Exclusive: White House working with Facebook and Twitter to tackle anti-vaxxers
By Nandita Bose
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House has been reaching out to social media companies including Facebook, Twitter and Alphabet Inc’s Google about clamping down on COVID misinformation and getting their help to stop it from going viral, a senior administration official said.
President Joe Biden, who has raced to curb the pandemic since taking office, has made inoculating Americans one of his top priorities and called the move “a wartime effort.” But tackling public fear about taking the vaccine has emerged as a major impediment for the administration.
Since the onset of the pandemic, calls from lawmakers asking the companies to tackle the spread of COVID misinformation on their platforms have grown.
The White House’s direct engagement with the companies to mitigate the challenge has not been previously reported. Biden’s chief of staff Ron Klain has previously said the administration will try to work with Silicon Valley on the issue.
“Disinformation that causes vaccine hesitancy is going to be a huge obstacle to getting everyone vaccinated and there are no larger players in that than the social media platforms,” said the source, who has direct knowledge of the White House’s efforts.
“We are talking to them ... so they understand the importance of misinformation and disinformation and how they can get rid of it quickly.”
The Biden White House is especially trying to make sure such material “does not start trending on such platforms and become a broader movement,” the source said.
The source cited the example of the anti-vaccine protests at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles in early February, and said the White House wants to stop events like that from happening again.
The protest, organized on Facebook through a page that promotes debunked claims about the coronavirus pandemic, masks and immunization, briefly blocked public access to the stadium - one of the largest vaccination sites in the country, where health authorities are administering more than 8,000 vaccines a day.
The event illustrated the extent to which social media platforms have become a critical organizing tool for movements such as the anti-vaccine drive, that spread misinformation and disinformation.
A growing number of anti-vaccine activists, emboldened by their rising social media following, have helped the movement gain strength in the United States. A report by the Center for Countering Digital Health in July 2020 found social media accounts held by anti-vaxxers have increased their following by at least 7·8 million people since 2019.
The companies have repeatedly vowed to get rid of such material on their platforms but gaps remain in their enforcement efforts.
On Thursday, Senator Richard Blumenthal criticized the platforms in a tweet for carrying ads that he said funds and promotes “dangerous conspiracy theories, COVID-19 disinformation and malign foreign propaganda.”
A Facebook spokeswoman said that the company has reached out to the White House to offer “any assistance we can provide” and has recently announced a new policy to remove COVID and vaccine misinformation along with pages, groups, and accounts that repeatedly spread such material.
A Twitter spokesman said the company is “in regular communication with the White House on a number of critical issues including COVID-19 misinformation.”
Alphabet Inc’s Google did not comment on engagement with the White House, instead pointing to a company blog on and how it stops misinformation.
The source said the companies “were receptive” as they engaged with the White House. “But it is too soon to say whether or not it translates into lessening the spread of misinformation.”
There will be more details on how the White House is engaging with the social media companies on this issue in the “next ten days or so”, the source added.
Reporting by Nandita Bose in Washington, Editing by Chris Sanders and Nick Zieminski
Friday, February 19, 2021
150 years of spills: Philadelphia refinery cleanup highlights toxic legacy of fossil fuels
By Laila Kearney, Valerie Volcovici
PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Wearing blue hard hats, white hazmat suits and respirator masks, workers carted away bags of debris on a recent morning from a sprawling and now-defunct oil refinery once operated by Philadelphia Energy Solutions (PES)
SURPRISES IN A TOXIC SOUP
Oil refining at the Philadelphia site began in 1870, 100 years before the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Gasoline, once a worthless byproduct of heating oil, was routinely dumped by the refinery into the soil, according to historians and researchers. Leaks and accidents spewed more toxins. The June 2019 blasts alone released 676,000 pounds of hydrocarbons, PES said at the time.
The Philadelphia site is not unique. About half of America’s 450,000 polluted former industrial and commercial sites are contaminated with petroleum, according to the EPA.
“That’s one of the reasons that a lot of these refineries have been kept going for such a long time,” said Fred Quivik, a Minnesota-based industrial historian. “They’re so contaminated, it’s hard to figure out what else to do with them.”
Cleanup in Philadelphia will be painstaking. After asbestos abatement comes the demolition and removal of 3,000 tanks and vessels, along with more than 100 buildings and other infrastructure, the company said.
Then comes the ground itself. Hilco’s Perez said dirt quality varies widely on the site and will have to be handled differently depending on contamination levels. Clearing toxins like lead must be done with chemical rinses or other technologies, said Charles Haas, professor of environmental engineering at Drexel University in Philadelphia.
The site also has polluted groundwater and giant benzene pools lurking underneath, according to environmental reports Sunoco filed over the years with the federal and state governments.
Perez, Hilco’s chief executive, said clean energy will be a centerpiece of the final project. The warehouse complex, for example, will aim to feature charging stations for a fleet of electric delivery vehicles, he said.
The company is also considering a hotel, residential homes, and a restaurant on the site, two people familiar with the plans said.
The project is expected to take 10 to 15 years to finish. Cleanup and construction are projected to create about 13,000 jobs, the company said, with another 19,000 jobs tied to warehousing, offices and transporting goods.
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
Abdul Muhammad, 34, who lives near the Philadelphia refinery, says life has improved since it shut down. His asthmatic baby son now sleeps through the night, while his wife’s chronic headaches have become less frequent.
“I just don’t want chemicals and environmentally contaminated things going in and out of there,” he said of his wishes for the site.
Philly Thrive, a community activist group, has been pressuring Hilco and city officials to ensure that neighborhood residents have a say in the cleanup and redevelopment.
Some of their hopes rest with the Biden administration, which has committed to direct 40% of any federal clean-energy investment to communities most impacted by industrial pollution.
But whether climate legislation emerges from a divided Congress remains to be seen.
Philadelphia officials hope PES can become a model for refinery cleanups elsewhere. Kenyatta Johnson, a city councilman who represents neighborhoods surrounding the facility, sees a healthy, more prosperous community emerging from its toxic shadow.
“Some may deem the site a health hazard and eyesore, but nevertheless it’s an opportunity,” Johnson said.
Reporting by Laila Kearney Philadelphia and Valerie Volcovici in Washington; additional reporting by Dane Rhys in Philadelphia; Editing by Richard Valdmanis, Brian Thevenot and Marla Dickerson
By Laila Kearney, Valerie Volcovici
PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Wearing blue hard hats, white hazmat suits and respirator masks, workers carted away bags of debris on a recent morning from a sprawling and now-defunct oil refinery once operated by Philadelphia Energy Solutions (PES)
Other laborers ripped asbestos from the guts of an old boiler house, part of a massive demolition and redevelopment of the plant, which closed in 2019 after a series of explosions at the facility.
Plans call for the nearly 1,400-acre site to be transformed into a new commercial hub with warehousing and offices. All it will take is a decade, hundreds of millions of dollars, and confronting 150 years’ worth of industrial pollution, including buried rail cars and a poisonous stew of waste fuels poured onto the ground. A U.S. refinery cleanup of this size and scope has no known precedent, remediation experts said.
It’s a glimpse of what lies ahead if the United States hopes to wean itself off fossil fuels and clean up the toxic legacy of oil, gas and coal.
President Joe Biden wants to bring the United States to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 to fight climate change through a shift to clean-energy technologies, while reducing pollution in low-income and minority neighborhoods near industrial facilities.
It’s a transition fraught with challenges. Among the biggest is what to do with the detritus left behind. The old PES plant is just one of approximately 135 oil refineries nationwide, to say nothing of the country’s countless gas stations, pipelines, storage hubs, drill pads and other graying energy infrastructure.
In recent months, at least six other large U.S. oil refineries - from New Jersey to California - have announced they will close or cease oil refining as the coronavirus pandemic has sapped global fuel demand.
“The energy transition will require massive attention to both new infrastructure and addressing aging or outdated systems,” said Morgan Bazilian, director of the Payne School of Public Policy at the Colorado School of Mines.
In Philadelphia, a private-sector company is taking the lead. Hilco Redevelopment Partners, a real estate firm that specializes in renovating old industrial properties, bought the PES refinery out of bankruptcy for $225.5 million in June.
Asbestos abatement alone will require four years to complete, said Roberto Perez, chief executive of the Chicago-based company.
“There’s enough pipeline to connect you from here to Florida, and the majority of that pipeline today is wrapped in asbestos,” Perez said.
The full extent of the pollution won’t be understood for years. Also uncertain is the ability of the refinery’s previous owners to pay their share of the cleanup. The facility has had multiple owners over its lifetime and responsibility has been divided between them through business agreements and legal settlements.
A lot is riding on the outcome. Transformation of the refinery, the oldest and largest on the U.S. East Coast, could bring jobs to a low-income, racially diverse neighborhood that needs them.
But residents also want a say in how the work proceeds after enduring the brunt of the refinery’s pollution. Some complained about feeling shut out of the process during a recent virtual public meeting organized by companies involved in the cleanup.
The refinery’s previous owner, Sunoco Inc, had gone years without holding city-mandated public meetings about pollution at the site.
Evergreen Resources Group, LLC, a subsidiary of Sunoco’s parent company, Energy Transfer LP, which is in charge of managing a share of the cleanup, declined to comment on the lapse in meetings. It pointed to a website it launched last year to engage with the public about the project.
Hilco’s Perez has no illusions about the work ahead.
“This is a very heavy lift,” he said. “It’s probably one of the most complicated things I’ve ever done.”
Plans call for the nearly 1,400-acre site to be transformed into a new commercial hub with warehousing and offices. All it will take is a decade, hundreds of millions of dollars, and confronting 150 years’ worth of industrial pollution, including buried rail cars and a poisonous stew of waste fuels poured onto the ground. A U.S. refinery cleanup of this size and scope has no known precedent, remediation experts said.
It’s a glimpse of what lies ahead if the United States hopes to wean itself off fossil fuels and clean up the toxic legacy of oil, gas and coal.
President Joe Biden wants to bring the United States to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 to fight climate change through a shift to clean-energy technologies, while reducing pollution in low-income and minority neighborhoods near industrial facilities.
It’s a transition fraught with challenges. Among the biggest is what to do with the detritus left behind. The old PES plant is just one of approximately 135 oil refineries nationwide, to say nothing of the country’s countless gas stations, pipelines, storage hubs, drill pads and other graying energy infrastructure.
In recent months, at least six other large U.S. oil refineries - from New Jersey to California - have announced they will close or cease oil refining as the coronavirus pandemic has sapped global fuel demand.
“The energy transition will require massive attention to both new infrastructure and addressing aging or outdated systems,” said Morgan Bazilian, director of the Payne School of Public Policy at the Colorado School of Mines.
In Philadelphia, a private-sector company is taking the lead. Hilco Redevelopment Partners, a real estate firm that specializes in renovating old industrial properties, bought the PES refinery out of bankruptcy for $225.5 million in June.
Asbestos abatement alone will require four years to complete, said Roberto Perez, chief executive of the Chicago-based company.
“There’s enough pipeline to connect you from here to Florida, and the majority of that pipeline today is wrapped in asbestos,” Perez said.
The full extent of the pollution won’t be understood for years. Also uncertain is the ability of the refinery’s previous owners to pay their share of the cleanup. The facility has had multiple owners over its lifetime and responsibility has been divided between them through business agreements and legal settlements.
A lot is riding on the outcome. Transformation of the refinery, the oldest and largest on the U.S. East Coast, could bring jobs to a low-income, racially diverse neighborhood that needs them.
But residents also want a say in how the work proceeds after enduring the brunt of the refinery’s pollution. Some complained about feeling shut out of the process during a recent virtual public meeting organized by companies involved in the cleanup.
The refinery’s previous owner, Sunoco Inc, had gone years without holding city-mandated public meetings about pollution at the site.
Evergreen Resources Group, LLC, a subsidiary of Sunoco’s parent company, Energy Transfer LP, which is in charge of managing a share of the cleanup, declined to comment on the lapse in meetings. It pointed to a website it launched last year to engage with the public about the project.
Hilco’s Perez has no illusions about the work ahead.
“This is a very heavy lift,” he said. “It’s probably one of the most complicated things I’ve ever done.”
SURPRISES IN A TOXIC SOUP
Oil refining at the Philadelphia site began in 1870, 100 years before the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Gasoline, once a worthless byproduct of heating oil, was routinely dumped by the refinery into the soil, according to historians and researchers. Leaks and accidents spewed more toxins. The June 2019 blasts alone released 676,000 pounds of hydrocarbons, PES said at the time.
The Philadelphia site is not unique. About half of America’s 450,000 polluted former industrial and commercial sites are contaminated with petroleum, according to the EPA.
“That’s one of the reasons that a lot of these refineries have been kept going for such a long time,” said Fred Quivik, a Minnesota-based industrial historian. “They’re so contaminated, it’s hard to figure out what else to do with them.”
Cleanup in Philadelphia will be painstaking. After asbestos abatement comes the demolition and removal of 3,000 tanks and vessels, along with more than 100 buildings and other infrastructure, the company said.
Then comes the ground itself. Hilco’s Perez said dirt quality varies widely on the site and will have to be handled differently depending on contamination levels. Clearing toxins like lead must be done with chemical rinses or other technologies, said Charles Haas, professor of environmental engineering at Drexel University in Philadelphia.
The site also has polluted groundwater and giant benzene pools lurking underneath, according to environmental reports Sunoco filed over the years with the federal and state governments.
Perez, Hilco’s chief executive, said clean energy will be a centerpiece of the final project. The warehouse complex, for example, will aim to feature charging stations for a fleet of electric delivery vehicles, he said.
The company is also considering a hotel, residential homes, and a restaurant on the site, two people familiar with the plans said.
The project is expected to take 10 to 15 years to finish. Cleanup and construction are projected to create about 13,000 jobs, the company said, with another 19,000 jobs tied to warehousing, offices and transporting goods.
PICKING UP THE BILL
The final price tag is unclear.
The development’s fate hinges on previous polluters paying their fair share. The site, founded by the Atlantic Refining Company, later known as ARCO, has cycled through several owners.
Sunoco, which owned the refinery for about two decades, sold its majority stake in 2012 to Carlyle Group Inc, which later formed PES. That deal stipulated that Sunoco assume all environmental liabilities dating to the plant’s inception in the 1800s. Energy Transfer, which bought Sunoco the same year as the refinery sale, now shoulders that burden.
Dallas-based Energy Transfer has $205 million in insurance to cover all of Sunoco’s decommissioned sites, including PES, according to the company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Amanda Goodin, a lawyer with the environmental group Earthjustice who has litigated major environmental cleanup cases, said comparable projects, such as clearing shuttered mining operations, can run into the billions of dollars.
“These cleanups are just enormously expensive, and companies basically never set aside enough money to fully remediate a site,” Goodin said.
Energy Transfer would not say how much it expects its share of the PES refinery cleanup to cost, but spokeswoman Vicki Granado said it is “fully funded”.
Hilco, as part of its 2020 purchase of PES, assumed liabilities tied to the last eight years of the refinery’s life, a tab it estimates will amount to “hundreds of millions” of dollars. The company declined to be more specific, but said it believes it has the funds for the job.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection said it has consent orders against Sunoco and Hilco that enable the regulator to sue the companies if they attempt to walk away, spokeswoman Virginia Cain said.
The final price tag is unclear.
The development’s fate hinges on previous polluters paying their fair share. The site, founded by the Atlantic Refining Company, later known as ARCO, has cycled through several owners.
Sunoco, which owned the refinery for about two decades, sold its majority stake in 2012 to Carlyle Group Inc, which later formed PES. That deal stipulated that Sunoco assume all environmental liabilities dating to the plant’s inception in the 1800s. Energy Transfer, which bought Sunoco the same year as the refinery sale, now shoulders that burden.
Dallas-based Energy Transfer has $205 million in insurance to cover all of Sunoco’s decommissioned sites, including PES, according to the company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Amanda Goodin, a lawyer with the environmental group Earthjustice who has litigated major environmental cleanup cases, said comparable projects, such as clearing shuttered mining operations, can run into the billions of dollars.
“These cleanups are just enormously expensive, and companies basically never set aside enough money to fully remediate a site,” Goodin said.
Energy Transfer would not say how much it expects its share of the PES refinery cleanup to cost, but spokeswoman Vicki Granado said it is “fully funded”.
Hilco, as part of its 2020 purchase of PES, assumed liabilities tied to the last eight years of the refinery’s life, a tab it estimates will amount to “hundreds of millions” of dollars. The company declined to be more specific, but said it believes it has the funds for the job.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection said it has consent orders against Sunoco and Hilco that enable the regulator to sue the companies if they attempt to walk away, spokeswoman Virginia Cain said.
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
Abdul Muhammad, 34, who lives near the Philadelphia refinery, says life has improved since it shut down. His asthmatic baby son now sleeps through the night, while his wife’s chronic headaches have become less frequent.
“I just don’t want chemicals and environmentally contaminated things going in and out of there,” he said of his wishes for the site.
Philly Thrive, a community activist group, has been pressuring Hilco and city officials to ensure that neighborhood residents have a say in the cleanup and redevelopment.
Some of their hopes rest with the Biden administration, which has committed to direct 40% of any federal clean-energy investment to communities most impacted by industrial pollution.
But whether climate legislation emerges from a divided Congress remains to be seen.
Philadelphia officials hope PES can become a model for refinery cleanups elsewhere. Kenyatta Johnson, a city councilman who represents neighborhoods surrounding the facility, sees a healthy, more prosperous community emerging from its toxic shadow.
“Some may deem the site a health hazard and eyesore, but nevertheless it’s an opportunity,” Johnson said.
Reporting by Laila Kearney Philadelphia and Valerie Volcovici in Washington; additional reporting by Dane Rhys in Philadelphia; Editing by Richard Valdmanis, Brian Thevenot and Marla Dickerson
Biden talks COVID-19 relief, infrastructure with labor leaders
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris met with labor leaders to discuss plans for a COVID-19 relief package and improving America's infrastructure. Pool Photo by Pete Marovich/UPI | License Photo
Feb. 17 (UPI) -- President Joe Biden met with labor leaders Wednesday to discuss his economic stimulus and infrastructure plans while also appointing a key labor official and reversing a Trump administration executive order on apprenticeships.
Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris met with leaders including Richard Trumka, president of the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations; Terry O'Sullivan, president of Laborer's International Union of North America; and Sean McGarvey, president of North America's Building Trades Union; who the president said "have been my friends for a long, long, long time."
"When some of you were in here when I was with the business community, I said I want to make it clear I'm a labor guy and there's no reason why it's inconsistent with businesses growing either," said Biden.
In a readout of the meeting released Wednesday evening, the White House said Biden engaged the leaders about "the importance of ensuring union workers play a key role in building a resilient and sustainable infrastructure that can withstand extreme weather and a changing climate all while creating millions of good paying union jobs in the process."
RELATED Psaki: Biden to ask DOJ about student loan forgiveness authority
In remarks prior to the meeting, Biden said they would also place a focus on improving American infrastructure.
"We are so far behind the curve," he said. "We rank something like 38th in the world in terms of our infrastructure -- everything from canals to highways to airports to -- everything we can do, and we need to do, to make ourselves competitive in the 21st century."
Earlier in the day, the White House announced that Biden had nominated Jennifer Abruzzo to serve as general counsel of the National Labor Relations Board.
Biden also nominated Jennifer Abruzzo to serve as general counsel of the National Labor Relations Board and reversed an executive order signed by President Donald Trump creating industry-recognized apprenticeships. Pool Photo by Pete Marovich/UPI | License Photo
Abruzzo, who currently serves as special counsel for the Communications Workers of America will replace President Donald Trump's appointee Peter Robb, who was dismissed by Biden after he took office.
"A tested and experienced leader, Abruzzo will work to enforce U.S. labor laws that safeguard the rights of workers to join together to improve their wages and working conditions to protect against unfair labor practices," the White House said.
Biden also signed an executive order rescinding a Trump order that established the Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Program.
Trump signed the order in 2017 permitting industry groups to create their own apprenticeship programs and submit them to the Department of Labor for review and funding.
"Industry-recognized apprenticeship programs have fewer quality standards than registered apprenticeship programs," the White House said in a statement.
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris met with labor leaders to discuss plans for a COVID-19 relief package and improving America's infrastructure. Pool Photo by Pete Marovich/UPI | License Photo
Feb. 17 (UPI) -- President Joe Biden met with labor leaders Wednesday to discuss his economic stimulus and infrastructure plans while also appointing a key labor official and reversing a Trump administration executive order on apprenticeships.
Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris met with leaders including Richard Trumka, president of the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations; Terry O'Sullivan, president of Laborer's International Union of North America; and Sean McGarvey, president of North America's Building Trades Union; who the president said "have been my friends for a long, long, long time."
"When some of you were in here when I was with the business community, I said I want to make it clear I'm a labor guy and there's no reason why it's inconsistent with businesses growing either," said Biden.
In a readout of the meeting released Wednesday evening, the White House said Biden engaged the leaders about "the importance of ensuring union workers play a key role in building a resilient and sustainable infrastructure that can withstand extreme weather and a changing climate all while creating millions of good paying union jobs in the process."
RELATED Psaki: Biden to ask DOJ about student loan forgiveness authority
In remarks prior to the meeting, Biden said they would also place a focus on improving American infrastructure.
"We are so far behind the curve," he said. "We rank something like 38th in the world in terms of our infrastructure -- everything from canals to highways to airports to -- everything we can do, and we need to do, to make ourselves competitive in the 21st century."
Earlier in the day, the White House announced that Biden had nominated Jennifer Abruzzo to serve as general counsel of the National Labor Relations Board.
Biden also nominated Jennifer Abruzzo to serve as general counsel of the National Labor Relations Board and reversed an executive order signed by President Donald Trump creating industry-recognized apprenticeships. Pool Photo by Pete Marovich/UPI | License Photo
Abruzzo, who currently serves as special counsel for the Communications Workers of America will replace President Donald Trump's appointee Peter Robb, who was dismissed by Biden after he took office.
"A tested and experienced leader, Abruzzo will work to enforce U.S. labor laws that safeguard the rights of workers to join together to improve their wages and working conditions to protect against unfair labor practices," the White House said.
Biden also signed an executive order rescinding a Trump order that established the Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Program.
Trump signed the order in 2017 permitting industry groups to create their own apprenticeship programs and submit them to the Department of Labor for review and funding.
"Industry-recognized apprenticeship programs have fewer quality standards than registered apprenticeship programs," the White House said in a statement.
Facebook will soon add labels, links to posts about climate change
Also Thursday, Facebook expanded the availability of its Climate Science Information Center to users in Belgium, Brazil, Canada, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Mexico, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Spain, South Africa and Taiwan.
Also Thursday, Facebook expanded the availability of its Climate Science Information Center to users in Belgium, Brazil, Canada, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Mexico, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Spain, South Africa and Taiwan.
File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
Feb. 18 (UPI) -- Facebook announced on Thursday that it will soon begin labeling posts related to climate change and directing users to a central information page, as part of a greater effort to weed out misinformation about the environmental crisis.
The social media platform said the labels will first be applied to posts made in Britain before they start appearing in other countries.
The labels will include a link to Facebook's Climate Science Information Center, which the company says provides users with "science-based news, approachable information and actionable resources from the world's leading climate change organizations."
Facebook said it will add a section in which experts will offer specific facts to debunk myths and misinformation about climate change.
The platform, which claims almost 3 billion users worldwide, has received repeated criticisms for allowing false information to spread on the Internet.
"The spread of damaging falsehoods endangers the level of international cooperation required to prevent catastrophic global warming," University of Cambridge Dr. Sander van der Linden said in Facebook's announcement Thursday.
"Facebook is in a unique position to counter the circulation of online misinformation, and the new climate 'mythbusting' section is an important step toward debunking dangerous falsehoods."
"Misinformation about climate change long predates the Internet, but has been greatly amplified in our new digital world," said Dr. Anthony Leiserowitz of Yale University's Program on Climate Change Communication. "This [effort] can help raise public climate change awareness."
"A healthy planet depends on everyone, everywhere and that starts with people having access to accurate and timely information," Nancy Groves, the digital strategy chief at UNEP, said in Facebook's announcement.
"We look forward to continuing to work with Facebook on this new effort to dispel myths and to provide access to the latest science on the climate emergency."
Feb. 18 (UPI) -- Facebook announced on Thursday that it will soon begin labeling posts related to climate change and directing users to a central information page, as part of a greater effort to weed out misinformation about the environmental crisis.
The social media platform said the labels will first be applied to posts made in Britain before they start appearing in other countries.
The labels will include a link to Facebook's Climate Science Information Center, which the company says provides users with "science-based news, approachable information and actionable resources from the world's leading climate change organizations."
Facebook said it will add a section in which experts will offer specific facts to debunk myths and misinformation about climate change.
The platform, which claims almost 3 billion users worldwide, has received repeated criticisms for allowing false information to spread on the Internet.
"The spread of damaging falsehoods endangers the level of international cooperation required to prevent catastrophic global warming," University of Cambridge Dr. Sander van der Linden said in Facebook's announcement Thursday.
"Facebook is in a unique position to counter the circulation of online misinformation, and the new climate 'mythbusting' section is an important step toward debunking dangerous falsehoods."
"Misinformation about climate change long predates the Internet, but has been greatly amplified in our new digital world," said Dr. Anthony Leiserowitz of Yale University's Program on Climate Change Communication. "This [effort] can help raise public climate change awareness."
File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI
Also Thursday, Facebook expanded the availability of its Climate Science Information Center to users in Belgium, Brazil, Canada, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Mexico, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Spain, South Africa and Taiwan.
The center went online last summer for users in France, Germany, Britain and the United States.
In countries where Facebook's climate center isn't accessible, the new labels will direct readers to the United National Environment Program, the company said.
Also Thursday, Facebook expanded the availability of its Climate Science Information Center to users in Belgium, Brazil, Canada, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Mexico, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Spain, South Africa and Taiwan.
The center went online last summer for users in France, Germany, Britain and the United States.
In countries where Facebook's climate center isn't accessible, the new labels will direct readers to the United National Environment Program, the company said.
"A healthy planet depends on everyone, everywhere and that starts with people having access to accurate and timely information," Nancy Groves, the digital strategy chief at UNEP, said in Facebook's announcement.
"We look forward to continuing to work with Facebook on this new effort to dispel myths and to provide access to the latest science on the climate emergency."
CLINTON/NATO'HUMANITARIAN'WAR
Joe Biden's letters show new approach in Kosovo, Serbia
President Donald Trump participates in a signing ceremony and meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic (L) and the Kovovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti, in the Oval Office of the White House on September 4.
Pool Photo by Anna Moneymaker/UPI | License Photo
WASHINGTON, Feb. 19 (UPI) -- With left-wing politician Albin Kurti elected prime minister of Kosovo last weekend, U.S. President Joe Biden has congratulated the heads of state of both Kosovo and Serbia for their independence days in letters revealing how his approach to the region will be different from that of his predecessor.
The letters, sent to honor Serbia's independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1804 and Kosovo's independence from Serbia in 2008, urged the normalization of relations between the two countries, which have struggled to move past animosities from the bloody war in the region in the 1990s. Although most Western countries recognize Kosovo, Serbia and its allies Russia and China have yet to recognize the new country -- a point of contention in the Balkans.
"We remain steadfast in our support for Serbia's goal of European integration and encourage you to continue taking the hard steps forward to reach that aim -- including instituting necessary reforms and reaching a comprehensive normalization agreement with Kosovo centered on mutual recognition," Biden wrote to Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić earlier this month.
Biden also encouraged Kosovo to move toward normalization with Serbia based on mutual recognition -- the crux of the problem between the two countries -- in a letter with a markedly different tone.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 19 (UPI) -- With left-wing politician Albin Kurti elected prime minister of Kosovo last weekend, U.S. President Joe Biden has congratulated the heads of state of both Kosovo and Serbia for their independence days in letters revealing how his approach to the region will be different from that of his predecessor.
The letters, sent to honor Serbia's independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1804 and Kosovo's independence from Serbia in 2008, urged the normalization of relations between the two countries, which have struggled to move past animosities from the bloody war in the region in the 1990s. Although most Western countries recognize Kosovo, Serbia and its allies Russia and China have yet to recognize the new country -- a point of contention in the Balkans.
"We remain steadfast in our support for Serbia's goal of European integration and encourage you to continue taking the hard steps forward to reach that aim -- including instituting necessary reforms and reaching a comprehensive normalization agreement with Kosovo centered on mutual recognition," Biden wrote to Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić earlier this month.
Biden also encouraged Kosovo to move toward normalization with Serbia based on mutual recognition -- the crux of the problem between the two countries -- in a letter with a markedly different tone.
"On a personal note," Biden wrote to acting President Vjosa Osmani this week, "Kosovo continues to hold a special place for the Biden family, in honor of the time our late son Beau Biden spent working to ensure peace, justice and the rule of law for all the people of Kosovo."
The president's son spent time in Kosovo as a legal adviser for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe after the war ended in 1999, leaving such an impact that the country named a main highway after him following his death in 2015.
Joe Biden also spent time in the Balkans as a senator and vice president. He last visited the region as vice president in 2016 in a final push for normalization between Kosovo and Serbia. During the trip, he attended the naming ceremony of the Joseph R. "Beau" Biden III Highway in Kosovo, where he told the country, "I believe in you" and "we love you."
RELATED Kosovo President Hashim Thaci says he will resign to face war crimes trial
In contrast, Biden's meeting with Serbian leaders in Belgrade the day before the highway ceremony was marred by the presence of hundreds of ultranationalist protesters who marched throughout the city shouting "Donald Trump." Biden's visit came about a month after Trump had been nominated as the Republican presidential candidate, garnering support from pro-Russia populists in the country.
The Trump administration showed more willingness to work with Serbia than most previous administrations, said Engjellushe Morina, a Balkans expert at the European Council on Foreign Relations. Trump officials asked what can the United States get out of the region, rather than the past U.S. position of asking what is it that the United States can do to help the region, she said.
Trump organized a much anticipated peace summit with Vučić and then Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti in the White House to move forward peace negotiations in September, overseen by Trump's special presidential envoy for peace negotiations between the countries, Ambassador Richard Grenell.
RELATED COVID-19: Serbia arrests 71 in protest over handling of pandemic
But the meeting resulted in the signing of two documents that included no legally binding agreements, Morina said, largely focusing on economic issues and extraneously normalizing relations with Israel instead of establishing mutual recognition between the two countries.
"That agreement is very dubious in terms of the substance," said Florian Bieber, professor of Southeast European history and politics at the Centre for Southeast European Studies at the University of Graz. "Without really putting details on paper, it's not going to matter much."
Bieber said it seems Trump sent Grenell to the region to score an easy foreign policy win before he was up for re-election.
After the summit, Trump sent letters to Vučić and Hoti urging them to take more concrete steps toward normalization. Trump's letters showed less sympathy than Biden's to the Kosovo cause.
"I appreciate and share your steadfast commitment to ensuring the stability and peace of the Balkans and the world," Trump wrote to Hoti. "I look forward to continuing to strengthen the partnership between our nations and send my best wishes to you and the people of Kosovo."
Trump's note to Vučić read more warmly: "I am heartened by your tremendous courage in beginning to normalize economic relations with Kosovo," Trump wrote, "and look forward to continuing to create a safer, stronger and more prosperous region. Best wishes to you and the great people of Serbia."
Despite Kurti's belief that Grenell played a role in the demise of his first coalition, Kurti has said that he does not hold a grudge against the United States and immediately tweeted congratulations to Biden after his inauguration.
Although Vucic has not made a public statement responding to Biden's most recent letter, Serbia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikola Selaković said this week that if the United States and other countries expect Belgrade to recognize Kosovo, they will not find the answer they are hoping for in Serbia.
upi.com/7076788
SEE https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/search?q=KOSOVO
Seeing the Forest for the Trees
Thesis on The Kosovo Crisis and the Crisis of Global Capitalism
(originally written May 1999, Bill Clinton set the stage for George W. to invade Afghanistan and Iraq for humanitarian purposes.)
http://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2005/01/war-whats-it-good-for-profit.html
Seeing the Forest for the Trees
Thesis on The Kosovo Crisis and the Crisis of Global Capitalism
(originally written May 1999, Bill Clinton set the stage for George W. to invade Afghanistan and Iraq for humanitarian purposes.)
http://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2005/01/war-whats-it-good-for-profit.html
Pakistan declares three missing K2 climbers dead
K2, a mountain peak on the Karakoram mountain range in Pakistan along the Pakistan-China border. Pakistani authorities Thursday declared three climbers dead after they went missing in early February after scaling the summit. Photo by Maria Ly/Wikimedia Commons
Feb. 18 (UPI) -- Pakistani authorities Thursday officially declared dead three climbers who went missing Feb. 5 while trying to climb the world's second-highest peak.
Well-known Pakistani mountaineer Muhammad Ali Sadpara along with Iceland's John Snorri Sigurjonsson and Juan Pablo Mohr Prieto, of Chile, went missing near the Bottleneck on K2 while attempted the reach the summit of the treacherous peak, also known as Savage Mountain.
K2, the highest point on the Karakoram mountain range at 28,251 feet above sea level, sits on the Pakistan-China border. Mount Everest, the world's highest peak is 29,021 feet above sea level.
Ali Sadpara's son, Sajid Sadpara, had initially joined the three but had to turn back early in the climb when his oxygen regulator malfunctioned. He attended Thursday's news conference in Skardu, Pakistan.
RELATED Ang Rita Sherpa, legendary climber of Mount Everest, dies at 72
Bad weather repeatedly prevented rescue teams from doing thorough searches for the climbers until recently. Officials said the search for them will continue.
"The overwhelming love and support for the 'national hero Ali Sadpara' has given immense strength to me, my younger brothers, my sister, and my mother," Sajid Sadpara said. "My family and I have lost a kindhearted person and the Pakistani nation has lost a brave and great adventurous individual who was passionate about the Pakistani flag to the point of insanity."
Pakistan President Arif Alvi shared his condolences on social media.
RELATED Teen mountaineer survives 500-foot fall on Mount Hood
"May Allah grant this brave man eternal place in Jannah," Alvi said on Twitter. "He battled nature with strength, fortitude and heroism. Condolences to the families and citizens, of Iceland's John Snorri Sigurjonsson and Chile's Juan Pablo Mohr Prieto."
Sigurjonsson's family said in a Facebook post that they believe the men actually reached the summit, based on Sigurjonsson's cell phone records, but something happened on their way down.
"There is no doubt in our minds that the extent of the search and the technologies used in the search were unprecedented and hopefully will improve the safety of future mountaineers around the world," Sigurjonsson's family said.
RELATED U.S. climber Brad Gobright dies in fall in Mexico
"The Pakistani Army has been extremely supportive in these difficult times sharing resources and manpower. To the brave people of the Pakistani armed forces we say thank you for caring for Ali, John and Juan Pablo," the family said.
K2, a mountain peak on the Karakoram mountain range in Pakistan along the Pakistan-China border. Pakistani authorities Thursday declared three climbers dead after they went missing in early February after scaling the summit. Photo by Maria Ly/Wikimedia Commons
Feb. 18 (UPI) -- Pakistani authorities Thursday officially declared dead three climbers who went missing Feb. 5 while trying to climb the world's second-highest peak.
Well-known Pakistani mountaineer Muhammad Ali Sadpara along with Iceland's John Snorri Sigurjonsson and Juan Pablo Mohr Prieto, of Chile, went missing near the Bottleneck on K2 while attempted the reach the summit of the treacherous peak, also known as Savage Mountain.
K2, the highest point on the Karakoram mountain range at 28,251 feet above sea level, sits on the Pakistan-China border. Mount Everest, the world's highest peak is 29,021 feet above sea level.
Ali Sadpara's son, Sajid Sadpara, had initially joined the three but had to turn back early in the climb when his oxygen regulator malfunctioned. He attended Thursday's news conference in Skardu, Pakistan.
RELATED Ang Rita Sherpa, legendary climber of Mount Everest, dies at 72
Bad weather repeatedly prevented rescue teams from doing thorough searches for the climbers until recently. Officials said the search for them will continue.
"The overwhelming love and support for the 'national hero Ali Sadpara' has given immense strength to me, my younger brothers, my sister, and my mother," Sajid Sadpara said. "My family and I have lost a kindhearted person and the Pakistani nation has lost a brave and great adventurous individual who was passionate about the Pakistani flag to the point of insanity."
Pakistan President Arif Alvi shared his condolences on social media.
RELATED Teen mountaineer survives 500-foot fall on Mount Hood
"May Allah grant this brave man eternal place in Jannah," Alvi said on Twitter. "He battled nature with strength, fortitude and heroism. Condolences to the families and citizens, of Iceland's John Snorri Sigurjonsson and Chile's Juan Pablo Mohr Prieto."
Sigurjonsson's family said in a Facebook post that they believe the men actually reached the summit, based on Sigurjonsson's cell phone records, but something happened on their way down.
"There is no doubt in our minds that the extent of the search and the technologies used in the search were unprecedented and hopefully will improve the safety of future mountaineers around the world," Sigurjonsson's family said.
RELATED U.S. climber Brad Gobright dies in fall in Mexico
"The Pakistani Army has been extremely supportive in these difficult times sharing resources and manpower. To the brave people of the Pakistani armed forces we say thank you for caring for Ali, John and Juan Pablo," the family said.
Monks target vehicles parked in protest against Myanmar's coup
FEB. 18, 2021
Demonstrators hold up placards calling for release of detained Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi in front of an armored vehicle during a protest this week outside the Central Bank in Yangon, Myanmar.
RELATED Western nations warn Myanmar military 'the world is watching'
The monk added that "we don't support violence as we are monks," but since there's "over 100 monasteries on the premises," it was unclear which monks were involved in the incident.
Drivers staged the traffic jam of parked and broken-down cars in Yangon Wednesday to protest the coup by blocking security forces and civil servants routes to work, which continued Thursday, a daily briefing from the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners shows.
Protests started three days after the Myanmar military took over the government and detained its civilian leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other high-ranking elected officials in a Feb. 1 coup.
RELATED Myanmar military frees 23,000 prisoners, detains election officials
The latest protest is part of the Civil Disobedience Movement, which has seen its numbers rise across various sectors, from veteran activists, to doctors and medical staff, to teachers, to policemen, among other people, as the Myanmar military piles on charges against former civilian leaders and activists.
During a court appearance Tuesday, the Myanmar military charged ousted civilian leader Kyi with another crime that also involved deposed President Win Myint.
Kyi was previously charged with possessing illegal radios and now faces an additional charge of violating a disaster management law by interacting with a crowd during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mywint, who was Myanamar's president under Kyi, was charged with breaching natural disaster restrictions.
RELATED Biden announces sanctions against Myanmar's coup government
On Thursday, Mandalay Region Chief Minister Dr. Zaw Myint Maung, the vice chairman of the National League for Democracy, was charged with incitement at the Aung Myay Thar Township Court, The Irrawaddy reported.
The regime also charged Mandalay's ousted regional minister for natural resources and environmental conservation, U Myo Thit, with incitement on Wednesday at the Chan Aye Thar Zan Township Court, and filed the same charge against Rakhine State Chief Minister U Nyi Pu.
The regime will hear the case against Pu on Feb. 22.
According to the AAPP's Thursday briefing, 521 individuals have been arrested, charged or sentenced since the military coup, and 477 are still in detention or have outstanding warrants.
On Thursday morning alone, 12 Foreign Affairs Ministry civil servants participating in the CMD were arrested at TatKone Township, Nay Pyi Taw, according to the update.
In the afternoon, more than 30 people, including women were detained and the crowd was dispersed with a water cannon in protests in Nay Pyi Taw, The Irrwawady tweeted.
The AAPP update also mentioned the incident Thursday near the monastery in the Bahan township, and another form of protest in the Mandalay Town where railways have halted operations to participate in the CDM since Feb. 8.
On Wednesday, the military arrested railway drivers, Zaw Ko Ko Maung, Thant Zin and two others from Meiktila Central Transportation School and demanded they drive the trains, the update also said.
On Saturday, seven activists, including two veterans of the 1988 pro-democracy uprisings, were charged under section 505 (b) of the Penal Code for allegedly defaming the state and threatening "public tranquility," in their social media posts, the National Administrative Council said in a statement, Anadolu Agency reported.
The total number of policemen joining the movement his risen to 61 since the coup began, the AAPP said Saturday in a briefing.
FEB. 18, 2021
Demonstrators hold up placards calling for release of detained Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi in front of an armored vehicle during a protest this week outside the Central Bank in Yangon, Myanmar.
Photo by Lynn Bo Bo/EPA-EFE
Feb. 18 (UPI) -- Monks assaulted cars parked in protest against the coup Thursday in Myanmar's biggest city, Yangon.
The incident occurred as protesters waited at a red light in front of the Arts School near Shwegondaing bridge in Bahan township, the Myanmar Times reported.
At least one person was injured and four cars were damaged after 10 people from a nearby monastery, including monks, "came out of the monastery and assaulted the cars with sticks and rods," an eyewitness, Ko Aung Thu Tun told Myanmar Times.
A monk from the monastery said in the local report that parking cars in public roads was illegal.
Feb. 18 (UPI) -- Monks assaulted cars parked in protest against the coup Thursday in Myanmar's biggest city, Yangon.
The incident occurred as protesters waited at a red light in front of the Arts School near Shwegondaing bridge in Bahan township, the Myanmar Times reported.
At least one person was injured and four cars were damaged after 10 people from a nearby monastery, including monks, "came out of the monastery and assaulted the cars with sticks and rods," an eyewitness, Ko Aung Thu Tun told Myanmar Times.
A monk from the monastery said in the local report that parking cars in public roads was illegal.
RELATED Western nations warn Myanmar military 'the world is watching'
The monk added that "we don't support violence as we are monks," but since there's "over 100 monasteries on the premises," it was unclear which monks were involved in the incident.
Drivers staged the traffic jam of parked and broken-down cars in Yangon Wednesday to protest the coup by blocking security forces and civil servants routes to work, which continued Thursday, a daily briefing from the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners shows.
Protests started three days after the Myanmar military took over the government and detained its civilian leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other high-ranking elected officials in a Feb. 1 coup.
RELATED Myanmar military frees 23,000 prisoners, detains election officials
The latest protest is part of the Civil Disobedience Movement, which has seen its numbers rise across various sectors, from veteran activists, to doctors and medical staff, to teachers, to policemen, among other people, as the Myanmar military piles on charges against former civilian leaders and activists.
During a court appearance Tuesday, the Myanmar military charged ousted civilian leader Kyi with another crime that also involved deposed President Win Myint.
Kyi was previously charged with possessing illegal radios and now faces an additional charge of violating a disaster management law by interacting with a crowd during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mywint, who was Myanamar's president under Kyi, was charged with breaching natural disaster restrictions.
RELATED Biden announces sanctions against Myanmar's coup government
On Thursday, Mandalay Region Chief Minister Dr. Zaw Myint Maung, the vice chairman of the National League for Democracy, was charged with incitement at the Aung Myay Thar Township Court, The Irrawaddy reported.
The regime also charged Mandalay's ousted regional minister for natural resources and environmental conservation, U Myo Thit, with incitement on Wednesday at the Chan Aye Thar Zan Township Court, and filed the same charge against Rakhine State Chief Minister U Nyi Pu.
The regime will hear the case against Pu on Feb. 22.
According to the AAPP's Thursday briefing, 521 individuals have been arrested, charged or sentenced since the military coup, and 477 are still in detention or have outstanding warrants.
On Thursday morning alone, 12 Foreign Affairs Ministry civil servants participating in the CMD were arrested at TatKone Township, Nay Pyi Taw, according to the update.
In the afternoon, more than 30 people, including women were detained and the crowd was dispersed with a water cannon in protests in Nay Pyi Taw, The Irrwawady tweeted.
The AAPP update also mentioned the incident Thursday near the monastery in the Bahan township, and another form of protest in the Mandalay Town where railways have halted operations to participate in the CDM since Feb. 8.
On Wednesday, the military arrested railway drivers, Zaw Ko Ko Maung, Thant Zin and two others from Meiktila Central Transportation School and demanded they drive the trains, the update also said.
On Saturday, seven activists, including two veterans of the 1988 pro-democracy uprisings, were charged under section 505 (b) of the Penal Code for allegedly defaming the state and threatening "public tranquility," in their social media posts, the National Administrative Council said in a statement, Anadolu Agency reported.
The total number of policemen joining the movement his risen to 61 since the coup began, the AAPP said Saturday in a briefing.
South Korean broadcaster censors gay kisses in 'Bohemian Rhapsody'
By Hangyun Kim, Medill News Service
Rami Malek won the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role for "Bohemian Rhapsody."
The rights group also said SBS changed the movie's message by cherry-picking clips to avoid sexual orientation topics. Mercury died of AIDS in 1991.
Adam Lambert, who has been sharing the stage with Queen as lead vocalist since 2011, criticized the South Korean broadcaster's censorship.
"Nothing explicit or lewd about that kiss. The double standard is real," Lambert said on Instagram.
Since its opening in October 2018, the film has attracted 9.64 million viewers in South Korea, according to the Korean Film Council, which also said it ranked as the sixth best-selling foreign title in South Korea.
Among all the movies that were aired in South Korea during this year's Lunar New Year holiday, from Thursday to Saturday, only Bohemian Rhapsody exceeded a 4.0% viewer rating, an estimate of the percentage of households watching a particular program.
"Freddie Mercury was a charismatic legend, and his songs transcend time and culture," said Lee Minjeong, a college student who went to the cinema twice to watch Bohemian Rhapsody at its initial release. "But when the two men kissed each other, I remember hearing an audible gasp from all four corners of the cinema, so there is a long way to go for South Koreans to embrace LGBT relationships."
A 2020 survey by the Pew Research Center found 44% of those surveyed in South Korea said homosexuality should be accepted; 53% responded it should be discouraged. In the North American and Western European countries surveyed, strong majorities said they accept homosexuality in society.
In 2015, the Korea Communications Standards Commission -- the government body that "ensures public accountability and safeguard the fairness of broadcast content" -- issued a warning to JTBC television station for airing kiss scenes between two high school girls in a drama series.
upi.com/7076530
By Hangyun Kim, Medill News Service
Rami Malek won the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role for "Bohemian Rhapsody."
File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
SEOUL, Feb. 18 (UPI) -- South Korean LGBTQ rights groups have condemned broadcaster SBS for censoring gay kiss scenes from the 2018 film Bohemian Rhapsody, which focused on the life of rock band Queen lead vocalist Freddie Mercury.
One of South Korea's three major TV networks, SBS, aired Bohemian Rhapsody on Saturday evening as a part of a three-day blockbuster movie marathon to celebrate the Lunar New Year.
It is rare for a South Korean broadcaster to show a film with homosexual references.
SBS cut out kiss scenes between Mercury and Jim Hutton, whom Mercury referred to as his husband. SBS also overlapped mosaics to obscure images of other gay couples kissing in the background.
The sanitized version of the film drew criticism from South Korea's LGBTQ rights organizations and civic groups. Rainbow Action, an umbrella organization of 40 LGBTQ advocacy groups, issued a statement Monday condemning the network for altering the film.
"SBS's decision to cut or obscure homosexual kiss scenes was an insult to Freddie Mercury, as well as the entire sexual minorities," Rainbow Action's Executive Chairman Lee Jong-gul said.
SEOUL, Feb. 18 (UPI) -- South Korean LGBTQ rights groups have condemned broadcaster SBS for censoring gay kiss scenes from the 2018 film Bohemian Rhapsody, which focused on the life of rock band Queen lead vocalist Freddie Mercury.
One of South Korea's three major TV networks, SBS, aired Bohemian Rhapsody on Saturday evening as a part of a three-day blockbuster movie marathon to celebrate the Lunar New Year.
It is rare for a South Korean broadcaster to show a film with homosexual references.
SBS cut out kiss scenes between Mercury and Jim Hutton, whom Mercury referred to as his husband. SBS also overlapped mosaics to obscure images of other gay couples kissing in the background.
The sanitized version of the film drew criticism from South Korea's LGBTQ rights organizations and civic groups. Rainbow Action, an umbrella organization of 40 LGBTQ advocacy groups, issued a statement Monday condemning the network for altering the film.
"SBS's decision to cut or obscure homosexual kiss scenes was an insult to Freddie Mercury, as well as the entire sexual minorities," Rainbow Action's Executive Chairman Lee Jong-gul said.
The rights group also said SBS changed the movie's message by cherry-picking clips to avoid sexual orientation topics. Mercury died of AIDS in 1991.
Adam Lambert, who has been sharing the stage with Queen as lead vocalist since 2011, criticized the South Korean broadcaster's censorship.
"Nothing explicit or lewd about that kiss. The double standard is real," Lambert said on Instagram.
Since its opening in October 2018, the film has attracted 9.64 million viewers in South Korea, according to the Korean Film Council, which also said it ranked as the sixth best-selling foreign title in South Korea.
Among all the movies that were aired in South Korea during this year's Lunar New Year holiday, from Thursday to Saturday, only Bohemian Rhapsody exceeded a 4.0% viewer rating, an estimate of the percentage of households watching a particular program.
"Freddie Mercury was a charismatic legend, and his songs transcend time and culture," said Lee Minjeong, a college student who went to the cinema twice to watch Bohemian Rhapsody at its initial release. "But when the two men kissed each other, I remember hearing an audible gasp from all four corners of the cinema, so there is a long way to go for South Koreans to embrace LGBT relationships."
A 2020 survey by the Pew Research Center found 44% of those surveyed in South Korea said homosexuality should be accepted; 53% responded it should be discouraged. In the North American and Western European countries surveyed, strong majorities said they accept homosexuality in society.
In 2015, the Korea Communications Standards Commission -- the government body that "ensures public accountability and safeguard the fairness of broadcast content" -- issued a warning to JTBC television station for airing kiss scenes between two high school girls in a drama series.
upi.com/7076530
South Korean same-sex couple sues health insurer for equal rights
Same-sex couple Kim Yong-min and So Seong-wook filed a lawsuit against South Korea's national health insurance agency on Wednesday seeking the right to register So as a dependent. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI
SEOUL, Feb. 18 (UPI) -- Same-sex couple Kim Yong-min and So Seong-wook filed a lawsuit against South Korea's national health insurance agency on Thursday over its removal of So's status as a dependent family member, a move they claim violates their rights.
In February of last year, Kim, 30, registered So, 29, as his dependent under the National Health Insurance Service, South Korea's public scheme that covers almost the entire population.
Although South Korea does not recognize same-sex marriages or civil unions, the couple was able to register for health insurance as spouses, in what lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender advocates believe was the first such case in the country.
However, their progress was short-lived, as the NHIS abruptly canceled So's dependent status in October after an article published by local news magazine Hankyoreh 21 highlighted the couple.
"When we first applied, we were wondering if it would be accepted," Kim said at a press conference on Thursday morning outside the Seoul Administrative Court, where the lawsuit was filed. "But it was initially accepted, and we enjoyed our natural rights as a couple for eight months. However, after the article, the NHIS suddenly took away our rights. This lawsuit is to reclaim our lost rights."
Kim said that the insurer's decision violates the core value of the national health system, which is to "make the lives of the people better."
"The lives of same-sex couples like us should also be institutionally protected," he said. "The National Health Insurance Service should embrace more diverse lives, rather than canceling the registration of dependents, saying that it was a mistake."
The lawsuit is calling for So's status to be restored, pointing out that Korean law already recognizes benefits for non-married couples, such as common-law spouses, in other areas.
"It is against the purpose of the health insurance dependent system to deny the status of a dependent simply because they are a same-sex spouse," said Cho Sook-Hyun, one of the attorneys who filed the lawsuit.
The LGBT community in South Korea has long been seeking greater rights and a higher profile in a country that remains deeply conservative on a number of social issues.
RELATED South Korea city hall employees encroached on LGBT rights, report says
South Korea's Ministry of Gender Equality and Family introduced a plan last month to allow for non-traditional families such as unmarried couples and single-parent households to receive the same rights and protections as married households. However, same-sex couples were not included in the ministry's new legal definition of family.
In addition to a same-sex marriage ban, there are no anti-discrimination laws in place to protect sexual and gender minorities. In the military, consensual sex between men is punishable by up to two years in prison, a policy that Amnesty International condemned in 2019.
A 2019 survey by Gagoonet, the Korean Network for Partnership and Marriage Rights of LGBT, found that same-sex partners faced a host of difficulties such as exclusion from low-cost housing loans targeting newlyweds and legal rights when a spouse or partner is sick or dies.
Same-sex marriage is now allowed in at least 30 countries and territories around the world.
South Korean activists have looked to progress being made in Asian countries such as Japan, where some 74 municipalities have recognized same-sex partnerships, and particularly Taiwan, which legalized same-sex marriage in a landmark ruling in May 2019.
Local advocates point to small steps forward in recent years, such as Korean Air allowing a same-sex Korean couple who were married in Canada to enroll in the airline's family mileage program in 2019.
Public attitudes have also been shifting, especially among the younger generation in South Korea. A 2020 global survey by Pew Research found that just 44% of South Koreans felt that homosexuality should be accepted, but that figure soared to 79% among 18-29 year-olds. The generation gap was wider than in any other country, the study found.
The plaintiffs and their supporters are hoping Thursday's lawsuit will move the issue of LGBT rights forward with greater urgency.
"We are seeing some change, but the change is slow," said Ryu Min-hee, one of the lawyers representing Kim and So in their lawsuit. "So we are trying to hasten the change with litigation and advocacy."
So, the plaintiff, said he hoped the lawsuit would reverberate throughout South Korean society.
"Sexual minorities in South Korea are facing stigma and hatred," he said. "Even so, many of us are living very happily together. I hope with this lawsuit members of the LGBT community will be able to make their own families regardless of their sexual identity. I hope they will be able to live happily and with confidence."
Same-sex couple Kim Yong-min and So Seong-wook filed a lawsuit against South Korea's national health insurance agency on Wednesday seeking the right to register So as a dependent. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI
SEOUL, Feb. 18 (UPI) -- Same-sex couple Kim Yong-min and So Seong-wook filed a lawsuit against South Korea's national health insurance agency on Thursday over its removal of So's status as a dependent family member, a move they claim violates their rights.
In February of last year, Kim, 30, registered So, 29, as his dependent under the National Health Insurance Service, South Korea's public scheme that covers almost the entire population.
Although South Korea does not recognize same-sex marriages or civil unions, the couple was able to register for health insurance as spouses, in what lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender advocates believe was the first such case in the country.
However, their progress was short-lived, as the NHIS abruptly canceled So's dependent status in October after an article published by local news magazine Hankyoreh 21 highlighted the couple.
"When we first applied, we were wondering if it would be accepted," Kim said at a press conference on Thursday morning outside the Seoul Administrative Court, where the lawsuit was filed. "But it was initially accepted, and we enjoyed our natural rights as a couple for eight months. However, after the article, the NHIS suddenly took away our rights. This lawsuit is to reclaim our lost rights."
Kim said that the insurer's decision violates the core value of the national health system, which is to "make the lives of the people better."
"The lives of same-sex couples like us should also be institutionally protected," he said. "The National Health Insurance Service should embrace more diverse lives, rather than canceling the registration of dependents, saying that it was a mistake."
The lawsuit is calling for So's status to be restored, pointing out that Korean law already recognizes benefits for non-married couples, such as common-law spouses, in other areas.
"It is against the purpose of the health insurance dependent system to deny the status of a dependent simply because they are a same-sex spouse," said Cho Sook-Hyun, one of the attorneys who filed the lawsuit.
The LGBT community in South Korea has long been seeking greater rights and a higher profile in a country that remains deeply conservative on a number of social issues.
RELATED South Korea city hall employees encroached on LGBT rights, report says
South Korea's Ministry of Gender Equality and Family introduced a plan last month to allow for non-traditional families such as unmarried couples and single-parent households to receive the same rights and protections as married households. However, same-sex couples were not included in the ministry's new legal definition of family.
In addition to a same-sex marriage ban, there are no anti-discrimination laws in place to protect sexual and gender minorities. In the military, consensual sex between men is punishable by up to two years in prison, a policy that Amnesty International condemned in 2019.
A 2019 survey by Gagoonet, the Korean Network for Partnership and Marriage Rights of LGBT, found that same-sex partners faced a host of difficulties such as exclusion from low-cost housing loans targeting newlyweds and legal rights when a spouse or partner is sick or dies.
Same-sex marriage is now allowed in at least 30 countries and territories around the world.
South Korean activists have looked to progress being made in Asian countries such as Japan, where some 74 municipalities have recognized same-sex partnerships, and particularly Taiwan, which legalized same-sex marriage in a landmark ruling in May 2019.
Local advocates point to small steps forward in recent years, such as Korean Air allowing a same-sex Korean couple who were married in Canada to enroll in the airline's family mileage program in 2019.
Public attitudes have also been shifting, especially among the younger generation in South Korea. A 2020 global survey by Pew Research found that just 44% of South Koreans felt that homosexuality should be accepted, but that figure soared to 79% among 18-29 year-olds. The generation gap was wider than in any other country, the study found.
The plaintiffs and their supporters are hoping Thursday's lawsuit will move the issue of LGBT rights forward with greater urgency.
"We are seeing some change, but the change is slow," said Ryu Min-hee, one of the lawyers representing Kim and So in their lawsuit. "So we are trying to hasten the change with litigation and advocacy."
So, the plaintiff, said he hoped the lawsuit would reverberate throughout South Korean society.
"Sexual minorities in South Korea are facing stigma and hatred," he said. "Even so, many of us are living very happily together. I hope with this lawsuit members of the LGBT community will be able to make their own families regardless of their sexual identity. I hope they will be able to live happily and with confidence."
State senators introduce bill to ban fracking in California
Proponents of the bill say oil extraction near residential areas like in Kern County, California, negatively affects people's lives.
It also creates from January a 2,500-foot ban around homes, schools and healthcare and long-term care facilities, including prisons, for oil and gas extraction over health concerns.
According to Weiner's office, nearly 7.5 million Californians live within a mile of an oil or gas well and more than 2 million within a mile of an operating well.
"Oil extraction overwhelmingly occurs near where people of color and low-income people live, causing significant negative health impacts," Wiener's office said.
The bill, which is sponsored by the Center for Race, Poverty and the Environment, directs the California Geologic Energy Management Division to identify oil and gas workers who lose their jobs to the ban and offer incentives to contractors to prioritize their hiring.
"Fracking, neighborhood drilling and other dangerous drilling practices have a real impact on the health of residents who live in Kern County and other areas of the state where drilling is prevalent," said Ingrid Brostrom, the assistant director of the Center for Race, Poverty and the Environment. "Residents are tired of being asked to sacrifice their health to help maintain the profits of a dying industry."
Rock Zierman, the chief executive officer of the California Independent Petroleum Association, rebuked the bill, questioning its legality and warning it would kill thousands of jobs and result in the importation of oil from overseas.
Proponents of the bill say oil extraction near residential areas like in Kern County, California, negatively affects people's lives.
Photo by Christopher Halloran/Shutterstock
Feb. 18 (UPI) -- Two Democratic lawmakers have introduced a bill to ban fracking in California by 2027 and create buffer zones around residential facilities against oil and gas extraction.
Bill 467 was introduced Wednesday by California state Sens. Scott Wiener and Monique Limon months after Gov. Gavin Newsom vowed in September to work with state lawmakers to phase out the controversial energy extraction process that pumps fluid at high pressure through fractured underground rock to release the resources.
"We have no time to waste and California must lead on climate action, including transitioning to a 100% clean energy economy," Weiner said in a statement. "Extracting massive amounts of oil -- particularly with destructive techniques such as fracking -- is totally inconsistent with California's commitment to a sustainable climate future."
The bill will cease the issuance or renewal of permits starting next year for hydraulic fracturing, known as fracking, acid well stimulation treatments, cyclic steaming and water and steam flooding with a full prohibition in place by 2027.
Feb. 18 (UPI) -- Two Democratic lawmakers have introduced a bill to ban fracking in California by 2027 and create buffer zones around residential facilities against oil and gas extraction.
Bill 467 was introduced Wednesday by California state Sens. Scott Wiener and Monique Limon months after Gov. Gavin Newsom vowed in September to work with state lawmakers to phase out the controversial energy extraction process that pumps fluid at high pressure through fractured underground rock to release the resources.
"We have no time to waste and California must lead on climate action, including transitioning to a 100% clean energy economy," Weiner said in a statement. "Extracting massive amounts of oil -- particularly with destructive techniques such as fracking -- is totally inconsistent with California's commitment to a sustainable climate future."
The bill will cease the issuance or renewal of permits starting next year for hydraulic fracturing, known as fracking, acid well stimulation treatments, cyclic steaming and water and steam flooding with a full prohibition in place by 2027.
It also creates from January a 2,500-foot ban around homes, schools and healthcare and long-term care facilities, including prisons, for oil and gas extraction over health concerns.
According to Weiner's office, nearly 7.5 million Californians live within a mile of an oil or gas well and more than 2 million within a mile of an operating well.
"Oil extraction overwhelmingly occurs near where people of color and low-income people live, causing significant negative health impacts," Wiener's office said.
The bill, which is sponsored by the Center for Race, Poverty and the Environment, directs the California Geologic Energy Management Division to identify oil and gas workers who lose their jobs to the ban and offer incentives to contractors to prioritize their hiring.
"Fracking, neighborhood drilling and other dangerous drilling practices have a real impact on the health of residents who live in Kern County and other areas of the state where drilling is prevalent," said Ingrid Brostrom, the assistant director of the Center for Race, Poverty and the Environment. "Residents are tired of being asked to sacrifice their health to help maintain the profits of a dying industry."
Rock Zierman, the chief executive officer of the California Independent Petroleum Association, rebuked the bill, questioning its legality and warning it would kill thousands of jobs and result in the importation of oil from overseas.
RELATED N.Y. sues Amazon for failing to protect workers from COVID-19
"Shutting down energy production under the toughest regulations on the planet will devastate the economies of oil producing regions -- especially the Central Valley -- and make the Saudi royal family even richer all while eliminating the industry that is investing in the innovation needed to significantly reduce the state's carbon footprint," the non-profit head said in a statement.
"Shutting down energy production under the toughest regulations on the planet will devastate the economies of oil producing regions -- especially the Central Valley -- and make the Saudi royal family even richer all while eliminating the industry that is investing in the innovation needed to significantly reduce the state's carbon footprint," the non-profit head said in a statement.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)