Unsafe Military Housing

From Reuters:

"Senate hearings to probe unsafe housing of U.S. military families"

Troubled by widespread health and safety hazards uncovered by a Reuters investigation into U.S. military housing, Congress will hold hearings next month to ensure that “what we’re seeing now can never happen again,” said Michigan Democrat Gary Peters, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.  During the hearings, tentatively scheduled for Feb. 13, lawmakers will question the Department of Defense and private contractors who house thousands of U.S. military families on bases across the country, according to Senate staff familiar with the plans.   U.S. senators said the news articles and mounting complaints from military families demonstrate a need for immediate oversight. Congress must do “all that we can ensure that no soldier, airman, sailor, Marine or their families have to worry about the safety of their homes,” Senator Thom Tillis, Republican of North Carolina, said in a statement. His state is home to Fort Bragg, where families have signed a petition demanding improvements by their private landlord. The hearings mark a growing bipartisan commitment from Congress to ensure the safety of 700,000 service members, spouses and children who live in homes operated by private companies on bases in partnerships with the Department of Defense.   “We look forward to engaging with Congress through productive discussions on privatized housing,” said Department of Defense spokeswoman Heather Babb.   The hearings come in response to a Reuters series that revealed a dark side of the U.S. Military Housing Privatization Initiative, the largest-ever corporate takeover of federal housing. Two decades ago, the Defense Department began turning over most family housing on U.S. bases to private companies to manage in an effort to improve living conditions.  In some homes, however, lead paint hazards threaten children; rampant mold sickens others; ceilings leak or collapse into bedrooms, and rodents soil cribs and carpets. Even some new homes are riddled with defects, and the housing often isn’t accessible to state or county inspectors. Families have limited tenant rights and can be left penniless or powerless to challenge property managers in business with their military employers.   Behind the safety lapses are private landlords with iron-clad assurances of profit from Defense Department rent stipends. One of them stands to earn $1 billion in fees from confidential Army housing contracts that last a half-century.   The DOD has long maintained that the privatization program vastly improved housing on U.S. bases. But since Reuters began publishing its reports, military families have pressed Congress to hold the military and contractors accountable for home safety lapses.   “This is a long time coming,” said Janna Driver, an Air Force spouse whose children were sickened by household mold on a base in Oklahoma. “I think these articles are why these Congressional hearings are happening.” More than 100 bases nationwide have privatized housing, leaving military branches with limited oversight. The program enlisted private firms to build and renovate homes and maintain high quality for the residents. “If they aren’t getting it, we need to look at what the Department of Defense is doing to hold these contractors accountable,” said Republican James Inhofe of Oklahoma, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Its ranking member, Democrat Jack Reed of Rhode Island, began calling for the housing hearings last month. According to Inhofe, the Subcommittees on Personnel and Readiness will conduct the hearings. The scrutiny could help Congress consider legislative measures to boost safety and accountability in privatized on-base housing, Senate staff said. Hearings represent the latest response to the Reuters reports. Measures announced earlier include a Government Accountability Office examination of base housing, an investigation by the Defense Department’s Inspector General, and a nationwide inspection program in Army homes for lead, mold and asbestos that could cost up to $386 million.  The housing concerns have also mobilized other senators. Last week, California Democrat Dianne Feinstein sent letters to the Secretaries of the Navy and Air Force, and the Commandant of the Marine Corps, citing Reuters’ coverage and demanding contract documents for base housing in her state.

^ It's good that Congress is getting involved in this. Hopefully they can fix what is broken in this system (military housing) so that soldiers and their families can stop living in sub-par housing. ^

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-military-congress/senate-hearings-to-probe-unsafe-housing-of-u-s-military-families-idUSKCN1PO37F

BDS Stars

From the BBC:

"Stars urge BBC to ask for Eurovision to be moved out of Israel"

Dame Vivienne Westwood, Peter Gabriel and Wolf Alice are among 50 artists who have called for the Eurovision Song Contest to be relocated from Israel. Citing human rights concerns, they have signed an open letter urging the BBC to ask organisers to move the contest. "Eurovision may be light entertainment, but it is not exempt from human rights considerations," they wrote. In response, the BBC said it was not appropriate "to use the BBC's participation for political reasons". The annual contest is due to be held in Tel Aviv in May, following Israeli singer Netta's victory in 2018. The winning country usually hosts the following year's competition. However, the group of cultural figures, which also includes Mike Leigh, Maxine Peake and Miriam Margolyes, said the event's "claim to celebrate diversity and inclusion must ring hollow" in light of Israel's occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights. "We cannot ignore Israel's systematic violation of Palestinian human rights," their letter read. "The BBC is bound by its charter to 'champion freedom of expression'. It should act on its principles and press for Eurovision to be relocated to a country where crimes against that freedom are not being committed." The letter comes a week before Eurovision: You Decide, a live BBC TV show through which the British public will vote for the act to represent the UK. "For any artist of conscience, this would be a dubious honour," the letter said.  "They and the BBC should consider that You Decide is not a principle extended to the Palestinians, who cannot 'decide' to remove Israel's military occupation and live free of apartheid." The BBC said Eurovision was "not a political event and does not endorse any political message or campaign". A statement said: "The competition has always supported the values of friendship, inclusion, tolerance and diversity and we do not believe it would be appropriate to use the BBC's participation for political reasons. "Because of this we will be taking part in this year's event. The host country is determined by the rules of the competition, not the BBC." The European Broadcasting Union, which organises the contest, also emphasised the "non-political character of the event" and pointed out that preparations in Tel Aviv were already "well advanced". Many of the signatories to Wednesday's letter have previously made calls for a cultural boycott of Israel, criticising artists such as Nick Cave, Radiohead and Lana Del Rey for organising concerts in the country. Their campaign follows an earlier call for Eurovision to be relocated, made last September by a coalition of artists from across Europe. That was organised by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which urges a complete boycott of Israel over its policies towards the Palestinians. Israel says BDS opposes Israel's very existence and is motivated by anti-Semitism.

^ These celebrities clearly don't have any idea of what is actually going on in Israel and just want to have their names in the media. Hopefully, people don't start believing people like this and BDS. ^

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-47054756

Canada Cuts Staff

From the BBC:

"Mystery illness sees Canada halve its Cuba embassy staff"

Canada will cut its embassy staff in Cuba by up to half after a mystery illness affected another person there, authorities in Ottawa have said.  Medical testing after the reappearance of unusual symptoms in November saw a 14th Canadian affected. Canada's foreign office said the number of staff will now be cut by up to half as a result.  US staff have also been affected by the illness, which causes dizziness, nausea and difficulty concentrating. Canada has discounted the idea of a "sonic attack" being the cause - a theory previously put forward by the US state department last year.  A statement released by Global Affairs Canada said "employees, spouses and dependents" at the embassy were among the affected, and all were receiving ongoing medical treatment.  While the embassy would remain open some services could be affected in the future, the statement read. Staff numbers will now drop from about 16 to up to eight, the Associated Press reports.  Canada recalled diplomatic families from Havana in April after some minors started showing the symptoms.  More than a million Canadians visit Cuba each year, but there is no evidence they are at risk. Cuba has repeatedly denied its involvement. Canada says it has worked in "close cooperation" with Havana since the health problems first came to light in 2017. Unlike the US, Canada never cut off diplomatic relations with Cuba after its revolution in 1959. Similar symptoms have affected US embassy staff in China.  A State Department release last year said people should watch for "any unusual, unexplained physical symptoms or events, auditory or sensory phenomena". A US and a British scientist however have put forward another theory - insect noise.  Their study suggests the sound recorded by US staff in Cuba was in fact the song of the Indies short-tailed cricket.

^ Clearly something is wrong in Cuba and I don't think anyone should go there (Canadian, American, etc.) until the cause of this illness is known. It is odd that another Communist country (China) is having a similar illness. Maybe these Communist dictatorships are doing something they shouldn't be doing? ^

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47066652

Ham The Chimp

58 years ago today (January 31, 1961) Ham, a chimpanzee, became the first non-human hominid launched into space.

NASA’s goal was to launch Ham into space and observe while he performed various tasks (flipping switches around him).  He was trained to press the buttons in front of his chair every time he saw a blue blinking light. Also, he was suited with a special space suit that had the same properties as the upcoming maiden flight of astronaut Alan Shepard. After more than a year of training Ham was chosen for this crucial mission, which was named MR-2.

On January 31, 1961 Ham the Chimp was launched from the Cape Canaveral space center on a 17 minute long suborbital flight. During that time he reached an altitude of 157 miles, speed of 5857 mhp, and had six minutes of weightlessness. Ham preformed perfectly, responding to the blue lights as intended. During his return capsule suffered a loss of atmosphere but his special space suit saved his life.

Success of this mission paved the way for the successful launch of the Alan Shepard’s first American human manned mission on May 5, 1961. At the end of 1961 another rocket went to space, this time carrying chimp called Enos. He successfully orbited around the earth.

Ham the Chimp became an instant celebrity when he returned from his space mission. He appeared on several US television programs, TV shows and several documentary films following events of his mission. He spent rest of his life in Washington, D.C National Zoo and North Carolina Zoo until his death on January 19, 1983.

Cold Tips

From the NWS:

"Cold Weather Safety

Prepare for Cold Weather

The way to avoid frostbite and hypothermia is to plan for extreme cold before it arrives. Don't get caught unprepared.

• Check the Forecast at weather.gov or your favorite weather app, station, etc.: Make checking the forecast part of your regular routine so you'll know when to expect cold weather.


• Adjust Your Schedule: If possible, adjust your schedule to avoid being outside during the coldest part of the day, typically the early morning. Try to find a warm spot for your children while waiting for the school bus outside.


• Protect Your Pets, Livestock and other Property: If you have pets or farm animals, make sure they have plenty of food and water, and are not overly exposed to extreme cold. Take precautions to ensure your water pipes do not freeze. Know the temperature thresholds of your plants and crops.


• Fill up the tank: Make sure your car or vehicle has at least a half a tank of gas during extreme cold situations so that you can stay warm if you become stranded.


• Dress for the outdoors even if you don't think you'll be out much.


• Update Your Winter Car Survival Kit: Make sure your car survival kit has the following:
  
  
  • Jumper cables: flares or reflective triangle are great extras
  
  
  • Flashlights: Replace the batteries before the winter season starts and pack some extras
  
  
  • First Aid Kit: Also check your purse of bag for essential medications
  
  
  • Baby, special needs gear: If you have a baby or family member with special needs, pack diapers and any special formula or food
  
  
  • Food: Stock non-perishable food such as canned food and a can opener, dry cereal and protein rich foods like nuts and energy bars
  
  
  • Water: Have at least 1 gallon of water per person a day for at least 3 days
  
  
  • Basic toolkit: Pliers, wrench, screwdriver
  
  
  • Pet supplies: Food and water
  
  
  • Radio: Battery or hand cranked
  
  
  • Cat litter or sand: For better tire traction
  
  
  • Shovel: To dig out snow
  
  
  • Ice scraper: Even if you usually park in a garage, have one in the car.
  
  
  • Clothes: Make sure you dress for the weather in warm clothes, gloves, hat, sturdy boots, jacket and an extra change of clothes for the cold
  
  
  • Warmers: Pack extra for body, hands, feet
  
  
  • Blankets or sleeping bags: If you get stranded in traffic on a lonely road, you'll be glad to have it.
  
  
  • Charged Cell Phone: Keep a spare charger in your car as well

During Cold Weather:

If you or someone you care about must venture outdoors during extreme cold this winter, dress in layers. Cover exposed skin to reduce your risk of frostbite or hypothermia. Try to seek shelter from the wind as much as possible while outside. Once inside again, change into dry clothing immediately if you are wet. Understand and watch for frostbite and hypothermia.

Essential Tasks After it Warms Up

• Check Your Pipes: Your pipes may be frozen. Water pipes on exterior walls and in places that are subject to cold, like in the basement, attic, and under kitchen cabinets, freeze most often. Water expands as it freezes, causing pipes to burst. If they are frozen, first turn on the faucet. Water will drip as you warm the pipes. Heat the pipes using a space heater, heating pad, electric hair dryer, or hot water on a cloth. Never use an open flame. Continue until water pressure returns to normal or call a plumber if you have more issues.


• Salt Your Walkways: Once it warms up enough to out, it's important to shovel the snow from your sidewalks and driveway or sprinkle salt if there is ice.. If there is a thick layer of snow on the ground you cannot move, salt the area so that the snow melts. You should also put down salt if there is ice on your stairs leading into your house--less than a quarter inch of ice can be dangerous!


• Call Your Neighbors: Check to see that your neighbors are okay after the storm, particularly seniors, disabled persons or others living alone. Carbon monoxide poisoning is one of the leading causes of death after storms, particularly when there are power outages. Cases of frostbite and hypothermia are also common for elderly people who were stuck in their homes.


• Refill Your Supplies: This storm may be over, but there might be another one soon. Every storm is different, so it is important to always be prepared.

^ This is a good and quick read to help you before, during and after cold weather. ^

https://www.weather.gov/safety/cold

Posting

Split World

From Yahoo:

"Venezuela Crisis Splits the World's Allegiances: Map"

Support for dueling presidents in Venezuela has broken along traditional lines. China and Russia, which have billions of dollars in loans to Venezuela, back President Nicolas Maduro. As does Cuba, its political and military patron. While the U.S. and most Latin American nations, which have felt the brunt of a migration crisis, back the head of the National Assembly, Juan Guaido. Since swearing himself in as the rightful leader of Venezuela on Jan. 23, Guaido has led a campaign to try to wrest control of government assets abroad, including bank accounts, gold holdings, properties and U.S. refining unit Citgo. U.S. President Donald Trump has ramped up pressure on Maduro with sanctions that prohibit Venezuela crude imports. The Bank of England is said to have blocked Maduro’s efforts to repatriate $1.2 billion of its gold it holds. Inflation is running at 311,000 percent over the past 12 months, the economy has contracted for five consecutive years and oil output is sinking, deepening a humanitarian crisis that’s seen more than 3 million people flee the country.

^ This is a handy and interesting map. ^

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/venezuela-crisis-splits-world-apos-130622211.html

Delusional

From the MT:

"There Is No War Between Ukraine and Russia,' Kremlin Claims"

The Kremlin on Wednesday claimed that Russia is not at war with Ukraine, in a response to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko’s recent call for a “cold peace” between the two countries. Poroshenko made the comments while launching an uphill re-election campaign on Tuesday with a promise to steer his country toward the West and join the European Union. Around 13,000 people have been killed in the fighting between pro-Russian separatists and the government in eastern Ukraine that broke out in early 2014. Authorities in Kiev and Western officials have accused Moscow of fomenting the conflict and backing the rebels. “First, there is no war between Ukraine and Russia,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters during a daily conference call when asked about Poroshenko's statement, the RBC news website reported. Echoing Moscow’s common refrain that is disputed by the international community, Peskov maintained that Ukraine is in the midst of a “civil war provoked by the authorities in Kiev.” “Of course, we need peace with Russia,” Poroshenko told supporters when launching his re-election bid. “Cold, but peace. People are tired of war.”

^ Delusional aisle Russia. I guess they don't consider invading, occupying and annexing a part of another country (Crimea, Ukraine) or fighting in another part of a foreign country (eastern Ukraine) a war. ^

https://themoscowtimes.com/news/there-is-no-war-between-ukraine-russia-kremlin-claims-64340

MPP

From Reuters:

"U.S. sends first Central American asylum seeker to Mexico under new policy"

The United States sent the first Central American asylum seeker back to Mexico through a crossing at the border city of Tijuana on Tuesday as part of a hardened immigration policy, an official at Mexico’s national migration institute said.  The return of a Honduran man was carried out under a U.S. policy dubbed the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) by which the United States will return non-Mexican migrants who cross the U.S. southern border back to Mexico while their asylum requests are processed in U.S. immigration courts.  The United States is not expected to send any other Central American migrants to Mexico on Tuesday, said the Mexican immigration official, who asked not to be identified.  A U.S. Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman confirmed earlier in the day that the United States would begin sending migrants back to Mexico on Tuesday.  Mexican officials had initially expected the transfers to begin on Friday.  Asylum seekers have traditionally been granted the right to stay in the United States while their cases were decided by an immigration judge, but a backlog of more than 800,000 cases means the process can take years.  U.S. authorities are expected to send as many as 20 people per day through the Mexican border city of Tijuana and gradually start sending people back through the other legal ports of entry, Mexico’s foreign ministry said on Friday.  The U.S. policy is aimed at curbing the increasing number of families arriving mostly from Central America to request asylum who say they fear returning home because of threats of violence there. The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump says many of the claims are not valid.  Mexico has said it will accept the return of certain people who have a date to appear in a U.S. court, but will reject those who have health problems, are unaccompanied minors or would be in danger in Mexican territory.  Immigration advocates fear Mexico is not safe for migrants, who are regularly kidnapped by criminal gangs and smugglers. They have also raised concerns that applicants sent back to Mexico will not have access to proper legal counsel in U.S. courts. 

^ It's good to see that the MPP is working and not just something on paper. ^

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration-mexico/u-s-sends-first-central-american-asylum-seeker-to-mexico-under-new-policy-idUSKCN1PN2HZ

Costly Flights

From Military.com:

"Navy Couple Faces Nearly $11,600 Bill to Move Dogs from Virginia to Guam"

Early last month, Kenneth and Emily Sanders learned the Navy was transferring them from Norfolk to Guam at the end of February. The transfer was somewhat unexpected because Kenneth, a petty officer second class and master-at-arms, and his wife had only been at Norfolk Naval Station, Va., for about a year after returning from a stint in Bahrain But the real shock came weeks later when the couple learned how much it would cost to ship their two beloved German shepherds, Nautia and Phoenix, to Guam: $11,592. The couple find themselves being squeezed by an onerous flight route that spans half the globe and by United Airlines' decision last year to stop transporting large dogs. The couple set up a GoFundMe account in hopes of defraying the cost of shipping the pair of 8-year-old dogs. By the last week of January, they'd raised almost $1,000. "I'm smart enough to know that I probably won't reach anywhere near my goal," Emily Sanders said. "My family and friends are great. They're supporting me and I'm so thankful for that. But that's a lot of money." They plan on using credit cards to pay the bill. "I know they have a high interest rate, but, what's a girl to do?" she said. The couple, who have no children, got Nautia from a Tennessee backyard breeder when she was 3 months old and stunted in growth. A month later they got Phoenix. "I felt like [Nautia] was lonely and needed a sister, so I got her a sister," she said. Nautia is "prissy" and clinging; the bold Phoenix "loves everyone and everything," she said. She recalled that it cost only about $250 to ship each dog when they had traveled on Delta Airlines on the flight the couple took to Bahrain. But dog transport for military members became thornier in the wake of a high-profile incident early last year, resulting in United Airlines changing its pet-shipping policy. During a United flight in March from Houston to Newark, a flight attendant insisted that the owners of a French bulldog in a pet carrier be placed in an overhead bin instead of beneath the seat where such crates are normally placed. The dog suffocated during the flight. In response, on June 18 United banned transporting snub-nosed dogs and cats, as well as breeds of dogs regarded as "strong-jawed," out of concern for "higher adverse health risks," according to the policy. But the airline also stopped hauling pet crates taller than the 30-inch-high Series 500 carrier. United told Sanders that Nautia and Phoenix require the next largest crate, Series 700, for shipping, which by the airline's own policy, it will not carry, she said. The Sanders had routinely shipped their dogs in Series 500 crates, including their trips to and from Bahrain, but United will not allow them to use Series 500 carriers because the dogs' ears and tails touch the crate's ceiling, she said. Aside from that, she said, United's new policy of excluding big dogs seems to have little to do with potential breathing problems for snub-nosed dogs while aboard planes. Meanwhile, Delta is unable to ship the dogs to Guam because of its own policy restrictions. "Delta won't allow a dog on one flight more than 12 hours for health reasons," Emily Sanders said. Delta would allow the dogs to travel in the smaller Series 500 crates, with a potential route to Los Angeles, then a flight to Guam. But the shortest-duration flight time -- including connections -- to Los Angeles is 12 hours and 5 minutes, she said. "We couldn't find any shorter connections," she said. Leo Mendoza, the owner of South Korea-based Shindogs Air, has collected more than 120,000 signatures on a petition he began last year on change.org urging United to ease its policy on big and strong-jawed dogs. "Historically, United has been the only affordable option for big dogs, as other airlines cost up to 3-4 times as much," wrote Mendoza, whose business specializes in moving pets to and from Asia for servicemembers. Getting big dogs to and from Guam is "extremely difficult," Mendoza told Stars and Stripes. "The only airline that accepts them out of Guam is Korean Air," he said. "We have to fly them here, to Seoul, and then from here use a European airline to send them to the states." That's basically how Nautia and Phoenix will have to make the trip to Guam, using pet-transport companies that manage the move. For a fee of $5,692, the dogs will fly on Lufthansa from Washington, D.C., to Amsterdam, where they will spend the night. They then fly to South Korea, where they will require veterinarian's health certificates for import into that country. Once that import paperwork is completed, they will stay at a pet hotel overnight. For another fee of $5,900, they will then fly to Guam, where they will need a new set of health certificates. The Sanders will then pick them up, $11,592 later. "I don't mind paying to ship my dogs; I'm going to do it no matter what," Sanders said. "But the way this is playing out, we're having to go with these pet-shipping companies who use foreign airlines, like Korean Air." Sanders said that as someone in a U.S. military household, "it just doesn't seem right that we have to use these foreign airlines and be charged this much." Stars and Stripes asked United if it had considered the petition request to once again ship large dogs. "We're going to do what's in the best interest of our customers and in the best interest of the animals," said United spokesman Charles Hobart. "We know these pets are part of the family." Nautia and Phoenix will be 12 when the Sanders' three-year assignment to Guam is completed, and the dogs will then likely generate another huge moving bill. She's already planning to sock away hundreds of dollars each month to prepare for that day. "I've already got that in the back of my mind," she said.

^ This is such a bad situation for this family (and for all the other military families facing the same costs.) I am a military brat and we always brought our dogs with us when we moved overseas. This current United (and other airlines) animal policies and costs is due to the fact that animals died because of human (airline) error and nothing else. Rather than fix that human error the airlines seem to just want to make it too expensive for people to fly with their pets. It is one thing if someone is travelling on a trip and just wants to bring their pets along and another when a military family is being forced to move overseas (in this case to Guam which is a US territory) and neither the airlines nor the US Military is doing anything to help them. They (the airlines and the US military) should make exceptions and allow dogs of military families on official orders to move overseas to take their pets and not charge them an arm and a leg. The following is a link to this couple's Go Fund Me page.  https://www.gofundme.com/f/going-guam  ^

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2019/01/28/navy-couple-faces-nearly-11600-bill-move-dogs-virginia-guam.html

Passport Craze

From the BBC:

"Post Offices run out of Irish passport forms"

Uncertainly over Brexit is driving demand for Irish passports in Northern Ireland, with some post offices running out of forms, officials say. Post Offices across Northern Ireland were called by the Irish Passport Service on Tuesday to be told more forms would be delivered.  One Post Office manager described the current demand as "crazy", adding that it was driven by fears over Brexit.  Belfast's central Post Office ran out of the forms on Friday. Branch manager Irene Edgar said the demand was huge. "High demand, especially in the last few weeks, means there is a stock and delivery issue," she said.  The Post Office in the border town of Strabane in County Tyrone has no forms, despite ordering them three weeks ago. Branch manager Christine McNulty said the demand was "completely crazy". "People are afraid, that's why they want their Irish passports, fear around Brexit," she said, when asked why the demand was so high.  Each application for a standard 10-year passport costs €80 (£71). The branch manager of Bangor Post Office in north County Down, said whilst they still have forms they are running low, describing the demand in recent weeks as "absolutely massive". "It is Brexit, people don't know what is happening and they want to be prepared," she said.  The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs says application forms have been dispatched to Post Offices in Northern Ireland that operate the Passport Express Service.  "All Post Offices should be re-stocked by tomorrow or Thursday at the latest," said a spokesperson.  "There has been a general increase in passport applications in recent years which is due to a number of factors, including a growing population and an increase in travel abroad." The number of applications from Northern Ireland increased last year by 2%, from 82,274 to 84,855 - and is up from 53,715 in 2015.  Amanda Lamberton said her Rossdowney Park Post Office in Londonderry's Waterside had a lot of forms at the moment although they did run out last year.  "We are at the border as well so we would always have had a lot coming because of the Irish passport," she said. "But there has been an increase in British passports as well, oddly enough." The government warned that Britons travelling to the EU after Brexit may need to make sure their passports have six months left to run. In Newtownards, County Down, the Post Office said it still had forms, although demand had increased - especially from entire families applying for Irish passports. Post Office branches in Crossmaglen in south Armagh, Armagh City and Ballycastle in north Antrim still had forms but said that there had been a high demand in recent weeks. 

Can I get an Irish passport?

You can claim an Irish passport (or Irish citizenship) if:

- You were born in the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland before 1 January 2005

- You were born in Ireland after that date but your parents were British or Irish citizens

- Your parents or grandparents were Irish citizens born in Ireland, even though you were born elsewhere

Several other exemptions apply for those resident in Ireland for extended periods, adoptions, children of refugees, and other special circumstances.

^ Brexit has caused a lot of chaos and problems throughout the UK and Northern Ireland is no exception. People are running to get both British and Irish Passports so they can be prepared for all the unknowns. There was a time when no Northern Irish Protestant would think of getting an Irish Passport and yet Brexit has changed that. The Brexit confusion continues. ^

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-47040831

I Can't Today

Language Scrapped

From the BBC:
"Afrikaans scrapped at South Africa's University of Pretoria"

A top South African university has dropped Afrikaans as its official language in favour of English. The University of Pretoria told the BBC it needed to "transform the culture" to make it "truly South African" English is the preferred language of instruction for many in South Africa. Afrikaans language policy has historically been used to exclude black learners in a country where racism remains deeply embedded 25 years after white-minority rule ended.  The word apartheid, which has now been internationalised and is in the Oxford Dictionary, is in fact an Afrikaans word. The language is still spoken by millions, but it is hoped that this move will make the many more millions who do not speak it feel welcomed in one of the best academic institutions in the country. Black and non-Afrikaans-speaking students on Twitter have been discussing the new policy, with many sharing the humiliating and alienating treatment they say they were subjected to at the University of Pretoria. One said that black students were intentionally humiliated by Afrikaans-speaking lecturers. Another remembers the language being a struggle for them as a black 17-year-old teenager from a township.  And another former student said lecturers refused to speak English, telling students: "If you don't understand that's not my problem."  When asked about these testimonies, the University of Pretoria's spokesman Rikus Delport told the BBC: "I'm sure there are incidents of that happening.  "That's what led to the whole coming together, and saying 'let's decide how we go forward'. It flowed from that." South Africa has 11 official languages - Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans, Sepedi, Setswana, English, Sesotho, Xitsonga, Siswati, Tshivenda and Ndebele. Their constitutional recognition came with the advent of democracy, in an attempt to help end institutional racism and heal South Africa's bitter historical divisions. "In an ideal world we would like all languages to have equal status in teaching, but it's not practically possible or feasible, so not a lot happens in other languages," the University of Pretoria's spokesman told the BBC. "The university will still encourage multilingualism. We'll offer support services to students in their enrolment - where practically possible - in their home language."  Graduations and other official ceremonies will continue to feature the three languages already in use for those occasions - English, Afrikaans and Sepedi. Demand for Afrikaans-language teaching is falling, according to the University of Pretoria, which says 85% of its students came from Afrikaans-speaking households in 1992, dropping to 30% in 2015. Only 18% of students said they wanted classes in Afrikaans at the last count in 2016. "Afrikaans will be phased out over time," the University of Pretoria's spokesman told the BBC. "Students already in the pipeline will still continue getting their classes in Afrikaans." Although the changes came into effect at the start of the year, the university says the decision to switch to English was made back in 2016, prompted by high profile student campaigns across the country like #AfrikaansMustFall and #FeesMustFall. That wave of protests also led to English being given equal status as Afrikaans at Stellenbosch University in 2017 The pro-Afrikaner civil rights group AfriForum opposed the University of Pretoria's proposed reform at the time, and has now accused the university of dishonesty in its changes to languages policy. The university denies this. "They got it wrong. They associated it with [the appointment of] the new vice-chancellor - but I don't know where they got that impression, because the change has been coming for some time". South Africa's finance minister has also waded into the debate, saying people will regret the university's decision to drop Afrikaans in years to come. "It's obvious there are people who differ from us, who don't agree with it - and we have to accept that," the University of Pretoria's spokesman said. "This was a decision made by an extended consultation process over a long period of time, not something that happened overnight."

^ I can understand people hating being forced to speak a certain language over another, but can't understand why it's an issue if it is just one of several languages offered and no one is forcing you to use it. I know that in the past Afrikaans was forced on Blacks and Coloureds (the South African term) by the racist White Afrikaaners and that it often led to arrests and even deaths, but in a modern-day South Africa where no one is forced to use the language it seems odd to focus on this one issue when the country has many other issues (crime, unemployment, high HIV rates, etc.) A case could be made that British English was forced onto the people of South Africa from the time the English colonized it until South Africa became a republic in 1961 (FYI Apartheid and the Afrikaaners came into power in 1948.) The people of South Africa can show how they feel about the use of Afrikaans by not learning or using it (or vice versa.) But not everything has too be some great big political statement. ^

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-47001468