64 Added To Rename

 From Military.com:

“Southern Poverty Law Center Adds 64 Military-Connected Places to List of Confederate Memorials”

(Buchanan House, home to the Superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy, is among the list of places identified by the Southern Poverty Law Center as honoring Confederates. It is named for Franklin Buchanan, the school's first superintendent, who resigned to fight for the Confederacy.)

The Southern Poverty Law Center has added 64 locations -- roads, memorials, buildings and monuments -- to its list of U.S. military-affiliated places honoring those who served with the Confederacy. The nonprofit organization, which specializes in litigation and issues, added the locations to a list it began in 2015 as a response to the killing of nine Black congregants at Mother Emanuel A.M.E. Church in Charleston, South Carolina. Of the new locations, three are at the U.S. Naval Academy and five are at the U.S. Military Academy, while 48 are at Virginia Military Institute and The Citadel -- state schools that offer Reserve Officer Training Corps scholarships and whose students fought for the Confederate States of America during the Civil War. Many of the names or memorials were dedicated between 1906 and 1964, which the organization says corroborates "evidence that these memorials went up as part of an organized propaganda campaign in response to Reconstruction and the Civil Rights movement." "Symbols of white supremacy should never have been associated with the military because they glorify a system of racial oppression and exclusion," SPLC Chief of Staff Lecia Brooks said in a release Wednesday. "There is no reason to wait three years to rename the Army's 10 bases, nor the military's numerous ships, roads, buildings, and memorials named after Confederate leaders."

The list of Confederate figures honored in the memorial contains several familiar names -- Robert E. Lee, Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson and Matthew Fontaine Maury, who is considered the father of modern oceanography and maritime weather forecasting, and left the U.S. Navy to serve with the Confederate States of America. Some on the list are more obscure, however. Among them: a memorial for Jackson's horse, Little Sorrell and a cannon made at the Tredegar Iron Works in Lexington, Virginia. The list also includes the Star of the West Monument at The Citadel, which honors students who fired on a steamship carrying supplies to Fort Sumter, South Carolina, in 1861, but also contains the names of the school's recipients of the "Star of the West Medal," awarded annually to the "best drilled" student. The Virginia Military Institute's own "crest" is listed, likely referring to the school's coat of arms, which includes a black canton with broken gold chevron that commemorates cadet participation in the charge at the Battle of New Market on May 15, 1864.

The new additions come as the Defense Department begins its review of installations and locations named for the Confederate States of America or for those who served in the Confederacy, including 10 well-known Army bases. Beginning this summer, a commission tasked with renaming the facilities will visit all 10, including Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Fort Rucker, Alabama; Fort Benning and Fort Gordon, Georgia; Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Polk, Louisiana; and four locations in Virginia, including Fort A.P. Hill, Fort Belvoir, Fort Lee and Fort Pickett. The Commission on the Naming of Items of the Department of Defense That Commemorate the Confederate States of America or Any Person Who Served Voluntarily with the Confederate States of America, or simply, the Naming Commission, is being led by retired Navy Adm. Michelle Howard. Congress ordered the commission's creation as part of the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, which was subsequently vetoed by President Donald Trump, in part because of the renaming issue. Congress voted Jan. 1 to override his veto. The Naming Commission is expected to look not only at base names but also at ships and assets that honor the Confederacy or the institution of slavery, Howard said. Fort Belvoir, for example, is on the list because it is named for the plantation that once occupied its site. The group is expected to provide an interim report to Congress Oct. 1 and have its work completed next year. It is expected to provide suggestions for new names.

SPLC noted that since 2018, West Point and VMI have been in the process of removing or have removed five memorials to Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. Following the removal of the prominent Jackson statue at VMI, retired Army Maj. Gen. Cedric Wins, the school's superintendent and first Black man to lead the institution, said VMI "does not define itself by this statue." "We are defined by our unique system of education and the quality and character of the graduates the Institute produces. Our graduates embody the values of honor, respect, civility, self-discipline, and professionalism. This is how we will continue to be defined," said Wins, who graduated from the school in 1985. SPLC also maintains a list of more than 2,000 memorials and names across the U.S., mainly in the South, that memorialize Confederates, as well as the status of any renaming processes.

^ Any place anywhere in the United States (Military or Civilian) named for or in honor of a Confederate or the Confederacy in general needs to be renamed. There should not be any honoring of Racists or Traitors that actively fought to bring down the United States. ^

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/05/26/southern-poverty-law-center-adds-64-military-connected-places-list-of-confederate-memorials.html

Fortress Australia

From the BBC:

“'Fortress Australia': Why calls to open up borders are meeting resistance”

Australia has been one of the world's Covid success stories, where infection rates are near zero and life mostly goes on as normal. That's in large part thanks to the early move to shut its borders - a policy that has consistently been supported by the public. But after a year in the cocoon, there is growing unease in the country over the so-called "Fortress Australia" policy. Recent announcements declaring that Australia won't open up until mid-2022 - meaning a two year-plus isolation - have amplified concerns. Critics argue the extension of closed borders will cause long-lasting damage to the economy, young people and separated families. It also tarnishes Australia's character as open and free, they say. Calls for a clear plan to pull Australia back into the world are growing, as the country wrestles with an uncomfortable tension - balancing the safety of closed borders against what is lost by living in isolation. "A Fortress Australia with the drawbridge pulled up indefinitely is not where we want to be," says former Race Discrimination Commissioner Dr Tim Soutphommasane. "Australia is at its best when it's open and confident - not fearful and insular."

Locking the gate In March 2020, the government closed the borders. It barred most foreigners from entering the country and put caps on total arrivals to combat Covid. Mandatory 14-day quarantine and snap lockdowns have also been used to control the virus spread. The measures are extreme, and among the strictest in the world. But they've worked. Australia regularly sees months without a single case in the community, and it has recorded fewer than 1,000 deaths in the pandemic. Given that, the strict border controls have proven tremendously popular. Public polls regularly report 75-80% approval ratings for keeping the door shut. Even higher numbers - around 90% - approve overall of the government's pandemic handling, and trust in government has increased in contrast to views of voters in some Covid-ravaged nations.

Languishing behind But the government now also faces mounting pressure over how it plans to handle the next phase of the pandemic. Prime Minister Scott Morrison - who faces an election next year - has announced Australia won't re-open borders until mid-2022. The exact timing and just how that will happen are unclear. But the budget announcement was a shock extension to previous forecasts of an opening-up to occur slowly at the end of this year. The main reason for the delay is vaccination. Australia's immunisation programme has been beset with delays, and lags well behind other developed nations such as the UK and US.

What's gone wrong with Australia's vaccine rollout? Critics say complacency over the low virus circulation delayed its kick-off. And now rising hesitancy - fuelled at least in part by Australia's isolation - has also slowed the vaccine rollout. Facing those failures, the government fell back on the border ban as a resort, critics say. That's dealing a heavy blow to sectors like tourism and higher education. Australia's strong migration programme - relied on to address skills shortages and population growth - has also been cut almost completely. Ernst and Young, an accounting firm, estimates that Australia's economy is losing A$7.6bn (£4.18; $5.9bn) a month from the closed borders. So a group of experts from the University of Sydney have called for an exit plan to be put in place. People need to know their options and prepare for the future, they say. Their "roadmap to re-opening" focuses on prioritising vaccination, expanding quarantine and starting trials to bring in people for affected industries. They point to successful examples like the New Zealand travel bubble, and the Australian Open tennis tournament. "The price of staying closed indefinitely is simply too great," they wrote in a recent report. "This is the case when measured in hard dollar terms, but also when measured against less tangible factors such as fuelling a negative and inwards-focused national psyche that threatens our global standing, as well as national unity and cohesion."

'Us and them' mentality Others have also voiced their concerns over how an extended retreat from the world could damage Australia's character. When Australia was parochial it had a White Australia policy (1900s-1970s), which restricted immigration from non-European nations. Multiculturalism has replaced that policy in recent decades, but the ideal is still fragile, experts warn. Dr Liz Allen, a demographer at the Australian National University, contends that Covid has already made the nation more "protectionist and insular". Government policies have created an "us and them" division, she argues. The hostile treatment of migrants is a clear example, she says. Australia's conservative government of eight years has never advocated for immigration - the coalition won the 2019 election pledging to "slash" the migrant intake. At the start of the pandemic, Mr Morrison told the nation's two million migrants on temporary visas to "go home". Those visa holders - often doing the low-paid, essential jobs of cleaning and food delivery - were also ineligible for the government's pandemic welfare support, leaving many facing destitution. The border ban has also sown community division, seen in its most extreme form last month when Australia took the world-first step of threatening jail for citizens who returned home from Covid-ravaged India. The Indian-Australian community expressed outrage they were being treated like second-class citizens.

Multicultural roots The issue of stranded Australians reflects Australia's character as an intensely multicultural nation. Nearly 30% of the population were born overseas, and another quarter have a parent who was. As a nation of migrants, so many Australians have deep personal ties to other parts of the world. Prior to Covid, about one million Australians were estimated to be living and working overseas. A section of the population - often highly educated and skilled - was also very mobile. But the closed-border policy doesn't appear to recognise these global connections or the disproportionate impact on first and second-generation Australians, critics say. In addition, the borders created a narrative where blame for a virus outbreak was often laid at the feet of returning individuals. "We turned on ourselves, on our own people," says Dr Allen. Political leaders described the virus as "imported" by returning travellers, rather than escaping through failures in the hotel quarantine system. Such rhetoric egged on social media commentary blaming incoming Australians.

Just happy to be safe But while there's division aimed at Australians outside the country, within the borders people feel comfortable with their lot. First and foremost, people say they feel relieved and grateful to be shielded from the virus. "There's a lot of sympathy and real feeling for people caught up outside, and for the people who can't go to weddings and funerals overseas," says Melissa Monteiro, head of a migrant resource community centre in western Sydney. "But you know, everyone ends with 'that's just how it is'. People are firstly, just grateful to be in this country and to be safe." Race relations researcher Andrew Markus, an emeritus professor at the University of Monash, says most Australians also don't view the closed borders as a cultural isolation, or a "shutting yourself off from the world". Instead it's just seen as a necessary short-term health measure - an attitude adopted across the political and cultural spectrum, he says. He notes too that polling throughout the pandemic showed Australians' support for multiculturalism and globalisation remained strong - about 80% approval - despite concerns about social cohesion and a rise in hate crimes against Asian-Australians. Dr Allen says that the strong support for the government's Covid fight is understandable - particularly when it has worked. But she also says that the Australian public has been presented with no other options. The prolonged border closure and city lockdowns on single infections have all been largely uncontested policies. She says it's time now for Australia to move past such policies which she feels are rooted in fear. The country continues to face calls to bring back its own citizens. "I don't think it's bad that people are afraid of Covid - we should be afraid. But we require leadership going forwards that doesn't leave people behind." Our goal is to create a safe and engaging place for users to connect over interests and passions. In order to improve our community experience, we are temporarily suspending article commenting.

^ Australia has turned from an open Democracy to a closed, self-isolated place that doesn’t even allow many of its own citizens back into the country. You get the true sense of a person or a country when they have to deal with an emergency and what Australia is currently doing is a dark-stain on its history. This article says that Australia only isolated itself from the outside world, but the reality is that the different Australian States and Territories also isolated themselves from each other. Now Australia lags behind the rest of the Western, Industrialized World in getting and giving the Covid Vaccine to its citizens. I also have never heard of a Democratic country restricting its own citizens from entering their own country before (have quarantines upon arrival is one thing and completely refusing their entry is another.) If Australia wants to save its sink from a Democracy to a Dictatorship as well as its tarnished Covid Downfall it needs to open up (especially to its own citizens. ^

https://www.yahoo.com/news/fortress-australia-why-calls-open-161617353.html

Vaccinated Sailors

From Military.com:

“Fully Vaccinated Sailors Can Make Some Port Calls, Ditch Masks and Cut Quarantines”

After more than a year of grueling Navy deployments that left ships at sea for months on end with no port visits, leaders announced that some of the strict restrictions put in place during the pandemic will be lifted for immunized personnel. Sailors who've been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or had the illness caused by the novel coronavirus in the past three months will no longer be required to quarantine before deployments, Vice Adm. Phillip Sawyer, deputy chief of naval operations for operations, plans and strategy, wrote in a new force-wide message issued Monday. The change applies to personnel on ships, submarines and aircraft, he said. Anyone who has declined the vaccine and hasn't built up antibodies for COVID-19 through an infection in the last three months will still be required to sequester for 14 days before deployments. Those personnel will also be required to take COVID-19 tests before deploying.

Immunized sailors will also get the OK to make port calls in some spots with U.S. military facilities, including Guam, Bahrain and Japan, where they can use gyms, commissaries and other base services, Sawyer said. Fully immunized sailors can also stop wearing face masks and social distancing from others in most situations, his message states. "With more than a year operating in the COVID environment, we have gained significant expertise in mitigating and preventing the spread of COVID-19," he said in a news release announcing the changes. "Now with vaccines and [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] scientific data, we are able to relax many of the procedures we put in place and still provide for the health protection of the force."

The coronavirus pandemic wreaked havoc on military operations, particularly missions on ships and submarines, where social distancing in tight quarters is nearly impossible. Early in the pandemic, a massive COVID-19 outbreak on the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt left the ship stuck in Guam for weeks as nearly the entire crew was moved ashore to quarantine. More than 1,200 sailors on that ship tested positive for the virus, and one died. Since then, crews have been required to stretch time away from their families by boarding ships early for quarantine periods ahead of deployments. Deployed crews also stopped making most port calls, leaving some at sea for about 300 consecutive days.

Sawyer said the Navy is now seeing the military's highest vaccination rate and the lowest number of COVID-19 cases. He credited sailors, Navy civilians and contractors for assuming "personal responsibility" to stop the spread of COVID-19, which has killed 26 service members and infected nearly 39,000 Navy personnel. So far, more than 230,000 Navy and Marine Corps personnel have been fully immunized, the message states. Marines, who routinely deploy on Navy ships, have shown some resistance to the shots, though. As of April, nearly 40% of the 123,000 Marines who had the chance to receive the COVID-19 vaccine had turned it down. "We must continue to pursue full vaccination and apply best health protection measures both at home and at work to sustain and improve upon this performance," Sawyer said. "The science is pretty clear," he added. "Vaccinations are key to best protecting our sailors. The more sailors that are vaccinated, the better for them, their families, the Navy and the nation."

^ Vaccinated Americans everywhere (in the Military or Civilians) should be able to enjoy the freedom from the majority of Covid Restrictions. It must be extremely more difficult to be stuck on a ship for long periods of time with no prospect of Shore Leave. I have seen people here (on land) that freaked-out just by staying in their homes a few extra hours everyday and many were allowed to leave for things like groceries, work, etc. ^

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/05/25/fully-vaccinated-sailors-can-make-some-port-calls-ditch-masks-and-cut-quarantines.html

Where's The AC Ford?

From the CBC:

“Last summer, Ford promised air conditioning in long-term care home rooms. That hasn't happened”

(Ontario Premier Doug Ford promised last July to quickly make changes to the Long-Term Care Act to ensure air conditioning is offered in residents' rooms.)

During a heat wave in July 2020, Ontario Premier Doug Ford promised to "rapidly" mandate air conditioning in all long-term care homes, including residents' rooms. Nearly a year later, the province still hasn't done that.  Ford told reporters on July 8 that his government would act "immediately" to change the Long-Term Care Homes Act. The legislation requires homes without central air to provide at least one cooling area for every 40 residents and mandates a minimum temperature of 22 C, but no maximum temperature. Ford himself pointed to the gaps in those requirements listed in Ontario's Long-Term Care Homes Act.   "Right now in the bill it says common areas are air conditioned, but just imagine someone sitting up in a third storey room," he said at a news conference last July. "Sometimes [staff] don't have an opportunity to bring these patients, especially now, into these common areas. I can't imagine sitting there in 27 or 28 degrees of heat in a room, and it's just unacceptable." The Ministry of Long-Term Care told CBC News that it had "collected information on mechanical cooling systems in all homes" in February. "We are using this information to work with the sector to ensure that adequate cooling systems are in place for this summer to improve the health and well-being of residents," spokesperson Mark Nesbitt said in a statement Tuesday.

Lack of mandate 'makes no sense,' doctor says Palliative care Dr. Amit Arya said it "makes no sense" that the province hasn't mandated system-wide change, especially following scathing reports from the military and long-term care commission about the deplorable conditions in homes and dehydration and neglect of residents.  The military provided medical and humanitarian aid at seven homes in Ontario as the system was overwhelmed by COVID-19 cases last spring. "Renovations, whether it comes to fixing overcrowding or making sure that we have air conditioning, should have already been well underway and ready for the summer," Arya said. Ontario investigating 2 long-term care homes following allegations residents died of neglect during pandemic "I mean, it's not a surprise that we have warm weather at this time, so I don't understand why this hasn't been done."  Ford's announcement last year followed reports of residents confined to their sweltering rooms during pandemic-related lockdowns and their families and advocates demanding urgent change.

Families remain frustrated

(Nick Puopolo's mother has lived at Woodbridge Vista Care Community for five years.)

Nick Puopolo was among those calling for action. While visiting his 85-year-old mother at Woodbridge Vista Care Community, he measured the temperature in her room and found it was 27 C. Following Ford's announcement last July, Puopolo was hopeful that next summer would be different. Now he's even more frustrated.  Ford "presents himself that he really cares and he's going to get it fixed," he said. "And it's all just words. There are no actions to the words."  Residents' families pushed hard for Sienna Senior Living to install air conditioning throughout the Woodbridge Vista facility, not just in common areas, said Puopolo.   Even now, he said, hundreds of fully vaccinated residents remain confined to their hot rooms as the home continues to grapple with COVID-19 outbreaks. Sienna Senior Living, which is a for-profit company, sent out an email to residents' families this May saying that they were in the process of installing air conditioning throughout the home. Puopolo said he was told by the home that installation of central air should be complete by the end of June. It's a small win for Woodbridge Vista, but Puopolo wonders if it would've happened at all without relentless activism on the part of families. That's why he says the province needs to make air conditioning mandatory across all homes. "We keep pushing the executives, we keep getting the media involved to put pressure on them and they're doing it," Puopolos said.

Homes now have cooling in common areas Ontario provided funding for air conditioning in long-term care homes and they are all now up to code with cooling spaces in common areas, according to Donna Duncan, CEO of the Ontario Long Term Care Association, which represents 70 per cent of private, not-for-profit, charitable and municipal care homes in Ontario.  Homes are working toward installing air conditioning in residents' rooms, but she said it's not practical for some older facilities. "Regardless of ownership everyone is stepping up and doing what they can ... to find solutions on a home-by-home basis," Duncan said. "Overall we are very pleased with the progress that's been made over the past year." Ontario's largest for-profit long-term care operators, Extendicare, Chartwell Retirement Residences and Revera did not answer questions about which of their homes have air conditioning in residents' rooms. Duncan said she was unsure what percentage of homes have air conditioning throughout their facilities. Sienna Senior Living said it meets Ontario's cooling requirements by providing air conditioning in common areas and has surveyed resident rooms.  "We are actively pursuing both long and short-term solutions to ensure mechanical cooling requirements are in place to not only meet but, where possible, exceed minimum requirements," said spokesperson Nadia Daniell-Colarossi.

^ It seems that in Canada (like the US) the elderly and disabled in long-term homes are deemed “expendable” whether it’s during a Pandemic or a Heat Wave. The Officials that refuse to help the elderly and the disabled seem to forget that they will one day be elderly (and possibly disabled) and would be the treated in the same inhumane way as they are currently treating the elderly and the disabled. ^

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/air-conditioning-long-term-care-1.6039532

Pope Kisses Survivor's Hand

From Yahoo:

“Pope kisses hand of Auschwitz survivor”

(Pope Francis talks with Lidia Maksymowicz, a Holocaust survivor who was prisoner in the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp, before leaving San Damaso Courtyard at the Vatican for his weekly general audience, Wednesday, May 26, 2021.)

Pope Francis has kissed the tattoo of an Auschwitz survivor during a general audience on Wednesday. Lidia Maksymowicz, a Polish citizen who was deported to Auschwitz from her native Belarus by the age of 3, showed the pope the number tattooed on her arm by the Nazis, and Francis leaned over and kissed it. Maksymowicz told Vatican News that she didn't exchange words with the pope. “We understood each other with a glance,” she said. Maksymowicz has participated in events sponsored by Sant'Egidio aimed at educating youth about the Holocaust. She spent three years in the children's area of the camp, and was subjected to experiments by Josef Mengele, known as the “Angel of Death.” When the camp was freed, she was taken in by a Polish family. The pope has paid tribute to Holocaust survivors in the past, including a 2014 visit to Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Israel and a visit in February to the Rome apartment of a survivor, 88-year-old Hungarian-born writer and poet Edith Bruck. The Vatican said that during the hour-long visit, Francis told her: “I came to thank you for your witness and to pay homage to the people martyred by the craziness of Nazi populism.” “And with sincerity I repeat the words I pronounced from my heart at Yad Vashem, and that I repeat in front of every person who, like you, suffered so much because of this: ‘Forgive, Lord, in the name of humanity,’” the pontiff told Bruck, according to the Vatican’s account of the private meeting.

^ When you see Religious People like the Pope do something like this you cannot use your religion to justify your own Anti-Jewish attitude. ^

https://www.yahoo.com/news/pope-kisses-hand-auschwitz-survivor-115759133.html

Extreme Heat

 

^With most of the US having Extreme Heat, High Humidity and Severe Storms it's a good time to check-in (in-person, online or by Phone) on friends and family members - especially those that may need a little extra help like: the elderly, children, the disabled and pets. ^

Mexico's Safety Down

From Reuters:

“U.S. downgrades Mexico air safety rating, offers assistance”

The United States on Tuesday downgraded Mexico's aviation safety rating, an action that bars Mexican carriers from adding new U.S. flights and limits the ability of airlines to carry out marketing agreements with one another. Over the objections of the Mexican government, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration announced the downgrade and said it would increase scrutiny of Mexican airline flights to the United States. The U.S. air regulator added it is "fully committed to helping the Mexican aviation authority improve its safety oversight system to a level that meets" international standards. The agency also said it is "ready to provide expertise and resources" to resolve issues raised in the safety assessment process.

The FAA downgraded Mexico - the most common international destination for U.S. air travelers last month - from a level called Category 1, which signifies compliance with international standards, to Category 2, the lowest level. Mexico's government said on Tuesday it is determined to recover a Category 1 air safety rating quickly. "I think it will be a relatively quick and easy process," deputy transport minister Carlos Moran told Reuters. "I hope it is less than three months." The Category 2 rating, according to the FAA, means Mexico lacks "necessary requirements to oversee the country's air carriers in accordance with minimum international safety standards, or the civil aviation authority is lacking in one or more areas such as technical expertise, trained personnel, record keeping, inspection procedures or resolution of safety concerns." Shares in Mexican airline Aeromexico (AEROMEX.MX) fell nearly 10% on Tuesday afternoon after the downgrade. Shares of Mexican airport operators ASUR , GAP (GAPB.MX) and OMA (OMAB.MX) also declined.  Mexico's air transportation industry group Canaero said the downgrade will "severely affect" the sector's recovery from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and trade with the United States but it does not expect the action to impact existing operations of Mexican airlines. Moran, in the interview with Reuters, ruled out government support for struggling airlines. A similar FAA downgrade of Mexico in 2010 over suspected shortcomings within its civil aviation authority lasted about four months. Only a few countries are currently rated Category 2 by the FAA, including Bangladesh, Pakistan, Thailand and Malaysia.

MEXICO FOUGHT DOWNGRADE Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Monday had urged U.S. authorities not to downgrade Mexico, arguing his country was complying with all relevant norms. Mexican officials held a previously unreported call Saturday with FAA officials to unsuccessfully argue against the downgrade, sources told Reuters. The FAA review that began in October and went through February found about two dozen noncompliance issues and Mexico had only resolved four, officials said. Mexico has been a top vacation spot for U.S. travelers during the pandemic, spurring U.S. airlines to redirect capacity they had previously flown to Europe before transatlantic travel restrictions were imposed last year. Nearly 2.3 million passengers traveled on U.S.-Mexico flights in April - more than three times the next most-popular country destination. The downgrade means U.S. airlines will no longer be able to market and sell tickets with their names and designator codes on Mexican-operated flights. Delta Air Lines (DAL.N) said on Tuesday an FAA downgrade was not about its partner Aeromexico and that the action will have little impact on customers.  Delta said it will need to reissue reservations for some Aeromexico operated flights that were booked through Delta. Unlike Aeromexico, Delta will be able to continue increasing routes and frequencies as demand recovers, said Rene Armas Maes, commercial VP and associate at Midas Aviation. "U.S. carriers win big time," said Armas Maes. It is yet to be seen if Apollo Global Management and the holders of Aeromexico's $400 million 7% bond due 2025 will seek any changes to the terms of the $1 billion debtor in possession loan they granted to the airline, said Armas Maes.

^ Mexico needs to do a lot to not only fix this current downgraded rating, but also to make sure future safety ratings aren’t affected (since the last time their safety rating was downgraded in 2010.) The Mexican Government and Airlines should work to make their safety rating a good and permanent one and not a roller-coaster one. ^

https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/exclusive-us-downgrades-mexico-air-safety-rating-government-official-2021-05-25/

Ruffalo Apologizes

From Yahoo:

“Mark Ruffalo apologizes for suggesting Israel committed 'genocide'”

Actor Mark Ruffalo's apology for social media posts that he said suggested Israel was "committing 'genocide'" amid the recent fighting with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip is drawing praise and backlash — highlighting the delicate and fraught nature of the longstanding conflict. Ruffalo, an outspoken Emmy Award-winning and Oscar-nominated actor, tweeted Monday that he had "reflected & wanted to apologize for posts during the recent Israel/Hamas fighting that suggested Israel is committing 'genocide'" and that "it's not accurate, it's inflammatory, disrespectful & is being used to justify antisemitism here & abroad." The fighting had escalated for nearly two weeks this month, leaving hundreds dead, the majority Palestinians, and parts of the impoverished Gaza Strip reduced to rubble. A bilateral cease-fire agreement between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas took hold Friday, but the conflict sparked massive pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian demonstrations across the world.

In the United States, the protests have attracted diverse groups of people, and pro-Palestinian activists have demanded that America end its funding of Israel's military, saying the Biden administration is complicit in "war crimes" in the region, and are calling for an end to the occupation of the Palestinian territories. Meanwhile, American Jewish organizations have reported a wave of antisemitic incidents and apparent hate crime attacks, including against synagogues in suburban Chicago and Tucson, Arizona. Jewish people have also been physically assaulted and harassed in the streets of Los Angeles, New York and South Florida, leading President Joe Biden on Monday to condemn the "hateful behavior." Mosques have also reported anti-Muslim vandalism this month, with one house of worship in Brooklyn getting spray-painted with the phrase, "Death to Palestine."

It's unclear what posts Ruffalo was apologizing for, but he suggested in a May 11 tweet that Israel's actions were comparable to apartheid in South Africa and that sanctions could similarly work against Israel. "1500 Palestinians face expulsion in #Jerusalem. 200 protesters have been injured. 9 children have been killed," he wrote. While some Twitter users are thanking Ruffalo, who previously told The Hollywood Reporter that he grew up in a Roman Catholic Italian family, for trying to tamp down the rhetoric surrounding the sensitive subject, others questioned if he is being "intimidated into silence" and "backtracking." Several celebrities have faced similar criticism in recent days for being vocal about where they stand on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Over the weekend, the English singer Dua Lipa tweeted in response to an organization that paid for a full-page ad in The New York Times equating her public support of Palestinians as antisemitic. She wrote that the ad used her name "shamelessly" to "advance their ugly campaign with falsehoods and blatant misrepresentations." "I stand in solidarity with all oppressed people and reject all forms of racism," she added.

^ It seems Hollywood tends to be on the wrong-side of an issue (ie. Jussie Smollett, Israel, etc.) and are the most vocal. Then when the truth comes out most slither away and act as though they never said anything. The only thing that surprises me here is that Mark Ruffalo actually publicly admitted his mistake (his Anti-Semitism) and publicly apologized for it. Most of Hollywood should learn from him and follow his lead and do the same for their Anti-Semitic statements and posts. They won't, but they should. ^

https://news.yahoo.com/mark-ruffalo-apologizes-israel-hamas-154500381.html

Dog In Hot Car

From DogTime:

“What To Do If You See A Dog In A Hot Car”

If you see a dog locked in a hot car, you’ll probably want to do something to save that pup. Every year dogs die in hot cars, even though many states have created laws that make it a crime to leave a dog in a hot car. Before you immediately start smashing windows, there are some things you should know, including what is legal and illegal in your area. Many states have laws protecting those who break into cars to save animals, and other states do not. You should prepare for when you see a dog in need and know what steps you should take to ensure their safety.

What Does The Law Say About Breaking Into Cars To Save Dogs?

The following states have laws that grant some level of immunity to civilians who break into hot cars when dogs’ safety is at risk:

Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Indiana (requires the person who breaks into a car to pay the owner for the cost of half of the damages, but they’re immune from any other liability), Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, Vermont, Wisconsin

These states’ laws protect individuals, but usually only if they go through certain steps and follow guidelines before breaking into cars to rescue dogs. So just because your state has these laws doesn’t mean you can go around smashing windows at will without consequences.

Other states only protect law enforcement, animal control officers, humane workers, or certain other government employees who break into hot cars to save dogs. These states include:

Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina. North Dakota. Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington

The states not listed above may not have laws specifically created to grant immunity to those who break into hot cars to save dogs. However, several of them do have broader laws about animal cruelty, neglect, or endangerment that can apply to the situation of a dog in a hot car. You should familiarize yourself with the local laws in your area and call authorities if you see a dog in  danger, no matter where you live.

What Steps Should You Take If You See A Dog In A Hot Car?

Regardless of where you live, you should make an attempt to contact the owner of the vehicle. If it’s parked in a lot, go into the establishment and talk to the manager or an employee about the situation. They may be able to find the owner of the vehicle and resolve it. If you can’t find the owner, you’ll need to take further steps to get the dog to safety. All laws that protect individuals who break into hot cars to save dogs have certain guidelines that must be followed. If you live in a state that grants immunity to civilians, you should familiarize yourself with these requirements.

In general, you must take the following steps to have protection under the law:

Have a reasonable belief that the dog is in danger of death or great harm.

Check to see if forced entry is necessary, meaning all doors are locked and windows are shut.

Call emergency services, including law enforcement or animal control.

Stay with the animal until law enforcement arrives.

Use no more force than necessary to break into the car, which means you can’t vandalize or cause more damage than needed to get the dog to safety.

If you live in a state that grants immunity to law enforcement or animal control officers, call 911 any time you see a dog locked in a hot car. They will have legal authority to break into the vehicle.

If you live in a state that has no specific law regarding dogs locked in hot cars, you should still call 911 and follow the instructions of law enforcement officers.

What If The Law Doesn’t Protect You?

If you live in a state that doesn’t protect people who break into hot cars to save dogs, and you have attempted to contact the owner of the vehicle and law enforcement to no avail, you have to decide if a dog’s life is worth potentially breaking the law and facing the consequences. Personally, I couldn’t let a dog suffer and die if I could do something about it, and I’d much rather pay damages than allow something terrible to happen. Ultimately, that is a choice you will have to make on your own. I cannot tell you to break the law. Only you can decide what is right. If you’ve taken all the necessary steps to save the dog from the hot car, and you reach the point where it’s time to break a window, you may have some difficulty shattering the glass. This is because car windows are made of tempered glass that’s meant to withstand blows from blunt objects. So a bat, a hammer, or even a rock might have trouble shattering a car window. An easier way to break a car window is to take a spark plug, which can be found under the hood of many cars, and break a piece of porcelain off of it. The sharp point of the porcelain can cause a small fracture in the glass that spreads and shatters the whole window. Sometimes you simply have to use what is on hand and keep trying. One man in Canada used a large rock to smash a car window and save a dog. Regardless of what you use, you should break the window farthest from where the dog is. Car windows should shatter in such a way that minimizes the chance of cuts or injury, but a rock or projectile can still cause some damage, and you don’t want to hit the dog.

What Should You Do Next?

Get the dog somewhere cool and do whatever you can to lower their body temperature. Make sure that they get plenty of water.

If law enforcement still hasn’t arrived, you may need to take the dog to an emergency vet that can help. Leave your contact information on the car or with the employees of the establishment that it’s parked in front of.

Make a report with law enforcement, noting the license plate of the car. Get the information of any potential witnesses who can vouch for the fact that the dog was in immediate danger.

Make sure that the owner is held accountable for their actions and that they know that what they did was dangerous and irresponsible.

^ It should be illegal in every US State and Territory (and across the world) to leave a dog, cat or any animal in a locked vehicle whether it’s Extremely Hot or Extremely Cold. ^

https://dogtime.com/how-to/52209-see-dog-hot-car#:

26% Worldwide

 Anti-Semitism (Anti-Jewish) Attitudes and Attacks are on the rise. This is a multiple year trend that has only gone up. The Anti-Deformation League (ADL) conducted surveys of the Adult Population across every region of the world and including individual countries. The list is long (check out their website for more countries), but here is a sampling of those results:

Globally: 1,090,000,000 People in the world harbor anti-Semitic attitudes (out of the 4,161,578,905 Total adult population of countries surveyed or 26% of the Adult Population.)

19% in North and South America

24% in Western Europe

34% in Eastern Europe

74% in The Middle East and North Africa

23% in Sub-Saharan Africa

22% in Asia

14% in Oceania including Australia

In the United States: 24,000,000 People in this country harbor anti-Semitic attitudes or 10% of the Adult Population.

In Canada: 2,318,748 People in this country harbor anti-Semitic attitudes or 8% of the Adult Population in 2019.

In the United Kingdom: 5,684,411 People in this country harbor anti-Semitic attitudes or 11% of the Adult Population.

In Ireland: 670,000 People in this country harbor anti-Semitic attitudes or 20% of the Adult Population.

In Germany: 10,287,028 People in this country harbor anti-Semitic attitudes or 15% of the Adult Population.

In Sweden: 311,513 People in this country harbor anti-Semitic attitudes or 4% of the Adult Population.

In France: 8,565,729 People in this country harbor anti-Semitic attitudes or 17% of the Adult Population.

In Italy: 8,940,675 People in this country harbor anti-Semitic attitudes or 18% of the Adult Population.

In Greece: 6,100,000 People in this country harbor anti-Semitic attitudes or 67% of the Adult Population.

In Spain: 10,702,151 People in this country harbor anti-Semitic attitudes or 28% of the Adult Population.

In Poland: 15,074,696  People in this country harbor anti-Semitic attitudes or 48% of the Adult Population.

In Latvia: 480,000 People in this country harbor anti-Semitic attitudes or 28% of the Adult Population.

In Russia: 35,962,908 People in this country harbor anti-Semitic attitudes or 31% of the Adult Population.

In Mexico: 18,000,000 People in this country harbor anti-Semitic attitudes or 24% of the Adult Population.

In Colombia: 12,000,000 People in this country harbor anti-Semitic attitudes or 41% of the Adult Population.

In Brazil: 37,296,700 People in this country harbor anti-Semitic attitudes or 25% of the Adult Population.

In The Dominican Republic: 2,600,000 People in this country harbor anti-Semitic attitudes or 41% of the Adult Population.

In Egypt: 37,000,000 People in this country harbor anti-Semitic attitudes or 75% of the Adult Population.

In Turkey: 35,000,000 People in this country harbor anti-Semitic attitudes or 71% of the Adult Population.

In Iraq: 15,000,000 People in this country harbor anti-Semitic attitudes or 92% of the Adult Population.

In Iran: 32,000,000 People in this country harbor anti-Semitic attitudes or 60% of the Adult Population.

In Morocco: 17,000,000 People in this country harbor anti-Semitic attitudes or 80% of the Adult Population.

In the Palestinian Territories: 1,900,00 0 People in this country harbor anti-Semitic attitudes or 93% of the Adult Population.

In South Africa: 16,912,758 People in this country harbor anti-Semitic attitudes or 47% of the Adult Population.

In China: 210,000,000 People in this country harbor anti-Semitic attitudes or 20% of the Adult Population.

In Japan: 25,000,000 People in this country harbor anti-Semitic attitudes or 23% of the Adult Population.

In South Korea: 20,000,000 People in this country harbor anti-Semitic attitudes or 53% of the Adult Population.

In Kazakhstan: 3,600,000 People in this country harbor anti-Semitic attitudes or 32% of the Adult Population.

In India: 150,000,000 People in this country harbor anti-Semitic attitudes or 20% of the Adult Population.

In the Philippines: 1,600,000 People in this country harbor anti-Semitic attitudes or 3% of the Adult Population.

In New Zealand: 460,000 People in this country harbor anti-Semitic attitudes or 14% of the Adult Population.

In Australia: 2,400,000 People in this country harbor anti-Semitic attitudes or 14% of the Adult Population.

You may not think these Anti-Semitisc (Anti-Jewish) attitudes mean much, but the attitudes have actively led to the rise of Anti-Jewish violence and attacks around the US, Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Poland, Russia, etc. (including within the past few days.)

These same Anti-Semitic (Anti-Jewish) attitudes, violence and attacks are not something new, but that doesn’t mean the same things that happened in the past (the Pogroms, the Holocaust, etc.) can’t happen again.

Here is a picture of the Gas Chamber at the Dachau Concentration Camp outside of Munich, Germany. I took this picture in December 2006. Why did I include this picture? Because according to this same ADL Survey:  

Less than half of those surveyed worldwide under the age of 35 have ever heard of the Holocaust.

 2 out of every 3 people surveyed worldwide have either never heard of the Holocaust or do not believe the historical accounts to be accurate.

I STAND WITH THE JEWS!

I Stand with the Jews because I am not a Bigot, a Terrorist or an Anti-Semite.

https://global100.adl.org/map?_ga=2.172638307.1909668248.1622001785-556814448.1622001785

Almagro Mass Grave

 From the BBC:

“Spanish Civil War victims recovered by Cranfield University experts”

Forensic archaeologists have started to recover the bodies of victims executed by the Franco regime at the end of the Spanish Civil War. Experts from Cranfield University in Bedfordshire are searching alongside Spanish partners for 26 people buried between 1939 and 1940. They were buried in the civil cemetery at Almagro, south of Madrid. Some victims' families have been traced so the bodies can be returned for a "dignified burial". The Cranfield team is working with fellow archaeologists and anthropologists from the University Complutense of Madrid (UCM) and social anthropologists from Mapas de Memoria (Maps of Memory) to search for, exhume and then identify those executed. It is one of a number of recoveries from the 1936 to 1939 conflict currently being investigated. Since 2000, more than 7,000 victims have been recovered. Dr Nicholas Márquez-Grant, senior lecturer in forensic anthropology at Cranfield Forensic Institute (CFI), said the victims were executed for their "political ideologies or sometimes out of envy". Some bodies already exhumed showed evidence of gunshot wounds to the head.

"Recovery of the bodies is carried out layer by layer and is only the start of the process to identify and bring dignity to the deceased and help to provide closure and peace to their families," Dr Márquez-Grant said. In order to trace remains back to surviving relatives, DNA will be taken from the bones. "Not everybody will be identified," Dr Márquez-Grant said. "But those that are will be returned to their families with their objects. Those we are unable to identify will be buried in a dignified burial in a proper cemetery." José Barrios, whose great uncle - also named José Barrios - was executed and buried at the site, said: "When the excavation started I did not feel much but when they found the first body, I saw the skull and the feet of an individual, I thought 'We are here now - we are coming to find you.'"

^ Sadly, Spain has never dealt with Franco's Dictatorship (1936-1975) even when they find mass graves where the victims were murdered by Franco's people.

In 1975 they made the Pact of Forgetting to "pretend" the crimes of the past 39 years did not happen and in 1977 the Spanish Amnesty Law so that no victims could get closure and no Franco-era people could be brought to justice. Both are still in force today.

The only good thing Spain has done was remove Franco's body from his Shrine in 2019 (44 years after he died.) FYI: It took the Soviets 8 years to remove Stalin's body from Lenin's Mausoleum to a place with lesser significance. ^

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-57235312

Cartwheels

 

Lego World Map

From News Nation:

“New Lego World Map is largest set ever with over 11,000 pieces”

Lego has launched its largest-ever set. Again. The new Lego world map consists of 11,695 pieces and can hang on your wall like other pieces of Lego art such as the Iron Man or Beatles mosaics. The new set comes barely six months after Lego released its previous largest set, the Colosseum, which comprised of 9,036 pieces. The new map, measuring 25.5 inches in height and 40.5 inches in width, is divided into three sections that can be arranged three different ways, allowing you to place your favorite part of the world in the center of your map.   The oceans on the map can also be customized if you don’t want to stick with the accurate rendering of the ocean’s floor that comes with the instructions.

The new set comes with a coffee-table style instruction booklet, a white brick-built frame and two hanging elements. The set will cost $299.99 and be available at lego.com and in Lego stores as of June 1. Fiorella Groves, Creative Lead for LEGO Art, commented: “We know that our adult fans love to travel, but many haven’t been able to do so for over a year now. We thought that there was no better way of helping explore the world while relaxing in the comfort of their home than by allowing them to build, rebuild, plan and reminisce through building. We hope the LEGO Art World Map will inspire new adventures in some, and help others relive and celebrate wonderful travel memories from the past.”

^ I like Geography and Maps so this would be good for me. ^

https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/new-lego-world-map-is-largest-set-ever-with-over-11000-pieces/

Jerusalem Consulate Reopens

From News Nation:

“US to reopen Jerusalem consulate, upgrading Palestinian ties”

Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Tuesday that the U.S. would reopen its Consulate General in Jerusalem — a move that restores ties with Palestinians that had been downgraded by the Trump administration. The consulate long served as an autonomous office in charge of diplomatic relations with the Palestinians. But former U.S. President Donald Trump downgraded its operations and placed them under the authority of his ambassador to Israel when he moved the embassy to Jerusalem. Trump’s move infuriated the Palestinians, who view east Jerusalem as occupied territory and the capital of their future state.

Blinken did not give a precise date for reopening the consulate. Blinken announced the step after a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank. The U.S. is trying to bolster Abbas in his rivalry with Gaza’s ruling Hamas militant group and on the international stage. “As I told the president, I’m here to underscore the commitment of the United States to rebuilding the relationship with the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian people, a relationship built on mutual respect and also a shared conviction that Palestinians and Israelis alike deserve equal measures of security, freedom opportunity and dignity,” he said. Blinken is in the region to help shore up the cease-fire last week that ended a devastating war 11-day war between Israel and Hamas that killed more than 250 people, mostly Palestinians, and caused widespread destruction in the impoverished coastal territory. He promised to “rally international support” to aid Gaza after the war while keeping any assistance out of the hands of Hamas.

The truce that came into effect Friday has so far held, but it did not address any of the underlying issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, something Blinken acknowledged after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “We know that to prevent a return to violence, we have to use the space created to address a larger set of underlying issues and challenges. And that begins with tackling the grave humanitarian situation in Gaza and starting to rebuild,” he said. Blinken will not be meeting with Hamas, which does not recognize Israel’s right to exist and which Israel and the U.S. consider a terrorist organization. Blinken addressed the larger conflict, saying “we believe that Palestinians and Israelis equally deserve to live safely and securely, to enjoy equal measures of freedom, opportunity and democracy, to be treated with dignity.” But the top U.S. diplomat faces the same obstacles that have stifled a wider peace process for more than a decade, including a hawkish Israeli leadership, Palestinian divisions and deeply rooted tensions surrounding Jerusalem and its holy sites. The Biden administration had initially hoped to avoid being drawn into the intractable conflict and focus on other foreign policy priorities before the violence broke out. Netanyahu, meanwhile, is fighting for his political life after a fourth inconclusive election in two years. He faces mounting criticism from Israelis who say he ended the offensive prematurely, without forcibly halting rocket attacks or dealing a heavier blow to Hamas. Netanyahu hardly mentioned the Palestinians in his remarks, in which he warned of a “very powerful” response if Hamas breaks the cease-fire. Netanyahu spoke of “building economic growth” in the occupied West Bank, but said there will be no peace until the Palestinians recognize Israel as a “Jewish state.” The Palestinians have long objected to that language, saying it undermines the rights of Israel’s own Palestinian minority.

The war was triggered by weeks of clashes in Jerusalem between Israeli police and Palestinian protesters in and around the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, a site revered by Jews and Muslims that has seen several outbreaks of Israeli-Palestinian violence over the years. The protests were directed at Israel’s policing of the area during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the threatened eviction of dozens of Palestinian families by Jewish settlers. The truce remains tenuous since tensions are still high in Jerusalem and the fate of the Palestinian families is not yet resolved. The evictions were put on hold just before the Gaza fighting erupted, but the legal process is set to resume in the coming weeks. Police briefly clashed with protesters at Al-Aqsa on Friday, hours after the cease-fire came into effect. Adding to the tensions, an Israeli soldier and a civilian were stabbed and wounded in east Jerusalem on Monday before police shot and killed the assailant in what they described as a terrorist attack. Then, early Tuesday, a Palestinian man was shot and killed by undercover Israeli forces near the West Bank city of Ramallah, according to the Wafa news agency. Pictures circulating online appeared to show the man bloodied and lying in the street. The Israeli army referred questions to the Border Police, which did not respond to requests for comment.

Blinken will head to Ramallah later Tuesday to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who has no power in Gaza and was sidelined by recent events. Abbas heads the internationally backed Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the occupied West Bank but whose forces were driven from Gaza when Hamas seized power there in 2007. Abbas, who called off the first Palestinian elections in 15 years last month when it appeared his fractured Fatah movement would suffer an embarrassing defeat, is seen by many Palestinians as having lost all legitimacy. A crowd of worshippers at Al-Aqsa chanted against the Palestinian Authority and in support of Hamas on Friday. But Abbas is still seen internationally as the representative of the Palestinian people and a key partner in the long-defunct peace process. The Palestine Liberation Organization, the umbrella group led by Abbas, recognized Israel decades ago, and the Palestinian Authority maintains close security ties with Israel. Blinken will also visit neighboring Egypt and Jordan, which have acted as mediators in the conflict. Egypt succeeded in brokering the Gaza truce after the Biden administration pressed Israel to wind down its offensive.

The administration had been roundly criticized for its perceived hands-off initial response to the deadly violence, including from Democratic allies in Congress who demanded it take a tougher line on Israel. Biden repeatedly affirmed what he said was Israel’s right to defend itself from rocket attacks from Gaza. The administration has defended its response by saying it engaged in intense, but quiet, high-level diplomacy to support a cease-fire. Blinken has said the time is not right for an immediate resumption in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, but that steps could be taken to repair the damage from Israeli airstrikes, which destroyed hundreds of homes and damaged infrastructure in Gaza. The narrow coastal territory, home to more than 2 million Palestinians, has been under a crippling Israeli-Egyptian blockade since Hamas seized power. Israel says the blockade is needed to keep Hamas from importing arms, while the Palestinians and human rights groups view it as a form of collective punishment.

^ The US Consulate in Jerusalem can be for the Palestinians in The West Bank and in Jerusalem, but the US Embassy in Jerusalem and the US Consulate in Tel Aviv are for the Israelis. There should be no direct communication with Gaza or Hamas. ^

https://www.newsnationnow.com/world/israel-palestine/blinken-in-israel-on-mideast-tour-to-shore-up-gaza-truce/

Australia Shuts Embassy

From the BBC:

“Australia to shut embassy in Afghanistan over violence fears”

Australia has said it will shut its embassy in Afghanistan's capital Kabul on Friday, as the withdrawal of international troops proceeds. In a statement, Canberra talked of "an increasingly uncertain security environment" in the country. It said Australian diplomats would visit Afghanistan regularly - but would be based elsewhere in the region. Afghanistan said it hoped the closure would be "short-lived" and Australia would continue its permanent presence. "The closure of an embassy is also a cause for concern," it added in a statement. "One question that may come to the minds of some people is: 'Why is Australia leaving Afghanistan in such a situation and why did it spend 20 years in this country?'". There are fears that the withdrawal of the US-led Nato force could plunge Afghanistan back into a full-scale war. In April, US President Joe Biden said American troops would leave by 11 September, after 20 years of military involvement in Afghanistan. "It is time to end America's longest war," Mr Biden said. At least 2,500 US troops are part of the 9,600-strong Nato Afghan mission. Over the past two years, Australia has reduced the number of its troops in Afghanistan from more than 1,500 to about 80.US and Nato officials have recently said that the Taliban, a hard-line Islamist movement, have so far failed to live up to commitments to reduce violence in Afghanistan.

'Australia remains committed' The Australian statement was issued jointly by Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Foreign Minister Marise Payne on Tuesday. "We will close our Embassy building on 28 May 2021," the document said, adding that "it is Australia's expectation that this measure will be temporary and that we will resume a permanent presence in Kabul once circumstances permit. "Australia remains committed to the bilateral relationship with Afghanistan, and we will continue to support the stability and development of Afghanistan in concert with other nations." The statement did not say where in the region Australian diplomats would be relocated.

Analysis box by Shaimaa Khalil, Australia correspondent This announcement throws up a number of questions. The speed for starters - the embassy is due to close by the end of this week. Why so fast? What does that mean for Canberra's commitment to peace in Afghanistan? Just four weeks ago, the foreign minister was in Kabul reiterating her government's support. What's clear, however, is that there's a great deal of nervousness about the potential for increased violence - and not much confidence, it seems, in the ability of the Afghan leadership or troops to stop it. With an emboldened Taliban movement that sees the withdrawal of coalition troops as a victory, the Afghan government will need all the help it can get from its allies. In Australia's case, for now, it will have to be from a distance. A deal signed in February last year said the US and its Nato allies would withdraw all troops in 14 months if the Taliban upheld its promises, including not allowing al-Qaeda or other militants to operate in areas it controlled and proceeding with national peace talks. As a condition of starting negotiations with the Afghan government, the Taliban also demanded the release of thousands of their men in a prisoner swap. Although the group stopped attacks on international forces as part of the historic agreement, it has continued to fight the Afghan government. Earlier this month, 60 people, mostly girls, were killed in explosions outside a secondary school in Kabul. No-one has admitted carrying out the attack in Dasht-e-Barchi, an area often hit by Sunni Islamist militants. The Afghan government blamed the Taliban for the attack, but the group denied involvement.

^ It seems Australia has completely given-up on Afghanistan and think the democratically-elected Afghani Government will fall to the Taliban. ^

Australia to shut embassy in Afghanistan over violence fears - BBC News

68% Increase

From Yahoo:

“Reports of antisemitic incidents in U.S. up 68% since start of Mideast conflict, ADL says”

(Pro-Israel demonstrators attend a recent rally in lower Manhattan denouncing antisemitism.)

Reports of antisemitic incidents in the U.S. have increased by 68 percent since the latest military conflict between Israel and Hamas erupted earlier this month, according to preliminary data from the Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism.

The most recent data shows that verifiable reports of antisemitic incidents received by the ADL have been steadily climbing each week since May 10, when brewing tensions erupted with rockets and air strikes launched between Gaza and Israel. During the week of May 3 through May 9, the ADL received 67 verifiable reports of antisemitic incidents in the U.S., compared to 92 the following week and 113 during the week of May 17. “Right now we’re getting new reports by the hour and our team at the Center on Extremism is working around the clock to verify these incidents,” a spokesperson for the ADL told Yahoo News. “It’s clear from preliminary data that something nefarious is going on.” Last week, the ADL joined other prominent Jewish American organizations in calling on President Biden to take action to combat rising antisemitism following a string of verbal and physical attacks targeting Jews in different parts of the country amid fighting in the Middle East. Recent incidents include a violent fight that broke out in front of a restaurant in Los Angeles where a group of men yelled antisemitic slurs at Jewish diners, vandalism at synagogues in Arizona and suburban Chicago, as well as a number of reported attacks against Jews in New York City.

Pro-Israel demonstrators  In a tweet Monday, Biden condemned the “despicable” attacks on the Jewish community, writing that “it’s up to all of us to give hate no safe harbor.” The ADL has also been tracking a recent spike in antisemitic language on Twitter, finding more than 17,000 tweets had been posted between May 7 and May 14 using variations on the phrase “Hitler was right.” Last week, before the Biden administration helped negotiate a ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinians, ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said “a dangerous and drastic surge in anti-Jewish hate” was being witnessed in the U.S. “We are tracking acts of harassment, vandalism and violence as well as a torrent of online abuse. It’s happening around the world — from London to Los Angeles, from France to Florida, in big cities like New York and in small towns, and across every social media platform,” Greenblatt said in the statement.

^ Whenever there is anything bad going on anywhere in the world the Bigots always blame the Jews. This time is no different. Either you stand with the Jews or you are a Bigot. It really is that simple. ^

https://www.yahoo.com/news/reports-of-anti-semitic-incidents-in-us-up-68-percent-since-start-of-mideast-conflict-adl-says-223335496.html

Crowd-Funding Terror

From Yahoo:

“His bookshop in ruins, Gazan hopes to rebuild with crowd-funding help”

Shaban Esleem says his commitment to rebuild his Gaza bookstore after its destruction in an Israeli air strike last week is written in stone. "I will start all over again. I will begin small and go big," the Palestinian pledged, standing next to the piles of masonry of what was once a four-storey building on Gaza City's Talateen Street. The structure, he said, housed his Iqra (Read) bookshop - where he sold titles in Arabic and foreign languages - a competitor's book business, a printing works, an apartment and educational and language centres. Esleem, 33, picked through the piles of stone collecting what books remained to keep as a remembrance, even those that were torn and burnt.

 Israel gave advance warning of the air strike, the building's owners said, one of the attacks Israel launched in Hamas Islamist-run Gaza after tensions in Jerusalem triggered cross-border rocket strikes on Israeli towns on May 10. Eleven days of the worst hostilities in years between Hamas and Israel ended on Friday with a ceasefire, which appears to be holding. A GoFundMe campaign, begun overseas by a supporter who saw Esleem in a media interview, has raised more than $130,000 to help him rebuild and reopen. "But I haven't got any of it yet, and it may be difficult to get this amount of money into Gaza," Esleem said, voicing concern that Israel's long-standing blockade of the enclave could make it difficult for him to receive the funds. Israel cites security concerns for Gaza restrictions that Palestinians call collective punishment. Ramadan El-Njaily, who owned a business and an apartment in the bombed-out building, placed a sign on the rubble that summed up his despair. "Roya Print-House, we had a dream here, and they killed it," it read. Israel says it tried to avoid civilian casualties in targeting militants, including warning when it was about to strike residential buildings that it alleged also had a military use. Njaily, 35, said he left the apartment two days before it was destroyed, fearing for his life after an Israeli air strike hit the road outside the building. Now his 3-year-old son is living with a grandmother, and Njaily himself moves from one friend's house to another each day. "I lost everything," he said.

^ Now this may seem like you are just going to donate money to help rebuild a bookstore, but by giving money (or any real support) to them or anyone else in Gaza you would be breaking the laws of the following countries/organization: Canada, the European Union (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and their territories),  Israel, Japan and the United States since each of these places  have officially named Hamas as an International Terrorist Group. It doesn’t matter if you are a citizen of these countries or not you can be charged as a Terrorist Supporter as a non-citizen even if you never visit or live in these places.

To think that after 12 years (Hamas was elected into office by the Gazans in 2006 and took power in 2007) every single part of Gazan Society isn’t influenced by Hamas is not very intelligent.

Nazi Germany ruled for 12 years stretching roughly 1,505,026 miles (3,898,000 kilometers) with 109,518,183 people.

Gaza is only 25 miles long and 7.5 miles wide (41 kilometers long and 12 kilometers wide) with 1.85 million people.

Nazi Germany had the same amount of time in power, a much larger territory to govern and more people to control and yet they had every single section of German Society tightly under their control. By 1939 supporting any German was the same as supporting the Nazis.

 By 2015, supporting any Gazan is the same as supporting the Hamas Terrorists (even the Palestinians in the West Bank and Jerusalem think so as they haven’t had direct talks or links with Gaza or Hamas since then.)

Nazi Germany and Hamas/Palestinians in Gaza have one thing in common: Officially calling for the complete destruction of ALL Jews.

So don’t be ignorant and simply throw your support or money to Gaza/Hamas. ^

https://news.yahoo.com/bookshop-ruins-gazan-hopes-rebuild-081558259.html

Pool Heaven

 

^ I miss having my own pool and now I know why. ^