Chinese Animal Rescues

From the BBC:

“Coronavirus: Rescuing China's animals during the outbreak”

(Dogs found abandoned in Wuhan by rescuers from Furry Angels Heaven)

Animal rescue groups say they are seeing an increasing number of animals abandoned across the country  Volunteers in China say they're struggling to keep up with the number of animals being abandoned as the country battles the virus outbreak.  More than 2,000 people in China have died and more than 78,000 infections have been reported in the country.  Pet owners who fall sick or are caught up in quarantine can't take their animals with them, and despite reassurance from the World Health Organization that animals can't carry the virus, others are being dumped. "I have rescued lots of dogs this month, most have been abandoned by their owners," one volunteer from Furry Angels Heaven in Wuhan, the centre of the outbreak, told the BBC.  "One animal's owner has coronavirus and was sent to quarantine. Fortunately a policeman sent her to me."  The volunteer didn't want to reveal her name because of fears of official repercussions. She said she has 35 dogs and 28 cats in her apartment in addition to the animal rescue centre she helps operate.  "It's a bad situation here. We are not allowed to go outside and I am afraid my dogs and cats will be out of food soon. I am worried if I or my family get infected with the virus then all of the dogs and cats could be killed by policemen." Without income from its regular paid work at the moment, she fears the animal centre's savings could be used up soon.  "It's expensive to rescue these animals", she said.  As soon as the lockdown is over, the animals will be available for adoption.  The coronavirus outbreak began in late December, but it worsened as people went away for Chinese New Year in January. Many people went to visit family in other cities, leaving food behind for their pets thinking they would only be away for a few days.  But then the lockdown was introduced. More than 60 million people in Hubei province were placed under travel restrictions. People were unable to return to their homes and the food they had left for their pets had started to run out.  Panicked pet owners used social media site Weibo to plead for help.  "Help! I live in Ezhou City and my cat is trapped," wrote one woman from a town near Wuhan.  "I'm asking a caring person nearby to help me feed the cat. I am willing to pay for it, thank the caring person and everyone else, please share." One volunteer, who gave his name as Lao Mao, is part of a group that provides assistance to people who cannot access their animals. So far his group has helped to rescue more than 1,000 pets.  Video footage posted on social media accounts show Lao Mao's team entering properties, feeding animals and providing them with medical care.  "There are more animals needing help these days," he told the BBC.  He said that the situation now for animals is "very dangerous".  "So many of them have starved to death, only a few of them can reach me for help. There's nothing much I can do but I will save as many as I can." It's not just animal rescuers in Wuhan that are feeling the strain. Animal groups across China told the BBC that they were struggling to deal with the current situation and strict quarantine measures.  Animal Rescue Shanghai told the BBC that the situation is a "nightmare". "It is high season during Chinese New Year which means a lot of dogs are kicked out and due to coronavirus, a lot of flights have been cancelled. We now have over 350 dogs for a place sized for 120," said, Nana, who works at the shelter. We are really desperate." An experienced rescuer in Shenzhen who did not want to give her name also said Chinese New Year was a busy time of year for animal abandonments, but that she has never encountered one every single day.  One rescuer said because of the lockdown, businesses are not feeding stray animals "Businesses are closed so there is no-one to feed the strays. It started being very common to see roaming cats and dogs and hear them fighting and barking and meowing much more than usual." She said at one point, she saw a partially eaten mother dog with her puppies still around her.  But she said that as the situation has intensified, volunteers have joined forces like never before to handle the amount of animals in need.  "Community support has been really heart-warming, many people help, volunteer, support and share or decide to adopt or foster.  "Both Chinese people and foreigners have united to help each other help animals."

^ Pets and other animals tend to be overlooked in an emergency (earthquake, snow storm, tornado, hurricane, wildfire, terrorist attack and virus outbreaks.) It is so sad to hear these stories and see the pictures. There are a few good people that are working tirelessly in China to help these poor pets and animals to get the care and food they desperately need. ^

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-51614957

Peace Signed

From the BBC:

“Afghan conflict: US and Taliban sign deal to end 18-year war”

The US and the Taliban have signed an "agreement for bringing peace" to Afghanistan after more than 18 years of conflict. The US and Nato allies have agreed to withdraw all troops within 14 months if the militants uphold the deal. President Trump said it had been a "long and hard journey" in Afghanistan. "It's time after all these years to bring our people back home," he said. Talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban are due to follow. Under the agreement, the militants also agreed not to allow al-Qaeda or any other extremist group to operate in the areas they control. Speaking at the White House, Mr Trump said the Taliban had been trying to reach an agreement with the US for a long time. He said US troops had been killing terrorists in Afghanistan "by the thousands" and now it was "time for someone else to do that work and it will be the Taliban and it could be surrounding countries". "I really believe the Taliban wants to do something to show we're not all wasting time," Mr Trump added. "If bad things happen, we'll go back with a force like no-one's ever seen." The US invaded Afghanistan weeks after the September 2001 attacks in New York by the Afghanistan-based al-Qaeda group. More than 2,400 US troops have been killed during the conflict. About 12,000 are still stationed in the country. President Trump has promised to put an end to the conflict.

What happened in Doha?    The deal was signed by US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban political chief Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as a witness. In a speech, Mr Pompeo urged the militant group to "keep your promises to cut ties with al-Qaeda". Mr Baradar said he hoped Afghanistan could now emerge from four decades of conflict. "I hope that with the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Afghanistan the Afghan nation under an Islamic regime will take its relief and embark on a new prosperous life," he said. Meanwhile US Defence Secretary Mark Esper was in the Afghan capital Kabul alongside Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani - whose government did not take part in the US-Taliban talks. Mr Esper said: "This is a hopeful moment, but it is only the beginning. The road ahead will not be easy. Achieving lasting peace in Afghanistan will require patience and compromise among all parties." He said the US would continue to support the Afghan government. Mr Ghani said the country was "looking forward to a full ceasefire". The government said it was ready to negotiate with the Taliban.

What's in the agreement?       Within the first 135 days of the deal the US will reduce its forces in Afghanistan to 8,600, with allies also drawing down their forces proportionately. The move would allow US President Donald Trump to show that he has brought troops home ahead of the US presidential election in November. The deal also provides for a prisoner swap. Some 5,000 Taliban prisoners and 1,000 Afghan security force prisoners would be exchanged by 10 March, when talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government are due to start. The US will also lift sanctions against the Taliban and work with the UN to lift its separate sanctions against the group. In Kabul, activist Zahra Husseini said she feared the deal could worsen the situation for women in Afghanistan. "I don't trust the Taliban, and remember how they suppressed women when they were ruling," the 28-year-old told AFP. "Today is a dark day, and as I was watching the deal being signed, I had this bad feeling that it would result in their return to power rather than in peace."

Landmark deal rife with uncertainties:    This historic deal has been years in the making, as all sides kept seeking advantage on the battlefield.  The agreement is born of America's determination to bring troops home and a recognition, at least by some Taliban, that talks are the best route to return to Kabul. It's a significant step forward, despite deep uncertainty and scepticism over where it will lead. When the only alternative is unending war, many Afghans seem ready to take this risk for peace. Taliban leaders say they've changed since their harsh rule of the 1990s still seared in the memory of many, and most of all Afghan women.  This process will test the Taliban, but also veteran Afghan leaders of the past, and a new generation which has come of age in the last two decades and is hoping against hope for a different future. 

What reaction has there been?:      UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stressed "the importance of sustaining the nationwide reduction in violence, for the benefit of all Afghans" Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg: "We went in together in 2001, we are going to adjust [troop levels] together and when the time is right, we are going to leave together, but we are only going to leave when conditions are right"  UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace: "I welcome this small but important step towards the chance for Afghans to live in peace, free from terrorism... We remain absolutely committed to building an Afghanistan that is a strong partner for decades to come"

^ I have said this before and still believe that this American withdrawal from Afghanistan is the exact same as when Americans left South Vietnam in 1973. Back then the US was divided and tired after fighting for 8 years and were trying to leave (i.e. Peace with Honor) anyway we could. We left in April 1973 with the promise that we would return if the North Vietnamese broke the agreement with the US and South Vietnam. North Vietnam did break the agreement and the US did not come back in as they said they would. We left South Vietnam to fend for itself until the Fall of Saigon in April 1975. That is what will happen in Afghanistan. The US and NATO will leave, the Taliban will take control again and impose their strict religious dictatorship and Afghanistan will return to the awful 1990s. The only difference is that this time I don’t see the Taliban allowing Al-Qaida or ISIS to base themselves in Afghanistan as they (Al-Qaida) did. That way the Taliban will be able to beat, stone and kill whomever they want within Afghanistan and no other country  - especially the US  - will care since they won’t be a security threat to the outside world. ^

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-51689443

Snow Fun

1st US Death

From Yahoo/USA Today:

“First US death reported in Washington state, officials say”

President Donald Trump on Saturday identified a Washington state "high-risk" female patient in her 50s as the first death in the U.S. from the coronavirus outbreak. Health officials in Washington state had already announced a death but did not specifically identify the individual. They earlier noted that one patient in her 50s in King County had tested positive for the virus. Trump called the victim a "wonderful woman" and said she died overnight. The person died in King County, Washington, according to  the state's Department of Health said. Vice President Mike Pence, who heads the new coronavirus task force, expressed his condolences to the woman's family. Trump said there are 22 patients in the U.S. who have been confirmed as having the virus. He said 15 of them are either recovered fully "or well on  Gov. Jay Inslee said in a statement Saturday that it is a "sad day" in Washington state and that officials will continue to strengthen preparedness and response efforts. "We will continue to work toward a day where no one dies from this virus," the governor said. The Washington state death comes a day after health officials in California, Oregon and Washington state reported four new apparent cases of the novel coronavirus, named COVID-19, raising concerns that it is spreading through West Coast communities. Two of the latest cases are a high school student in Everett, Washington, and an employee at a Portland, Oregon-area school. Neither had recently traveled overseas or had any known close contact with a traveler or an infected person. The emergence of the San Jose, California, patient "indicates that there is evidence of community transmission but the extent is still not clear,” said Dr. Sara Cody, Health Officer for Santa Clara County and Director of the County of Santa Clara Public Health Department. 

Here's the latest on the outbreak of COVID-19:

UConn recalls 88 study abroad students from Italy:   The University of Connecticut suspended its study aboard program in Italy on Saturday and notified its 88 students there to return to the U.S. immediately. UConn said on its website that it was responding to new guidance by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which issued a Warning Level 3 on Friday that recommends Americans avoid all non-essential travel to China, South Korea, Italy and Iran because of the coronavirus outbreaks..  UConn said its students in Italy would be provided online and remote learning opportunities in the U.S. to allow them to complete their academic requirements. 

China sees slowdown in new infections:    China, where the outbreak began in December, has seen a slowdown in new infections and on Saturday morning reported 427 new cases over the past 24 hours along with 47 additional deaths. The city at the epicenter of the outbreak, Wuhan, accounted for the bulk of both. New cases in mainland China have held steady at under 500 for past four days, with almost all of them in Wuhan and its surrounding Hubei province. With the number of discharged patients now greatly exceeding those of new arrivals, Wuhan now has more than 5,000 spare beds in 16 temporary treatment centers, Ma Xiaowei, director of the National Health Commission, told a news conference in Wuhan on Friday.

The coronavirus outbreak had infected more than 84,000 people and killed nearly 3,000 people globally as of Saturday morning, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University.

US advises Americans reconsider travel to Italy:    The Italian tourist industry suffered a major blow when a U.S. government advisory urged Americans to reconsider travel to the country due to the spread of a new virus.  “We had already registered a slowdown of Americans coming to Italy in recent days,”  Bernabo Bocca, president of the Italian hotel federation Federalberghi said in a statement Saturday. “Now the final blow has arrived.” The U.S. State Department late Friday issued a level three advisory – the second-highest level of warning – for the whole of Italy, saying that the CDC had recommended “avoiding nonessential travel.” Other major countries have only issued warnings about defined areas of northern Italy where most cases of the new coronavirus have been recorded. Italy has confirmed almost 900 cases, by far the highest figure outside Asia. There have been 21 deaths. More than 5.6 million Americans visit Italy every year, the second-largest national group behind Germans, according to the most recent statistics. They represent 9% of foreign tourists in Italy. The Italian Tourism Federation, Assoturismo, has put cancellations in Rome at 90%.

Frances bans indoor gatherings of more than 5K:    France is banning all indoor public gatherings of more than 5,000 people to try to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Health Minister Olivier Veran announced the measures following special government meetings Saturday, France 24 reported. All public gatherings in the Oise region north of Paris are being banned completely. In addition, Sunday's Paris half-marathon will not take place as scheduled. "These measures are provisional and we will undoubtedly have to modify them over time," Véran said. "They are restrictive measures and we hope that they last for some time because that would allow us to contain the spread of the virus." Two people have died in France from the virus-related illness, a 60-year-old French teacher and an 80-year-old Chinese tourist.

California receives additional test kits:   The California Department of Public Health said Friday that the state will receive enough kits from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control to test up to 1,200 people a day for the COVID-19 virus. The announcement followed a complaint by Gov. Gavin Newsom to federal health officials that the state had already exhausted its initial 200 test kits.

WHO labels virus risk 'very high':   The coronavirus outbreak continued to spread worldwide Saturday, a day after the World Health Organization increased its coronavirus risk assessment to "very high." "This is a reality check for every government on the planet: Wake up. Get ready," Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of WHO’s health emergencies program, said Friday.

Iran preparing to test 'tens of thousands':   Iran is preparing for the possibility of “tens of thousands” of people getting tested for the virus as the number of confirmed cases spiked again Saturday, an official said, underscoring the fear both at home and abroad over the outbreak in the Islamic Republic. The virus and the COVID-19 illness it causes have killed 43 people out of 593 confirmed cases in Iran, Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said. The new toll represents a jump of 205 cases – a 150% increase from the 388 reported the day before. But the number of known cases versus deaths would put the virus’ death rate in Iran at over 7%, much higher than other countries. That’s worried experts at the World Health Organization and elsewhere that Iran may be underreporting the number of cases now affecting it.

South Korea urges citizens to stay indoors:  South Korea urged its citizens Saturday to stay home and avoid public gatherings to try to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. "We have asked you to refrain from taking part in public events, including a religious gathering or protest, this weekend," vice health minister Kim Kang-lip told said during a briefing, according to Reuters. The Korean Medical Association likewise advised “social distancing.” “Cancel all plans, and refrain from non-essential outings as much as possible,” the doctors’ group said, according to The Korea Herald. South Korea added 813 new cases Saturday, raising the total to 3,150. It has reported 17 deaths from the virus.

^ Sadly, the first American death doesn’t look like it will be the last. Trump wrongfully identified the victim as a female when it was in fact a male.  Hopefully, the world will be able to contain Covid-19 and stop its spread sooner rather than later. ^

https://www.yahoo.com/news/coronavirus-live-updates-4-unrelated-133448422.html

9 Military Evacuations

From Military.com:

“9 Times the United States Evacuated Its Military Families Overseas”

Most duty stations overseas are overwhelmingly safe, but sometimes bad things happen. When it goes down, military members and dependents need to be evacuated in a hurry. Most recently, the threat isn't global terrorism, hostile forces or a natural disaster -- it's COVID-19, also known as the novel coronavirus. While the coronavirus has not yet triggered evacuations from military bases overseas, it's not something anyone can rule out at this point. There have been facility closures in Vicenza, Italy, and bases in Germany are preparing for a potential lockdown. A soldier in South Korea is the first U.S. military member to contract the disease, and a military dependent has also tested positive in South Korea. So combating the spread of the virus is no doubt a top priority for military brass. The best way to do that would be to keep the military out of harm's way entirely. And it wouldn't be the first time the U.S. left in a hurry. If history serves, it's better not to mess around.

1. Cyprus, February and July 1964:      On Dec. 21, 1963, violence erupted between Greek and Turkish residents of Nicosia, the capital of the island nation. Two Turkish Cypriots were killed, and eight others, both Greek and Turkish, were wounded. In the days that followed, armed bands of opposing ethnic groups roamed the city streets, shooting indiscriminately. In what came to be known as "Bloody Christmas," dozens were killed. By February, the United Nations was ready to send in 10,000 peacekeeping troops to reassert law and order. On Feb. 9, however, bombs went off near the American embassy. Almost immediately, the U.S. government ordered the evacuation of all military personnel and dependents. In July 1964, more would be evacuated to Beirut after the toppling of the Greek-led government in Nicosia. Turkey would invade the island later that month.

2. South Vietnam, 1965:     It might come as a surprise that, at the outset of the American involvement in Vietnam, more than 1,800 U.S. military dependents accompanied service members in Saigon. As the Johnson administration ramped up its attacks on the North, however, American dependents were forced to leave. Military dependents were returned to the United States, but many diplomatic and intelligence officials' families discussed forming "exile colonies" in Thailand and Hong Kong. "A couple of hours away is better than 20 hours aways," one wife told an Associated Press reporter.

3. South Vietnam, April 1975:     On April 3, 1975, President Gerald Ford announced that the Vietnam War was over for the United States in a speech at Louisiana's Tulane University. He also announced that C-141 Starlifter aircraft had begun to repatriate American troops, personnel and their dependents, along with Vietnamese orphans. Over that month, almost 400 U.S. Air Force sorties evacuated 45,000 people from South Vietnam as North Vietnam closed its grip on the southern capital of Saigon. But the U.S. ambassador and embassy staff, along with thousands of South Vietnamese refugees, remained. In the closing days of April 1975, the U.S. launched Operation Frequent Wind, in which Marine Corps and Air Force special operations helicopters departed from Navy aircraft carriers to evacuate the remaining American officials and whatever refugees they could. In the mission's last two days, 71 helicopters flew more than 2,000 air sorties between Saigon and the 7th Fleet.

4. Lebanon, February 1984:     In 1975, Lebanon's fractured ethnic and religious groups descended into what would become a 15-year civil war for control of the country. Regional neighbors, the United Nations and even the U.S. Marine Corps couldn't bring stability to the country. Marines died defusing bombs and were shot by snipers. Finally, on Oct. 23, 1983, two truck bombs struck the multinational peacekeeping force barracks in Beirut, killing 220 leathernecks, 41 other U.S. service members and 58 French paratroopers. At the time, it was the largest non-nuclear explosion ever recorded. Four months later, President Ronald Reagan announced that the Marines would be leaving Beirut for good, save for a small force to guard the U.S. embassy.

5. Liberia, August 1990 and April 1996:   The United States doesn't have a history of colonialism in Africa, but the one place where similar ties exist is Liberia. The West African country was founded by repatriated former slaves from the United States. When civil war erupted in the country in the late 1980s, American involvement was scaled back and, by 1990, U.S. citizens in the country were evacuated by the Marine Corps. Later that year, rebels would execute Liberian President Samuel Doe. Some Americans stayed in the country despite threats from rebel leader Prince Johnson to round up foreigners. In April 1996, heavy fighting again broke out around the country, and the U.S. military led a daring evacuation of all Americans as bodies littered the streets of Monrovia.

6. The Philippines, June 1991:   On June 15, 1991, Mount Pinatubo on the Philippine island of Luzon erupted, the end result of months of seismic activity and smaller magmatic eruptions. While the days leading up to the major eruption saw ash clouds more than 80,000 feet high, the June 15 eruption launched ash even further and damaged the nearby U.S. military facilities at Clark Air Base and Naval Base Subic Bay. As a result, Pacific Air Forces ordered both installations evacuated, and the U.S. military began to move 20,000 troops and their families from the Philippines to Guam and then on to the U.S. A few "Ash Warriors" stayed behind during the eruption, but very few Americans ever returned. Both bases are now controlled by the Philippine government.

7. Lebanon, July 2006:   In one of the largest overseas evacuations of Americans ever, the U.S. military pulled out some 15,000 citizens as Israeli Defence Forces and Hezbollah fighters clashed at Israel's border with Lebanon. After Hezbollah made an unprecedented border raid into Israel, the IDF responded with a large air campaign targeting Hezbollah's military sites and Beirut's international airport. Then, Israel launched a ground invasion of southern Lebanon. Two days later, the U.S. Departments of State and Defense, along with civilian boats, began a Dunkirk-like exodus of Americans out of harm's way. For 34 days, the IDF fought a "surprisingly well-trained and equipped" Hezbollah. It took the U.S. military 17 days to clear its citizens from the line of fire.

8. Japan, March-May 2011:   In March 2011, a 9.0-magnitude earthquake struck the coast of Honshu, Japan's main island. The resulting tsunamis caused a major meltdown at the nuclear power plant in Fukushima. Radioactivity began spewing into the air as the meltdown progressed and the water from the spent fuel pools began to leak. The Japanese government established a 12- to 18-mile evacuation zone. The U.S. military established a 50-mile zone and began moving its people out. The U.S. military and Japanese Self-Defense Forces moved as quickly as possible to respond. The U.S. 7th Fleet assembled 19 ships, 140 aircraft and 180,000 personnel to relieve the Japanese people and evacuate the areas affected. Nearly 15,000 people were evacuated and more than 8,300 bodies recovered. It was the SDF's largest mission ever.

9. Turkey, March 2016:   In the wake of a coordinated Islamic State bombing and shooting attack in Brussels, Belgium, that left 35 dead, including a U.S. Air Force officer and his family, the Pentagon ordered the evacuation of military dependents at bases in Turkey. The evacuation affected airfields in Incirlik, Izmir and Mugla, resulting in the removal of 670 military dependents. Though the military didn't have specific intelligence on ISIS targets in Turkey, the move was "taken in an abundance of caution." While military family members were taken back to the U.S., service members would continue their tours in Adana -- what family members called "a new 15-month deployment."

^ None of these military evacuations was new to me, but I’m sure not many others knew about most of them (except maybe the 1975 South Vietnamese evacuation – the Fall of Saigon.) I am a military brat and have lived overseas. My Mom told me that when they were stationed in South Korea (before I was born) she had a plan in case the North Koreans invaded again   - it was the heightened time where the North Koreans were digging tunnels into South Korea and right after the Tree Incident at the DMZ. If the North Koreans invaded South Korea my Dad would be busy in the Army and so my Mom would be left alone, with two little kids, to fend for themselves. She had a map and route marked on it so she could go as far south as she could and hope to get a boat to Japan. Then when we lived in West Germany  - it was the heightened time when the Soviets and Americans came the closest to nuclear war since 1962. If the Soviets/East Germans invaded West Germany my Dad would be busy with the Army and so my Mom would be left alone, with three little children and a dog, to fend for ourselves. She had a map and route marked on it so she could either flee to Switzerland (which has been neutral since the 1800s) or to France – depending on where the invasion came from. It may seem like over-reacting to some, but when you see how the US Federal Government and US Military has acted in the past – waiting until the last possible moment for an evacuation (so they wouldn’t cause panic) or in some instances – like right after Chernobyl Nuclear Meltdown the US Military was going to evacuate all the US wives and children from Europe for their safety, but in the end decided not to since it would cause panic among their West German and other European Allies. I was living in West Germany at the time and so you can imagine the feeling among the military dependents of the US Government and Military placing more emphasis on their European Allies rather than on the health and safety of American citizens. While there have been Military evacuations in the past everyone should be prepared to fend for themselves in the event of a: war, natural or manmade disaster. ^

https://www.military.com/military-life/9-times-united-states-evacuated-its-military-families-overseas.html

Stealing From Care

From Military.com/AP:

“ Man Admits Stealing Funds Meant for Military Care Packages”

A West Virginia man pleaded guilty Thursday to pocketing donations to a bogus charity he advertised for military members. Christopher T. Engle, 30, of Bunker Hill, entered the plea in federal court to one count of wire fraud, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell said in a news release. Engle co-owned Hearts2Heros, which solicited contributions to create and send care packages to deployed service members, the statement said. Instead, Engle admitted he took donations from people in West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia for personal use. The statement said the total loss from the scheme was nearly $287,000. “Using our brave military personnel who are deployed overseas as a prop for a fraud scheme is deplorable conduct," Powell said. “Such conduct also is detrimental to the work of many wonderful community organizations who genuinely support our military.” Engle faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine at sentencing. 

^ This is just plain disgusting. I hope he gets the full 20 years and the $250,000 fine. ^

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/02/28/man-admits-stealing-funds-meant-military-care-packages.html

Extended Shutdown

 From the BBC:

“Five reasons why Canada's 'shutdown' is a big deal”

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is under pressure from all sides. At the forefront is a conflict first sparked over indigenous opposition to a natural gas pipeline project, that has now evolved to include broader complex issues like indigenous governance and indigenous rights. It has led to rail blockades and protests that have crippled rail lines and disrupted the flow of the country's economy.  Those events have underscored a pressure point for Mr Trudeau - he has struggled to deliver on his promise to chart a path for Canada that balances oil and gas development, environmental stewardship and indigenous reconciliation. 

Here are five reasons why the current unrest is a big deal.

1 - It's bad news for Justin Trudeau:   The conflict has forced work to be paused on a major natural gas pipeline, the Coastal GasLink project, that Mr Trudeau's Liberal government supports.  Until this week, his ministers had a hard time trying to set up a meeting with the Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs who led the calls for protests in support of their cause. It is the latest resource project to hit gridlock amid opposition by some First Nations and environmental campaigners. Justin Trudeau's leadership has been called into question. The prime minister's political opponents have seized on the crisis to argue that he has shown weak leadership in his handling of the rail blockades and upholding of the rule of law. They are also laying the blame for the country's struggling oil and gas sector at his feet.  And Canadians are feeling frustrated - a poll published this week by the National Post newspaper suggested that almost 60% of Canadians don't think the country is headed in the right direction, while 63% of respondents said Mr Trudeau was "not governing well". Three areas - resource development, environmental stewardship and indigenous rights - have become more challenging for countries like Canada as climate change becomes a greater public concern and indigenous communities are increasingly empowered, says former interim Liberal leader Bob Rae.  Says Mr Rae: "Where governments and companies are prepared to embrace the need for dialogue and inclusion and recognition and so on, projects proceed and in fact benefit the First Nations quite significantly in terms of economic development". "Frankly nothing else works."

2 - Businesses are hit by crippled rail troubles - and farms are getting cold:    Rail blockades have meant that parts of the cross-country rail system have ground to a halt over the past weeks as the current conflict drags on.  Almost 1,500 rail workers are temporarily out of work and many industries are struggling with the impact, including agriculture.  Quebec dairy and grain farmer Martin Caron says farmers are under "real stress" amid shortages of soy and propane used for food and heating. About 80% of the province's propane and 65% of its soy is transported by rail, he says. Some is now being shipped by trucks at a significant mark-up.  Propane is used to heat buildings holding livestock, critical in Canadian winters.  "[There is] stress because we have animals and if we can no longer heat them properly, we put them at risk," says Mr Caron. "So there's an economic stress but also a mental health aspect to this - the animals are part of our families. The producers don't want to put the animals at risk."  While rail blockades have subsided this week and the Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs have sat down with government officials, it will take a number of weeks before the rail system is fully up and running.  "People are hoping with all their hearts that the federal government, among others, will position itself quickly to prevent crises like this," says Mr Caron. 

3 - Companies are spooked by the uncertainty:    The University of Calgary's Harrie Vredenburg, an expert on the global energy industry, says Canada has traditionally been a low risk political environment for investment. This helped it become the world's fourth largest oil and gas exporter.  But the lack of certainty around the regulatory and approval process is now chilling business interest in the sector, he says.  A company can spend years getting environmental and First Nations approvals. "In Canada you do all that and at the end it's still a political decision that depends on what activists are doing and what the media is saying and it's a totally unpredictable outcome," says Mr Vredenburg.  This month, mining company Teck Resources pulled its application to build a major oil sands mine in northeastern Alberta.   The firm said the global capital markets, investors and customers are looking to places that reconcile "resource development and climate change".  "This does not yet exist here today and, unfortunately, the growing debate around this issue has placed [the project] and our company squarely at the nexus of much broader issues that need to be resolved." The decision also came amid questions about the project's financial viability.  "It had become a political football and I think in the end, the Teck board and management just said it isn't worth it," says Mr Vredenburg.

4 - It adds to the sense of 'western alienation':    The economic recovery in the province of Alberta, after an overabundance of supply caused the worldwide price of oil to plummet a few years ago, has been slow. The oil woes led to the loss of more than 100,000 jobs in Alberta and a full-on recession. In October's general election, the resource-rich provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan turned solidly away from Mr Trudeau's Liberal party amid a sense in western Canada that its interests were not represented. Several pipeline projects - seen by the industry as critical for gaining access to global markets - hang in limbo, fuelling more frustration.  Some provincial premiers are also at loggerheads with Mr Trudeau over his main climate initiative, a carbon tax, which will be challenged in the country's top court.  The Teck decision and the Wet'suwet'en conflict have only ramped up tensions.  Mr Vredenburg says "constant bickering" between provincial and federal leaders over energy and climate "doesn't help Canada's brand". 

5 - It highlights the challenges facing indigenous reconciliation and rights:    Mr Trudeau came to power promising to transform the country's relationship with indigenous people.  This conflict has highlighted the challenges involved in moving forward with that reconciliation. Karen Joseph, CEO of the charity Reconciliation Canada, says the country is at the "very early stages of this process of reconciliation" with many systemic challenges that reinforce inequality still in place.  She says amid the unrest everybody needs "to stop and think about how we can do better, how we can show our children how we resolve conflict as leaders and as peoples so that they can move forward". Canada has a duty to consult with indigenous peoples before they begin any projects on their land.  But there is ambiguity around the rules for consultation - one of the roots of the civil unrest seen in recent weeks.  There have been occasional confrontations during the protests  Coastal GasLink received the support of 20 First Nations along its route, including some Wet'suwet'en and their band council, though not a number of Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs.  Some First Nations have been vocal opponents of major resource projects.  Other indigenous communities have chosen to participate in the oil and gas sectors, seeing agreements with resource firms as an opportunity to close the gap in living standards that exists between indigenous peoples and the rest of Canada. In a recent op-ed in the Globe and Mail newspaper, Abel Bosum, Grand Chief of the Grand Council of the Crees of Northern Quebec, shared how his community and the province were able to come to the table after a bitter conflict over large-scale resource development, and found a beneficial path forward.  Canada is not alone in facing many of these challenges that need a "significant shift" in how countries look at issues raised by the Wet'suwet'en conflict, says Ms Joseph.  "The difference in Canada is we have a opportunity and a number of policies that can facilitate a new way forward that's potentially shareable globally." 

^ This shutdown has been going on for a long time now with no end in sight and it is starting to really hurt ordinary Canadians. While the rights and of the Canadian First Nations People need to be respected and their lives helped it is also the responsibility of the Canadian Federal Government to resolve this quickly – something that Trudeau has not been able to do. Clearly the status quo imposed by this shutdown can not go on and it is going to be interesting to see who has the leadership abilities to end the shutdown so that all sides get something. ^

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-51636831

Travel Waivers

From USA Today:

“Delta broadens coronavirus waiver to cover all of Italy; United, American add Italy waivers”

The world has been scrambling to contain the new coronavirus, which has infected tens of thousands of people and killed nearly 3,000. As an example of quickly changing circumstances, the U.S. State Department Friday  raised its travel advisory Italy to level 3: reconsider travel. On Wednesday, it raised South Korea to level 3. The two countries have the most coronavirus cases outside China. The travel industry in turn faces an unprecedented situation. What is the U.S. government recommending? How can airlines, cruise lines and hotels accommodate travelers?  While the coronavirus situation is fluid, the government and the industry are taking and recommending precautionary measures to both assist travelers and stem the outbreak. Here's a look at what the U.S. State Department, airlines, cruise lines and hotels are telling passengers amid the coronavirus outbreak. We will be updating this story as we learn more information. The State Department and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are increasingly warning travelers about coronavirus. Here's a look at the most recent warnings from the CDC and State Department.

China: In January the State Department issued a level 4 travel advisory ("do not travel") – its most severe warning – for all of China. The CDC recommends travelers avoid nonessential travel to China, a level 3 warning, also its most severe warning. This excludes Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.

South Korea: Wednesday's State Department update comes as the CDC is warning against travel to South Korea because of the large number of cases there. On Monday, the CDC issued a level 3 advisory, it's highest, which warns to "avoid nonessential travel" to the East Asian country.

Italy: On Friday, both the State Department and CDC elevated their travel advisories after the number of cases in that country more than doubled over the course of one week, increasing from 270 to 655. The CDC raised Italy to level 3 ("Avoid non-essential travel – widespread community transmission"), its most severe warning, noting that "older adults and people with chronic medical conditions may be at increased risk for severe disease." The State Department raised its Italy advisory one step to its second-highest level, 3 ("Reconsider travel").

Japan: Japan, like Italy, also has a level 2 alert: "practice enhanced precautions." Like South Korea, the State Department updated its advisory for the country to a level 2 on Saturday.

Singapore: There is no CDC nor State Department advisory at this time for Singapore despite nearly 100 recorded coronavirus cases.

Hong Kong: The CDC advisory for Hong Kong is only a level 1, a "watch," meaning travelers should exercise "usual precautions." The CDC specifically mentions it "does not recommend canceling or postponing travel." Hong Kong, like South Korea and Japan, has a level 2 warning from the State Department due to coronavirus.

Iran: Iran has a level 2 CDC warning: "practice enhanced precautions." Iran's State Department advisory was last updated Dec. 26, 2019, with a "level 4" warning of "do not travel" on account of kidnapping, arrest, detention risk. The State Department on Feb. 26 said that those currently in the country "should exercise increased caution" on account of the outbreak.

Mongolia: Mongolia's travel advisory is a "level 3" ("reconsider travel") because of Mongolia's response to China's coronavirus outbreak.

Cruise ships: The State Department is warning travelers to reconsider going on a cruise to or within Asia. The warning says cruisers will be faced with strict screening procedures, and travel restrictions could affect itineraries, ability to disembark and lead to quarantine procedures. "While the U.S. government has successfully evacuated hundreds of our citizens in the previous weeks, repatriation flights should not be relied upon as an option for U.S. citizens under the potential risk of quarantine by local authorities," the statement also reads. After being turned away from multiple Caribbean ports, the MSC Meraviglia has received clearance to dock at the Port of Cozumel in Mexico. MSC cruises said in a statement provided by spokeswoman Paige Rosenthal that the ship would arrive there late Wednesday local time. No cases of coronavirus have been reported aboard the Meraviglia or any other MSC ships, the company said Wednesday.

Coronavirus: Flights and waivers:  United, American and Delta have suspended flights to China and Hong Kong into late April. Here's how each airline is handling travel waivers for passengers holding tickets on those and other routes.

United: The airline has travel waivers in place for China, Hong Kong, South Koreaand nine airports in northern Italy, including Milan and Venice. The Italy waivers cover passengers scheduled to travel through April 30. In addition to suspending flights to China and Hong Kong, the airline became the first to reduce flights to Japan and Singapore due to weak demand, changes that take effect in early March.

American: American has waivers in place for China, Hong Kong, South Korea and most destinations it serves in Italy except Rome. The Italy waiver, which includes Florence, Milan, Venice and Naples among other cities, covers passengers with tickets for travel through March 15. 

Delta: There are waivers in place for China, South Korea and Italy. The Italy waiver, which covers travelers holding tickets for travel through March 15, now covers all Delta destinations in Italy. The waiver initially only covered northern Italy. Delta is also reducing some of its weekly flights from the U.S. to South Korea. Service between Minneapolis/St. Paul and Incheon International Airport is suspended from Feb. 29 to April 30. The airline will limit service between Seoul and Atlanta, Detroit and Seattle through April 30. Incheon to Manila service was supposed to begin on March 29 but will now start on May 1.

JetBlue. There are no travel restrictions that affect JetBlue's mostly domestic network, but the airline said Wednesday that it's waiving change and cancel fees from Friday through March 11 for travel completed by June 1.  "While authorities have not issued any travel restrictions to the locations we fly," said Joanna Geraghty, JetBlue's president and chief operating officer, "we want to give our customers some peace of mind that we are ready to support them should the situation change."

Alaska Airlines. Following JetBlue's lead, Alaska is suspending its change and cancellations fees due to coronavirus concerns, from Feb. 27 through March 12.

Hawaiian Airlines. The airline is suspending its service between Honolulu and Seoul from March 2 through April 30 as a result of the coronavirus outbreak and leisure travel demand.

Airport screening. U.S. citizens who have traveled in China within the last 14 days will be re-routed to one of 11 designated airports, where they will undergo enhanced health screening procedures.  The airports are: John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York; Chicago O’Hare International Airport; San Francisco International Airport; Seattle-Tacoma International Airport; Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu; Los Angeles International Airport in California; Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport; Washington-Dulles International Airport in Virginia; Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey; Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport; and Detroit Metropolitan Airport.

Coronavirus: Cruise travel updates:  Norwegian and Royal Caribbean International cruise lines both announced they would bar passengers holding passports from China, Hong Kong or Macao. These measures are in addition to screening and other preventative protocols adopted by trade association Cruise Lines International Association, which represents about 90% of the ocean-going cruise ships in the world.  Through mid-March, the cruise line canceled or modified most of its sailings in the continent. American passengers set to depart before March 23 looking to change their plans can rebook without penalty. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings announced last week it would cancel all voyages in Asia across its three cruise brands through the summer months due to the coronavirus outbreak, and that it will temporarily remove the company's ships from the region. Cruise Critic has a comprehensive look at itinerary changes, cruise cancellations and what each cruise line is doing.

How hotels are handling coronavirus

Marriott is waiving fees through March 15 for guests with reservations at mainland China, Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR and Taiwan hotels, as well as guests from those locations headed to other Marriott properties around the world. As of Feb. 26, Marriott is waiving fees through March 15 for guests staying in South Korea, Japan and the Milan (Lombardia region) and Venice (Veneto region) regions of Italy. It is also waiving fees for guests traveling to other Marriott destinations from these locations. The company has closed about 90 hotels, CEO Arne Sorenson said on an earnings call, and occupancy declines have been gradual from Wuhan to other Asia-Pacific markets. But it's also reopening hotels in China, too. "We are actually now reopening hotels in China every day," Leeny Oberg, EVP and CFO of Marriott, said on the call.

IHG is also issuing waivers, and Airbnb has a coronavirus guide on its website. Hyatt, too, is waiving cancelation fees through March 31 for guests from Greater China, South Korea, Japan and Italy with Hyatt reservations around the world, as well as guests with reservations at Hyatt hotels in those locations. Hilton had said it closed about 150 of its hotels in China.

^ With Covid-19 spreading outside of China it’s important to know the latest  - especially if you are travelling anywhere – this gives a good summary that is current as of right now. Since this outbreak seems to be changing all the time it’s also important to make sure you have the current, correct information. ^

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/news/2020/02/25/coronavirus-travel-advisory-flights-cruises-hotels-info/4866634002/

No First For Austism

From the WP:

“An autistic boy was denied First Communion because he can’t tell right from wrong, his family says”

When her son entered the first grade, Nicole LaCugna began taking steps to ensure that Anthony would one day be able to receive Holy Communion. Anthony has a serious form of autism and is nonverbal, with a neurological disorder that affects his movements. Nicole and her husband, Jimmy LaCugna, knew that attending Catholic education classes could be challenging for him, she told the Asbury Park Press. With their parish’s permission, she began tutoring Anthony, now 8, at home so that he’d be ready for his First Communion this April. Then, this week, the family received a phone call from St. Aloysius Church in Jackson, N.J., which they have attended for years. “They said there is no way he can make his Communion,” Nicole LaCugna told News 12 New Jersey. “He doesn’t understand what the Holy Communion is about.” In a Tuesday Facebook post that quickly went viral, Jimmy LaCugna wrote that the family was told that “since Anthony is unable to determine right from wrong due to his disability they feel he is not up to the ‘benchmark required to make his communion.’” Calling the church’s choice “very hard and upsetting to comprehend,” he added that his son “wouldn’t even be able to create a sin because he is one of the sweetest and innocent little boy someone would ever meet.” St. Aloysius is now rethinking its policies. In a Wednesday statement, the parish said that “new information has come to light” indicating that children with intellectual and cognitive disabilities “should be presumed to have an inner spiritual relationship with God.” But it remains unclear whether Anthony will be given the opportunity to receive his First Communion in April. Nicole LaCugna told the Asbury Park Press that even if the church reverses its decision, she doesn’t want her son receiving the sacrament from a priest who discriminated against him.

In addition to being fully nonverbal, Anthony also has severe apraxia, a neurological disorder that means he’s often unable to perform movements on command despite understanding the instructions, his family said. Both conditions presented a challenge, because preparing for First Communion traditionally involves taking part in the sacrament of reconciliation and confessing one’s sins to a priest. LaCugna told New Jersey 101.5 that she set up a meeting with the church to discuss alternatives for her son. The parish suggested using flashcards so that Anthony could physically demonstrate that he understood what was considered a sin, she said. But that wasn’t a realistic prospect. “Anthony cannot decipher a sin versus a non-sin,” LaCugna told the station. “He doesn’t have the receptive ability to say the one in your left hand — even pointing — is the sin. The one in your right hand is not.” Church administrators promised to get in touch with the Catholic Diocese of Trenton about other options, LaCugna said. But they didn’t come up with a way to accommodate Anthony. Instead, St. Aloysius informed the family that the parish didn’t believe that the second-grader was ready for First Communion. “My heart shattered,” LaCugna told the New York Post. “My first thought was, how do you take a child who was one of God’s children and say that he is not good enough, basically, to be making the sacrament?” After Jimmy LaCugna expressed his frustration on Facebook, the family received an outpouring of support, and complete strangers invited Anthony to worship at their churches instead. Many parents of autistic children described having similar experiences at their own churches or synagogues, while others pointed the LaCugnas to parishes that welcome people with intellectual disabilities to receive Communion. By early Friday morning, the post had been shared nearly 10,000 times, and had close to 4,000 comments. “People that we don’t even know stepped up before our own church stepped up, so, to us, that’s amazing,” Nicole LaCugna told News 12 New Jersey. As many commenters pointed out, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops states that people with disabilities “have a right to participate in the sacraments as fully as other members of the local ecclesial community.” Those who have “profound intellectual disabilities” and are unable to experience contrition may still take part in reconciliation, the conference says. The guidelines also state that to receive Holy Communion, Catholics must be able to distinguish the sacred bread and wine from ordinary food, “even if this recognition is evidenced through manner, gesture, or reverential silence rather than verbally.” Pastors are encouraged to consult with parents about whether a child is ready, and “cases of doubt should be resolved in favor of the right of the Catholic to receive the sacrament.” The Rev. John Bambrick, the pastor at St. Aloysius, told the Asbury Park Press on Thursday that after initially denying Anthony the chance to take part in his First Holy Communion this spring, the church had learned that all baptized Catholics had the right to receive all sacraments. But he didn’t walk back his decision, and indicated that a delay might still be necessary, the paper reported. In a statement, St. Aloysius said that church leaders had been “researching how we could best assist the most profoundly disabled,” and that “new information has shed light on ways to further adapt our preparations and reception for children with severe cognitive and developmental issues.” Under the latest guidance from canon lawyers, theologians and Pope Francis, “the basic concept is the child should be presumed to have an inner spiritual relationship with God and this would be sufficient in these particular cases,” the parish said. The LaCugnas aren’t satisfied with that response. “It doesn’t say Anthony can do his Communion this year,” Jimmy LaCugna told WABC. “It doesn’t say they will work with us.”

^ As a Catholic I do not agree with how the Church in New Jersey has treated this family. We are taught to love and treat everyone the same and yet Rev. Bambrick (someone who is supposed to be morally better than the rest of us as a representative of God on Earth) has done just the opposite. Any religion or religious person that discriminates against the disabled is wrong – plain and simple. In this case it wasn’t the whole Roman Catholic Church that was wrong, but Bambrick himself (i.e. a religious person.) It is clear he has strayed off the righteous path and needs to re-learn to love and treat all of God’s creatures the same. ^

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/02/28/autistic-boy-denied-communion-church/

https://www.ibtimes.com/8-year-old-autistic-boys-first-communion-denied-church-family-claims-2930714

US War Payments

From Military.com/AP:

“Islanders Who Suffered 1940s War Atrocities on Guam Get Paid”

For Antonina Palomo Cross, Japan's occupation of Guam started with terror at church. The then-7-year-old was attending Catholic services with her family when the 1941 invasion began, setting off bomb blasts, sirens and screams. It ended with her family surrendering their home and eventually carrying the dead body of her malnourished baby sister on a forced march to a concentration camp. Now 85, Cross is among more than 3,000 native islanders on Guam who are expecting to get long-awaited compensation from the U.S. government for their suffering at the hands of imperial Japan during World War II. Payments of $10,000 to $25,000 — federal tax money normally reserved for Guam's coffers — will be made to those who underwent forced labor or internment, suffered severe injury or rape, or lost loved ones during the U.S. territory's nearly three-year occupation. A 1951 peace treaty forgave Japan of the responsibility to pay reparations. “I’m happy to get it,” Cross said after a recent meeting at central Guam's newly opened war claims office, where she verified her payment was approved. The amount hasn't been determined yet, but “every little bit helps,” she said. Cross is retired from a local government job and relies on Social Security and her pension to get by. The great-grandmother said the war claims money will come in handy for manåmko' — “elders” in the language of Guam's indigenous Chamorro people — like her. The United States, which first captured Guam during the Spanish-American War, had a small contingent of troops on the island when Japan invaded on the same December day that it attacked Pearl Harbor. Many were taken prisoner or killed. But most of those affected by the occupation were Chamorro people, who suffered internment, torture, rape and beheadings. More than 1,100 are estimated to have died during the occupation. For Cross' family, it meant being forced from their house in Hagatña, the capital, to their rural farm about 5 miles (8.1 kilometers) away before being sent to a concentration camp in 1944. While living at the farm, Cross remembers hiding from foreign soldiers as she walked to her Japanese school, where she was forced to learn the Japanese language and bow in the direction of Japan with her classmates. Her sister was among an unknown number of Chamorro children who died of malnutrition during the occupation, which ended when the U.S. returned and forced the Japanese to surrender in a bloody battle. Receiving the compensation now is a bittersweet moment that caps decades of political efforts by Guam’s nonvoting U.S. House delegates to persuade Congress that the people of Guam deserve recognition for their suffering under Japanese occupation. “At the time the Chamorro people were experiencing this, there was a sense of abandonment by the U.S., and that sentiment has not gone away,” former Guam Congressman Robert Underwood said. President Barack Obama signed the Guam war claims measure in 2016. It provides $10,000 to those who underwent forced marches or internment, or had to escape internment; $12,000 to those who experienced forced labor or personal injury; $15,000 to people who were severely injured or raped; and $25,000 to children, spouses and some parents of those killed during the occupation. The amounts reflect similar war claims paid to survivors of other Japanese-occupied territories. Many survivors say they feel guilty receiving compensation while their parents and siblings who have died did not. Judith Perez, 76, was only a baby during the war and said she was hesitant to apply for a claim. She teared up as she said the check should be going to her parents, who have long since passed away. “It’s great to have money, but the people who are more deserving of it are the ones who really suffered physically and mentally, but they’re gone,” she said. A 1945 law gave Guam residents a brief window to apply for money for war damages. But the bulk of the $8 million in payments were for property loss, not death and injury. Guam also was left out of subsequent legislation that provided compensation to U.S. citizens and others who were captured by Japan during the war. In 2004, a federal Guam War Claims Review Commission found the U.S. had a moral obligation to compensate Guam for war damages in part because of its 1951 peace treaty with Japan. Commission member Benjamin Cruz said the U.S. did not want to further burden Japan with reparations as it sought to recover from the war. But the treaty effectively prevented Guam from suing Japan for damages. Yet the current program is still limited. Only those who were still alive when Obama signed the measure are eligible, and they had to apply between June 2017 and June 2018. That eliminated thousands who died over the past seven decades and anyone who missed announcements about the deadlines. Also, the claims are to be funded with so-called Section 30 money, federal taxes that are already remitted to Guam and typically added to its general fund. The program is a compromise after decades of failed attempts to get more expansive compensation supported by both Congress and the people of Guam. However, Guam Congressman Michael San Nicolas said the law that created the war claims program was missing language needed to allow the U.S. Treasury to release the funds. His bill to fix that error passed the Senate this month and is headed to the House. Rather than wait and risk more war survivors dying before receiving their checks, Guam politicians decided to start issuing payments using local money meant for Medicaid. Krystal Paco-San Agustin, spokeswoman for Guam Gov. Lourdes Leon Guerrero, said the government expects to be reimbursed with Section 30 funds once San Nicolas’ bill passes. “It’s a small amount, and it’s definitely in no way enough to undo the pain of the past, but it’s a token of our respect, our admiration and our love for them,” Paco said. Emotions were mixed at the war claims office as dozens lined up earlier this month, several with canes, walkers and wheelchairs. Jesus Meno San Nicolas, 86, recalled his sister hiding in a tree to escape soldiers looking for women to rape. He was forced to work six days a week in the rice fields as an 8-year-old, walking more than 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) each way every day. He also helped grow cabbage, radishes and other food for the Japanese. His brothers had to work on the airfield. Once, a Japanese soldier told him to leave the house so he could rape a female relative. Meno San Nicolas still remembers her screaming. He almost didn’t file a claim. “It’s not worth it for the money, what they do to us in the family,” he said, his voice cracking with emotion.

^ Since 1945 the US Federal Government has done everything wrong in terms of compensating American civilian victims in Japanese-occupied territories during World War 2 (that includes: Guam, the Philippines, Alaska.) Even this current program has many flaws with its 1 year timeframe to apply and all the loopholes. The US Federal Government stated in 1951 that the Japanese Government did not have to pay war reparations (another mistake) and so since then it has been the Federal Government’s responsibility to help the American citizens and nationals affected by the war and Japanese occupation and yet they failed them for decades. It is long over-due for the US to start doing what it should have done back in 1945. ^

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/02/27/islanders-who-suffered-1940s-war-atrocities-guam-get-paid.html

Not Royal = No Pay

From the CBC:

“Canada will not pay for Prince Harry and Meghan's security after March”

Canada has been providing RCMP security to Prince Harry and Meghan since November, Public Safety Canada has confirmed to CBC News, after weeks of speculation about whether Canadians would have to pay for the couple's security bills while they are in this country. But the Government of Canada intends to cease contributing to those costs "in the coming weeks," says the office of Public Safety Minister Bill Blair, as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex cease their activities as working members of the Royal Family on March 31.

A statement to CBC News Thursday morning reads in full:  "The Duke and Duchess of Sussex choosing to relocate to Canada on a part-time basis presented our government with a unique and unprecedented set of circumstances. The RCMP has been engaged with officials in the U.K. from the very beginning regarding security considerations. "As the Duke and Duchess are currently recognized as Internationally Protected Persons, Canada has an obligation to provide security assistance on an as-needed basis. At the request of the Metropolitan Police, the RCMP has been providing assistance to the Met since the arrival of the Duke and Duchess to Canada intermittently since November 2019. The assistance will cease in the coming weeks, in keeping with their change in status."

Prince Harry and Meghan will no longer use Royal Highness titles as of March 31. CBC News had been asking the government to reveal the arrangement under which Harry and Meghan have relocated to Canada. British media, citing British sources, said that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had already given the U.K. a commitment that the Canadian government will contribute to the costs. But Trudeau had never confirmed that.  Trudeau told Global TV on Jan. 13 that the Canadian government had not really been involved in any negotiations around the couple's new arrangements. "We haven't, up until this point, not in any real way. But there will be many discussions to come on how that works … that will go about between officials at different levels," he told Global TV. Trudeau and other government officials had cited the need to keep security arrangements confidential as a reason not to disclose the arrangements made for Harry and Meghan. He had also said that discussions had not yet concluded. When asked about it at a cabinet retreat in Winnipeg on Jan. 21, shortly after the couple confirmed their plan to move to Canada, Trudeau replied: "I have not spoken to her majesty directly.... Discussions continue to be ongoing and I have no updates at this moment." In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Feb. 9, Trudeau said: "I don't comment on operational details, but there are long-standing protocols in place that are being followed." It now appears the discussions have concluded with an outcome that leaves the question of security at the door of the couple themselves, and of the British government and Metropolitan Police that have always been charged with their protection. By cutting off the famous couple "in the coming weeks," the Trudeau government avoids taking on a deeply unpopular financial burden. Polls by Leger and the Angus Reid Institute have found that only about one in five Canadians believe it is an appropriate use of tax money to pay for the couple's security arrangements. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation delivered a petition to the Prime Minister's Office with 80,000 signatures on it insisting that Canadian taxpayer money not be diverted to them. Public Safety's reference to the government's legal obligation to provide security to what are called Internationally Protected Persons describes a group that includes visiting diplomats, dignitaries and functionaries of other governments who are in Canada on an official visit. Harry and Meghan arrived in Canada as full working members of the Royal Family on a temporary visit, and the RCMP has always provided security for those visits, with taxpayers picking up the bill. By the time Trudeau spoke in Munich earlier this month, much had changed. Harry and Meghan had announced their plans to leave their royal roles behind. Under an agreement reached with Buckingham Palace, they will officially end their royal duties on March 31. The question of who will pick up the tab for the couple's security after March 31 is far from settled. The British media in recent days has been full of stories citing anonymous Metropolitan Police sources complaining about the strain the couple's move has put on the force. Security experts, including retired Met police protection officers, have estimated that the cost of protecting the couple in their new life could fall in the range of $10 million to $30 million a year. 

^ It only makes sense that the Canadian Government stops paying for their security on March 31, 2020 when they stop being members of the Canadian Royal Family (and the British Royal Family.) Meghan and Harry want their privacy and not being told what to do and that’s fine, but with that decision also comes the responsibility of paying for everything yourself just like every single non-Royal person does around the world. It won’t be much of a shock to Meghan since she was a commoner until very recently, but it will be to Harry since it’s the only life he has ever known. I don’t really see this going so well for them, but that’s their decision. ^

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/harry-meghan-security-costs-rcmp-canada-1.5478022

Giving-Up Snow

I'm giving-up snow for Lent.

Kicking Confederates Out

 From Military.com:

“Top Marine Orders Confederate Paraphernalia to Be Removed from All Bases”

As states continue to grapple with the passionate debate over whether to display statues and other tributes to Confederate leaders, Marines have been told the materials won't be tolerated on any of the Corps' installations. Commandant Gen. David Berger last week instructed top Marine leaders to remove Confederate-related paraphernalia from the service's bases worldwide. The directive is one of several forward-leaning initiatives Berger said he is "prioritizing for immediate execution." In his memo, a copy of which was obtained by Military.com, Berger also ordered leaders to find ways to move more women into combat jobs, to review the possibility of yearlong maternity leave for female Marines, and to extend parental leave policies to same-sex partners. The commandant's order came about a week after a congressional hearing on the rise of extremism in the ranks. A recent survey of active-duty troops by the independent Military Times also found signs of white supremacy are on the rise. Maj. Eric Flanagan, Berger's spokesman, did not specify the types of Confederate paraphernalia the general wants stripped from Marine Corps bases. "Last week, the Commandant of the Marine Corps directed specific tasks be reviewed or addressed by Headquarters Marine Corps staff," Flanagan said. "Many of the tasks were published on Twitter Friday. Other tasks not published previously are mostly administrative matters." Official policy decisions, changes or implementation plans will be published in appropriate orders or service-wide messages, he added. The debate over Confederate materials and names on military installations has swirled for years. Ten Army bases are named after leaders of secessionist states, a point of contention for many -- especially after a 2015 racially motivated attack on a South Carolina church thrust the debate over honoring Confederate history onto the national stage. The attack prompted fierce debate over whether state and local governments should remove statues, street names and other references to Confederate leaders. Major retailers announced they would no longer sell Confederate flags. But the military's response to Confederate names, flags and other materials was less clear. The Defense Department didn't take any immediate action on the issue, Military Times reported at the time, opting to leave it up to individual services to address. Richard Kohn, a history professor who studies peace, war and defense at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said Berger appears to be modernizing the Marine Corps. Ridding military installations of Confederate materials is long overdue, he said. "We have the need within the country to try and create as much unity as possible and to suppress white nationalism and racism within the ranks of the military because, every once in a while, it crops up and causes an issue," Kohn said. Several Marines have recently been punished or booted out of the military over racist social media posts, and lawmakers are pushing the Pentagon to better track extremism in the ranks. Since the Marine Corps' major installations opened after the turn of the 20th century, Kohn said they're unlikely to have overt nods to Confederate leaders. A 2017 study by the Congressional Research Service found there were no Navy or Marine Corps bases named for Confederate military leaders. The Navy Department follows a procedure for naming streets, facilities and structures on its bases for deceased members of the sea services or those who made significant contributions to the Navy and Marine Corps. Names of internal portions of buildings can be assigned at the discretion of the local base commander. But even as one member of the Joint Chiefs makes a stance to rid his service's bases of Confederate paraphernalia, Kohn said it's unlikely to result in the Army renaming those 10 bases that have drawn criticism. "I think the Army would worry about alienating the local population," he said. "... Most of the people joining the military are from areas where these bases are ... so the recruiting people might say, 'You know, you really don't want to do that.'"

^ Every US Military Branch within the US and worldwide needs to replace everything named after a Confederate and ban all Confederate symbols including the Confederate flag. The symbols should not be destroyed, but kept in museums so that people know just how racist this country was. Honoring Confederates is just like honoring the Nazis (both had horrible issues with different races) and should not be tolerated. The Confederates lost the war in 1865 and their descendants lost the Jim Crow racism in the 1960s. It’s time the US Military and the US as a whole rejects the Confederate legacy once and for all. ^

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/02/26/top-marine-orders-confederate-paraphernalia-be-removed-all-bases.html

APGFCU

Before my Dad left to work in Europe we made sure to tell our main credit union since he would be in Europe and I would be in North America. We were told there would be no issue (as there was when he was in Iraq, Afghanistan or anyplace else.) Of course there is an issue (with him and me accessing the account online.) 

I called the credit union. and after waiting 30 minutes on hold only to be immediately transferred and made to wait another 15 minutes and then answering all the identity questions and explaining the issue I was told that even with a POA and the fact that I'm on the account and have a card using that account that I can't resolve the issue - only my Dad can by calling them from Europe  (even though I have been allowed to resolve all these issues in the past.)

This is a credit union that was created for the Military (my Dad created the account when he first joined the Army and was stationed by them and I joined when I was 15 and living in Germany. 

In recent years they have opened to anyone (Military or Civilian) living in the counties in Maryland where they have branches and with that they have really become dumbed-down. An example: Immediately after telling them my address and phone number here in New England I was told that I could come to any of their "convenient" locations - all located several States away in Maryland - to resolve the issue in person. Even after explaining to them that I lived 12 hours away and couldn't easily come to a branch they didn't understand or know what to do. 

For decades (when they only focused on the Military) we had little to no issues whether we lived in Maryland, around the United States, in Iraq, in Bosnia, in Croatia, in Kuwait, in Saudi Arabia, in Germany, in Russia or any of the places we visited. That has changed in the past 5 years or so. 

My Dad just finished working and now gets to spend time on-hold before explaining to these very intelligent people the problem and hoping they can fix it so we can both have access as we did up to yesterday. The issue was finally resolved, but this credit union clearly needs to fix, update its policies and train its employees better to reflect the 2020s for both the Military and Civilians.

Ban Overturned

From the BBC:

“Germany overturns ban on professionally assisted suicide”

A five-year-old law banning professionally assisted suicide has been rejected as unconstitutional by Germany's top court. The court backed complaints by a group of terminally ill patients and doctors who challenged the law that made "commercial promotion of assisted suicide" a criminal offence. Assisted dying had been legal. But the law change prompted terminally ill people to go to Switzerland and the Netherlands to end their lives. Advice centres that operated until 2015 had to stop working because of the risk of a jail sentence for promoting suicide. The law was aimed at stopping groups or individuals creating a form of business, by helping people to die in return for money. In practice it meant a ban on providing any type of "recurring" assistance. Medical ethics expert Gita Neumann, who has provided advice and support for years to people in their 80s said she knew of no doctor in Germany who had helped with assisted suicide in the past five years, because of the new clause in the criminal code. One of the plaintiffs, Dr Matthias Thöns, said that normal palliative work had become criminalised. However, the head of Germany's palliative medicine society, Heiner Melching, warned that overturning the ban could open a door to "self-styled euthanasia assistants".

What the court ruled:    The head of Germany's constitutional court, Andreas Vosskuhle, said on Wednesday that while parliament could pass laws on preventing suicide and increasing palliative care, it was not entitled to affect the impunity of assisted suicide. But there remains no legal entitlement to euthanasia and doctors cannot be required against their will to help provide assisted suicide. When the law was changed in 2015, lawmakers sought to prevent assisted dying becoming socially acceptable. Euthanasia in Germany remains punishable by up to five years in jail. The issues surrounding assisted dying and euthanasia are particularly sensitive in Germany because of the Nazi campaign of murder of 300,000 people with mental and physical disabilities. The Nazis referred to the murders as a "euthanasia programme".

What European countries say about assisted dying and euthanasia:   The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg permit euthanasia and assisted suicide in some, strictly regulated circumstances. Switzerland permits assisted suicide if the person assisting acts unselfishly. Portugal is currently considering plans to legalise euthanasia

^ This is a step in the right direction for Germany. The terminally-ill deserve to decide how they die and professionally assisted-suicide can give them that in a peaceful and pain-free way. I understand Germany's horrific Nazi Euthanasia past (where they murdered thousands upon thousands of innocent men, women and children that didn't want to or ask to die) but that doesn't mean that terminally-ill Germans today should be made to suffer. It does mean that Germany needs to be careful about the protocols and safeguards that they create  with regards to professional assisted-suicide so that the doctors aren't forced to go against their own beliefs in the matter and that the patients aren't forced (by family, friends or any groups) to die if they don't want to.  ^

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-51643306

75: 13 Million

From the MT:

“Russian TV Airs 13M Names of Soviet WWII Casualties Ahead of 75th Victory Day”

A Russian state-run television channel is airing the names of the nearly 13 million Soviet soldiers killed in World War II in the weeks leading up to the 75th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany. The project is a collaboration between Russia’s Defense Ministry and Memory of the People, an internet database that documents the conflict that Russia calls the “Great Patriotic War.” By airing the names, Rossia 24 said it aims to remember all the heroes of World War II regardless of rank or decoration, and to create an objective reminder of the true cost of the war. The 24/7 broadcast began on Feb. 23, also known as Defender of the Fatherland Day, and is timed to end on May 9, when Russia celebrates Victory Day. The on-air display appears as a black-and-orange sidebar next to the channel’s regular programming and displays 100 names per minute. It will take 76 days to air all 12.6 million names. Victory Day, which marks the Nazi surrender to the Soviet Union in 1945, is Russia's most important national holiday, with nearly every Russian family losing at least one member in the war. While many Russians see the holiday as a strong source of national pride, critics in recent years have accused the Kremlin of co-opting Victory Day to boost its image and silence criticism.

^ I am all for remembering the men and women who fought and died fighting against the Nazis (or the Japanese) during World War 2 – The Great Patriotic War in Russia. I don’t think simply having a bunch of names – with no pictures or context of their lives – on the side of the TV channel for weeks is the best way to honor the dead and teach people about the sacrifices made. People  - especially the younger generations - only seem to care about the personal stories and not just numbers or names. ^

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2020/02/25/russian-tv-airs-13m-names-of-soviet-wwii-casualties-ahead-of-75th-anniversary-a69410

What's Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday

The first day of Lent  Ash Wednesday is one of the most popular and important holy days in the liturgical calendar. Ash Wednesday opens Lent, a season of fasting and prayer. Ash Wednesday takes place 46 days before Easter Sunday, and is chiefly observed by Catholics, although many other Christians observe it too. Ash Wednesday comes from the ancient Jewish tradition of penance and fasting. The practice includes the wearing of ashes on the head. The ashes symbolize the dust from which God made us. As the priest applies the ashes to a person's forehead, he speaks the words: "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return." Alternatively, the priest may speak the words, "Repent and believe in the Gospel." Ashes also symbolize grief, in this case, grief that we have sinned and caused division from God. Writings from the Second-century Church refer to the wearing of ashes as a sign of penance. Priests administer ashes during Mass and all are invited to accept the ashes as a visible symbol of penance. Even non-Christians and the excommunicated are welcome to receive the ashes. The ashes are made from blessed palm branches, taken from the previous year's palm Sunday Mass. It is important to remember that Ash Wednesday is a day of penitential prayer and fasting. Some faithful take the rest of the day off work and remain home. It is generally inappropriate to dine out, to shop, or to go about in public after receiving the ashes. Feasting is highly inappropriate. Small children, the elderly and sick are exempt from this observance. It is not required that a person wear the ashes for the rest of the day, and they may be washed off after Mass. However, many people keep the ashes as a reminder until the evening. Recently, movements have developed that involve pastors distributing ashes to passersby in public places. This isn't considered taboo, but Catholics should know this practice is distinctly Protestant. Catholics should still receive ashes within the context of Mass. In some cases, ashes may be delivered by a priest or a family member to those who are sick or shut-in. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Season of Lent. It is a season of penance, reflection, and fasting which prepares us for Christ's Resurrection on Easter Sunday, through which we attain redemption.

Why we receive the ashes Following the example of the Ninevites, who did penance in sackcloth and ashes, our foreheads are marked with ashes to humble our hearts and reminds us that life passes away on Earth. We remember this when we are told "Remember, Man is dust, and unto dust you shall return." Ashes are a symbol of penance made sacramental by the blessing of the Church, and they help us develop a spirit of humility and sacrifice. The distribution of ashes comes from a ceremony of ages past. Christians who had committed grave faults performed public penance. On Ash Wednesday, the Bishop blessed the hair shirts which they were to wear during the forty days of penance, and sprinkled over them ashes made from the palms from the previous year. Then, while the faithful recited the Seven Penitential Psalms, the penitents were turned out of the church because of their sins -- just as Adam, the first man, was turned out of Paradise because of his disobedience. The penitents did not enter the church again until Maundy Thursday after having won reconciliation by the toil of forty days' penance and sacramental absolution. Later, all Christians, whether public or secret penitents, came to receive ashes out of devotion. In earlier times, the distribution of ashes was followed by a penitential procession.

The Ashes The ashes are made from the blessed palms used in the Palm Sunday celebration of the previous year. The ashes are christened with Holy Water and are scented by exposure to incense. While the ashes symbolize penance and contrition, they are also a reminder that God is gracious and merciful to those who call on Him with repentant hearts. His Divine mercy is of utmost importance during the season of Lent, and the Church calls on us to seek that mercy during the entire Lenten season with reflection, prayer and penance.

https://www.catholic.org/lent/ashwed.php