Baltics Ban

 From the MT:

“Baltic States Ban Belarus Leader Over Election Fraud, Violence”

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania on Monday blacklisted embattled Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and 29 other high-ranking officials over alleged election fraud and a crackdown on pro-democracy protesters. The Baltic EU members announced their sanctions in a coordinated effort to support the protests in Belarus, which are now entering a fourth week since the country's disputed presidential election on August 9. "We are sending the message that we need to do more than just issue statements, we must also take concrete action," Lithuania's Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius told AFP. Lukashenko aside, the national blacklists also feature 29 officials including from the election commission, ministries and law-enforcement bodies. Linkevicius said the lists may be expanded in the near future. His Estonian counterpart Urmas Reinsalu said the Baltic states were "demonstrating that we are addressing the human rights violations in Belarus with utmost seriousness". The European Union is also mulling travel bans and asset freezes on around 20 Belarus officials but the list requires the approval of all 27 EU states. Some Western EU members say sanctioning Lukashenko could hamper efforts to broker dialogue between the authorities and the opposition and push him into Russia's arms. Formerly occupied by the Soviet Union, the Baltic states are all now in the eurozone. Latvia and Lithuania have borders with Belarus. Lithuania, which has taken a lead in European diplomacy on Belarus, is giving refuge to Belarusian opposition challenger Svetlana Tikhanovskaya.

^ The Western EU countries (Ireland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, western Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Denmark, Cyprus, Greece, Malta, Sweden and Finland) never had to deal with being occupied by the Soviet Union or have Russians on their soil. Austria (until 1955), eastern Germany, Croatia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic and Slovenia did have to deal with Soviet Occupation and Russian Troops on the soil. Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia not only had to deal with Soviet Occupation, but also being part of the USSR. Those in Eastern Europe know and understand the Russian mentality better than those in Western Europe because they were forced to know and understand their enemy when they were occupied. Western Europe should take its cue from Eastern Europe in this case. ^

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2020/08/31/baltic-states-ban-belarus-leader-over-election-fraud-violence-a71298

Holiday Military Cards

 From WMUR:

“NH organizer of effort to send holiday cards to troops featured on national TV”

A New Hampshire grandmother who has made it her mission to send love to the troops during the holidays was featured Monday morning on "Live with Kelly and Ryan." Laura Landerman-Garber, of Hollis, shared the story of her Holiday Cards for Our Military Challenge. For almost two decades, she has been collecting written greetings to send to troops over the holidays. Last year, 175,000 cards were sent from more than 40 states. She said the need for some holiday cheer this year is greater than ever before.

^ Here is the link to her website that has more information on what to write inside the cards and everything else:    https://militaryholidaycardchallenge.com/how-to-send/

Also her website states to mail cards to:

Laura Landerman-Garber

Holiday Card Challenge

Box 103

Hollis, New Hampshire 03049 ^

https://www.wmur.com/article/nh-organizer-of-effort-to-send-holiday-cards-to-troops-featured-on-national-tv/33850715

Historic Flight

From the DW:

“Israel and UAE in historic direct flight following peace deal”

(The El Al plane was decorated with the word for "peace" in Arabic, English and Hebrew)

The first commercial flight from Israel to the UAE has landed, marking a major step in normalising relations after the announcement of a peace deal. The El Al airliner made the three-hour trip, carrying a delegation of Israeli and US officials. The flight was allowed to cross Saudi Arabian airspace, normally blocked to Israeli air traffic. The UAE has become only the third Arab country in the Middle East to recognise Israel since its founding in 1948. On Saturday the UAE (United Arab Emirates) repealed a law boycotting Israel which had been in place since 1972, and earlier this month the two countries opened direct telephone services for the first time. The agreement to normalise relations - brokered by the US - was made public in a surprise announcement on 13 August. Flight LY971 - numbered to represent the UAE's international dialling code - carried delegates including Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner and Israel's National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat. Mr Kushner led secret talks which resulted in the Israel-UAE agreement. Speaking to the media after landing in Abu Dhabi, Mr Kushner described the deal between the countries as a "historic breakthrough" and said it was a "tremendous honour" to have joined the flight. "What happened here was three great leaders came together and they started writing a new script for the Middle East. They said the future doesn't have to be predetermined by the past," he said The joint teams will meet Emirati representatives to develop areas of co-operation between Israel and the UAE. The return flight will be numbered LY972, after Israel's international dialling code.

Presentational grey line  Monday's three-hour flight has taken more than 70 years to make, and it marks a new turning point in relations between Israel and the Arab world. There are big prizes for all three players: Israel's historic need to boost regional recognition of the Jewish state (could Saudi Arabia one day do so too?); the Emiratis' glittering finance hubs can benefit from open links with the region's security and cyber superpower; while a US president under pressure at home gets to tout his role as peacemaker in the Middle East. These are truly significant achievements and further shift the dynamics in a deeply polarised region. But the deal is striking for another reason - it leaves the Palestinians feeling as sidelined as ever. They believe it breaks years of Arab solidarity - and leverage - against Israel's occupation of land they want for a future state; while ordinary Palestinians feel more and more hemmed in as Israeli settler numbers grow. They see not only betrayal, but a blind eye being turned by the Emiratis to their reality on the ground. In a tweet in Hebrew, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the advent of the flight as an example of "peace for peace" - alluding to his long-held disbelief in the notion that only trading occupied land will bring peace between Israel and Arab countries. While it was welcomed by much of the international community, the UAE's recognition of Israel without the precondition of the creation of a Palestinian state was denounced by the Palestinians as a betrayal of their cause. In return for official relations with the UAE, Mr Netanyahu agreed to suspend controversial plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank - land claimed by the Palestinians for a future state of their own. Mr Kushner on Monday said his message to Palestinians was "one of hope". "We've put an offer to their leadership on the table that will enable them to have a state and self-determination and an economic plan that could revitalise their economy, but we can't want peace more than they want peace and so when they are ready the whole region is very excited to help lift them up and move them forward but they can't be stuck in the past," he said. "Peace will be ready for them and opportunity will be ready for them as soon as they're ready to embrace it." A US peace proposal unveiled in January holds out the prospect of a Palestinian state, as well as a $50bn (£37.5bn) investment plan for the Palestinians, though the Palestinians have rejected the proposal as heavily biased towards Israel. Before the UAE, Egypt and Jordan were the only other Arab countries in the Middle East to officially recognise Israel, after signing peace treaties in 1978 and 1994 respectively. Mauritania, a member of the Arab League in north-west Africa, established diplomatic relations with Israel in 1999 but severed ties in 2010.

^ I knew this historic flight was going to happen, but to see that it actually did is really something great. I hope more Arab countries decide to join the 21^st Century and seek peace with Israel. ^

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-53971256

Yoda's Fake ID

 

Nepal's Disabled

From the DW:

“Coronavirus in Nepal a double threat for disabled people”

Experts say that people with disabilities in Nepal require special care and attention during the COVID-19 pandemic. A lack of adequate facilities makes them vulnerable to the virus. Lekhanath Pandey reports. Shanti tamang, aged 32, in a wheelchair with her child, Rima tamang moving along a deserted road while wearing face masks as a precaution during lockdown Rishi Dhakal is a peer counselor at the Spinal Injury Rehabilitation Center (SIRC) in Kavre District, which is the only dedicated health facility in Nepal for people with spinal cord injuries. Dhakal, a wheelchair user, had been reporting to his office only seven days a month since March as per the SIRC's guidelines to limit staff presence in the building amid the pandemic. After a security guard and a doctor at the facility tested positive for coronavirus within two days, the SIRC started conducting random tests on health workers, patients and caregivers at the hospital. At least 104 people, including Dhakal, five nurses, 36 spinal cord patients, 36 caregivers and nine health workers, tested positive for COVID-19, Dr. Raju Dhakal (no relation to Rishi), SIRC's managing director, told DW. Rishi Dhakal is now staying in home isolation, but the rest are being treated at the SIRC itself due to a lack of facilities and isolation centers required for wheelchair users at other nearby hospitals. Raju Dhakal is a specialist in rehabilitation medicine. He told DW that the security guard was likely the source of the infection at the facility as he had developed mild symptoms, but failed to recognize the disease on time and take precautionary measures. The health center is now sealed and swab tests of all remaining health workers, patients, caregivers and staffers are being carried out, Dhakal said, adding he is worried that the number of COVID-19 infections at the facility could rise in the coming days. The outbreak at SIRC demonstrates how people with disabilities are being exposed to the virus even when they are at a relatively secure health facility. And hundreds of thousands of others with various types of disabilities living outside of facilities remain much more vulnerable to infection. As of August 31, Nepal has recorded over 38,000 coronavirus cases and 221 deaths.

Lack of proper data  There is no clear data on the number of people with disabilities in the Himalayan nation. The 2011 census reports a 1.94% disability rate in the country, but various studies suggest that the actual figure could be much higher. Activists claim that up to 3 million Nepalese, or about 10% of the country's population, could be suffering from a range of disabilities. The government recognizes 10 types of disabilities and divides them into four broad categories based on the severity of the disability. As of now, about 700,000 people with various types of disabilities are recognized by the government and almost 60% of them have been issued special ID cards. There's also a lack of data as to how many people with special needs have contracted COVID-19. Jageshwor Gautam, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, told DW that the number of infected people with disabilities is not clear.

Disabled more vulnerable to COVID-19  Recently, a 65-year-old wheelchair user died in Nepal's southern Chitwan district, days after being diagnosed with COVID-19. He was admitted to a local hospital, which had no proper wheelchair user-friendly facilities. Nepal's National Planning Commission released a report recently on the socioeconomic impact of COVID-19 on the country's population. It highlights that people suffering from various types of disabilities, including sight and hearing impairments, intellectual disabilities and spinal cord injuries, are among the most vulnerable to coronavirus infection. "The risk of infection is high among the disabled," Gajendra Budhathoki, a wheelchair user and campaigner for the causes of people with disabilities, told DW. "Most people having various types of physical or mental disabilities have relatively low immunity power," he said. "Many spinal cord injured have health problems like diabetes and high blood pressure as they can't exercise regularly. As they need physical support from people, there is a high risk of being infected with the virus," Budhathoki added. Raju Basnet, the general secretary of the National Federation of Disabled Nepal, told DW the cases of COVID-19 infection among people with disabilities have increased in recent weeks, especially after the authorities eased lockdown restrictions on July 19. On July 19, Nepal recorded 57 COVID-19 cases, but since then the infections have spiked considerably. A recent report by the National Planning Commission report stresses the need for masks, gloves and medicine for some 40% of people with disabilities. Budhathoki complained that they have not received any rescue and relief package from the government.

Many disabled on their own There is a lack of facilities for Nepal's disabled, despite the fact that the 2015 constitution ensured the rights of people with various disabilities. Kanak Mani Dixit, a human rights activist, laments that people with disabilities feel helpless and abandoned during the pandemic. "Even in normal times, people with disabilities feel neglected in Nepal. Not only is there a lack of governmental support, the civil society is also not discussing their problems," he told DW. "For a country like Nepal, which has a large number of physically challenged people, this attitude is tragic." Laxman Aryal, a secretary at the Ministry of Health and Populations, told DW the government has instructed all hospitals to treat people with disabilities as priority cases.

^ This is extremely sad and worrying. The vast majority of the disabled around the world are being neglected. While that has been going on for years it is becoming much worse during the Covid-19 pandemic. Every single country around the world needs to do a much better job in caring for and protecting their disabled citizens. ^

https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-in-nepal-a-double-threat-for-disabled-people/a-54769845

Majority Leaving Violence

From USA Today:

 “Rioting is beginning to turn people off to BLM and protests while Biden has no solution”

Violence erupted last week in Kenosha, Wisconsin after Jacob Blake was shot in the back by police. The mayhem followed the usual pattern, with daytime protests devolving into night-time looting and arson. But rage-fueled anarchy is no substitute for reform-based policy, and as violence in the streets continues, as it has in Portland, it is becoming a problem for election-year Democrats. Press outlets have generally tried to downplay the violent aspects of the protests, sometimes going to absurd lengths. CNN’s Omar Jimenez reported live from Kenosha in front of burning businesses while a chyron described the scene as “fiery but mostly peaceful protests.” The narrative “buildings burn at peaceful protest” is Orwellian doublethink in action. This would be like reporting that most protesters were unharmed in Kenosha even though a few were shot and killed. Pro tip: arson and shootings are news, the rest is context.

Riots are turning people off to BLM  Democrats may have hoped that the national reckoning on race would be a favorable issue for 2020. But the street violence has overwhelmed their reform message. CNN’s Don Lemon bemoaned the fact that the rioting is “showing up in the polling” and “showing up in focus groups.” He said the “rioting has to stop” because “it is the only thing right now that is sticking."  Lemon offered no evidence to back up his claim about polls and focus groups, but other reports support it. The Civiqs tracking poll is particularly interesting for understanding the dynamics at play. Net approval for the Black Lives Matter movement peaked back on June 3 and has fallen sharply since. This was just over a week after George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis, when riots had begun to sweep major cities. Among whites, net approval is already negative and headed downward. And while Democrats and Republicans are as polarized on the issue as one would expect, white Independents have shown a dramatic falloff in BLM support, going from a net 24% in early June to net 3% now, which is lower than before Floyd was killed. Of course BLM is not synonymous with rioting, but this trend may show the extent to which the issues have been conflated in the public mind.

“Defund the police” has lost its luster as a political issue, if it ever really had any. Some cities have cut police budgets and reallocated funds to social programs, but positive buzz about this on the national level has vanished. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has come out against defunding, while imaginatively charging that President Trump supports it. This may be a response to poor polling on the issue even among African Americans and Trump’s solid backing from police unions. Meanwhile the “defund the police” mural that was painted on 16th Street near the White House with great fanfare in June quietly vanished over two weeks ago.

Biden needs a concrete solution  Then there are the cases of bad optics. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot pegged the entitlement meter when she unapologetically claimed that a heavy police presence around her block during Chicago’s disturbances was necessary because her family has “a right in our home to live in peace.” Unlike, apparently, everyone else in Chicago. Add to that the viral video of white demonstrators hounding a white woman outside a restaurant in Washington’s gentrified Adams Morgan district for not complying with their demand she raise her first in a black power salute. This drew fire from Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser, who said the performative antics did not have “anything to do with demands for social justice," and encouraged restaurants to call the police if it happens again. Even the Washington Post agreed that this type of bullying “was a misstep that might undermine the protest movement’s intended message.”

Some commentators have compared this election season to 1968, when Richard Nixon seized the “law and order” mantle in the wake of that summer’s racial riots. Vice President Hubert Humphrey initially tried to straddle the issue, but when he finally gave a speech in mid-October pledging to crack down on street violence, he alienated civil rights leaders like Rep. John Conyers, Julian Bond, and Coretta Scott King. Biden is in a similar fix, made more difficult given the much greater strength of minority groups and progressives in the contemporary Democratic party. But his real problem is a white electorate that was less engaged with the civil rights cause to begin with and is now turning sour on it. Yes, the riot issue is sticking. President Trump has his answer, sending the FBI and U.S. Marshals to assist in Kenosha. If Joe Biden has a concrete solution to the problem of American cities in flames, he’s keeping it to himself.

^ I have been saying this since the first protesters became violent back in May. It is good to see that more people are coming to their senses and seeing the same thing. I don’t care what your agenda is or what your politics are if you use violence of any kind (destroying monuments, burning cars, destroying businesses, loot places, throw things or shoot people) then you have lost your right to be called a peaceful protest and whatever your message was goes out the window. I have seen BLM try to echo Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (with his March on Washington and having his relatives speak) but Dr. King used only peaceful civil disobedience to achieve his goals of Civil Rights. I do not believe he would approve of how his name is being dragged into all this death and violence. If this violence continues I do see Trump winning in November because Biden and other Democrats only seem to fuel the violent protesters rather than trying to restore law and order. It worked for Nixon in 1968 and it may work for Trump in 2020. ^

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/08/31/riots-violence-erupting-turning-many-away-blm-and-protests-column/5675343002/

Beirut Dogs

From the BBC:

“Searching for the lost dogs of the Beirut blast”

It wasn't only humans who were hurt and terrified by the massive blast when a Beirut warehouse containing a highly explosive fertiliser went up in smoke, many animals ran for their lives. A concerted effort took place to reunite owners with their missing pets - but some, like Leila Molana-Allen, had to endure a long and heart-wrenching wait. A white hot flash, and I was hurled into the corner of the room. My peripheral vision was a sea of flying glass and splintering wood. As I came to, ears ringing, and clambered over the debris of what had seconds before been my bedroom, my first thought was of my family. Not my birth family, safe across the Mediterranean, but my chosen Beirut family, with whom I had built a life within these whitewashed walls. A blur of black and gold streaking through the gaping hole of our exploded front door told me the furry members of our pack had made it out alive. I grabbed my flatmate Lizzie and we did our best to avoid the jagged piles of glass that formed a treacherous pathway out of the wreckage. The next few hours are a blur of blood, phone calls, first aid and anxiety. The double explosion had reminded many of us of a missile strike, still such a vivid memory from the 2006 war. We feared a second hit, and tried to gather dazed and terrified neighbours under the most solid protective structure, a staircase. Suddenly, there was Fred, the elder of our two dogs, who had found his way back home. For the next few days he sat loyal and silent by my side, defending the ruins of our home after a kind upstairs neighbour took us in. But the puppy - named Bunduq (hazelnut in Arabic), for his habit of curling into a ball with his tail sticking up like the nut's peak - was nowhere to be found. It is a cliché of animal rescue that "I didn't choose my pet, he chose me." Fred found me one day after being rescued from the street by a friend and brought to a café I was working in. He pootled over and curled up in my lap, and suddenly I had a dog. Two years later, in March this year, a scared, sick puppy turned up on my doorstep; as coronavirus panic took hold, his owners feared germs and wanted rid of him. I agreed to take him in for a few days, but from the moment he rolled on to his back demanding a belly rub, it was clear this wouldn't be a temporary arrangement. I have always been ready to pack up and move on at a moment's notice. These loveable, mischievous fur balls are the most settled element I've allowed into my life since childhood. The feeling of opening the door after a long day, or a challenging work trip, to be greeted by squealing, nuzzling adoration is one of the greatest comforts I've ever known. And suddenly the home I had built and made a safe space for myself and these rescued animals had been shattered. Dozens of dogs were lost in the blast, and in our "dog mum" WhatsApp group and social media feeds, one by one they were found. "They're all hiding and need to hear your voices so they'll come out," people said. My feet were torn up in the blast and after they were stitched back together by exhausted, wonderful doctors at hospital, I couldn't walk for several days. I felt helpless and prayed Bunduq would find his way home, rushing to the door every time I heard a bark.

Picking up the pieces of a shattered city   The response from my community was overwhelming. Friends trawled the neighbourhood with photos of Bunduq, tracking down witnesses who had seen him sprinting through the city after the blast. I sent posters and photographs everywhere I think of, and they were shared around the world and sent back to Lebanon many times over. A local animal charity sent out teams of volunteers to scour the streets for hours, forming a dedicated "Bunduq search squad". I watched and hoped, but there was no sign. After a few days, with my Hazelnut one of the last still lost, I began to lose hope. Perhaps he had been hit by a car, or suffered such serious glass cuts that he had died, alone and afraid, on the street. Several days later I was working on a story, writing about sniffer dogs searching for survivors in the rubble. Filming them had brought me to tears as I struggled to put Bunduq out of my mind. Suddenly, a message popped up on my phone. "Did you lose a dog?" Thinking it was one of the dozens of people who'd contacted me asking for more pictures to help the search, I said yes. "I think I have him," the messager said. "Where?" "In Tripoli." It didn't seem possible. Tripoli, Lebanon's second largest city, was 80km (50 miles) away. "That couldn't be him," I responded. "We live in Beirut." A video popped up, downloading painfully slowly on the devastated city's patchy internet. And there he was. Scared, a little bloodied, but alive. His rescuer had found him, terrified and injured, alone in the streets, shortly after the explosion. He was leaving Beirut to return to his family in Tripoli, and with no other option he simply picked Bunduq up and put him in the car. In the following days he had posted pictures, just as I had, and finally someone had connected the dots. Bunduq was terrified, the rescuer said, and asked me to speak to him on the phone. Hearing my voice, his tail suddenly started wagging.

The relief was overwhelming, but with no car and limited mobility I had no way to get him home. Lebanon's animal lovers sprang into action. Over the next few hours I received dozens of calls and messages as they hatched a plan to get him back to me. And then one more: he was in a car, with yet another person I had never met, and on his way home. By 2am he was back in my arms, saved by a network of human beings who had done everything they could to save him, while also dealing with the impact of this disaster on their own lives. We're separated again now, the dogs evacuated to the mountains with my flatmate, Lizzie, while I await surgery to reconnect tendons in my foot that were severed by the blast. The flat may never recover. We still don't know whether the building is stable enough to move back in. But somewhere, we'll build one again, and we'll be home. Because home is where the hounds are.

^ This is one of the saddest things I have heard in awhile and it being 2020 that is saying something. I am so glad that the dog was found, but I’m sure there are many more dogs, cats, pets, etc. in similar situations. ^

https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-53951675

Caeden Climbs Ben Nevis

 From the BBC:

“Boy, 7, who was told he would never walk climbs Ben Nevis”

A seven-year-old boy with cerebral palsy whose parents were told he would never walk has climbed the highest mountain in the British Isles. The parents of Caeden Thomson, from Corby, Northamptonshire, were also told he would never sit or talk. He climbed Ben Nevis on Saturday to raise money for the charity Scope. Caeden's mother Lisa Thomson said the challenge was "much harder than any of us really expected" but called her son "an absolute legend". She said they began climbing at 09:00 BST and reached the top at 17:30, before making their way to the bottom again at 22:30. Ms Thomson said: "From three quarters up the pathway is just massive piles of boulders and very hard to climb, and even at the top we didn't think he would make it down. "There were danger areas where carrying was really difficult, so he did have to walk down a lot of it too. Bless him. We are all super proud of him." As of Sunday morning, the family reached their £8,000 target for the disability equality charity. The family were due to be climbing the 4,413ft (1.3km) Scottish mountain in May but it had to be postponed due to coronavirus. Before their latest trip Ms Thomson said he decided to take on the challenge as "he wants to give back". She said he had undertaken physiotherapy, speech and language therapy and hydrotherapy since he was born. "Caeden's life began with huge struggle, stress and a feeling of the unknown and he was very lucky to have had all the help and support he got," she said. "He is a very happy boy who tries his very best not to let his disability stop him from keeping up with his two older siblings and his friends."

^ This is good to hear. Although by now you would think Doctors would stop making these broad statements about never being able to walk, etc. since they tend to be proven wrong. ^

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-53964331

Gazan Terrorists

From the AP:

“Israel responds to explosive balloons with tank fire on Gaza”

The Israeli military said it struck militant targets in Gaza early on Sunday in response to continued launches of explosives-laden balloons out of the Hamas-run territory. There were no immediate reports of casualties on either side. But the violence comes at a time when Gaza is struggling with a worsening economic crisis and a new outbreak of the coronavirus. Hamas-linked groups have launched a wave of incendiary balloons into Israel in recent weeks, torching wide swaths of farmland. Israel has responded with airstrikes and other attacks. The army said Sunday's tank fire struck Hamas “military posts” in southern Gaza, without elaborating. Hamas is pressing Israel to ease its blockade on Gaza and allow large-scale development projects. Egypt and Qatar are trying to shore up an informal cease-fire. Those efforts have grown more urgent in recent days as authorities in Gaza have detected the first cases of local transmission of the coronavirus. Hamas has imposed a lockdown in the coastal territory bordering Israel and Egypt, which is home to 2 million Palestinians. Israel and Egypt imposed a blockade on Gaza after Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007. Israel says the blockade is needed to keep Hamas from building up its arsenal, but critics view it as a form of collective punishment. Israel and Hamas have fought three wars and several smaller battles since the closure was imposed. The restrictions have pushed the local economy to the brink of collapse, and years of war and isolation have left the health care system ill-equipped to cope with a major outbreak. In response to the recent attacks, Israel closed Gaza’s sole commercial crossing, forcing its only power station to shut down for lack of fuel and leaving Gazans with just a few hours of electricity a day. Israel has also closed the coastal territory’s fishing zone. The U.N.'s Mideast envoy, Nickolay Mladenov, last week warned the situation is “rapidly deteriorating.”

^ It is because of these continued attacks by the Palestinians in Gaza and their elected Hamas Terrorist Government that no one should feel sorry for the situation in Gaza (the economic slump, Covid-19, the retaliatory attacks from Israel, etc.) As long as the Gazans openly support terrorism and continue to attack Israel then they (the Gazans) should be considered as terrorists themselves and treated as such. ^

https://news.yahoo.com/israel-responds-explosive-balloons-tank-073036544.html

Violent Montreal Protesters

 From the CBC:

“Activists topple statue of Sir John A. Macdonald in downtown Montreal”

A group of activists toppled a statue of Sir John A. Macdonald in Place du Canada in downtown Montreal on Saturday afternoon in the aftermath of a protest calling for the defunding of the police force. A handful of people climbed the monument, tied ropes around the statue and held up banners before unbolting it and pulling it down. The falling statue's trajectory caused the head to fly off and bounce onto the cobblestones below. A video posted to social media captured the moment. The incident took place following a peaceful march through downtown Montreal, one of several demonstrations held across Canada organized by a coalition of Black and Indigenous activists. It was not clear what affiliation, if any, those who pulled down the statue had with the march. The falling statue appeared to catch other demonstrators, organizers and police by surprise. A march organizer, contacted by CBC Montreal, declined to comment.  A CBC journalist obtained a leaflet from a demonstrator who said it had been distributed to explain the act. The leaflet points to an online petition with over 46,000 signatures asking Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante to take down the statue. "Sir John A. Macdonald was a white supremacist who orchestrated the genocide of Indigenous peoples with the creation of the brutal residential schools system, as well as promoting other measures that attacked Indigenous peoples and traditions," the leaflet reads in part. Because of the city's inaction, "a diverse coalition of young activists" decided to act, the leaflet says, though it does not identify the coalition. As of late Saturday afternoon, no arrests had been made.

Premier, mayor denounce vandalism  The statue of Macdonald, Canada's first prime minister, has been the site of repeated acts of graffiti in recent years, and it has often been covered in red paint. It was also decapitated by unknown vandals in 1992. The Montreal Gazette reported at the time that a fax sent to media outlets claimed the act of vandalism was timed to commemorate the anniversary of the hanging of Louis Riel on Nov. 16, 1885. On Twitter Saturday, Quebec Premier François Legault wrote that "whatever one might think of John A. MacDonald, destroying a monument in this way is unacceptable. We must fight racism, but destroying parts of our history is not the solution. Vandalism has no place in our democracy and the statue must be restored." Earlier in the day, Jason Kenney, Legault's counterpart in Alberta, also used Twitter to decry the act and said Alberta would host the statue if Montreal didn't want it. In a statement Saturday, Plante wrote that the city's public art office and heritage experts will coordinate the statue's restoration. "I strongly deplore the acts of vandalism that took place this afternoon in downtown Montreal," she said in the statement. She noted that some monuments are at "the heart of emotional debates," a reference to contemporary critiques of Macdonald's legacy and record on Indigenous issues — which includes establishing Canada's residential school system. "I understand and share the motivation of citizens who want to live in a more just and inclusive society," her statement said. "But the discussion and the necessary actions must be carried out peacefully, without ever resorting to vandalism." Plante said Montreal police would investigate.

A magnet for controversy  In recent years, concerns about Macdonald's actions and policies have made statues of the man targets of activists in cities across Canada. In Victoria, B.C., city council voted to remove the statue from the steps of city hall as a gesture of reconciliation in 2018. Protesters tied ropes around a statue of Macdonald in Regina in July. One in Charlottetown has been the frequent target of paint and the subject of a debate, with the city's council recently deciding to keep the statue — but begin a conversation with P.E.I.'s Indigenous community about how to present it.

^ It seems Canada is having the same trouble with these so-called peaceful protesters. I fully support having a dialogue about monuments and places that honor historical people. I do not support when people become violent and destroy these monuments and places that honor historical people. They should be treated as the criminals they are and get very hefty punishments. ^

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/defund-police-protest-black-lives-matter-1.5705101

Trouble With Troubles Pensions

 From the BBC:

“What's the trouble with the Troubles pension?”

The so-called Troubles pension has had a week in the headlines after a judge ruled the Executive Office acted unlawfully in stalling its introduction. Justice Minister Naomi Long said it could cost up to £800m and Sinn Féin MLA Martina Anderson infuriated innocent victims by stating the money was largely for "those who fought Britain's dirty war". BBC News NI home affairs correspondent Julian O'Neill looks at the scheme's detail and where its political controversy lies.

What is the Victims' Payment scheme?  The legislation came on to the statute book in January. To qualify, you have to have an injury which is severe and permanent and caused by no fault of your own. This can be physical injury, such as a loss of limbs, or psychological, caused by being present at a bombing, for example. The scheme covers violence related to the Northern Ireland Troubles between 1966 and 2010, including incidents in Great Britain and Europe. Non-UK residents injured outside the UK cannot apply - such as victims of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings carried out by loyalists in 1974. People will get between £2,000 and £10,000 a year for the rest of their lives. Upon their death, a spouse or carer, will get the payments for a further 10 years. The scheme is a recognition that criminal injuries awards from decades ago were largely inadequate.

Why did Sinn Féin say the pension was mainly for Army veterans?  This is largely a scheme for civilian victims from both communities, as demonstrated by the two people who brought the court case: Brian Turley suffered mental health problems due to Army interrogation and Jennifer McNern lost her legs in a bombing blamed on the IRA. But Sinn Féin has claimed that former soldiers will be lining up to lodge claims based on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). It cannot be certain of this, or indeed the wholesale success of any such applications. Also, under the legislation, someone who qualifies may actually be awarded little or nothing in reality if they already receive other allowances such as an Army or police pension or another kind of injury payment. This has been referred to as "double-dipping" and should not happen. The judge's ruling came following legal challenges by two victims - including Jennifer McNern, pictured - to the continued impasse around introducing the scheme

Are the Government's rules discriminatory?  The legislation ignores a definition of a victim from 2006 which made no distinction between paramilitaries who were hurt staging attacks and those they murdered or injured. The scheme is therefore closed to those whose severe injury was self-inflicted; republican, loyalist or anyone else. But furthermore, a set of government guidelines for the judge-led panel which will rule on applications will potentially lead to more exclusions. They state anyone who injured another person and received a conviction of 30 months or more can expect to be rejected, though mitigating circumstances can be taken into account, such as showing remorse. The government has also stated it reserves the right to intervene on panel decisions it disagrees with.

If it's £800m, is it unaffordable? That's debatable but no-one knows the true costs yet. This scheme will run for two or three decades and payments are to be backdated to 2014 when it was first agreed. Several thousand people will apply, but who qualifies and who gets what, requires individual assessments. Stormont has said the scheme is unaffordable without cash from government and argues, after all, it was Westminster which brought in the legislation. Tory MP Simon Hoare has suggested £250m earmarked for Troubles legacy bodies can be used, but that would be controversial. Sinn Féin has been very vocal about affordability, though its opponents see this in the context of its dislike of a scheme that it has a much bigger issue with, namely who is eligible.

Where are things at then?  By law this scheme should have been running from May and it took a court case to get things moving. Some Troubles victims hope to see payments by Christmas, but that looks optimistic. Work could only begin at the Department of Justice very recently and there now needs to be serious discussions about funding. When the scheme begins, expect multiple legal challenges to the guidelines from rejected applicants. There is a danger political arguments around the pension will carry over into the toxic territory of legacy in coming months, with the government due to progress a plan to limit troubles investigations in order to protect Army veterans from future prosecutions.

^ I’ve said this before and will say it again. The victims from both sides of The Troubles (British/Northern Irish Protestants and the Northern Irish Catholics) deserve this compensation – in fact it is long over-due since The Troubles officially ended in 1998 (22 years ago.) I believe that only the truly innocent victims should get anything from this program. That means that the RUC/PSNI, the British Military, Protestant Paramilitary Groups and Catholic Paramilitary Groups should not get anything from this program. I’m sure this fight will continue for a long time which means the victims that need and deserve the money will be forced to wait even longer than the years/decades they already have. ^

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-53946847

UAE Scraps Boycott

From Reuters:

“UAE scraps Israel boycott in new step towards normal ties: state news agency”

The president of the United Arab Emirates scrapped an economic boycott against Israel, allowing trade and financial agreements between the countries in another key step towards normal ties, the UAE’s state news agency reported on Saturday. Israel and the UAE said on Aug. 13 they would normalise diplomatic relations in a deal brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump that reshapes the order of Middle East politics from the Palestinian issue to the fight against Iran. President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan issued a decree abolishing a boycott law as part of “the UAE’s efforts to expand diplomatic and commercial cooperation with Israel, leading to bilateral relations by stimulating economic growth and promoting technological innovation,” the WAM news agency said. The announcement came as Israeli flag carrier El Al Israel Airlines Ltd prepared to operate the country’s first direct flight between Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport and the UAE’s capital, Abu Dhabi. An Israeli government delegation and top aides to Trump, including his senior adviser Jared Kushner, are due to travel on the flight on Aug. 31, a U.S. official said. Before the Aug. 13 deal can be officially signed, details must be agreed on issues such as the opening embassies, trade and travel links. In Tel Aviv, Israeli Agriculture Minister Alon Schuster said Israel was working on potential joint projects that could help improve the oil-rich Gulf nation’s food security, such as water desalination and crop cultivation in the desert. “With their money and our experience, we could go a long way,” he told a local radio station in an interview broadcast on Friday. “Our job is to ensure that this fantastic mood is turned into reality.” Due to the presidential decree announced on Saturday, UAE citizens and businesses will be free to do business with Israel, including trade and financial transactions. “Following the abolition of the Israel boycott law, individuals and companies in the UAE may enter into agreements with bodies or individuals residing in Israel or belonging to it by their nationality, in terms of commercial, financial operations, or any other dealings of any nature,” WAM quoted the decree as saying. Still, Israel and the UAE do not yet have official air links, and it was unclear whether Monday’s El Al flight would be able to fly over Saudi Arabia - which has no official ties with Israel - to cut down on flight time. In May, an Etihad Airways plane flew from the UAE to Tel Aviv to deliver supplies to the Palestinians to help fight coronavirus, marking the first known flight by a UAE carrier to Israel.

^ It’s great to see the two countries continue to move forward. I think it will benefit both countries and their citizens. ^

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-emirates-israel-economy/uae-scraps-israel-boycott-in-new-step-towards-normal-ties-state-news-agency-idUSKBN25P0CF?il=0

Kuno

From the BBC:

“Medal for hero dog Kuno who saved soldiers' lives in Afghanistan”

A military dog who charged through enemy gunfire to save the lives of British soldiers fighting al-Qaeda in Afghanistan is to be awarded the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross. During a raid, the Belgian Malinois named Kuno tackled a gunman and was hit by bullets in both back legs. After losing one of his paws as a result, he became the first UK military dog to get custom-made prosthetics. The four-year-old will receive the Dickin Medal from vet charity the PDSA. Now retired and rehomed, Kuno - who was trained to detect explosives, weapons and incapacitate enemies - will be awarded the medal for valour at a virtual ceremony in November. Kuno and his handler had been deployed to support elite Special Boat Service (SBS) forces during a night raid targeting al-Qaeda extremists in Afghanistan last year when they came under attack. The forces, pinned down by grenade and machine-gun fire from an insurgent, were unable to advance. Kuno was sent in to break the deadlock. Without hesitation, he charged through a hail of bullets while wearing night vision goggles to tackle the gunman, wrestling him to the ground and halting his attack. Kuno ultimately changed the course of the mission and helped the forces successfully complete it. But during the assault he was shot in both his hind legs and was treated by his handler and medics in a back of a helicopter as they made their way to safety. He suffered severe injuries - including a bullet narrowly missing a main artery - and needed several life-saving operations before he could be flown back to the UK for further treatment. Vets had to amputate part of one of his rear paws to prevent a life-threatening infection taking hold. After returning to the UK on an RAF plane, he underwent extensive reconstructive surgery. Just like injured soldiers, Kuno began a lengthy rehabilitation programme to restore function to his nerves and muscles, and is said to have particularly enjoyed his sessions on the hydrotherapy treadmill. Within months, he was fitted with a custom-made prosthesis to replace his missing paw and an orthotic brace to help his injured limb. Kuno, who was on his second deployment when he was injured, is the first UK military dog to be fitted with such devices, which allow him to run and jump unencumbered - giving him many more happy years in retirement. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: "Without Kuno, the course of this operation could have been very different, and it's clear he saved the lives of British personnel that day. "This particular raid was one of the most significant achievements against al Qaeda in several years. "Kuno's story reminds us not only of the dedicated service of our soldiers and military dogs, but also the great care that the UK Armed Forces provide to the animals that serve alongside them." PDSA director general Jan McLoughlin said Kuno's "bravery and devotion to duty" made him a "thoroughly deserving" recipient of the Dickin Medal. The prestigious award was first introduced by the charity's founder, Maria Dickin CBE, in 1943. It is the highest award any animal can achieve while serving in military conflict. Kuno will become the 72nd recipient of the medal, with previous recipients including 34 dogs, 32 World War II messenger pigeons, four horses and one cat. Among them is Mali, an eight-year-old Belgian Malinois, who was injured by a grenade while protecting UK soldiers during a mission in Afghanistan in 2012. Another military dog, Conan, was injured during a US raid that killed Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State group. And a French police dog who died in a raid after the Paris attacks - which killed 130 people - was also honoured with the award.

^ Kuno is a hero the same as a Human Soldier is. ^

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-53949310

Laura Aftermath

From the BBC:

“Hurricane Laura death toll climbs to 14 in the US”

Fourteen people are now confirmed dead in the United States after Hurricane Laura battered southern states. Ten of the victims were in Louisiana and four in Texas. Winds of up to 150mph (240km/h) caused severe damage, with power cuts to more than half a million homes and a chemical fire from an industrial plant. Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards has asked the federal government for immediate financial assistance in dealing with the fallout. President Donald Trump will travel to the two states on Saturday to meet with people affected by the hurricane, the White House said. Laura has now been downgraded to tropical storm status, but heavy rain is still falling on several states. In Haiti, which was earlier badly hit by storms Marco and Laura, at least 31 people are now reported to have died.

What's the latest in the US? Mr Edwards said he has asked President Trump to declare a federal disaster for 23 parishes in Louisiana. "Hurricane Laura is the fifth strongest storm to make landfall in the United States in recorded history and the first in memory to maintain major hurricane strength as it travelled through Louisiana, bringing catastrophic destruction to many parishes," Mr Edwards said in a statement. Speaking at a press conference, he called Laura "the strongest storm to ever hit Louisiana". Of the 10 people to lose their lives in the state, five died from carbon monoxide poisoning from gas-powered emergency generators, four from trees falling and one who drowned. In Texas, a man was killed when a tree hit his home, and three people lost their lives in Port Arthur, possibly from carbon monoxide poisoning, officials reported. Around 8,000 homes were possibly destroyed in the two states, according to the Red Cross. Nic Hunter, mayor of one of the hardest hit areas - Lake Charles in Louisiana - said it was unclear when electricity and water supplies would be restored. "If you come back to Lake Charles to stay, make sure you understand the above reality and are prepared to live in it for many days, probably weeks," he wrote on Facebook. There was more structural damage from winds than anticipated, but the water damage was less than feared. Some 1,500 people, including National Guard troops, are being deployed in rescue and clean-up missions.

What other areas have suffered? The death toll in Haiti has risen by 10 to 31 and eight people are missing, the country's civil protection service said. More than 6,000 homes were flooded in the country. Four people are known to have died in neighbouring Dominican Republic. Cuba suffered damage but did not record any deaths. In Jamaica, there were reports of landslides and flooded roads. The US territory of Puerto Rico was also hit, with President Trump declaring a state of disaster last Saturday.

^ While there was damage and death from this Hurricane it seems it didn’t live up to all the media hype (luckily.) ^

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53955186

Weekend Close

 

Blake

 From USA Today:

“Fact check: Jacob Blake faces charges in May assault case, but he has no gun convictions”

Claim: Jacob Blake had a warrant for sexual assault and prior convictions for gun use. When Kenosha, Wisconsin, police shot a Black man in the back seven times, it launched a now all-too-familiar avalanche of reaction. Protests.  Property damage. And an online rush to judgment fueled by each poster’s preexisting position on social justice and the Black Lives Matter movement. Police shot Jacob Blake, 29, on Aug. 23 as he attempted to get into a small SUV with his three sons inside while officers aimed guns at him, according to officials and a bystander’s video of the incident that has been virally shared. Blake survived, but his family’s attorney said he is paralyzed from the waist down. There are more questions than answers about what happened before the video was taken. Some of that may not be known for months, until an outside review by the state Department of Justice is completed. But we can address Blake’s background, which many on social media  have used to suggest as evidence that he is to blame for what happened. In truth, it is not yet clear if officers even knew anything about Blake’s background when they arrived.  An Aug. 24, a Facebook post shared thousands of times asserts Blake “had an active warrant for domestic violence and sexual assault” and “has prior criminal convictions for illegal gun use.” Such allegations are a common and patently unfair response to tragic events that need to be corrected, said Daniel Medwed, professor of law and criminal justice at Northeastern University School of Law. Attacks on a victim’s actions and background can impact both the court of public opinion and the ensuing criminal court actions, he said. “You’re fighting in two different courts basically with a high-profile case, and victim-blaming can ‘help’ with both,” Medwed said. “The narrative seems to always be about the danger posed by the victim, to basically create a sentiment that police were in danger. … The implication from that is that because there’s something bad about their character they somehow deserved what they got, which is patently absurd and absolutely disgusting.”  Here’s what we know about Blake’s past contact with law enforcement.

One open case had warrants  The first part of this claim is largely accurate. Blake was charged July 6 with felony third-degree sexual assault and misdemeanor trespassing and disorderly conduct. All three offenses carried a penalty enhancer because they were connected to domestic abuse. The charges — which have not gone to trial — stem from a May 3 incident in Kenosha County. A woman Blake knew told police he came into her house about 6 a.m., sexually assaulted her and then took a debit card and car keys before fleeing in her vehicle, according to a criminal complaint. Contrary to many social media claims, the woman involved in this case was an adult. A warrant for Blake’s arrest was filed the day after the criminal complaint, online court records show. Police radio traffic explains officers were dispatched for "family trouble," and a dispatcher named Blake as taking the caller’s keys and refusing to give them back. A dispatcher used the police code 10-99 while sending officers, alerting them to Blake's warrant.

Charges, but no conviction for gun use The second element of the claim is wrong. Blake was charged with a gun-related offense in 2015, but he was not convicted. The Facebook post offered as proof a Sept. 22, 2015, article from the Racine County Eye website. It described charges being filed, but did not reference a conviction. Our review of court records shows a confrontation at a Racine County, Wisconsin, bar led to a combative traffic stop and a total of five criminal charges in September 2015, including resisting an officer, disorderly conduct and three gun-related ones. But those charges were later dismissed on a motion from prosecutors, said Racine County Clerk of Circuit Court Samuel Christensen. The court file said it was dismissed in February 2018 “due to witness issues and age of case.” After this fact-check published, the Facebook page that posted the claim edited the post to note the error and correct the reference to a conviction. Since more than two years has passed since the case was dismissed, it is no longer visible via online court records, per a Wisconsin Supreme Court rule.

^ Why isn't anyone standing up for the woman that he raped? Also, allowing 3 children to be around a rapist should be considered child endangerment. I guess you're "allowed" to overlook certain facts when it doesn't suit your message. I think it's Karma that he raped a woman and now he is paralyzed from the waist down. He won't be raping anyone else ever again. ^

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/08/28/fact-check-jacob-blake-faces-assault-charge-has-no-gun-convictions

Space Uniform

 From Military.com:

“Space Force Now Has an Official Uniform”

Like Army and Air Force counterparts, the U.S. Space Force members will wear the Operational Camouflage Pattern as the official service duty uniform, officials announced Thursday. According to a Space Force memo, space operators will have a mandatory OCP wear timeline similar to the Air Force, which is requiring all airmen to make the changeover from the Airman Battle Uniform, known as the ABU, by April 1, 2021. "Our uniforms are the first visual cue of our identity as a service," Chief Master Sgt. Roger Towberman, U.S Space Force senior enlisted advisor, said in a statement. "Adopting the OCP worn in the joint environment reflects our role in the joint warfighting effort, and we incorporated space Force-specific colors and configuration to establish our own independent identity," he said. According to the guidance, Space Force members need to wear "a minimum configuration consisting of a full-color U.S. flag patch, grade insignia, occupational badge, and name and service tapes with space blue embroidery on three-color OCP background." Unlike the other services, Space Force personnel use a shade of dark navy blue known as 'space blue' for stitching on their name and service tape. Officials said that tapes and insignia may be sewn on or velcroed on, but must be consistent in their attachment as to avoid mixing sewn and velcroed elements. That guidance also pertains to name tapes for the back of the patrol caps. Officers will also wear their rank insignia on the front and follow the same thread configuration as the rest of the uniform; per the memo, the only exception will be for second lieutenants and majors who can wear the Air Force's spice brown color (In the Air Force, the only deviation from an all-spice brown grade patches are for first lieutenant and lieutenant colonel, which are black). While the Air Force uniforms feature a spice brown flag, the Space Force has a full-color flag patch to be worn on the left sleeve, and "centered at the top of the velcro, and worn unless deployed to a contingency operation that aligns under separate or independent OCP wear guidance," the memo states. A higher headquarters patch is required to be worn centered below the flag patch on the left. An exception to this patch is one symbolizing a "Space Mission Force combat rotation, operational crew duty in support of United States Space Command (USSPACECOM), or an operational USSPACECOM exercise or wargame/event." Officials said that spice brown patches will be authorized until space blue patches are available. Assigned unit patches are required "to be worn centered on the velcro patch of the right sleeve," the release said. Space Force members will not be authorized to wear the Two-Piece Flight Duty Uniform (2PFDU), nor do they need to purchase a fire retardant OCP set, per the memo. However, should Space Force members find themselves in jobs -- such as operating outside the wire, or assignment that "have occupational safety and health administration (OSHA) requirements" -- they will be authorized to wear "the 100% cotton Fire-Retardant OCP" or a variation of the flight duty uniform in the future as needed. Over the last year, the newest military branch has debuted its official logo, seal, flag and organization's structure. Pending Space Force decisions include dress uniform updates, Space Force-specific insignia and a rank structure. Officials are still also deciding what to call its members.

^ It is interesting to see a new Military Branch created from scratch. The last time that happened was in the 1940s with the Air Force. ^

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/08/27/space-force-now-has-official-uniform.html

Putin's Police Threat

From the BBC:

“Putin says he could send police to Belarus if necessary”

Russian President Vladimir Putin says he has formed a police reserve force to intervene in Belarus if necessary, but that point has not yet been reached. Speaking on Russian state TV, he said Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko "asked me to set up a certain police reserve" and "I have done so". "We also agreed that it won't be used until the situation gets out of control," he told Rossiya 1TV. Mr Lukashenko's disputed 9 August re-election triggered huge protests. Separately, at least 13 journalists were detained in the centre of the capital, Minsk, on Thursday ahead of a planned opposition protest. The interior ministry said they had been taken to a police station for identity checks and would be released if their accreditation was correct.

'Levelling out' Mr Putin said Russia had an obligation to help Belarus with its security under the two countries' close alliance, and he stressed the deep cultural, ethnic and linguistic ties between the two nations. He said the new reserve force would not go into Belarus unless "extremist elements using political slogans as cover cross a certain boundary and start armed robbery, setting fire to cars, houses, banks, try to seize government buildings and so forth". He added that "on the whole, though, the situation now is levelling out". Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said Mr Putin was using the idea of restoring control in Belarus to hide a hostile breach of international law. He said the plan must immediately be withdrawn. Russia and Belarus are members of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, made up of a number of post-Soviet countries. The two nations formed a union in 1996 that promoted greater integration as well as guaranteeing citizens the right to work and reside freely in both countries.

What's behind Putin's plan? President Putin is upping the ante on Belarus, with a direct confirmation of what Alexander Lukashenko claimed some time ago: that Russia will step in to help him, with force, if things go bad. Just what force, and how bad, Mr Putin hasn't fully defined. By "law enforcement officers", he doesn't mean ordinary street police, though. The term is far broader, including riot police, the National Guard (Rosgvardia) and even the FSB. So the potential for some kind of Russian intervention now hangs as an open threat both to opposition leaders and protesters - and to the West. Because Vladimir Putin also underlined the special relationship between Minsk and Moscow - ethnic bonds, family ties, and economic links. Russia cared what happened across its border, he said, more than once. He did nod to the concerns of protesters: if there were no problems, they wouldn't be out on the streets, Mr Putin reasoned. But on the whole, this was a statement of support for President Lukashenko. Russia has got his back. The EU and US have rejected the 9 August Belarus vote as neither free nor fair. The EU is preparing sanctions against officials it accuses of rigging the result to deliver Mr Lukashenko's victory and of cracking down on the opposition movement. The scale of the demonstrations in the Belarusian capital Minsk is unprecedented. Mr Lukashenko claimed a sixth term, after 26 years as president already, with 80% of the vote. A criminal case has targeted the opposition Co-ordination Council, which Mr Lukashenko accuses of trying to seize power.

What's happening in Belarus?  The most prominent opposition leader inside Belarus, Maria Kolesnikova, has been questioned by prosecutors. Arriving at the investigative committee building in Minsk, she was applauded as she urged supporters not to give up. Prosecutors questioned the Nobel literature prize-winner Svetlana Alexievich on Wednesday. She told reporters she had refused to answer their questions, and said the council's activities were totally legal. The council was launched by Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, the leading opposition candidate for president, who is now in exile in neighbouring Lithuania.

^ This would be one of the worst things for Russia and for Belarus. I hope Putin never decides to actually send the Russian Military or the Russian Police into Belarus. ^

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53930796

Non-Accessible Interview

 From the BBC:

“Lincolnshire wheelchair user says she was denied job interview”

Holly Girven said she was speaking out to raise awareness about the issue of wheelchair access in the workplace A trainee barrister claims she had a job interview cancelled when a law firm found out she used a wheelchair. Holly Girven, 23, had applied for a job in Sheffield working for a company which provides legal services for BT. Ms Girven, from North Lincolnshire, asked about wheelchair access but says her online interview was then cancelled as the office was not accessible. BT said it was "conducting a full investigation", although the law firm has not yet commented. Ms Girven said she also had a request to work remotely turned down and described her experience as "upsetting". "They had seen my CV," she said. "They said... we would like to interview you and then to be rejected for something completely out of my control just seemed really unfair."

'People really shocked'   Ms Girven is now calling for a requirement that job adverts should include information such as wheelchair access and whether remote and flexible working is possible. In a statement BT said: "We take these allegations, and our equal opportunity policies, very seriously, and we expect everyone working with BT to comply with these policies. We're concerned to hear any allegations where this may not have been the case." "We're conducting a full investigation and will ensure that Holly is kept updated on the progress of that investigation." Ms Girven said she was speaking out to raise awareness about the issue. "When I spoke to people about it a lot of people were really shocked that that still happens," she said. "But then speaking to other wheelchair users it's not a completely uncommon experience." The BBC has contacted the law firm involved.

^ I believe the law firm involved cancelled her appointment when she asked about wheelchair access – maybe they didn’t want to get fined for not being accessible or maybe they just don’t like the disabled. ^

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-humber-53890209

Miami Hurricane Center

Why is the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida? That would be like having a National Volcano Center inside an active volcano.

Germany's Basic Income

From the DW:

“Money for nothing: Germany starts basic income experiment”

It sounds like an intriguing offer. For a period of three years some people get €1,200 a month for free. They only have to answer researchers' questions about how they're faring with this unconditional income. Interest in taking part in the experiment has been overwhelming. Within a week, more than 1.5 million volunteers have signaled their willingness to participate in a big study on unconditional basic income. The organizers are looking for a total of 1,500 participants, 120 of which will receive €1,200 ($1,420) per month for a period of three years. "They don't have to do anything for it except fill in seven online questionnaires during those three years," says a description of the experiment on the project's website. The money comes from around 150,000 donors right now and is tax-free for all recipients. In the end, every participant will get €43,200, adding up to a total of €5.2 million for the project. All of this has been initiated by a Berlin-based public charity.

Basic income just a pipe dream?  Officials from the Mein Grundeinkommen (My Basic Income) charity are convinced that an unconditional income for all citizens would solve many current problems. The assumption is that people get more creative and become freer and happier if they don't constantly face the pressure to earn enough money to get by. Whether this lives up to reality will be explored scientifically during the project. "We'll analyze what people are doing during a period of guaranteed material security," project chief Jürgen Schupp from the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) told DW. Among the questions he'll look into are: Will the test persons spend all the money or will they save a certain amount? Will they stop working altogether or work less? Also, will they donate money to others? The experiment will give his team all the answers it needs, says Schupp. Even changes in people's stress levels can be identified with the help of hair samples, he argues.

Ideological barriers The debate about an unconditional basic income has been going on for years, and it's often been marked by people's ideological bias. The core question is what people do when they don't have to do anything. Opponents think it's the idea of left-leaning daydreamers who want to laze about at the expense of the whole community. By contrast, supporters view such an income as a tool to solve current and future problems. Education, nursing and helping neighbors would gain a higher social status they argue. On top of that, models could be developed for a time when more and more jobs would be slashed because of ongoing digitalization and automation.

Does money make you more courageous?  DIW's Jürgen Schupp also hopes to gain insights into aspects that opponents of a basic income emphasize a lot: innovation and entrepreneurship. "Maybe the recipients of such an income are willing to take more courageous decisions to become self-employed or try another career." "We want to know," reads a slogan of the German pilot project. The charity's Michael Bohmeyer concedes he's a bit nervous about the findings. "It may well be that the pilot project will not confirm the impact that we expect it to have," he says in a video on the project's website.  What remains to be seen, though, is whether the public debate about unconditional basic income will continue with fewer ideological blinkers in three years' time when the results of the study will be published. There are already critics who claim that the very idea of such an experiment lacks any sound footing. They argue that three years aren't enough to come to any reliable conclusions as to how people would behave if they had the security of a basic income for the rest of their lives.

Political parties keep a low profile   Add to this the many questions that the project cannot answer anyway: How will consumer prices develop? Would ill or needy people have less money at their disposal than now? And to what extent would taxes have to go up to finance such an income? "Our study will certainly not be able to answer all the questions surrounding basic income," Schupp concedes. But he's looking forward to getting an answer to what he believes is the core issue: How does money influence people's behavior? "That's a gripping scientific question, and there are no serious studies to date looking into this," he says.  There have already been attempts to find out more about the impact of unconditional basic income. The results of a labor-market-focused experiment in Finland turned out to be ambiguous. A similar and even bigger, publicly financed trial in Canada was halted after a short period because of exploding costs. So far, there's been a lack of political support for basic income schemes in Germany. None of the big parties has come out in favor of them. Only recently, German Labor Minister Hubertus Heil and Finance Minister Olaf Scholz indicated they were against it.

^ I am against a universal basic income for everyone. I believe there should be Minimum Wages (that are equal and not one amount for the disabled and one amount for the non-disabled or one amount for those who get tips and those who don’t.) I also believe there should be extra Local, State and Federal help for those who are disabled, Veterans, the elderly, the sick, those who need help after a Natural Disaster, or those simply struggling. If you are unemployed you should be given temporary help while you look for a new job. I also believe there should be limits and drug tests for the unemployed and those struggling that receive Government Assistance. ^

https://www.dw.com/en/basic-income-germany-tax-free/a-54700872

Midler Mocks Foreigners

 From USA Today:

“Bette Midler apologizes for mocking Melania Trump's accent, calling her 'illegal alien’”

Bette Midler is apologizing for mocking first lady Melania Trump's accent. The outspoken actress, 74, first sparked backlash Tuesday night as Trump closed out the second night of the Republican National Convention with a speech from the newly renovated White House Rose Garden. "Oh, God. She still, can’t speak English," Midler tweeted, referring to Trump, who immigrated to the U.S. from Slovenia. Trump is the second first lady in history born outside of the U.S. and the only first lady to become a naturalized U.S. citizen, according to whitehouse.gov. The first lady can speak six languages, according to CNN, including Slovenian (her native language), French, Serbian, German, Italian and English. Midler doubled down in another tweet: "#beBest is back! A UGE bore! She can speak several words in a few languages. Get that illegal alien off the stage!"  Midler's remarks were instantly slammed as "xenophobic," which is defined by Cambridge Dictionary as "showing an extreme dislike or fear of people from foreign countries."  "Bette! I love you but that was quite offensive. Please retract it," tweeted @lajenniferhart. "You are so much better than making fun of someone’s foreign language skills… I certainly felt your xenophobic insult in my multilingual soul. Let’s be better together." While some social media users drew comparisons to President Donald Trump's rhetoric, others reaffirmed that wrong is wrong regardless of political affiliations. "I don’t support Trump, Bette’s tweet still xenophobic," @NojaKatt said.  @AshleePaua added: "I’m pissed at Bette Midler for being xenophobic period. I absolutely do NOT like Melania but you don’t have to make fun of her english to get the point across. Having double standards for intolerance and xenophobia could be a very dangerous thing." Although Midler hasn't deleted the controversial tweets, the actress walked back her comments on Wednesday and offered an apology to Trump and anyone she offended. "Well, all hell has broken loose because I said Melania 'still can’t speak English' last night," she tweeted. "I was wrong to make fun of her accent. America is made up people who speak with all kinds of accents, and they are all welcomed always." This is not the first time a tweet about the first lady has landed Midler in hot water. In Nov. 2018, the Oscar-nominated actress/singer caused waves when she shared a NSFW photo of Melania Trump from a steamy shoot with British GQ in 2000. There's also no love lost between Midler and President Trump. In June 2019, the president called Midler a "washed up psycho" and a "sick scammer" after she apologized for sharing a fake quote attributed to him in the late 1990s.  A month later in July 2019, Midler caught more flak for suggesting that President Trump paid African American supporters to add "blackground" to his rally.  "Look, there are African American men in this shot! How much did he pay them to be 'blackground'?" Midler tweeted, alongside a photo of a group of black men standing in the crowd behind Trump during one of his reelection rallies. (The tweet has since been deleted.)

^ This is how nasty and unintelligent people are getting nowadays - regardless if you’re a Democrat or a Republican. Maybe she forgot that her husband is an "Illegal immigrant that can't even speak English?" Her husband, Martin Rochus Sebastian von Haselberg, was born in Argentina in 1949 to German Parents and was raised in Germany and later the UK. Midler may have apologized, but you get the feeling she isn't really sorry - that she is only doing it to save her career. It is thanks to people like Midler that foreigners are made to feel not welcomed in the United States. ^

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/bette-midler-apologizes-mocking-melania-230824919.html

Wrong Is Wrong

 

If My Candidate Loses.....

I'm starting to see people (regardless of their politics) do the annoying: "If my candidate loses I'm moving to Canada" thing. That gets old very quickly yet they will continue saying it until November and then not do a thing - they are all talk with no substance and hearing them say that every Election just shows that you should ignore everything they ever say about anything. Notice how they never say: "If my candidate loses I'm moving to Mexico?" I think we all know why they never say that.

Of course if their candidate loses in November and they actually had any substance and planned to move they couldn't move to Canada (or to Mexico) since the US-Canadian Border and the US-Mexican Border are closed and will most likely stay that way until there's a vaccine. Only dual-citizens and essential people are allowed through - which means I could go into Canada and come back to the US if I wanted to. Even if Canada allowed Americans (those not residents of Alaska) into their country why would you want to go there? The Canadian Prime Minister has been found guilty of being unethical and immoral in 2 official Government Investigations and is currently being investigated for a 3rd separate ethics violation - all of this in the past 5 years.

So please stop saying "If my candidate loses I'm moving to Canada." It's not a threat because no one would care if you actually left and you are too lazy and arrogant to actually move anyways.