08-27--Tropical Storm Dorian Puerto Rico braces for possible hurricane | 2019-08-27T00:00:00 | bbc | Tropical Storm Dorian: Puerto Rico braces for possible hurricane | The US territory of Puerto Rico has declared a state of emergency as it braces for a tropical storm churning through the Caribbean. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has issued hurricane watch and tropical storm warnings for Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Warnings are in place for the islands of Martinique, Saba and St Eustatius. Forecasters expect Tropical Storm Dorian to develop into a hurricane in the next 24 hours. By Tuesday morning, the storm was 96km (60 miles) north-west of the island of St Lucia, with maximum sustained winds of 50mph (85km/h), according to the NHC. In Puerto Rico, a territory still recovering from the devastation wrought by Hurricane Maria in 2017, there are fears of power cuts and damage from strong winds. Up to 15cm (6in) of rain could fall in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, where swells along coastlines could cause "life-threatening surf and rip current conditions", forecasters have said. The governor of Puerto Rico, Wanda Vázquez Garced, who declared the state of emergency for the US territory on Monday, has called on its more than three million citizens to prepare. "I urge citizens to activate their emergency plan with caution and peace of mind," Ms Vázquez said on Twitter. About 360 shelters would be open across the island, the governor said. "Wow! Yet another big storm heading to Puerto Rico," President Donald Trump said in a tweet on Tuesday. "Will it ever end?" The storm is expected to pass south-west of Puerto Rico and eastern Hispaniola, possibly as a Category 1 hurricane, on Wednesday night. "Slow strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours, and Dorian is forecast to be near hurricane strength when it moves close to Puerto Rico and eastern Hispaniola," the NHC said. On Thursday, Dorian is forecast to make landfall in the Dominican Republic, before moving past the Turks and Caicos and south-eastern Bahamas on Friday. According to the NHC's latest projections, the storm could make landfall in the US state of Florida late on Friday night or early Saturday morning. Tropical storm warnings have been lifted for St Vincent and the Grenadines. Puerto Rico is still vulnerable after Hurricane Maria ravaged the island in September 2017, killing an estimated 2,975 people and causing a humanitarian crisis. A report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) suggested Maria had caused $90bn (£73bn) of damage in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. Since Maria hit, Puerto Rico has struggled to repair its infrastructure and power grid, with Mr Trump signing a $19bn disaster relief bill for the island. Ahead of Storm Dorian, Puerto Ricans have been alert to the dangers, stocking up on water, food and generators in preparation. Zaida Garcia, a resident on the island, told ABC News that "everybody's going bananas" as the storm approaches. "We can't afford another one, I'm telling you. We can't afford another one," she said. In a statement, the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) said, although Dorian is less severe than Maria, it could still "have a significant impact". | null | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-49486154 | 2019-08-27 20:56:36+00:00 | 1,566,953,796 | 1,567,543,661 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
42,163 | bbcuk--2019-07-29--Newspaper headlines PM bid to bolster Union and factory jobs at risk | 2019-07-29T00:00:00 | bbcuk | Newspaper headlines: PM bid to bolster Union and factory jobs at risk | Many of the papers focus on the work being done to prepare for a no-deal Brexit. The Daily Express tells how Boris Johnson has put the government on full alert, ordering daily emergency planning summits. The Daily Telegraph says there will be three new committees to accelerate preparations. And the Times reports Mr Johnson briefed cabinet yesterday on a stripped-down Whitehall structure under which Michael Gove would take day-to-day control. The HuffPost UK website says the prime minister is understood to want to improve on the way previous committees operated, because he believed they did not move fast enough. Mr Johnson is set to give European leaders the cold shoulder, according to the Daily Mail, as he ramps up preparations. A senior government source tells the paper he has no plans to visit European capitals in the hope of reopening talks. How much of what is happening is a concerted attempt to get the country ready for leaving without a deal or merely posturing to show Brussels that the UK is serious about doing this remains to be seen, suggests the i. The Guardian focuses on a report from a think-tank, the Institute for Government, which predicts Mr Johnson's domestic agenda will be crushed by the pressing needs of the emergency that would follow a no-deal Brexit. The i highlights another aspect of the report - that a disorderly Brexit would place unprecedented pressure on the Union. Get news from the BBC in your inbox, each weekday morning As Mr Johnson prepares to visit Scotland, several papers look at what the PoliticsHome website calls the tense relationship between him and the leader of the Scottish Conservatives, Ruth Davidson. The Scotsman suggests the visit threatens to be overshadowed by a major clash, after she said she could not back leaving the EU without a deal. The Times thinks Mr Johnson's encounter with Ms Davidson is likely to be bruising. But, the paper adds, the prime minister's team have offered to take soundings on policies which will "push Scotland". And the Scottish Daily Mail predicts Mr Johnson will fly into a political storm, saying they will meet this afternoon to "clear the air". The Financial Times highlights a warning from the finance secretary in Hong Kong that the mass demonstrations there over the past two months are taking their toll on the economy. Meanwhile the Telegraph feels the Chinese state will find the democratic imperative hard to quell in Hong Kong just as President Putin will in Russia. The Times argues the mass arrest of Russian protestors on Saturday is no long-term guarantee of political stability. The prime minister's creation of the first government office to care for veterans of the armed forces is a step in the right direction, the Sun says. Mr Johnson has appointed the former Army officer, Johnny Mercer, as Veterans' Minister. There are many photos of 15-year-old Jaden Ashman, who has won nearly £1m after coming second with his team-mate in the first World Cup of the computer game, Fortnite. The Mail tells how his mother - like many others - had often despaired of her son's obsession with computer games. Desperate to make him concentrate on his homework instead of staring at a screen, she at one point threw out his games console and snapped his headset. The Daily Mirror wonders how - after his big win - his mum is ever going to get him to do his homework now. | null | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-49147353 | 2019-07-29 04:24:40+00:00 | 1,564,388,680 | 1,567,535,477 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
42,343 | bbcuk--2019-08-02--Whaley Bridge How safe are Britains dams | 2019-08-02T00:00:00 | bbcuk | Whaley Bridge: How safe are Britain's dams? | Hundreds of people have been evacuated from the Derbyshire town of Whaley Bridge after part of a dam collapsed. So what has happened at Toddbrook Reservoir, and how safe are Britain's dams? Toddbrook Reservoir has a type of dam known as an earth dam. Richard Coackley, former president of the Institution of Civil Engineers, said the structures, also referred to as earthfill or embankment dams, feature: Heavy rainfall caused water levels in the reservoir to rise and start flowing over the auxiliary - or emergency - spillway. The structure failed and was partly eroded away by water flowing over it. Alan Warren, chairman of the British Dam Society, said the cause was unclear. "We don't know whether the concrete was inadequate or whether there was some problem underneath those concrete slabs which means the slabs fell into a void that had been forming underneath," he said. "Maybe the joints in the slabs weren't properly sealed, and water was getting in through the joints." Mr Coackley said photos suggested that water had washed away soil beneath the slabs but the clay core was still intact. "That's why the dam is still secure there at this stage," he said. There are about 2,000 dams in England and Wales and about 800 in Scotland, according to Mr Coackley. They have various owners and serve a range of purposes, he said. "Water companies providing drinking water are major ones, then there are reservoirs providing water supplies to the original canal system. "There are other dams just for fishing and there are other dams just for sailing and water sports. Other dams are to provide water for agriculture." Toddbrook's dam was built in the 1830s to create the reservoir, providing hydraulic power and water for the canal system. It still provides that water and is owned by the Canal and River Trust. Mr Coackley said Toddbrook helped to create wealth for Whaley Bridge before goods could be transported by road, and was still important for tourism and the local economy. All UK reservoirs with a capacity above 25,000 cubic metres must comply with the Reservoirs Act. Every dam must have a supervising civil engineer and an inspecting civil engineer to file annual safety reports to Defra, Mr Coackley said. "That's part of an Act of Parliament that goes back 100 years." The Canal and River Trust said the annual inspection of Toddbrook Reservoir in November was "absolutely fine". This coincided with an independent inspection taking place every 10 years, and this was fine, too. "Our engineers also inspect the reservoir twice-weekly and this is how we picked up the problem," said a spokeswoman. Not very often. Mr Coackley said failures were "very unusual indeed". Prof Nigel Wright, a civil engineer and expert in flood risk management, said the last such evacuation in the UK was in 2007, when cracks appeared in the dam at Ulley Reservoir, near Rotherham, following heavy rain. A new spillway was later built to replace the original which collapsed during the floods. "Since that, the government has insisted that a lot of dams have been reanalysed to check what the danger is and come up with plans for evacuation if necessary," said Prof Wright, of Nottingham Trent University. The last time anyone died due to a dam disaster in the UK was in 1925, when two dams burst, killing 16 people in the north Wales village of Dolgarrog. That led to improved construction requirements under the Reservoirs Act, introduced in 1930 and updated in 1975. The UK's worst-ever dam disaster was the Great Sheffield Flood of 1864, which claimed at least 240 lives. Elsewhere in the world, dam disasters still lead to major loss of life. In January, 300 people died in a mudslide after a dam collapsed near Brumadinho in Brazil. Mr Warren, of the British Dam Society, said the Whaley Bridge incident was similar to one at Oroville in California in 2017. "A spillway was damaged, then the auxiliary spillway came into operation and there was erosion on the auxiliary spillway which meant they had to evacuate people downstream," he said. While the failure of a dam could potentially kill hundreds or thousands of people, Mr Coackley said regular checks and maintenance, together with emergency plans, should prevent this. "There are lots of people living below these dams and they are as safe as you can get," he said. "It's not a disaster yet. Everything has gone according to plan with the Environment Agency and the emergency services all working with the inspecting engineer on what will be a pre-arranged plan. "Every reservoir and dam has one of these plans in case of an emergency." Prof Wright said the evacuation was a precaution, but the right thing to do. "There's always a chance that you will move people and then nothing will happen, but that's much better than not moving them and then something happens," he said. Mr Coackley said engineers elsewhere would be looking at the implications of Toddbrook. "There will be more checks. Dam engineers will be noting what's going on," he said. "It's really important as an engineer to analyse why this has happened and make sure all of the other dams are safe". | null | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-49196766 | 2019-08-02 23:44:44+00:00 | 1,564,803,884 | 1,567,535,044 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
44,634 | bbcuk--2019-11-05--Grenfell Tower: Jacob Rees-Mogg criticised for 'insulting' comments | 2019-11-05T00:00:00 | bbcuk | Grenfell Tower: Jacob Rees-Mogg criticised for 'insulting' comments | Jacob Rees-Mogg has been criticised for saying it would have been "common sense" to flee the Grenfell Tower fire, ignoring fire brigade advice. The Leader of the House of Commons was appearing on a radio phone-in on the findings of a Grenfell inquiry report when he made the comments. The Grenfell United group called the MP's comments "insulting". Mr Rees-Mogg said he "profoundly apologised". Seventy-two people died in a fire at the tower block on 14 June 2017. Speaking on LBC's Nick Ferrari Show on Monday, Mr Rees-Mogg said: "The more one's read over the weekend about the report and about the chances of people surviving, if you just ignore what you're told and leave you are so much safer. "And I think if either of us were in a fire, whatever the fire brigade said, we would leave the burning building. It just seems the common sense thing to do. "And it is such a tragedy that that didn't happen." Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn called on Mr Rees-Mogg to "apologise for these crass and insensitive comments immediately". Mr Rees-Mogg said on Tuesday: "What I meant to say is that I would have also listened to the fire brigade's advice to stay and wait at the time. "However, with what we know now and with hindsight I wouldn't and I don't think anyone else would. I would hate to upset the people of Grenfell if I was unclear in my comments." But in a statement, survivors' group Grenfell United said: "The Leader of the House of Commons suggesting that the 72 people who lost their lives at Grenfell lacked common sense is beyond disrespectful. "It is extremely painful and insulting to bereaved families." Grenfell inquiry chairman Sir Martin Moore-Bick said fewer people would have died if the London Fire Brigade (LFB) had taken certain actions earlier. Sir Martin criticised the LFB for following a "stay put" strategy, where firefighters and 999 operators told residents to stay in their flats for nearly two hours after the blaze broke out. The advice is designed to prevent hundreds of people descending stairs while firefighters are coming up during a contained fire. As flames spread around Grenfell's external cladding, the advice may have prevented some families escaping, the report found. LFB Commissioner Dany Cotton told the London Assembly on Tuesday that the brigade would respond differently to a Grenfell-like fire in the future. She told the fire resilience and emergency planning committee: "Knowing what we know now about Grenfell Tower and similar buildings with ACM cladding, our response would be very different." | null | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-50302573 | Tue, 05 Nov 2019 12:12:22 GMT | 1,572,973,942 | 1,572,960,103 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
49,832 | bipartisanreport--2019-02-19--16 States Announce Monday Night Plan To Stop Trumps Phony Emergency Declaration | 2019-02-19T00:00:00 | bipartisanreport | 16 States Announce Monday Night Plan To Stop Trump’s Phony Emergency Declaration | On Friday, Mr.Trump declared a national emergency in hopes of obtaining funding for a wall along the border of the U.S. and Mexico, but there are still some big challenges ahead before the project could actually become a reality. As of Monday, 16 states have come together to challenge Trump’s emergency declaration in court. According to The New York Times: ‘The lawsuit is part of a constitutional confrontation that Mr. Trump set off on Friday when he declared that he would spend billions of dollars more on border barriers than Congress had granted him. The clash raises questions over congressional control of spending, the scope of emergency powers granted to the president, and how far the courts are willing to go to settle such a dispute.’ The suit was filed in federal district court in San Francisco, and argues that the president does not have the power to divert funds for constructing a wall along the Mexican border because it is Congress that controls spending. The attorney general of California, Xavier Becerra, pointed out that Mr. Trump even said in his own words that the situation was not an emergency. According to The Times: Congress may also challenge the president’s declaration as well, and have several options for doing so. One would be for the House of Representatives to bring a lawsuit of its own. Congress could also override Trump’s emergency declaration, but it is doubtful that they would have the votes to override Trump’s likely veto. So, it would seem that court is a better option given the probable outcome. The states joining the lawsuit include California, New York, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon and Virginia. Maryland is the only state challenging the declaration that has a Republican governor, and most of the other state legislatures are controlled by Democrats. Mr. Trump’s words – “I didn’t need to do this” – could come to haunt him though as they are most likely words that will be used in court in the coming days. Trump’s emergency plan to build the wall would take $600 million from the Treasury Department, $2.5 billion from the Department of Defense’s drug interdiction program and $3.5 billion from military construction funds. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said in a statement: Here’s what Twitter had to say: | Melanie Davidson | https://bipartisanreport.com/2019/02/18/16-states-announce-monday-night-plan-to-stop-trumps-phony-emergency-declaration/ | 2019-02-19 02:33:09+00:00 | 1,550,561,589 | 1,567,547,989 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
56,009 | birminghammail--2019-02-03--Queen would be evacuated from London if a No Deal Brexit caused riots | 2019-02-03T00:00:00 | birminghammail | Queen 'would be evacuated from London' if a No Deal Brexit caused riots | Plans are reportedly being drawn up to evacuate the Queen from London in the event of riots caused by a No Deal Brexit. Her Majesty, the Duke of Edinburgh and other senior royals would be moved out of the palace and sent to a secret location, according to reports. The arrangement was originally devised to be put into action in the event of a nuclear attack from the Soviet Union - and they're being dusted off again as the chances of the UK leaving the EU without a deal edge closer. Experts, business groups and MPs have warned of the potential widespread disruption if no agreement is reached by the end of March, with civil unrest, food and medicine shortages and gridlock touted as possible outcomes of a No Deal Brexit. Whitehall contingency planners have included evacuations among their 'worst case' scenarios, the Mail on Sunday has reported. Officials in the Civil Contingencies Secretariat, the Government department responsible for emergency planning, have ‘repurposed’ a secret operation under which the Royals could have been accommodated in various country houses to protect them from enemy forces during the Cold War. But the revival of the plan has been ridiculed by leading Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg, who described it as a ‘wartime fantasy’ dreamt up by mandarins who had watched too many news clips of helicopters landing on the US Embassy roof in Saigon – now Ho Chi Minh City – at the end of the Vietnam War. He said: "The over-excited officials who have dreamt up this nonsense are clearly more students of fantasy than of history. The Monarch’s place is always in the capital, as the late Queen Mother, wife of George VI, made very clear during the Blitz." A source in the Secretariat said that the most extreme No Deal crisis scenario envisaged riots breaking out in London as shops ran short of staple foods. Neither Buckingham Palace nor Downing Street would comment yesterday, citing security concerns, but a senior Government source insisted: "It is not project fear. There are dozens of contingency planners whose job is to envisage every possible eventuality. "They would be negligent if they didn’t include the Royals in that, however far-fetched the scenario might seem." Businesses are also making plans for the UK crashing out of the European Union without a deal, with some starting to stockpile products. Unilever revealed last week it was stockpiling ice creams because it makes some of Britain's favourite treats in Italy and Germany. It's building up a few weeks of extra stock on this side of the English Channel in case there are any border delays. WHSmith is stockpiling stationary and Pets at Home is stockpiling up to eight million pounds worth of pet food, just incase. | Katie Brooks | https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/uk-news/queen-would-evacuated-london-no-15773340 | 2019-02-03 11:09:39+00:00 | 1,549,210,179 | 1,567,549,740 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
63,307 | birminghammail--2019-06-20--Bon Jovi at Ricoh Arena - motorists warned of M6 and Coventry traffic chaos | 2019-06-20T00:00:00 | birminghammail | Bon Jovi at Ricoh Arena - motorists warned of M6 and Coventry traffic chaos | Motorists are being warned of traffic chaos on the M6 and in parts of Coventry as rock superstars Bon Jovi head to the city this weekend. The rockers play at Ricoh Arena on Sunday, June 23. Fans have been urged to allow extra time for their journey. Traffic is expected to be very heavy on Sunday around Ricoh Arena, which has a capacity of 40,000, as people head to and from the show. Extra patrols will be carried out by Highways England traffic officers along the M6 and in the area to keep traffic moving and deal with any unexpected incidents. Highways England is also advising drivers to find alternative routes and avoid the area if not attending the concert. Bon Jovi will conclude the British leg of their This House is Not for Sale tour at Ricoh where they previously played in 2006 and 2008. Support comes from Welsh rockers Manic Street Preachers. Stadium doors open at 5pm with the show due to finish around 10.30pm. Before and after both those times is expected to be busy on the motorway and roads near the arena. Note that officials do not allow cars parked at the venue to leave for up to an hour afterwards, so that those on foot can safely get off the site. Highways England Emergency Planning Officer Frank Bird said: "We are expecting the M6 to be very busy on Sunday afternoon, particularly around junction 3 which is close to the arena. "We would advise anyone going to the concert to allow extra time for travelling and to aim to get there shortly after the gates open rather than risk missing any of the show. "Local traffic should avoid the area if possible on Sunday afternoon and after 10.30pm. "Our traffic officers will be working throughout the night to help ease traffic flow and keep people moving." Highways England provides live traffic information via its website and on Twitter @HighwaysWMIDS BirminghamLive will bring you news of any severe delays or incidents. Join our West Midlands Traffic and Travel page . | [email protected] (David Bentley) | https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/music-nightlife-news/bon-jovi-ricoh-arena-motorists-16462863 | 2019-06-20 17:58:53+00:00 | 1,561,067,933 | 1,567,538,512 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
112,617 | cnsnews--2019-05-15--Foreign Ops Funding Bill Includes Measures Targeting Trumps Policy of Protecting Life | 2019-05-15T00:00:00 | cnsnews | Foreign Ops Funding Bill Includes Measures Targeting Trump’s ‘Policy of Protecting Life’ | (CNSNews.com) – The Appropriations Committee in the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives on Thursday will consider a draft bill on foreign affairs and aid funding – including contributions to the United Nations – that provides $13.7 billion more than President Trump’s fiscal year 2020 budget request. The $56.4 billion bill, which was approved last week by the Appropriations subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, represents a 32-percent increase over the president’s FY2020 request of $42.7 billion. That includes an 87.3 percent increase in the amount he requested for contributions for peacekeeping missions – $2.128 billion compared to the requested $1.136 billion. Beyond the numbers, the funding bill also contains several specific measures opposed by Republicans, relating to issues such as abortion around the world and U.N. global warming initiatives. Earlier, a Republican committee member warned that unless partisan measures targeting “the president’s policy of protecting life” were removed, the bill stood no chance of passing. Significantly, the bill includes legislation called the Global Health Empowerment and Rights (HER) Act, which seeks to permanently repeal the Mexico City Policy. The Reagan-era measure, recently strengthened by the Trump administration, targets funding for non-governmental organizations that promote or perform abortions abroad, as well as funding for NGOs that give money to other NGOs that promote or perform abortions. The Global HER Act, introduced by Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) last February, has 171 co-sponsors, all Democrats. The Senate version, introduced by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), has 46 co-sponsors, including Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Susan Collins (Me.) Lowey chairs both the Appropriations State and Foreign Operations subcommittee and the full committee, and will be presiding over Thursday’s mark-up. The draft funding bill also provides for $55.5 million for the U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA), which Trump defunded in 2017 over reported links to China’s coercive birth-limitation policies. Another provision expected to draw GOP opposition is the removal of a prohibition of U.S. funding for the Green Climate Fund, a major U.N. global warming initiative which Trump also defunded in 2017. The bill furthermore prohibits the use of funds to withdraw from the 2015 Paris climate agreement. (The administration last August lodged formal notification that the U.S. was pulling out of the accord, although the actual withdrawal process takes at least three years.) When the subcommittee considered the bill last week, Lowey said the legislation “rejects the administration’s unacceptable, irresponsible fiscal year 2020 requests and reaffirms strong support for reproductive health, climate change, and multilateral assistance.” Committee member Rep. Lois Frankel (D-Fla.) praised provisions which, she said, reverse the administration’s “brutal attack on women’s reproductive health and rights.” Ranking member Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) praised some elements – such as support for U.S. allies in the Middle East, and for embassy security – but said it was “a shame that these types of programs are undermined by partisan policy riders that will end any hope of support for this bill from both sides of the aisle.” “The sweeping measures included in the bill to overturn the president’s policy of protecting life and global health go well beyond what was done previously,” he said. “Unless these provisions are taken out of the bill, Madame Chair, it has no hope of becoming law.” Rogers also questioned the wisdom or putting forward a bill with topline numbers that would not win the support of the House and Senate, or the administration. Among other things, the bill adds funding to USAID ($1.690 billion), the Peace Corps ($425 million), and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief or PEPFAR ($5.93 billion). The PEPFAR funding includes $1.56 billion for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and reiterates a longstanding U.S. commitment to continue to provide 33 percent of the fund’s budget. The administration’s proposed budget sought to reduce that commitment to 25 percent. When the administration presented its State and Foreign Operations budget request in March, Democratic leaders were quick to label it “dead on arrival” in Congress. Doug Pitkin, director of the State Department’s Bureau of Budget and Planning, told reporters at the time that the proposed budget includes reductions in programs which the administration “believes are either a lower priority or perhaps are not the best use of taxpayer dollars.” He said the administration was continuing to ask for smaller amounts for contributions to international organizations than Congress has approved, “as an effort to try to drive greater burden-sharing among those organizations.” The Better World Campaign (BWC), a group that “works to foster a strong relationship between the U.S. and the U.N.,” was critical of the budget proposal, and is praising the draft bill. “This legislation embraces the principle that the United States cannot go it alone in stamping out extremism or eradicating disease – we need the UN as our partner,” said BWC president Peter Yeo. “Elections have consequences,” commented U.N. Dispatch managing editor Mark Leon Goldberg, whose site is sponsored by the United Nations Foundation. “This was the first budget drafted by the State and Foreign Operations subcommittee in which Democrats held the majority and the result was increased funding for the United Nations.” | Patrick Goodenough | https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/patrick-goodenough/foreign-ops-funding-bill-includes-measures-targeting-trumps-policy | 2019-05-15 08:23:31+00:00 | 1,557,923,011 | 1,567,540,559 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
117,218 | conservativehome--2019-01-27--Newslinks for Sunday 27th January 2019 | 2019-01-27T00:00:00 | conservativehome | Newslinks for Sunday 27th January 2019 | >Today: ToryDiary: If May wants a revised plan to pass the Commons, she must take the lead herself ‘Others appear to have changed their mind, and now want a second referendum so as to stop Brexit altogether. They should say so openly. Passing clever legislation so as to delay the date of leaving won’t rule out no-deal: it will merely postpone the problem. In fact it will make the situation worse. Delaying our departure will prolong uncertainty. It will break the promise we made. It will provoke an angry response from many voters who already believe that politicians are trying to frustrate their will. And it will lessen the pressure on the EU to make concessions. Brussels needs to know that if they move to address concerns about the backstop the deal will go through… I led the ‘Conservatives In’ campaign, but I immediately accepted the result of the referendum, believing that it should be honoured. If I can compromise, voting for a withdrawal deal I would not have chosen, so can Brexiteers, who currently risk losing Brexit altogether. And so can MPs who voted for the referendum, who claimed they would respect the result.’ – Nick Herbert, Sunday Telegraph >Today: Richard Kemp and Lee Rotherham on Comment: The backstop’s not the only danger in May’s deal. Its defence plans will undermine NATO. ‘Thousands of British companies have already triggered emergency plans to cope with a no-deal Brexit, with many gearing up to move operations abroad if the UK crashes out of the EU, according to the British Chambers of Commerce. Before a crucial week in parliament, in which MPs will try to wrest control from Theresa May’s government in order to delay Brexit and avoid a no-deal outcome, the BCC said it believed companies that had already gone ahead with their plans represented the “tip of the iceberg” and that many of its 75,000 members were already spending vital funds to prepare for a disorderly exit. It said that in recent days alone, it had been told that 35 firms had activated plans to move operations out of the UK, or were stockpiling goods to combat the worst effects of Brexit. Matt Griffith, director of policy at the BCC’s west of England branch, said that many more companies had acted to protect themselves since May’s Brexit deal was decisively rejected by MPs in the Commons.’ – The Observer ‘Thirty families have accused technology giants of abetting their children’s suicides in the wake of the death of 14-year-old Molly Russell, as the health secretary told social media sites to take responsibility for their effect on young lives. In an interview with The Sunday Times, Molly’s father, Ian, criticised the online scrapbook site Pinterest, as well as Instagram, for hosting disturbing content that he believes played a part in his daughter’s death. “The more I looked [into Molly’s online accounts], the more there was that chill horror that I was getting a glimpse into something that had such profound effects on my lovely daughter,” he said. “Pinterest has a huge amount to answer for.”’ – Sunday Times ‘Jeremy Corbyn and Diane Abbott were last night accused of putting their ‘loony Left’ politics before the victims of paedophilia. The attack came after Labour’s Home Affairs team, led by Ms Abbott, put down a ‘wrecking amendment’ to a new child protection law, which is due to be debated by MPs on Wednesday. The Crime (Overseas Production Orders) Bill would pave the way for the UK to be able to directly order American tech giants such as Google and Facebook to hand over data needed to convict British paedophiles within days. But it requires a new international treaty with the United States as more than 90 per cent of online child abuse in the UK is linked to US-based software firms. Currently, UK law enforcement officials have to apply to the US Department of Justice to get data held in America, but this process can take two years – allowing paedophiles to continue their abuse. However, Labour is demanding that Britain write in special assurances to the new accord that no data we may theoretically share in return could ever be used to sentence a criminal to death. Washington has warned the Home Office that any attempt to ‘attach strings’ to the treaty would kill it dead.’ – Mail on Sunday ‘Donald Trump signed a bill on Friday to reopen the government for three weeks, ending the longest shutdown in US history without any funding for his proposed border wall. The 35-day shutdown has seen 800,000 government workers being sent home or working without pay since before Christmas. Mr Trump agreed to the three-week re-opening of government departments and to leave the issue of wall funding to future negotiations. The decision came as government workers faced increasing hardship, many missing mortgage and car payments, airports suffered chaos, and the head of the FBI lambasted the shutdown. Speaking in the rose garden at the White House, Mr Trump said: “I’m proud to announce we have reached a deal to reopen the federal government.”‘ – Sunday Telegraph >Yesterday: Book Review: Sanders is a refreshing change from the careerists who infest American as well as British politics. | Conservative Home | https://www.conservativehome.com/frontpage/2019/01/newslinks-for-sunday-27th-january-2019.html | 2019-01-27 09:46:01+00:00 | 1,548,600,361 | 1,567,550,647 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
117,935 | conservativehome--2019-04-02--Newslinks for Tuesday 2nd April 2019 | 2019-04-02T00:00:00 | conservativehome | Newslinks for Tuesday 2nd April 2019 | >Yesterday: MPsETC: Indicative Votes. Bercow selects four motions. All back either a Softer Brexit, a second referendum – or No Brexit at all. “The Cabinet, like the Tory Party, is increasingly split between those who want a no deal Brexit and those who want a customs union, with both factions holding meetings yesterday to cement support for their positions. Mrs May is under immense pressure from both wings of the party to make a choice, but has been warned that ministerial resignations will be “unavoidable” if she picks either no deal or a customs union. Yesterday Jeremy Hunt became the latest minister to back a no deal Brexit, meaning no deal is now favoured by 14 out of 27 members of the Cabinet. The Conservatives promised in their general election manifesto that Britain would leave the customs union – a promise that Mrs May has repeated countless times since. However, 10 Cabinet ministers now prefer a customs union to no deal, with three undecided.” – Daily Telegraph >Today: Dominic Walsh: What a customs union does and doesn’t do – and how it compares to the backstop. >Yesterday: WATCH: Boles quits – “I can no longer sit for this Party” “Richard Drax, another Tory who backed Mrs May’s deal last week, said it had been “a mistake” to do so, as other Brexiteers also hinted they might reverse their decision to back the deal. If Mrs May does not think she can win a fourth “meaningful vote” this week she will have to switch to a plan B, which will be discussed at Cabinet on Tuesday.” – Daily Telegraph >Yesterday: WATCH: “I made the wrong call on Friday.” Drax apologises for not voting against May’s deal. “Ministers kick-started plans to hold European elections in May – with MPs poised to force through a lengthy delay to Brexit this week. De-facto deputy PM David Lidington gave councils the green light to start preparations for holding the elections on May 23rd as a “contingency” measure. Britain will have to take part in the European Parliament elections if it is still a member of the EU. The UK Government has to decide whether to take part in the elections by the end of next week.” – The Sun “Berlin has announced emergency plans to allow all Brits living in the country to stay even if there’s a no deal Brexit. Germany’s interior ministry has called on regional authorities to guarantee the rights of 100,000 expats and their families. Officials have asked local parliaments to provide immigration services with the “necessary resources” to process Brits’ applications. Their advice includes setting up new hotlines that UK citizens can call to ask for advice on how to gain permanent residency.” – The Sun “Dozens more Tory MPs who backed Remain at the EU referendum and now oppose a no-deal Brexit are being targeted as part of a campaign backed by Leave.EU, the organisation funded by the businessman Arron Banks. Senior Tories including Sir Oliver Letwin, Nicky Morgan, George Freeman, Sam Gyimah and Antoinette Sandbach are pictured on its website under the headline “Deselect the Tory traitors”, along with detailed instructions on how to organise a local coup and links to the registration page on the party website. Many MPs have noticed a sudden influx of new members with hardline Eurosceptic views in recent months. One former minister says the hard Brexiteers are engaged in “guerrilla warfare” to purge the moderates.” – Rachel Sylvester, The Times “The internal situation in the Conservative Party is much worse than it was in 1997. The ruin I moved in to as the new leader was, at least, intact. We had many differences, but we resolved them without talk of leaving altogether, opposing our own party on a vote of confidence, or deselecting tranches of MPs. We all joined together in the long task of rebuilding. By contrast, some of today’s leadership candidates may find themselves sitting in a small ruin on their own.” – Daily Telegraph >Yesterday: Columnist Howard Flight: We need a new leader with the vision, commitment and bravery of a Thatcher “The register should in no way be seen as anti-home education. We are all a product of our upbringing and I for one am supremely grateful to the enlightened and gifted families that indirectly gave us Narnia and computer programming, not to mention the lightbulb. But there are many other children not in school and we cannot continue to let vulnerable children vanish under the radar, where their potential is left untapped and instead they are likely to be drawn into a spiral of underachievement or worse.” – Damian Hinds, Daily Telegraph “The country’s biggest non-metropolitan district council, by population, has come into being after a merger. East Suffolk, made up of the former Suffolk Coastal and Waveney district councils, will serve 246,913 people. A second new authority, West Suffolk, has taken over from St Edmundsbury and Forest Heath councils. West Suffolk will serve a population of 179,248 and the number of councillors to be elected for both new authorities in May will be halved. The mergers have taken two years of negotiating and will have fewer elected representatives.” – BBC | Conservative Home | https://www.conservativehome.com/frontpage/2019/04/newslinks-for-tuesday-2nd-april-2019.html | 2019-04-02 07:39:48+00:00 | 1,554,205,188 | 1,567,544,318 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
118,898 | conservativehome--2019-08-07--Judy Terry The lesson of tragic fires are still being ignored | 2019-08-07T00:00:00 | conservativehome | Judy Terry: The lesson of tragic fires are still being ignored | Judy Terry is a marketing professional and a former local councillor in Suffolk. Preserving ancient buildings and sites, both in the UK and overseas, is essential to understanding the past, as well as the present, yet my research into fire risks – across all types of property – in the wake of Grenfell indicates that period properties are especially vulnerable. Despite some high profile disasters in recent years and months, are lessons being learnt? It is too easy to forget that Local authorities are guardians of historic buildings, as well as the National Trust, English Heritage, and the Government, so what measures are they employing to protect these assets, employees and visitors? Major fires which should be influencing policy include: With over 300 historic buildings in its care, the public deserves answers on the National Trust’s fire policy and Clandon Park’s future, so I phoned five different NT press officers on the mobile numbers provided but all went to voicemail, so I emailed the following questions. After further chasing, I eventually received a response from Jo Dyson: What plans are there to restore Clandon Park, or is it to remain a rotting shell? The Trust’s plans for Clandon Park are to conserve the structure of the house, to restore the most important rooms on the ground floor and to adapt the two upper floors for contemporary uses, in particular as exhibition and learning spaces. The Trust is currently undertaking a feasibility study and master planning process with a world-class design team following a public architectural competition. The remaking of Clandon Park is one of the largest and most complex heritage projects in the UK. Core funding for the project will come from a significant insurance claim. Why were sprinklers not installed at this property? The property was fitted with a fire alarm and this was triggered by the fire. The alarm detects both smoke and heat. There were no sprinklers installed. How many NT properties are not fitted with sprinklers? Sprinklers are an option and have been installed in some of our places, but this approach isn’t suitable for all properties. The installation of sprinklers, or other fire suppression methods, is something we are considering as part of our review of our historic properties in the light of the fire report. What is the NT’s policy on retrofitting sprinklers? We have a planned programme for carrying out fire risk assessments on all of our properties, including annual reviews. Our assessments take into account the life safety of people and property protection, which may lead to passive and active fire safety improvements to be made. Our assessments include consideration being given to suppression systems. What other fire precautions are policy at the NT? The NT is a conservation charity which cares for hundreds of historic houses and other buildings across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Trust therefore takes fire safety and the protection of its historic places very seriously. We have a rigorous fire safety strategy in place at all our places. We do a fire risk assessment (FRA) at every property and these are reviewed regularly. What plans are there for the 20 per cent of artefacts salvaged from the fire: where are they, what condition are they in, what plans are there for future display? All collection items saved are currently in safe storage amounting to approximately 1200 objects. We’ve finished assessing the significance of each item and their condition, and high level conservation/restoration cost assessments are currently being carried out by specialist conservators. Once we have all potential costs and possibilities, we can make an informed decision on their future, including display in restored rooms, in exhibitions, and to support learning programmes. A small selection of salvaged items is currently displayed at Clandon. The NT further clarified its actions following the fire: “Although Clandon’s fire was caused by a very unusual electrical fault, which wasn’t detected by the numerous fixed wire tests which had taken place, we wanted to apply any lessons across all our NT properties. Subsequent to the fire we have audited mansions and key buildings to check that all electrical inspections, fire risk assessments, emergency plans, water supplies and training are up to date. We have also trialled, and subsequently introduced, an ongoing programme of thermographic inspections in our key properties to supplement traditional fixed wire tests. “Whilst fire alarms were not at fault at Clandon, we have undertaken a specialist survey of fire alarms in order to manage a programme of system replacement. We are currently implementing a Trust-wide programme of works to ensure any existing holes and service penetrations are filled by third party accredited contractors and we have changed our service contracts to require contractors to suitably fire stop any holes or penetrations they make in the course of their works. Additionally, we have developed and introduced bespoke training for Building Surveyors on fire safety and general compliance.” Unfortunately, the NT provided no clarity on the number of properties potentially at risk, without sprinklers! This was also the case when I contacted English Heritage press office, requesting information on its fire protection policies. Tom Jones, Corporate Affairs Manager, responded with the following assurances: “English Heritage has a fire risk assessment for each of our buildings. Fire prevention is our priority and we invest in staff training, equipment, inspections and planned maintenance to reduce the risk of a fire starting in the first place. Automatic Fire Detection, compartmentation, suppression and fire fighting equipment is site specific. We work closely with Historic England, the Fire & Rescue Services, our Primary Authority Partner, and industry peers to ensure we are compliant with legislation and industry best practice for fire prevention, detection and fire fighting.” Both the National Trust and English Heritage are highly valued public institutions, funded and supported by their hard-working members, who deserve to have all the facts – and the ability to question decision-making by the Boards through their elected representatives. With Brexit preoccupying Westminster, this means local authorities using their Scrutiny Committees to collate evidence, challenge and advise, together with regional Fire Services. First, how are works managed to avoid accidental fire (or other) damage? The NT has addressed this by changing its service contracts; are other organisations adopting similar measures? Is good practice being shared across the public and private sectors? Are local authorities and private owners being encouraged to undertake similar extensive reviews of fire safety and implement new measures to protect people and assets? We cannot afford to lose sight of the fact that local authorities throughout the country are also responsible for historic buildings, so they should be required to publish their fire prevention policies, including retro-fitting sprinklers, and annual safety checks. In Ipswich, for example, the museum service is in partnership with Colchester: Christchurch Mansion is packed with artworks, including by Constable and Gainsborough, as well as fine furniture and porcelain collections – how are these protected? I discovered that Colchester Castle Museum’s recent £4.2 million refurbishment didn’t include sprinklers. These assets not only belong to their communities, and the UK population as a whole, but are invaluable tourist attractions, making a vital contribution to the national and regional economy. Local Authority Scrutiny committees should make this a priority for investigation, holding officers to account before there are further tragedies. It won’t be easy, but the solution could be cross-authority working. | Judy Terry | https://www.conservativehome.com/localgovernment/2019/08/judy-terry-the-lesson-of-tragic-fires-are-still-being-ignored.html | 2019-08-07 05:10:09+00:00 | 1,565,169,009 | 1,567,534,657 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
119,558 | conservativehome--2019-11-19--Newslinks for Tuesday 19th November 2019 | 2019-11-19T00:00:00 | conservativehome | Newslinks for Tuesday 19th November 2019 | The Debate: Johnson prepares the ground with four Brexit questions for his opponent ‘The PM and the Opposition Leader go head to head for the first time in the election campaign in an hour long debate on ITV from 8pm. In a bid to set the terms of their crucial joust, the Tory boss last night despatched an appeal for clarity in a letter to the Labour chief. Insisting the public have “a right to know” where Mr Corbyn stands on the major issues which he says his rival for No10 has “ducked, Boris called on him to say: whether Mr Corbyn he will urge voters to back Remain or Leave in the second EU referendum that he proposes; if he will extend or end free movement from the EU, and if immigration will therefore he higher or lower; how much the Labour leader is prepared to keep on paying into the EU’s budget after Brexit in exchange for market access; and how many of Mr Corbyn’s Labour candidates are behind his Brexit policy to renegotiate a new deal and then put it back to the people…Laying down the gauntlet, the PM added in the letter: “Without satisfactory answers to these questions, the public will have no choice but to conclude that Corbyn’s Labour, propped up by the SNP, will mean dither, delay, and uncertainty with two more chaotic referendums next year”.’ – The Sun • It’s easier to lose a debate than to win one – Stephen Lynch, The Times • Corbyn’s personal unpopularity, not Brexit, is the big issue on the doorstep – Rachel Sylvester, The Times • What does Johnson believe in? – Robert Shrimsley, FT • The poll trend is positive for the Conservatives – Philip Cowley, Daily Mail • A Corbyn/Sturgeon alliance would bring the country to its knees – Ruth Davidson, Daily Telegraph • Take Corbyn seriously, and dismantle him for all to see – The Sun Says • Bercow will commentate on election night for Sky – Daily Express • Weyand says the UK will get a ‘bare bones’ trade deal – The Sun The Prime Minister uses the CBI conference to announce he is postponing cuts to Corporation Tax ‘Boris Johnson yesterday dramatically shelved a planned cut to corporation tax – so the Tories can pay for extra NHS spending. The rate paid by firms on their profits was due to fall next April from 19 per cent to 17 per cent. But, in a surprise move, the Prime Minister told business leaders he believed the expected £6billion cost was better spent on priorities such as the health service. Speaking at the Confederation of British Industry conference in London, Mr Johnson justified his decision by saying the UK already has the lowest rate of any major economy. He said: ‘I hope you won’t mind if I also announce today that we are postponing further cuts in corporation tax. And before you storm the stage and protest…let me remind you this saves us £6billion that we can put into the priorities of the British people, including the NHS.’ He added: ‘I hope people understand that it is the fiscally responsible thing to do at the present time.’ – Daily Mail • The ASI accuses him of ‘ceding ground to socialists’ – Daily Telegraph • He argued that passing his Brexit deal would unleash a ‘tidal wave of investment’ – The Times • What is each party offering to business? – Daily Telegraph • Promise to review business rates fails to convince – The Times • There are bridges to rebuild – FT • Which to choose, the low tax Brexit certainty candidate, or the indecisive nationalisation fan? – The Sun Says • Corbyn is by far the biggest threat to business – The Times Leader • The Tories must not abandon the case for free enterprise – Daily Telegraph Leader • The City needs to hear how it will trade in future – FT Leader >Today: Richard Patient on Comment: At last, the Conservatives have realised that the CBI is the voice of big business, not all business >Yesterday: WATCH: Johnson tells CBI he plans to put corporation tax cuts on hold Buckland: Life will mean life for child-killers ‘Child murderers will die behind bars under Conservative manifesto plans to ensure ‘life means life’. In a further toughening of sentencing, Justice Secretary Robert Buckland will say they will automatically get a whole life sentence, so they are never released. The move will end the ‘sickening injustice’ of parents having to watch their child’s killer walk free, he said. Currently all murderers automatically get a life sentence, but the vast majority are eligible for parole after serving their minimum term, which is set by the courts. The whole life sentence is reserved for serial killers, or murders with a sadistic or sexual motive. But Mr Buckland, the Lord Chancellor, will announce a change to extend whole life sentences to adults aged over 21 who commit a premeditated murder of anyone under 16.’ – Daily Mail • There will also be improved efforts to get more offenders into work after release – The Sun • Tory manifesto commitment not to change the Hunting Act – The Times • Labour pledge to close hunting loopholes and deploy more police to enforce the ban – The Guardian The NHS will pay the tax bills of consultants to ensure they keep working ‘Senior doctors in England will have their tax bills covered by the National Health Service this winter after a pension tax crisis threatened to exacerbate treatment delays. Patients have faced delayed or cancelled operations partly because hospital consultants have refused to take on extra shifts over fears the extra income could trigger six-figure pension tax charges. Under emergency plans expected to cost hundreds of millions of pounds, senior NHS staff delivering front-line care will be granted early access to their pension pots in order to help cover any extra charges in their April tax bill. Each pot will then be topped up by NHS England before they reach retirement. Despite reservations the decision could violate purdah rules — which state that no major government policy changes can be made during an election period — NHS England is expected to press ahead with the plan.’ – FT • Other health service workers might not feel fairly treated – The Times • Both parties think they can win on the health service – Richard Sloggett, The Times • Young people are warned that self-employment is not the Life of Riley – The Times Johnson guarantees Javid’s position as Chancellor (but won’t be drawn on the rest of the Cabinet) ‘The prime minister delivered a “categorical assurance” that Mr Javid would remain at the Treasury, describing his former leadership rival as “a great guy”. However, Mr Johnson gave himself room for a sweeping post-election reshuffle if he wins, indicating that he would not answer questions on other “personnel at the top of the Tory party”. Mr Javid won a bruising row with the prime minister’s advisers this month over new rules on government borrowing and how much a Conservative government should offer in tax cuts. The chancellor, backed by Isaac Levido, the party’s election campaign chief, insisted that Mr Johnson agree to new constraints in an effort to maintain a dividing line with Labour over fiscal responsibility.’ – The Times • Sunak, Jenrick and Dowden are tipped for promotion – FT • How I – a former miner – became a Conservative candidate – Lee Anderson, Daily Mail • ‘It’s not easy being a Tory in education’ – The Guardian Corbyn proposes an ‘audit’ of the sins of British imperial history ‘Jeremy Corbyn would launch an “audit” into Britain’s colonial past if he became Prime Minister in a move which could pave the way for hefty reparations. The Labour manifesto will declare war on the nation’s past, with a review of its alleged human rights abuses across the globe. Due to be announced on Thursday, the investigation would assess the impact of British imperialism and the “legacies” it created. Tory critics claimed the planned announcement showed “Labour’s priorities are getting weirder and weirder.” Mr Corbyn has previously admitted being “open” to apologising for slavery, and the move could see his government issue apologies in parliament as well as financial reparations. In September Shadow Equalities Secretary Dawn Butler demanded “consultation hubs” in cities historically associated with the slave trade… Michael Fabricant said: “Labour’s priorities are getting weirder and weirder. They should be apologising to the British public, not for our long gone Imperial past.”’ – The Sun • Two Labour candidates ‘defended campaign group that praised Jihadi John’ – The Sun • A college teachers’ union now says people should be allowed to choose their own race – Richard Littlejohn, Daily Mail • We need a constitutional convention to bring the nation together – Gordon Brown, The Guardian The Labour leader is challenged at the CBI conference over concerns he is ‘for the many, not the Jew’ ‘Jeremy Corbyn was grilled over his personal role in tackling Labour’s anti-Semitism crisis today. The opposition leader was directly asked about the crisis that has overshadowed his party leadership after he addressed the Confederation of British Industry in London. After a speech in which he attempted to placate business leaders’ fears about his nationalisation plans he took questions from the audience. One was from a woman, named last night as Hannah Kaufman, who wanted to know about his plans for workplace diversity. Hannah, who is believed to be from the Patchwork Foundation, bluntly asked him: ‘What are you going to be doing, personally, to demonstrate you care about racism and anti-Semitism in society and show that Labour isn’t just for the many and not the Jew?” – Daily Mail • Video emerges of Corbyn standing next to a speaker who calls British Jews ‘immoral’ – The Times • Some celebrities are still willing to claim he is a blemish-free anti-racist – Hugo Rifkind, The Times • The media let Johnson get away with lies – Peter Oborne, The Guardian Senior figures in Labour believe their ‘best hope’ is a minority government ‘Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s best hope of becoming prime minister is to lead a minority government involving smaller opposition parties, according to members of his inner circle. With Labour trailing the Conservatives in the opinion polls, Mr Corbyn’s supporters said that — “barring a miracle” — there was little chance of his party emerging with a House of Commons majority after the general election on December 12. But in the event of a hung parliament, where no party has a Commons majority, Mr Corbyn’s backers think he has a good opportunity to form a minority government. The hurdles are nevertheless formidable: Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson has insisted she will not prop up a Labour government led by Mr Corbyn, and Scottish National party leader Nicola Sturgeon has declared the price of her support to be a new referendum on Scottish independence.’ – FT • They are collapsing in the West Midlands – Daily Telegraph • Corbyn says it is ‘nonsense’ to suggest he is anti-business – Daily Telegraph • Labour’s plans are reasonable, not radical – Tom Kibasi, The Guardian >Today: Jesse Norman on Comment: The root of the financial crisis can be traced back directly to Brown and Labour Swinson becomes less popular the more voters see of her ‘Polling analysis shows that Ms Swinson, 39, is far better known since becoming party leader in July, but almost all of those to have formed a view of her have formed a negative one. The shift has been negative even with Remain voters… Ms Swinson has repeatedly claimed that she could become prime minister after the poll on December 12 and insists that she be treated the same as the Tory and Labour leaders. The Lib Dems’ poll ratings depend heavily on securing positive media coverage. Each month since June YouGov has asked voters how they feel about Ms Swinson. In the days after she became leader half of the public did not know who she was. Among those who did, 21 per cent were positive, while the remaining 29 per cent had an unfavourable view. Four months on, after big events including her first conference as leader, helping to force a general election and adopting a revoke policy on Brexit, voters are unimpressed. About a quarter are favourable, but half are unfavourable. It suggests that those who have found out who she is are unimpressed. Among Remain voters the proportion who are positive has risen from 39 to 44 per cent, while those who are negative is up from 18 to 33 per cent.’ – The Times • Lib Dems lose High Court fight for a seat in tonight’s ITV debate – The Guardian • She will be in the Sky News debate next month – The Times • The Lib Dem leader went down well with the CBI, at least – Henry Deedes, Daily Mail >Yesterday: LeftWatch: Swinson’s ‘bicep-kissing’ strategy does not appear to be working Silva accuses Prince Andrew of using the N-word in a meeting ‘Prince Andrew used the n-word in conversation with a Downing Street adviser of Sri Lankan heritage during a meeting at Buckingham Palace, it has been claimed. Rohan Silva, who was David Cameron’s key aide on the tech economy, said he had been left “reeling” after the Duke of York allegedly used the phrase “n***er in the woodpile” during a discussion about trade policy in 2012. The allegation is one of several claims that emerged yesterday, raising new questions about Andrew’s judgment after his heavily criticised interview with BBC Newsnight over his links to the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Mr Silva, 38, now an Evening Standard columnist, made the claim in an article for the newspaper about the meeting, which he said was attended by himself, Andrew and a Palace aide. Palace sources categorically denied that Andrew ever used the phrase and a legal letter has been sent to the Evening Standard.’ – The Times • The Prince’s charity is at risk as corporate backers pull out – The Times • He’s got to tell the FBI everything he knows – Piers Morgan, Daily Mail • Huddersfield University students seek a way to get rid of him as their Chancellor – The Times • The Queen must get a grip before her son torches the Royal Family’s reputation – The Sun Says • Could Prince Charles take the chance to slim down the monarchy? – Daily Mail • The Windsors should live a more modest life – The Times Leader ‘At least five British officers in the Hong Kong police have played a leading anti-protest role. These people have been vilified by activists, who accuse them of directing brutal incidents and hound them on social media. A retired British officer told me that they were also dismaying many colleagues. They include Chief Superintendent Rupert Dover, a former public schoolboy seen at the university confrontation, and David Jordan, a commandant who joined the force after leaving the Royal Navy and was also spotted at the scene of the siege… These officers are among the remnants of 900 Britons serving in 1997 when Hong Kong was handed back to China under the “one country, two systems” deal agreed by Margaret Thatcher and now being trashed, to near-silence from our current leaders. Today, the 32,000-strong force contains some 50 expats. At the start of this conflict the police, for all their failings, were not thugs but slowly they have been sucked into more aggressive tactics to serve their Chinese masters. Now police are holding rifles, medics are arrested and some of the brutality is sickening.’ – The Times • China seeks to dictate the law to Hong Kong courts – FT • The rule of law is in peril – FT • Business schools think about moving to safer locations – FT • Beijing will consider the crackdown a price worth paying – Juliet Samuel, Daily Telegraph • The plot against the Prime Minister – New Statesman • The next Parliament must be more serious than the last – Victoria Hewson, 1828 • In defence of narcissism – Julie Burchill, The Spectator • Why are parties so bad at vetting candidates? – Prospect | Conservative Home | https://www.conservativehome.com/frontpage/2019/11/newslinks-for-tuesday-19th-november-2019.html | Tue, 19 Nov 2019 09:30:44 +0000 | 1,574,173,844 | 1,574,168,140 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
125,392 | dailybeast--2019-10-31--Netflix Drops Horrifying Camp Fire Documentary ‘Fire in Paradise’ as California Burns | 2019-10-31T00:00:00 | dailybeast | Netflix Drops Horrifying Camp Fire Documentary ‘Fire in Paradise’ as California Burns | Like people, wildfires aren’t born coherent or fully formed. They rarely have one direction or one goal. Fires are fluid and disparate, made up of smaller blazes and embers, some of which might merge into irrational explosions or veer off in different directions. (Scientists have dubbed this odd meandering, not “fire movement” or “fire patterns,” but “fire behavior”). Today, Los Angeles, like Sonoma County, is on fire. The city smells like everyone is having a cookout. On maps, the evacuation zone is drawn in hard lines, starting just five miles from where I’m writing this—a box framed by Mulholland Drive in the north, the 405 in the east, Sunset Boulevard in the south and Temescal Canyon Road in the west. But with hurricane-like winds predicted this week, there remains some uncertainty about just where, exactly, the blaze might go. Unlike actual flames, the stories of fire have a predictable arc: low humidity, dry fuel, some small ignition (a cigarette, a powerline), ferocious wind, dispatch calls, mobile alerts, confused evacuators, missing heirlooms, lost lives, thousands of tired firefighters, and later, aerial photos of the earth, burnt into a scar. The familiarity makes the worst fire stories the hardest to tell. How do you capture the chaos of a place like Paradise—leveled last year by the Camp Fire, California’s deadliest in a century—when we all know the end? One hundred and fifty thousand acres burned. Nineteen thousand structures were destroyed. Eighty-five people, most of them disabled or elderly, dead. In that sense, Fire in Paradise, a new documentary directed by Drea Cooper and Zackary Canepari which streams on Netflix this Friday, doesn’t break ground. The tight, 40-minute film isn’t an exercise in narrative form. There’s no narration at all. It’s a time capsule—a minute-by-minute replay, told by the people who lived it and spliced with source footage: dispatch calls, cellphone videos, and clips from an eerily upbeat weatherman. But it’s also a forecast, both for what the state will undergo these next few weeks, and what will replay in fire seasons to come. Fire in Paradise opens with an omen—at once self-conscious and effective. The camera pans on a forest, dry but unburned. An answering machine beeps in the background and a robocall sets the scene. “This is an important safety alert from Pacific Gas & Electric Company,” the monotone voice says. “Extreme weather conditions and high fire danger are forecasted in Butte County, starting Thursday, November 8, 2018.” Months after that morning, investigators would find the utility company responsible for as many as 10 of the fires which scorched the state last year. It’s another reminder of the film as forecast—this season, PG&E has already taken heat for at least one inferno, and cutting power to millions across the state, leaving some to escape in the dark with little warning. As the voiceover continues, a square screen appears over the forest, playing a montage of home videos. Families bowl; a man fishes; couples dance and swim; kids dressed as cowboys hop a potato-sack race. “To protect public safety,” the robovoice goes on, “PG&E may temporarily turn off power in your neighborhood or community.” The screen goes black. “Please have your emergency plan ready.” The account of the following hours unfold through interviews with residents and first responders—when they heard about the fire, when they got scared, when they fled. The most powerful moments don’t come from the speakers describing the fire. One of the unnerving things about extreme natural disasters is how language fails to keep pace with their severity: “ It got bad real quick,” one dispatcher says. Another resident echoes: “It felt unreal.” Instead, the strongest scenes emerge from people describing people. At one point, an auburn-haired teacher named Mary Ludwig recalls boarding a bus filled with students, watching them yawn from the low-oxygen air, and making impromptu masks from the driver’s shirt and the sole water bottle on board. She hoped they wouldn’t work: “We prayed that we would die of smoke inhalation.” Later, resident Joy Beeson, a wry elderly woman with blue nail polish and a pink fleece, describes escaping with her son. “I ran out in my Skechers and my pajamas,” she says. “I was running out of breath, and my son put his hand on my back and said, ‘You’ve got to run now, Mama.’” When Beeson pushed ahead, a burning tree fell where she stood just seconds before: “My son saved my life.” A third survivor, a Cal Fire captain named Sean Norman, remembers evacuating a family that didn’t want to leave. If you don’t go, he told them, you will die. As the fire bore down, Norman couldn’t keep convincing them. He fled. “They survived,” he says, choking up. “They don’t like me very much. But at least they’re around to not like me.” Still, what makes Fire in Paradise essential viewing isn’t anything the subjects said or the directors captured. It comes from the amateurs, from the cellphone videos filmed from inside cars or while fleeing on foot. Near the end of the movie, the inevitable aerial shot arrives, revealing city blocks reduced to black squares. In the background, newscasters list unthinkable numbers: 77 deaths so far, 1,000 missing people. Then, the camera cuts to a stunning recording. It’s shot by an anonymous man walking through his old town. The landscape is so scorched the tape looks sepia. Only a few faint colors (a fleck of car paint, a blue flame) prove otherwise. The man pans toward the remains of a few cars, narrating in a squeaky voice. “Now this is the poor guy,” he says, “came down to get my crippled friend out.” He zooms in on the front car. It could be a Honda or a Dodge or a Geo or really any smallish, average car. Identifying markers have all been burned away. “He didn’t make it. None of these people made it down here. These people all got burnt up. I was right down below them here.” The man approaches the shattered windshield, focusing on the hollowed-out front seats. “My friend, you can see he’s dead.” In fact, you can’t see it. The images are unintelligible, all abstract lumps and black lines. But then he pans to a window, and something comes into focus: a blackened skull, and beneath it, bones. | Tarpley Hitt | http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thedailybeast/articles/~3/TX-oqS04rDw/netflix-drops-horrifying-camp-fire-documentary-fire-in-paradise-as-california-burns | Thu, 31 Oct 2019 09:39:58 GMT | 1,572,529,198 | 1,572,534,500 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
133,365 | dailymail--2019-07-11--Now Trumps Salute to America is revealed to have cost taxpayers 535 million | 2019-07-11T00:00:00 | dailymail | Now Trump's Salute to America is revealed to have cost taxpayers $5.35 million | Donald Trump's 'Salute to America' cost the Washington D.C. and federal governments $5.35 million, according to the president's own Interior Department. The Interior Department and National Park Service spent $2.45 million on staffing, services, and logistics for the event, which did not include the cost of other Fourth of July events like the Capitol Fourth concert, ABC News reported. National Park Service Deputy Director Dan Smith said it was worth every penny. 'If you could tell me that for $2.5 million additional dollars the exposure we got from this televised event, it’s a great bang for the buck,' he told ABC. Washington D.C. revealed on Wednesday that the city spent $1.7 million on the event, which bankrupted a special fund meant to protect the nation's capitol from terrorism attacks. And the Pentagon said it spent $1.2 million on the celebration - bringing the cost to $5.35 million. Additionally, the annual Capitol Fourth contest, which gets a yearly allocation in the Interior Department's federal budget for $3.8 million. Meanwhile, D.C. is asking for its money back. In a letter to Trump sent on Tuesday, Mayor Muriel Bowser warned a security fund has been depleted and will have an estimated $6 million deficit by September 30th. She also blamed the overdraw on the Emergency Planning and Security Fund on the fact the city was never reimbursed for $7.3 million in expenses from Trump's 2017 inauguration. Bowser wrote Trump it was 'critical' the account 'is fully reimbursed for these funds to ensure the District can uphold proper security and support during the remainder of the fiscal year without incurring a deficit for federal activities,' she wrote in a letter obtained by The Washington Post. 'We ask for your help with ensuring the residents of the District of Columbia are not asked to cover millions of dollars of federal expenses and are able to maintain our high standards of protection for federal events,' she added. The White House did not respond to DailyMail.com's request for comment. Trump's Fourth of July spectacular included a flyover by military air craft, tanks on the National Mall, and a speech by the president at the Lincoln Memorial that required a heavy security presence. Lines on the National Mall dragged down five or six blocks as attendees waited to get through the magnetometers. Protesters, including Code Pink bringing the Baby Trump blimp balloon, also flooded the event, which is typically a non-partisan celebration of America. The Pentagon estimated it spent $1.2 million on the 'Salute to the Fourth' thanks, in part, to the Abrams tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles by the Lincoln Memorial. That amount does not include the cost of the flyovers, which was absorbed into each service branches' training budgets. That brings the costs of the Fourth to $2.8 million and counting as there has been no estimate - yet - on what the federal government spent on security. Washington D.C.'s Emergency Planning and Security Fund is a federally-funded account to help the city pay for security costs related to its position as the nation's Capitol - that includes presidential inaugurations, terrorism threats, and security for large rallies. Trump promised the 'show of a lifetime' on the Fourth. In his remarks on the National Mall, he welcomed the crowd to a 'very special' Fourth of July holiday. 'Today we come together as one nation with this very special Salute to America,' he told the sea of red, white and blue-clad revelers. Trump listed off a number of American accomplishments throughout the nation's history - including the Revolutionary War, the women's suffrage movement, the Civil Rights movement - and paid special tribute to each brand of the military, which he made the focal point of the festivities. 'We celebrate our history, our people, and the heroes who proudly defend our flag – the brave men and women of the United States military,' he said. After the event Trump told reporters he expected the event would increase recruitment for the various military branches. 'You're going to have a lot of people being recruited, I think, based on that,' he said. 'And I think, really, that you're going to see a big spike.' | null | https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7237239/Now-Trumps-Salute-America-revealed-cost-taxpayers-5-35-million.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490 | 2019-07-11 15:56:39+00:00 | 1,562,874,999 | 1,567,536,522 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
143,212 | drudgereport--2019-02-04--Secret plan to evacuate Queen in case of Brexit unrest | 2019-02-04T00:00:00 | drudgereport | Secret plan to evacuate Queen in case of Brexit unrest... | LONDON (Reuters) - British officials have revived Cold War emergency plans to relocate the royal family should there be riots in London if Britain suffers a disruptive departure from the European Union next month, two Sunday newspapers reported. “These emergency evacuation plans have been in existence since the Cold War, but have now been repurposed in the event of civil disorder following a no-deal Brexit,” the Sunday Times said, quoting an unnamed source from the government’s Cabinet Office, which handles sensitive administrative issues. The Mail on Sunday also said it had learnt of plans to move the royal family, including Queen Elizabeth, to safe locations away from London. Britain’s government is struggling to get parliamentary support for a Brexit transition agreement with the EU before the departure date of March 29, and the government and businesses are preparing contingency plans for a ‘no-deal’ Brexit. Business groups have warned of widespread disruption if there are lengthy delays to EU imports due to new customs checks, and even possible shortages of food and medicine. Last month an annual speech by the 92-year-old queen to a local women’s group was widely interpreted in Britain as a call for politicians to reach agreement over Brexit. Jacob Rees-Mogg, a Conservative lawmaker and keen supporter of Brexit, told the Mail on Sunday he believed the plans showed unnecessary panic by officials over a no-deal Brexit, as senior royals had remained in London during World War Two bombing. But the Sunday Times said an ex-police officer formerly in charge of royal protection, Dai Davies, expected Queen Elizabeth would be moved out of London if there was unrest. “If there were problems in London, clearly you would remove the royal family away from those key sites,” Davies was quoted as saying. | null | http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DrudgeReportFeed/~3/-r6jW-C5LQw/the-queen-to-be-evacuated-in-case-of-brexit-unrest-media-idUSKCN1PS005 | 2019-02-04 12:49:39+00:00 | 1,549,302,579 | 1,567,549,721 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
144,809 | drudgereport--2019-03-13--UK PLUNGED INTO CHAOS | 2019-03-13T00:00:00 | drudgereport | UK PLUNGED INTO CHAOS... | Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May speaks during Prime Minister's Questions inside the House of Commons in London, Wednesday March 13, 2019. Britain and the European Union seem braced Wednesday for a chaotic, cliff-edge Brexit, as Britain’s Parliament is set to hold further votes over the split with European Union. (House of Commons/PA via AP) LONDON (AP) — In a tentative first step toward ending months of political deadlock, British lawmakers voted Wednesday to block the country from leaving the European Union without a divorce agreement, triggering an attempt to delay that departure, currently due to take place on March 29. Parliament is scheduled to decide Thursday whether to put the brakes on Brexit, a vote set up after lawmakers dealt yet another defeat to Prime Minister Theresa May amid a crisis over Britain’s departure from the EU. The lawmakers’ 321-278 vote has political but not legal force, and does not entirely rule out a chaotic no-deal departure for Britain. But it might ease jitters spreading across the EU after lawmakers resoundingly rejected May’s divorce deal on Tuesday. Exiting the EU without a deal could mean major disruptions for businesses and people in the U.K. and the 27 remaining EU countries. Speaking with a raspy voice after weeks of relentless pressure, May hinted that she plans to make a third attempt to get lawmakers to support her Brexit deal, which they have already rejected twice. She said Parliament faced a “fundamental choice” — a “short, technical extension” if lawmakers approve a divorce deal with the EU in the next week, or a much longer delay to Brexit if they don’t. The EU warned that voting against no-deal Brexit wasn’t enough to stop it. By law, Britain will leave the EU on March 29, with or without a deal, unless it cancels Brexit or secures a delay. “There are only two ways to leave the EU: with or without a deal,” a European Commission official said. “The EU is prepared for both. To take no deal off the table, it is not enough to vote against no deal - you have to agree to a deal.” The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the unresolved situation. Earlier, chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier warned that “the risk of a no-deal has never been higher.” As Britain teeters ever closer to the edge of the Brexit cliff, lawmakers are trying to seize control from the divided and squabbling government, although it’s far from clear if they can agree on a way forward. There are competing factions that support May’s deal, a “softer” deal that would keep close ties with the EU, a no-deal Brexit, or even a new referendum on Britain’s EU membership. Parliament likely will agree to delay Brexit, but it would need EU approval. The bloc — openly exasperated by Britain’s continuing Brexit crisis — warned that the U.K. would need to present a strong reason for any extension. “I am against every extension — whether an extension of one day, one week, even 24 hours — if it’s not based on a clear opinion of the House of Commons for something,” said the European Parliament’s chief Brexit official, Guy Verhofstadt. “Please make up your minds in London, because this uncertainty cannot continue.” The bloc is also reluctant to consider a delay that goes beyond elections to the European Parliament in late May, because it would mean Britain would have to participate in the polls even as it prepares to leave. Both Britain and the EU have ramped up planning for a no-deal Brexit, which would rip up decades of rules for travel and trade between Britain and the bloc. Economists say it could cause huge upheaval, with customs checks causing gridlock at U.K. ports, new tariffs triggering sudden price increases and red tape for everyone from truckers to tourists. The U.K. government announced its plans for the Irish border in the event of a no-deal Brexit, saying it wouldn’t impose new checks, duties or controls on goods coming from EU member Ireland into Northern Ireland. It also said it wouldn’t slap tariffs on 87 percent of goods coming into Britain from the EU — though there would be new levies on imports of some items including meat and cars. The tariffs, intended to be temporary, wouldn’t apply to goods crossing from Ireland to Northern Ireland, raising fears the plan would spark a rise in smuggling. Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said under the proposals, “Northern Ireland will become a backdoor to the European single market and I think that in a matter of months that will lead to the need for checks at Northern Ireland’s ports.” “I don’t think the U.K.’s proposals will be workable for very long,” he said during a visit to Washington. In Irish border communities and U.K. ports, no-deal anxiety was mounting. “Potentially it is going to be a nightmare,” said Michael Eddy, a district councilor who lives in the aptly named town of Deal, a few miles from the major Channel port of Dover on England’s south coast. He says local authorities have modeled potential disruptions and believe that even “a two-minute delay for every truck going through the port of Dover” would lead to a 50-mile (80-kilometer) traffic jam. “What then happens with local people wanting to go about their business, wanting to get to hospitals, wanting to get their kids to school, all of that kind of stuff?” he said. The European Parliament approved measures Wednesday to ameliorate the immediate hardships of a no-deal Brexit. It backed emergency plans to provide continuity for everything from air, port and road traffic to foreign students to the fishing industry. The U.K. Parliament has twice rejected the withdrawal agreement that May spent two years negotiating with the EU, and the bloc insists there will be no more talks. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas warned British lawmakers that “whoever rejects the (Brexit) agreement plays with the welfare of their citizens and the economy in a reckless way.” Yet May has not given up on a third attempt to get her deal through Parliament again. U.K. Treasury chief Philip Hammond said he was “confident that we will do a deal” in the next few weeks. Many Britons wish they could share his optimism. “I think that a bit of unity would be helpful now,” said Katharine Beaugie, an artist in Dover. “It would be much better if we could have found some sort of decision.” Casert reported from Strasbourg, France. Renee Graham in Deal, England, Gregory Katz and Danica Kirka in London, Frank Jordans in Berlin and Angela Charlton in Paris contributed. | null | http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DrudgeReportFeed/~3/cjVuLiYb0DI/0732fc070df44f26b74dab8f207855dd | 2019-03-13 22:40:38+00:00 | 1,552,531,238 | 1,567,546,491 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
150,904 | drudgereport--2019-08-21--Area 51 events prompt emergency crowd planning | 2019-08-21T00:00:00 | drudgereport | 'Area 51' events prompt emergency crowd planning... | FILE - In this July 22, 2019 file photo, signs warn about trespassing at an entrance to the Nevada Test and Training Range near Area 51 outside of Rachel, Nev. Officials in Nevada's rural Lincoln County have drafted an emergency declaration and are planning with state officials to handle possible crowds that might arrive for an event next month dubbed "Storm Area 51." The county commission on Monday, Aug. 19, 2019 conditionally approved two events in tiny desert towns near the site popularly known as the home of government studies of outer space aliens. (AP Photo/John Locher, File) FILE - In this July 22, 2019 file photo, signs warn about trespassing at an entrance to the Nevada Test and Training Range near Area 51 outside of Rachel, Nev. Officials in Nevada's rural Lincoln County have drafted an emergency declaration and are planning with state officials to handle possible crowds that might arrive for an event next month dubbed "Storm Area 51." The county commission on Monday, Aug. 19, 2019 conditionally approved two events in tiny desert towns near the site popularly known as the home of government studies of outer space aliens. (AP Photo/John Locher, File) LAS VEGAS (AP) — Fearing they could be overwhelmed with visitors, officials in the remote Nevada county that’s home to the Area 51 military base have drafted an emergency declaration and a plan to team resources with neighboring counties and the state ahead of events next month tied to the “Storm Area 51” internet drive. The elected board governing the county with about 5,200 residents conditionally approved two events Monday for tiny desert towns near the once top-secret U.S. Air Force test area known in popular lore as a site for government studies of outer space aliens. “Oh, we’re taking this seriously,” Lincoln County Commission Chairman Varlin Higbee told the Las Vegas Review-Journal . “With the possibility of 35,000 to 40,000 people showing up, yeah, this is serious.” County officials are concerned that a surge of visitors will crowd campsites, gas stations and public medical, internet and cellphone services. Officials count just 184 hotel rooms in the county nearly twice the size of the Connecticut. “The cellphone system is going to go down,” Higbee said. “You get more than a couple of hundred people there, and it’s going to crash. Cell service won’t be available.” The Little A’Le’Inn in the community of Rachel, population about 50, is scheduling a three-day music festival Sept. 20-22 dubbed Alienstock. Hotel co-owner Connie West has said she’s expecting 10,000 people. The Alien Research Center souvenir shop in Hiko, a town of about 120 a 45-minute drive from Rachel, plans a Sept. 20-21 exposition. The events evolved from an internet post inviting people to run into the remote test area in the Nevada desert that has long been the focus of UFO conspiracy theories. County Sheriff Kerry Lee said Tuesday he was meeting with state emergency planning officials. County officials have also met with officials from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department in Clark County, the sheriffs of White Pine and Nye counties, and the Nevada Highway Patrol. Higbee, who has authority to invoke a declaration, said it would let Lincoln County seek financial help and emergency personnel from the state. “We don’t know where or how far our resources are going to go,” he said. “A lot of it is equipment and financing. The county only has so much money to deal with.” Higbee said visitors should not to try to enter Area 51. “We don’t want them going down to government property; it will probably be blocked off,” he said. “We don’t want civilian people in contact with the military at all. That will get ugly.” The conditional permits require festival and event organizers to submit final plans to the Lincoln County Commission by Sept. 3. “They have to have their security, medical, parking plans and few other things (ready),” Higbee said. | null | http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DrudgeReportFeed/~3/wMs3YCQJkw0/86167556378d4198a44e6626b02724df | 2019-08-21 17:07:36+00:00 | 1,566,421,656 | 1,567,533,899 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
152,087 | drudgereport--2019-10-09--Will put medical emergency planning to test... | 2019-10-09T00:00:00 | drudgereport | Will put medical emergency planning to test... | Health care providers and officials around Northern California said that PG&E’s electrical grid shutdown, expected to trigger blackouts in 34 of 58 counties on Wednesday, will test on a grand scale whether residents and medical care facilities have done enough to planning for medical emergencies. “Placer County is expected to be impacted by the public safety power shutoff event,” said Michael Romero, a program manager with that county’s Health & Human Services Department. “More than 50,000 meters, which could be up to 150,000 residents, could be impacted. Obviously, we’re very concerned with the impact.” Romero urged residents to formulate a plan for to ensure their health needs would be met. That ranges from keeping food and water on hand to ensuring ensuring you know how to manually open your garage to ordering an additional oxygen tank for a loved one who’s dependent on the equipment, he said. “Often, the plan is friends and family who aren’t in the impacted area,” Romero said. “Your best support system is the support system you have on a regular basis – friends and family. We encourage people to have that plan – that friend or family member – outside the impacted area that you might have to stay with a few days.” Health care providers all around the state have been preparing for the worst-case warnings, that they and local residents may have to go without power for a week. Early Tuesday morning in Lake County, Ruth Lincoln said that she was feeling as though her staff and clients at Hospice Services of Lake County had gotten some pretty good news. That’s when she got her first look at a map showing local addresses that fell within the blackout zone. While a number of clients would be affected, Lincoln said, the hospice’s central hub wasn’t and would still be able to serve as a backstop. Then came the afternoon update, she said, and it was a game changer. The hospice’s hub now was in the blackout area, Lincoln said, and she had to schedule a call to regroup with the organization’s health care partners. Fortunately, she said, the hospice staff had done work over the last few months to help clients and their families update or develop emergency plans for their households. They spent Tuesday ensuring that clients knew whether their homes were within the anticipated blackout zone, triple-checking that they had the medication, equipment and alternate power sources they needed. “It’s going to be a real test of our emergency operations plan because we are spread through the county, providing services from east to west and north to south all around the perimeter of Clear Lake,” Lincoln said. Rene Hamlin, the development director at El Dorado County’s Snowline Hospice, said that besides developing emergency plans for clients, hospices also must ensure they know which staff and volunteers will be available to continue offering services because their homes are usually within the same affected area as their clients. They ensure arrangements are in place for transport, and they just might have to try and get services to new clients despite an emergency. Three new patients contacted Hospice Services of Lake County to start service this week, Lincoln said, and her staff is working to ensure they have what they need amid a blackout that will affect doctor’s offices, pharmacists, medical equipment suppliers and hospitals. Placer County’s Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital, for instance, is within the potential blackout zone, Romero said. Sutter Health leaders said in a statement that they are in communication with PG&E regarding public safety power shutoff plans in the communities they serve, and they are putting procedures in place to minimize the impact and leverage the strength of their integrated network. Sutter Auburn Faith and other hospitals are required by law to have backup generators to ensure they can provide essential services in the event of an outage, said Jan Emerson-Shea, the spokesperson for the California Hospital Association, and they may reschedule or move elective procedures to facilities that are not affected. “Existing state and federal law requires all hospitals to have 72 hours of backup diesel generation, so when a power outage occurs, the backup generators are supposed to just immediately kick in,” Emerson-Shea said. “If there are any surgical procedures under way, there should be very little impact involved. They’re structured to kick in right away. The challenge with backup generation is that it was never designed to power the whole hospital....The backup generators don’t power the chillers, the air-conditioning units and things.” They do drills to test that backup generation, she added, because it’s part of overall disaster preparedness. Nursing homes, now more commonly called skilled nursing facilities, must have a plan to operate for at least 96 hours on backup generators, said Jason Belden, the disaster preparedness manager at the California Association of Health Facilities. “The generator is required to power emergency plugs throughout the building. It’s also required to power fire protection systems like fire alarms, sprinklers, those kinds of things,” he said. “The only real problem could be keeping the buildings cool if the temperature gets a little hot outside. That is the main source of concern for us.” Health care officials had a number of recommendations help prevent medical emergencies during power outages: Have food and water on hand. Freeze containers of water for ice to help keep food cold in the freezer. As they melt they, they could be a source of water. Freeze refrigerated items such as leftovers, milk and fresh meat and poultry to give them a longer shelf life. Closely pack frozen food, so it can help to keep it at a safe temperature for longer. Get coolers to keep refrigerated food cold if the power will be out for more than four hours. If you’re in doubt about whether food is still good to eat, throw it out rather than risk food poisoning. Make a plan to keep insulin and other refrigerated medication cool. Know how to manually open garage doors. It can be a physical strain, so have a plan in place if you are not certain you can do it. Learn how to safely operate electric generators before an emergency. If you aren’t well-versed in operating a generator, you risk being poisoned by carbon monoxide, shocked, electrocuted or burned. You may need cash to purchase medications or other medical necessities because credit card machines may not work. Pharmacies in your area may close due to lack of power, so ensure you have at least a week’s supply of medication at home. Have battery chargers on hand for medical equipment and cell phones. Keep a battery operated radio and flashlight on hand. Fuel up your vehicle ahead of any power outage, as pumps may not work, lines may be too long and stations may run out of gas. You may have to drive quite a distance to get to an open pharmacy or emergency medical services. Be sure you have cash on hand for gas, just in case the credit card machine does not work. If you live in an affected area, ask friends and relatives outside the area whether they can help with refrigerator space or accommodations. | null | http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DrudgeReportFeed/~3/PucYtptfsBw/article235940257.html | Wed, 09 Oct 2019 22:52:36 GMT | 1,570,675,956 | 1,570,661,755 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
155,345 | drudgereport--2019-12-04--Trump deploys 'surge' of park rangers to patrol Mexican border... | 2019-12-04T00:00:00 | drudgereport | Trump deploys 'surge' of park rangers to patrol Mexican border... | The Trump administration is sending a new “surge” of rangers from US national parks such as Zion, Yosemite and the National Mall to patrol the southern border for crossings by illegal immigrants. Continuing a controversial policy initiated in 2018, rangers who work in law enforcement will be dispatched to Organ Pipe Cactus national monument on the Arizona and Mexico border as well as Big Bend national park on the border in south-west Texas. Donald Trump has been unable to obtain funding for his border emergency plan, which includes an increase in immigration enforcement officials as well as large sums for border wall construction. Diverting rangers from national parks is a way to direct federal resources to the border without the need for congressional approval. Valerie Naylor, a former National Park Service (NPS) superintendent who worked for the agency for 31 years, said she was troubled by the idea of rangers being tasked with arresting migrants instead of protecting the parks where they work. “My concern is sending rangers from parks that are already understaffed specifically to work with border patrol in areas that are outside the mission of the National Park Service,” she said. “This potentially puts visitors at risk, certainly resources at risk, in the parks they are leaving.” Since the fiscal year 2011, the National Park Service has seen an 11% reduction in staff while experiencing a 19% increase in visitation. Trump’s proposed 2020 budget, which includes considerable increases in border security spending, cuts the NPS budget cut by $481m. “This is coming at a time when national parks are experiencing the most significant staff and funding shortages in American history,” said Laiken Jordahl, borderlands campaigner for the Center for Biological Diversity who previously worked for the NPS for two years. “It’s a publicity stunt with genuine consequences.” The “pilot” program was initially set to last just 90 days but has been extended into the fall of 2020, according to High Country News. Federal officials have been tight-lipped about the number of rangers taking part in three-week rotations at national parks on the border. The NPS declined to provide the number of rangers reassigned to these duties since 2018 to the Guardian.. “The National Park Service continues to support our federal partners by deploying law enforcement personnel to Department of the Interior managed lands along the southern border,” said a spokesperson. “Due to operational security, we will not be disclosing any additional information about our officers assisting in the operations.” A recent investigation by USA Today found that numerous parks are involved in the program, including the Great Smoky Mountains national park in North Carolina, Wrangell-St Elias national park in Alaska, the National Mall in Washington DC, and Zion national park. Andrew Fitzgerald, deputy chief ranger at Zion national park, confirmed to the Guardian that they would be sending three rangers to the border by the end of the year for three-week rotations. Critics have questioned the efficacy of these rotations, because while national park law enforcement rangers are trained to enforce federal laws, they are not necessarily well versed in the complexities of immigration enforcement. “This new directive rotates rangers from places like the National Mall, Redwood Park and Yosemite,” said Jorhdahl, referring to national parks not located along the border. “They are essentially sending people down there that have no idea how to do the job.” Naylor said that “rangers are exceptionally well trained”. The problem is of a different kind. Rangers are commonly redeployed from one park to another to deal with a crisis – a fire, for instance. “Whether sending them [rangers] to the border meets that need, that criterion – well, I would question that,” she said. | null | http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DrudgeReportFeed/~3/7pqIAvdVcoU/trump-deploys-park-rangers-patrol-mexican-border | Wed, 04 Dec 2019 00:16:37 GMT | 1,575,436,597 | 1,575,418,665 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
157,436 | eveningstandard--2019-01-03--Brexit deal latest Backbench threat to stop ministersapos pay if they allow no deal | 2019-01-03T00:00:00 | eveningstandard | Brexit deal latest: Backbench threat to stop ministers' pay if they allow no deal | MPs are threatening to block Cabinet ministers’ salaries if the Government ignores the Commons and allows a no-deal Brexit, it was revealed today. Writing in tonight’s Standard, former minister Chris Leslie says Parliament must “show its teeth” to force ministers to take heed of the majority of MPs opposing a no-deal exit from the EU. The warning came as dredgers began work in Ramsgate under emergency plans to upgrade the Kent harbour into a freight port if the Prime Minister’s deal fails to get through. Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay this morning talked up the risk of a no-deal departure, saying it will be “far more likely” if MPs refuse to support Theresa May’s withdrawal agreement, which is due to be voted on in the week beginning January 14. Mr Barclay was due to chair a meeting in Whitehall of junior ministers responsible for emergency planning, and also announced that information packs would start going out shortly to the public on how to cope. The Prime Minister was back at No 10 this morning after spending her Christmas break phoning EU leaders in the hope of securing a “clarification” to the controversial backstop plan that has provoked a major rebellion by Tory MPs and her DUP allies. Mrs May spoke to German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Christmas Eve, and again yesterday, but sources played down the chances of a breakthrough in time for next week’s debate. Former attorney general Dominic Grieve warned against any further delay to the vote, saying: “It’s only when we have resolved the acceptability or otherwise of this deal that we can properly decide on other options. There is no evidence that the deal is any different to what the Government put forward in December.” The idea of postponing the vote was pressed by David Davis, the former Brexit Secretary, who argued in The Daily Telegraph that “the more we prepare to leave the EU without a deal, the more likely a good deal becomes.” Mr Leslie, a former shadow chancellor, said there would be guerilla warfare in the Commons if Mrs May tried to “play for time” after being defeated and refused to let Parliament explore alternative plans such as a second referendum. “If ministers show contempt for Commons resolutions, MPs should simply refuse to supply the money to pay all ministerial salaries,” he said. “And that would be just the start. It is time for Parliament to show its teeth.” | JOE MURPHY | https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/brexit-deal-latest-backbench-threat-to-stop-ministers-pay-if-they-allow-no-deal-a4029631.html | 2019-01-03 11:35:00+00:00 | 1,546,533,300 | 1,567,554,070 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
160,503 | eveningstandard--2019-01-21--Brexit news Crashing out of the EU with no deal would bring aposabsolute disasterapos to UK bu | 2019-01-21T00:00:00 | eveningstandard | Brexit news: Crashing out of the EU with no deal would bring 'absolute disaster' to UK, business minister warns May | A business minister broke ranks today to warn Theresa May that the Government must “do our duty” to stop the “absolute disaster” of Britain crashing out of the European Union with no deal. In a startling attack on his Tory colleagues, including International Trade Secretary Liam Fox, Richard Harrington slammed the “sham of pretend trade agreements which have not happened yet”. Rejecting Brexiteers’ claims that no deal would not damage businesses, he said that car plants could close and that the Government’s own analyses of leaving the EU in such a chaotic way “bring more than shivers”. “I’m not prepared to sell business down the river for other people’s political dogma,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. Meanwhile business chiefs said Brexit was already costing the UK billions. They pleaded with the Prime Minister to rule out “no deal” as many firms are now having to escalate emergency plans to cope with a departure from the EU in just weeks. “Time is running out to avoid a chaotic ‘no deal’ Brexit that would be catastrophic for the economy,” said Stephen Jones, chief executive of UK Finance, which represents about 300 firms in the Square Mile. Insurers have had to move 20 million contracts out of the UK to the EU, as well as setting up 31 subsidiaries on the other side of the Channel or in Ireland, to minimise the Brexit blow. One insurance firm alone has spent £300 million on Brexit preparations, and the 10 biggest banks are reported to have been left with a £1 billion bill. Huw Evans, director general of the Association of British Insurers, said: “The cost of Brexit uncertainty is being felt across our world-leading insurance sector.” Mike Cherry, national chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, said only 14 per cent of smaller businesses have planned for a “no deal” scenario. “Over the past few months, we’ve seen small business confidence plummet to its lowest levels since the wake of the financial crash,” he said. Allie Renison, head of Europe and trade policy at the Institute of Directors, said: “With no deal still the default option, many firms are forced to invest in costly contingency planning, and the majority of those making plans have ramped them up in response to the failed vote on the Withdrawal Agreement. “This is particularly an issue for manufacturing and agrifood, as the profit margins are often smaller than financial services, and require more physical changes in terms of moving production or buying up warehousing space for customs purposes.” Catherine McGuinness, policy chairwoman at the City of London Corporation, said: “Continuing uncertainty about whether a Brexit deal that delivers a transition period will be secured has meant firms across the sector have had to continue planning for a no-deal departure, even if it means racking up large costs that may ultimately be unnecessary.” Mr Harrington is one of many ministers ready to resign if the Government adopts a “no deal” policy. “Crashing out in my view is an absolute disaster … it’s not a road to a free trade agreement, it’s not a road to anything,” he said. “It’s supported by a minority of a minority of people. The Prime Minister does not support it. “She should in my view say ‘we are responsible people. we are going to do our duty to business and we are going to rule out a no-deal because we want a great deal’.” His greatest fears are not over drug shortages or planes not flying if Britain leaves with no deal, but the impact on thousands of firms with tariffs and other trade barriers. “I’m afraid of Jaguar closing, Mini closing, the life sciences industry closing … because we would have no agreement that represents the way these businesses are integrated today,” Mr Harrington said. Cabinet minister Mr Fox admitted at the weekend that many of 40 trade agreements that should be ready on March 29 may not be done in time. Brexiteers believe that Britain could leave on World Trade Organisation terms, and strike a free trade deal afterwards, but Mr Harrington said: “The WTO is a last-resort position. It’s not for trading between some of the most sophisticated and complex economies in the world.” | JOE MURPHY, NIcholas Cecil | https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/brexit-news-latest-crashing-out-of-the-eu-with-no-deal-would-bring-absolute-disaster-to-uk-business-a4044631.html | 2019-01-21 11:54:00+00:00 | 1,548,089,640 | 1,567,551,486 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
183,638 | eveningstandard--2019-09-04--New Zealand crash Five tourists killed after tour bus crashes on motorway near Rotorua | 2019-09-04T00:00:00 | eveningstandard | New Zealand crash: Five tourists killed after tour bus crashes on motorway near Rotorua | Five tourists have been killed after a bus crashed on a motorway in New Zealand. A coach carrying 27 people rolled over on a motorway on the North Island under rainy skies. At least five tourists from China died in the tragedy. There are reports the ambassador to New Zealand is heading to the scene of the deaths. The crash happened just outside Rotorua, a destination popular with visitors for its hot pools and volcanic activity. Emergency services in New Zealand said the crash happened at around 11.20am local time (12.20 am BST). Police confirmed five people have died, and that 27 people were on the bus. St John’s ambulance service said it sent five helicopters to the scene on the State Highway 5. The Chinese embassy in New Zealand’s capital Wellington confirmed that Chinese nationals were on the crashed bus. Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported that the country's embassy in New Zealand has launched an emergency plan following the crash. Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick told the Rotorua Daily Post: “At the request of the police, Rotorua Lakes Council is providing any welfare assistance needed for passengers who were not injured. “That could include anything from providing food and translation services to liaising with accommodation providers and enabling them to contact family. "This is a police-led operation and council staff, under the direction of civil defence staff, are assisting as required." | Tim Baker | https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/new-zealand-crash-five-tourists-killed-after-tour-bus-crashes-on-motorway-near-rotorua-a4228421.html | 2019-09-04 05:22:00+00:00 | 1,567,588,920 | 1,569,331,407 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
187,552 | eveningstandard--2019-10-31--Evening Standard comment: The scary things that aren't happening today | 2019-10-31T00:00:00 | eveningstandard | Evening Standard comment: The scary things that aren't happening today | A lot of things were supposed to happen today. Most of them aren’t. We aren’t leaving the European Union. We aren’t about to suffer no-deal. We aren’t being issued with commemorative devalued 50 pence coins and this morning the M20 through Kent was running smoothly, rather than preparing to become the world’s longest lorry park. Nor are there riots in the streets by people who feel their vote for Brexit has been betrayed, as some claimed there would be. One Cabinet minister warned of a “violent, popular uprising” and there were rumours of an emergency plan to evacuate the Queen. Instead people are more interested in deciding where to watch the rugby on Saturday. And of course the Prime Minister is not dead in a ditch, as he said he would be if Brexit didn’t happen. The closest to serious injury he has come today was on a visit to a hospital in Cambridge. And then there’s something else that hasn’t happened, as well — the collapse of support for the Conservative Party for failing to do what it promised. Instead, as our poll today shows , it has a 17-point lead over Labour, with the Prime Minister’s personal approval ratings climbing even as respect for Jeremy Corbyn falls further. This may not mean people actually like the Government or the man running it. Only 18 per cent of voters think the Government is doing a good job, including only a third of Conservatives. Most people think the country will get poorer next year. The flight of centre-ground Conservative MPs, including many women, may be followed by the flight of centre-ground voters, especially in London. When Iain Duncan Smith says “we are the Brexit party now because there is no other space for us to occupy”, he thinks it’s good news. Wiser Conservatives might see the peril that lies in narrow isolationism: in 2016 four out of 10 Tory supporters voted Remain, after all. But for now Mr Johnson will be happy and Mr Corbyn should be scared. Yes, Labour’s poll rating was awful at the start of the 2017 election and it recovered. But he’s even less popular now, the Lib Dems are stronger and he’s not facing Theresa May. It’s his fault. His fault that Jewish voters fear anti-Semitism. His fault that the scandalous MP Keith Vaz is attempting to stand again despite being suspended from the Commons for six months. His fault that Labour is running with a leader many of his MPs privately do not think is fit to be PM. Meanwhile, one thing definitely is happening today: Halloween. And this election year there really are reasons to be scared. Gerry’s Pompeii is a one-bedroom apartment in a house in Westbourne Park, where an autodidact Irishman, Gerard Dalton, devoted more than 30 years to creating models of stately homes and castles, and his idiosyncratic clay figures of various notables. Some of them form a startling waterfront feature on the Grand Union Canal. He died this year, and his admirers including artists and museum directors have written to the Genesis/Notting Hill Housing Trust to ask that they allow a grace period of three to six months before disposing of the property. During that time they can decide how to preserve the collection, perhaps — if the needs of the neighbours are met — by buying the apartment and creating a community museum. This is a modest ask, and the Trust should say yes. Creating a fantastical kingdom out of a one-bedroom London flat is a feat that deserves reward. The report of the Grenfell fire inquiry has exposed stories of mismanagement and also heroics. One of them involves a gas engineer, Jason Allday, who, with his team, fought to cut off the supply, twice entering the building to do so. He is praised for “inspirational leadership”: a hero among the flames. New: Daily podcast from the Evening Standard Subscribe to The Leader on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast or your chosen podcast provider. New episodes every weekday from 4pm. | EVENING STANDARD COMMENT | https://www.standard.co.uk/comment/comment/evening-standard-comment-the-scary-things-that-aren-t-happening-today-a4275316.html | Thu, 31 Oct 2019 11:27:00 GMT | 1,572,535,620 | 1,572,545,075 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
219,230 | freedombunker--2019-01-22--My Employer Tried to Steal From Me | 2019-01-22T00:00:00 | freedombunker | “My Employer Tried to Steal From Me” | When Derek Sanchez was fired, the company he worked for owed him money. Derek doesn’t like to go into specifics. But he says the amount was somewhere in the region of $80,000-90,000. Unfortunately, his former employers, who were notoriously cutthroat, had no intention of paying him what they owed. When they kicked his butt to the curb, without warning, they tried to force him to accept 20% of the sum owed and sign a contract saying he would not pursue payment any further. This is a common tactic used by soulless megacorps. They bank on a couple of weeks of unemployment taking the fight out of the employee and forcing them to give in. If Derek couldn’t find a job immediately, he’d have to accept their offer just to keep the wolves from the door. But Derek was nobody’s fool. He had a plan. “I hired a lawyer and sued,” says Derek. “And in the meantime, my wife and I lived off our emergency fund. We did that for about two months until I was able to find a new job… it was a better paying job too!” Derek estimates they only used about 20% of their emergency fund before he got hired again. And 10 months after he was fired, he won his case and received the full payment from his former employers. “If we didn’t have that emergency fund, we wouldn’t have been able to hold out,” says Derek. “We wouldn’t have been able to hire the lawyer. We would have been screwed. We would have had to take the 20% and it would have been all gone by the time I got back to work.” As a reader of Money & Crisis, you know the importance of a robust emergency fund. (In fact, it’s step two of our financial emergency plan. You can find step one here.) This means that more than half the country is woefully unprepared for a personal financial crisis, let alone a total economic collapse. It also means that if you can hit two simple savings milestones, you will be financially more secure than almost 70% of the country. If you’re sticking to the 50/30/20 budget plan, this first milestone is easily achievable. You need $1,000–1,200 cash, in twenties, kept in a secure location at your home. This cash on hand can be a lifesaver. You can save a little more if you wish, but this should be enough to get you through most emergencies in which cash isn’t readily available — for example, if there’s a run on the banks or they are shut down entirely. Keep the cash hidden in a covert safe, like an electrical panel with a hidden safe or a false vent safe. Note: As with any on-site valuables or home security features, you should keep this information to yourself. I trust my neighbors but I play my cards close to my chest just the same. You’d be surprised how quickly information can travel in a community. If you’ve ever lost a job, and had to switch gears from your full earning power to zero in a day, you know just how important this second tier of savings is. The specific amount required will differ depending on your situation, but generally, I recommend saving the equivalent of six-to-eight months’ income. Derek had six month’s pay saved away and that allowed him to take his time when looking for a new job and find a better paying position with a reputable company. And that’s the beauty of a robust emergency fund. It’s versatility. It can be a cushion when times are tough. It can buy you time to make the right decision. And it’s the perfect buffer for unseen emergency costs like healthcare or auto repairs. As we head into the choppy waters of 2019, now is the time to make sure you have your fund well-stocked. All the best, P.S. Governments around the world are secretly preparing an alternative strategy for the next big crisis: a lockdown. The global elite has already started making their own preparations, including hoarding cash and hard assets. It will be the average investor who suffers most — unless you act now. New York Times bestselling author Jim Rickards pulls back the curtain on this global collusion in his new book The Road to Ruin: The Global Elites’ Secret Plan for the Next Financial Crisis. And for a limited time, Jim is giving away free copies to readers of Money & Crisis. In this groundbreaking tell-all, Jim reveals the powerful strategies you can use to protect your money and your family from the coming crisis. Click here and enter your address to claim your free copy now. In light of recent events, there isn’t a better time than now to take Jim up on his offer. The post “My Employer Tried to Steal From Me” appeared first on Laissez Faire. | Owen Sullivan | http://freedombunker.com/2019/01/22/my-employer-tried-to-steal-from-me/ | 2019-01-22 21:16:13+00:00 | 1,548,209,773 | 1,567,551,295 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
227,687 | globalresearch--2019-01-29--The Experimental PolyMet Copper Sulfide Mine in Minnesota the St Louis River Lake Superior and th | 2019-01-29T00:00:00 | globalresearch | The Experimental PolyMet Copper Sulfide Mine in Minnesota, the St Louis River, Lake Superior, and the Recent Brazilian Environmental Catastrophes | “ALL tailings ‘ponds’ are a problem. If they don’t breach and spill massive amounts of toxic sludge into the environment like at Mount Polley, they leach that contamination slowly, poisoning the waters and lands (and aquifers) around them for centuries.” – (Council of Canadians) The two most recent Brazilian open-pit mine “accidents” that will be discussed in this extended-length Duty to Warn column, will probably require close to a trillion dollar death and disability benefits for just the following two categories: 1) the hundreds of dead and wounded miners (and their grieving families); and 2) the massive amounts of property damaged that was owned by the thousands of government and private owners whose roads, bridges, homes, land, lives and health that were destroyed or damaged after the deluge – all the way to the coast. Carefully study the photos below and visualize the St Louis River. These realities invite the following questions for families of miners and property-owners downstream from the proposed PolyMet copper/nickel mine tailings lagoon that is supposed to be built at the headwaters of the St Louis River in northern Minnesota: Question # 1: Did the two Brazilian mining companies Samarco and Vale and the multinational mining corporation BHP Billiton plc have sufficiently large escrow accounts to cover the compensation costs that will be owed to the 200 – 300 families whose head-of-household miners drowned in agony on January 25, 2019? Question # 2: Is the MN DNR, the MN PCA, the MN Chambers of Commerce and the MN State Government requiring the foreign mining companies PolyMet, Glencore and Antofagasta to put aside sufficient escrow money to cover the hundreds of billions of dollars that would be required to pay for all the costs of similar mining disasters in Minnesota that could very easily Question # 3: Would a trillion-dollar escrow account even be enough to cover the potential damages from a serious PolyMet dam failure that reaches Lake Superior? Question # 4: Should Wisconsin, Michigan and Ontario have a say in what happens to Lake Superior because of the short-sighted plans of Minnesota’s lawmakers and bureaucrats? Following are some historical and current event’s lessons for starry-eyed Minnesota politicians, bureaucrats, investors and wannabe copper miners who have been expertly bamboozled by PolyMet and assorted other foreign non-ferrous mining corporations to ignore the huge risks involved in inviting a foreign, penny stock mining corporation to dig an experimental mine in our pristine wilderness for the sake of a few hundred temporary mining jobs. Read on to better understand the well-concealed risks and recall that corporations only have a fiduciary duty to make as much money as possible for their shareholders. They only consider the long-term environmental damage that they will leave behind if and when there is a significant possibility of serious legal ramifications. Residents of the dozen or so river towns that are located on or near the banks of northern Minnesota’s reasonably healthy St Louis River need to be aware of the solemn warnings in this column. Those river towns include, in descending order from north to south: Hoyt Lakes, Aurora, Meadowlands, Floodwood, Brookston, Cloquet, Scanlon, Carlton, Thomson, Wrenshall, Duluth and Superior (WI). I think most residents of and visitors to Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Ontario understand the importance of leaving behind to the next generation a healthy, drinkable, fishable and swimmable Lake Superior. Hopefully readers will pay attention to the information presented here, and then do what they can to oppose the dangerous PolyMet project. Even state-of-the-art mine tailings ponds that use earthen dams like the one proposed for PolyMet’s mine waste lagoon, are subject to liquification, overtopping, rain deluges, earthquakes and therefore sudden dam wall breaches that can destroy for a generation or more every living thing – including fish – in the watershed downstream. Even tributaries can be both polluted in the sudden sludge surge that can temporarily reverse the flow of a creek or river. If the toxic sludge enters a lake, the bottom will become permanently too toxic for spawning or bottom feeding, and future thermocline changes can renew the poisoning of the lake over and over again. Multinational mining corporations have poisoned environments – sometimes gradually, sometimes catastrophically – wherever on the planet they have extracted minerals or petroleum– NO EXCEPTIONS. And the worst examples of pollution have happened in water-rich environments like Minnesota. Giant multinational mining corporations like Vale, BHP Billiton plc and Samarco (each of which have extensive mining operations in Brazil) have again demonstrated to the world that they can’t be trusted; for on January 25, 2019, these conscienceless corporations have perpetrated another environmental catastrophe on Brazil. This time the company’s miners and mine workers were the ones that suffered the most. Looking at the photos below will make it clear why this one was far more lethal than the Samarco disaster in 2015 that was called the worst environmental catastrophe in the history of Brazil. Read on and come to the realization that similar disasters could easily happen to whomever and whatever happens to be downstream from the proposed PolyMet/NorthMet/Glencore sulfuric acid-producing copper/nickel mine whose earthen tailings pond is scheduled to rise to an eventually unstable height of 250 feet!! Important parts of northern Minnesota could easily be poisoned irreparably, despite what the starry-eyed, bamboozled and/or possibly paid off politicians who haven’t thought through all of the long-term consequences of their votes and law-making efforts. Mining-related industries spend lavish amounts of advertising money for propaganda purposes. PolyMet has also spent a lot of money on advertising in local and regional media outlets, thus creating loyal mouthpieces of those that accept that money. One example is the fact that PolyMet was a major sponsor of the Minnesota state hockey tournament for the last couple of years. A PolyMet employee once held an important position in the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. Even admired, well-meaning Minnesota legislators like Klobuchar, Smith, Stauber, Nolan and many others, whether GOP or DFL, has experienced some level of corporate influence – including campaign “contributions” from the paymasters of the mining industry. The high potential for sudden environmental catastrophes similar to Mount Polley (British Columbia 2014), Brazil’s Samarco mine (Brazil 2015), and now the Brumadinho mine (Brazil 2019)) – plus a hundred others since major multinational mining corporations began their global mineral extractions on a mass scale a century ago. There have been at least four disastrous tailings lagoon failures just in the Minas Gerais region of Brazil over the past 20 years. There are over 750 tailings dams in that province alone, and 40 of them are considered to be at high risk of liquifying and rupturing. Even the so-called “state-of-the-art” mining corporations like Vale and BHP Billiton plc have no reliable method of preventing aging or otherwise endangered earthen dam walls from failing their purpose in holding back toxic liquid mine waste for an eternity. The photo below is the mouth of the Rio Doce River (as it enters the Atlantic Ocean), photographed a few days after the dam breach killed every fish in the river. The fish died of both asphyxiation and poisoning because of the massive and sudden toxicity of the toxic mine waste from 300 miles upstream on that fateful day on November 5, 2015. The poisoned water rapidly flowed into the ocean and the previously lucrative fishing industry was destroyed. Commercial fishing in the vicinity of the Rio Doce is still forbidden by governmental decree three years later partly because the flesh of the surviving, sickened fish is still poisonous. It shouldn’t be necessary to point out to intelligent politicians, voters, fishermen and visitors that appreciate a clean St Louis River that something very similar could easily happen to Lake Superior. Every sovereign state (Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan), every sovereign indigenous nation and every sovereign Canadian province that regards Lake Superior as either sacred or simply a valuable resource needs to demand that Minnesota’s Governor Walz, Wisconsin’s Governor Emmers, the elected representatives in both political parties in both states and particularly the non-elected bureaucrats in the DNR, the PCA, the US Forest Service, the IRRRB and the Chambers of Commerce put an emergency hold on all the permits that have previously granted permission for PolyMet and Glencore to proceed with their dangerous plans. The mine waste-contaminated mouth of Brazil’s Rio Doce, once a healthy fishery, as it enters the Atlantic Ocean (which remains contaminated after 3 years). (This is what could happen to Lake Superior if the earthen wall of PolyMet’s tailings lagoon suddenly liquifies, over-tops and collapses) The remainder of the column summarizes early news item from around the world (except in northern Minnesota) reporting on what happened in Brazil’s mine country a few days ago. Some of the reports have helpfully made the connections to the earlier, equally catastrophic – but far less lethal – tailings lagoon collapse three years ago. The Brazilian mining company Vale was the part owner of both mines. 200 of the 300 mining employees that were on-site at the time of the earthen dam collapse are missing (and presumed drowned) after the tailings dam of the Brazilian mining company Vale suddenly dissolved and catastrophically emptied A demolished home lies in ruins after a dam collapsed near Brumadinho, Brazil the day after the dam failure Officials say some 200 people are missing near the southeast Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte after a tailings dam owned by a mining company (Vale) collapsed Friday, unleashing a torrent of muddy waste and debris. The mayor of Brumadinho, where the dam is located, said seven bodies had already been recovered and that he expects the death toll to rise. The dam is owned by the mining giant Vale, which also operates a nearby iron ore mine. Vale’s CEO, Fábio Schvartsman, said roughly 300 workers were on site at the time of the rupture and that at least two-thirds of them are unaccounted for. Video footage from the site showed a helicopter rescue crew hovering over a wide field of reddish-brown mud, struggling to pull victims free. The river of sludge forced the evacuation of some residents. This local TV footage shows a rescue mission. In a statement, Vale confirmed the dam breach at the Feijão Mine in Minas Gerais state. It’s not clear why the dam ruptured. “The first information indicates that the tailings had reached the companies administrative area and part of the Vila Ferteco community,” it said. Schvartsman has apologized for the disaster, calling it “unacceptable,” according to the Brazilian newspaper O Globo. He said that the dam was stable but in the process of being decommissioned. The company says it has initiated its “emergency plan for dams.” Before and after photos of the area show a wide expanse of trees, fields, roads and buildings leveled by the river of sludge. Rescuers worked overnight into Saturday searching for around 300 people missing after a dam collapse at a mine in southeast Brazil killed at least nine, but the local governor said “odds are minimal” that the missing 300 would be found alive. What’s left of the Vale mining company’s administrative buildings, a processing plant and assorted missing company buildings, including the company cafeteria and the barracks where hundreds of miners had been housed The tailings dam, owned by Brazilian mining giant Vale, broke apart “very violently, very suddenly,” sending a massive torrent of mud over the complex where 300 mine employees were working. Seven bodies were recovered Friday hours after the disaster, which saw a torrent of mud break through the disused dam at the iron-ore mine close to the city of Belo Horizonte, in the state of Minas Gerias, around 1:00 pm. (The tailings lagoon had apparently been decommissioned in 2014.) By early Saturday the official death toll had risen to nine, with “nearly 300 people missing,” the local firefighters said, doubling the number of people presumed missing from the previous toll. Up to 150 of those missing worked in the company’s administrative offices which were closest to the dam break, the firefighters said. The mine is owned by Vale, a Brazilian mining giant that was involved in a previous 2015 mine collapse in the same state that claimed 19 lives and is regarded as the country’s worst-ever environmental disaster. Vale shares plummeted on the new accident, losing eight percent in New York trading. Romeu Zema, the governor of Minas Gerais, told reporters that, while all was being done to find survivors, “from now, the odds are minimal and it is most likely we will recover only bodies.” His regional administration said 427 people had been working at the Vale mine at the time of the dam collapse, and 279 were recovered alive. The others were listed as missing. The massive, muddy flow from the collapse barreled towards the nearby town of Brumadinho, population 39,000, but did not hit it directly. Instead, it carved its way across roads, vegetation and farmland, taking down a bridge, and damaging or destroying homes. Emptied-out tailings lagoon (upper left), a still-intact, water/sludge-filled tailings lagoon (lower left) – and the downstream destruction represented in the entire upper half of the photo Television images showed people being pulled out of waist-high mud into rescue helicopters, dozens of which were in use by late Friday because of the cut-off land access. Brazil’s new government, led by President Jair Bolsonaro, reacted to its first big emergency since taking office early this month by launching disaster coordination between the defense, mining and environment ministries and authorities in the affected state of Minas Gerais. Bolsonaro and his defense minister were scheduled to fly over the zone on Saturday. His environment minister raced to the area late Friday. “Where are our relatives?” wailed Raquel Cristina, one of several people demanding information about their missing kin in the mud-hit area. “My five-year-old nephew is asking me if his dad died. What do I tell him?” asked another, Olivia Rios. Officials said they were working through the night, conscious of the precious hours ticking away. Around 100 fire fighters were deployed, some using earth-moving machinery to dig down to engulfed dwellings. Would-be rescue volunteers were warned away because of the slippery, perilous piles of mud. Media were urged not to use drones to avoid collisions with the helicopters. Vale CEO Fabio Schvartsman called the incident a “human tragedy” and was resigned to more deaths being confirmed at his company’s mine. “We’re talking about probably a large number of victims — we don’t know how many, but we know it will be a high number,” he told a media conference in Rio de Janeiro. Schvartsman, who had his two-year term renewed last month by Vale’s board of directors, said it was an “inactive dam” (that was in the process of being decommissioned) that burst apart “very violently, very suddenly.” Its contents — tailings, or mining byproducts mixed with water — cascaded into another dam, which also overflowed, he said. The disaster recalled the 2015 dam break near Mariana, in Minas Gerais. That accident released millions of tons of toxic iron mining waste along hundreds of kilometers. Vale was joint operator of that dam, along with the Anglo-Australian group BHP Billiton. The Brazil office of Greenpeace, the environmental activist group, said Friday’s dam break was “a sad consequence of the lessons not learned by the Brazilian government and the mining companies.” It said the incidents “are not accidents but environmental crimes that must be investigated,punished and repaired.” View of toxic sludge in a large river – showing a tributary to the right where the sludge presumably moved upstream momentarily against the flow (note the fresh blue water – right upper corner of photo) An aerial view shows a destroyed bridge after a dam collapsed in Brumadinho, Brazil No signs of any of the remains of this dam, signifying the power of the deluge Totally washed-out highway that may have once crossed a small river Sludge has obliterated a highway – and much more Searching for bodies downstream from the mine tailings pond breach Brazilian Mining Company Pays Out $6.2 Billion for 2015 Environmental Disaster (and will be paid out over 15 years) Satellite image from 12 November 2015, one week after the Samarco mine disaster Part of a destroyed village that was downstream from Brazil’s Samarco Mine in 2015 Samarco delegates signed the agreement in Brasilia, the capital of Brazil. The owners and operators of an iron ore mine where a burst dam flattened a village, killed 19 people and caused “the biggest environmental disaster in the history of Brazil,” settled with the government Wednesday for US$6.2 billion a year after the disaster. The company is co-owned by Brazil’s Vale iron ore giant and the foreign-owned Anglo-Australian BHP Billiton, the world’s biggest mining company. President Dilma Rousseff said the settlement would help heal “a tragedy without precedent.” The funds, which will go toward social and environmental damages, will be paid out over 15 years. The Nov. 5 accident near Mariana in Minas Gerais state began when a tailings dam at Samarco’s mine failed, unleashing a flood of polluted water and mud into the River Doce, one of the most important rivers in Brazil. A village was destroyed, drinking water supplies for hundreds of thousands of people were interrupted and damage extended to the mouth of the river on the Atlantic coast, with wildlife, tourism businesses and fishing communities all suffering. Seven people have been accused of murder over the catastrophe. Contaminated river in Brazil, 2015 (presumably the Rio Doce) – note the large number of floating uprooted logs from the upstream tailings dam breach The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said last November that the mud spill released from a dam collapse at an iron ore mine in Brazil earlier this month is in fact toxic, debunking claims by the mine’s operator that the mud was “chemically stable.” Before and after satellite photos of the Atlantic Ocean showing toxic sludge from the Samarco dam collapse near the port of Regência – DigitalGlobe/Google Citing “new evidence,” the U.N. human rights agency said in a statement the residue “contained high levels of toxic heavy metals and other toxic chemicals.” “The scale of the environmental damage is the equivalent of 20,000 Olympic swimming pools of toxic mud waste contaminating the soil, rivers and water system of an area covering over 850 kilometers,” the U.N. agency’s special rapporteur John Knox said in the statement. Brazil’s Globo TV reported that a previously unpublished document revealed that Samarco management had known that there were safety risks at the mine since 2013, including knowledge of the danger that the dam could burst. The Samarco mine environmental disaster is being called the worst in Brazil’s history. Note to readers: please click the share buttons above. Forward this article to your email lists. Crosspost on your blog site, internet forums. etc. Since his retirement from his holistic mental health practice, Dr Kohls has been writing the weekly Duty to Warn column for the Duluth Reader, Minnesota’s premier alternative newsweekly magazine. His columns, which have been re-published all around the world for the last decade, deal with a variety of justice issues, including the dangers of copper/nickel sulfide mining in water-rich northeast Minnesota, Many of his columns have been archived at a number of websites, including the following four: | Dr. Gary G. Kohls | https://www.globalresearch.ca/the-experimental-polymet-copper-sulfide-mine-in-minnesota-the-st-louis-river-lake-superior-and-the-recent-brazilian-environmental-catastrophes/5666738 | 2019-01-29 07:06:05+00:00 | 1,548,763,565 | 1,567,550,349 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
228,416 | globalresearch--2019-03-13--Venezuela Suspend Debt Repayments and Create an Emergency Humanitarian Fund | 2019-03-13T00:00:00 | globalresearch | Venezuela: Suspend Debt Repayments and Create an Emergency Humanitarian Fund | There is no doubt that Donald Trump’s policies, those of the Lima group [1] and the European powers who seek to impose the usurper Juan Guaidó as President of Venezuela and do not hesitate to interfere in order to succeed, must be opposed. As usual, Washington and its allies are announcing a humanitarian crisis as a pretext for the threat of military intervention in a country that has important quantities of natural resources that they seek to grab. The trick is cheap and must be shown up for what it is. All the more so, that the mainstream media are conniving to prepare public opinion for this possibility. The situation is presented in the starkest of terms: a catastrophic dictatorial regime refuses to allow humanitarian aid to reach its needy population; whereas the self-proclaimed new President wants freedom for his people and calls for international help to release the aid that is blocked at the frontier, to the population. This false and misleading image of the situation must be denounced. The Maduro regime is not a dictatorship: opponents may express themselves and call demonstrations, and President Maduro was elected by direct suffrage against opposing candidates. At the same time it is clear that the level of democracy enjoyed in Venezuela during the period that Hugo Chavez was President has withered: when the Maduro government decided to call an election to create a new constituent assembly, the procedure used by Hugo Chavez was not applied. There was no referendum to decide if a general election in order to elect a new constituent assembly was required; the choice of candidates to the assembly was made under pressure from the party and from Maduro. Over the last few years several popular demonstrations have been repressed. On the other hand, one must not go to the other extreme and hold that what is happening in Venezuela is solely because of manipulation by foreign enemies of the Bolivarian process. Of course the measures taken by Trump since 2017, and the previous less aggressive measures by Obama, [2] cause great difficulties to the authorities and the economy of the country. There is however a measure of responsibility of the Maduro government and the new Bolivarian bourgeoisie that has emerged and prospered in the wake of the new government and President Maduro’s PSUV party. The root of the problems goes back a long way. Beyond the discourse of “21st Century Socialism”, no real anti-capitalist measures were ever taken in Venezuela and the government largely allowed the local capitalist class to maintain its control over the industrial, financial and distribution sectors of the economy. A large space was also left open to big foreign capital from the US, Canada, Russia, China and Brazil. The effort to diversify the economy was insufficiently developed, so the country has remained heavily dependent on oil and raw material exports. Public participation in policy making was also insufficient and a new sector of privileged bourgeois parasites has appeared, known as the “Boli-bourgeoisie”. [3] A previous article published on 28 January 2019, five days after Juan Guaidó proclaimed himself President in place of Maduro, [4] made several criticisms: These are serious criticisms and they cannot be left unanswered. At the same time, it is absolutely certain that the proposals made by Juan Guaidó and his supporters are not compatible with the needs of Venezuela and of maintaining its sovereignty. Guiado wants to facilitate the exploitation of the country’s natural resources and manpower by local and foreign corporations. A victory by Guiado would mean Venezuela would sink into the debt system to the advantage of its domestic creditors (the old Establishment and the new Boli-bourgeoisie who purchased Venezuelan debt meaning to profit at the expense of the people) and foreign investors such as big American and European banks and Russian and Chinese corporations, to mention just a few. Guaidó would not end corruption nor the flight of capital or speculation on food and medicine prices. Guaidó represents the traditional idle rich Venezuelan Establishment who have never been interested in developing the Venezuelan economy and whose interests are the opposite to those of the vast majority of the people. An elite who is happy to export the country’s raw materials and import more or less everything else the country needs. An elite that is favourable to paying the foreign and domestic debt, as they are among the holders of the titles. But beyond all that, another fundamental factor needs to be taken into account: Guaidó’s attempted coup can succeed only if foreign powers intervene directly and succeed in buying off a part of the army (which Trump has made no bones about wanting to do) and fighting the remaining part. If the intervention now being prepared for is not halted, there will be dramatic consequences for the people of Venezuela, for the entire continent and internationally. The Latin American governments who are allied with Washington against Venezuela are ultra-reactionary. The very names of heads of state such as Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil, Mauricio Macri in Argentina, Iván Duque in Colombia, Jimmy Morales in Guatemala, Martín Vizcarra in Peru, Juan Carlos Varela in Panama and Sebastián Piñera in Chile are synonymous with reactionism. And of course the European powers, in a parade led by France, Germany, the UK and Spain, fearful that they might miss an opportunity to get a piece of Venezuela’s natural wealth, have rushed to get in line behind the United States and recognize Guaidó. The former colonial powers must be denounced for conducting such policies while at the same time not hesitating for a moment to lend their support to true dictatorships like that of Abdel Fattah el-Sissi in Egypt, Idriss Déby in Chad, and Mohammed Ben Salman in Saudi Arabia, who is killing the people of Yemen and had an opposition journalist literally butchered in his embassy in Istanbul. The government of the State of Israel, which is responsible for war crimes against the Palestinian people, also supports Guaidó. The dominant media repeat as if by rote that the “international community” supports Guaidó, without mentioning the fact that sixty countries have announced that they continue to recognize the Maduro government. Only fifty support Guaidó. Note that the Centre-Left governments of Mexico and Uruguay refuse to fall in line with the Lima Group countries and have offered to act as mediators – a fact very rarely mentioned in the press. For all these reasons, working-class political movements must refuse any contact with Guaidó and his backers. Guaidó must be unequivocally denounced and combated as a putschist, a representative of big capital and a traitor to the Venezuelan nation because he has called for armed intervention from Washington and its allies. And, faced with threats of a foreign intervention that is anything but imaginary, there is no other choice than to try to organize as broad a front as possible to oppose it. Of course, to avoid an escalation of the conflict, the two opposing camps must negotiate; but working-class political movements must refuse to meet with Guaidó, since he would only instrumentalize them to cloak himself with legitimacy. They must also maintain their autonomy and their ability to criticize the Maduro government. Faced with the various forms of aggression adopted by Washington and its allies, and in order to improve living conditions for the people of Venezuela, the Maduro government should apply the proposals made by the Venezuelan economist Simón Andrés Zúñiga in an article entitled “Venezuela: El bloqueo y pirateo de fondos obligan a una moratoria de la deuda” (“The blockade and the theft of government funds demand a debt moratorium” – also available in French. The author of the article begins by stating: The article proposes that “…against the Trojan horse of ‘humanitarian aid’ promoted by the US and its allies to justify violating and taking control of Venezuelan territory, while at the same time fraudulently blocking access to Venezuela’s sovereign deposits and assets, the government should organise a mobilisation of the people in solidarity, involving all organisations and communities, in order to meet priority health and nutritional needs as well as organise to resist the criminal siege. This should be done by means of a broad appeal for participation by all sectors in determining priorities for the use and control of existing resources. It would be an agenda of solidarity and support with broad popular participation, as opposed to the mendacious and cynical ‘humanitarian aid’ agenda.” The proposals contained in the balance of the article, which we can support, can be summed up roughly as follows. We have added certain items while keeping the content of the proposals intact. Obviously applying them would require a change of direction, and depends on the will as well as the ability of the people’s movements to make them their own and insist that they be applied. Unfortunately it seems improbable that they will take concrete form, but they do show that there is a way out of the humanitarian crisis. 1. Faced with the aggressive measures taken by foreign powers who have not hesitated to confiscate assets of the Republic of Venezuela deposited abroad and which are necessary for maintaining commercial exchanges, the government must declare a suspension of repayment of foreign debt. We would add that international law permits a country facing an emergency situation, for example a humanitarian crisis, to decree a unilateral moratorium on debt repayment (without accumulation of interest or late penalties). And since in addition Venezuela is faced with measures of the type taken unilaterally by Washington without consulting the UN, a unilateral act of suspension of debt repayment is all the more justified. 2. Rather than use its low reserves of hard currencies for repayment of the debt, the government must use them to meet the fundamental needs of the population. As Zúñiga puts it: “The health and nourishment of the people must take priority over repayment of foreign debt.” 3. The moratorium would be accompanied by an open, detailed public audit which, without doubt, would throw light on the numerous manoeuvres and illegal capital flight that have taken place under the protection of the private financial system and of some of the country’s authorities. 4. There are political and economic reasons and legal precedent for supporting a decision of this scope. Unilaterally declaring a moratorium on debt and conducting an audit would be proof of determination to put priorities back in the proper order. The priority use of the nation’s resources must not be to repay debt, but rather to improve the dramatic living conditions being endured by a large part of the population. By suspending repayment, the government of Venezuela would be in a position of strength in its relationship with its creditors. 5. The suspension of debt repayment would apply to all debts issued by the national government and by PDVSA [the Venezuelan state-owned oil and natural gas company]. 6. The implementation of an emergency plan for acquisition of food and medicines for the benefit of the population is inevitable. Simultaneously, financial resources must be invested in developing production of food and medicine at the national level. Priority must be given to local producers. 7. A solidarity plan for distributing medicines and care for persons suffering from serious diseases such as diabetes, cancer, renal failure, Parkinson’s disease and HIV/AIDS, among others, which require ongoing and stable treatment, must be implemented immediately. The same goes for the basic medicines needed by the population. A special effort must be made for the people of Amazonia, who are living with an epidemic of malaria. 8. The government and a front made up of forces opposed to foreign interference must take on this task massively, including both those affected and popular organisations. This inclusive and unifying strategy requires breaking with the culture of paternalism, mystification, clientelism and electoralism which characterises many countries, Venezuela among them. All forces that oppose foreign interference, without exception, must be called to unite. A popular mobilisation is possible and necessary, and if it is led by a broad front it can obtain immediate and effective results to ease the current health and nutritional emergency and the very real threat of outside intervention. 9. These measures and the necessary mobilization must and can be supported by a programme that will multiply resources in order to denounce the masquerade of the fake “humanitarian-aid” programme, which amounts to a miserable 20 million dollars. 10. In the case of certain medicines, the plan must overcome the dependence on importsand move towards producing basic medicines nationally. In that sector, the accent should be put not only on the finished products, but also on acquisition of the necessary active substances and on domestic production, which would promote the use of nationally-produced medicines instead of imported ones. 11. Eliminate the Ministry of Food and Nutrition, which has become an anarchic tangle of blind importations (and a haemorrhage of foreign currencies) and contributes to the destruction of domestic food production. The idea is to centralise policies for promoting and supporting the agricultural sector, both plant and animal, in one place. This entity must have a coherent, coordinated and complete vision of the agricultural sector. 12. Foreign trade must be publicly controlled and information on all transactions must be made transparent. 13. The Communal Councils [the basic structure of the country since 2006 [5]] must play a predominant role in agricultural production. In fact, certain Councils have brought about major improvements in productivity and political awareness. In another context, several of the proposals listed above had been put forward by the Venezuela Citizens’ Debt Audit Platform in 2016-2017. The platform proposed suspending repayment of the debt and conducting a public debt audit with citizen participation with the support of the Committee for the Abolition of Illegitimate Debt (CADTM) and the participation of social movements and citizen organizations. Paulino Núñez and Oly Millán Campos explain: “The goal is to determine what share of the debt is odious and illegitimate and therefore must be cancelled before any debt restructuring. Rather than giving priority to debt servicing by the government, the many health and nutrition problems the Venezuelan people are experiencing must be addressed.” Venezuela : la dette comme expression d’un modèle d’extraction de capitaux permanente et délictueuse (in French). CADTM members in Venezuela have been campaigning for 20 years for an audit of the debt, and since 2016-2017 have called for suspension of payment in the face of the humanitarian crisis affecting the majority of the country’s population. Given the seriousness of the situation of Venezuela’s people, there should be no hesitation in adopting the proposed suspension of debt repayment in order to create an emergency fund for purchase of medicines and foodstuffs. Note to readers: please click the share buttons below. Forward this article to your email lists. Crosspost on your blog site, internet forums. etc. Translation by Snake Arbusto, Vicki Briault and Mike Krolikowski pour le CADTM where this article was originally published. Eric Toussaint is a historian and political scientist who completed his Ph.D. at the universities of Paris VIII and Liège, is the spokesperson of the CADTM International, and sits on the Scientific Council of ATTAC France. He is the author of Bankocracy (2015); The Life and Crimes of an Exemplary Man (2014); Glance in the Rear View Mirror. Neoliberal Ideology From its Origins to the Present, Haymarket books, Chicago, 2012 (see here), etc. | Eric Toussaint | https://www.globalresearch.ca/venezuela-suspend-debt-repayments-create-emergency-humanitarian-fund/5671340 | 2019-03-13 14:25:24+00:00 | 1,552,501,524 | 1,567,546,384 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
230,347 | globalresearch--2019-08-05--Death and Extinction of the Bees The Role of Monsanto | 2019-08-05T00:00:00 | globalresearch | Death and Extinction of the Bees. The Role of Monsanto? | This article was originally published in March 2014. What has been the role of Monsanto in the loss of of the global honeybee population. It is only recently that this issue has been the object of mainstream media coverage. Scientists have recently reported that mass extinctions of marine animals may soon be occurring at alarmingly rapid rates than previously projected due to pollution, rising water temperatures and loss of habitat. Many land species also face a similar fate for the same reasons. But perhaps the biggest foreboding danger of all facing humans is the loss of the global honeybee population. The consequence of a dying bee population impacts man at the highest levels on our food chain, posing an enormously grave threat to human survival. Since no other single animal species plays a more significant role in producing the fruits and vegetables that we humans commonly take for granted yet require near daily to stay alive, the greatest modern scientist Albert Einstein once prophetically remarked, “Mankind will not survive the honeybees’ disappearance for more than five years.” Since 2006 beekeepers have been noticing their honeybee populations have been dying off at increasingly rapid rates. Subsequently researchers have been scrambling to come up with an accurate explanation and an effective strategy to save the bees and in turn save us homo sapiens from extinction. Recent harsh winters that stay freezing cold well into spring have been instrumental in decimating the honeybee population in Iowa by up to 70% as well as the other historically high yielding honey states – the Dakotas, Montana, Minnesota. The northern Plains and Midwestern states that have regionally always produced the nation’s most honey have been severely hurt by the long harsh winters in the last couple years. Florida as the third largest honey producer and especially California always among the top producers have been hit especially hard by decreasing bee colony populations. In 2006 when the problem of bee loss first was noticed, California was right up at the top with North Dakota producing nearly twice as much honey as the next state South Dakota but its bee numbers have incurred such heavy losses that in 2011, though still second, California’s honey production fell by nearly half in just six years. The recent severe drought in California has become an additional factor driving both its honey yield and bee numbers down as less rain means less flowers available to pollinate. Honeybee Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) as this loss of bee phenomenon has been called is currently recognized as such an urgent crisis that a month ago Newsweek ran an article outlining the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announcement that it will provide a $3 million subsidy in order to help the one animal on the planet that will either make or break food prices. According to the latest USDA industry survey, this emergency plan assistance comes after nearly a third of commercial honeybees died last winter, a whopping increase of 42% from the previous year. The three million dollar giveaway program is designed to entice both Midwest dairy farmers and cattle ranchers to reseed their fields this spring with eco-friendly crops like alfalfa and clover to develop healthier habitats for increasing the national bee population. Farmers and ranchers only had until March 21st, 2014 to sign up and take advantage as eligible seedling recipients. Last month’s Newsweek reported that honeybees in trucks migrate to various regions of the country to pollinate an estimated $40 billion worth of the nation’s agricultural produce each year. This means that every third bite of food we eat comes as the result of bees and other pollinators. USDA Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack stated that more than 130 fruits and vegetables that make up a nutritious diet are cross pollinated by honeybees. Commercial bees raised on farms and then shipped to other farms in the country used for pollination purposes along with wild bees are responsible for pollination of an estimated 80% of all food crops in the United States. In the last half decade alone 30% of the national bee population has disappeared and nearly a third of all bee colonies in the U.S. have perished. Though the rate of bee depopulation is growing each year, 42% more last year than the year before, even at the current annual rate the estimated monetary loss is a colossal 30 billion dollars a year. With such an enormous loss in revenue, last month’s USDA announcement of just a three million dollar investment in farmer aid in comparison to the formidable challenge seems like a paltry drop in the bucket to making any real dent in the epidemic. With so much at stake, efforts to investigate and uncover reasons for this sudden global pandemic have been robust. A new government study blames a combination of factors for the mysterious and dramatic loss of honeybees, including increased use of pesticides especially in the US, shrinking habitats, multiple viruses, poor nutrition and genetics, and even cell phone towers. However, according to last year’s joint EPA-USDA study, the biggest cause is the parasite called the Varroa destructor, a type of mite found to be highly resistant to the insecticides that US beekeepers have used in attempts to control the mites from inside the beehives. Moreover, new virus species have been found in the US and several of these have been associated with Colony Collapse Disorder. In a vicious cycle, since 1987 when the Varroa mite was first discovered in the US, Monsanto, Dow, Bayer and other large chemical manufacturers aggressively glommed onto the bee industry selling genetically modified insecticides and herbicides as the quick and easy fix to remedy the parasitic invasion, only to weaken the bees’ natural genetic defenses to fight off the parasite. In an article from the Guardian earlier this month, Monsanto’s contribution to the vanishing bee population is detailed. From genetically altered corn, Monsanto produced an insecticide called Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), which once ingested by bees, Bt binds to receptors within the bee’s stomach lining that keeps the bee from eating. Of course this weakens the bee, causing the breakdown of the inner stomach wall, which in turn makes the bee susceptible to spores and bacteria. To further compound the problem, for years the lobbying power of the chemical giant denied causing damage to the bee’s internal immune capacity for resistance to parasites, which of course only continued to kill off the bee population worldwide. Thus, continued chemical use, especially in America, only exacerbates this growing problem. Also on Greenpeace’s Save the Bees page, a type of insecticide called neonicotinoids, is known to cause acute and chronic poisoning not just of one bee, but the entire colony. Bees take the contaminated nectar and pollen spread through the plant’s DNA back to the hive, creating a highly toxic living environment for all the bees. Toxicity builds up destroying the Central Nervous System, causing further disorientation and bees ultimately can neither fly nor make it back to the nest. Meanwhile, unlike the US, in Europe and Australia where the health of insects and humans is deemed more important than corporate profit, laws banning insecticide use have been passed, which in large part has largely saved the bee populations from being so decimated there. A study last year found 35 pesticides and fungicides, some at lethal doses, in the pollen collected from bees that were used to pollinate food crops in five U.S. states. In another research study, bees that contacted pollen contaminated with fungicides ended up three times more likely to get infected by a parasite closely associated with Colony Collapse Disorder. The results of a new study conducted by Mark Brown of Royal Halloway University in London released several weeks ago found that wild bumblebee populations are also disappearing at a similar rate to the domestic honeybee. In its sample one in five wild bees were afflicted by the Deformed Wing Virus believed to be caused by the parasitic Varroa mite. 88% of the honeybees at the 26 field sites were affected by this virus. The research study also concluded that while honeybees are important and obviously responsible for the multimillion dollar global honey industry, wild bees are believed to be just as important in pollination of plants throughout the world. Another probable factor in America is the widespread use of feeding bee colonies with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) instead of its natural self-made food honey. For maximum profit, industrialized US bee farms utilize maximum honey yields, not leaving any honey for the bees to consume during the long colder winter months. It is speculated that the natural hormonal and enzyme effects interacting with honey’s natural nutritional advantages provided bees with the increased defenses that historically have been effective in fighting off parasitic threats and viruses. In contrast, the artificially processed HFCS is believe to weaken the immune system of the honeybees’ genetic strength to ward off disease. The largest selling company of honey in the US is the Sioux Honey brand located in Sioux City, Iowa founded in 1921. More than 35 million pounds of honey are processed at the Sioux City and Anaheim, California plants comprised of a cooperative of over 300 beekeepers from the Midwest and Rocky Mountain states. Vice president for research and development Bill Huser interviewed in the local paper last year stated, “One of the wrinkles is a focus on increased diversity in genetics, which the [USDA] report’s authors said could help improve bees’ resistance to disease. Specifically, they said, genetic variation could help keep the bees’ body temperature steady, even if the surrounding environment changes.” This would enhance the bees’ capacity to acclimate to the recent harsher winter conditions in northern climates. Most commercial beekeepers transport their bee colonies by truck in the winter to farms in Texas and California to pollinate in early spring agricultural fields in the warmer regions of the country. However, these last couple winters with far fewer bees, less pollination occurred during the early spring at the Southern California almond orchards. Moreover, because of poor management in agricultural farming over many geographical areas growing only one cash crop, there are far less variety of plants now to pollinate. Bees will not flourish where there exists less opportunity to work their pollen magic because of a lack of diversity in plant vegetation throughout the year. Thus, the almond fields of California need more types of crops planted that will attract bees year-round. That same problem occurs in states like Iowa and Nebraska, once high producers of honey. But in recent decades the agri-industry choice to maximize profit by planting corn and soybean crops instead of the rich alfalfa and clover fields that previously offered a healthy habitat for bee pollination has caused a steady decline in bee population. Additionally, fewer wildflower fields and other natural land space in America in general limit available healthy bee habitats. These corrections to introduce a richer diversity that enhances and expands the bee habitat are both very do-able and obviously urgently needed. Per last month’s report, federal and state partners have been encouraged to consider making prudent changes in land management in order to optimize available nutritional forage for promoting bee health and protecting bee colonies by avoiding use of pesticides. Earlier this month Eugene, Oregon became the first municipality to ban insecticides in the nation. A bill in California would push the state’s Department of Pesticide Regulation to make a decision on its reevaluation of neonicotinoids by July. Maine, New Jersey, and Vermont are also considering plans to ban the use of neonicotinoids. The USDA report strongly recommends increased collaboration and information sharing between crop growers and beekeepers to implement mutually beneficial best known practices. Finally, more research centers designed to learn effective new and innovative methods to facilitate restoration of bee populations throughout the world are sorely needed. Just this month the University of Florida announced the plan to build and develop through research grants a major addition to increase both knowledge and revenue in enhancing the honeybee population. Another viable solution toward increasing the bee population is implementing programs teaching and training urban residents to become amateur beekeepers. Many cities are now offering startup assistance to a growing number of hobbyists of all ages interested in beekeeping. Plus educating urban populations about plant diversity in municipal gardens will enhance both bee habitats and bee health. With increasing interest and awareness in the profound importance of nurturing a much larger bee population globally, the progress dividends for both humanity and the planet will prove immeasurable. Joachim Hagopian is a West Point graduate and former Army officer. Having written a manuscript based on his military experience, the link is below: http://www.redredsea.net/westpointhagopian/. After the military Joachim earned a masters degree in psychology and eventually became a licensed therapist working in the mental health field for more than a quarter century. | Joachim Hagopian | https://www.globalresearch.ca/death-and-extinction-of-the-bees/5375684 | 2019-08-05 23:00:04+00:00 | 1,565,060,404 | 1,567,534,801 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
230,747 | globalresearch--2019-08-31--Heroin Addiction in America Spearheaded by US-led War on Afghanistan | 2019-08-31T00:00:00 | globalresearch | Heroin Addiction in America Spearheaded by US-led War on Afghanistan | …”In 2016, we lost 64,000 Americans to drug overdoses: 174 deaths per day. Seven per hour. We must get much tougher on drug dealers and pushers if we are going to succeed in stopping this scourge. My Administration is committed to fighting the drug epidemic and helping get treatment for those in need. The struggle will be long and difficult — but, as Americans always do, we will prevail.” (Trump State of the Union, emphasis added) Trump brings to the forefront the story of the Holets family of New Mexico: “Ryan Holets is 27 years old, and an officer with the Albuquerque Police Department. He is here tonight with his wife Rebecca. Last year, Ryan was on duty when he saw a pregnant, homeless woman preparing to inject heroin. When Ryan told her she was going to harm her unborn child, she began to weep. She told him she did not know where to turn, but badly wanted a safe home for her baby. In that moment, Ryan said he felt God speak to him: “You will do it — because you can.” He took out a picture of his wife and their four kids. Then, he went home to tell his wife Rebecca. In an instant, she agreed to adopt. The Holets named their new daughter Hope. Ryan and Rebecca: You embody the goodness of our Nation. Thank you, and congratulations.” (Trump State of the Union, emphasis added) Beautiful narrative. The Nation weeps, Ryan was interviewed on CNN. While he and his family take a courageous stance against heroin addiction, Trump sheds crocodile tears. While Trump acknowledges that “there’s a drug epidemic the likes of which we have never seen in this country”, his national public health emergency plan fails to address the underlying causes. Getting “tougher on drug dealers and pushers” involved in the retail sale of heroin does not resolve the drug crisis. The unspoken truth is that the surge in heroin addiction in America has been spearheaded by the US led invasion of Afghanistan in October 2001. Afghanistan under US military occupation produces approximately 90% of the World’s illegal supply of opium which is used to produce heroin. The production of opium in Afghanistan registered a 49 fold increase since 2001. In 2017, the production of opium in Afghanistan under US military occupation reached 9000 metric tons. Barely acknowledged by the mainstream media, in 2000-2001 the Taliban government –with the support of the United Nations (UNODC) – implemented a successful ban on poppy cultivation. Opium production which is used to produce grade 4 heroin and its derivatives declined by more than 90 per cent in 2001. The production of opium in 2001 was of the order of a meagre 185 tons. It is worth noting that the UNODC congratulated the Taliban Government for its successful opium eradication program. The Taliban government had contributed to literally destabilizing the multibillion dollar Worldwide trade in heroin. What motivated the US-led war on Afghanistan, which had been planned several months prior to the 9/11 attacks? Did the US-NATO led War against Afghanistan serve to restore the illicit heroin trade? Immediately following the invasion (October 7, 2001) and occupation of Afghanistan by US-NATO troops, the production of opium regained its historical levels. (a more than nine fold increase in 2002). Since 2001, according to UNODC, the production of opium has increased 49 fold, reaching 9000 metric tons in 2017. (See Figure 1 below) Heroin Addiction in the US There were 189,000 heroin users in the US in 2001, before the US-NATO invasion of Afghanistan. By 2012-13, there were 3.8 million heroin users in the US according to a study by Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. Extrapolating the 2012-2013 figures (see graph below), one can reasonably confirm that the number of heroin users today (including addicts and casual users) is well in excess of four million. In 20o1, 1,779 Americans were killed as a result of heroin overdose. By 2016, the number of Americans killed as a result of heroin addiction shot up to 15,446. (see graph below) “My Administration is committed to fighting the drug epidemic” says Donald Trump. My message to Donald Trump: Those lives would have been saved had the US and its NATO allies NOT invaded and occupied Afghanistan. Since 2001, the use of heroin in the US has increased more than 20 times. Is there a correlation between heroin addiction in America and the dramatic increase in opium production which occurred in the immediate wake of the US-NATO October 2001 invasion? Who is protecting opium exports out of Afghanistan? Amply documented, the opium economy in Afghanistan was set up by the CIA in 1979. As revealed in the Iran-Contra and Bank of Commerce and Credit International (BCCI) scandals, CIA covert operations in support of the Afghan Mujahideen had been funded through the laundering of drug money. “Dirty money” was recycled –through a number of banking institutions (in the Middle East) as well as through anonymous CIA shell companies–, into “covert money,” used to finance various insurgent groups during the Soviet-Afghan war, and its aftermath. According to a 1991 Time Magazine report: Alfred McCoy’s study confirms that within two years of the onslaught of the CIA’s covert operation in Afghanistan in 1979, While the number of heroin users in America has increased about 20 times (2001-2016), the cultivation and production of opium used to produce heroin increased 41 times (2001-2017): 8000 hectares in 2001 rising to 328,000 hectares in 2017. In 2017, ironically coinciding with the influx of more US troops into Afghanistan, the areas under opium poppy cultivation according to UNODC increased by 83 percent in a single year, (see Figure 1 above) While the supply-demand relationship is complex: the dramatic increase in the consumption of heroin would not have been possible without a concurrent increase in the production of opium from 183 metric tons in 2001 to an estimated 9000 metric tons in 2017 (a 49 fold increase in relation to 2001). It stands to reason that the increase in heroin usage could not have occurred without a corresponding surge in opium production. Needless to say, the drug trade is a multibillion dollar operation which has been supported by successive US administrations. The unspoken truth is that US foreign policy is supporting this lucrative trade: The UNODC confirms in its 2017 Report that: “Only a small share of the revenues generated by the cultivation and trafficking of Afghan opiates reaches Afghan drug trafficking groups. Many more billions of dollars are made from trafficking opiates into major consumer markets, mainly in Europe and Asia.” The earnings generated by 9000 metric tons of opium are colossal, in the hundreds of billions. 9000 tons produces 900 tons of pure heroin. These global proceeds accrue to business syndicates, intelligence agencies, organized crime, financial institutions, wholesalers, retailers, etc. involved directly or indirectly in the drug trade. Moreover, a large share of global money laundering as estimated by the IMF is linked to the trade in narcotics. Drug trafficking constitutes “the third biggest global commodity in cash terms after oil and the arms trade.” Are US military planes being used to export opioids out of Afghanistan? US occupation forces have been instructed to turn a blind eye? According to Abby Martin, In the words of researcher Timothy Alexander Guzman: “who owns the planes and the ships that transport 90% percent of the world’s heroin from Afghanistan to the rest of the world in the first place? It sure isn’t the Taliban”. | Prof Michel Chossudovsky | https://www.globalresearch.ca/trumps-hypocritical-concern-on-heroin-addiction-sustained-by-us-led-war-on-afghanistan/5628138 | 2019-08-31 05:39:36+00:00 | 1,567,244,376 | 1,569,416,835 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
275,361 | ipolitics--2019-05-17--Goodale orders outside review of NS RCMP call centre Casey | 2019-05-17T00:00:00 | ipolitics | Goodale orders outside review of NS RCMP call centre: Casey | In this file photo, Liberal MP Bill Casey takes part in a standing committee on Health in Ottawa on Tuesday, September 12, 2017. iPolitics/Matthew Usherwood Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale has ordered an outside consultant to conduct a review of the Nova Scotia RCMP’s planned relocation of its emergency call centre from Truro to the Halifax area, heeding a request from Liberal caucus colleague Bill Casey. The decision was announced in a press released distributed by Casey, who has publicly criticized the planned move as unnecessarily risky. In a statement, the veteran Liberal MP said he thanked the minister for ordering the review and was told by Goodale that ensuring the public safety of Nova Scotians is the priority. If approved, relocating the call centre from Truro to Dartmouth would place the two largest police emergency communications systems in Nova Scotia within a few blocks of each other. That community is already home to the emergency call centre for the Halifax Regional Police. Casey, whose riding includes Truro, has said multiple reports from emergency planning bodies warn against closely concentrating sensitive police communication services, with the two centres responsible for fielding 96 per cent of emergency calls in the province. If the communication facilities are brought closer together and simultaneously knocked out, he warned that ambulance, fire and 911 calls, as well as police dispatches, will go quiet for all of Nova Scotia. “All of the manuals, standards and guidelines used by Canada’s major police forces for emergency measures communication centres require geographic separation of communication centres,” Casey said in a statement. “This plan for Nova Scotia does the opposite.” As iPolitics reported in March, Casey sent a letter to Goodale asking for an external risk assessment of the proposed relocation. The RCMP is planning on closing its operational communication centre in Truro in early 2021 and moving operations to a federal building in Dartmouth. The centre boasts a staff of 55 employees, according to Casey. | Marco Vigliotti | https://ipolitics.ca/2019/05/17/goodale-orders-outside-review-of-ns-rcmp-call-centre-casey/ | 2019-05-17 15:17:27+00:00 | 1,558,120,647 | 1,567,540,516 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
281,635 | labourlist--2019-05-30--Labour Hunger Campaign We must do more to tackle food poverty | 2019-05-30T00:00:00 | labourlist | Labour Hunger Campaign: We must do more to tackle food poverty | Last week, a teacher came to the food bank where I volunteer. Distressed that she couldn’t feed herself and her disabled child, she broke down sobbing. So many of our clients feel like this. We try to help restore a little of their dignity, but it’s tough when they have been through a welfare system that systematically strips them of their self-worth. Food banks are a last resort for the desperate. In my five years of volunteering, I have never met anyone who wanted to be there. We are living in extraordinary times. I never expected to spend two hours a week doling out donated tins and packets of food to hungry teachers – or to anyone, in fact. I never expected an undercurrent of destitution to be running through our communities, with stories emerging of people forced to choose between paying the rent and paying for food, and children going to school hungry. But the most extraordinary thing about this epidemic of hunger, in a land with no shortage of food, is that the government pretends it isn’t happening. When Philip Alston, the UN rapporteur on extreme poverty, produced a [report](https://undocs.org/A/HRC/41/39/Add.1) that accused the government of having “systematically and starkly eroded” the social safety net, a DWP spokesperson rejected it as a “completely inaccurate picture”. British politics, as Leo Varadkar [commented](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/may/24/eu-leaders- stress-respect-for-may-and-refusal-to-renegotiate-brexit-deal) after Theresa May’s resignation, will be “consumed by Brexit for a very long time”, making it easier for issues that government would prefer not to confront to stay in the dark. We need to bring the full extent of food poverty into the light, so we can turn to the urgent task of feeding hungry people. At the same time, we must campaign for political change to prevent it ever happening again. That is why I have set up the [Labour Hunger Campaign](http://www.labourhunger.co.uk) with other activists. Although the Labour Party is committed to fighting poverty and inequality, it has fallen short when it comes to specific measures to tackle hunger. There were no pledges on food poverty in its 2015 and 2017 manifestos. Instead, it has used food banks as a proxy for poverty in general. We believe the party can and should do more to stand in solidarity with those experiencing food poverty and the organisations working to put an end to it. “Food poverty is just poverty,” I have been told repeatedly. “Let’s deal with all types of poverty instead of dividing them up.” Yes, indeed. It’s essential that a Labour government tackle the structural causes of poverty, from rising food prices to the shortage of affordable housing. But this will take time, and people without food cannot wait for long-term political solutions. Once you reach the stage where you cannot feed yourself or your children, you have been through most other manifestations of poverty and are at rock bottom. Food poverty disproportionately affects the most vulnerable – children, the disabled, the long-term sick – and it’s vital that we act fast to protect them. And food poverty is a breach of our human rights, with the right to food protected under the UN’s Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Labour has rightly committed to repeal the aspects of welfare reform that have contributed so greatly to the rise in food poverty, but it needs to go much further. The Labour Hunger Campaign has produced an ambitious strategy to eliminate food poverty when Labour is next in government. Its [Charter on Hunger](https://labourhunger.wordpress.com/charter-on-hunger) includes: * The implementation of an emergency plan to provide immediate hunger relief from the first day of a Labour government. * The appointment of a minister for household food security to ensure that government fulfils the right to food and to coordinate a cross-departmental policy response to food poverty. * A legal definition of household food insecurity, with government targets to eliminate it. * Universal free school meals for primary-school children and an increase in the free school meals allowance in secondary schools to at least £4 per day. * A statutory responsibility for the DWP to prevent destitution, including a duty to seek out those at risk and provide appropriate support. * A campaign to remove the stigma around claiming benefits – one that promotes a positive vision of the welfare state and the fact that we all benefit from state support, be it parental leave, healthcare, pensions or education. If you would like Labour to adopt the Charter on Hunger, please [sign our open letter](https://labourhunger.wordpress.com/open-letter) and propose [our model motion](https://labourhunger.wordpress.com/a-labour-charter-on-hunger) at your next CLP meeting. We want a Britain where nobody needs to go hungry. Only the Labour Party can make that happen. ### Value our free and unique service? LabourList has more readers than ever before - but we need your support. Our dedicated coverage of Labour's policies and personalities, internal debates, selections and elections relies on donations from our readers. [Support LabourList](/donate) | Jane Middleton | https://labourlist.org/2019/05/labour-hunger-campaign-we-must-do-more-to-tackle-food-poverty/ | 2019-05-30 09:00:51+00:00 | 1,559,221,251 | 1,567,539,662 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
283,145 | latimes--2019-08-22--Newsletter A Central Valley mans lifelong quest to build his own Chicano library | 2019-08-22T00:00:00 | latimes | Newsletter: A Central Valley man's lifelong quest to build his own Chicano library | Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California . It’s Thursday, Aug. 22, and I’m writing from Stockton. History usually belongs to the conquerors, or the esteemed academics. But sometimes it also gets told by whoever most carefully corrals all the pieces and wrestles them into place. The Chicano Research Center, a storefront library on a rundown stretch of Stockton’s east side, is the product of one Central Valley man’s obsessive, expansive quest. Richard Soto, a 75-year-old, semi-retired educator, has spent the lion’s share of his life quietly building his collection of Chicano literature and history — first as a young man hungry to learn more about his own identity, and later with the dream of someday sharing it with the public like this. He opened the Chicano Research Center as a nonprofit in 2016. All are welcome to come in, and Soto will probably offer you coffee at the door. He estimates that he has about 20,000 books, journals and ephemera (along with cases of corrido-filled CDs and LPs) housed in this former panaderia. He built the bookshelves lining every inch of the room himself, with $3,000 worth of pine wood (including his 10% U.S. veteran discount) from Home Depot. The library is organized according to the self-described “Soto” method, starting with indigenous history in the front corner of the room furthest from his desk, and wrapping all the way around to the present day, with labeled sections based on historical periods and events, individuals and other topics. (The library’s focus includes Mexican history as well as Mexican American history: “One of the things that I learned is that you can’t read Chicano literature, and appreciate and understand it if you don’t know Chicano Mexican history,” Soto explained.) [See also: “Chicano Research Center is freeze-frame into the past” in the Stockton Record] The walls are brightly punctuated with art, flags, and framed awards and accolades from Soto’s career as an educator, as well as a certificate honoring him for his bravery as a Brown Beret medic during the Chicano Moratorium. Soto’s collecting quest began when he was a young man, just back from Vietnam and participating in the Chicano Movement. He went looking for the books that would speak to his story — as a Mexican American born in the United States — but the books he wanted didn’t seem to exist. “I wanted to know what contributions had we made and what had we done,” Soto said. “And for me, I always wanted to know why people hated me. You know, I pretty much let people alone, but for some reason they had this, I don’t know, hereditary hatred for me.” During his two years at San Joaquin Delta College, he “found all of maybe five books.” He went to Sacramento State and “found 10 more.” It was only when he left Sacramento for San Francisco that he started to really find what he was looking for, at a now-shuttered progressive bookstore called Modern Times in the Mission District. After getting his master’s in counseling from San Francisco State, Soto returned to his Central Valley hometown of Tracy, where he worked as a high school counselor for nearly 40 years. He’d loan his students books to learn their history and build their self esteem, parceling out poetry or history or biography depending on what they seemed to need. “There’s so much beautiful Mexican history. There are so many dynamic Mexican men and women, social political activists that have done something that is just not out there,” he said. “So, I started buying all this stuff.” Time marched forward and all the while he quietly built his collection, bit by bit. He bought what he could, when he could and stored it where he could. “Everywhere I went, I created a room for all the books.” When he officially retired, he took another full-time job teaching at an adult school. Suddenly, he had an income and a pension. “I had a lot of extra money. So I thought man, I’m gonna really hit this,” he recalled. He would turn to the bibliographies in history books and mark off everything he already had, to see what was still missing. Then he would spend a few hours every morning on eBay, looking for discarded library books. And finally, he found this space and carefully renovated it to house and share his glorious, sprawling collection. “Most people, when they come here, they’re overwhelmed,” he said. “They can’t believe that something like this exists.” And now, here’s what’s happening across California: The Trump administration is moving to dismantle decades-old protections for immigrant youth, rolling out new regulations that would give the government the ability to indefinitely detain minors and families with children. President Trump and his aides have long railed against the so-called Flores agreement, the seminal 1997 court settlement that said the government must provide a minimum standard of care for migrant children in U.S. custody. The new regulations, expected to be formally published Friday, will take effect in 60 days, absent legal challenges. Los Angeles Times San Francisco’s top officials met Wednesday afternoon to respond to a recent series of violent altercations along the city’s northern waterfront. The group included Mayor London Breed and the heads of the police, health and homelessness departments. They plan to indefinitely beef up foot patrols and social services outreach in the Embarcadero after two more people were attacked this week. (Despite the recent attacks, violent crime remains down in San Francisco.) San Francisco Chronicle Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, who made climate change his key issue, is ending his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination. Los Angeles Times For the first time, the Los Angeles Police Commission will have a woman leading the oversight panel of one of the nation’s largest police forces. Los Angeles Times The L.A. County D.A. has dropped charges against the man who allegedly stole Frances McDormand’s Best Actress Oscar statuette in 2018. It remains unclear why the criminal case was suddenly dropped. Deadline Hollywood History forgot these female composers. An L.A. music writer is helping us remember. Los Angeles Times As summertime wanes, our City Beat columnist delivers a personal ode to the lasting benefits of taking a vacation and fully unplugging from the city and gadgets. Los Angeles Times Your support helps us deliver the news that matters most. . Assemblyman Todd Gloria has taken control of San Diego’s mayoral race after winning the Democratic Party’s endorsement. Per the Voice of San Diego, the “party’s endorsement is potentially pivotal because the race so far includes only Democrats, and registered Democrats in the city outnumber registered Republicans by nearly two to one.” Voice of San Diego An anti-vaccine activist was cited for assault by the Sacramento Police Department on Wednesday after he livestreamed a physical confrontation with state Sen. Richard Pan, author of legislation to restrict vaccine exemptions. Los Angeles Times A California lawmaker asked Twitter: What does “Republican” mean to you? Chad Mayes, a Republican state lawmaker who represents the Coachella Valley in the California Assembly, got more than 10,000 replies. The Desert Sun Police in Long Beach thwarted a possible mass shooting this week when they arrested a disgruntled hotel cook they say threatened to carry out violence at his workplace. Los Angeles Times The owner of a popular San Francisco truffle shop was attacked by a stranger outside his store. The store proprietor was rescued by his 13-year-old son, who heard his father yelling for help and came out with a bat to scare the attacker off. SFGATE As megafires become the new normal, the tools and techniques capable of stopping them remain elusive. But prescribed burns could help prevent those megafires. So why aren’t we doing more of them? New Yorker Is California too rich to get help from FEMA during the next deadly disaster? New guidelines that tighten eligibility for federal disaster recovery programs worry emergency planners. Sacramento Bee The ShakeAlert early warning system will be expanding to Lake Tahoe with new federal earthquake funds. Sacramento Bee Federal officials suppressed a lengthy environmental document that details how one of California’s unique salmon runs would be imperiled by Trump administration plans to deliver more water to Central Valley farms. Los Angeles Times Red light cameras will soon be reactivated in Sacramento County. Sacramento Bee San Mateo cops have been sleeping in their cars to avoid an hours-long commute at the end of a 12-hour shift. The city plans to convert a portion of an old fire station into a sleeping barracks for far-flung officers who can’t afford the extremely expensive housing in the area. San Francisco Chronicle A proposal to build an affordable housing complex in San Jose for low-income and formerly homeless elderly residents is facing backlash from neighbors who worry it will bring more crime and traffic to south San Jose. Mercury News There will be free admission to Joshua Tree and Yosemite national parks this Sunday as the National Park Service celebrates its 103rd birthday with free entrance to sites nationwide that typically charge a fee. The Desert Sun The ultimate mapo tofu recipe has a California twist on the classic Sichuan dish. Los Angeles Times The 100-foot neon swirl sign at the Montclair Plaza mall in San Bernardino County has come down. San Bernardino Sun Los Angeles: sunny, 84. San Diego: sunny, 72. San Francisco: partly sunny, 72. San Jose: sunny, 86. Sacramento: partly sunny, 99. More weather is here. “I remember a TV newscaster saying that there were only 29 smog-free days in L.A. and they came the day after it rained; that the rain washed away the smog and other particles in the air. He was right. I could see from the roof of my home the Santa Monica mountains and all the way to the San Bernardino mountains. I could see the snow. And the air smelled fresh and clean. As a Santa Barbara resident today, when I come to L.A. I’m impressed by how clean the air has become, how great the views, and how much I appreciate all the regulations that made it happen…. I was one of those kids that was particularly susceptible to coughing and itching and had to go indoors often — except those 29 days I got to play outside.” If you have a memory or story about the Golden State, share it with us. (Please keep your story to 100 words.) Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints, ideas and unrelated book recommendations to Julia Wick. Follow her on Twitter . | Julia Wick | https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-08-22/chicano-research-center-stockton-library | 2019-08-22 10:30:32+00:00 | 1,566,484,232 | 1,567,533,748 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
312,414 | mercurynews--2019-04-07--Saratoga community briefs for the week of April 12 | 2019-04-07T00:00:00 | mercurynews | Saratoga community briefs for the week of April 12 | Friends of the Libraries will host “Friends Sharing Books” April 15. Formerly known as “Blind Date with a Book,” the event brings together book lovers to talk about a book they’ve enjoyed in small groups and to hear what others say about the books they recommend. At the end of the event, set for 10-11:30 a.m. in the Saratoga Library’s community room, participants will receive a list of books discussed, along with a specially wrapped book from the Book-Go-Round, the used bookstore run by the Friends of the Libraries. The Santa Clara County Fire Department is hosting a series of community wildfire meetings, including one in Saratoga on April 18. The meetings will focus on steps residents can take to “be ready,” by creating defensible space and hardening their homes; “get set” by developing an emergency plan; and “go” in case red flag fire weather forces evacuations. The Saratoga meeting is set for 6:30-8 p.m. at the Joan Pisani Community Center, 19655 Allendale Ave. For more information, visit www.sccfd.org/RSG. The Santa Clara County Library District this month is holding a second round of its Food for Fines program, in which patrons can waive up to $100 in fines and fees in exchange for a non-perishable food donation of any amount for Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties. Saratoga Library patrons can bring their food donations to the library’s accounts desk during normal business hours to have up to $100 in fines and fees waived. A list of most needed and allowable food donations can be found at www.sccl.org/foodforfines. | Anne Gelhaus | https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/04/07/saratoga-community-briefs-for-the-week-of-april-12/ | 2019-04-07 14:13:45+00:00 | 1,554,660,825 | 1,567,543,678 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
337,065 | naturalnews--2019-09-18--Iran drone attack on Saudi oil facilities should concern Americans What happens when opposing forc | 2019-09-18T00:00:00 | naturalnews | Iran drone attack on Saudi oil facilities should concern Americans: What happens when “opposing forces” in the U.S. attack American facilities the same way? | (Natural News) As of this writing, the Trump administration has blamed Iran for the drone and cruise missile attack against a major Saudi Arabian oil refinery, though not “officially.” What’s more, the administration has yet to decide how it will handle the attack if, in fact, Iran is the guilty party, as many believe it is. As one analyst notes, the fate of the global economy is literally at stake: Should a major Middle East war break out between the two well-armed countries, their proxies, and their allies, most assuredly oil infrastructure would be targeted because it is the greatest source of income for both and, thus, the economic driver behind the war effort. It would make sense, strategically, to target such assets. But oil produced by both countries is not consumed by both countries. Oil is a global commodity and has been for many decades; how would the world handle a major years-long disruption in oil supplies from two of the globe’s most prolific producers? Badly, to say the least. But the scenario could get much worse. President Trump and others have said that the U.S. could become a net oil exporter by next year. In fact, reports note that the U.S. is on pace to become the world’s No. 1 oil producer, ahead of the Saudis. The U.S. economy is much more diverse than that of Saudi Arabia and Iran, so it is a lot more resilient, too. However, we all depend on oil — fossil fuels — to power our countries and our economic engines. So what would happen if our own oil refineries were targeted by foreign entities or worse, domestic anarchists? Sponsored solution from the Health Ranger Store: Lab-verified Nascent Iodine solution is a dietary supplement that provides your body with supplemental iodine to help protect your thyroid during radiation exposure. Nuclear accidents such as Fukushima (or nuclear war) can expose your body to radioactive iodine-131, a dangerous radioisotope. Pre-loading your system with stable iodine occupies the iodine receptor sites on your organs, causing your body to naturally expel radioactive iodine you may have been exposed to through air, food, water or milk products. This defensive strategy is recommended by nearly all health authorities, worldwide, including the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Discover more at this link. Granted, they wouldn’t have access to cruise missiles that require satellite guidance in order to hit their targets (without having them supplied by a capable foreign power). But surely some industrious domestic terrorists, rebels, and anarchists could find a way to deliver explosives to American refineries — at least once before the government began protecting them. After all, the 9/11 attacks occurred once. It’s a vulnerability that emergency planners around the country have likely considered but may have yet implemented defensive or detection methods. After all, how does a civilian oil refinery get a hold of a Patriot air defense system? Or laser weapons? They don’t, of course. Not yet, anyway. So they’re still vulnerable. We’re not the only Western country concerned about attacks on our oil infrastructure, either. As the Financial Post reports, the Canadians are now, suddenly, increasingly concerned about the safety and security of their largest facility: Canada may hold the world’s third-largest crude reserves, but that’s little help to its largest refinery after a weekend attack disrupted production in Saudi Arabia, its biggest oil supplier. Much of the vulnerability to the Irving Oil Ltd.’s Saint John plant is a disruption of supply from the Saudis. But security is an issue too. In November 2007, 12 years ago roughly, a paper by Homeland Security Today examined the effects of fallout from a terrorist attack on “the little known” oil facility in Cushing, Okla. “on the global oil economy.” The plant is “arguably the most important oil infrastructure in North America given the impact its destruction would have.” The point of the paper was to examine the security of the Cushing facility, which even “former CIA Director James Woolsey, an adviser to the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security, admitted” was lacking. In fact, he described the facility as a “soft target.” We have elements within our country who would love nothing more than to start an internal conflict that would take us down several notches, never stopping to think that without America guarding freedom, half the world would blow up if we were to engage in a civil conflict. Our oil infrastructure would also no doubt be targeted, especially if the ‘rebels’ were Left-wing environmental wackos who hate fossil fuels as it is. | JD Heyes | http://www.naturalnews.com/2019-09-18-iran-drone-attack-saudi-oil-facilities.html | 2019-09-18 22:06:01+00:00 | 1,568,858,761 | 1,569,329,952 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
337,302 | naturalnews--2019-10-12--What is normalcy bias and how does it affect your survival rate when SHTF? | 2019-10-12T00:00:00 | naturalnews | What is normalcy bias and how does it affect your survival rate when SHTF? | This is called normalcy bias, which is “the phenomenon of disbelieving one’s situation when faced with grave and imminent danger and/or catastrophe.” A prime example of this would be the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. Citizens of Pompeii paid little attention to the earthquakes that day because seismic activity was quite common in the area. Sadly, the people were unprepared for the massive eruption that followed. Normalcy bias, while part of human nature, is dangerous in terms of dealing with a disaster. Being unprepared in an event “that shouldn’t happen here” could lead to loss of life and property. The threat of natural disasters isn’t enough to cause people to go out of their way to prepare. A poll done by Healthcare Ready found that 54 percent of Americans are aware of the possibility of being affected by natural disasters, yet 51 percent do not have any emergency plan in place. “More Americans expect that a major disaster will impact them or their family than in previous years, but we’ve not seen an increase in household emergency planning alongside this awareness,” said Nicolette Louissaint, Ph.D., executive director of Healthcare Ready. “For the fourth year in a row, this poll reveals a gap in preparedness at an individual level and emphasizes the need to improve readiness to ensure residents are prepared for the disasters that will inevitably come.” Sponsored solution from the Health Ranger Store: Lab-verified Nascent Iodine solution is a dietary supplement that provides your body with supplemental iodine to help protect your thyroid during radiation exposure. Nuclear accidents such as Fukushima (or nuclear war) can expose your body to radioactive iodine-131, a dangerous radioisotope. Pre-loading your system with stable iodine occupies the iodine receptor sites on your organs, causing your body to naturally expel radioactive iodine you may have been exposed to through air, food, water or milk products. This defensive strategy is recommended by nearly all health authorities, worldwide, including the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Discover more at this link. The U.S. is host to a variety of weather events that occur almost on a yearly basis. There’s the infamous Tornado alley, as well as the threat of hurricanes in coastal regions. The Midwest is also quite prone to flooding. Technological advancements over the decades have allowed humans to predict when and where these natural disasters could happen, yet warning signs still fall on deaf ears. (Related: Ridding yourself of “normalcy bias”: Why we should take warning signs seriously.) “As the harsh realities of disaster become clearer and more frequent than ever before, we must use these learnings to pinpoint the most pressing needs within our communities ahead of time. The data shows how little time most Americans have before they face a medical crisis. This critical time should be spent implementing effective response and recovery protocols that can address dire medical needs we will see during a crisis,” said Louissaint. One of the biggest hurdles that people with normalcy bias may face is the fact that they are the ones caught unaware in the middle of a disaster. Rather than prepare for what’s coming, they would much rather think along the lines of “It won’t be that bad” or “Nothing will happen here.” But in reality, the only thing crossing their minds when SHTF is “How could this happen to me?” Instead of evacuating ahead of time or preparing supplies for the upcoming disaster, they would rather point fingers and ask why nobody is helping them. Normalcy bias is a true threat not only to your own safety, but of those around you as well. The more you dive deep into this mindset, the lesser chances you have of surviving. Always prepare for the worst and if you ever encounter someone with this mindset, try to do your best to talk them out of it and help them survive. | Darnel Fernandez | http://www.naturalnews.com/2019-10-12-normalcy-bias-survival-rate-when-shtf.html | Sat, 12 Oct 2019 10:06:17 +0000 | 1,570,889,177 | 1,570,919,137 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
342,684 | newsbusters--2019-06-03--Maddow Defending Abortion Is Like the Underground Railroad | 2019-06-03T00:00:00 | newsbusters | Maddow: Defending Abortion Is Like the Underground Railroad? | Pro-life legislation being passed in states across the country has caused much media panicking. In Missouri, where currently one Planned Parenthood abortion clinic remains, all out hysteria of a “dystopian and radical” future was fed by MSNBC host, Rachel Maddow Friday night. The far-left host seemed to compare preserving abortion access to freeing slaves via the Underground Railroad. To begin, M’evie Mead, the director of Planned Parenthood Advocates in Missouri, explained the dire nature of the situation stating; “There will be an emergency plan to help patients access health care outside of the state.” Maddow clarified the end-time prepping narrative with an apparent reference to the underground railroad; “What you are describing there in terms of the emergency plan, if there needs to be a railroad effort in Missouri to try to help women get out of state to get to places where they can access abortion care because they can’t get it anywhere in the state…” She then continued: “In addition to seeming dystopian and radical, it also sounds really expensive.” Though the future is pretty bleak for the pro-choicers, it’s a good thing they were all born to continue trumpeting their dissent. Mead responded “…Yes, there are financial burdens that people will bear…” but made sure to bring the conversation around to the important point saying; “This is a safe, legal, common, medical procedure, and we should not be erecting these tremendous barriers because they have a negative impact on people’s lives.” Ironically, they have a positive impact on thousands of fetus’ lives, but of course, according to MSNBC, a fetus isn’t living…now that would be ‘radical.’ Here is the transcript from the May 31 episode of The Rachel Maddow Show: M’EVIE MEAD [DIRECTOR, PLANNED PARENTHOOD ADVOCATES MISSOURI]: There will be an emergency plan to help patients access health care outside of the state. But people do need to know that already Missourians are facing tremendous challenges. We know those challenges impact people further away from the urban areas, so rural Missourians, people with lower incomes, with less ability and flexibility to move across state lines and take the time, the child care, the days off work to access abortion. So what the governor is doing is absolutely negatively impacting all Missourians. Certainly the most vulnerable are the hardest hit. RACHEL MADDOW: What you’re describing um, you mentioned the legal fight and the expense around the legal fight. What you are describing there in terms of the emergency plan, if there needs to be a railroad effort in Missouri to try to help women get out of state to get to places where they can access abortion care because they can't get it anywhere in the state, in addition to seeming dystopian and radical, it also sounds really expensive. It sounds like you are already in a very expensive fight right now and it sounds like the future might be expensive, particularly if the court succeeds in shutting you down. Is that right for me to discern that? MEAD: Yeah. There is significant costs all around. As I said, yes, there are financial burdens that people will bear and that I want to say that I'm super appreciative of all the folks who have stepped up and tried to increase their ability to donate or give. But I think the most important cost and the ones that we want to center are the negative impacts on people's lives. This is a safe, legal common medical procedure, and we should not be erecting these tremendous barriers because they have negative consequences on people’s lives. | Emma Fantuzzo | https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/emma-fantuzzo/2019/06/03/maddow-defending-abortion-underground-railroad | 2019-06-03 18:15:00+00:00 | 1,559,600,100 | 1,567,539,301 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
362,468 | newsweek--2019-02-12--San Andreas Fault Will Probably Produce a Major Earthquake by 2045The Clock is Ticking | 2019-02-12T00:00:00 | newsweek | San Andreas Fault Will Probably Produce a Major Earthquake by 2045—The Clock is Ticking | California earthquakes are a geologic inevitability. The state straddles the North American and Pacific tectonic plates and is crisscrossed by the San Andreas and other active fault systems. The magnitude 7.9 earthquake that struck off Alaska’s Kodiak Island on January 23, 2018 was just another reminder of major seismic activity along the Pacific Rim. Tragic quakes that occurred in 2017 near the Iran-Iraq border and in central Mexico, with magnitudes of 7.3 and 7.1, respectively, are well within the range of earthquake sizes that have a high likelihood of occurring in highly populated parts of California during the next few decades. The earthquake situation in California is actually more dire than people who aren’t seismologists like myself may realize. Although many Californians can recount experiencing an earthquake, most have never personally experienced a strong one. For major events, with magnitudes of seven or greater, California is actually in an earthquake drought. Multiple segments of the expansive San Andreas Fault system are now sufficiently stressed to produce large and damaging events. The good news is that earthquake readiness is part of the state’s culture, and earthquake science is advancing—including much improved simulations of large quake effects and development of an early warning system for the Pacific coast. California occupies a central place in the history of seismology. The April 18, 1906 San Francisco earthquake (magnitude 7.8) was pivotal to both earthquake hazard awareness and the development of earthquake science—including the fundamental insight that earthquakes arise from faults that abruptly rupture and slip. The San Andreas Fault slipped by as much as 20 feet in this earthquake. Although ground-shaking damage was severe in many places along the nearly 310-mile fault rupture, much of San Francisco was actually destroyed by the subsequent fire, due to the large number of ignition points and a breakdown in emergency services. That scenario continues to haunt earthquake response planners. Consider what might happen if a major earthquake were to strike Los Angeles during fire season. When a major earthquake occurs anywhere on the planet, modern global seismographic networks and rapid response protocols now enable scientists, emergency responders and the public to assess it quickly—typically, within tens of minutes or less—including location, magnitude, ground motion and estimated casualties and property losses. And by studying the buildup of stresses along mapped faults, past earthquake history, and other data and modeling, we can forecast likelihoods and magnitudes of earthquakes over long time periods in California and elsewhere. However, the interplay of stresses and faults in the Earth is dauntingly chaotic. And even with continuing advances in basic research and ever-improving data, laboratory and theoretical studies, there are no known reliable and universal precursory phenomena to suggest that the time, location and size of individual large earthquakes can be predicted. Major earthquakes thus typically occur with no immediate warning whatsoever, and mitigating risks requires sustained readiness and resource commitments. This can pose serious challenges, since cities and nations may thrive for many decades or longer without experiencing major earthquakes. The 1906 San Francisco earthquake was the last quake greater than magnitude seven to occur on the San Andreas Fault system. The inexorable motions of plate tectonics mean that every year, strands of the fault system accumulate stresses that correspond to a seismic slip of millimeters to centimeters. Eventually, these stresses will be released suddenly in earthquakes. But the central-southern stretch of the San Andreas Fault has not slipped since 1857, and the southernmost segment may not have ruptured since 1680. The highly urbanized Hayward Fault in the East Bay region has not generated a major earthquake since 1868. Reflecting this deficit, the Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast estimates that there is a 93 percent probability of a 7.0 or larger earthquake occurring in the Golden State region by 2045, with the highest probabilities occurring along the San Andreas Fault system. California’s population has grown more than 20-fold since the 1906 earthquake and currently is close to 40 million. Many residents and all state emergency managers are widely engaged in earthquake readiness and planning. These preparations are among the most advanced in the world. For the general public, preparations include participating in drills like the Great California Shakeout, held annually since 2008, and preparing for earthquakes and other natural hazards with home and car disaster kits and a family disaster plan. No California earthquake since the 1933 Long Beach event (6.4) has killed more than 100 people. Quakes in 1971 (San Fernando, 6.7); 1989 (Loma Prieta; 6.9); 1994 (Northridge; 6.7); and 2014 (South Napa; 6.0) each caused more than $1bn in property damage, but fatalities in each event were, remarkably, dozens or less. Strong and proactive implementation of seismically informed building codes and other preparations and emergency planning in California saved scores of lives in these medium-sized earthquakes. Any of them could have been disastrous in less-prepared nations. Nonetheless, California’s infrastructure, response planning and general preparedness will doubtlessly be tested when the inevitable and long-delayed “big ones” occur along the San Andreas Fault system. Ultimate damage and casualty levels are hard to project, and hinge on the severity of associated hazards such as landslides and fires. Several nations and regions now have or are developing earthquake early warning systems, which use early detected ground motion near a quake’s origin to alert more distant populations before strong seismic shaking arrives. This permits rapid responses that can reduce infrastructure damage. Such systems provide warning times of up to tens of seconds in the most favorable circumstances, but the notice will likely be shorter than this for many California earthquakes. Early warning systems are operational now in Japan, Taiwan, Mexico and Romania. Systems in California and the Pacific Northwest are presently under development with early versions in operation. Earthquake early warning is by no means a panacea for saving lives and property, but it represents a significant step toward improving earthquake safety and awareness along the West Coast. Managing earthquake risk requires a resilient system of social awareness, education and communications, coupled with effective short and long-term responses and implemented within an optimally safe built environment. As California prepares for large earthquakes after a hiatus of more than a century, the clock is ticking. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. The views expressed in this article are the author's own. | null | https://www.newsweek.com/san-andreas-fault-earthquake-big-one-overdue-california-1322029?utm_source=Public&utm_medium=Feed&utm_campaign=Distribution | 2019-02-12 10:00:02+00:00 | 1,549,983,602 | 1,567,548,744 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
379,960 | newyorkpost--2019-09-09--Do your best to prepare for the worst | 2019-09-09T00:00:00 | newyorkpost | Do your best to prepare for the worst | Where did you go after Superstorm Sandy? What did you do during the 2003 blackout? Were you in danger? Were you prepared? Reliving these emergency situations isn’t easy, but making an emergency plan is. It may feel odd to prepare for an event that you hope never occurs, but when it comes to potential natural disasters, acts of terror and other emergencies, it’s much better to be safe than sorry. If one of these disasters strikes, what will you and your loved ones do? Where will you go? Don’t get stuck without anything to eat — or any way to pass the time — if the power goes out. September is National Preparedness Month, and the New York Post and NYC Emergency Management encourage all New Yorkers to have a plan in the event of an emergency. This handy guide will help you and your family better prepare for a worst-case scenario. You’re already constantly on your phone anyway, so stay informed between swipes and taps. Sign up for Notify NYC — the city’s official emergency communications program — to receive important city updates and emergency alerts. The Ready NYC app allows users to create an emergency plan and to have it readily available should disaster strike. This app allows you to input health information, identify meeting spots, whom to call, what to pack and much more. Focus on taking the necessary steps to create a plan that will keep you, your family, friends and community safe should disaster strike. NYC Emergency Management offers tailored plans for everyone, from children and seniors to those with disabilities. Set a meeting place for you and your loved ones should an emergency happen, like a library or a place of worship. Identify all possible exit routes from your home and neighborhood and ensure that your family is aware of them, and have copies of your emergency plan printed out and kept safely in a place where your entire household can find them. Know when to go (evacuate) and when to stay (shelter in place). City officials will inform you what to do in a given scenario. Designated routes to get people to higher, safer ground during storms have been identified throughout the city. You can use the Hurricane Evacuation Zone Finder to educate yourself and your loved ones about whether you live in an evacuation zone. Storms can sometimes come without warning, and if an order to shelter in place goes into effect, you don’t want to get caught in a last-minute mob at the grocery store. Stock up ahead of time! Make sure you have any essentials on hand that you and your loved ones may need. If you have power, stay tuned for alerts. Should power fail, a hand-crank or battery-powered radio will do the trick. Non-perishable food, extra bottles of water, flashlights and batteries are just a few of the items that will help keep you safe and your spirits high. Keep these stored in a closet or cellar. If you have kids, add a few sweet treats, a deck of cards, stuffed animals or a board game. These items can help keep your kids happy and distract them from the emergency taking place. Create a Go Bag to take with you should evacuation become necessary. Gather copies of important documents, cash in small bills, and a first aid kit. Here are just a few of the other items you should have on hand: Remember, pets need Go Bags too! Make sure you have a current color photo of you and your pet should you get separated. To keep those tails wagging, you’ll also need a bag with food and water for at least three days for your furry friends, an animal first aid kid, comforting toys or treats, plastic bags for cleanup, and food/water dishes. Treat your pet like you would your child — have plenty of supplies to keep them fed and occupied. When disaster strikes, be a leader. Plan accordingly so you can take a role in helping your neighbors and community. You can sign up for a CPR certification course or fire safety training so you can help others before emergency responders arrive. You can also join the New York City Community Emergency Response Team (NYC CERT) volunteer program to learn how to support the efforts of NYC’s first responders. If you don’t have the time to devote to volunteering, simply donating blood can make a huge difference. New York City needs approximately 2,000 people to donate blood every day to maintain its supply, and should a disaster strike, the amount can increase tenfold. Having the right insurance can help you in a disaster. If you rent your home, renter’s insurance will insure the items inside your apartment. If you own, the proper homeowner’s insurance can help with flood and wind damage not typically covered by a basic homeowner’s policy. To counteract possible weather-related damage, reduce your risk by building with flood damage-resistant materials such as cast-in-place concrete, concrete blocks, or solid structural wood. Always be sure to trim branches and remove trees on your property that could potentially fall on homes or nearby power lines. Money isn’t the only thing you should save! The best way to prepare for a disaster is by organizing your finances before it occurs. Store your important financial documents in a waterproof, fireproof container — these can include mortgages, leases, bank statements, tax returns and insurance information. Stash some cash in small bills to have in case ATMs aren’t working, and store cans of non-perishable food in the event you need to shelter in place. You never know when a disaster will strike. Now is the time to take steps toward being prepared for the unexpected. Visit NYC.gov/emergencymanagement or call 311 to learn more today! | aditkowichnyp | https://nypost.com/dispatch/do-your-best-to-prepare-for-the-worst/ | 2019-09-09 04:01:30+00:00 | 1,568,016,090 | 1,569,330,704 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
383,264 | npr--2019-01-17--25 Years After The Northridge Earthquake Is LA Ready For The Big One | 2019-01-17T00:00:00 | npr | 25 Years After The Northridge Earthquake, Is LA Ready For The Big One? | A bulldozer begins to tear down a section of the Santa Monica Freeway that collapsed during the Northridge earthquake, 25 years ago. Despite lessons learned from that earthquake, LA is far from prepared for the next big one. **Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images** ****hide caption**** ****toggle caption**** Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images A bulldozer begins to tear down a section of the Santa Monica Freeway that collapsed during the Northridge earthquake, 25 years ago. Despite lessons learned from that earthquake, LA is far from prepared for the next big one. Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images Twenty five years ago, at 4:30 a.m. on Jan. 17, 1994, the Northridge earthquake shook Angelenos from their beds. For those of us who lived through it, the memories of chaos early in the morning are unforgettable. "We were just literally startled awake by a freight train driving right through our bedroom," said my father, Mark Margolis, who along with my sister, my mother and myself, was sleeping just about seven miles from the epicenter. "I mean the blinds that were supposed to be hanging vertical were like out horizontal. So, there was a tremendous amount of movement." I was only five, and remember being pulled from my bed into the dark hallway by my parents. Our house was trashed, with everything from our shelves and inside our refrigerator thrown to the ground. I mean the blinds that were supposed to be hanging vertical were like out horizontal. So, there was a tremendous amount of movement. Mark Margolis, Los Angeles resident After things calmed down, we walked outside. I remember dark silhouettes of my neighbors milling about, trying to figure out what to do, just as dawn began to break and aftershocks rolled through. When the sun rose, everyone was able to take stock of the damage. The 6.7 magnitude earthquake destroyed freeways and buildings, cracked streets and left swaths of Los Angeles without power for a period of time. "I remember driving down one of the main streets and there was like water coming up from the ... street because there were broken gas lines as well as broken water lines. There was water, but there were also flames coming out of the water," my dad said. "So, burning water ... I mean how often do you see that?" At least 57 people died and $40 billion in damage was done. Many Angelenos were displaced for a period of time. Some people were lucky enough to stay with family and friends. Some had to live for days in parks as the structural integrity of their buildings was assessed. **Prepared for the next one?** Every time an earthquake hits, we learn new things about just how unprepared we are. Since Northridge, building codes have improved and retrofit programs for hospitals, apartments and freeways have been implemented. The hope is that those improvements leave us safer. But Southern California hasn't had an earthquake strong enough to test the region in earnest anytime since. A National Guardsman stands guard outside the ruins of the Northridge Meadows Apartments where 16 people died during the January 1994 earthquake that rocked Southern California. Since then, many of these kinds of apartments have been retrofitted to withstand a large quake. **TIM CLARY/AFP/Getty Images** ****hide caption**** ****toggle caption**** TIM CLARY/AFP/Getty Images A National Guardsman stands guard outside the ruins of the Northridge Meadows Apartments where 16 people died during the January 1994 earthquake that rocked Southern California. Since then, many of these kinds of apartments have been retrofitted to withstand a large quake. TIM CLARY/AFP/Getty Images About 7,000 miles of water pipes are currently being retrofitted by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, so that they don't crack in an earthquake. That could mean contamination or complete loss of water to homes. Craig Davis, the Water System Resilience Program Manager, said that it will take 120 years to fix the entire system. According to seismologists, an earthquake far bigger than Northridge could hit at anytime. Dr. Lucile Jones was the lead author on a 2008 report called "[The ShakeOut Scenario](https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2008/1150/)" for the U.S. Geological Survey. In it, they describe a theoretical but likely earthquake: A 7.8 magnitude temblor on the southern San Andreas fault that would be 44 times stronger than Northridge. The report estimates that if that earthquake occurs, 1,800 people could die, buildings could collapse, an estimated $200 billion in damage could be done and conflagrations could break out. "Northridge was an event that disrupted the lives of people in the San Fernando Valley extensively ... disrupted our community for a year or two," Dr. Jones said. "The big San Andreas earthquake is going to disrupt the lives of everybody in Southern California and it could take us decades to recover what we lose." LA Mayor Eric Garcetti has worked with Jones to implement various programs designed to improve the city's [resilience](http://100resilientcities.org/wp- content/uploads/2018/03/Los-Angeles-Resilience-Strategy-PDF.pdf). "We're better prepared for the big one than any big city in America," he says, "which is to say, we're woefully unprepared." Limited water and overwhelmed emergency services after a big quake hits could mean large fires spreading quickly throughout the hills and neighborhoods, according to Jones. Mark Ghilarducci, director of California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, said it could take 48 to 72 hours for outside help to arrive in Southern California. Meaning, 10 million people should expect to be largely on their own for a few days after the disaster. There is some good news: "Most of the time under most circumstances ... you're going to see people become the best version, the most altruistic version of themselves, especially in those first couple of minutes and moments after the event," said Joe Trainor, who studies disasters and crisis at the University of Delaware. That said, to survive a major earthquake, it's important that [people take steps to prepare](https://laist.com/2019/01/07/the_big_one_earthquake_surivival_guide_101_how_to.php). Stock up on water, food, medicine and make sure that there's some alternate form of shelter in case homes are unlivable. Everyone who lives in an earthquake zone should have some sort of emergency plan in place and coordinate that plan with friends and family. _This story comes from the producers and host of a new podcast, "_[The Big One - Your Survival Guide.](https://the-big-one.scpr.org/)" | Jacob Margolis | https://www.npr.org/2019/01/17/686020821/25-years-after-the-northridge-earthquake-is-la-ready-for-the-big-one?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=news | 2019-01-17 10:01:00+00:00 | 1,547,737,260 | 1,567,552,091 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
385,103 | npr--2019-04-18--Tiny Earthquakes Happen Every Few Minutes In Southern California Study Finds | 2019-04-18T00:00:00 | npr | Tiny Earthquakes Happen Every Few Minutes In Southern California, Study Finds | Tiny Earthquakes Happen Every Few Minutes In Southern California, Study Finds Detecting very small earthquakes is notoriously difficult. The churning of the ocean, a passing car or even the wind can feel a lot like a minor quake to the sensors that blanket seismically active parts of the U.S. That's a problem for scientists who rely on data about all the earthquakes in a region to study what triggers the biggest, most destructive ones. Now, a team of scientists says it has found a way to accurately detect tiny earthquakes, and it has published a new, more comprehensive list of quakes that occurred over a recent 10-year period in Southern California. The work was published Thursday in the journal Science. The team relied on data from a network of about 400 seismic sensors in California, spread from the U.S.-Mexico border up through the southern part of the state. Those sensors continuously measure movement in the Earth's crust, looking for evidence of quakes. During the decade from 2008 to 2017, scientists had already identified 180,000 earthquakes in the region. "They have a robust seismic network in Southern California," explains Daniel Trugman, a seismologist at Los Alamos National Laboratory and an author of the study. But while 180,000 might seem like a large number of quakes, there were many, many more hiding undetected in the data. When Trugman and his collaborators re-analyzed the data using a powerful array of computer processors, they found evidence of 10 times as many earthquakes — 1.81 million temblors in a decade, or roughly one tiny earthquake every three minutes or so. "You don't feel them happening all the time," Trugman says. But "they're happening all the time." Most quakes detected in the study are so small, their magnitude falls below zero. It's not impossible for humans to feel such subtle trembling in the rock beneath our feet, but it is unlikely. Trugman equates it to a table being kicked over in your kitchen. If you are standing in the kitchen when it happens, you'll notice the table hitting the ground. But if you're up the street when it happens, or even just outside, you're likely to miss it. To detect the tiny quakes without mistaking them for nonquake vibrations (like a passing truck), Trugman and scientists at the California Institute of Technology and the University of California, San Diego used computers to search a decade's worth of data for patterns that resembled known earthquakes. The analysis was made possible by advances in computer processors over the past decade or so. Even so, it took tens of thousands of hours for a group of 200 graphics processors housed at Caltech — basically souped-up versions of the graphics cards in laptop computers — to search through all the data and pinpoint potential quakes, and hundreds of thousands of hours more for other computers to finish the analysis. The ability to measure more, smaller earthquakes will hopefully help scientists answer some of the most intriguing questions about how, where and why earthquakes happen. In California, many communities rely on fault maps showing where earthquakes are most likely to happen to help make decisions about infrastructure, building codes and emergency plans. Having more complete information about quakes in the region could make those maps more complete and could help identify what are known as blind faults, which aren't visible on the surface but have the potential to shift underground. A blind thrust fault was responsible for the 1994 Northridge earthquake in Southern California that killed more than 50 people, injured thousands of others and caused billions of dollars in damage. In fact, the network of seismic sensors that made the new study possible was put in place in the aftermath of that disaster. It also might be possible to use data from similar sensor networks in other parts of the U.S. — for example, in the Pacific Northwest — to create more comprehensive catalogs of quakes in those regions. The study's authors hope to use the data to look at how large earthquakes are triggered and what role small earthquakes play in that process. Understanding that complex relationship could eventually help seismologists predict earthquakes. "We're going to be looking at a lot of these questions in a lot more detail," says lead author Zachary Ross, a geophysicist at Caltech. "The holy grail of earthquake seismology has always been prediction," explains Trugman. In recent years, for example, the U.S. government has rolled out an earthquake warning system along the West Coast, which uses the same networks of sensors that scientists are studying. Having a deeper understanding of the seismic information that is fed into that early alert system could help make it more accurate. "I'm cautiously optimistic that we'll make progress on earthquake prediction," Trugman says. | Rebecca Hersher | https://www.npr.org/2019/04/18/714621123/tiny-earthquakes-happen-every-few-minutes-in-southern-california-study-finds?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=news | 2019-04-18 18:01:25+00:00 | 1,555,624,885 | 1,567,542,599 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
387,515 | npr--2019-11-01--California's Preemptive Blackouts Put A Strain On People With Home Medical Needs | 2019-11-01T00:00:00 | npr | California's Preemptive Blackouts Put A Strain On People With Home Medical Needs | California's Preemptive Blackouts Put A Strain On People With Home Medical Needs Fern Brown, 81, sat in the rear of a tent on the windswept fairgrounds of the historic Gold Rush town of Auburn, Calif., this week, drawing deep breaths through the mouthpiece of a nebulizer plugged into a power strip atop a plastic folding table. Afflicted for years with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Brown uses the nebulizer twice a day to avoid flare-ups that can be life-threatening. It turns her medicine into a fine mist that she can inhale. Her machine runs on electricity, and when Pacific Gas & Electric Co. shuts off the power in the region amid wildfire scares, as it did earlier this week, Brown must scramble to find a place where she can administer her treatment. She knows the makeshift "resource center" she visited on Tuesday afternoon, one of several set up by PG&E, is not a viable long-term fix ― especially now that this month's power outages and the uncertainty that comes with them seem likely to be a more frequent feature of California's fall fire season. "I could rent a generator. Or can you rent to own?" Brown asked. "They're expensive. But that's probably what I'll do. We just want to be ready for the next time." "That is the real travesty of this PG&E plan," said Sandy Jay, a nurse practitioner at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital in Sonoma County, about 130 miles southwest of Auburn. "As the dominoes fall, it's the poor and the disabled who are the most affected by this." Jay supervises a program that for 20 years has sent teams of workers throughout the Santa Rosa area to bring medicine and treatment to those whose conditions prevent them from leaving home or keep them bedbound. Without power, though, almost all of those patients need help immediately, she said. Air-pumped mattresses, used to prevent chronic bedsores, begin to deflate. Ventilators and nebulizers cease to function. Electric wheelchairs don't respond. And many of the affected people are reachable only by landline telephones, which aren't all reliable when the power's out. "It's just kind of unconscionable," Jay said. Hardened by experience of shut-offs imposed by their utility company, many residents of this region ― and others up and down the state ― have concluded they must prepare for future power cuts. PG&E confirmed that notion in an emailed statement, saying all its customers should "have an emergency plan to be prepared for any extended outages due to extreme weather or natural disasters." Extended outages, even planned ones, can mean up to a week without electricity, Californians in some areas have been dismayed to discover. PG&E's statement referred customers to the utility's website page on wildfire safety, adding that local county emergency offices may also offer help. The PG&E outages that have affected some 1.8 million Californians in the past few weeks, amid nerve-wracking warnings of wind and fire, have only affirmed the company's message. For those with home medical needs, the quest for a durable fix has taken on real urgency. Steve Bast, who lives in a rural section of Auburn in the Sierra foothills, has Type 2 diabetes, and his insulin needs to be refrigerated. Bast has been forced to deal with previous outages, both weather-related and PG&E-driven, some lasting several days. Now, he said, he keeps ice packs in his freezer and puts them on the insulin containers as soon as his power goes down. He then stores the medication inside a soft cooler that zips closed and goes back in the refrigerator for as long as the unit remains cold. Bast also uses a CPAP machine for his sleep apnea, and it must be plugged in, so he said his next move is to buy a small, personal generator. He notes however, that he would still need to find an open gas station for fuel to keep the generator running during an outage. Gas stations rely on electricity to run their pumps. Then there's the cost: A personal generator sells for between $400 and $1,000, meaning it could be out of reach for people of limited means. PG&E's temporary resource centers, of the type Fern Brown visited, are small, tented areas where up to 100 people at a time can power up devices of all kinds and get free bags of ice, cases of water and snacks. The centers are set up when an area is plunged into a utility-ordered shut-off, and they close once power is fully restored to that area. But such centers cannot solve the bigger problems. During the last power shut-off a few weeks ago, Debrah Vitali went to check on her neighbor, 88-year-old Joan Casper. She and Casper have become close friends in their neighborhood in Santa Rosa, and Vitali knows that Casper wears an emergency calling device around her neck, which she can use to alert medics if she needs help. The device is tied to Casper's landline, but what neither woman realized was that the landline operates through her internet connection. When the power went out, so did the internet — and with it Joan's ability to summon help. "I couldn't believe it," Vitali said. "So we've just agreed as a group of neighbors to take turns checking on her, because she'd have no way to let anyone know she was in trouble." California's Health and Human Services Agency this week established an ongoing, nonemergency hotline (833-284-3473) to help residents find health services in their communities during any power shut-off. Gov. Gavin Newsom, meanwhile, has announced a $75 million fund that state and local government leaders can tap to help purchase generators and other backup energy sources that would keep local emergency services going in their communities. For people whose medical treatment begins at home, however, the solutions also need to begin there. At the PG&E center in Auburn, Fern Brown completed her 30-minute treatment before speaking. She said that her asthma and COPD have become worse over the past couple of years and that skipping a nebulizer session is not an option. Brown and her sister, Lavina Suehead, who cares for Brown, drove a half-hour from their home in the remote town of Foresthill to reach the resource center at Auburn's Gold Country Fairgrounds. They said they would be seeking another solution, both for Tuesday night's treatment and beyond. "We'll have to do something," Brown said. "We're out of power a lot." This story was produced by Kaiser Health News, which publishes California Healthline, an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation. KHN is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente. | Mark Kreidler | https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/11/01/775258901/californias-preemptive-blackouts-put-a-strain-on-people-with-home-medical-needs?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=news | Fri, 01 Nov 2019 10:26:00 -0400 | 1,572,618,360 | 1,572,646,553 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
425,814 | pravadareport--2019-01-30--China Preparing for Economic Financial Trade and Hot War | 2019-01-30T00:00:00 | pravadareport | China Preparing for Economic, Financial, Trade and Hot War | China Preparing for Economic, Financial, Trade and Hot War China seeks cooperative relations with other nations. The US is a global menace, seeking dominance over other countries - sovereign independent governments on its target list for regime change, by war or other means. It hasn't won a war since WW II ended. What chance would it have against China or Russia? War would one or the other would assure losers, not winners, humanity paying the greatest price, its survival risked if things go too far. Beijing knows what it's up against in dealing with Washington. It's planning for possible confrontation. Last fall, President Xi Jinping ordered the country's military to boost its capability against potential threats to the nation's security, saying: "It's necessary (for China's armed forces) to strengthen (their capability), concentrat(ing) preparations for fighting a war," adding: "We need to take all complex situations into consideration and make emergency plans accordingly." "We have to step up combat readiness exercises, joint exercises and confrontational exercises to enhance servicemen's capabilities and preparation for war." Addressing China's Central Military Commission in early January, Xi said "(a)ll military units must correctly understand major national security and development trends, and strengthen their sense of unexpected hardship, crisis and battle." "The world is facing a period of major changes never seen in a century, and China is still in an important period of strategic opportunity for development." Xi ordered stepped up military training and exercises, saying China's armed forces must "prepare for a comprehensive military struggle from a new starting point", adding: "Preparation for war and combat must be deepened to ensure an efficient response in times of emergency." Last week, senior Chinese officials expressed concern about threats to the country's security over economic and trade war with the US, no breakthroughs achieved in resolving major differences. First Secretary of the Central Secretariat of the Communist Party of China, Central Policy Research director Wang Huning stressed a "tough battle" ahead in dealing with security risks. He and Xi said policymakers must develop "bottom-line thinking," preparing for the "worst-case situation" that may threaten the nation's security and stability. According to Xi, China faces "unpredictable international developments and a complicated and sensitive external environment" over economic, trade, and other disagreements with the US, issues weighing on the country in the year ahead and beyond. Chinese Academy of Governance official Zhu Lijia warned that fallout over trade war with the US may weigh heavily on China's economy this year. Confrontation with EU and other US allies is possible. As long as Washington considers China a rival power, the nation will remain threatened by its rage to dominate. According to political analyst Zhang Lifan, "there's nothing that does not constitute a risk" to China. Last week, US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross explained what's understood by both countries, saying the US and China "are miles from getting a resolution." Resolving trade differences is relatively easy compared to structural issues. Washington wants China and all other countries subordinated to its interests. It wants Beijing's industrial, economic, and technological growth and development aims undermined. It intends expanding its military footprint in the Indo/Pacific region where it doesn't belong - or anywhere else uninvited. The risk of US confrontation with China, Russia, Iran, and other sovereign states is too great to ignore - the risk of potentially catastrophic nuclear war. My newest book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III." | null | http://www.pravdareport.com/opinion/142215-china_preparing/ | 2019-01-30 15:25:00+00:00 | 1,548,879,900 | 1,567,550,233 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
473,994 | rollcall--2019-12-16--Researchers warn census privacy efforts may muddy federal data | 2019-12-16T00:00:00 | rollcall | Researchers warn census privacy efforts may muddy federal data | Protesters hold signs at a rally in front of the U.S. Supreme Court after justices blocked the Trump administration from adding a citizenship question to the 2020 Census. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo) Steps taken by the Census Bureau to protect individual responses may muddy cancer research, housing policy, transportation planning, legislative map-drawing and health care policy, researchers have warned the agency. The problems come from a new policy — differential privacy — that adds “noise” to census data to help prevent outside attackers from identifying individuals among public data. However, the agency’s latest test of the policy created what researchers called absurd outcomes: households with 90 people and graveyards populated with the living. Such results could skew a count used to redistribute political power and $1.5 trillion in federal spending nationwide. Some researchers at a national statistics conference last week in Washington called for the Census Bureau to delay formally rolling out the new policy until more research can be done, citing its uneven impact on communities and systemic bias against urban areas. The results of the current algorithm could throw off state budget distributions, health care planning, emergency preparedness and dozens of other areas, argued Nevada state demographer Jeff Hardcastle. “You can make a bad decision with good data but it is much harder to make a good decision with bad data,” Hardcastle said. [Commerce watchdog will monitor efforts to keep 2020 census secure] Researchers have been applying the differential privacy algorithm to a set of 2010 census data used as a test, systematically adding noise with a specific “privacy budget,” a numerical value that helps govern how much the data is changed before public release. The policy change came after Census Bureau research found that an attacker could isolate almost half of the respondents using public data, allowing them to be cross referenced with commercially available medical data, purchasing information and the like. The agency adopted the new method in response and wants feedback by next summer on how useful the data still is. Researchers and policy makers have pushed back on the current iteration, though, saying it would throw off state tax disbursements in Tennessee, community planning in Alaska and emergency planning in New York. Joe Salvo, director of the population division for New York City’s department of planning, said the agency needs to fine tune the results so they are still useful. “Differential privacy is here to stay. Essentially, we are going to have to recognize that and we are going to work for an optimal solution in the noise-privacy continuum we are working with,” Salvo said. The changes brought on by differential privacy particularly seem to throw off counts for small, minority communities. Native American communities have been especially affected. During a Census Bureau advisory committee meeting last month, Nicole Borromeo of the Alaska Federation of Natives called on the agency to consider Native Americans and Alaska natives as a separate case when looking at differential privacy. Researchers like Nicholas Nagle of the University of Tennessee said the changes can have a range of unintended effects, including on states like his that distribute state tax receipts based on population. His research shows that towns would gain or lose revenue, randomly, based on the changes resulting from differential privacy. “We have never assumed the number of people in a place was something worth protecting,” Nagle said. “That has been assumed it was public information. We’re proud of it. We advertise it on road signs.” A coalition of state and federal data users sent a letter earlier this month to the Census Bureau calling for more clarity on the policy and raising concerns about the role data scientists played in the process. “We are particularly concerned that insufficient analysis has been conducted regarding how [differential privacy] will affect the Census data used for informing policy and allocating public and private funds,” the letter said. Researchers at last week’s conference said the threat of re-identification is real. “I’m terrified of what is going on,” said Danah Boyd of Microsoft Research. She said the issue for researchers is not just what data points a respondent might consider public information — their race or age, for example — but what parts an attacker might use to cross reference with commercial data about purchases, medical history and other private information. That could then be used to hurt the same vulnerable communities that demographers, social scientists and others want to help. “We are talking about voting rights and we are talking about deportation. We are talking about access to services and we are talking about getting kicked out of housing,” Boyd said. Census Bureau officials acknowledged several problems with the current iteration of the policy and said some — like over-packed households — may be fixed. Other issues, said Census Bureau official Matthew Spence, may turn into a policy tradeoff. Taking some suggestions, like making population at the smallest level of geography fixed, may make other problems worse because “as we add invariants it adds to noisier results elsewhere,” Spence said. | Michael Macagnone | https://www.rollcall.com/news/congress/researchers-warn-census-privacy-efforts-may-muddy-federal-data | Mon, 16 Dec 2019 12:36:47 EST | 1,576,517,807 | 1,576,543,739 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
482,512 | skynewspolitics--2019-02-08--Govt working to ensure NHS can operate fully in event of no-deal Brexit | 2019-02-08T00:00:00 | skynewspolitics | Govt working to ensure NHS can 'operate fully' in event of no-deal Brexit | Govt working to ensure NHS can 'operate fully' in event of no-deal Brexit Govt working to ensure NHS can 'operate fully' in event of no-deal Brexit Matt Hancock said Mark Carney addressed the cabinet on no deal Brexit months ago The health secretary has said efforts are under way to ensure medicines remain available in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Matt Hancock's confirmation of the preparations followed reports that senior figures are examining ways to reboot the economy if the UK leaves the European Union without an agreement in place. According to the Financial Times, officials from the Treasury, Cabinet Office, business and trade departments are meeting with the head of the civil service to develop emergency plans as part of an initiative called "Project After". The newspaper reports that options explored by the group have included cutting taxes, boosting investment and slashing tariffs - with one Whitehall source describing it as a "Doomsday list of economic levers we could pull if the economy is about to tank". Mr Hancock told Sky News he would not comment on leaks, but confirmed economic plans have been under way for some time. He said: "We don't want to leave with no deal but we will have to respond if we do. "In my area, this means making sure the NHS can operate fully and people get access to medicine. "That's not just a problem for us but on continent too. In the last 24 hours, my Dutch counterpart has said he is worried about this and is taking action as we are. "This shows us why its important for the EU side to move so we can get a deal that can be agreed. "There will be a response on the economic side, and we have known this for some time. Mark Carney addressed the cabinet months ago." On Friday, Norway's government proposed legislation to try and secure the rights of its citizens living in Britain, and of Britons living in Norway, as the clock ticks down to 29 March. Theresa May is in Ireland today to meet with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in an effort to come to an agreement over the backstop. The backstop - a customs plan to avoid a "hard" border between Ireland and Northern Ireland if a Brexit deal is not reached - remains the main stumbling block in Mrs May's plan to take the UK out of the European Union. The Irish leader is to meet with the main political parties in Belfast before he has dinner with Mrs May. Meanwhile, the government is preparing for what will happen in Kent after Brexit with the implementation of Operation Brock. Over the weekend, a temporary steel barrier will be installed on the M20 which will be in place to help queue lorries heading for mainland Europe from the UK while allowing other traffic to flow more freely along the motorway. Brock is an update to the previous measures in the region - known as Operation Stack - which helped manage traffic when there were strikes at the French ports. As Mrs May continues to battle for her Brexit deal, and the EU looks into Labour's proposals, Mr Hancock said MPs should back the prime minister to get a deal through before the end of the Article 50 period. Article 50 is the clause which allows countries to leave the EU, and the two-year period to come up with replacement deals ends on 29 March. Mr Hancock told Sky News: "The best way through this is to follow what the Commons voted for - supporting the prime minister's deal with assurances we won't be stuck in the backstop forever. "That's what she has been fighting for and she's got dinner this evening with Leo Varadkar. "There was an important move from the Europeans, they said they would reopen discussions. They will have their red lines and we are clear about what we want to see. "That is an important move after they said they would not reopen talks." | null | http://news.sky.com/story/govt-working-to-ensure-nhs-can-operate-fully-in-event-of-no-deal-brexit-11631392 | 2019-02-08 11:06:00+00:00 | 1,549,641,960 | 1,567,549,187 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
485,854 | skynewsus--2019-08-21--Storm Area 51 events prompt remote county to make emergency plans | 2019-08-21T00:00:00 | skynewsus | 'Storm Area 51' events prompt remote county to make emergency plans | Area 51 in Nevada has been the source of speculation for decades Officials in the remote Nevada county which is home to Area 51 have drawn up emergency plans over fears that up to 40,000 alien hunters could gather at the secretive US military base next month. More than two million people have committed to the proposed raid of the complex in the hope of seeing aliens - despite the 20 September Facebook event being shut down after its organiser admitted it was a joke. Even the US air force last month felt compelled to warn those planning to go to the event that it "stands ready to protect America and its assets". Despite the warnings, the number of people signed up to the event continues to increase. Now, Lincoln County officials have drafted an emergency declaration and a plan to team resources with neighbouring counties and the state after conditionally approving two events next month tied to the "Storm Area 51" internet drive. The spirit of the original plan is now living on in the form of Alienstock - a three-day music festival including a "party in the desert" - which is set to take place on 20-22 September in the nearby town of Rachel, which has a population of about 50. Connie West, co-owner of the Little A'Le'Inn said she is expecting 10,000 people. The Alien Research Centre souvenir shop in nearby Hiko, a town of about 120, is planning an exhibition the same weekend. The events evolved from the initial online post inviting people to "storm" the military test area in the Nevada desert. Authorities are worried that with only 184 hotel rooms across the county, a surge in visitors will crowd campsites, gas stations and public medical, internet and mobile phone services. "Oh, we're taking this seriously," Lincoln County Commission chairman Varlin Higbee told the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Tuesday. "With the possibility of 35,000 to 40,000 people showing up, yeah, this is serious. "The cellphone system is going to go down. You get more than a couple of hundred people there and it's going to crash. Cell service won't be available." He added: "We don't want them going down to government property; it will probably be blocked off. "We don't want civilian people in contact with the military at all. That will get ugly." Huge secrecy surrounds Area 51, which is not open to the public and is under 24-hour surveillance. The base, located about 150 miles from Las Vegas, was first used to develop U2 spy planes in the 1950s. That programme finished after the U2 was put into service around 1956 and the base has since been used for testing other military aircraft, but conspiracy theorists say the site is also home to remains of crashed UFOs. Peter Merlin, an aerospace historian who has written extensively about Area 51, said the facility is "strictly a place for testing and evaluating aircraft and associated weapons systems". | null | http://news.sky.com/story/storm-area-51-events-prompt-remote-county-to-make-emergency-plans-11790511 | 2019-08-21 11:30:00+00:00 | 1,566,401,400 | 1,567,533,918 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
493,247 | sluggerotoole--2019-05-01--UK Parliament Declares Environment and Climate Emergency | 2019-05-01T00:00:00 | sluggerotoole | UK Parliament Declares Environment and Climate Emergency | The House of Commons has tonight declared an “environment and climate emergency.” The first national parliament in the world to do so. This comes in the wake of mass civil action by Extinction Rebellion, school strikes for climate, and local declarations of climate emergency all over the world. The UK Labour Party, which proposed the motion, asked MPs to “act with commensurate urgency.” Something which the Green Party have been urging for a very long time. In the last few days, the Scottish government and the Welsh government have also declared climate emergency. All late to the party, but very welcome. MPs today fell over each other today to express their ecological concerns. There was unanimous agreement to pass the motion. A significant moment came when British Environment Secretary Michael Gove at 2.29pm admitted, on the House of Commons floor, that the situation is indeed “a crisis… an emergency… a threat.” It is another question altogether what the present Conservative government intends to actually do about it. Indications are that they are not yet ready to take more than baby-steps. The situation is similar in Ireland, where progress was made this week on People Before Profit’s Climate Emergency Measures Bill, which passed through the Dáil – despite government opposition – and now will proceed to select committee stage. Today’s declaration, and the tone of the debate, shows that a political consensus is building around climate and ecological emergency. And that a combination of grassroots movements, public opinion and cross-party political coalitions are finally beginning to force governments’ hands. But what does climate emergency actually mean? In one sense it’s symbolic. Declaring an emergency is a recognition of the urgency of change. If you need a quick refresher on why it’s so serious, start with David Wallace Wells, or watch David Attenborough’s recent BBC programme Climate Change: The Facts. It’s clear that drastic action needs to be taken immediately, and needs to be well underway as soon as next year. In addition to carbon emissions, the debate today highlighted the impact of extreme weather on people and health, the economy and infrastructure, the loss of biodiversity and its consequent impact on soil quality and food production. But declaring climate emergency is much more than symbolism. It puts pressure on politicians to put their money where their mouth is, and embark on a series of practical measures. To take a local example, a handful of Green Party councillors led on a climate emergency declaration in Ards and North Down Borough Council in February this year, which passed without opposition in the chamber. There is currently a public consultation on a Local Development Plan, which involves a sustainability plan, environmental protections and efforts to build local resilience to climate change. All hugely important for a Borough which is a key food producer, with coastlines highly vulnerable to rising sea levels. Recent findings about dangerously high levels of air pollution in Northern Ireland (amongst the worst in the UK) also focus attention on the urgency of tackling environmental distress. Air pollution is thought to cause at least 500 deaths, and many more illnesses, in Northern Ireland each year. Derry City and Strabane Council are well ahead of the curve on this, and are in the midst of developing a climate adaptation plan for the District. National and devolved government declarations, however, have the potential to scale things up dramatically. UK Labour are now focussing heavily on Green economics. In Rebecca Long-Bailey’s words, climate emergency is “the first step in a long list of radical action we want the government to take,” which will “unlock the huge economic benefits of backing a green industrial revolution.” This is, in essence, the Green New Deal, something which global activists and European Green Parties have long pioneered. The Green New Deal is an economic and environmental programme to create more jobs and climate justice. The nettle that governments in Britain and Ireland are struggling to grasp, is what to do about fossil fuels. Legislation regulating fossil fuel companies, stopping subsidies, and de-incentivising their growth, are central to change. In today’s debate, Michael Gove talked up the importance of individuals and free markets in bringing about change. But the free market is based on an assumption of perpetual growth. And this is not possible on a planet with finite resources. So this individualisation of the problem, and disinclination to intervene in markets, has left governments on these islands footering with small issues like plastic straws, whilst sticking their fingers in their ears about the biggest issues. GreenPeace launched a climate emergency plan today, which helps us understand what immediate action could look like. It contains 134 “practical actions” which governments can take right now – from energy production (de-incentivising fossil fuels and incentivising renewables), increasing energy storage in the grid, transport, buildings, industry, agriculture, nature, aviation and shipping. It says implementation of these actions on all fronts would put the UK on course for achieving net zero emissions “well before 2045.” Extinction Rebellion use zero net carbon by 2025 as their jumping off point. But either way, the message is clear. Immediate and urgent action is needed. Indeed, there is wide public support for such measures. Survey evidence released by Opinium today found that: Extinction Rebellion has also been active across Ireland, with a large protest a few weeks ago. 95% of second level students said they are worried or very worried about their future due to the threat of climate change, and 86% felt the Irish government was not doing enough to tackle the problem. The school strike for climate in Ireland has also gained significant momentum. As for what we can do in the north in the absence of devolution, it’s worth thinking about how to support action groups and political parties at Council level who are addressing – in the UN’s secretary general António Guterres’ words – “the defining issue of our time.” Namely climate change, the collapse of nature, and the “direct existential threat” which faces our planet. Environmental activists have known for long time how urgent this is. But most people saw it as future politics. It’s is now widely accepted that climate and ecological breakdown are the politics of the present. The challenge is how to transform this from bandwagonesque greenwash into deep, practical and lasting action. “67 Climbers” by Felton Davis is licensed under CC BY | Claire Mitchell | https://sluggerotoole.com/2019/05/01/uk-parliament-declares-climate-emergency/ | 2019-05-01 18:18:56+00:00 | 1,556,749,136 | 1,567,541,547 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
501,851 | sottnet--2019-05-27--The secret UK government blueprints that shape post-terror attack media campaigns to pacify the publ | 2019-05-27T00:00:00 | sottnet | The secret UK government blueprints that shape post-terror attack media campaigns to pacify the public | 'That's what we want' 'Get the Novichok cleared up' The British government has prepared for terrorist incidents by pre-planning social media campaigns that are designed to appear to be a spontaneous public response to attacks, Middle East Eye has learned.Hashtags are carefully tested before attacks happen, Instagram images selected, and "impromptu" street posters are printed.In operations that contingency planners term "controlled spontaneity", politicians' statements, vigils and inter-faith events are also negotiated and planned in readiness for any terrorist attack.Within hours of an attack, other campaigns are swiftly organised, with I "heart" posters being designed and distributed, according to the location of the attack, and plans drawn up for people to hand out flowers at the scene of the crime, in apparently unprompted gestures of love and support.Many of the operations are said to be modelled on extensive plans that were drawn up in the UK to channel public anger in the wake of any attack on the 2012 London Olympics.Some had been devised the previous year, at a time when social media platforms were aiding communications between protesters during the Arab Spring - and when a series of riots were erupting in towns and cities across England.One senior figure involved in that contingency planning says that the riots had "absolutely terrified" the British government, and that Theresa May, who was then home secretary and is now prime minister, had been particularly shaken.The measures drawn up in advance of the Olympics were intended to "corral the Princess Dianaesque grief" that was expected to emerge after any mass-casualty attack, a reference to the public mourning that followed the death of Princess Diana in a car crash in 1997.Although there was no terrorist incident at the 2012 Olympics,"The point I noticed change was the Olympics," says one veteran contingency planner in the UK.Officials at the Home Office in particular are said to have been impressed by football fans' demonstrations of support for a Premier League player, Fabrice Muamba, after he suffered a cardiac arrest and collapsed on the pitch in March 2012, four months before the start of the Olympics.At subsequent matches, fans of many different clubs held up placards and banners bearing messages of support for Muamba.MEE understands that during subsequent contingency planning meetings, Home Officials suggested that replicating such a response could assist the recovery process after any terrorist attack, and result in the Olympic Games continuing."They were saying: 'That's what we want. If something happens at the Olympics, we want you to make people respond like that. And then the people will want the Olympics to carry on."A number of Western governments are understood to have exchanged information about the way in which they use social media in an attempt to shape public responses following terrorist attacks.Examples of "controlled spontaneity" within the UK that MEE has identified include:After Alan Henning, a British aid worker, was murdered by Islamic State in October 2014, the Research, Information and Communications Unit (RICU) - a controversial propaganda unit that is part of the Office of Security and Counterterrorism at the UK Home Office - turned to a striking image that had already been developed by one of its private sector contractors.The image created by Breakthrough Media, a London-based communications company, was a photograph of a woman wearing a Union Jack hijab, taken in profile.It had been developed, according to an internal Breakthrough document seen by MEE, because "the UK authorities wanted to challenge ultraconservative and misogynistic interpretations of Islam - particularly those around women - in order to promote the true face of Islam among vulnerable UK communities".The document explains that RICU's objective was to "establish a platform for British Muslim women to set out an alternative interpretation of Islam and to take a lead in countering extremism in their communities".The outcome, it goes on, was Making A Stand, "a new British Muslim women's campaigning organisation and network active within British Muslim communities and with an increasingly high-profile in the national media".A few days after the murder of Henning, the campaign described as Making A Stand approached The Sun, a tabloid newspaper, which agreed to dedicate its entire front page to the Union Jack hijab photograph.Inside, the newspaper devoted a further six pages to coverage of political leaders and members of the public who said that they were making a stand against Islamic State terror.Staff at Breakthrough were delighted with the way their work had been passed on to the Sun: a framed copy of the front page was hung in the company's central London offices.The Union Jack hijab is one one of hundreds of media projects that Breakthrough had designed on behalf of RICU as part of the UK's controversial counter-radicalisation programme known as Prevent.Recently rebranded as Zinc Network, the company continues to bid for, and win, RICU contracts. Zinc Network had not responded to requests for comment at the time of publication.Internal RICU documents seen by MEE say the unit is working "at an industrial scale and pace" to develop messages that aim to "effect attitudinal and behavioural change" - particularly among Muslims. The involvement of the UK government is rarely acknowledged.While covert messaging developed as part of the Prevent programme is aimed at Muslims, particularly young men, attempts to plan for "controlled spontaneity" in the wake of a terrorist attack are aimed at the general population.The day after the London Bridge attacks, a team of men arrived at the scene of the murders in an unmarked van.They could be seen being admitted behind the police cordon, where they plastered walls with a number of posters bearing images of London, and number of hashtags that were already circulating on Twitter: #TurnToLove, #For London and #LoveWillWin.This practice, known in the UK as fly-posting, is a minor criminal offence,The men doing this work declined to tell journalists who they were, or where they were from.When the cordon was eventually lifted and members of the public were able to return to the scene of the attacks, they found themselves surrounded byof the public's defiance and unity.The day after that, a government official telephoned Southwark Council, the local authority for the area where the murders happened."He said: 'We're sending you a hundred imams,'" a council official recalls. Two days after that, about 100 imams and Muslim community leaders from across the UK duly appeared on the bridge, and one read a statement condemning the attack.The following weekend, a group of Muslims arrived at the bridge and handed out thousands of red roses. One of the organisers described it as "a symbolic gesture of love" for people affected by the attack.What the event's organiser did not say is that she worked at the Home Office, in law enforcement.She told MEE that it was entirely a "grassroots" initiative with no government assistance: "I was acting as a member of the community and sought assistance from my personal networks."A week later, in the early hours of Monday morning, an Islamophobic lone attacker, Darren Osborne, drove his van into a group of men near a mosque at Finsbury Park, north London.A number of young men restrained Osborne, and protected him from attack by others. A little while later they were joined by Mohammed Mahmoud, the mosque's imam.By the following morning, the hashtag #WeStandTogether was running across Twitter,As journalists gathered at the police cordon, a number were approached by a woman who called herself Gabbie, and explained that she worked for a company called Horizon PR.What "Gabbie" did not say is that "Horizon PR" had been created by Breakthrough Media and another communications company, M&C Saatchi PR UK, and that Breakthrough has used it to promote the messaging it creates - and disseminates through co-operating civil society groups - under the terms of its contract with RICU.A number of journalists have told MEE that "Gabbie" offered to introduce them to a man standing nearby. This man explained that his name was Shaukat Warraich and that he was from an organisation called Faith Associates.Warraich stressed to the journalists the role that the mosque's imam had played in protecting Osborne until he could be handed over to police. This came to dominate news reports in the days after the attack.Faith Associates, a limited company, has for several years been funded in part by government contracts, and internal Breakthrough and RICU documents seen by MEE show that it works to disseminate government messages.MEE understands that subsequent media reports have caused some ill-feeling in the area: the young men who restrained and protected the killer before the imam arrived at the scene believe their role had been overlooked."They were proud that they had done the right thing, but believe that they were then portrayed as a lynch mob," said one person who prays regularly at the mosque. The young men are now rarely seen at the mosque, he added.Asked about the role that he and "Horizon PR" had played in amplifying Mahmoud's role in conversations with journalists, Warraich replied that he had been working to promote mosque security for some years.Mohammed Mahmoud declined to comment.This has been a time when covert government messaging has been developed as part of the Prevent programme, and during a period when the growing use of social media has offered new opportunities for the creation of "controlled spontaneity".Some governments have become increasingly nervous about the power of social media, however, and will attempt to shut it down rather than make use of it - as happened in Sri Lanka after more than 250 people were killed in suicide bombings in April.In the UK, central and local governments are obliged to prepare for the aftermath of any disaster under the terms of the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, a piece of legislation that arose out of the vulnerability that Tony Blair's government is said to have felt during a series of crises early in his premiership.In late 2000, countrywide protests over fuel prices led to petrol shortages, panic buying and the prospect of economic collapse. The following year an outbreak of foot and mouth disease cost the country an estimated £8 billion ($10.25bn) as livestock was slaughtered and many rural areas sealed off.Once the Act was passed, a National Recovery Working Group was established within the Cabinet Office, the UK government's central department.This body established protocols and guidance documents that would be used to aid "recovery", which was defined as a distinct phase after a terrorist attack or a natural disaster.The Cabinet Office offered the following definition: "Recovery is the process of rebuilding, restoring and rehabilitating the community following an emergency."Dr Lucy Easthope, a leading figure at the Cabinet Office emergency planning college, has written that "recovery" has since come to be seen as "a specific phase of the disaster that emergency planners attempt to order and something that can be planned for in advance before the specificities of the emergency are known. (The implication being that that these details are a minor issue, capable of being filled in later.)"In order to keep the recovery process under control, hashtags and Facebook posts are said to be examined exhaustively in advance of their use, to establish that they can be used without provoking an unintended reaction.After a terrorist attack - or any other disaster - Cabinet Office teams will work very quickly with the Red Cross and with local contingency planners, who usually send out the first social media messages, MEE has been told.Emergency planners will also advise on the form of words that political leaders should use after such an attack, and enact the pre-planned vigils and inter-faith events."What is wanted is flowers being handed out outside mosques," one emergency planner emphasises, "and not riots".One place where the local team was said to have rejected some central government planners' suggestions was Salisbury, the town in central England where Russian agents used a nerve agent known as Novichok to poison a double agent, Sergei Skripal, and his daughter Yulia in March 2018."In Salisbury, people were telling us: 'We're not going to wear T-shirts saying I heart Salisbury - we just want you to get the Novichok cleared up.'"We can play the hashtag game in Manchester, where there's a lot of young people, and they like it.A number of the people involved in the advance planning of "controlled spontaneity" clearly have some misgivings about the way in which emergency planning for the immediate aftermath of terrorist attacks is being combined with propaganda techniques that are intended to influence the responses of the public.Easthope - who wrote British government recovery management plans for more than a decade - has disclosed her concern that the multi-faith displays of solidarity that are negotiated in advance of terrorist attacks, and the pre-planned messages of resilience on social media, may not always be the best way to respond.Perhaps, she has written , "the fight rhetoric has gone too far" and it is a mistake "to insist that the first message should be 'we shall overcome' as if the enemy was on the beaches."Some emergency planners are also concerned that the needs of bereaved families are rarely paramount when plans to create "controlled spontaneity" are being developed."The hashtag can start to feel very empty very early on, and I don't think this ever really puts bereaved families at the heart of what you're doing," says one. "It's an anaesthetic for the wider community, but it's no replacement for really good humanitarian care for the people most badly affected."Nor, some say, is the public being encouraged to engage in debate about the causes of the hatred that underpin terrorist attacks."The government wants the Twitter storm or the Facebook storm to be in its gift, and of course it can't be: but you can distract people by putting up a photograph of a French flag or whatever."We are not having these debates because we are saying 'I heart so-and-so', and 'I'm going to change my profile picture to a New Zealand flag', and 'I'm going to do the haka in the school assembly'."When there's nothing people can actually do, they can change the photo on their Facebook page. Then they can feel they've done something about it, they can go to work,The Cabinet Office said some information about its emergency planning was publicly available, but some remained for internal use only. It did not comment on criticisms of its current operations.This article is available in French on Middle East Eye French edition. | null | https://www.sott.net/article/413866-The-secret-UK-government-blueprints-that-shape-post-terror-attack-media-campaigns-to-pacify-the-public | 2019-05-27 18:32:23+00:00 | 1,558,996,343 | 1,567,540,153 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
520,496 | sputnik--2019-01-08--Hundreds of Violations Found in Polish Escape Room Where 5 Teens Died PHOTOS | 2019-01-08T00:00:00 | sputnik | Hundreds of Violations Found in Polish Escape Room Where 5 Teens Died (PHOTOS) | The teenagers, identified by officials as Julia, Karolina, Amelia, Wiktoria and Malgorzata, all 15 years old, had gone to the two-story site to celebrate a birthday. However, things took a turn for the worse on Friday at roughly 5 p.m. local time after a fire broke out. The cause was later determined to be a leak in a gas cylinder. The sole survivor of the blaze, a 25-year-old employee who was the "gamemaster," explained to investigators that he was in another part of the building when he initially smelled gas, and when he attempted to turn off the tank, flames quickly erupted. "He realized after a moment of terror that he would not be able to get to the door to unlock the exit in the room where the girls were playing," Ryszard Gasiorowski, spokesperson for the Koszalin district prosecutor, told reporters. "The fire had already cut him off." Autopsies later showed that all five girls died of carbon monoxide inhalation. The gamemaster was hospitalized for first and second degree burns. Four days after the fire, a preliminary investigation revealed that officials found more than 1,100 violations at the building, most of which were related to the venue's emergency plans and lack of an evacuation route. According to the New York Times, the concrete building "had never even been inspected to see whether it met the basic safety code." As such, the venue's operator, identified only as Milosz S., was arrested this week and charged with intentionally creating a fire danger and unintentionally causing the deaths of the five girls, Gasiorowski told reporters, noting that the venue had a faulty heating system. Prosecutors are currently requesting that Milosz be held for three months while the case proceeds. If convicted, he could face up to eight years in prison. According to Polish media outlets, the building, which contains seven rooms, was converted from a family home to various themed escape room that were dubbed "Crime," "Darkness," Workshop" and "Party." Per the Times, only four of the seven rooms were transformed serve as escape rooms. Following the fire, Joachim Brudziński, Poland's minister of the interior, called for all of the country's escape room attraction sites to be inspected. After inspecting dozens of sites, investigators deemed more than 100 unsafe. Thirteen venues were closed down on the spot. Authorities are presently calling on residents to report potential violations they encounter any at similar sites to firefighters and police. Koszalin Mayor Piotr Jedlinski told Polish news station TVN24 that care is being offered to the affected families. The burials for all five girls are set to take place on Thursday. | null | https://sputniknews.com/europe/201901081071309894-violations-escape-room-poland-fire/ | 2019-01-08 19:00:00+00:00 | 1,546,992,000 | 1,567,553,506 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
540,726 | sputnik--2019-08-10--How to Predict Volcanic Eruptions Italian Scientist Explains | 2019-08-10T00:00:00 | sputnik | How to Predict Volcanic Eruptions? Italian Scientist Explains | Sputnik spoke to Mauro Di Vito, a volcanologist and researcher at the “Vesuvius Observatory” (“Osservatorio vesuviano”) section of the INGV (the world’s oldest volcano observatory), to find out how the discovery will help those living in highest-risk volcanic areas. Sputnik: What is the new study about? Mauro Di Vito: The objective of the study was to create a model that will consider all the changes to a caldera that influence the position of eruptive vents. In large volcanoes, such as the Campi Flegrei caldera, eruptions don’t always occur in the central mouth, but can occur along the sides of the caldera or in areas other than the previous ones. The model that we’ve created takes into account the changes in the volcano’s structure over time, as well as previous eruptions. The important thing is to understand how this affects the position of new eruptive vents. Sputnik: Why is it so difficult to predict an eruption? Mauro Di Vito: The model we are talking about doesn’t predict volcanic eruptions, but determines the position of eruptive vents. There are other systems to study the moment when the eruption takes place. Our model serves to predict where a future eruption can occur in a volcano. Let’s take the example of the Phlegraean Fields (Campi Flegrei) – there are so many eruptions there; the magma could rise in different parts of the volcano. If the volcano were uninhabited, there would be no danger. But part of it is in Naples, with some areas located on the volcano. Sputnik: Your study was initially based on the Phlegraean Fields situation. What is the current situation in this dangerous volcanic area? Has any evacuation plan been developed? Mauro Di Vito: An emergency plan has been developed and in October there will be a civil defence drill that will include an evacuation from the municipality of Pozzuoli, which is located in the centre of the volcano. It means that the scientific community is able to react to a possible eruption and warn people about it. The authorities should be able to implement all measures to reduce the risk to the population. Even though it will be an emergency training exercise, it will help understand where the main problems are and what elements of the plan should be modified. After all, we are talking about 350,000 inhabitants. Sputnik: What are the next steps in your study? Mauro Di Vito: We want to create hazard maps for all volcanoes, where we’ll mark the opening of eruptive vents. Let’s take Etna – understanding where the eruption will occur means better prediction of the course of the lava flow or better understanding where an explosive eruption will originate. We want to obtain the most reliable hazard maps possible with all the parameters taken into consideration. The views expressed in this article are solely those of Mauro Di Vito and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Sputnik. | null | https://sputniknews.com/analysis/201908101076515755-how-to-predict-volcanic-eruptions-italian-scientist-explains/ | 2019-08-10 06:01:00+00:00 | 1,565,431,260 | 1,567,534,469 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
542,548 | sputnik--2019-08-30--Hurricane Dorian Former Canadian Prime Minister Rooting for a Direct Hit on Trumps Mar-a-Lago | 2019-08-30T00:00:00 | sputnik | Hurricane Dorian: Former Canadian Prime Minister ‘Rooting for a Direct Hit’ on Trump’s Mar-a-Lago | Canada’s former prime minister, Kim Campbell, has said that she was hopeful that Donald Trump’s resort mega-mansion in Florida would take a “direct hit” from Hurricane Dorian over the weekend. “I’m rooting for a direct hit on Mar-a-Lago!” she tweeted on Wednesday. Campbell, who resigned after just 132 days in office after a crushing defeat in the October 1993 federal election, currently chairs the independent advisory board for Canada’s Supreme Court. The 72-year-old politician is a vocal critic of Donald Trump. In a recent tweet, she implied that the US president is “mentally ill”, and in January she reportedly branded him a “motherf***er”, referring to a similar obscenity hurled by Democratic congresswoman Rashida Tlaib. Her recent comment about Mar-a-Lago has landed her in hot water, however, with Twitter users calling her wish “reprehensible” and “evil”. Following the backlash, Campbell backtracked on her statement. “I don’t wish anyone, anywhere, the horror of being hit by a Category 4 Hurricane,” she said. “But not everyone can have the protection of a fortress like Mar-a-Lago, built to be hurricane-proof! Trump will not bear the cost of his immoral abdication of the climate challenge!” She went on to express hope that the hurricane would “shake up Trump’s climate change denial” and castigated his administration for reversing Obama-era limits on methane emissions in the oil and gas sector recently. Florida on Wednesday declared a state of emergency over the upcoming arrival of Hurricane Dorian on the state’s eastern coast. Georgia's governor took similar action in the state's 12 coastal counties. The cyclone has already spared Puerto Rico for the most part and struck the Virginia Islands, and will likely hit Florida over the weekend as a potentially catastrophic Category 4 storm, bringing sustained winds of up to 130 miles per hour (210 kph). Trump, who owns the ritzy golf resort Mar-a-Lago in Florida, warned Americans on Thursday of an “absolute monster” hurricane and cancelled a planned trip to Poland, saying he would stay in the US to monitor the storm. His wife Melania also issued a warning, urging Americans to listen to local officials and have an emergency plan in place to evacuate safely. | null | https://sputniknews.com/us/201908301076677065-hurricane-dorian-former-canadian-prime-minister-rooting-for-a-direct-hit-on-trumps-mar-a-lago/ | 2019-08-30 05:32:15+00:00 | 1,567,157,535 | 1,569,416,985 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
554,131 | sputnik--2019-12-23--Over 2 Tonnes of Diesel Spills in Ocean Near Galapagos Islands as Result of Barge Accident - Video | 2019-12-23T00:00:00 | sputnik | Over 2 Tonnes of Diesel Spills in Ocean Near Galapagos Islands as Result of Barge Accident - Video | According to the Comercio newspaper, the accident occurred in a San Cristobal island port on 22 December as a crane collapsed on the barge during loading. Local authorities have activated an emergency plan to contain the fuel spill and reduce the risks for the environment of the Galapagos archipelago, a UNESCO World Heritage site that is home to some of the most unique and scientifically significant ecosystems on Earth. The Galapagos Islands are an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean 972 kilometres (600 miles) west of Ecuador with a population of some 30,000. The unique ecosystem of the Galapagos, which includes 19 islands in the Pacific, is called "a living museum and a showcase of evolution". | null | https://sputniknews.com/latam/201912231077737343-over-2-tonnes-of-diesel-spills-in-ocean-near-galapagos-islands/ | Mon, 23 Dec 2019 14:12:05 +0300 | 1,577,128,325 | 1,577,104,485 | disaster, accident and emergency incident | emergency planning |
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