Wednesday, January 08, 2020

UPDATED Democrats demand answers over detained Iranian-Americans at border

THE OBSCENITY OF THE AMERICAN SECURITY STATE

Democrats demand answers over detained Iranian-Americans at border
By Darryl Coote
Jan. 8 (UPI) -- House Democrats have sent a letter to the Trump administration demanding answers in connection to reports of dozens of Iranian-Americans detained over the weekend at the U.S.-Canada border.

On Sunday, the Council on American Islamic relations said more than 60 Iranians and U.S. citizens of Iranian descent were detained at the Peace Arch Border Crossing in Blaine, Washington, while attempting to re-enter the United States from British Columbia, Canada.

The advocacy group reported people were subjected to secondary screening for up to 10 hours, accusations U.S. Customs and Border Protection denied.

In the letter addressed to Chad Wolf, acting secretary of Homeland Security; Mark Morgan, acting commissioner of CBP; and Kenneth Williams, port director for Blaine, the Democrats said they were writing to express their "alarm" at the reports of people of Iranian heritage being detained at the border.

"Observers on the ground have reported that as many as 200 people were held for secondary inspection during this period. Many impacted individuals were U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, including seniors and children," the Democrats said in the letter.

Following news of the alleged detentions over the weekend, CBP released a statement saying the department was not under a directive to subject people of Iranian descent to further screening amid heightened tensions with the Middle Eastern country and the longer processing time was "due to increased volume and reduced staff during the holiday season."

The Democrats dismissed these statements as they do not address why "pre-cleared U.S. citizen travelers" were placed in secondary inspection for hours or why some people were detained throughout Saturday starting at as early as 8 a.m.

The Democrats are demanding a briefing on the matter, the entry port's data for Friday to Monday and documents on whether directives or orders were issued regarding the screening of people of Iranian heritage in response to escalating tensions with the Middle Eastern country.

The information is to be delivered no later than Jan. 21, the letter said.

The letter was signed by House judiciary subcommittee on immigration and citizenship Vice Chair Pramila Jayapal, House judiciary committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, House judiciary subcommittee on immigration and citizenship Chair Zoe Lofgren, House homeland security Chairman Bennie Thompson and House oversight and reform committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney.


'My kids are US citizens. This is not okay': Iranian-Americans held on the US-Canada border over the weekend speak out despite CBP DENYING the citizens were detained in the midst of rising tensions with Tehran

  • On Monday Negah Hekmati spoke on her harrowing five hours held at the Peace Arch Border Crossing early Sunday morning 
  • Despite often traveling to Canada from her Seattle area home, this time her family was questioned about their origins and military service in Iran 
  • 'My kids shouldn’t experience such things. They are US citizens,' she said 
  • Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal said Monday up to 200 people of Iranian descent were held at the US-Canada border over the weekend 
  • CBP told DailyMail.com in a statement reports of detainment are false and facilities simply experienced long processing times
  • Kiara Vaziri, an Iranian American, was also traveling from Washington to Canada on Saturday when her family was held and her passport and car keys taken
  • The National Iranian American Council filed a formal complaint with the Department of Homeland Security about the CBP detainment
Iranian Americans are speaking out about how they were held and questioned by immigration officers at the US border, despite claims from Customs and Border Protection that no such detentions took place. 
Up to 200 people were held by border agents at the US border with Canada in Washington State on Sunday, where they were questioned abut their political views and backgrounds, despite many being American citizens, officials say. 
The startling move by CBP took place in the midst of escalating tensions between Tehran and Washington where Iran has vowed to retaliate for the killing of General Qassem Soleimani and Trump has ramped up his threats. 
'My kids shouldn’t experience such things. They are US citizens. This is not okay,' Negah Hekmati said, revealing she and her family were pulled out of line and questioned by Customs and Border Protection agents and held for five overnight hours at the Peace Arch Border Crossing early Sunday morning.
Iranian-Americans say they were held at US-Canada border

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'My kids shouldn’t experience such things. They are US citizens. This is not okay,' Negah Hekmati, who is Iranian said. She revealed she and her family were pulled out of line and questioned by Customs and Border Protection agents and held for five hours at the Peace Arch Border Crossing
'My kids shouldn’t experience such things. They are US citizens. This is not okay,' Negah Hekmati, who is Iranian said. She revealed she and her family were pulled out of line and questioned by Customs and Border Protection agents and held for five hours at the Peace Arch Border Crossing
On Monday Negah Hekmati shared her store at a press conference in Seattle led by Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal where civil rights groups and lawmakers demanded answers. However, Customs and Border Protection deny that such detentions took place
On Monday Negah Hekmati shared her store at a press conference in Seattle led by Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal where civil rights groups and lawmakers demanded answers. However, Customs and Border Protection deny that such detentions took place
Rep. Pramily Jayapal shared this picutre smiling with Negah Kehmati, praising her for speaking up. She said she and her family travel to Canada without issue multiple times a year - but this time they were stopped and asked the purpose of their trip and their country of origin
Rep. Pramily Jayapal shared this picutre smiling with Negah Kehmati, praising her for speaking up. She said she and her family travel to Canada without issue multiple times a year - but this time they were stopped and asked the purpose of their trip and their country of origin
Negah pictured with her two young children
Negah pictured with her two young children
On Monday Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal held a press conference saying she did not believe Border Patrol did not receive a directive to hold Iranian Americans at the border. CBP, on the other hand, claimed they were short staffed and customers faced long wait times. 
The Democrat said as many as 200 people of Iranian descent may have been affected. 
'We went there Tuesday night and we were there for a few days. For Christmas we were there too and we go to Canada pretty often, once every month, and we never had such a problem,' Hekmati said, adding they visited for skiing and to visit family, during the press conference. 
Hekmati was with her husband, and son, eight, and daughter, five, traveling in their car passing an immigration booth on the highway. One of her kids was born in the US and the other was born in Canada. 
Unlike their other trips across the border, this time when they waved their NEXUS cards - a pass for pre-approved, low-risk travelers between Canada and the US - they were stopped and asked where they were coming from, the purpose of their trip, and where they were born. 
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Upon hearing Negah and her husband were born in Iran they brought them inside and they were held for five hours.  
They asked her the identities of her parents, siblings, uncles and cousins and asked if her husband, a software engineer at Microsoft, had any military service in his past, which is mandatory for all males in the country. 
'I'm an Iranian. Besides this incident, I'm worried for my family and friends that I have in Iran. All of a sudden you pass the border and they hold you for five hours. This is unacceptable. It's very unfortunate,' Hekmati said. 
She said her children were 'very frightened' and her young daughter told her to stop speaking Farsi, thinking it could prevent her from being taken to jail. 
'This is not okay. My kids should be proud of their heritage,' she said. 
Kiara Vaziri, an Iranian American, was also traveling from Washington to Canada on Saturday when her family was held and her passport and car keys taken. Pictured with her brother Darian
Kiara Vaziri, an Iranian American, was also traveling from Washington to Canada on Saturday when her family was held and her passport and car keys taken. Pictured with her brother Darian
Darian Vaziri shared this picture on January 5 on Facebook showing the long line of Iranian Americans being held at the Washington-Canada border on Satrday
Darian Vaziri shared this picture on January 5 on Facebook showing the long line of Iranian Americans being held at the Washington-Canada border on Satrday
He vented about the experience on Facebook saying: 'I thought they got the information they needed when they found out we were all AMERICAN CITIZENS and realized there was nothing more to check, but oh boy was I wrong. We waited there for 4 freaking hours with no food and no explanation. As you can see, you’ve got a 5 year old kid here sleeping in the god damn room cause he doesn’t know if he’s getting to his bed tonight.'
He vented about the experience on Facebook saying: 'I thought they got the information they needed when they found out we were all AMERICAN CITIZENS and realized there was nothing more to check, but oh boy was I wrong. We waited there for 4 freaking hours with no food and no explanation. As you can see, you’ve got a 5 year old kid here sleeping in the god damn room cause he doesn’t know if he’s getting to his bed tonight.'
More than 100 people of Iranian descent appear to have been held up at Washington's border with Canada over the weekend. 
Iranian American Mona Zabihian was one of them. She tried to return to Washington from Canada late Saturday after attending a concert. 
She said she made trips across the border several times a year and never had an issue. This time she was questioned and held for hours on end. 
'We went inside, we saw a bunch of other Iranians, pregnant woman, children. I saw one of my friends from Seattle,' she said to NBC News. 
Zabihian claimed that one agent said, 'You guys are all U.S. citizens, you should not have to go through this.'
'He mentioned that this was not a nationwide order. It was only a Washington border order,' she said. 
Kiara Vaziri, an Iranian American, was also traveling from Washington to Canada on Saturday when her family was held and her passport and car keys taken. 
'Some people got their phones taken away and were told to give their iPhone, Facebook, and Instagram passwords,' she said to NBC. 
The incidents of long processing times and detainment took place at the Peace Arch Border Crossing in Blaine, Washington (above)
The incidents of long processing times and detainment took place at the Peace Arch Border Crossing in Blaine, Washington (above)
While she and her brother, who have never been to Iran, were let off easy after answering three questions, their parents were peppered with questions about their backgrounds, high schools, military service, travels to Iran, and clan and militia affiliations. 
'We walked in thinking it was just a "random" search as a formality, being that it hadn’t been the first time we were chosen for "random" secondary screening at airports and what not. Once we got inside, we realized that it was not only full of minorities, but Iranians.' 
After reports emerged Sunday of the detainment, the National Iranian American Council filed a formal complaint with the Department of Homeland Security about the incident. 
The office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties said it was investigating secondary screenings of Iranian Americans at the border. 
Governor Jay Inslee condemned the detention as alarming.
'The reports out of the border crossing at Blaine are deeply alarming. Washingtonians who happen to be Iranian-American were detained at the Canadian-US coder for extended periods fo time for no other reason than their ethnicity or country of origin. This is wrong and rife with constitutional and moral problems,' he said. 
'Customs and Border Protection denials of these reports are simply not credible. There are multiple firsthand accounts of CBP agents seizing people's passports while they waited for up to 12 hours for re-entry int he US,' he said, warning of an echo of Japanese-American internment camps in Washington back in WWII. 
On Sunday CBP told DailyMail.com in a statement that 'Social media posts that CBP is detaining Iranian-Americans and refusing their entry into the U.S. because of their country of origin are false.'
'At the Blaine POE, wait times increased to an average of two hours on Saturday evening, although some travelers experienced wait times of up to four hours due to increased volume and reduced staff during the holiday season,' CBP added. 
Governor Jay Inslee condemned the detention as alarming in a lengthy statement
Governor Jay Inslee condemned the detention as alarming in a lengthy statement
On Tuesday CBP said they had no further comments or details to add from that prior statement. 
An agency official told Congress on Monday leaders in local offices had been 'asked to remain vigilant and increase their situational awareness given the evolving threat environment.' 
About a half dozen people of Iranian descent were held for additional questioning in Washington - where they were asked about their family and background even though a majority were American citizens.
One woman said she was asked to write down the name of the high school she graduated from in Iran 39 years ago.
Sepehr Ebrahimzadeh said he was asked about his parents' time in the military service before the 1979 Iranian Revolution, according to the New York Times.
Some, including Negah, were asked to identify their Facebook accounts. 
'United States citizens and legal permanent residents do not have to answer questions about their political views or religious views and practices, and cannot be denied entry into the United States for declining to answer these questions,' Hina Shamsi, director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s National Security Project, said at Monday's press conference, saying the detainment was in violation of the First Amendment. 
DAIRY CRISIS IN USA
Wisconsin lost 10 percent of its dairy farms in 2019
By Jessie Higgins
JAN. 8, 2020 


Wisconsin lost 818 dairy farms in 2019, roughly 10 percent of the state's farms. Data showing the number of farms lost across the country will be released later this month. Photo courtesy of Pixabay

EVANSVILLE, Ind., Jan. 8 (UPI) -- More than 800 dairies went out of business in Wisconsin last year, making 2019 among the worst years ever recorded for dairy closures in the state.

"This is a big deal," said Mark Stephenson, the director of dairy policy analysis at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's College of Agricultural Life Sciences. "We lost 10 percent of the dairy farms. We've had some years approach that number, but this is the biggest one on record that I can find."
It's a trend happening across the country, Stephenson added. Waning consumer demand, loss of trade and an oversupply of milk have driven milk prices too low for farms to profit.


America's largest milk producer, Dean Foods, filed for bankruptcy protection in November, citing "a challenging operating environment" and declining "consumer milk consumption." And on Sunday, a second major American dairy company, Bordon Dairy, also filed for bankruptcy protection.

RELATED Milk producer Borden Dairy files for bankruptcy

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has not yet released data on the number of dairies that closed throughout the country last year, but experts expect that -- like the Wisconsin numbers -- they will be high.

For the last five years, milk prices have been too low for the majority farmers to make a profit -- and many could not earn enough to cover their bills.

"There have been multiple farms close around here," said Dan Brick, the owner of Brickstead Dairy, a 1,000-cow farm in Greenleaf, Wis. "There was one that just had an auction last week. It was a 500-cow dairy, and they just closed and auctioned off their cows. People are struggling."

RELATED Milk producer Dean Foods files for bankruptcy

But that trend could be changing.

In the final months of 2019, milk prices rose to 20 cents per pound -- the highest they had been since 2014. As of Tuesday, the price was roughly 17 cents per pound, according to the Chicago Mercantile Exchange -- still higher than the average price during the last five years, which was mostly below 16 per pound.

"It makes it a little easier to get out of bed in the morning when you're making money," said Charles Young, the owner of a 65-cow dairy in Mosinee, Wis.

RELATED U.S. loses 100,000 dairy cows in last year as more dairy farms close

The price is rising now because milk production -- finally -- is decreasing, said Bob Cropp, an emeritus professor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Department of Agriculture and Applied Economics.

For the last five years, the dairy industry was producing more milk than the marketed needed. Milk prices in 2014 hit a record high, Cropp said. Dairy farms across the country responded by adding more cows and increasing production.

America's various trade disputes with Mexico, Canada and China -- some of the United States' top milk buyers -- have strained the dairy industry further, Cropp said.

Despite the low prices, production remained high through the first half of 2019. But by fall, the mounting farm closures began slowly slowing production.

Between July 2018 and July 2019, the U.S. dairy herd lost 100,000 cows -- shrinking from 9.4 million animals to 9.3 million. The USDA will release the updated figures on the U.S. cow herd size later this month.

"It took a little while to slow production," Cropp said. "But, we're working our way out of the supply and demand situation."

Experts predict prices will stay elevated during 2020. Many dairies continue to fold, unable to recover from five years of losses, Stephenson said. And those that remain will likely lack the capital to increase production.

"We're very optimistic about it," Brick said. "Prices have rebounded. We're not making a pile of money, but we're in the black again. We're due for a good year."

Borden is latest big milk producer to go bust

BY KATE GIBSON

JANUARY 6, 2020 / 2:19 PM / MONEYWATCH

The glass is looking half empty for big milk companies these days, as Borden Dairy Company becomes the second large producer in recent months to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Blame, among several factors, more Americans drinking dairy alternatives made with soy, rice or nuts, industry experts said.

Founded in 1857, the Texas company known for its mascot "Elie the Cow" cited the rising cost of raw milk and market challenges facing the dairy industry as making Borden's level of debt unsustainable, according to a company statement.

America's consumption of cow milk has lagged in recent years amid a surge in popularity of nut-based milks and as retailers offer their own low-cost house brands to bring in more shoppers. Making business even more difficult is the nation's dwindling supply of dairy farmers. That has dented supply and pushed raw-milk costs up nearly 30% over the past year, court papers filed in the case noted.

Dean Foods. the country's biggest milk producer, declared bankruptcy in November and entered into advanced talks with Dairy Farmers of America about a possible sale. Dean's losses also escalated after its No. 1 customer, Walmart, started producing its own milk.

Borden draws a distinction between its situation and Dean's, telling vendors in a notice on its website that it has "solid earnings" while "Dean Foods is not profitable." While Dean intends to sell its assets, Borden said it intends to continue its business "once we fix our balance sheet."

Acquired by private-equity firm Acon Investments in 2017, Borden listed assets and liabilities of between $100 million and $500 million in its Chapter 11 filing. The company has 3,300 people and operates 13 milk processing plants and nearly 100 branches across the U.S., producing nearly 500 million gallons of milk annually.

"This reorganization will strengthen our position for future prosperity," Borden CEO Tony Sarsam stated late Sunday in announcing the move into federal bankruptcy court. "We will continue serving our customers, employees and other stakeholders and operating business as usual throughout this process."

As for Dean Foods' fate, the Dairy Farmers of America said Monday it continues to consider a deal to buy some or all of the company's assets.

First published on January 6, 2020 / 2:19 PM
 More than Aus$25 mn raised as Australia reels from bushfire fury
AFP / PETER PARKSThe bushfire crisis in Australia has destroyed hundreds of homes and burnt vast swathes of the country
A global appeal to help Australian firefighters tackling catastrophic bushfires raised more than Aus$25 million on Monday, as swaths of the country suffered extensive damage and the death toll from the long-running crisis hit 24.
East coast seaside towns were plunged into darkness, ash rained down on rural communities and major cities were again cloaked in choking smoke, even as stunned Australians tried to regroup amid a wave of cooler air and light rain.
The weekend marked some of the worst days in the country's deadly bushfire crisis, with hundreds more properties destroyed and the overall death toll climbing to 24, including a man who died Saturday trying to save a friend's home.
AFP / SAEED KHANThick smoke from bushfires has blanketed towns in Bemboka, in Australia's New South Wales state
Comedian Celeste Barber used her international social media fame to launch a Facebook fundraiser for firefighters that had surpassed its Aus$25 million ($17 million) target in just three days with donations from all over the globe.
American pop star Pink said she would donate US$500,000 to the firefighters, a donation matched by Australian actress Nicole Kidman.
World number one tennis player Ashleigh Barty pledged to hand over all her winnings from this week's Brisbane International tournament -- potentially US$250,000 -- to the Red Cross.
Around 200 fires continued to burn Sunday, many out of control, although only a handful prompted emergency warnings as temperatures dipped.
AFP / PETER PARKSEverywhere, millions of beleaguered residents struggled to come to grips with a catastrophe that has taken place on a near-continental scale, unfurled over months and altered daily life
Everywhere, millions of beleaguered residents struggled to come to grips with a catastrophe that has taken place on a near-continental scale, unfurled over months, altering daily life.
"We're in uncharted territory," New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said. "We can't pretend that this is something that we have experienced before. It's not."
Authorities have struggled to keep pace with the severity of the crisis -- which has now scorched an area almost the size of Ireland.
While bushfires are common in Australia's dry summers, climate change has pushed up land and sea temperatures and led to more extremely hot days and severe fire seasons.
- Decades to recover -
Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Saturday announced the country's largest military call-up in years, mobilising up to 3,000 reservists to assist exhausted volunteer firefighters.
AFP / SAEED KHANAsh from bushfires has washed up on beaches in Australia's New South Wales
Warships and combat helicopters have already been repurposed to help with the largest maritime evacuation in Australia since World War II -- moving to safety some of the 4,000 people trapped for days on the foreshore of Mallacoota, midway between Sydney and Melbourne.
Up and down the coast, thousands of people remained displaced and many more weighed an uncertain future.
Noreen Ralston-Birchaw, 75, lost her home in the southeast coastal town of Mogo on New Year's Eve and said she was unsure what to do.
"At this very moment, I don't want to go back and see my house laying burnt on the ground," she told AFP. "I don't want to rebuild there."
Morrison also announced the establishment of a Bushfire Recovery Agency to run for at least two years and help survivors get back on their feet, a signal that the path ahead will be long and difficult.
AFP / SAEED KHANTens of thousands of volunteer firefighters have been hailed for their unrelenting battle against the blazes
Even for those not in the fires' direct path, the crisis has put Australia's much-admired outdoor lifestyle on hold: barbecues have been barred under blanket fire bans, top sporting events have been called off and beach trips cancelled.
The country's distinctive flora and fauna will take years or decades to recover -- countless thousands of gum trees have been lost and experts on Kangaroo Island said half the koala population has been wiped out.
Queen Elizabeth II on Sunday said she was "deeply saddened" by the fires, and thanked the emergency services "who put their own lives in danger" to help communities.
- Easing conditions -
Sunday brought milder conditions, including some rainfall in New South Wales and neighbouring Victoria state, but some communities were still under threat from out-of-control blazes, particularly in and around the town of Eden in New South Wales near the Victorian border.
AFP / SAEED KHANClimate change has pushed up land and sea temperatures and led to more extremely hot days and severe fire seasons
"The sky is still red," said John Steele, 73, who was evacuated with his wife from their rural property north of Eden late Saturday. "We're not out of the woods yet."
In Cooma, in inland southern New South Wales, the fire crisis turned into a flood disaster when a large tower carrying 4.5 million litres of water collapsed, sweeping away cars and filling homes with mud.
"First bushfire and now flood, back-to-back disasters," a shaken resident who asked not to be named told AFP.
Australia's capital Canberra was ranked as the city with the poorest air quality in the world on Sunday by Air Visual, an independent online air-quality index monitor, amid a severe haze caused by the fires.
Flights were cancelled, galleries were closed to safeguard public health and a large consignment of face masks was being brought in.
In some rural areas affected by fires, police patrolled the streets amid reports of looting and break-ins.
GLOBALIZATIONS NEXT SWEATSHOP NATION


Cambodia building collapse death toll hits 36 as rescue called off

AFP / TANG CHHIN SothyA rescuer carries a puppy that was found underneath rubble of an under-construction building that collapsed in southern Cambodia
The search for victims in the rubble of a collapsed building in southern Cambodia drew to a close Sunday with the final death toll at 36 -- the latest tragedy in a string of deadly construction accidents.
Cambodia Prime Minister Hun Sen, said 23 people had been pulled alive from the rubble of the seven-storey hotel, which crumpled to the ground in seaside Kep on Friday afternoon.
On Sunday rescuers also managed to free a dog trapped in the debris.
"This is yet another tragedy," said Hun Sen, who promised families of victims would get $50,000 each in compensation, while those injured would receive $20,000, he said.
He told reporters the contractor responsible for the construction had died in the accident, while the building's owner had been detained.
AFP / TANG CHHIN SothyCambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen (R) speaks during a press conference at the site of the collapse
The rescue effort lasted more 40 hours, mobilizing hundreds of soldiers and labourers using excavators, drills and power saws to clear concrete and cut through metal bars of the pancaked structure.
Cambodia is undergoing a construction boom, with hotels, high-rises and casinos springing up under little regulatory oversight.
The tough and often dangerous labour is undertaken by an estimated 200,000 construction workers, mostly unskilled, reliant on day wages and not protected by union rules, according to the International Labour Organisation.
AFP / TANG CHHIN SothyRescue personnel carry a body from the wreckage of the collapsed building
Last June some 28 people died in the collapse of a building under construction in Sihanoukville, a beach town flush with Chinese investment that.
Worker advocacy groups point to low safety standards that raise the risk of accidents at construction sites -- which often serve as the temporary homes for the labourers and their families.
Worker Ei Kosal told AFP on Saturday that he, his wife and two other women were having a meal on site when the building collapsed.
Their two companions were crushed.
"I did not expect to survive... it's like I have just been reborn," Kosal from hospital.