IN ALBERTA PRIVATE DAY CARE IS HEGEMONIC

Alberta pumps brakes on national childcare program

Sarah Ryan 

GLOBAL NEWS

4/21/2021

Less than 24 hours after Canada's finance minister rolled out what advocates are calling a historic investment in childcare, Alberta's premier says he's not sure it's the right fit for this province.

But Alberta's premier gave the plan a much less glowing review, saying it would only support "urban 9-5 government- and union-run institutional daycare options."

© Getty Images Alberta is expressing multiple concerns with Ottawa's new strategy to reduce childcare costs.

The plan has been widely celebrated by children and family advocates for being forward-thinking and life-changing, particularly for low- and middle-class Canadians.

"This is a really significant investment. It's exciting to see that it looks like it's going to be some permanent funding, really building a system that will be affordable and accessible and high quality for our children and families," explained Jennifer Usher with the Association of Early Childhood Educators of Alberta.

READ MORE: Alberta advocates celebrate federal childcare plan; UCP says more details needed

The Liberals are investing nearly $30 billion in drastically reducing the costs of childcare by 50 per cent in 2022 and down to $10 a day in the next five years.

Documents from the federal budget show the plan will allow an estimated 240,000 parents to enter the workforce.

"Chrystia Freeland was making pretty clear that this is actually going to increase economic growth. She's expecting a 1.2 percent gain in GDP. In other words, it's going to more than make up for what's being invested," explained Lori Williams, an associate professor of policy studies at Mount Royal University, on Tuesday.

Video: Kenney says he won’t be satisfied with ‘Ottawa-style, cookie-cutter’ childcare program

But Alberta's premier gave the plan a much less glowing review, saying it would only support "urban 9-5 government- and union-run institutional daycare options."

Jason Kenney said the plan doesn't account for those who want to stay home to raise their children.   IN ALBERTA CONS SPEND MORE ON BABA CARE /UNLICENSED CARE HOMES THAN DAY CARE

 
"I've never thought it's fair to tax who, for example, make that sacrificial choice, in order to subsidize only one kind of care, which excludes rural families, shift workers and many Indigenous people," he said

The budget documents say the federal government will be "working with provinces and territories to support primarily not-for-profit sector childcare providers to grow quality spaces across the country while ensuring that families in all licensed spaces benefit from more affordable childcare."

Alberta's Finance Minister Travis Toews said the federal money has too many strings attached to it.

"Our concern would be that there's a federal government imposed national childcare system that may leave Alberta parents with very few options," he said.

That's a myth, said Usher.


"It actually increases parental choice because we will see parents be able to choose many more programs because they will be affordable and they will be accessible," Usher said.

Rachel Notley, leader of the Official Opposition NDP, agrees.

"Parents don't have flexibility or choice if they can't have access to affordable, high-quality childcare," she said.

READ MORE: Federal budget delivers big promises on childcare, tamer housing measures

The UCP said it still wants the federal money, though.


"Alberta should simply receive the federal funding, and we can design a program that works and fits for Albertans," Toews said.

Kenney agreed, saying: "If it's a take-it-or-leave-it, Ottawa-style, cookie-cutter program, I don't think that satisfies the demands or expectations of Albertans."

Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson said the province needs to get over itself.

"I think Canadians are not so interested in this sort of jurisdictional square dance over this," he said.

"Mayor Iveson is speaking for a lot of Albertans and probably a lot of Canadians, saying we don't care about what the disputes are between politicians. We care about the very real concerns facing us," Williams added.

She said it could come off as petty politics if Alberta opts out.

"The federal government would go ahead with the provinces that are willing to work with them and that would put additional pressure on the provinces that aren't willing to work with them. People in Alberta will be looking at the other provinces and the benefits that they're getting," she said.

 

Authoritarian Right Is BIG MAD About Chauvin Verdict

  

A Fresh Perspective with Jeff Charles

Indonesia navy loses contact with submarine and its crew of 53

Josh K. Elliott 

AFP

4/21/2021

The Indonesian navy lost contact with a diving submarine north of Bali on Wednesday, officials said, as they launched a search for the vessel and the 53 people on board.

© Alex Widojo/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images Indonesia submarine KRI Nanggala-402 performs a sailing pass during the preparation for the anniversary of Indonesia Military or Tentara Nasional Indonesia (TNI) at Indonesian Navy Eastern Fleet on Sept. 25, 2014 in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia.

The 44-year-old submarine, known as KRI Nanggala-402, was last seen early Wednesday as it started a torpedo drill, a navy spokesperson said. The vessel was given permission to dive but it never came back up to share the results of the drill.

Searchers found an oil slick near the spot where the submarine went down, but they did not find the missing vessel after several hours of searching.

"We know the area but it's quite deep," First Admiral Julius Widjojono told the A

The submarine is built to withstand pressure at a maximum depth of 250 metres, but officials say the vessel might have gone farther down.

"It is possible that during static diving, a blackout occurred so control was lost and emergency procedures cannot be carried out and the ship falls to a depth of 600-700 metres," the Indonesian navy said in a statement.

The navy says the oil spill might have been a sign of damage to the fuel tank or a deliberate signal from the missing crew.

"We are still searching in the waters of Bali, 60 miles (96 km) from Bali, (for) 53 people," military chief Hadi Tjahjanto told Reuters in a text message. He said contact with the vessel was lost at 4:30 a.m. on Wednesday.

The Indonesian navy dispatched two vessels to search the water with sonars. Australia, India and Singapore have also agreed to join the search.

The KRI Nanggala-402 weighs 1,395 tonnes and was originally built in Germany in 1977, then added to Indonesia's fleet in 1981. The vessel was last retrofitted in South Korea in 2012, the Indonesian Defence Ministry says.

It's one of five submarines in the Indonesian fleet.

This is the first time Indonesia has lost a submarine, but other nations have lost some in years past.

In 2017, for example, Argentina lost a submarine in the southern Atlantic with 44 crew aboard. The imploded wreck was found a year later.

—With files from Reuters

Protests held across Russia amid fears for jailed opposition leader's health

People in dozens of Russian cities joined protests in support of the jailed opposition leader Alexey Navalny, responding to calls from Navalny's allies who have said he is dangerously ill in prison while on a hunger strike.

Protests took place in most cities in Russia, from Vladivostok in the far east to Moscow and St. Petersburg, with crowds ranging from a few dozen to thousands and people turning out despite warnings from authorities that they would face arrest. People gathered in central squares or marched, chanting "Freedom to Navalny." In many places, they were confronted by police, who arrested several hundred people but generally did not move to aggressively disperse the protests.MORE: Russia moves Alexey Navalny to prison hospital as allies warn his life is at risk

Navalny's team called for the protests over the weekend, saying it was an "emergency" and painting it as a "final battle" to save life of the Kremlin's fiercest opponent and rescue his movement from destruction.

His allies and doctors have warned Navalny's health has sharply deteriorated after three weeks of a hunger strike, perhaps exacerbated by lingering effects of his nerve agent poisoning last year, and that he could die in "a matter of days." They said Navalny's life depended on how many people came out onto the streets.

© Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP People shine the lights of their mobile phones during the opposition rally in support of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, Russia, April 21, 2021.

The biggest crowd was in Moscow, where thousands of people gathered a few hundred yards from the Kremlin, chanting "Putin is a thief." It was difficult to estimate the crowd's size, but ABC News reporters on the ground, as well as several other observers, estimated it was over 10,000. In the Siberian city of Yekaterinburg, local authorities estimated around 5,000 people took part, and other large cities saw crowds of a few thousand, unusual for places that rarely see protests.

The street demonstrations were the first called for by Navalny's team since he was arrested when he returned to Russia in January. Authorities succeeded in quashing those demonstrations with a tough crackdown.MORE: Russia's Alexey Navalny 'is dying' in prison, allies call for nationwide protests

Police were noticeably more hands-off during these protests than they were in January, when battalions of riot police closed down city centers and aggressively detained thousands, beating people with clubs and electro-shockers.

This time, there were fewer riot police, and officers often stood watching, without moving to disperse the crowds. Police still detained over 1,200 across Russia on Wednesday, according to OVD-Info, a group that tracks arrests, but that's far fewer than in January, when over 5,000 were detained in a single day. Almost half of the detentions happened in St. Petersburg, where police appeared to be more aggressive, moving against a crowd of several thousand.

© Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP, FILE Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny stands in a cage in the Babuskinsky District Court in Moscow, Feb. 20, 2021.

The turnout seems likely to do little to persuade the Kremlin, which has appeared determined to crush Navalny's movement, that it cannot control the protest movement inspired by him.

Last week, prosecutors moved to have Navalny's key organizations, the Anti-Corruption Fund and his regional campaign offices, declared "extremist groups," a step that would equate them to terrorist organizations. Under the legislation, Navalny's movement would be effectively outlawed, and anyone participating in it or even voicing public support for it could face a lengthy prison sentence.

"Very many people are afraid. A lot of people are afraid to lose their jobs," said Daria, 32, a protester in Moscow who did not want to give her last name for fear of reprisal. "But we need more people to come out."MORE: Russia moves troops near Ukraine: Analysts explain what's behind the buildup

The protest was timed to coincide with a major speech from President Vladimir Putin, who gave his annual state-of-the-nation address Wednesday. The address was closely watched this year because of tensions over Russia's military buildup close to Ukraine that has sparked a war scare.

Putin has previously used the speech to make major announcements -- such as unveiling constitutional changes that could extend his rule to 2036 -- and there had been speculation he might again announce new actions relating to Ukraine or neighboring Belarus. But in the end, though Putin made threatening warnings to the West, he did not make any major foreign policy announcements.

© Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP Russian President Vladimir Putin gives his annual state of the nation address in Manezh, Moscow, Russia, April 21, 2021.

Instead, Putin focused on domestic issues, urging people to get vaccinated against coronavirus and announcing new social spending, aimed at reassuring Russians hurt by the economic fallout of the pandemic.

Putin did warn the West against crossing Russia's "red lines" and focused in particular on Belarus, where he accused Western countries of backing a supposed coup attempt against its leader Alexander Lukashenko, that Russian and Belarusian security services claimed to uncover over the weekend, which many observers believe is a fabrication.

"The practice of organizing state coups, plans for political killings,” Putin said, “That is already too much. They’ve already crossed all boundaries.

”MORE: Russia moves to outlaw Navalny's movement as doctors plead for access to him in prison

To applause, Putin said Russia doesn't want to "burn bridges" but warned that if other countries did so, Russia's response would be "asymmetric, quick and harsh."

Western countries, including the United States, have warned Russia that there will be consequences if Navalny dies in prison.

© Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP via Getty Images Opposition supporters attend a rally in support of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, in Moscow, April 21, 2021.

Navalny began his hunger strike three weeks ago to demand that his doctors be allowed to treat him for severe back pain caused by two herniated discs. Over the weekend, his team began sounding the alarm that his condition was deteriorating rapidly and accused the Kremlin of killing Navalny in slow motion.

Doctors helping Navalny's family have said his blood tests show he has dangerously high levels of potassium that could cause his heart to stop at "any minute" and that his kidneys may also be failing. In such a state, his doctors say he should be in intensive care.

Russia's prison service has insisted his condition is "satisfactory" and on Sunday moved Navalny to a hospital at a different nearby prison, where he has been given a glucose drip, according to his lawyers.

Navalny himself in a message Tuesday appeared to resist his doctors' prognoses that he was at risk of imminent death and said he is determined to continue his hunger strike. In the message posted on Instagram by his team, Navalny wrote that he "laughed" when he saw the warnings about his potassium levels, writing "you won't take me that easily."MORE: How Putin keeps his grip over Russia, even with support waning

"After Novichok, potassium isn't frightening," Navalny wrote, referring to the nerve agent that nearly killed him.

Russia's human rights ombudswoman Tatiana Moskalkova on Wednesday said that four doctors not from the prison service had visited Navalny and found that for now there was "no serious risks" to him. Moskalkova told Russian reporters that the doctors for now considered his treatment with the drip to be sufficient.

Russia moves to outlaw Navalny's movement as doctors plead for access to him in prison

Prosecutors seek to declare the Putin critic's organisations "extremist."

ByPatrick Reevell

ABC NEWS

4/16/2021

Russian authorities have moved to designate the organizations of opposition leader Alexey Navalny as "extremist groups" in a step that effectively would outlaw his political movement.

The move is the most serious attack so far by authorities on Navalny's movement as the Kremlin seeks to break the opposition fomented by its fiercest critic, who was sent to in a prison camp for 2 1/2 years in February.

Russia's decision comes as doctors supporting Navalny have warned the state of his health is becoming dangerous in prison, where he's been on a hunger strike for more than two weeks and has accused authorities of denying him medical care.

Jailed Putin foe Alexey Navalny declares hunger strike

Russia's general prosecutor's office on Friday released a statement saying it had filed a request seeking to have Navalny's Anti-Corruption Fund as well as his regional campaign branches declared "extremist" under legislation normally used for terrorist groups and violent religious sects.

The prosecutor's office said it was filing the request on the grounds that Navalny's groups were "creating conditions for changing the foundations of the constitutional order," including supposedly through foreign-backed revolution.

Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP

People clash with police during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny i...

Russia in recent years has enacted draconian legislation, nominally to help thwart terror groups, but the measures increasingly are being wielded against critics of President Vladimir Putin. If declared "extremist," Navalny's organizations would be banned -- anyone deemed to be participating in or aiding them could face lengthy prison sentences.

"Well there we are. They have decided to steamroll the FBK and the campaign headquarters," Ivan Zhdanov, the Anti-Corruption Fund's director, wrote on Twitter. "We won't surrender."

Thousands protest for Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny as police crack down

The Anti-Corruption Fund, known by the initials FBK, publishes investigations revealing the allegedly ill-gotten wealth of Putin and other powerful Russians. The FBK, along with regional branch offices, helps organize peaceful protests against corruption and calls for an end to Putin's rule. But the groups don't advocate for violence or overthrowing the state by force.

The Anti-Corruption Fund this week published a new video investigation unveiling what it said was a secret residence for Putin in northwest Russia, complete with an elaborate spa complex.

Alexei Druzhinin/Sputnik/Kremlin/Pool via AP

Russian President Vladimir Putin listens during a meeting in the Kremlin in Moscow, March 24, 2021.

Leonid Volkov, a top lieutenant of Navalny, said the announcement on Friday meant the Kremlin had still not decided whether to go through with outlawing the group, telling people "don't keep quiet."

Authorities have kept up intense pressure on Navalny's movement since he returned to Russia in January, having recovered from his near fatal poisoning with a nerve agent last summer. His arrest caused thousands to protest, but Navalny's allies were forced to call off street demonstrations in February in the face of an intense police crackdown.

Concerns have been mounting over Navalny's health in prison, where, in addition to the hunger strike, he said he's been refused proper treatment for back pain so severe it limits his walking. And just last week, Navalny was moved to the prison's medical ward suffering from a respiratory illness and a high temperature.

How Putin keeps his grip over Russia, even with support waning

On Friday, doctors supporting Navalny wrote an open letter to the head of Russia's prison service pleading for negotiations with prison doctors to agree on a treatment plan, saying Navalny's worsening condition could be life-threatening.

"We express extreme concern about his state, which is approaching critical," the doctors, some of who are activists, wrote. The doctors wrote in the letter that medical tests show Navalny is suffering renal impairment that could lead to serious problems his circulatory system "up to a heart attack."

Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP, FILE

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny stands in a cage in the Babuskinsky District Court in M...

Navalny's wife and mother said they visited him this week and were alarmed by how weak he was.

"Aleksey, as always, keeps his spirit. He talks just as cheerfully, but quietly. He coughs badly, breathes with difficulty," his mother, Lyudmila, wrote in an Instagram post.

Navalny said in a message on Friday that prison authorities were threatening to start force-feeding him if he didn't feed himself. In a message posted to his Instagram account by his team, Navalny wrote he would refuse and that he was demanding to be examined by his own doctor.

"My head is spinning heavily," Navalny said, "but I'm still going for now because I feel your support. Thank you!"

Asian Americans face barriers and bigotry in medicine (Opinion)
Opinion by Augustine M.K. Choi 

4/21/2021

For so long, Asian Americans have been left out of critical conversations about race, despite longstanding barriers that impede their lives and careers.

© Graeme Sloan/Sipa USA/Reuters Protesters rally to call attention to Asian-American discrimination and remember the Asian American lives lost in the Atlanta shootings, in Chinatown, Washington, DC, March 17. Six women of Asian heritage lost their lives.

At the academic medical institution in New York City where I work, Asians and Asian Americans make up 32% of the student body and 24% of faculty and staff. Many of us, whether immigrants or US-born, may seem to fit the myth of the "model minority" -- successful, industrious, proof of the American dream.

But we are far from a homogenous group, and Asian Americans of all classes and backgrounds are vulnerable to discrimination and violence. Asians around the country -- including doctors, scientists, technicians and medical secretaries -- are routinely harassed because of the way we look, our presumed inability to speak English and other stereotypes.

This racism can seep into the health care setting, where nearly one in five practicing doctors is of Asian descent.

According to a 2017 survey of 800 physicians in the US, 69% of Asian American doctors said they endured biased remarks and personally offensive comments from patients. Unfortunately, these interactions are all too common. They range from comments about a doctor's accent to demands to see a practitioner of a different race. Such affronts threaten the doctor-patient alliance that is necessary for optimal health care and can fuel burnout among health care providers.

This problem has only gotten worse during the Covid-19 crisis.

Last May, a Washington Post report stated, "Across the country, Asian American health care workers have reported a rise in bigoted incidents. The racial hostility has left Asian Americans, who represent 6 percent of the US population but 18 percent of the country's physicians and 10 percent of its nurse practitioners, in a painful position on the front lines of the response to the coronavirus pandemic."

Many of these health care workers who faced racism from their patients as well as increasing harassment in their daily lives were being blamed for the very disease they were working around the clock to beat.

A growing number of medical schools are now offering training and implementing policies to deal with patient bias.

But bias extends far beyond the medical setting of doctor and patient.

According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, Asians make up the second largest racial group among medical students and doctors in the US, and they constitute 20% of medical school faculty, which largely tracks with the percentage of students. But the numbers start dwindling among higher levels of seniority. Ten percent of academic department chairs are Asian, and my own anecdotal assessment of medical schools in the US, something I know quite well, is that few Asian Americans occupy the top leadership position of medical school dean.

This trend is mirrored in other industries including business, law and technology, where Asians are rarely found in management or executive levels.

Asian Americans, regardless of what they do and where they fall on the socioeconomic spectrum, struggle with what other minority groups encounter -- the quest for equality and fairness. Their plight is a reminder that much work remains.

PEEPING LEGALIZED IN USA

New rules allowing small drones to fly over people in U.S. take effect

By David Shepardson 

4/21/2021

© Reuters/BOB STRONG FILE PHOTO: A drone flies over downtown during a NASA demonstration on the testing of its Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management (UTM) platform in Reno

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said that final rules announced in December took effect on Wednesday allowing for small drones to fly over people and at night, a significant step toward their eventual use for widespread commercial deliveries.

The effective date was delayed about a month during the change in administration. The FAA said its long-awaited rules for the drones, also known as unmanned aerial vehicles, will address security concerns by requiring remote identification technology in most cases to enable their identification from the ground.

Previously, small drone operations over people were limited to operations over people who were directly participating in the operation, located under a covered structure, or inside a stationary vehicle - unless operators had obtained a waiver from the FAA.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Wednesday the rules "are an important first step in safely and securely managing the growing use of drones in our airspace, though more work remains on the journey to full integration" of drones.

Drone manufacturers have 18 months to begin producing drones with Remote ID, and operators will have an additional year to provide Remote ID.

Companies have been racing to create drone fleets to speed deliveries. As of December, the United States had over 1.7 million drone registrations and 203,000 FAA-certificated remote pilots.

For at-night operations, the FAA said drones must be equipped with anti-collision lights. The final rules allow operations over moving vehicles in some circumstances.

The new rules eliminate requirements that drones be connected to the internet to transmit location data but do require that they broadcast remote ID messages via radio frequency broadcast.

One change, since the rules were first proposed in 2019, requires that small drones not have any exposed rotating parts that would lacerate human skin.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Aurora Ellis)

Behind production of a top-selling bourbon, push to go green

)

Provided by The Canadian Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The process of making fine whiskey involves aging spirits to a golden brown, but a bourbon producing giant is going green along the way.

Beam Suntory, producer of top-selling Jim Beam and Maker's Mark, both crafted in Kentucky, said Wednesday it wants to cut its companywide greenhouse gas emissions and water usage in half by 2030. The company's more ambitious goal is to remove more carbon than is emitted from its operations and among its supplier base by 2040.

The spirits giant also is committed to planting 500,000 trees annually by 2030, with a goal of planting more trees than are harvested to make barrels to hold its aging whiskeys. Bourbon ages for years in charred new oak barrels, where it acquires its colour and flavour.

The sustainability campaign will span every facet of production — from “seed to sip,” it said.

“Making a positive impact on the planet, consumers and communities isn’t just the right thing to do — it’s a must-do for the sustainability of our business and humanity,” said Albert Baladi, president and CEO of Chicago-based Beam Suntory.

Beam Suntory said it anticipates investing more than $500 million this decade to achieve its goals of reducing its carbon footprint. The company said it's already made progress, having reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 19% through investments in technology and use of cleaner fuels.

The company also said it will use 100% recyclable packaging by 2030 and pledged to work only with suppliers that use sustainable practices by 2040.

Another spirits giant, Diageo, plans to begin production this summer at its new Kentucky distillery that it says will be carbon neutral. The $130 million distillery at Lebanon, which will start by producing Bulleit bourbon, will be powered by 100% renewable electricity.

Last year, London-based Diageo announced its goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions across its direct operations by 2030 by tapping into renewable energy.

“As a global business, we are committed to playing our part to protect the future of our planet and to leading the way for others to follow," said Diageo Chief Executive Ivan Menezes.

Diageo’s other spirits brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, Smirnoff, Ketel One, Captain Morgan, Baileys and Guinness.

Beam Suntory noted that its Fred B. Noe Craft Distillery will be the company’s first distillery powered by renewable energy. The distillery is set to open this year in Clermont, Kentucky.

Other Beam Suntory distilleries across the world have begun transitioning to lower carbon fuels, such as natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas, it said. And it has started evaluating options to transition to renewable fuels across distilleries globally.

“We are taking a three-step approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” said company spokeswoman Emily Bryson York. “We will optimize our existing processes, move to 100% renewable electricity and ultimately to 100% renewable fuel.”

The transformation will not change distillation processes, she said.

To enhance water sustainability, both Maker’s Mark and the James B. Beam Distilling Co. have established Natural Water Sanctuaries in Kentucky to protect local water sources vital to crafting the bourbons.

Beam Suntory also pledged Wednesday to invest $500 million to significantly expand its responsibility-themed communications to promote responsible drinking. The company said its goal is to reach more than 300 million consumers by 2030 with messages to promote responsible decisions and reduce harmful drinking.

Beam Suntory is a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings Ltd., a Japanese beverage company. Its spirits lineup also includes Toki Japanese whisky, Teacher’s Scotch whisky, Canadian Club whisky, Hornitos tequila and Pinnacle vodka.

Bruce Schreiner, The Associated Press 4/21/2021

Trump administration fuel economy regulations born out of flawed processes, EPA IG says

Sean Szymkowski 

4/21/2021

The EPA inspector general issued a report Tuesday declaring the Trump administration engaged in flawed processes when writing its SAFE Vehicle regulations, which rolled back fuel economy and emissions regulations automakers must adhere to. 

Notably, the rule dialed back fuel economy improvements from 5% annually to just 1.5% through 2026.

© Provided by Roadshow Tetra Images/Getty Images

Sen. Tom Carper (D-Delaware) initially requested an investigation into the rule-making process in March 2020. The inspector general followed through with a probe and noted the Trump administration pushed the regulations through with a "lack of interagency collaboration at the technical level." The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and EPA issue these regulations jointly, but the IG found the latter never reviewed some 650 pages of the rules before then-EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler signed off on the regulations. EPA staff also warned of numerous factual errors that weren't corrected until after the signing. The new rules became official last June.

The EPA told Roadshow in a statement, "EPA values transparency in the rule-making process and understands the importance of an accurate and complete public rule-making docket. EPA's regulatory actions should be developed based on sound policy, analytical, and scientific foundations, and should be informed by the full capability of technical staff." It added the agency adopted "a variety of actions outlined in the report" as it's currently in the midst of proposing new, likely more stringent regulations under the Biden administration. In accordance with an executive order the president signed on his first day in office, the EPA will propose new regulations that would replace the Trump-era rules by July. The administration and EPA haven't signaled how far they'll go with fuel economy improvements and targeted emissions cuts, but EPA Administrator Michael Regan said previously they should meet the "urgency" of the climate crises.

Sen. Carper said in a statement, "This report from the EPA Inspector General confirms those concerns and makes it clear that flawed leadership resulted in flawed policies. I look forward to seeing the actions that EPA will take to ensure the agency fulfills its mission when it writes critical rules."

So far, Biden's been all-in on electric vehicles as a way to cut emissions in the US. The administration's proposed infrastructure legislation includes $100 billion for point-of-sale rebates to slash thousands off the price of a new EV.

Afghans working for US worry about their future after Biden withdrawal announcement

By Priscilla Alvarez and Kylie Atwood, CNN  4/21/2021

© Joe Raedle/Getty Images A U.S. Marine (C) talks through his interpreter (L) to an Afghan man during a patrol on July 6, 2009 in Mian Poshteh, Afghanistan.

That is the new reality sinking in for Afghans working for the United States in Afghanistan who may be Taliban targets once the US military withdraws.

RELATED: What civilians in Afghanistan say about America's withdrawal

There are about 18,000 people who have applied for special immigrant visas to the US who are still awaiting approval, according to a State Department official. But how quickly they can move through the red tape built into the program is unclear, given thorough and years-long vetting that often takes place before a visa is granted.

For many, that time could be a matter of life and death.

"Due to high risk from Taliban and target killing, the company which I am working with told me that I should not go to my job site for a short time. Instead, I stay up nights keeping watch to see if anyone is trying to plant a bomb around my house, and my wife does the same by day while I sleep," Khan said in a statement to CNN, shared through his attorney Julie Kornfeld.

"I cannot go to city for shopping and hospital for treatment. If I go, I wear turban, surgical mask and glasses to be safe from targeting," he added. CNN is only using his middle name for concerns over his security.

Khan has worked for two different US companies contracted by the Defense Department in Afghanistan for more than six years and applied for a special immigrant visa (SIV) three years ago, according to Kornfeld.

RELATED: Afghanistan: Why the US is there, why it's leaving, what will happen when it's gone

Biden's announcement last week that the US will withdraw troops marks the end of the decades-long war, which has taken a deadly toll on the people of Afghanistan, many of whom have risked it all to help the United States fight for their own democracy. Translators are among them, providing a key link to the thousands of military and US government contractors.

"We're expecting the security situation to rapidly deteriorate for anyone who's seen as opposing the Taliban. That will certainly include translators and other employees of the US government," said Betsy Fisher, director of strategy at International Refugee Assistance Project.

The visa program, established in 2009, is intended for Afghan citizens, along with their spouses and unmarried children under 21, who work for the US government in Afghanistan. It is a distinct program and doesn't count toward the refugee cap, which the White House has recently come under scrutiny over.

Thousands of Afghans, including interpreters for the US military and contractors, have moved to the United States via the visa. The average time to process the visas is an arduous and lengthy process; in recent years the processing for each approved applicant has taken more than 500 days, according to State Department data reviewed by CNN.

Abdul, an Afghan national, fled his country fearing he might be killed because he worked as an engineer for the US government in Afghanistan.

"I left everything," he told CNN's Jake Tapper. "I left my family and my colleagues and it was very painful for me."

Abdul requested CNN call him by an alias to protect his identity because he says his life is in danger from insurgents he fears are still hunting him down.


'Eyes and ears'

The US diplomatic mission in Afghanistan would be impossible without the local partners and translators, US diplomats say.

"They are our eyes and ears. They have all the contacts we benefit from. They set up meetings and they know the power brokers," explained one US diplomat who recently served in Afghanistan. "They are also our continuity because the turnover of US diplomats every year is about 90 percent."

Many of the translators have family members they are also worried about, US diplomats told CNN. It is the fear for their family that has led some of them to finally apply to a program they hoped they would never have to use.

"These are resilient and determined people. They thought peace was coming so they did not think they would have to go to the US. Now with the Taliban's possible return they have no other option," said a second US diplomat.

A State Department spokesperson said they are well aware of the risks facing translators and others.

"Everyone involved in this process, whether in Washington or at our embassies abroad, is fully aware of the contributions of our Afghan colleagues and the risks they face. As Secretary (Antony) Blinken said, we have a commitment to those who worked with us and helped us, whether it was our military or our diplomats, and we're committed to moving forward on the Special Immigrant Visa program for them," the spokesperson said.


Severe delays

The process has slowed down over the last year as the Covid-19 pandemic shut down a tremendous amount of travel: In fiscal year 2019, the State Department issued 9,741 SIVs to Afghans, but in fiscal year 2020 they only issued 1,799 of the visas, according to State Department data.

There were "hundreds and hundreds of visas" that expired, because no one could depart the country to come to the US, according to Lindsey Sharp with the International Rescue Committee. The embassy in Afghanistan "finally" restarted some processing and reissued expired visas, Sharp said, but capacity is still limited.

"Covid, for the last year, has kind of ground issuance to a halt," she said. "The backlogs now are large."

The State Department says they have now increased resources and taken steps to prioritize applications from interpreters and translators, with extra consideration for those who helped in combat operations, according to the spokesperson. Those efforts include a temporary increase in consular staffing at the US Embassy in Kabul to assist with the visas.

Janis Shinwari -- who used to be an Afghan interpreter working alongside troops, and likely saved the life of one of those troops, before arriving in the US in 2013 via the SIV program -- said he's received hundreds of messages through Facebook, both personally and through his group's page, No One Left Behind.

"Since people heard of this news that the US is withdrawing from Afghanistan, I'm receiving hundreds of messages, like Facebook messages, from my friends, from other people who served as an interpreter or translator or contractors in Iraq or Afghanistan," he said. "The people are asking for help."

Shinwari has had a hard time keeping up with the messages because of the constant flow: "What do I tell them?" he said.

While working as an interpreter in Afghanistan, Shinwari lived on the US base, not only for work but as his protection, he explained. Without that, he'd be at risk.

"These interpreters, they're the breadwinner of a big family," he said. "If the breadwinner dies, the whole family dies."


Concern from lawmakers

Members of Congress have also shared concerns about the future of those who have helped the US mission in Afghanistan.

On Wednesday, a bipartisan group of 16 House lawmakers, including several who have served in the US military and at the State Department, sent a letter to the President urging the administration to commit to the Afghan people who assisted the United States on the ground.

"We must provide a path to safety for those who loyally worked alongside U.S. troops, diplomats, and contractors, and work with our international partners to provide options for Afghans who would face a credible fear of persecution if the Taliban return to power," wrote Democratic Reps. Jason Crow, Ami Bera, Earl Blumenauer, Jared Golden, Sara Jacobs, Andy Kim, Tom Malinowski, Seth Moulton, Stephanie Murphy and Adam Schiff and Republican Reps. Don Bacon, Neal Dunn, Adam Kinzinger, Peter Meijer, Michael Waltz and Brad Wenstrup.

"This effort advances our vital national security interests by demonstrating to the world the manner in which we treat our partners," said the lawmakers, who announced they would form the "Honoring Our Promises Working Group" focused on crafting legislation to expand and expedite the SIV program and coordinate with the administration.

Republican Rep. Mike Waltz of Florida, who served in Afghanistan as a Special Forces officer, said he's been hearing from Afghans, many of whom have worked with the US for years, "in a state of panic."

"I had an interpreter executed while in line waiting for a SIV visa, along with several of his cousins and brothers. So they really are taking their entire extended family's lives in their hands, and they're now just abandoned. So this notion that we can go back, you know, whenever we need to after abandoning our local partners, it's a lie, it's just not true," Waltz added.

Blumenauer, a Democrat of Oregon and longtime supporter of the SIV program, told CNN he plans to share his concerns with the administration.

"I personally feel and will be communicating to them that I hope one of the unintended consequences is not putting people at risk who literally risked their lives to help Americans, as translators, truck drivers ... We have an obligation to get this right," he said.

Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, also a long-time supporter of the SIV program, said in a statement she was "disheartened by the President's decision, which I believe not only risks the hard-fought gains in Afghanistan, but also puts Afghans in danger who have been critical partners in supporting the US."

American Honey Still Contains Nuclear Fallout From the 1950s

Caroline Delbert 

POP MECH

4/21/2021

© Tara Moore 

Scientists say nuclear fallout from Cold War weapons testing is still showing up in U.S. honey today. Here's why.

U.S. honey still contains radioactivity dating back to the 1950s.

Radiocesium from nuclear weapons testing continues to appear in local plants.

The radiocesium is absorbed because of its resemblance to potassium.

Drizzle some radioactivity in your tea: Scientists say nuclear fallout from Cold War weapons testing is still showing up in U.S. honey today, and the secret to the lingering traces is a sneaky chemistry twist.

➡ Join Pop Mech Pro and get exclusive answers to your weirdest science questions.

It’s important to note the levels are not high enough to be harmful, say the scientists, from the College of William & Mary. But how is radioactivity still lingering in honey production after 60+ years?

The key ingredient is called radiocesium. Radioactive cesium is a fission product thrown off by hundreds of nuclear weapon test blasts from global superpowers, including the U.S., during the‘50s and‘60s. The isotope’s radioactive half life is 30 years, meaning the worst of the radiation from these specific test blasts is well behind us.

But the decades-old radiocesium is still in circulation for bees because it’s close enough to the element potassium, one of the essential nutrients for plants, humans, and other animals. Plants mistakenly absorb radiocesium, believing it to be potassium.

Honey not only picks up local plants’ chemical composition, but magnifies it because of the mechanism of how honey is made, say the scientists. Bees consume nectar and, like the people who turn maple sap into syrup, concentrate the nectar so it’s up to five times thicker. What’s left has even more of the local chemical composition.

“While soils of the eastern U.S. have a relatively narrow range of [radiocesium] today, concentrations in honey sourced from this region spanned nearly 3 orders of magnitude with far higher levels in the southeast,” the researchers write in their study, which appears in Nature Communications.

Why do the levels spike in the southeast? Blame the geological nature of the region, where there’s less readily available potassium because of the way rocks and soil are arranged. That means plants in the southeast grab more of whatever is around that seems like potassium, including radiocesium.

The William & Mary scientists discovered this by accident, when grad students brought back samples of local foods from spring break destinations around the eastern U.S. to test for radiocesium, according to Science. When one student’s local honey contained cesium levels 100 times higher than the other foods, the scientists dug into honey’s radioactive link.

The scientists ultimately found radiocesium in 68 of 122 American honey samples and found approximately 870,000 atoms per tablespoon—“well below” the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s line for food safety concerns, according to Science.

While the minuscule radiation levels in honey are completely safe for humans today, that doesn’t mean there isn’t, well, fallout for other species. Scientists should now look into how radiocesium has impacted bees since the weapons testing; bumblebees near Chernobyl were less able to reproduce after the 1986 disaster, for example.