Traditions Return

From Military.com:

“Vets return to Memorial Day traditions as pandemic eases”

(Bob Workman of Boston, a retired Marine Gunnery Sgt., and past commander of the Boston Police VFW, replaces flags at veteran’s graves ahead of Memorial Day on Thursday, May 27, 2021, in the Fairview Cemetery in Boston. After more than a year of isolation, American veterans are embracing plans for a more traditional Memorial Day. After more than a year of isolation, military veterans say wreath-laying ceremonies, barbecues at local vets halls and other familiar traditions are a welcome chance for them to reconnect with fellow service members and renew solemn traditions honoring the nation’s war dead._

A pair of military vets navigate the hilly, meandering paths in a historic cemetery in Boston, searching out soldiers’ graves and planting American flags in front of them. About 10 miles away, scores of other vets and volunteers do the same, placing more than 37,000 small flags on the downtown Boston Common — a sea of red, white and blue meant to symbolize all the Massachusetts soldiers killed in battle since the Revolutionary War. It’s an annual tradition that returns in full this year after being significantly scaled back in 2020 because of the pandemic. In Boston and elsewhere, this holiday weekend will feel something closer to Memorial Days of old, as COVID-19 restrictions are fully lifted in many places. “This Memorial Day almost has a different, better feeling to it,” said Craig DeOld, a 50-year-old retired captain in the Army Reserve, as he took a breather from his flag duties at the Fairview Cemetery earlier this week. “We’re breathing a sigh of relief that we’ve overcome another struggle, but we’re also now able to return to what this holiday is all about — remembering our fallen comrades.” Around the nation, Americans will be able to pay tribute to fallen troops in ways that were impossible last year, when virus restrictions were in effect in many places. It will also be a time to remember the tens of thousands of veterans who died from COVID-19 and recommit to vaccinating those who remain reluctant.

Art delaCruz, a 53-year-old retired Navy commander in Los Angeles who leads the Veterans Coalition for Vaccination, said his group has been encouraging inoculated veterans to volunteer at vaccine sites to dispel myths and help assuage concerns, many of which are also shared by current service members. “We understand it’s a personal choice, so we try to meet people where they are,” said delaCruz, who is also president of Team Rubicon, a disaster-response nonprofit made up of military veterans. There’s no definitive tally for coronavirus deaths or vaccinations among American military vets, but Department of Veterans Affairs data shows more than 12,000 have died and more than 2.5 million have been inoculated against COVID-19 out of the roughly 9 million veterans enrolled in the agency’s programs. The isolation of the pandemic has also been particularly hard on veterans, many of whom depend on kinship with fellow service members to cope with wartime trauma, says Jeremy Butler, a 47-year-old Navy Reserve officer in New York who heads the advocacy group Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. “We’re reuniting now, but it’s been an extremely challenging year,” he said. “To have those connections cut off — the counseling sessions, the VA appointments, social events with other vets — those are so important to maintaining mental health.” But for the families of veterans who survived the horrors of war, only to be felled by COVID-19, Memorial Day can reopen barely healed wounds.

In western Massachusetts, Susan Kenney says the death of her 78-year-old father last April from the virus still remains raw. Charles Lowell, an Air Force veteran who served during the Vietnam War, was among 76 residents of the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home who died in one of America’s deadliest coronavirus outbreaks last year in a long-term care facility. A memorial service was held at the home earlier this week, and the names of residents who died over the past calendar year were read aloud. Kenney, who has been a vocal advocate for reforming the troubled home, says there are still lingering questions about who else should be held accountable, even as top officials at the state-run facility face criminal negligence and abuse charges and federal and state agencies launch investigations. “I’ve been reliving this for a whole year,” she said. “At every milestone. Veterans Day. His birthday. His death anniversary. Everything is a constant reminder of what happened. It’s so painful to think about.” For other families, Memorial Day will be as it ever was, a day to remember loved ones killed in war.

(Army veteran Willie Ransom poses at the American Legion Lodge named after his son, Air Force Major Charles Ransom in Midlothian, Va., Thursday, May 27, 2021. The younger Ransom was among eight U.S. Airmen killed when an Afghan military pilot opened fire at the Kabul airport in 2011.)

In Virginia, Willie Ransom, a 74-year-old Vietnam War vet, said his family will hold a modest service at the grave of his youngest son. Air Force Maj. Charles Ransom was among eight U.S. airmen killed in Afghanistan when an Afghan military pilot opened fire at the Kabul airport in 2011. The American Legion post in Midlothian, Virginia, that the elder Ransom once helped lead is now named in his honor. The Powhatan resident says a silver lining this year is that the country is poised to end the war that claimed his 31-year-old son and the lives of more than 2,200 other American fighters. President Joe Biden has promised to end the nation’s longest conflict by Sept. 11, the anniversary of the 2001 terror attacks that launched the war. “It’s the best decision we could make,” Ransom said. “It’s become like Vietnam. They don’t want us there. We should have been out of there years ago.” Back in Boston, DeOld will be thinking about his father, an Army vet wounded in a grenade attack in Vietnam. Louis DeOld returned home with a Purple Heart and went on to become a police officer in New Jersey, but the physical and mental scars of war persisted long after, his son said. He died in 2017 at the age of 70. On Memorial Day, DeOld will gather with fellow vets at the VFW post in the city’s Dorchester neighborhood that he commands. They will lay a wreath by the American flag out front and then grill burgers out back. It will be the first large social event hosted by the post since the pandemic virtually shuttered the hall more than a year ago. “I hope it’s nice,” DeOld said. “I hope folks linger. Families and friends gather. Good camaraderie. The way it should be.”

^ It’s good to see Memorial Day celebrated like it used to be. It’s also good to see the men and women of the US Military remembered and honored for their service and sacrifice. ^

https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/vets-return-to-memorial-day-traditions-as-pandemic-eases/

Barcelona Attacks

From the BBC:

“Barcelona: Homophobic attacks spark outcry”

A gay rights group in the Catalonia region of north-eastern Spain has warned of increasing incidents of homophobia following attacks in Barcelona over the weekend. The Observatory Against Homophobia (OCH) said five gay men had been injured in three separate attacks. In the most serious incident, a man needed facial surgery after he and his friends were attacked on a beach. Police are investigating but have not made any arrests, local media reported. Local politicians took to social media to condemn the attacks. "We will never normalise this situation," tweeted the city council's head of citizenship rights, Marc Serra Solé. OCH president Eugeni Rodríguez said the incident on Barcelona's Somorrostro Beach involved two gay couples who were set upon by three men. The men approached them and insulted them and then attacked them after checking no police officers were in the area, Mr Rodríguez said, according to the Spanish EFE news agency. The most seriously injured victim underwent surgery on Sunday. Mr Rodríguez called the incident "barbaric" and said the number of homophobic attacks was rising. "It is a spiral to which we are not accustomed - it is of extreme violence," Mr Rodríguez said. "It is terrible that, after the pandemic, we are in this situation." The OCH has registered 76 such attacks in Catalonia so far this year. The other homophobic attacks in Barcelona over the weekend took place in the district of Gràcia on Saturday morning and another later in the day near the city's auditorium, OCH said. Catalonia's equality minister, Tània Verge, also condemned the violence and tweeted that fighting homophobia was a high priority for her department.

^ Intolerance is everywhere. ^

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-57300640

Memorial Day

 Memorial Day

Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday of May. It was formerly known as Decoration Day and commemorates all men and women who have died in military service for the United States. Many people visit cemeteries and memorials on Memorial Day and it is traditionally seen as the start of the summer season.

Is Memorial Day a Public Holiday?:   Memorial Day is a public holiday. It is a day off for the general population, and schools and most businesses are closed.

What Do People Do?:   It is traditional to fly the flag of the United States at half staff from dawn until noon. Many people visit cemeteries and memorials, particularly to honor those who have died in military service. Many volunteers place an American flag on each grave in national cemeteries. Memorial Day is combined with Jefferson Davis' Birthday in Mississippi. Memorial Day has become less of an occasion of remembrance. Many people choose to hold picnics, sports events and family gatherings on this weekend. This day is traditionally seen as the start of the summer season for cultural events. For the fashion conscious, it is seen as acceptable to wear white clothing, particularly shoes from Memorial Day until Labor Day. However, fewer and fewer people follow this rule and many wear white clothing throughout the year.

Public Life:   Memorial Day is a federal holiday. All non-essential Government offices are closed, as are schools, businesses and other organizations. Most public transit systems do not run on their regular schedule. Many people see Memorial Day weekend as an opportunity to go on a short vacation or visit family or friends. This can cause some congestion on highways and at airports.

Background:   Memorial Day started as an event to honor Union soldiers who had died during the American Civil War. It was inspired by the way people in the Southern states honored their dead. After World War I, it was extended to include all men and women who died in any war or military action. Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day. The current name for this day did not come into use until after World War II. Decoration Day and then Memorial Day used to be held on May 30, regardless of the day of the week, on which it fell. In 1968, the Uniform Holidays Bill was passed as part of a move to use federal holidays to create three-day weekends. This meant that that, from 1971, Memorial Day holiday has been officially observed on the last Monday in May. However, it took a longer period for all American states to recognize the new date.

https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/memorial-day

Memorial Memes

 

EEOC's Vaccine Assistance

From the EEOC:

“EEOC Issues Updated COVID-19 Technical Assistance”

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today posted updated and expanded technical assistance related to the COVID-19 pandemic, addressing questions arising under the federal equal employment opportunity (EEO) laws. The EEOC also posted a new resource for job applicants and employees, explaining how federal employment discrimination laws protect workers during the pandemic. These publications are provided to help employees and employers understand their rights and responsibilities at work during the pandemic.

The expanded technical assistance provides new information about how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) apply when an employer offers incentives for employees to provide documentation or other confirmation of vaccination when an employee gets a vaccine in the community or from the employer or its agent. The technical assistance answers COVID-19 questions only from the perspective of the EEO laws.  Other federal, state, and local laws come into play regarding the COVID-19 pandemic for employers and employees. “The updated technical assistance released today addresses frequently asked questions concerning vaccinations in the employment context,” said EEOC Chair Charlotte A. Burrows.  “The EEOC will continue to clarify and update our COVID-19 technical assistance to ensure that we are providing the public with clear, easy to understand, and helpful information. We will continue to address the issues that were raised at the Commission’s recent hearing on the civil rights impact of COVID-19.”

The key updates to the technical assistance are summarized below:

Federal EEO laws do not prevent an employer from requiring all employees physically entering the workplace to be vaccinated for COVID-19, so long as employers comply with the reasonable accommodation provisions of the ADA and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other EEO considerations.  Other laws, not in EEOC’s jurisdiction, may place additional restrictions on employers.  From an EEO perspective, employers should keep in mind that because some individuals or demographic groups may face greater barriers to receiving a COVID-19 vaccination than others, some employees may be more likely to be negatively impacted by a vaccination requirement.

Federal EEO laws do not prevent or limit employers from offering incentives to employees to voluntarily provide documentation or other confirmation of vaccination obtained from a third party (not the employer) in the community, such as a pharmacy, personal health care provider, or public clinic. If employers choose to obtain vaccination information from their employees, employers must keep vaccination information confidential pursuant to the ADA.

Employers that are administering vaccines to their employees may offer incentives for employees to be vaccinated, as long as the incentives are not coercive. Because vaccinations require employees to answer pre-vaccination disability-related screening questions, a very large incentive could make employees feel pressured to disclose protected medical information.

Employers may provide employees and their family members with information to educate them about COVID-19 vaccines and raise awareness about the benefits of vaccination. The technical assistance highlights federal government resources available to those seeking more information about how to get vaccinated.

The new resource for job applicants and employees provides basic information about how federal employment discrimination laws help workers who are being harassed; who need extra protection against getting sick; who are not being allowed to work; or who need a modification of their employer’s COVID-19 safety requirements.

These two publications follow an EEOC hearing on April 28 on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on civil rights in the workplace at which the EEOC heard from a wide range of experts. They were prepared prior to the CDC’s new guidance for fully vaccinated individuals issued on May 13, 2021, and do not specifically address that new guidance. As new developments occur, the EEOC will consider any impact they may have on EEOC’s COVID-19 technical assistance and will provide additional updates and assistance to the public as needed.

^ This helps clarify what Businesses and Companies can and can not do with regards to the Covid Vaccine and their employees. ^

https://www.eeoc.gov/newsroom/eeoc-issues-updated-covid-19-technical-assistance

Belarus Solidarity Protests

 From the BBC:

“Belarus: Hundreds join global solidarity protests”

(A group of Belarusians and Poles gathered in Warsaw Old Town)

Hundreds of people in Poland and Lithuania gathered for protests on Saturday to show support for the opposition in neighbouring Belarus. They called for the release of a Belarusian dissident who was arrested along with his girlfriend when their flight was diverted to Minsk. The pair's detention sparked global outrage, and prompted the EU to urge airlines to avoid Belarusian airspace. Protests took place elsewhere in Europe as well as in the US and Australia. Roman Protasevich, 26, and Sofia Sapega, 23, were flying from Greece to Lithuania on Sunday when a fighter jet was scrambled over Belarus to escort their plane to Minsk airport over a bomb threat which turned out to be fake. They were arrested as soon as the Ryanair plane landed. "I'm calling on all EU countries and the US to please help us free Roman and Sofia, as well as everyone else imprisoned," Mr Protasevich's mother, Natalia, said at a rally in the Polish capital Warsaw. "We want to live in a free country, in a country where everyone has the right to express his beliefs," his father, Dmitry, added. The crowd at the Warsaw rally waved the Belarusian opposition's red and white flag, and held signs that read Help Belarus and Freedom for Belarus. "Things look really bad now. That's why we need to do something, show those fighting back home that they're not alone," Natallia Burak, a 35-year-old Belarusian living in the city, told the AFP news agency. "As a Belarusian, we see a lot of wild and outrageous things," another demonstrator added.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who has been in power for 27 years, has been nicknamed "Europe's last dictator". The 66-year-old has cracked down on dissenting voices, and many opposition figures have been arrested or fled into exile. One such figure is the opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who spoke at a rally in Lithuania where she has been living in exile since last August. "I believe that there will be changes very soon, there will be new elections, because there can be no other way," she told a crowd gathered in the capital, Vilnius. "Belarus will not give up." Ms Tikhanovskaya and several hundred protesters marched to the Belarusian embassy in the city. A similar demonstration also took place in Berlin, while smaller protests were seen in dozens of countries including Ukraine, Ireland, and the Netherlands.

^ Hopefully the protests within Belarus itself will continue since that is really the only way things will change in Belarus. ^

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-57294442\

Arctic Pepper

From the CBC:

“Nunavut dog reunites with family after epic journey across ice and tundra”

(Adams and her family, with Pepper.)

Donna Adams wouldn't have guessed that her dog Pepper had it in her. But the 10-year-old German shepherd — typically found lolling about outside Adams's home in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut — floored everybody by making a 70-kilometre journey along the remote Hudson Bay coast on her own, to track down her family in a distant community she'd never been to. "We were elated. Like, I just couldn't believe it," Adams said, recalling the dog's surprise arrival in Whale Cove. "She just likes to laze around. We used to get a lot of charges from the bylaw for having an untied dog, but even I think they gave up too, because she doesn't go anywhere! Pepper's big adventure earlier this month began on a sad note — a death in Adams's family, with a funeral to be held in Whale Cove, a smaller community down the Hudson Bay coast. Adams's family planned to fly there from Rankin, but a cancelled flight prompted them to travel by snowmobile instead. They were getting ready to set out when Pepper started to act up. "She was really, really trying to follow us. She even hopped on the sled. We told her to get off and go inside, go home," Adams recalled. "I think she felt the grief or the trauma that we were feeling. She just knew something was up, and she didn't want to leave us." Eventually, Pepper was coaxed back home. One of Adams's daughters was still there, at least until the next day when she would catch a rescheduled flight to meet her family in Whale Cove.  Adams figures it was some time after her daughter left that that Pepper also skipped town. Her son had stayed behind in Rankin but was at work that day, and Adams's husband came back later that night to find Pepper gone. "They looked everywhere. And she doesn't move around anymore. She doesn't leave," Adams said. The family was distraught, and puzzled, but they were also dealing with a family tragedy and so finding Pepper was not their top priority.  "We just let it go. We kind of just accepted that, well, she's gone," Adams said.

'The land freaks her out'

(Whale Cove is a small community on the Hudson Bay coast. Pepper would have travelled about 70 kilometres across the remote landscape from Rankin Inlet to find the community.)

It wasn't like Pepper to just take off, and not just because she's usually a lazy homebody. According to Adams, the dog just doesn't like being out of town.  "The land freaks her out, like it's too quiet," Adams said. "There's nothing around, she's too big and slow to catch siksiks [ground squirrels] ... no people and nothing around — that's what bothers her."  Adams and a couple of her kids stayed on in Whale Cove. They had been there for a few days when someone in town showed them a picture of a dog that had seemingly wandered into the remote village. It was Pepper. Somehow, the dog had swallowed her fears and travelled alone for days across the vast, silent landscape of ice and tundra to find her people.   Whale Cove is pretty small, so it took Adams and her family about 10 minutes to track Pepper down after the dog was first spotted. "She looked a lot, like 10 years younger — because she lost a lot of weight!" Adams said, laughing. "I burst into tears the moment I saw her. I don't think I've ever experienced that. Just burst in tears of joy." Adams said Pepper's incredible journey was soon the talk of the town — in Whale Cove, and back in Rankin Inlet. "Everybody was so happy to hear of the story. I mean, especially on her own, completely on her own! And she's never been taken to Whale Cove with us before," Adams said. "We were all so excited, and relieved — and very proud of her."

^ This a happy ending to a sad story. ^

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/nunavut-dog-pepper-journey-rankin-inlet-1.6044618

215 School Remains

From the BBC:

“Canada mourns as remains of 215 children found at indigenous school”

(The Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia once housed 500 children)

A mass grave containing the remains of 215 children has been found in Canada at a former residential school set up to assimilate indigenous people. The children were students at the Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia that closed in 1978. The discovery was announced on Thursday by the chief of the Tk'emlups te Secwepemc First Nation. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said it was a "painful reminder" of a "shameful chapter of our country's history". The First Nation is working with museum specialists and the coroner's office to establish the causes and timings of the deaths, which are not currently known. Rosanne Casimir, the chief of the community in British Columbia's city of Kamloops, said the preliminary finding represented an unthinkable loss that was never documented by the school's administrators. Canada's residential schools were compulsory boarding schools run by the government and religious authorities during the 19th and 20th Centuries with the aim of forcibly assimilating indigenous youth. Kamloops Indian Residential School was the largest in the residential system. Opened under Roman Catholic administration in 1890, the school had as many as 500 students when enrolment peaked in the 1950s. The central government took over administration of the school in 1969, operating it as a residence for local students until 1978, when it was closed.

What do we know about the remains? The Tk'emlups te Secwepemc First Nation said the remains were found with the help of a ground-penetrating radar during a survey of the school. "To our knowledge, these missing children are undocumented deaths," Ms Casimir said. "Some were as young as three years old." "We sought out a way to confirm that knowing out of deepest respect and love for those lost children and their families, understanding that Tk'emlups te Secwepemc is the final resting place of these children." The tribe said it had reached out to the home communities whose children attended the school. They expected to have preliminary findings by mid-June. British Columbia's chief coroner Lisa Lapointe told Canadian broadcaster CBC "we are early in the process of gathering information".

What reaction has there been? The reaction has been one of shock, grief and contrition. "The news that remains were found at the former Kamloops residential school breaks my heart," Mr Trudeau wrote in a tweet. Canada's minister of indigenous relations, Carolyn Bennett, said residential schools were part of a "shameful" colonial policy. The government was committed to "memorialising those lost innocent souls", she said. Terry Teegee, the regional chief of British Columbia's Assembly of First Nations, called finding such grave sites "urgent work" that "refreshes the grief and loss" of communities in the region. Those views were echoed by other indigenous groups, including the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA). "That this situation exists is sadly not a surprise and illustrates the damaging and lasting impacts that the residential school system continues to have on First Nations people, their families and communities,'' its CEO Richard Jock wrote in a statement.

What were residential schools? From about 1863 to 1998, more than 150,000 indigenous children were taken from their families and placed in these schools. The children were often not allowed to speak their language or to practise their culture, and many were mistreated and abused. A commission launched in 2008 to document the impacts of this system found that large numbers of indigenous children never returned to their home communities. The landmark Truth and Reconciliation report, released in 2015, said the policy amounted to "cultural genocide". In 2008, the Canadian government formally apologised for the system. The Missing Children Project documents the deaths and the burial places of children who died while attending the schools. To date, more than 4,100 children who died while attending a residential school have been identified, it says.

^ This really shocked me. I hope they learn what happened to these children and that they can be given a proper burial. ^

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-57291530

Duchess' 1st Dose

From the BBC:

“Duchess of Cambridge gets first Covid vaccine dose”

The Duchess of Cambridge has said she is "hugely grateful" after getting her first dose of a coronavirus vaccine on Friday. Catherine, 39, shared a photograph of herself being given the vaccine at the Science Museum in London. On Twitter, she thanked all those who are "playing a part in the rollout". Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Saturday that in the last two weeks more than half of those in their 30s have been vaccinated in the UK. The duchess is one of more than nearly 39 million people in the UK to have received their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine. More than 24 million people have received their second dose. Catherine is the latest senior royal to share publicly that she has had the vaccine, with her husband getting his first dose earlier this month. Her father-in-law, the Prince of Wales, and his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, received their coronavirus jabs in February. The Queen received hers in January. In England and Scotland, people aged 30 and over can book their vaccine, although in some parts of Glasgow people aged 18 can get their first jab. Those in Wales and Northern Ireland 18 and over are eligible to get their vaccine. Most adults in the UK under the age of 40 are being offered an alternative to the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine due to a link with rare blood clots.

^ The UK roll-out may be slower than the US, but is doing pretty well. ^

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-57291608

Dropping Food

 

USPS Raises Prices

From News Nation:

“USPS to raise stamp prices this summer as part of DeJoy’s 10-year overhaul plan”

The United States Postal Service announced Friday it plans to raise postage rates for letters, postcards, and other mail services by as much as 6.9 percent this summer, as part of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s plan to overhaul the agency’s declining finances. It’s the latest installment of DeJoy’s plan to erase a projected $160 billion in liabilities over the next decade. Earlier this year, DeJoy announced the 10-year “Delivering for America” plan, which calls for longer delivery windows, shorter post office hours, and fewer staff members.

The rate changes, which would take effect in late August, would increase the cost of first-class stamps from 55 to 58 cents., an increase of 6.8%, “to offset declining revenue due to First-Class Mail volume declines,” USPS said in a release. DeJoy says the changes are necessary to halt billions of dollars in losses and put the agency on the path to profitability — and on Friday he said raising postage rates are part of the effort to boost revenue.  “For the past 14 years, the Postal Service has had limited pricing authority to respond to changing market realities,” DeJoy said in a statement. “As part of our 10-year plan to achieve financial sustainability and service excellence, the Postal Service and the Board of Governors are committed to judiciously implementing a rational pricing approach that helps enable us to remain viable and competitive and offer reliable postal services that are among the most affordable in the world.” The USPS said the U.S. rates are far below the average of what it costs to mail a letter in other countries, even after the increase. According to the postal service, mailing a letter costs 77 cents in Japan, 97 cents in Germany, and $3.40 in Italy. The international average is $1.32. According to the USPS, mail volume dropped by 28% over the last 10 years, about 46 billion pieces, and continues to decline. Domestic postcards cost is set to increase from 36 to 40 cents to mail, and the cost of outbound international letters would increase by a dime to $1.30.

^ The USPS has to pay for their program (Internet Covert Operations Program) to secretly spy on Americans some-how. I guess they found where the new money will come from. ^

https://www.newsnationnow.com/business/usps-to-raise-stamp-prices-this-summer-as-part-of-dejoys-10-year-overhaul-plan/

Delayed Consequences

From the CBC:

“Studies reveal the unintended consequences of delaying surgeries, drop in ER visits due to pandemic”

(Sean Perkins had a 'sizeable' tumour cutting off 70 to 80 per cent of his airway. He faced delays getting diagnosis and treatment because of the pandemic. Now, researchers are examining the broader consequences of delays and and a drop in ER visits.)

"If it's a COVID death or a COVID case, it's important. Otherwise it doesn't matter." That's how Sean Perkins said his experience in the Ontario healthcare system during the pandemic left him feeling. But non-COVID illnesses and deaths should "matter too," he said.  In August 2019, during a softball league game, his friends noticed his breathing sounded laboured. Eventually, after a circuitous journey to different specialists, the Caledon, Ont., man was told he had an obstruction in his airway and needed a CT scan. By that time it was the end of February 2020, the cusp of the pandemic, and the Ontario government soon shut down all elective surgeries and procedures. So Perkins had to wait.  Perkins waited three months to get a CT scan during the first wave of the pandemic — and then months more to get a biopsy. It was a wait he's lucky didn't kill him, he says. (Submitted by Sean Perkins) As the weather got warmer and the humidity rose, it became harder to breathe. "It was like trying to breathe as though you were sucking in a thick milkshake." Perkins finally got a CT scan at the end of May 2020 and it showed a "sizeable" tumour cutting off 70 to 80 per cent of his airway.  He was designated a Priority 1 patient, which the province defines as "any condition in which failure to diagnose and initiate treatment would result in serious morbidity/mortality." Despite that, he still had to wait three more months for a biopsy. Perkins is far from alone — Ontario's surgery backlog is estimated at more than 257,000 cases and growing. As it did in the first wave, the province told hospitals last month to suspend non-urgent procedures to free up ICU beds as COVID cases spiked in the third wave. Only now are studies starting to reveal what some of the consequences of those delays may be.

Excess deaths

(Dr. Peter Juni is the scientific director of Ontario's COVID-19 Science Advisory Table, and the co-author of a study that showed a 13 per cent increase in 'excess deaths' during the pandemic.)

According to a study released last week by the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table, these delays likely contributed to excess deaths in the province.  After analyzing cremation data in Ontario, the study found a nearly 13 per cent increase in the number of deaths during the pandemic compared to a baseline average from data taken between 2017 to 2019.  Some of those deaths were almost certainly due to COVID-19 but not counted as such, particularly in the first wave when testing wasn't as widespread, said Dr. Peter Juni, the scientific director of the advisory table and the study's co-author.  While the study data did not include cause of death, many of the excess deaths were likely not COVID-related because they happened between pandemic peaks when deaths from the virus were low, he said. "In an already strained health care system, what we start to see is that people are struggling … to get appropriate care," Juni told Dr. Brian Goldman, host of The Dose and White Coat, Black Art. The main causes of these extra deaths are likely cancer and cardiovascular disease as they are the two leading causes of death in western countries, said Juni, and with both "we know that if you have delayed care, that this negatively impacts the prognosis." A drop in trips to the ER during the pandemic over fears of contracting COVID-19 could also be a factor in these excess deaths, depending on the condition, he said.

Some 'good news'

(Dr. David Gomez, an acute care and trauma surgeon and a scientist at St. Michael's hospital in Toronto, says people may have been overusing ERs before the pandemic, and some conditions can be better treated virtually or managed at home.)

A new study published this week in the Canadian Medical Association Journal showed that emergency department visits for common conditions such as appendicitis, miscarriage, gallbladder attacks and ectopic pregnancy decreased significantly in the first wave of the pandemic. Researchers compared emergency department visits in Ontario from the first half of 2020 to the first half of 2019, looking at those four conditions — chosen because they are measurable, very common and managed in a standard way. During the first wave of the pandemic they found a 20 to 39 per cent reduction in visits for appendicitis and miscarriage.  But the study also found something surprising — patient outcomes for these conditions were not impacted. Despite fewer emergency department visits, there was no increase in adverse patient outcomes, such as sicker patients showing up later in the ER or increased rates of death. Study co-author Dr. David Gomez, an acute care and trauma surgeon and a scientist at St. Michael's hospital in Toronto, has a theory why that's the case: potential over-usage of the emergency department before the pandemic. "It doesn't mean that [people] are just suffering at home now," he said — instead they are managing their care successfully at home or accessing healthcare elsewhere, likely virtually. Mild appendicitis, for example, can be resolved at home or managed with virtual healthcare visits, Gomez said.  "A lot of the care that is provided in emergency departments could be very efficiently, and probably in a more timely manner, managed through a variety of other means, through urgent care centres, virtual visits, [and] extended hours of primary care practitioners," he said.  Avoiding the ER could certainly have negative consequences for some conditions, said Gomez, but he said these study results are a reminder that the pandemic's impact on the healthcare system "is not all bad news." As we emerge from the pandemic, Gomez thinks we'll see more evidence of a healthcare system that, in certain cases, like virtual care, adapted and transformed, and that these changes will "hopefully persist over time." "This is a once in a generation opportunity to really re-evaluate how care is delivered at all levels."

A big job ahead Perkins finally underwent an open neck biopsy in August last year, a year after his first symptoms appeared. The tumour was benign and in October, he had surgery to remove it. But, Perkins said, he and his family had to live through months of not knowing whether he had cancer. The target time for Priority 1 patients like Perkins to get a CT scan, according to Health Quality Ontario, is within 24 hours of when the order is received, not the three months he waited. (As of March 2021, the province's tracking website showed that 78 per cent of patients are being scanned within that target time.) "It took me seven plus months to get a biopsy, and nine months to have surgery to remove the tumour, despite being a Priority 1 cancer patient with the inability to breathe," he said.  "This was a situation where the tumour was benign…. Had it been malignant, the wait alone might have been enough to kill me." The province has resumed "non-urgent" surgeries and the Ontario government promised $300 million in its 2021 budget to help reduce the surgical backlog. But Juni said there's "no way" the already stretched health care system can catch up in time to save everyone on the "long, long, long wait-lists." "These excess deaths in an already really challenged health care system are most likely to continue beyond the pandemic."

^ This article is right. A death (whether by Covid or not) is still a death and is still something to try and prevent. In the early days of the Pandemic Doctors, Officials and People everywhere (Canada, the US, the rest of the world) had to deal with chaos and confusion on a daily basis. People who were sick didn’t want to go to the Doctor or Hospitals because of fear of getting Covid and Doctors and Hospitals stopped most procedures and tests (not just “Elective” Ones) as they dealt with the Covid Onslaught. Now everyone is paying the price of all of that. Doctors and Hospitals are rushing to care for people with worsening conditions requiring more care and people are dealing with those worsening conditions. Hopefully, we can learn from all of this chaos and confusion and make sure it doesn’t happen again. ^

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/whitecoat/studies-reveal-the-unintended-consequences-of-delaying-surgeries-drop-in-er-visits-due-to-pandemic-1.6040758

EU: Pfizer For Kids

From the DW:

“EU regulators approve BioNTech-Pfizer COVID vaccine for children”

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) announced on Friday that it had authorized the use of the German-developed BioNTech-Pfizer coronavirus vaccine for children aged 12 to 15. It is the first vaccine to be approved for younger people in the EU. Marco Cavaleri, who heads the EMA body that reviewed the vaccine, said data showed the shot to be highly effective against COVID in younger teens. The decision needs to be rubber-stamped by the European Commission and individual national regulators. Germany is hoping to begin administering jabs to school-age children from June 7, following a meeting between Chancellor Angela Merkel and heads of Germany's 16 states on Thursday.

Which countries are already vaccinating children? The US and Canada have already begun to offer vaccines to children aged 12 and above in the pursuit of herd immunity. A study published in the "New England Journal of Medicine" on Thursday said that the efficacy of the vaccine in children aged 12 to 15 was 100%. The researchers carried out trials on a group of around 2,000 adolescents, half of which were given two doses of the BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine and half a placebo. Of the vaccinated group, none of the individuals contracted COVID-19 while 16 children in the control group did. Those tested suffered only mild to moderate reactions, the study said. The results of the study had been made available to the EMA, dpa reported.

What are German medical officials saying? Despite the eagerness of German politicians to start vaccinating children, the decision about who gets access to the doses is up to the country's vaccine commission, StiKo. One of the 18 members of the commission, Martin Terhardt, asserted the apolitical nature of the body in an interview with local public broadcaster Bayerische Rundfunk. "We are an independent, scientific panel, we have rules and an agenda which hold us to a specific methodology," he said on Friday. "And we will make the decision as we always do, in line with scientific, not political, criteria, nor will we be influenced by any pressure," he added. President of the German Medical Association Klaus Reinhardt expressed hesitation at the idea of vaccinating children, saying that the data on the risks was "currently still insufficient," in a conversation with the German newspaper Rheinische Post. The head of the German Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine, Florian Hoffman, also raised concerns, suggesting that with the tight vaccination capacities, children — who are usually asymptomatic — are not the priority.

^ Hopefully all the different organizations, groups and countries that need to will approve this vaccine for 12-15 year olds soon so the EU can get to a more normal life. ^

https://www.dw.com/en/eu-regulators-approve-biontech-pfizer-covid-vaccine-for-children/a-57697157

Patriotic Sunset

 

Memorial Day Deals

From Parade:

“68+ Discounts, Deals and Free Meals for Veterans and Military (and Some for the Rest of Us!) on Memorial Day”

Memorial Day Weekend is almost here. It’s a time to honor our fallen service members and show appreciation to those still in uniform, as well as to veterans, on Memorial Day (Monday, May 31, 2021). While some restaurants may still have COVID-19 restrictions, many are fully open, and offer discounted or free meals for veterans on Memorial Day. In addition, plenty of retailers offer veterans discounts and military discounts, many of which also extend to first responders. Many offers also apply to active duty and reserve military as well as spouses and families (and some for civilians as well), so be sure to take advantage of these deals while kicking off summer and honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Here are the best Memorial Day meals, deals and freebies for veterans, military, military dependents and more for 2021.

68+ Free Meals and Deals for Veterans and Military on Memorial Day

1. 99 Restaurants  99 Restaurants offers military members and veterans with military ID 10 percent off daily.

2. Academy Sports + Outdoors Active duty military and veterans, as well as first responders, can get 10 percent off at Academy Sports + Outdoors from May 2 through July 5, 2021.

3. Adidas  Military personnel, veterans, first responders teachers, medical professionals and nurses can get 30 percent off at Adidas online or in-store as well as 20 percent off at Adidas factory outlet stores.

4. Alpha Industries Alpha Industries offers 30 percent off plus free shipping for active duty, reserve and retired military personnel for Military Appreciation Month. They offer a 15 percent discount year-round.

5. Armitron Armitron offers 10 percent off of purchases for active-duty military, veterans and dependents with ID verification.

6. Asics Asics offers 40 percent off full-price purchases online for military personnel, medical professionals, teachers, students and first responders.

7. Bandelettes Nab 15 percent off any item from Bandelettes from May 25 through May 31, 2021 with code “MEMORIAL21.”

8. Blanquil BlanQuil offers discounts for military, healthcare workers and first responders.

9. Blue Star Theaters Military families can get complimentary and discounted admission to Blue Star Theaters.

10. Boston Market Boston Market offers 20 percent off to Veterans Advantage members.

11. Bub’s @ the Ballpark Bub’s @ the Ballpark offers a 15 percent military/first responder discount for Memorial Day with proof of ID.

12. Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. offers 10 percent off to military and veterans daily.

13. Buffalo Wild Wings Military and veterans can get 10 percent off at participating Buffalo Wild Wings with valid ID.

14. Burger King Certain Burger King locations offer 10 percent discounts to military and veterans with ID.

15. Caesars Entertainment In honor of Memorial Day, veterans and active-duty military who verify their identity through ID.me and visit Caesars.com to book a future stay will receive up to 35 percent off room rates at any Caesars Entertainment resort throughout the U.S. within the booking window of May 24-31, 2021. Additionally, veterans, active military and their spouses are offered year-round discounts and other qualifying reductions on hotel reservations. Caesars Entertainment’s Las Vegas attractions also offer the following discounts year-round for active military and veterans with a valid ID:

16. Cafe Rio Cafe Rio offers a 25 percent military discount with ID from Tuesday to Sunday. In Virginia and Maryland, you can get 50 percent off on Military Mondays.

17. Chick-fil-A Participating Chick-fil-A locations offer 10 percent discounts for military and veterans with valid ID.

18. Chuck E. Cheese Chuck E. Cheese has military discounts for members and families: “The Alpha” includes 45 tokens, a large pizza and four drinks for $26.99 ($40 value), and “The Bravo” offers 100 tokens, two large pizzas and four drinks for $44.99 ($65 value).

19. Cici’s Pizza Cici’s Pizza offers military and veterans’ discounts at participating locations. The discounts vary by eatery.

20. Clarks Clarks offers a Troop Discount for active duty, retired and veteran military personnel as well as spouses, plus teachers and first responders.

21. Converse All active, reservist, veteran, and retired US Military personnel, as well as the spouses and dependents of active personnel can get a 15 percent discount from Converse.

22. Cooling Cuff Veteran-owned Cooling Cuff offers 25% off their original prices on Amazon, no code needed.

23. Cracker Barrel Select Cracker Barrel locations offer between 20 to 30 percent off with your military ID.

24. Dairy Queen Certain Dairy Queen locations offer military and veterans discounts, though the discount can vary by store.

25. Dell Military personnel can get 10 percent off select Dell and Alienware PCs and accessories.

26. DiscountContactLenses.com Score 15 percent off DiscountContactLenses.com with code “MILITARY15.”

27. DiscountGlasses.com At DiscountGlasses.com, get 25 percent off with code “MILITARY25.”

28. Eyemart Express Eyemart Express offers a 20 percent discount throughout May for active, non-active, retired and veteran military and dependents.

29. Feltman’s of Coney Island Feltman’s of Coney Island offers a special 15% holiday discount sitewide for military personnel, veterans and civilians—including their new Beefed-Up Burger Bundle, which bundles two of the most in-demand summer staples in one package: Feltman’s 100% all-natural hot dogs and Pat LaFrieda’s famous Original Blend burger patties. Use code “Parade15” through June 1, 2021.

30. FOTILE From May 21 through June 1, 2021, FOTILE offers up to $200 off their most popular appliances on Amazon.

31. Fuddruckers Fuddruckers offers 10 to 15 percent off with military ID at participating locations.

32. Golden Corral Active duty, veteran and retired military personnel can get 10 percent off at Golden Corral locations with valid ID.

33. Hard Rock Café Hard Rock Cafe offers 15 percent off all food, non-alcoholic beverage and retail purchases with valid military ID.

34. Home Chef Military personnel and veterans can get half off of their first purchase from Home Chef.

35. Home Depot Home Depot offers a 10 percent discount to all military veterans on Memorial Day. Select Home Depot locations may also offer a 10 percent military discount year-round. You may be required to present a valid military or veteran ID.

36. Hometown Buffet Hometown Buffet has a 15 percent discount on Military Mondays for active duty, reserve and retired military personnel in uniform or with a valid ID.

37. Hooter’s Hooter’s offers 20 percent off all takeout orders for active duty, retired and veteran military personnel. On Memorial Day, Hooter’s also offers free meals for veterans from a special menu with drink purchase at participating locations.

38. Hulu If you sign up for Hulu through MyExchange, you can get a free month plus 10 percent off of a year of the streaming service.

39. Hylete Hylete offers 30 percent off of all original price Hylete orders for military (including active duty, reserve, and honorably discharged), veterans, first responders and hospital staff with a GovX ID.

40. Jiffy Lube Active duty, retired and veteran military personnel can score 15 percent off year-round at Jiffy Lube.

41. Johnny Rockets Johnny Rocket’s loves men and women in uniform: If you wear one to the restaurant, you’ll get 50 percent off of your bill.

42. Kolache Factory Buy three get three free at Kolache Factory this Memorial Day.

43. Life Extension Life Extension will be offering guests that use the code “BRAVE10” $10 off $75 plus free shipping from May 26 through June 3, 2021.

44. Logan’s Roadhouse Logan’s Roadhouse offers active-duty and veteran military service members a 10 percent discount on their meals every day with valid military ID or proof of service.

45. Lonestar Steakhouse & Saloon All veterans and active duty personnel get a 20 percent discount every Monday and 10 percent off every other day at Lonestar Steakhouse & Saloon.

46. LongHorn Steakhouse This Memorial Day, LongHorn Steakhouse’s GRILL US Hotline returns to offer free grilling advice from their Certified Grill Masters. To tap into a Grill Master’s expertise, use #LHGRILLUS on Twitter or Instagram or post their question on LongHorn’s Facebook page. You can also can order a steakhouse meal online to take home using Curbside To Go.

47. Lowe’s Lowe’s offers 10 percent off year-round to veterans and military personnel.

48. Mabel’s Labels From May 28 through May 31, 2021, use code “MEMORIAL15” for 15 percent off sitewide at Mabel’s Labels.

49. McCormick and Schmick’s McCormick and Schmick’s offers 10 percent off on Memorial Day for veterans, retired and active duty military personnel and first responders.

50. Melting Pot Melting Pot offers a 20 percent discount every Monday to all military personnel, police, firefighters and EMTs (plus one guest) every Monday on food only in participating locations.

51. Mission BBQ Active duty services members and veterans can get a free sandwich from Mission BBQ during Armed Forces Week; dates vary by branch of service.

52. Nike Nike offers a 10 percent discount for active, veteran, retired and reservist military.

53. Old Country Buffet Old Country Buffet has a 15 percent discount for active duty, reserve or retired military personnel in uniform or with a valid ID on Military Mondays. The discount also applies to up to four members of their family.

54. Omaha Steaks Omaha Steaks offers a 10 percent military discount on online orders for active duty military, retirees, veterans, spouses and dependents using Troop ID.

55. Outback Steakhouse Bring your military ID to get 10 percent off at Outback Steakhouse.

56. Payless Payless will offer free shipping and 30 percent off all shoes the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, as well as a wallet-friendly 40 percent off orders on Memorial Day itself.

57. Rack Room Shoes Rack Room Shoes offers a 20 percent in-store discount for military members, veterans and dependents with valid ID on Memorial Day. Rack Room Shoes also offers 20 percent off on Independence Day and Veterans Day, as well as a 10 percent military discount every Tuesday year-round.

58. Reebok Military personnel, government employees, teachers, medical and hospital workers can get a 30 percent off Heroes Discount from Reebok.

59. Rosetta Stone Rosetta Stone offers a military discount to active duty, retired and veteran military personnel.

60. Secret Sockets Secret Sockets theOUTlet Outlet Expander replaces the old-fashioned socket, instantly doubling the number of outlets and adds two USB ports without taking up wall or floor space. Active duty military personnel can get 25 percent off using their GovX ID.

61. Sherwin-Williams Paint the town red, white and blue! Sherwin-Williams offers a 15 percent military discount to active duty, retired and  veteran military personnel and spouses year-round.

62. Shoney’s Shoney’s has a 15 percent off discount for all military and veterans, as well as first responders, in uniform or with valid ID.

63. The Sweat Relief Company Veterans with valid ID can get $3 off purchases at The Sweat Relief Company using code “VETERAN” this Memorial Day Weekend.

64. T-Mobile T-Mobile offers discounts for military personnel and their families for up to six phone lines.

65. Texas de Brazil Texas de Brazil offers military members, veterans, first responders, nurses and teachers a 20 percent discount off of regular dinner and lunch prices, good for up to four guests per visit with valid ID.

66. Tuft & Needle Tuft & Needle offers 15 percent off for military personnel, veterans, healthcare workers and first responders.

67. Uncharted Supply Co. Uncharted Supply Co. offers a 20 percent discount to all active-duty military, veterans and dependents throughout the entire month of May.

68. Under Armour Under Armour offers a 10 percent discount for active duty and retired military and veterans as well as their families. First responders, nurses, teachers, doctors and EMTs are also eligible for the discount, which is upped to 40 percent off for a limited time.

^ It’s important to remember the men and women of the US Military everyday (especially on Memorial Day) and these discounts are one small way to say “Thank You” to those that risk their lives for us. ^

https://parade.com/1037393/jessicasager/memorial-day-freebies-veterans/

Terrorists Sentenced

 From the BBC:

“Three sentenced over Barcelona and Cambrils jihadist attacks”

Three men who assisted the perpetrators of jihadist terrorist attacks in and around Barcelona that killed 16 people in 2017 have been jailed in Spain. Two of the group were handed sentences of 53 and 46 years, while a third man was given an eight-year jail term. One of the perpetrators rammed a van into pedestrians in Barcelona's Las Ramblas tourist area, before a twin attack was launched in a nearby town. The Islamic State group (IS) said it carried out the attacks. The trio were found to have helped the perpetrators, who were all shot dead by police. Mohamed Houli Chemlal, 24, and Driss Oukabir, 32, were sentenced to 53 and 46 years respectively for offences that included belonging to a terrorist group and manufacturing and possessing explosives. However, the judges said the pair would not serve more than 20 years behind bars. A third man, Said Ben Iazza, 26, was given an eight-year term for collaborating with a terrorist group. During the investigation, Chemlal said the cell had planned to target sites like Barcelona's Sagrada Familia basilica. Police also found paperwork relating to Barcelona's Camp Nou football stadium and the Eiffel Tower in Paris. But the charges they were sentenced over relate to an accidental explosion at a house in the small town of Alcanar, which is 200km (124 miles) south of Barcelona, that happened the day before the attacks began. Explosives and gas canisters were stored in the building, and Chemlal later told investigators the cell had been planning attacks "on an even greater scale". The material they were planning to use was destroyed in the blast, police said. The explosion also killed the group's leader, a 44-year-old imam.

What happened in 2017? On 17 August 2017, a rented white van was driven down Barcelona's busy Las Ramblas avenue at high speed. It careered into pedestrians along the packed street which sits at the heart of the city's tourist area. Fourteen people were killed and more than 100 were injured. The victims included people from Australia, Germany, Italy, Portugal and the US. After driving the van, 22-year-old Abouyaaqoub, then abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene on foot. He later hijacked a car and killed the driver. The following day, five members of the jihadist cell drove to Cambrils which is 100km (62 miles) down the coast from Barcelona. The launched a knife attack on the promenade and one woman was killed. All five men were shot dead by police. Abouyaaqoub was also killed by police on 21 August after spending several days on the run.

^ It makes no sense to sentence a Terrorist to 53 or 46 years and then say they will only serve 20 years. It is not taking Terrorism or the Victims’ Deaths seriously. ^

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-57274312

Canada's Afghan War Designs

From the CBC:

“Veterans Affairs asks for public feedback on Canada's Afghan war monument”

Almost a decade after Canada's combat operations in Afghanistan ended, Veterans Affairs is asking for public feedback on five design proposals for a national monument to commemorate this country's longest war. The veterans department has launched an online survey to allow Canadians to evaluate concept art for the memorial, which is expected to be constructed across from the Canadian War Museum in downtown Ottawa. Almost two years ago, teams of artists, landscape architects, architects and other urban design professionals were invited to provide ideas and samples of their work. A jury of experts settled on five proposals.

The Liberal government conducted consultations with veterans and other interested parties on the elements of the monument. The results of those consultations, published in a report last year, said it should "primarily commemorate and honour the ultimate sacrifice made by those who were killed in Afghanistan." Many of those who took part also said the sacrifices of family members should be incorporated into the memorial. Interestingly, the report also noted that the monument needed to be "impressive" in its size and scope and "should not be less than other monuments because that would indicate that this mission was less significant and that the sacrifice was seen as less significant."

The public consultation on the design options will last until June 9 — almost 10 years to the day after the army's last combat operation in Kandahar concluded. Canadian troops, operating in the Panjwaii district, conducted sweeps of contested villages up to June 6, 2011, before turning the sector over to U.S. forces. The ceremonial end of the five-year combat deployment was marked almost a month later on July 1, 2011. Four of the five memorial proposals include some form of a wall of remembrance to the 165 Canadian soldiers and civilians who lost their lives. The groups behind the five designs are Team Daoust, Team Hapa, Team Lashley, Team PFS Studio and Team Stimson.

 The fact that there has been no separate national monument to the Afghan war has been a source of controversy and irritation among the roughly 40,000 troops who served and fought there. A battlefield cenotaph which sat outside of the Canadian headquarters in Kandahar now sits in a purpose-built hall outside of National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa. Public access to it is limited by the security restrictions in place at the complex. The former Conservative government announced plans in 2015 to build a large, permanent national memorial in downtown Ottawa, but that project became bogged down in disagreements over location. The matter was resolved a few years ago when The National Capital Commission quietly announced in a news release that a site had been chosen at Lebreton Flats in downtown Ottawa. The national monument is not expected to be completed until the mid-2020s, at the earliest.

^ Canada needs to have a National Afghanistan War Memorial to remember the Canadian Men and Women that fought and died there. I personally like either Design #1 or Design #5. ^

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/afghan-war-monument-public-1.6041524

Changing Benefits

From News Nation:

“Here are the states discontinuing or changing additional federal unemployment benefits”

Several states have begun requiring those receiving unemployment benefits to show they are actively searching for work, and a few will stop providing the additional federal supplement altogether. The requirement had been waived during the pandemic as unemployment rates surged due to business closures and cutbacks to meet the state’s public health restrictions.  Congress passed legislation at the start of the year to extend an additional $300 in weekly benefits to eligible individuals through September. The benefits were extended as part of the $1.9 trillion government aid package backed by the Biden administration and passed by a narrowly divided Congress.  Some Republican-led states say the extra unemployment money is keeping those out of work from rejoining the labor force and making it hard for employers to fill jobs. Federal Reserve policymakers, who typically try to stay out of partisan debates, pointed to factors other than unemployment benefits for keeping workers on the sidelines, including the threat of the coronavirus pandemic.

Here are the states discontinuing additional federal unemployment and those increasing requirements:

Alabama Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said Alabama will end its participation in all federally funded pandemic unemployment compensation programs effective June 19. This includes the additional $300 weekly payment to recipients of unemployment compensation; benefits to gig and part-time workers who would not usually qualify; and an emergency extension of benefits.

Alaska Alaska will stop participating in a federal program that provides an extra $300 a week in unemployment aid in June, the state labor commissioner announced, saying it’s “time to help people get back to work.”

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey announced individuals must prove they are actively looking for work in order to receive additional benefits. The requirement will begin being enforced the week of Sunday, May 23. The governor also announced the end of federal virus relief funds of an extra $300. That goes into effect on July 10. It means unemployed Arizonans will again get $240 a week, the second-lowest weekly rate in the nation. Ducey is continuing federally sponsored programs that extend the standard 26 weeks of pay by another 29 weeks and allow gig workers such as Uber drivers to qualify for unemployment pay, although those payments will also be reduced by $300 a week. Ducey is also adding in a $2,000 bonus paid to workers who get and keep a full-time job for at least 10 weeks. Part-time workers will get $1,000.

Arkansas  Arkansas is ending its participation in the federal unemployment program that gives workers an additional $300 a week, Gov. Asa Hutchinson said, citing a shortage of workers. The state’s participation in the program will end after June 26.

Connecticut Connecticut is offering a different incentive to find wrok: a $1,000 signing bonus. Starting May 24, up to 10,000 people considered to have been unemployed for the “long-term” will be able to sign up on the state Department of Labor’s website and ultimately get paid the bonus after they’ve spent eight weeks in their new full-time job. Governor Ned Lamont said long-term unemployed could mean about eight to 12 weeks without a job. Meanwhile, Connecticut is expected on June 1 to again require people receiving unemployment benefits to regularly report their job searches to the Department of Labor, according to the governor.

Florida Florida is planning to end participation in the federal program that gave an extra $300 per week in benefits to the unemployed during the pandemic on June 26. Florida will continue to participate in other federal pandemic-related unemployment programs aimed at the self-employed, people who already have exhausted their unemployment benefits and gig workers.

Georgia Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp announced that the state will cut off the $300-a-week federal supplement to unemployed workers next month, saying employers are demanding that the state do more to force people into the workforce. Georgia’s elected labor commissioner will have to affirm Kemp’s decision. Republican Mark Butler said last week he intends to reinstate the requirement that people must actively search for work to receive unemployment benefits “in the next few months.” Butler didn’t say exactly when the job search requirement would return.

Idaho Republican Gov. Brad Little announced he is ending the state’s participation in all federal coronavirus pandemic unemployment programs. The programs include a weekly supplement of $300, unemployment help for the self-employed, and an emergency program that extended benefits when regular benefits ended. The Republican governor said the three programs will end June 19.

Indiana Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb announced Indiana is dropping out of the extra $300 in weekly federal payments to unemployed workers and other programs that expanded unemployment benefits. The changes would take effect June 19. Holcomb signed an executive order May 11 that reinstates a requirement that those receiving unemployment benefits will again have to show they are actively searching for work as of June 1. Indiana is also ending its participation in a federal program that has made gig workers and the self-employed eligible for assistance for the first time and another that provides extra weeks of aid.

Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds announced Tuesday that Iowa will join a bevy of GOP-led states ending pandemic-related federal programs that give extra cash to unemployed workers. The state will end the federal boosts, including the additional $300-a-week unemployment payment, Reynolds said in a news release. That benefit was scheduled to run through early September but instead will end June 12.

Kentucky Kentucky restored unemployment work-search requirements on May 9. Kentucky residents must make at least one job contact each week to receive benefits.

Maine Traditional work search requirements for unemployment insurance will be reinstated by May 23, according to the Maine Department of Labor.

Massachusetts  The state’s work search requirements will be reinstated for all those seeking regular unemployment insurance benefits beginning the week of June 15. The requirement applies to those receiving Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation and those on extended benefits.  The reinstatement of the work search requirement means that beginning the week of June 13, those seeking unemployment benefits must attest each week that they are making at least three work-search activities per week and provide proof of work search activity to the Department of Unemployment Assistance if requested.

Michigan Michigan will reinstate a requirement that people receiving unemployment benefits show they are actively searching for work, effective May 30, but has no plan to end a $300 weekly federal supplement. Claimants will have to conduct at least one work-search activity for each week they certify for benefits.

Mississippi Mississippi will opt out of additional federal unemployment benefits June 12, Republican Gov. Tate Reeves announced in May.

Missouri Republican Gov. Mike Parsons announced in May the Show Me state would be cutting off all federal pandemic unemployment benefits in an attempt to push people back to work. The extra federal benefits are set to end for Missourians June 12.

Montana Beginning June 27, unemployed workers in the state will no longer receive $300 in weekly extra benefits funded by the federal government through Sept. 6.

Nebraska Nebraska will end a $300-a-week unemployment bonus that has been going to jobless workers during the pandemic on June 19. he state is also stopping pandemic assistance for people who earn money from both self-employment and wages, and a program that extended regular benefits once they were exhausted.

New Hampshire Republican Gov. Chris Sununu announced work search requirements will now be required to receive unemployment benefits beginning May 23.

New Mexico Starting May 10, New Mexico state labor officials said claimants must verify that they have made at least two work search contacts per week to continue receiving the jobless payments. They must provide information on when they contacted employers about prospective jobs, what type of work it was and other details.

North Dakota North Dakota will terminate its participation in the federal government’s pandemic-related unemployment assistance programs, effective June 19.

Ohio Ohio restored its unemployment weekly work-search requirement, according to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. The requirement will begin May 23.  The weekly $300 federal unemployment payment for Ohioans to offset the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic will also end June 26.

Oklahoma Oklahoma will end a $300-a-week supplemental unemployment benefit June 26, Gov. Kevin Stitt announced. To incentivize unemployed people to return to the work, Stitt said the state will offer a $1,200 stipend for the first 20,000 workers who get off unemployment and work at least 32 hours per week at a qualifying job. Claimants can begin applying on June 28.

Pennsylvania The state will resume work search requirements beginning July 18, meaning people claiming jobless benefits will have to satisfy the requirements during the previous week. Acting labor and industry secretary Jennifer Berrier said a work registration requirement will resume in September. The requirement will affect all unemployment programs, including unemployment compensation and its extension, the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program and the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, the department said. The work-search requirement means people receiving unemployment benefits must apply for two jobs and complete one work-search activity from an approved list of seven options each week, such as attending a job fair, take a pre-employment test or post a resume or search for jobs in the state’s PA CareerLink system.

South Carolina The state will opt out of the coronavirus pandemic assistance programs beginning June 30. South Carolina was one of the first states to decline participation in the federal program.

Tennessee Extra federal unemployment aid offered amid the COVID-19 pandemic won’t be available in Tennessee starting July 3, including the end of $300 weekly additional payments.

Texas Texas will opt out of further federal unemployment compensation related to the COVID-19 pandemic, effective June 26, 2021. This includes the $300 weekly unemployment supplement from the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program.

Utah Utah will terminate its participation in the federal government’s pandemic-related unemployment assistance program on June 26.

Vermont Vermont will now require residents filing for unemployment to apply for three jobs each week to continue receiving benefits. Additionally residents must “accept work that is offered” to them according to Vermont’s Department of Labor website.

Virginia The Virginia work search requirement, which requires claimants to make two job contacts a week, will resume June 1.

Wyoming Republican Gov. Mark Gordon announced Wyoming will end its participation in federal supplemental unemployment benefits by June 19. The state will not longer accept new claims by June 19 in the following programs: federal pandemic unemployment compensation, pandemic emergency unemployment compensation and pandemic unemployment assistance.

^ The extra Federal money was needed by the States and the Unemployed when people were forced not to work because of Covid. Now that the country is re-opened and over half are vaccinated the unemployed need to be encouraged to find work. I like the States where the Federal money is ending and where the State is giving the unemployed who find a job a one-time Job Bonus (like New Hampshire.) That way it gives a little (and temporary) help while also encouraging people to get back to work. ^

https://www.newsnationnow.com/health/coronavirus/here-are-the-states-discontinuing-or-changing-additional-federal-unemployment-benefits/