Friday, July 28, 2017

Russia Cuts

From the BBC:
"Russia orders US to cut embassy staff in retaliation for sanctions"

Russia has retaliated to new US sanctions by telling Washington to cut its diplomatic staff to 455 and barring the use of some properties. he new US embassy staffing level would be the same as at Russia's embassy in Washington.The Russian foreign ministry also said it was seizing holiday properties and a warehouse used by US diplomats.The new US sanctions are over Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea and alleged interference in the US election.They come months after the Obama administration ordered the seizure of two Russian diplomatic compounds and expelled 35 Russian diplomats in response to alleged hacking of the US Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton's campaign.In a statement on Friday, Russia's foreign ministry said: "The US is stubbornly taking one crudely anti-Russian step after another, using the utterly fictitious pretext of Russian interference in its internal affairs."The US expulsion of Russian diplomats "clearly violates the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations and generally accepted diplomatic norms", it added. It was not immediately clear how many diplomats and staff members would have to stop working at the embassy, but Russian news agencies quoted sources as saying "hundreds" of people would be affected. Reuters news agency quoted an unnamed US embassy official as saying the embassy employed about 1,100 diplomatic and support staff in Russia, including US and Russian citizens.Russia also said it would respond in kind if Washington decided to expel any more Russian diplomats.Russia's move comes a day after President Vladimir Putin decried what he called "anti-Russian hysteria" in Washington.The new US sanctions on Russia were overwhelmingly approved by both houses of Congress despite objections from the Trump White House.US intelligence agencies believe Russia tried to sway the election in favour of Trump and now there are several investigations looking into whether anyone from his campaign helped.Russia has always denied interfering and Mr Trump insists there was no collusion.

^ This isn't really a shock to anyone. It was just a "tit-for-tat" move. I am glad the US did add more sanctions to Russia though because it lets them (Russia) know that there are consequences for your actions. ^


http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-40751973

VA Sold!!!!!!!!!

It's official - we no longer own our house in Virginia!!!!!!!!!!!!! After 12 long years I can finally completely wipe my hands of Virginia forever. The crisp New England mountain air smells even more fresher right now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


RIP Charlie Gard

From the BBC:
"Charlie Gard parents announce death of 'beautiful boy'"

Charlie Gard, the baby at the centre of a legal row over his treatment, has died, a family spokesman has confirmed. The 11-month-old was moved to a hospice following a High Court ruling. He suffered from an extremely rare genetic condition causing progressive brain damage and muscle weakness. His parents, Connie Yates and Chris Gard, fought a lengthy legal battle with Great Ormond Street Hospital to allow him to be taken to the US for legal treatment.  But on Monday they dropped their legal battle after the doctor said it was too late for it to work.  In a statement issued on Friday evening, Ms Yates said: "Our beautiful little boy has gone, we are so proud of you Charlie." On Thursday, she said the couple had been denied their "final wish" to have more time with him after a High Court judge ruled that he would be moved to a hospice and have his life support withdrawn soon after.  The couple had wanted to take their son to the US for nucleoside bypass therapy, but specialists at GOSH said the treatment was experimental and that Charlie had irreversible brain damage.  The couple fought a legal battle for five months, in which judges from the High Court, Supreme Court and the European Court all agreed with doctors that the treatment would not benefit Charlie.  Charlie's plight attracted the attention of Pope Francis and US president Donald Trump.  Following the European Court ruling, the Pope said he was following the case "with affection and sadness". A statement released from the Vatican said: "For them he prays, hoping that their desire to accompany and care for their own child to the end is not ignored." The US president then offered his support, tweeting: "If we can help little #CharlieGard, as per our friends in the U.K. and the Pope, we would be delighted to do so."  Paying tribute to their son following the end of their legal challenge the couple, both in their 30s and of Bedfont, west London, had described him as an "absolute warrior". On Monday Mr Gard said: "Mummy and Daddy love you so much Charlie, we always have and we always will and we are so sorry that we couldn't save you. "We had the chance but we weren't allowed to give you that chance. Sweet dreams baby. Sleep tight our beautiful little boy."



^  I will never understand why the British Government decided (through a government death panel of doctors and judges) to let this baby die when both of his parents, the Pope and many doctors from around the world were trying to help him. I can only hope that every doctor and every judge involved in removing the parental rights from his parents and deciding to let him die will one day have their own fate taken out of their hands by a similar government death panel. The British claim they no longer have the Death Penalty, but this says otherwise. ^


http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-40752120

Food For Dogs


Thursday, July 27, 2017

Places To Retire

From USA Today:
"Where should you retire? Here's one way to balance costs and quality of life"

In a time when a third of all Americans — including one in seven people over 65 — have nothing saved for retirement, adults nationwide must weigh what they want most in retirement.  Is it a low-cost city where a fixed income can cover all their expenses? What about access to medical specialists and in-home health care? How much do museums and volunteer opportunities matter? And how much do each of those things matter?  WalletHub, a personal finance research company, measured the affordability, quality of life, level of healthcare access and availability of activities for retirees of the America's 150 largest cities. 

Their highest-scoring cities, in order, were:
  • Orlando
  • Tampa
  • Scottsdale
  • Miami
  • Sioux Falls
  • Las Vegas
  • Cape Coral, Florida
  • Atlanta
  • Minneapolis
  • Los Angeles
WalletHub says it assumed retirees were on fixed incomes, and calculated cities' affordability based on their cost of living, tax-friendliness toward retirees and cost of in-home care services. The cheapest cities were Laredo and Brownsville, Texas; Tampa and St. Petersburg, Florida; and Memphis, Tennessee.   The highest quality of life ratings went to Glendale and Los Angeles, California; Henderson, Nevada, outside Las Vegas; Scottsdale, Arizona; and Honolulu, Hawaii. This category considered how much of the population was over 65 and how many seniors work, along with cities' walk scores, crime rates, air quality and water quality.   Researchers calculated "activity" scores by considering how many recreation centers, public golf courses, museums, theaters, music venues and volunteer activities cities offered. The highest activity scores went to San Francisco — which scored 146th out of 150 for affordability — Miami, Atlanta, Washington, D.C. and Minneapolis.   Finally, to figure out which cities offered the best access to health care, researchers considered the number of doctors, dentists, nurses and hospitals per capita, hospitals' quality ratings and regional life expectancy. The highest-scoring cities in this category were Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Minneapolis; Overland Park, Kansas; Madison, Wisconsin; and San Jose, California.



^ I'm no where near retirement age, but even if I were I would not chose to retire to any of these cities. ^


https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2017/07/27/where-should-you-retire-save-most-money-have-highest-quality-life/507424001/

Cena

From the AP:
"Marine dog with cancer gets tear-filled farewell "



Hundreds of people in Michigan came together to salute and say a tear-filled final goodbye to a cancer-stricken dog who served three tours in Afghanistan with the U.S. Marines. Cena the black lab received a hero's farewell Wednesday before being euthanized at a museum ship in Muskegon and carried off in a flag-draped coffin. Cena was a bomb-sniffer for the Marines until his retirement in 2014. He then became a service dog for Lance Cpl. Jeff DeYoung, Cena's first wartime partner. Cena was recently diagnosed with terminal bone cancer. DeYoung organized the celebration for the dog. He says he wanted to take his dog on one last ride in a topless Jeep before Cena was put down. The Jeep was decorated and named "Cancer Response Team."


^ This is one of those stories you love and feel sad about at the same time. ^


http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/marine-dog-with-cancer-gets-tear-filled-farewell/ar-AAoVBT0?li=BBmkt5R&ocid=spartanntp

Robotic CP Aid

From Disability Scoop:
"Robotic Device Shows Promise For Kids With Cerebral Palsy"

Training with a robotic device may help some kids with cerebral palsy gain strength and improve both posture and walking abilities, researchers say. A small study suggests that a robotic system known as the Tethered Pelvic Assist Device could help those with crouch gait, a condition affecting a subset of individuals with cerebral palsy that’s marked by excessive bending of the hips, knees or ankles. After participating in 15 training sessions with the system, six children studied showed improvement in posture and muscle coordination as well as walking features like step length, toe clearance, range of motion and heel-to-toe pattern, according to findings published this week in the journal Science Robotics.  For the study, the kids participated in 16-minute training sessions over the course of six weeks. They were evaluated at the beginning and end of the study period. The children wore the robotic device — a pelvic belt attached to several wires — while walking on a treadmill. Tension on the wires was adjusted in real time based on data captured by cameras. The device applied downward force — similar to what a typical child experiences carrying a backpack — in order to retrain certain leg muscles. “Currently, there is no well-established physical therapy or strengthening exercise for the treatment of crouch gait,” said Sunil Agrawal, a professor of mechanical engineering and of rehabilitation and regenerative medicine at Columbia University who worked on the study. “Feedback from the parents and children involved in this study was consistent. They reported improved posture, stronger legs and faster walking speed, and our measurements bear that out,” he said. “We think that our robotic TPAD training with downward pelvic pull could be a very promising intervention for these children.” Those behind the study are now looking to conduct additional clinical trials on the method including a larger group of kids in addition to examining more variables and potentially looking at children with hemiplegic and quadriplegic cerebral palsy as well.


^ I am constantly being amazed by how technology is helping people - especially those with disabilities. I have personally worked with people with Cerebral Palsy and have seen how hard it affects them, their families and the caregivers. Hopefully, more technology will be created that will make things even more better for those with CP. ^

https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2017/07/27/robotic-device-promise-cp/23977/

PE Allowed

From USA Today:
"Saudi Arabia will finally allow girls to take PE — that's a big deal"

Saudi Arabia will allow girls to participate in physical education classes for the first time ever, a change experts say illustrates how the government is moving to modernize and loosen rules in the ultra-conservative kingdom where women are not allowed to drive or travel without a male chaperone.   The Ministry of Education issued the decree for this coming academic year, the Associated Press reported. The announcement did not specify what kinds of activities would be included in the classes but stated the lessons would comply with Islamic law and the process would be gradual.  Activists are celebrating the news as a major development in a country where women face extreme social and personal restrictions as a result of the kingdom’s strict interpretation of Islam. Women are not allowed to drive or even travel without the permission of a male guardian. They also must cover their hair and bodies in public under the law. Such constraints largely bar women from participating in sports, unless families permit working out in private. Four years ago, the government allowed girls to play sports in private schools for the first time.  The move to allow physical education for all students is “a historic decree for all schools, public and private,” said Lina Almaeena, a member of the Saudi Consultative Assembly Shura Council. Lina, who has been pushing for women sports for over a decade, founded the kingdom's first female sports club, basketball team Jeddah United.  Fatimah Baeshen, a Saudi socioeconomic strategist and director of D.C.-based Arabia Foundation said the move is “a turning point in education reform, the curriculum development and the beginnings of gender balance at the child development stage."  The change is being welcomed by students and parents alike in the country. “I hope my school opens a tennis class since the game is not only very active, it’s extremely fun to throw a ball around and test your strength," Maymoona Sultan, a ninth-grade student in Riyadh, told the Saudi newspaper Arab News. "I’m happy that more girls will get to understand about sports and health like me." Sultan A.J., a banker and father of two, told Arab News he is excited his daughter will now have the same opportunities as his son to participate in sports in schools. "My daughter will finally enjoy her time in school along with her school friends and build a good understanding as to what being healthy is all about,” he said. Allowing girls to partake in physical education is part of a far larger government undertaking called Vision 2030 that aims to reduce Saudi Arabia's dependence on oil, diversify its economy and make life in the kingdom more enjoyable for citizens. As part of the program, the kingdom aims to get 40% of Saudis to exercise at least once per week and will relax some of its rigid rules for women. Last week, the government announced approval for female gym licenses, which were once relegated to operating under salon licenses. "The introduction of physical education and female gym licenses are institutional recognition that women have the right to also participate in sports and fitness activities,” Baeshen said. "All of this indicates progress for women." The developments follow a decade of incremental change in Saudi Arabia with more women working in retail and being appointed top executive roles at the Saudi stock exchange and Dammam Airport. Women can now also be appointed to the Shoura Council and run in municipal elections. But hurdles remain. Earlier this month, a Saudi woman was arrested after she was videotaped walking around in a miniskirt. The incident sparked international social media outrage, and she was later released without  charges. Massoud Maalouf, former Lebanese ambassador to the U.S. and a D.C.-based advocate of women rights in Middle East and North Africa region said while allowing physical education for girls is a step in the right direction, the kingdom still has a long way to go. “When women cannot walk in the street without a male chaperon, when they cannot drive a car and when they have to cover their face and their body, by law and not by choice, it is difficult to say that their rights are fully respected,” Maalouf says.


^ As someone who spent nearly every other day trying to get out of taking Gym class (more because of not being allowed to take a shower and be clean afterwards and smelling bad the rest of the day than the actual sports itself) I'm not as excited over this, but do realize it is a huge victory for equity in a country that doesn't even let women drive. ^


https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/07/27/saudi-arabia-finally-allow-girls-take-pe-thats-big-deal/514026001/

Charlie Gard

From the BBC:
"Charlie Gard parents 'denied final wish' for more time"



Terminally-ill Charlie Gard will be moved to a hospice and have his life support withdrawn soon after, a High Court judge has decided. Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) said it was not in his best interests to spend a long time in a hospice. His parents had wanted a private team to care for Charlie so they could have more time with him. "GOSH have denied us our final wish," his mother said. The judge approved a plan that will see Charlie die shortly after being moved. Mr Justice Francis added that no details about when he would be moved and where could be made public.  In a statement, the hospital said it deeply regretted "that profound and heartfelt differences" between Charlie's doctors and parents have "had to be played out in court over such a protracted period".  Parents, Connie Yates and Chris Gard, and GOSH had until 12:00 BST to agree Charlie's end-of-life care. However, an agreement was not reached by the noon deadline. The parents' lawyer, Grant Armstrong said they wanted to spend days with Charlie at a hospice before his death. But hospital bosses said they could not agree to the arrangement as his parents had not found a paediatric intensive care specialist. Commenting on the decision, Connie said: "We just want some peace with our son, no hospital, no lawyers, no courts, no media, just quality time with Charlie away from everything, to say goodbye to him in the most loving way. "Most people won't ever have to go through what we have been through, we've had no control over our son's life and no control over our son's death. "Despite us and our legal team working tirelessly to arrange this near impossible task, the judge has ordered against what we arranged and has agreed to what GOSH asked.  "This subsequently gives us very little time with our son."  The hospital said there was "simply no way that Charlie... can spend any significant time outside of an intensive care environment safely". It added: "We will arrange for Charlie to be transferred to a specialist children's hospice... who will do all they can to make these last moments as comfortable and peaceful for Charlie and his loved ones." GOSH said that "while we always respect parents' views, we will never do anything that could cause our patients unnecessary and prolonged suffering". The High Court order says Charlie will continue to be treated in hospital for a "period of time" before being moved to the hospice, which cannot be named for legal reasons. It says doctors can then withdraw "artificial ventilation" after a period of time. Everyone involved has agreed that the "arrangements" will "inevitably result in Charlie's death within a short period thereafter", the order adds.

Timeline of Charlie's case

  • 3 March 2017: Mr Justice Francis starts to analyse the case at a hearing in the family division of the High Court in London
  • 11 April: He says doctors can stop providing life-support treatment
  • 3 May: Charlie's parents ask Court of Appeal judges to consider the case
  • 23 May: Three Court of Appeal judges analyse the case
  • 25 May: The Court of Appeal judges dismiss the couple's appeal
  • 8 June: Charlie's parents lose their fight in the Supreme Court
  • 20 June: Judges in the European Court of Human Rights start to analyse the case, after lawyers representing Charlie's parents make written submissions
  • 27 June: Judges in the European Court of Human Rights refuse to intervene
  • 3 July: The Pope and US President Donald Trump offer to intervene
  • 4 July: The Vatican's children's hospital in Rome, offers to take in Charlie
  • 7 July: Great Ormond Street Hospital applies for a fresh hearing at the High Court
  • 10 July: Charlie's parents return to the High Court and ask Mr Justice Francis to carry out a fresh analysis of the case. Mr Justice Francis says he will consider any new evidence.
  • 17 July - Dr Michio Hirano, the US neurologist, travels to London to examine Charlie
  • 21 July - Lawyer representing Great Ormond Street says Charlie's new scan makes for "sad reading"
  • 22 July - Great Ormond Street says doctors and nurses have been subjected to abuse and received threatening messages
  • 24 July - Charlie's parents say they will end their legal fight for his treatment and let him die
  • 26 July - Deadline set for Charlie's parents and Great Ormond Street Hospital to agree how and when he will die
  • 27 July - Mr Justice Francis rules Charlie will be moved to a hospice and have his life support withdrawn "soon after" after an agreement to decide his end-of-life care was not reached.

^  In case you thought everything was great with socialized medicine you should know about this case. In the UK the doctors and courts have the final say in how to treat or not treat a patient. The patient him/herself and his/her family have little to no say. The belief is that since the Government is paying for your care and also for the doctors it is the right of the doctors and the government to decide how you live and how you die. If this doesn't make you sick to your stomach I don't know what will - of course don't get sick in the UK because then the doctors and the courts will decide what to do with you whether you want them to or not. This poor child and his family are the victims of "Big Brother" deciding his fate despite doctors from around the world offering him their help. ^

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-40745988

Draft Ban

From the MT:
"Russian Draft Dodgers to be Banned From Public Sector Jobs for 10 Years"



Draft dodgers will be barred from working in the public sector for at least 10 years after they fail to join the Army, according to an amendment published on the government's legal portal on Thursday. An earlier version of the law passed in 2013 imposed a lifetime ban on draft dodgers. Following an appeal by parliamentarians in the North Caucasus republic of Chechnya, however, Russia’s Constitutional Court ruled the measure unlawful in October 2014, demanding a limit to the ban.  In its amended form, the law requires military commissariats to inform state bodies of those who dodge conscription and obliges them to discharge the respective employees within 10 days.  In 2016, the number of people who failed to enlist for their year of mandatory service shrank by 8 percent to 90,000 compared to the previous year, according to Defense Ministry statistics, cited by the Interfax news agency.  In theory, draft dodgers can also be punished with a prison sentence of up to two years.  Most Russians, however, avoid such punishment by using personal connections or paying bribes to acquire medical certificates which state they are unequipped to serve. During a live broadcast with children earlier this month, Putin said he had a “negative” attitude towards those who dodged the draft. "Even though there is hazing in the army, every man must contribute to the country’s defense,” he said.


^ The Russians are very obsessed with draft dodgers. I remember being personally hounded when I lived there and despite not looking Slavic and speaking English (I was just starting to learn Russian at the time) the police chased me - I merely walked - around the university where I was studying at until I got to my teacher who explained everything to them in Russian. The next day I got an ID Card in Russian with my picture on it explaining things for the future. With that said I have only met 1 Russian man who has ever served in the Soviet/Russian military as a conscript (when he started his service the USSR was still there and when he finished his service the USSR had collapsed.) Most people get fake doctor notes (without ever seeing a doctor) or take an ROTC-like course in school where they don't have to serve after they graduate.  With that said I do feel that Russia (and any country) has a right to enforce its laws and punish those that break them. Russia should not only focus on punishing Draft Dodgers, but also in modernizing its military to end the brutal hazing and poor conditions that the conscripts have to endure. If the Russian Military modernized how it treats and trains its soldiers there might not be so many Draft Dodgers. ^ 

https://themoscowtimes.com/news/draft-dodgers-banned-from-public-sector-for-ten-years-58519

Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Shelters Fade

From Disability Scoop:
"As Sheltered Workshops Fade, Families Wonder What’s Next"

Chris Cook has worked dutifully for 25 years, but on a recent Friday, that came to an end.Cook has an intellectual disability, and his employment has unfolded in what’s often referred to as a “sheltered workshop” setting. That’s a place where people with disabilities, under careful supervision, do jobs like applying labels to envelopes, packing boxes and putting screws in bags. The term may once have had a comforting tone, but it’s fallen out of favor in recent years. Companies are phasing them out all across the country, in part because of federal regulations that make it tougher to sustain them.  The reasons are rooted in concerns of people with disabilities and advocacy groups: The workers make less than minimum wage, raising questions about fairness and exploitation. They work in settings where most employees have disabilities, rather than more-integrated settings that are now required by law. There’s also criticism that the employees usually don’t move up to more challenging positions. The National Council on Disability has recommended phasing out “14c” jobs, a longtime feature of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Basically, employers apply for certificates that allow them to compensate people with disabilities at a rate less than the minimum wage. Pay is based on the reduced amount the person with a disability can produce compared to someone without a disability. Cook is one of those caught in the throes of change going on in the world of those with disabilities. Until recently, he worked at Beach Packaging, a program under Community Alternatives Inc., a not-for-profit organization that provides vocational, residential and support services for people with disabilities. Vince Gallo, executive director of Community Alternatives Inc., said about 50 people are losing their jobs because the company is eliminating 14c employment. Community Alternatives will still employ other people with disabilities in jobs that pay at least minimum wage. Those laid off will have the option of applying for those jobs or taking part in other day program services that don’t involve work. He said the company is also developing more job opportunities for people with a wide range of disabilities. Cook’s mother, Rosemarie Hughes, is worried about how her son will adjust to this change. He’s been at Beach Packaging a long time, and she believes he enjoys the structure of working. Hughes said Cook, 51, has been offered other types of day activities, but she said if someone were to say, “Let’s go to the zoo instead of your job,” he’d probably say no. “He likes being there,” Hughes said. “He’s a creature of habit. He likes knowing what to expect.” Hughes said people who support phasing out these jobs are overlooking what employment offers people like her son: A place to socialize with others. Structure to his day. A way to feel valuable. Cook proudly shows off several certificates he earned for doing a good job. Even though his paycheck is small, it’s important to him, Hughes said. He has a Medicaid waiver and also monthly payments related to his disability, which cover his housing and support services. It’s a conundrum that the NCD acknowledged by recommending a phase-out rather than an outright repeal of 14c jobs, and by urging companies to develop more jobs with support services in integrated settings. Paul Atkinson, president and CEO of Eggleston, which also employs people with disabilities, said his organization has gone through the same growing pains. Eggleston employs about 600 people with disabilities. Around 100 have 14c jobs, significantly fewer than in the past. One reason: All federal contracts now require that employees be paid $10.20 an hour. Eggleston employees do laundry, for instance, for several military installations, which are federal contracts. “There are advocates who believe that a minimum wage is a civil rights issue, and I do not discount that,” Atkinson said. But the reality for organizations like Eggleston and Community Alternatives is that if they pay minimum wage or more, they can’t employ as many people. “I can’t subsidize the wage to make up for the difference in productivity,” Atkinson said. While he understands the rationale for the changes, he said they have also been a hardship for people who have worked decades because many will not be able to find other jobs. “Isolation for someone with a disability is a disabling condition in itself,” Atkinson said. Hughes, meanwhile, said she doesn’t think her son understands that his routine is changing. She said he once tried doing some landscaping work but got distracted by the traffic going by. She hopes he will find something to replace what he’s been doing all these years. “I’d love to see him in a place where he could do more things and be with people. He loves that. He likes being helpful and useful.”


^ I know lots of people who are disabled and work in "sheltered" workplaces (and several non-disabled caregivers who help them.) I believe that sheltered workplaces can be a very good, helpful and positive experience as long as the workers are paid minimum wage. I can't understand how something can be called "minimum" if not everyone has to make at least that amount. The Federal and State Governments and companies should be doing more to keep sheltered workplaces (with the minimum wages) and not get rid of them - unless they have something even better to offer. ^


https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2017/07/24/as-sheltered-fade-whats-next/23952/

4th Revoke

From the BBC:
"Canada revokes Helmut Oberlander's citizenship for the fourth time"

Canada has revoked the citizenship for the fourth time of a 93-year-old man who has admitted to being a former Nazi death squad member.  Helmut Oberlander says he was forced to act as a translator for the squad and did not participate in atrocities.  He has fought three prior attempts by Canada to strip his citizenship and won. His lawyer says Mr Oberlander will also fight this latest citizenship revocation, calling it "persecution".  A spokeswoman with Citizenship Canada said in a statement to the BBC that "we don't take citizenship revocation lightly, but it is necessary in cases of fraud and serious misrepresentation".   Canada says that when Mr Oberlander applied for entry to Canada in 1954, he obtained his citizenship by knowingly concealing that he had been an auxiliary of the Einsatzkommando, a force that operated behind the German army's front line in the Eastern occupied territories.  The squad is responsible for killing more than two million people, many of them Jewish people.  "We are determined to deny safe haven in Canada to war criminals and persons believed to have committed or been complicit in war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide," said Citizenship Canada's Lisa Filipps.   Mr Oberlander has argued in court that he was conscripted, had no alternative than to work for the Germans, and would have been subject to the harshest penalties had he disobeyed.  Canada has revoked his citizenship three times since 1995. Each time it was overturned on appeal.  In 2016, Canada's Supreme Court refused to hear the government's appeal of a lower court ruling that Ottawa should reconsider its decision to revoke Mr Oberlander's citizenship. His lawyer Ronald Poulton says Canada "appears prepared to hound Mr Oberlander and his family to his grave".  In order to find Mr. Oberlander complicit in war crimes, given his limited and forced participation with the German military, they had attempted to stretch fiction into fact and to rely on an outdated archaic principle known as guilt by association," he said.  Mr. Oberlander was born in Halbstadt, Ukraine in 1924, and he obtained his Canadian citizenship in 1960. Shimon Koffler Fogel, with the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, praised Canada for its "tireless" efforts to strip Mr Oberlander of his citizenship.  "This latest development is an important milestone in bringing a measure of justice to his many victims and their families," he said in a statement.  Mr Oberlander's case is expected to be back before a federal court within the next six months.



^ This is clearly one of those cases where the checks and balances do more harm than good. Oberlander openly admits to being part of the Nazi Death Squad and he didn't mention that fact when he  first came to Canada in the 1950s. If he was forced to join and truly felt he was a victim then he should have mentioned that fact to the Canadian authorities back then. Instead he hid the facts and openly lied and only came up with the excuse decades later when he was found out to be a liar. He should be completely stripped of his Canadian citizenship and deported back to the Ukraine where the Ukrainians should try him for his role in being part of the Nazi Death Squads that murdered millions of innocent men, women and children in Europe - including the Ukraine (ie. Babiy Yar.) ^


http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-40719927

Military Ban

From the BBC:
"Trump: Transgender people 'can't serve' in US military"

US President Donald Trump says transgender people cannot serve in "any capacity" in the military.  He tweeted that he had consulted with military experts and cited "tremendous medical costs and disruption".  The Obama administration decided last year to allow transgender people to serve openly in the military.  But in June, Defence Secretary James Mattis agreed to a six-month delay in the recruitment of transgender people.   As is often the case, the announcement came in a series of tweets.  Mr Trump said: "After consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military.  "Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail." But the measure will not go into effect immediately, as spokesperson Sarah Sanders told reporters at a White House press briefing. The implementation policy has to be worked out, she said when asked if troops on battlefields would be immediately sent back to the United States.  This was "a military decision" said Mrs Sanders, adding that it is "not meant to be anything more than that".  The timing of this transgender ban is almost as interesting as the move itself.  Why now? With the Trump administration being buffeted by the Jeff Sessions political death watch, the ongoing multi-prong investigation into the Trump campaign, the healthcare drama in the Senate and the impending Russian sanctions bill, perhaps the administration decided this was a good time to change the subject and rally conservative forces to his side. Republicans have long used cultural issues as a wedge to divide Democrats and energise evangelicals. As one White House insider acknowledged, this is straight out of that playbook. While Mr Trump campaigned as sympathetic to LGBT rights, he needs the traditional religious conservatives to stay loyal to him now, more than ever.  Or perhaps, as Politico is reporting, the White House sought to resolve an intraparty dispute that threatened passage of a key military spending bill in the House of Representatives. That the president chose to do so suddenly, with little advanced notice, would not be out of the ordinary for this administration. The president's action will create a furore among liberals and the media commentators whose disdain for the current administration is not a new development. This is a fight the White House will welcome.  The independent Rand Corporation estimated in 2016 that about 4,000 US active-duty and reserve service members are transgender, although some campaigners put the figure higher than 10,000.  Rand also predicted that the inclusion of transgender people in the military would cause a 0.13% increase in healthcare spending (approximately $8.4m). A Military Times analysis found that the Department of Defense spends five times that figure just on erectile dysfunction drug Viagara alone. The Obama administration's move to allow transgender people in the military to serve openly was announced in June 2016 by then Defence Secretary Ash Carter.   The policy included a provision for the military to provide medical help for service members wanting to change gender.  Transgender people would be permitted to join the services, so long as they could demonstrate they had been stable in their new gender for at least 18 months. This was meant to come into effect on 1 July 2017 but the Trump administration delayed it by a further six months. The Pentagon said the five branches of the military needed more time to "review their accession plans and provide input on the impact to the readiness and lethality of our forces". While Mr Trump's decision concerns transgender military personnel, the US military's ban on openly gay and lesbian servicemen and women - known as "Don't ask don't tell" - was lifted in 2011.   LGBTQ campaign group, GLAAD, called Mr Trump's move "a direct attack on transgender Americans".  Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Republican John McCain, said major policy announcements should not be made via Twitter.



^ I have no issue with a person who was born a man and has gender-reassignment surgery to officially become a woman (or a person born a woman and has gender-reassignment surgery to officially become a man) to serve in the military. I don't think a man who decides to act like a woman (or a woman who decides to act like a man) should be allowed to serve. There are only two genders: male and female. The only way you can change that is through gender-reassignment surgery. If I put on a dress and use the female bathroom that doesn't make me a woman. It makes me a man who wears dresses and uses the female bathroom (when I should be using the male bathroom.) If I decided to have gender-reassignment surgery than I would be a person born a man who officially became a woman and thus should be treated as a woman. Since woman are now officially allowed into combat in the US military then I (as a woman) would be allowed to serve in the military. If you aren't going to make the full commitment to something then why should the US Government or the US Military? The full commitment in this instance is gender-reassignment surgery. I don't agree with many things that Trump is doing, but I do agree with this (as long as it allows those people who have gender-assignment surgery to serve.) I've heard some reports say that they can and some say that they can't so will have to keep up on that. ^


http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-40729996

Travelling Artifacts

From the BBC:
"Auschwitz: First travelling exhibition will visit Europe and US"

The first travelling exhibition of objects from Auschwitz is set to go on tour in the hope it will become "a warning cry" to future generations. The exhibition is due to visit 14 cities in the US and Europe, and will be made up of more than 600 objects from the Nazi German camp in Poland. It will include a freight wagon, like the ones that transported people to the camp during World War Two. More than a million people, mostly Jews, were killed at Auschwitz.  The items on show are not just the belongings of the victims - which also included Poles, Sinti and Roma and Soviet prisoners of war - but also items from those who ran the camp, the German SS.  The exhibition, which is entitled "Not long ago. Not far away", will have its first stop in Madrid, Spain, before the end of the year.  It says it aims to reach people who may not be able to make it to the Auschwitz-Birkenau museum, and act as a reminder of what happened during the Holocaust.   "Today, the world is moving in uncertain directions," Dr Piotr CywiÅ„ski, director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau museum, said.  "That is why we need to rely more and more on the strong foundations of our memory. Auschwitz and the tragedy of the Shoah [Hebrew for Holocaust] are part of those foundations, which cannot be bypassed in creating a new face of the world." He added: "Nothing can replace a visit to the authentic site of the biggest crime of the 20th Century, but this exhibition, which people in many countries will have the opportunity to see, can become a great warning cry for us all against building the future on hatred, racism, anti-Semitism and bottomless contempt for another human being."  However, the museum has also been at pains to play down fears of trying to profit from the exhibition, which is being organised with the Spanish company, Musealia. Luis Ferreiro, the company's director, told the New York Times the exhibition had cost $1.5m (£1.15m) so far, acknowledging they needed to "earn an income to sustain ourselves and keep the enterprise going".  "Our goal is to focus on larger social goals such as enlightenment and education," he added.



^ It is good for original artifacts to go around the world on display so that people who can't go to Auschwitz themselves can still get a sense of what happened in the Holocaust. ^

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-40732896

Subway Fix

From the DW:
"New York plans complete subway overhaul"

A rescue plan announced by metropolitan authorities aims to modernize New York's beleaguered subways. The system is well-known for chronic delays, breakdowns, derailments and overcrowding. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York unveiled an $836 million (718 million-euro) plan to stabilize New York's subway system, promising riders they would see progress within the next year. Nearly 6 million people a day ride the subway, which dates back 113 years and has suffered from outdated equipment despite being one of the largest public transport systems in the world, spanning 1,070 kilometers (665 miles). "New Yorkers are rightfully frustrated with the current state of the subways, and their demands for better service have been heard," Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chairman Joseph Lhota said in a statement.  The first phase of the planned overhaul will focus on signal and track modernization, car reliability, system safety, and cleanliness as well as customer communications and management.  It includes cleaning the entire underground system to remove debris and reduce fire hazards. The plan will also add cars to some subway trains where station platforms can handle them and remove seats from others to create room to get more people inside. Lhota said a second phase would then concentrate on modernizing outdated technology and tracks, a more massive and costly undertaking. He added the details of the scheme would be outlined in the coming weeks. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said he was encouraged by the plan unveiled by Lhota, which also includes an increased police presence to deter sexually inappropriate behavior, loitering and littering.



^ I've taken the NYC Subway many times over the years and it really needs to be updated. ^

http://www.dw.com/en/new-york-plans-complete-subway-overhaul/a-39836092

Tightened Screening

From USA Today:
"TSA tightens electronics screening for domestic flights, too"

After ramping up screening for international flights heading to the U.S., the Transportation Security Administration announced Wednesday that it will scrutinize electronics more closely domestically over the coming weeks and months. Travelers in standard TSA checkpoint lines at airports will have to remove all electronics larger than cellphones from carry-on bags and place them in a separate bin with nothing else above or below for X-ray screening. Travelers in Precheck lanes will be able to leave electronics in their bags as they now do with laptops. TSA’s goal is to get a clearer view of belongings in the jumble of carry-on bags after intelligence suggested terrorists have found better ways to hide explosives in electronics. The stricter scrutiny is already in place at 10 airports where it was tested, and it will be phased in at all U.S. airports as workers are trained the procedures during the coming months, TSA said. “It is critical for TSA to constantly enhance and adjust security screening procedures to stay ahead of evolving threats and keep passengers safe,” said Huban Gowadia, the acting head of TSA. “By separating personal electronic items such as laptops, tablets, e-readers and handheld game consoles for screening, TSA officers can more closely focus on resolving alarms and stopping terror threats.”   The threat of terrorists hiding explosives better in laptops prompted the Department of Homeland Security in March to ban electronics larger than cellphones in carry-on bags of direct flights of nine airlines at 10 airports to the U.S. That ban has since been lifted as each of the airlines tightened their screening. John Kelly, the secretary of Homeland Security, then announced tighter security for all 180 airlines flying directly to the U.S. from 280 airports worldwide. The measures that went into effect July 19 applied to 325,000 passengers on 2,000 daily flights. “Whether you’re flying to, from, or within the United States, TSA is committed to raising the baseline for aviation security by strengthening the overall security of our commercial aviation network to keep flying as a safe option for everyone,” Gowadia said. For domestic flights, TSA has been testing stricter electronics screening at 10 airports: Boise, Boston, Colorado Springs, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Lubbock, Phoenix and San Juan. The rest will be added as workers are trained to avoid hindering checkpoint lines. ""These changes will be phased in during the coming weeks and months," said Lisa Farbstein, a TSA spokeswoman.


^ It makes sense to do the enhanced electronic screening inside the US and on flights to the US. ^


https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/07/26/tsa-tightens-electronics-screening-domestic-flights-too/512480001/

Friday, July 21, 2017

Custody Care

From Disability Scoop:
"State Aims To Help Parents Keep Custody Of Kids With Disabilities"

Of all the anguish that befell Mark Butler as he fought to obtain care for his son with severe autism, the worst came when he and his wife had to sign over their parental rights. So Butler couldn’t help but savor the part of Ohio’s new biennial budget that speaks — finally, he and other advocates say — about parents and guardians “at risk of relinquishing custody of the youth” in order to access badly needed services. “When I saw those words written down, I said, ‘They heard us.’ The dagger that hit us in the heart, this specifically says it wants to pull that out,” Butler said. “No parent should have to go through what we went though.”  For the first time, Ohio is to create a “crisis stabilization fund” that can be tapped to help so-called multisystem youths — those in danger of entering the child-protective or juvenile-justice systems because of their disabilities, mental illnesses and dangerous behavioral problems. State legislators set aside $5 million in federal welfare money each of the next two years to support the fund. County Family and Children First councils will design local plans for administering it. Although the funding is far short of the $30 million supporters had hoped for, they’re celebrating progress in a tight budget cycle. Longtime children’s advocate Gayle Channing Tenenbaum thanked legislators “on behalf of the youth and families who have taken out a second mortgage on their home, sold a second car and are working two jobs each to pay for service for their multi-need children.” Ohio is giving those families hope by saying that custody relinquishment should not be a practice in cases where parents are trying to meet their children’s needs, she said. They now “have a chance to stay together.” The Columbus Dispatch has been reporting on the obstacles and heartbreaking choices families face when Medicaid and private health insurance aren’t sufficient to pay for services and treatment. The Butlers surrendered custody of their teenage son, who cannot communicate verbally, then saw him placed in a residential treatment center hours away in southern Ohio. The Whitehall family waged a two-year campaign to get local care for Andrew, who is now 19 and back in Franklin County, living in a home staffed with aides to keep him and others safe. “Everything we went through with Andrew — custody surrendering and relinquishment, all those drives to Ironton and sitting in committee meetings — then if it helps just one dad like me, then my gosh, it was worth it,” Butler said. “Too many of these families suffer in silence.” The budget provision also calls for a data-collection system to shed light on the number of multisystem youths served and to monitor trends and outcomes. The state hasn’t in the past tracked such cases or counted the number of families who trade or lose custody because of service barriers. But advocates say that more than half of youths in the custody of Ohio’s child-protection agencies are not there because of abuse or neglect. “I think a big problem in all this is that we don’t know how many like Andrew there are out there,” Butler said. In the past year, the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities also created a pilot program in central Ohio to aid families whose children have disabilities and volatile behaviors that require expensive treatment. And the Franklin County Board of Developmental Disabilities worked with other local government agencies and a nonprofit organization to designate a four-bedroom residential center on the East Side to serve youths who can’t safely remain in their family homes. “The system can change, it really can,” Butler said. “It just takes the hard work and dedication of a lot of people.”



^ As long as there is no neglect or abuse families should be kept together (whether there is someone disabled or not.) With that said, the disabled and their families require more aid than most and should be given that help. I'm glad to see that Ohio has started this new program to help the disabled that need help to stay with their families rather than go to a group home or institution. I worked for 4 summers at an overnight summer camp for the mentally and physically disabled and you could tell (even without reading the case files) which camper came from an institution, which from a group home and which from their family simply by what they came with. Most people from institutions came for the week with only the close on their backs (nothing extra.) Those that came from a group home usually came with several sets of things for the week. Those that came with their families not only had lots of clothes (enough for 5 weeks even though they were only staying for 1 week) but also money for the camp store and their families would spend a long time with the counselor going over medicines, behaviors, etc. Those from institutions and group homes were usually dropped off first and picked-up last with only the bare minimal being said to the counselors or the campers themselves. I know that is only regarding summer camp, but it gives an example of the individualized  care a family tends to give vs. that of an institution (I have seen group homes that are small and where everyone is given good care and attention.) Hopefully, this program in Ohio will help those that its intended to help and that other states will create or expand these kinds of programs of their own. ^


https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2017/07/19/state-parents-custody-disabilities/23937/

Free US

"The US is known as the land of the free not only because we have always been the one constant place that everyone from around the world has dreamed of coming to in order to make something of themselves, but also because we don't make you pay for: public bathrooms, soda refills, condiments, shopping bags, compulsory ID cards or licenses for TVs, radios or the Internet."


Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Seat Act

From Yahoo:
"‘SEAT Act’: Congress set to finally push back against shrinking airline seats"

As most people who’ve flown in an airplane have probably noticed, cabin seats have been shrinking over the past few decades. Since the 1970s, the average economy seat pitch—the distance between the seats—has shrunk from 35 inches to 31 inches, further pressurizing cabins and passengers’ tempers.  This has allowed airlines to squeeze more seats in, or to make more room for larger seats they can sell at a premium. Today, travelers need to purchase premium economy seats for the same amount of legroom they used to get with the old economy. And it’s getting worse: In May American Airlines (AAL) said it would be shaving two inches of legroom in economy class, going from 31 to 29. Public blowback led the airline to partially reverse its decision and only cut one inch from most rows. But passengers’ knees, legs, and elbows are on track to get a reprieve thanks to the dogged efforts of one member of Congress, Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN). Cohen is finally looking at a win in his third year waging war against shrinking seats, having steered a version of his Safe Egress in Air Travel (SEAT) Act into the FAA reauthorization bill as an amendment, after failing numerous times. (The FAA’s budget and mandate must be authorized regularly.) The amendment would ask the FAA to study evacuations and issue regulations for minimum safe-seat sizes. The bill is on the House’s agenda for a vote this week.  While many people see comfort as the main problem of cramped seats, Cohen sees a public health and safety disaster waiting to happen. With more cramped and smaller seats—and increasingly large Americans—evacuations may not go as smoothly. “I don’t want to see a day when there’s a plane crash and the [NTSB] ascertains that the plane couldn’t be evacuated in the proper time and people lost their lives from smoke inhalation of fire,” Cohen told Yahoo Finance. “Often it’s a tragedy that gets Congress to act. Safety and health are issues, and that’s the way we’ve framed it to get support.” While every new aircraft model is tested for evacuation by the FAA, Cohen says the evacuations have not been tested with today’s smaller seats. The legislation would direct the FAA to use the results of the study to “issue regulations that establish minimum dimensions for passenger seats…necessary for the safety and health of passengers.”  Though comfort is a concern, Cohen has been careful to focus on safety and less on “legislating comfort,” something that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who has thrown his support behind the measure in the Senate, has been accused of recently“This should be a fact-based matter, not an attempt to legislate seat comfort,” former American Airlines president Bob Crandall told Yahoo Finance. “I have no problem with requiring new tests, since 28-inch pitch strikes me as potentially dangerous—unless it has already been tested.”  Cohen’s public-safety slant was enough to mobilize senators like Schumer, Ed Markey (D-MA), and others to push a version of his amendment into the Senate’s reauthorization bill. It was also enough to get support from across the aisle. Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) co-sponsored a standalone version of the SEAT Act earlier in 2017. “We must ensure standards are in place to provide safe air travel for passengers,” he said in June. “Cutting down legroom to add more seats to the already crowded planes is simply dangerous.”  Cohen says the airline industry’s friendship with members of Congress and members on the Subcommittee on Aviation has kept his fight protracted. “[Industry groups] are politically savvy enough to be helpful in campaigns and therefore have political leverage,” Cohen said. “So people have been reticent to oppose industry groups that have PACs. So that’s made it difficult.”  In the past, Airline industry groups like Airlines for America have opposed Cohen’s measures to regulate seating in the past, noting that customers can “vote with their wallet” and choose something else if they don’t want to fly. But one glance at the average seat pitch shows that market forces may not be enough. “There’s a limited amount of airlines and not much competition,” says Cohen. “There are lots of people without a choice. Often they have to do it as a necessity for someone’s funeral or to get a job. It’s a big expense.” In a statement reacting to the FAA Reauthorization bill, Airlines for America did not reject Cohen’s amendment, and an A4A spokesperson told Yahoo Finance “we continue to believe the government’s role in seat sizes for all forms of transportation.”  In the wake of airline scandals such as United’s forcible ejection of a paying customer from a plane, Cohen thinks the industry may not have the social capital to fight.  Multiple airlines, including Delta (DAL), Southwest (LUV), and American (AAL), told Cohen’s office they would not lobby against it. United (UAL), star of recent public relations disasters, was the only one of the “big four” absent from this list. A spokesperson for the airline did not comment on the legislation. “The industry, I think, doesn’t want to have themselves look like a sore thumb again after the doctor was taken off the United plane and other highly publicized instances of consumer issues,” said Cohen.  In the wake of airline scandals such as United’s forcible ejection of a paying customer from a plane, Cohen thinks the industry may not have the social capital to fight.  Multiple airlines, including Delta (DAL), Southwest (LUV), and American (AAL), told Cohen’s office they would not lobby against it. United (UAL), star of recent public relations disasters, was the only one of the “big four” absent from this list. A spokesperson for the airline did not comment on the legislation. “The industry, I think, doesn’t want to have themselves look like a sore thumb again after the doctor was taken off the United plane and other highly publicized instances of consumer issues,” said Cohen.


^ The airlines have been allowed to do whatever that like to passengers for far too long. Not only have the comforts been taken away from us (especially those that were once free) but even basic things like a seat. I have flown countless times and know what it's like to fly on an airline that doesn't care about the safety or comfort of its passengers and try my best to not fly on them as well as telling others about my experiences with that airline. While the government can't do much on bringing back the comforts they can do so in this case since it really is about safety. Of course the airlines are going to protest and fight this tooth and nail, but hopefully the government will prevail - especially with ordinary people (us passengers) start standing up for ourselves regarding the continual treatment as cattle. I have flown on airlines where they have given you a good service, treated you like a person and kept you safe. I know it can be done. The question now is why won't all the airlines treat us like passengers and not cattle? ^


https://finance.yahoo.com/news/seat-act-congress-finally-set-push-back-shrinking-airline-seats-194843416.html

Lee Hernandez

From USA Today:
"Text messages overwhelm dying Army veteran's phone"

People from around the world answered the call for help. In doing so, they brightened the day of a dying Army veteran who wanted nothing more than to hear from us. The simple act of sending a text message meant the world to Lee Hernandez, who served the country for 18½ years. The 47-year-old is under hospice care in New Braunfels, Texas. His dying wish is to receive text messages and phone calls from anybody willing to talk to him. So far, his wish has been granted thousands and thousands and thousands of times over. "Had one of the best days in a long time and even danced! This is huge," Hernandez said on a GoFundMe page set up Sunday for him.  Hernandez's wife, Ernestine, who will celebrate her 13th wedding anniversary with him next week, enlisted the help of Caregivers of Wounded Warriors and the Arizona Veteran Forum to spread to word.  In a matter of days, Lee Hernandez’s inbox was filled with more than 100,000 text messages. The response he got was overwhelming — probably a little more than anyone expected — and crashed the Hernandez’s phone, according to the GoFundMe page.   “The fact that people contacted him and there were people who cared has really made a dramatic effect on Lee’s mood and spirit and overall health,” according to the GoFundMe Page, named Support Lee American Hero Campaign.  The page was briefly set up for Lee Hernandez to “fill this season of his life with all the joy that we can.” It was shut down after it quickly met its fundraising goal of $3,000.  Ernestine Hernandez previously said that doctors have not been able to pinpoint a cause for her husband's illness. He suffers from continuous strokes, lose of cognitive abilities and blindness  But all of the love and support has brightened his days. She shared a video Friday of her husband thanking everyone for uplifting him. “I appreciate it all,” she said. The money raised will go toward improving his home accessibility, getting a hitch kit to transport his motorized wheelchair and to visiting places on his bucket list.   "His medical condition is still very fragile, but he loves the support you all are giving him," according to the GoFundMe page.He will be able to get a service dog and a cleaning service, according to the Arizona Veteran’s Forum. "And his old platoon that he lost contact with are going to make a trip to see him after many years,” forum officials said.


^ This is one of those sad stories that actually makes you feel good. ^


https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/07/19/text-messages-overwhelm-dying-army-veterans-phone/493744001/

British Lockdown Plan

From the BBC:
"Teaching union calls for school lockdown plan"

Schools need a coherent strategy for lockdown procedures in case of a dangerous event taking place on their premises, a teaching union said. The NASUWT said schools currently had ad hoc drills to deal with various threats and called on the government to put together a comprehensive plan. More than 200 head teachers in West Yorkshire have attended council-run seminars providing advice on lockdowns. The government said it "constantly reviewed" security guidance it issues.   The seminars, run in collaboration with police, the fire service and the North East Counter Terrorism Unit, give advice on managing a potentially violent or dangerous event in or around a school.  Five have been held since the beginning of 2016, with organisers aiming to have covered every school in West Yorkshire by Easter 2018.  Scenarios covered include noxious fumes from a fire or chemical incident, weapons in school, animals in school grounds, aggressive pupils or parents and bomb threats.  Huddersfield's Reinwood Junior School is one of several in West Yorkshire which carries out lockdown drills, with pupils and staff practising twice a year. After a pre-recorded alarm and message is played from the tannoy, pupils get under tables, teachers lock classroom doors, lights are turned off and window shutters pulled down. Ian Darlington, Year Six teacher at the school, said it was better to practise so that it "almost becomes second nature" to the pupils. "Initially it might appear that we are raising concerns, raising children's fears, but in actual fact they're quite calm doing it now," he said.  "They understand the importance of doing it and it doesn't worry them."  Chris Keates, NASUWT General Secretary, said: "Responsibility for ensuring security and terrorism preparedness should be the responsibility of the whole governing body.  "It would not be appropriate for the government simply to require schools to have preparedness plans in place and assume that they are able to do this. "Schools will already have plans in place to respond to a range of emergency scenarios, but it's important that they are given specific advice and support on what additional provisions are considered necessary and the support and advice to implement them." A Department for Education spokesperson said: "Schools have a legal responsibility to ensure staff and pupils are safe. "We provide a range of support for schools and constantly review guidance to ensure it is comprehensive and up to date."

^ Every school around the world should have plans for natural disasters and man-made threats and these plans should be practiced on a regular basis throughout the school year. ^


http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leeds-40645215

Polish-Russian Feud

From the MT:
"Russia and Poland Feud Over Demolition of Soviet War Monuments"

Russian and Polish officials exchanged harsh words on Tuesday over Poland’s recent move to demolish Soviet-era war monuments. Russia’s Foreign Ministry warned Poland of “consequences” if the demolition plans are carried out. On June 22, Polish President Andrzej Duda approved amendments to an anti-propaganda law that would lead to the tearing down of Soviet-era monuments, which the Polish side has described as “symbols of a totalitarian regime.” In an official statement released Tuesday, Russia's Foreign Ministry described the move as an "outrageous provocation.” “The monuments of gratitude to the Red Army and the Soviet soldier-liberators remind us that thanks to the victory over fascism, to which the Soviet Union made a decisive contribution, Poland has remained a state and the Polish people were not annihilated or expelled, and remained to live on their lands,” the statement reads. “The Polish authorities, undoubtedly, are well aware of how insulting their actions are to the Russian people.” The statement says that more than 600,000 Soviet soldiers fought and were buried on Polish territory.  Poland’s Foreign Ministry explained, however, that the monuments at burial sites of Soviet soldiers will remain untouched, news outlet RBC reported on Tuesday, citing comments from Polish officials. “Poland has always shown due respect and care for the graves of all fallen soldiers, prisoners of war and internees, regardless of their nationality and the circumstances under which they came to Poland,” the statement reads.  “The same goes for the graves of Russian and Soviet soldiers. This approach is part of Polish national tradition.”


^ This is a constant issue for any country in Eastern Europe that survived the Nazi occupation (1939-1945) as well as the Soviet occupation (194501991.) I believe that the graves of the Germans and Soviets buried in these Eastern European countries should be left untouched while any memorials and monuments to Nazism or Communism should be removed and placed on display in museums (most are now in monument parks.) Doing this you don't show pride in the horrors of Nazism or Communism, but you also don't try and whitewash your history. ^


https://themoscowtimes.com/news/russia-poland-feud-monuments-58431

Stealing History

From the BBC:
"Israeli steals Auschwitz items for student art project"

An Israeli student whose grandparents survived the Holocaust has admitted stealing items from the Auschwitz death camp for her art project. Rotem Bides visited the former Nazi German camp in Poland several times and removed items, including a sign forbidding people from taking anything. She told an Israeli newspaper she had acted out of concern that the Holocaust would over time "turn into a myth". The Auschwitz-Birkenau museum said the student's actions were "outrageous".  The museum also demanded the objects' return.   More than a million people, mostly Jews, were killed at Auschwitz during World War Two. The objects from Auschwitz, which also include shards of glass, small bowls, a metal screw and soil, formed part of the 27-year-old's final project in Jerusalem, Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported .  Ms Bides told the newspaper she felt it was "something I had to do". "Millions of people were murdered based on the moral laws of a certain country, under a certain regime," she told the newspaper. "And if these are the laws, I can go there and act according to my own laws.  "I'm not saying I'm allowed to do it because my grandfather was in Auschwitz. I'm simply asking the questions. I'm concerned that after all the survivors are gone, the Holocaust will turn into a myth, something that cannot be perceived." Ms Vides' supervisor at Beit Berl College, the Israeli artist Michal Na'aman, told the newspaper she "did not see anything wrong with it". "The way I see it, she succeeds in creating a unique encounter between art and an event that has passed and has been wrapped in a lot of words, symbols and representations," Ms Na'aman said.  "It's hard to imagine theft being justified in any way, even through art, which can be seen as an attempt to gain publicity," the Auschwitz-Birkenau museum said in a statement. Items have been stolen from Auschwitz in the past. In 2011, an Israeli local government official picked up several items that were lying on the ground next to a display cabinet - but they were discovered by officials at Krakow airport.   Moti Posloshani, the son of Holocaust survivors, later told Yedioth Ahronoth that he had wanted to "safeguard" the objects and perhaps hand them to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial museum in Jerusalem. And in 2009 the infamous "Arbeit macht frei" ("Work makes you free" in German) sign over the entrance to Auschwitz was stolen by thieves - but recovered shortly afterwards.


^ I don't think it is right for anyone to go to a memorial site and take anything from there - especially real artifacts that can never be replaced. I worked at the USHMM and while it is a memorial museum and not an actual site where the Holocaust occurred there are countless artifacts, documents, pictures, etc. that can never be replaced if they are stolen or ruined. If this "artist" really felt so strongly about saving these artifacts so future generations would never be able to question whether the Holocaust ever happened there are many different things that should have been done rather than simply stealing them. Not only is she a thief, but she took the stolen artifacts from Poland to Israel - across international borders. I really hope she is made an example of by Poland and Israel for what she did. ^


http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-40656748

Action Over Talk

From the BBC:
"Ukraine conflict: Russia rejects new Donetsk rebel 'state'"



Russia says the declaration of a state called "Malorossiya" (Little Russia) in rebel-held eastern Ukraine is just a rebel leader's "personal initiative". Alexander Zakharchenko announced the new "state" in Donetsk, saying it would replace Ukraine. The pro-Russian rebels broke away from Ukraine in 2014. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said "we remain committed to the Minsk accords". The Minsk ceasefire is shaky as shelling and skirmishes continue.  More shelling took place on Tuesday. The Ukrainian military reported heavy rebel fire on its positions in the Avdiivka area, a hotspot just north of rebel-held Donetsk. It said two Ukrainian soldiers had been killed on Tuesday. The self-styled "Donetsk People's Republic" (DNR) said one civilian had been killed and two had been wounded in Ukrainian army shelling of some residential areas of Donetsk.   Nearly 10,000 people have died since the eastern Ukraine conflict erupted in April 2014, soon after Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea peninsula. A ceasefire was agreed in February 2015 but its terms are far from being fulfilled. Western governments accuse Russia of helping the rebels with regular troops and heavy weapons. Moscow denies that, while admitting that Russian "volunteers" are helping the rebels.  Politicians outside Donetsk have distanced themselves from Mr Zakharchenko's "Malorossiya" declaration.  Mr Peskov said it was Mr Zakharchenko's "personal initiative" and Moscow had "learnt about it this morning [Tuesday] from media". Pro-Russian rebels in the neighbouring breakaway Luhansk region also dismissed the "Malorossiya" declaration, despite being allies of the DNR rebels. A pro-Russian president, Viktor Yanukovych, fled Ukraine's capital Kiev during violent protests in February 2014 but ties to Moscow remain strong in the Russian-speaking east.  "Malorossiya" in tsarist times referred to Russian imperial territories that later became part of Ukraine. Many Ukrainians today regard the name as offensive and synonymous with Russian imperialism.  The declaration of a new country based on "the state formerly known as Ukraine" seemed to come out of the blue. Even state TV presenters appeared taken aback as they announced the rebels' creation of "Malorossiya". But was this fantastical plan really the "personal initiative" of Mr Zakharchenko, as the Kremlin spokesman claimed? Some here are sure it was. They believe the rebels in eastern Ukraine are getting restless and that this move shows the limits of Kremlin control. Moscow, they point out, wants to look committed to the Minsk peace process - at least in public. Others though dismiss the reaction as theatre: the Kremlin's rejection and even the "surprise" of the TV anchors. To them, the Donetsk rebels remain loyal puppets of Moscow.  The US has just appointed a new envoy for the Ukraine conflict who has already visited Kiev, but not Moscow. So they see this announcement as a warning: that Kiev should be pressured to implement its side of the Ukraine peace deal, or the situation there could get even worse. A"Malorossiya constitution" published on the DNR official website says the new "state" is a successor to Ukraine, with Donetsk as its capital.  It proclaims as its flag the emblem of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, a 17th-Century Cossack who led a revolt against Polish rule and forged an alliance with Russia  The DNR language echoes the "Novorossiya" (New Russia) idea that Russian nationalists and the Donetsk rebels championed earlier in the conflict.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko saw the declaration as further evidence of Russian involvement. "Since the start of military aggression against my nation Russia's goal has been to fragment Ukraine," he said.  "The Novorossiya project included nine regions of Ukraine. This project collapsed utterly." He called the Zakharchenko leadership "a puppet show, parroting messages received from Russia".  The "Malorossiya" declaration was ignored in Russia's main evening TV news bulletins - after Mr Peskov's comments about it. The main channels are state-controlled. But earlier on Tuesday the declaration had been prominent on the Russian TV news.



^ Talk is cheap unless it is followed with action. If Russia really is against this self-proclaimed "state" then they need to stop supporting it with money, equipment and soldiers. ^


http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-40653913

More Excuses

From the BBC:
"Justine Damond shooting: Minneapolis police 'feared ambush'"

The lawyer for a US police officer whose partner killed an Australian woman says it would be "reasonable" for the pair to have feared an ambush. Minneapolis officer Matthew Harrity has reportedly said they were startled by a "loud sound" before last Saturday night's shooting of Justine Damond. Police have released the transcript of her call to police, in which the 40-year-old reports a suspected rape. She was fatally shot in the abdomen by one of the officers she had called. Officer Mohamed Noor, who fired the fatal shot in Ms Damond's upmarket neighbourhood, has refused to be interviewed by investigators, as is his legal right.  Fred Bruno, a lawyer for Officer Harrity, said on Wednesday: "It is reasonable to assume an officer in that situation would be concerned about a possible ambush.   "It was only a few weeks ago when a female NYPD cop and mother of twins was executed in her car in a very similar scenario." He was referring to the 5 July shooting of a 48-year-old police officer as she sat in her patrol car in the Bronx bureau of New York City. The attorney's comments come a day after Officer Harrity spoke to investigators with the state's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, which is leading the investigation. During the interview, he described seeing a young person on a bicycle pass by moments before Ms Damond pounded on the door of the police car, according to KSTP-TV. Detectives have appealed to the cyclist to come forward with any information he may have.  On Wednesday police released the transcript of her two separate 911 calls, which she made after hearing screams nearby. "I'm not sure if she's having sex or being raped," she told the police operator, before giving her address. "I think she just yelled out 'help,' but it's difficult, the sound has been going on for a while," she continued, before calling back eight minutes later to ensure that police had the correct address. Body cameras, which are worn by all Minneapolis police, had not been turned on at the time of the shooting and the squad car dashboard camera also failed to capture the incident.  Officers Harrity and Noor, who between them have spent three years on the police force, have been placed on paid administrative leave. Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Wednesday appealed to the US for an explanation. "It is a shocking killing, and yes, we are demanding answers on behalf of her family," he told Australian TV on Wednesday. Hundreds of friends and family of Ms Damond held a vigil on Sydney's Freshwater beach on Wednesday morning for the slain yoga instructor and spiritual healer, who was engaged to marry an American man. Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton told reporters he has been in touch with the Australian embassy, adding that the state may need to review rules covering police use of body cameras.


^ Everything you hear about this makes a reasonable person believe that the officer (Mohamed Noor) who killed Justine Damond did not do his job correctly (the dispatch tapes, the safety not on his gun, both body cameras being off, etc.) Now that Noor is refusing to be interviewed by investigators more red flags are raised. If it was truly an accident and you were sorry you shot and killed an innocent woman then you would do everything in your power to tell your side of the story. By not doing so you are merely adding more "fuel to the fire" and admitting your guilt without really admitting your guilt. Even if it was an accident and he admitted his guilt he should not be allowed to remain a police officer in any jurisdiction. Now that he is hiding things by refusing to talk to the investigators he should be given more punishments when he is found guilty. In a way I'm glad the Australian Government is involved so that the truth will come out (even without Noor talking) and no one in Minnesota can try to simply push this under the rug as though it didn't happen  - because it did. Noor is clearly not sorry he murdered an innocent woman and is only trying to protect himself from his crime. ^



http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-40661873