Activision Blizzard staff sign letter condemning company's "abhorrent" response to abuse allegations

"We call for official statements that recognise the seriousness of these allegations"

News by Imogen BeckhellingNews Writer

Published on 27 Jul, 2021

Over 1000 current and former Activision Blizzard employees have signed a letter rebuking the company's response to serious allegations of harassment and abuse. Last week, it came to light that the California Department of Fair Housing and Employment (DFEH) were suing Activision Blizzard over an alleged culture of sexual harrassment and discrimination. At the time, the company issued a statement claiming the suit included information that was "distorted, and in many cases false". But now staff past and present are calling for new official statements "that recognise the seriousness of these allegations and demonstrate compassion for victims of harassment and assault".

After a two-year investigation into the company, DFEH's lawsuit alleges that Activision Blizzard harboured a "frat boy" culure that involved "male employees drinking and subjecting female employees to sexual harassment with no repercussion." The filing includes a number of disturbing allegations as well, and Activision Blizzard's response suggests that these behaviours are in the past.

Now in a letter signed by Blizzard employees, which was shared with Bloomberg (watch out for the paywall), staff say the statements made both publicly and internally about the lawsuit are "abhorrent and insulting", creating "a company atmosphere that disbelieves victims".

In particular, it calls for Activision Blizzard executive Frances Townsend to step down as the Executive Sponsor of the company's Employee's Women's Network, after a leaked email she sent to staff internally rejected the lawsuit's claims, calling it "meritless and irresponsible".

Here's the employees' letter in full:

"To the Leaders of Activision Blizzard,

"We, the undersigned, agree that the statements from Activision Blizzard, Inc. and their legal counsel regarding the DFEH lawsuit, as well as the subsequent internal statement from Frances Townsend, are abhorrent and insulting to all that we believe our company should stand for. To put it clearly and unequivocally, our values as employees are not accurately reflected in the words and actions of our leadership.

"We believe these statements have damaged our ongoing quest for equality inside and outside of our industry. Categorising the claims that have been made as 'distorted, and in many cases false' creates a company atmosphere that disbelieves victims. It also casts doubt on our organisations' ability to hold abusers accountable for their actions and foster a safe environment for victims to come forward in the future. These statements make it clear that our leadership is not putting our values first. Immediate corrections are needed from the highest level of our organization.

"Our company executives have claimed that actions will be taken to protect us, but in the face of legal action - and the troubling official responses that followed - we no longer trust that our leaders will place employee safety above their own interests. To claim this is a 'truly meritless and irresponsible lawsuit,' while seeing so many current and former employees speak out about their own experiences regarding harassment and abuse, is simply unacceptable.

"We call for official statements that recognise the seriousness of these allegations and demonstrate compassion for victims of harassment and assault. We call on Frances Townsend to stand by her word to step down as Executive Sponsor of the ABK Employee Women's Network as a result of the damaging nature of her statement. We call on the executive leadership team to work with us on new and meaningful efforts that ensure employees - as well as our community - have a safe place to speak out and come forward.

"We stand with all our friends, teammates, and colleagues, as well as the members of our dedicated community, who have experienced mistreatment or harassment of any kind. We will not be silenced, we will not stand aside, and we will not give up until the company we love is a workplace we can all feel proud to be a part of again. We will be the change."

Since the allegations first came to light last week, past and present Blizzard employees have also taken to social media to criticise the company's response to the lawsuit, including Blizzard co-founder and former president Mike Morhaime.

Fans of the company's games have been raising awareness of the suit as well, with World Of Warcraft players holding virtual protests in-game, voicing support for victims, calling for change, and raising money for Black Girls Code.

TAGGED WITH

 

• Activision Blizzard

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Imogen Beckhelling

News Writer

Imogen is a lore enthusiast and lover of all the fun shenanigans game communities get up to. She spends too much time playing Overwatch, and not enough time having interests that aren't to do with video games.

 

Activision Blizzard Employees Are Unhappy With The Corporate Response To The Harassment Lawsuit

Paul Tassi

Games

News and opinion about video games, television, movies and the internet.

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 14: General view of atmosphere at the Activision E3 preview held at Staples ... [+]

 GETTY

A rift is widening between many employees at Activision Blizzard and those in charge of the corporation, who have issued a wide range of statements regarding a lawsuit by the state of California alleging mistreatment of women within the company.

There have been a series of these statements, both issued externally and to Activision Blizzard employees themselves. The original statement published alongside the Bloomberg story on the lawsuit spent a large amount of time laying into the conduct of the investigators, whom the company called “state bureaucrats”:

“The DFEH includes distorted, and in many cases false, descriptions of Blizzard’s past. We have been extremely cooperative with the DFEH throughout their investigation, including providing them with extensive data and ample documentation, but they refused to inform us what issues they perceived. They were required by law to adequately investigate and to have good faith discussions with us to better understand and to resolve any claims or concerns before going to litigation, but they failed to do so. Instead, they rushed to file an inaccurate complaint, as we will demonstrate in court.”

That was followed up by internal emails to staff, including one from Blizzard President J. Allen Brack, who is personally named in the lawsuit:

Many point out the weirdness of Brack saying that feminist Gloria Steinem was a “revered saint in the Brack household,” along with other statements that seem to dispute the original pushback on the lawsuit.

MORE FOR YOU

Bungie Issues Statement On Activision Blizzard Harassment Allegations

After that, Activision CCO Fran Townsend, a former Homeland Security advisor to the Bush administration, issued another statement that very much doubled down on initial defenses of the culture at the company:

While Townsend speaks to her positive experiences as a woman in management, many highlight the fact that she’s only been with the company for seven months.

That last statement reportedly set off a number of employees. A source close to those working at Activision Blizzard relayed the following to me after that last email was sent out:

"Everyone is just crying and angry, especially as leadership keeps trying to minimize them and their feelings and gaslight what they remember."

Some Activision Blizzard employees are speaking publicly about their displeasure with the company, and there was even a partial work stoppage on the WoW team yesterday:

Others specifically name not just the accusations, but the corporate response as being poor:

Many, many others do not want to speak publicly about the issue for fear of the type of retaliation that Activision Blizzard claims does not exist within the company.

What seems to be happening is that corporate is issuing public statements denying many of these problems exist while simultaneously highlighting things the company does to mitigate these problems. Given that this is not just a complaint, but an actual lawsuit, there’s no doubt some level of “refusing to admit guilt” here that could be used in the case. A true apology would be an admission, and so here we are, with a wide gap between what the executives are saying and what the workers are feeling.

This is an unfurling mess that is only going to get more complicated as time goes on. We’ll see who speaks out next, more employees or another corporate executive

.

Bungie Publishes Statement Against

 "Harassment, Abuse, And Inequality" In

 Games Industry

"It's our responsibility to ensure this type of

 behavior is not tolerated at Bungie at any

 level," wrote the developer.


By Otto Kratky on July 23, 2021 





Destiny developer Bungie has taken to Twitter to speak out against what it calls "a persistent culture of harassment, abuse, and inequality that exists in our industry." The statement, a thread on Twitter of six different posts, comes days after a lawsuit was filed against Activision Blizzard by the state of California for its "frat boy" culture.

Bungie's statement is a clear message against any kind of discrimination in the games industry, saying, "While the accounts in this week's news are difficult to read, we hope they will lead to justice, awareness, and accountability."

The developer also spoke on its own efforts to quash any toxic behavior that may take place in its own offices. "It's our responsibility to ensure this type of behavior is not tolerated at Bungie at any level," reads the statement. "And that we never excuse it or sweep it under the rug."

Bungie worked with Blizzard Activision until 2019 developing both Destiny titles while under the publisher. The two companies split, with Bungie retaining the rights to Destiny.

The lawsuit against Activision Blizzard alleges that the company perpetrated a systematic "frat boy" culture that manifested in equal pay violations, sex discrimination, and sexual harassment. According to the lawsuit, African American women and other people of color were disproportionately impacted by these practices.

Activision Blizzard's response to the lawsuit included a swift denunciation of the body that issued it, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing. "While we find this behavior to be disgraceful and unprofessional, it is unfortunately an example of how they [the DFEH] have conducted themselves throughout the course of their investigation," reads the statement. "It is this type of irresponsible behavior from unaccountable State bureaucrats that are driving many of the State’s best businesses out of California."

Abuse in the games industry is commonplace, but it has begun to garner more attention in recent years. Ubisoft, the massive french publisher behind numerous popular franchises, including Far Cry and Rainbow Six, faced a swarm of abuse and harassment allegations just last year. Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot recently shared the multiple ways the company has changed in response to a report claiming it had taken no extra efforts to prevent abuse.

Huge in-game World of Warcraft protest takes aim at Activision Blizzard’s ‘frat boy’ culture

ED NIGHTINGALE JULY 23, 2021



World of Warcraft. (Activision Blizzard / Polygon)

World of Warcraft players have been holding an in-game protest against Activision Blizzard.

The gaming publisher is being taken to court by California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing for unfair treatment of women in its “frat boy culture”.


A two year investigation by the department has led to the lawsuit, which alleges that Activision Blizzard repeatedly discriminated against women employees and held them to a different standard, with abuse and harassment rife within the company.

To protest, hundreds of World of Warcraft players have gathered in the social hub of Oribos.

Organised by guild Fence Macabre that runs on the Wyrmrest Accord and Moon Guard servers, the group is additionally running a fundraiser for the charity Black Girls Code that’s dedicated to teaching young girls about coding and technology.

“Some people who have joined us are still undecided, debating leaving communities they’ve curated,” said deputy leader of Fence Macabre Hinahina Gray to Polygon.


“It’s never an easy decision to leave such a big emotional investment behind. Most of the people here have cancelled their sub. We wanted to do an in-game protest as it would allow people from all over to sit and join with us. Since we still have the game time, we might as well try to do something with it.”

She added: “In saying that, it is an emotional loss, a lot of people in our extended communities are struggling, especially people who are also marginalized who have been able to find others like themselves and cultivate a sense of belonging.

“As a queer indigenous person, I definitely feel it. While I have external real-life support systems and resources, finding those communities in a shared hobby is especially meaningful.”

Speaking further to PC Gamer, Gray mentions the poor use of indigenous stereotypes in World of Warcraft.


“Being Native Hawaiian, and having already seen how Blizzard handles writing Indigenous and other PoC coded storylines, I wish I could say my perception had been drastically changed, but this seems to be really getting to the heart of why they have failed to write these stories and concepts well,” she said.

“The way Blizzard codes “monstrous” races with stereotypical PoC traits as though cherrypicking from multiple real-world heritages to effectively establish them as the barbaric “other” in the game is also a problem.”

Further reactions to the Activision Blizzard lawsuit

Since news of the lawsuit broke, the social accounts of many Activision Blizzard games appear to have gone dark, with no new posts.

Further, Blizzard president J. Allen Brack sent an email to all staff about the “extremely troubling” allegations.



The email was obtained by Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier.




Bungie, the developer behind Destiny, has also released a Twitter thread about Activision Blizzard – their former publisher.


“Bungie is built on empowering our people no matter who they are, where they are from, or how they identify,” it reads.

“While the accounts in this week’s news are difficult to read, we hope they will lead to justice, awareness, and accountability.”






For more gaming news, follow Gaymeo on Facebook and Twitter. You can also email us with any news or tips on Gaymeo@pinknews.co.uk

WoW players hosted a virtual sit-in to protest Activision Blizzard due to harassment lawsuit

They also raised thousands for Black Girls Code

News by Lauren MortonContributor

Published on 23 Jul, 2021

Details of the lawsuit against Activision Blizzard by California's State Department of Fair Employment and Housing were made public on Wednesday night. The lawsuit includes numerous accounts of harassment and discrimination against women within the company. While plenty of players, fans, and former employees reacted to the report online, a guild of World Of Warcraft roleplayers organised a sit-in protest in game while raising now over $9,000 for Black Girls Code.

DFEH's lawsuit alleges that their investigation found women at the company "almost universally confirmed that working for Defendants was akin to working in a frat house, which invariably involved male employees drinking and subjecting female employees to sexual harassment with no repercussion."

As spotted by Polygon, a World Of Warcraft guild called "Fence Macabre" organised a sit-in event on Thursday night to protest Activision Blizzard in response to the allegations.

Participating players were "sub-locked", meaning they've pre-paid months of their subscription and still have remaining time available on their accounts. "Most of us have cancelled our subs, we're using the remaining game time to take up server space and raise awareness, and it's worked," one of the organisers told PC Gamer.

While sitting on the steps of hub area Oribos, Fence Macabre were also working to raise money for Black Girls Code, an organisation that works to "empower young women of color ages 7-17 to embrace the current tech marketplace". By the end of the sit-in, the group had raised over $8,000 (now more than $9,000), and plan to leave their fundraiser open until Monday, July 26th.

The guild posted a longer statement close to the end of the sit-in, in which they say:

"All of you, whether you’ve been with us since this morning or for only a portion, you have made a powerful statement with your presence. We hope this protest forces Blizzard to look in the mirror and see that those who inflicted harm—be it through direct action or by complacency—are held accountable.

"Above all: We sit in solidarity for the victims and survivors of Blizzard’s hostile work culture, be they those who were forced to leave, those who continue to endure the suffering as we speak, and most: those who are no longer with us."

Players are also voicing support for victims and calling for change on the World Of Warcraft subreddit, with support from members of other Activision Blizzard game subreddits.

Harvard astronomer begins new search for alien spaceships in our skies

The famous (or infamous, depending who you ask) scientist and E.T. believer, Avi Loeb, is out to capture some UAP sightings of his own.


Eric Mack

CNET
July 26, 2021 


This still shows the unidentified object tracked by a Navy pilot in 2015 in the "Gimbal" video.Video screenshot by Amanda Kooser/CNET

Harvard's most controversial astronomer is leading a new initiative, dubbed the Galileo Project, to check Earth's skies and the rest of the solar system for signs of extraterrestrial intelligence.

Avi Loeb, the longtime astronomy professor who became well-known for his belief that interstellar object Oumuamua was likely an alien probe, announced the details of his plan via a virtual press conference Monday.

Officially, the initiative is described as "a transparent scientific project to advance a systematic experimental search for cross-validated evidence of potential astro-archaeological artifacts or active technical equipment made by putative existing or extinct extraterrestrial technological civilizations (ETCs)."

Watch this: Q&A with Harvard's Avi Loeb on our alleged extraterrestrial...
5:01

Translation: The plan is to use a variety of telescopes to look for alien spaceships, probes or other debris left behind by intelligent beings who weren't born on Earth.

"What we see in our sky is not something that politicians or military personnel should interpret because they were not trained as scientists," Loeb told reporters. "It's for the science community to figure out... based on non-governmental data that we will assemble as scientists."

The first phase of the project involves setting up a network of dozens of relatively small telescopes around the globe that will attempt to capture new images of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP, the newly favored and more inclusive acronym designed to replace "UFOs").

A highly anticipated report released by the US Director of National Intelligence in June confirmed the existence of a number of UAP, which the military and intelligence community can offer no certain explanations for.

"The goal of the Galileo Project is to bring the search for extraterrestrial technological signatures from accidental or anecdotal observations and legends to the mainstream of transparent, validated and systematic scientific research," reads a statement.

New eyes on the sky

To do this, the plan is to focus solely on gathering new data and observations instead of analyzing past UAP sightings like those included in the recent DNI report. The new data will then be analyzed by algorithms and artificial intelligence to attempt to separate true UAP from birds, balloons, drones, satellites and other known explanations.

Project co-founder Frank Laukien, a visiting chemical biology scholar at Harvard and CEO of scientific instrument maker Bruker, noted the Galileo Project won't be considering any alternative physics-based explanations for new UAP observations.

"We will stick, scientifically, to known physics but will make the data available," Laukien said.

Loeb has become a polarizing figure in the astronomy community, especially since the release of his book outlining his Oumuamua hypothesis earlier this year, with a number of scientists accusing him of jumping to radical conclusions without appropriate evidence.

"Most scientists don't discount the possible existence of these types of civilizations (the universe is vast!)," Justin Cowart, a Ph.D. candidate studying Martian geology, tweeted Monday. "But most don't jump on extraordinary claims without extraordinary evidence, which Loeb likes to do."

Loeb rejects the premise "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence" but still hopes to collect some with his new project. Indeed, the nod to Galileo in the project name is a bit of a clap back at his critics by drawing a comparison to the famed 16th century astronomer who was imprisoned for his then-heretical suggestion the Earth revolved around the sun and not vice versa.

Looking further out, too

In addition to trying to spot UAP in the sky, the project also plans to use next-generation telescopes like the upcoming Vera C. Rubin Observatory to look for more objects in the solar system like Oumuamua, as well as potential alien probes currently orbiting Earth to check us out in a low-key way. A description of the project even leaves open the possibility of designing its own purpose-built space observatory:

"We will conceptualize and design, potentially in collaboration with interested space agencies or space ventures, a launch-ready space mission to image unusual interstellar objects such as Oumuamua by intercepting their trajectories on their approach to the sun or by using ground-based survey telescopes to discover interstellar meteors."

All this is naturally a potentially expensive proposition. Loeb told reporters he has received donations to his research fund at Harvard totaling over $1.75 million in the last two weeks with "no strings attached."

He says the hope is to increase that funding level by at least ten-fold "to accomplish more rigorous study."

As for when we could see new UAP images courtesy of the Galileo Project, Loeb said the team is currently selecting its telescopes and hopes to present "interesting results in the coming year."

"It starts now," he said.

Follow CNET's 2021 Space Calendar to stay up to date with all the latest space news this year. You can even add it to your own Google Calendar.

First published on July 26, 2021 

 

LUNAR GATEWAY HABITATION MODULE CONTRACT FINALIZED

THERESA CROSS

JULY 16TH, 2021

Maxar’s Power and Propulsion Element and Northrop Grumman’s Habitation and Logistics Outpost are the foundation of the Lunar Gateway. Credit: Maxar Technologies

NASA and Northrop Grumman have finalized a contract for the living quarters of the Moon-orbiting Lunar Gateway for the Artemis program, the Habitation and Logistics Outpost, or HALO.

Based on Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus cargo spacecraft, HALO is where astronauts will live and perform research while in orbit around the Moon. The module also has docking ports for other modules, spacecraft, lunar landers and resupply craft. Additionally, it can accommodate science and research experiments and communications with lunar surface expeditions.

The fixed-price contract, valued at $935 million, is expected to also provide for the testing and integration of HALO with the Power and Propulsion Element, or PPE, which is being built by Maxar Technologies.

Maxar’s PPE is a high-power solar electric propulsion spacecraft that is to provide communication systems for the Lunar Gateway, as well as attitude control and maneuverability.

In addition to HALO, Northrop Grumman is also responsible for the turnover of the fully-integrated PPE and HALO spacecraft to SpaceX ahead of its November 2024 launch atop a Falcon Heavy rocket.

Maxar Technologies also completed its first preliminary design review for the PPE, according to the company on July 12, 2021.

“Clearing this development milestone for PPE is a significant accomplishment,” said Chris Johnson, Maxar’s senior vice president of Space Program Delivery, in a company news release. “PPE is one of several NASA programs built on Maxar’s trusted 1300-class spacecraft platform, which leverages decades of our commercial design, manufacturing and operations expertise. At Maxar, our team is agile, and our spacecraft are versatile. The progress we have made on PPE is further evidence that we are prepared to meet a broad range of civil, commercial and national security mission needs.”

Initially expected to fly separately, NASA introduced new requirements in 2020 that included the need to launch the PPE and HALO together on a single Falcon Heavy.

According to Maxar Technologies, this change reduced the risk profile for the Lunar Gateway and increased cost effectiveness necessitating a second preliminary design review, expected to happen this fall, to ensure the PPE meets mission requirements and before being cleared for fabrication.

NASA says the integrated PPE and HALO module are the foundation of the Lunar Gateway and are expected to enable the first permanent outpost in orbit around the Moon, allowing NASA and its international and commercial partners the ability to conduct deep space science investigations needed to sustain lunar exploration.

“This is a major step on the path for Artemis, not just for NASA, but for the combined team, including our commercial and international partners,” said Kathy Lueders, NASA associate administrator for Human Explorations and Operations, in an agency release. “Gateway will provide unprecedented access to the Moon and symbolizes the expansion of our partnerships into deep space.”

An illustration of a Dragon XL spacecraft approaching an evolved Lunar Gateway outpost around the Moon. Credit: NASA

Cuba says US 'encouraged' Paris embassy Molotov cocktail attack

Issued on: 27/07/2021 - 

Crowds gather outside the Cuban embassy in Washington in support of anti-government protests in Cuba Brendan Smialowski AFP

Text by:Jan van der Made with RFI

Cuba denounced the targeting of its Paris embassy on Monday as a "terrorist attack" encouraged by the United States after the building was bombarded with Molotov cocktails. 

Firefighters in the French capital said two incendiary devices were thrown at the delegation, located in the city's 15th arrondissement, causing minor damage.

"We denounce the Molotov cocktail terrorist attack against our Embassy in Paris @EmbaCubaFrancia," Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said on Twitter.

In a press release, the Cuban embassy said that "terrorist acts" are "encouraged" by US government sponsored campaigns that "incite violent acts." An embassy tweet showed some of the damaged caused by the explosives.

Although nobody has claimed responsability for the attacks, French politician Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of the extreme left wing La France Insoumise ("Unbowed France") party tweeted that the "incredible and hateful" action were "a direct effect" of the "absurd campaigns of hate and the deadly boycott by the US" against Cuba.

Fire officials said they were alerted to the attack after midnight and "the devices, which caused minor damage, were extinguished before (firefighters) arrived."

Police did not immediately provide any more information.

Three Molotov cocktails -- two of which reached the embassy's facade and another that made it into the building -- struck the building at 11:45 and started a fire that was quickly put out by the mission's employees, according to the Cuban Foreign Ministry.

Demonstrations

Demonstrators marching in favor of and against the Cuban government took to the streets in cities all over the world this weekend and on Monday, coinciding with July 26 national day commemorations and just two weeks after anti-government protests erupted throughout the island nation.

Around two dozen countries, including Brazil, Colombia, and Ecuador, on Monday joined US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in calling on the Cuban government "to respect the legally guaranteed rights and freedoms of the Cuban people" and to "release those detained for exercising their rights to peaceful protests."

The "statements of the US secretary of state are based on the support of a handful of countries that have been pressured to accept his decrees," Cuban Foreign Minister Rodriguez said in a separate tweet.

"#Cuba counts the support of 184 nations that all call to #EndTheEmbargo," Rodriguez said, referring to the United States government's longstanding sanctions that have been in place since 1962.

(With agencies)

Cuban embassy in Paris targeted with petrol bombs

Foreign minister blames US government for ‘continuous campaigns against our country that encourage these behaviours’.

The Cuban foreign ministry’s press centre said three Molotov cocktails were thrown at the embassy, two hitting the building and sparking a fire [Benoit Tessier/Reuters]
27 Jul 2021

The Cuban embassy in Paris says its building was attacked overnight with petrol bombs, causing serious damage but no injuries to diplomatic staff.

The embassy on Tuesday condemned the attack on its premises, located in the French capital’s 15th arrondissement.

It did not say who it thought was responsible for the incident, which occurred around midnight on Monday.

The Cuban foreign ministry’s International Press Centre said three Molotov cocktails were thrown, with two hitting the embassy and sparking a fire.

Cuban diplomats extinguished the blaze as French firefighters and police arrived at the scene, it added.

There was no immediate comment from French police, but Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Rodriguez put the blame for the incident on the United States.

“I hold the US Government responsible for its continuous campaigns against our country that encourage these behaviours and for calls for violence, with impunity, from its territory,” he said in a post on Twitter.

Over the past three weeks, Cuban embassies in several cities around the world have been the scene of demonstrations both against and in support of Cuba’s government in reaction to protests that erupted across the country on July 11 and 12.

The rallies were triggered by a deep economic crisis, the government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic and curbs on civil liberties, prompting the Communist-run country to restrict access to social media and messaging platforms.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the foreign ministers of 20 other countries issued a joint statement on Sunday condemning mass arrests in Cuba and calling for full restoration of Internet access there.

Cuba has accused Washington of fomenting a social media campaign aimed at destabilising the Caribbean nation, which is going through a severe economic crisis exacerbated by COVID-19 and US sanctions.

The “statements of the US secretary of state are based on the support of a handful of countries that have been pressured to accept his decrees”, Rodriguez said in a separate tweet.

“#Cuba counts the support of 184 nations that all call to #EndTheEmbargo,” he added, referring to the US government’s longstanding sanctions, which have been in place since 1962.

SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES

EPA to implement tighter limits on wastewater pollution from coal power plants


Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan said Monday the agency plans to place tighter restrictions on wastewater pollution from coal-fired power plants. File photo by Sarah Silbiger/UPI | License Photo

July 26 (UPI) -- The Environmental Protection Agency announced plans Monday to implement more stringent limits on wastewater pollution from coal power plants.

The agency issued a statement it would initiate the rulemaking process to reduce coal-fired power plant pollution that can contain toxic metals including mercury arsenic and selenium.

"EPA is committed to science-based policy decisions to protect our natural resources and public health," EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said.

The EPA plans to issue a proposed rule for public comment in the fall of 2022. In the meantime, a 2015 rule setting federal limits on the levels of toxic metals in wastewater that can be discharged from power plants and a 2020 rule revising requirements for flue gas desulfurization wastewater and bottom ash transport water will remain in place.

Steam electric plants use coal, oil, natural gas and other fossil fuels or nuclear reactors to heat water in boilers and generate steam that drives turbines connected to electric generators.

This process produces wastewater in the form of chemical pollutants and thermal pollution as well as coal piles and yard and floor drainage.

Following a review of the 2020 Steam Electric Reconsideration Rule, ordered by President Joe Biden in January, the agency found "opportunities to strengthen certain wastewater pollution discharge limits" including implementing treatment systems that use membranes.

Japanese researchers uncover origins of favorite Okinawan citrus fruit


A new genomic analysis has uncovered the genetic origins of Japan's most popular mandarin varieties. Photo by Pxhere/CC

July 26 (UPI) -- In Japan, mandarins aren't just a tasty sweet. The nation's favorite citrus varieties, the shiikuwasha and the ornamental tachibana, hold both historical and cultural significance.

But until now, researchers weren't sure where they came from. In a new study, published Monday in the journal Nature Communications, scientists analyzed the genomes of 69 East Asian mandarin varieties, revealing the genetic origins of popular fruit.

Previous studies have traced the mandarin's genetic roots to Southern China's Hunan Province, but the latest survey yielded a surprise. Scientists found the region is home to two mandarin subspecies.

"We found that one of these mandarin subspecies can produce offspring that are genetically identical to the mother," lead study author Guohong Albert Wu said in a press release.

RELATED Mandarin oranges nothing to sneeze at

"Like many other plants, wild citrus typically reproduces when the pollen of the father combines with the egg of the mother, mixing the genes from both parents in the seed," said Wu, a research collaborator at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California.

"But we found a subspecies of wild mandarins from Mangshan, in southern China, where the seed contains an identical copy of the mother's DNA without any input from a father," Wu said. "So, the seed grows to be a clone of the mother tree."

Researchers also closely examined the genetic secrets of a shiikuwasha-like citrus variety that yields small, acidic fruit. The citrus has been traditionally ignored by Japanese farmers.

RELATED Farmers should share burden of cultivating wild bees, researchers say

Their analysis revealed the citrus to be a novel species, which they named the Ryukyu mandarin, or Citrus ryukyuensis. Unlike its relative, the shiikuwasha, the Ryukyu mandarin reproduces sexually.

The new research also revealed all shiikuwasha citrus to be hybrids of the local Ryukyuan species and another mandarin species from mainland China. Scientists determined the Mangshan subspecies was transported to the Ryukyuan islands thousand of years ago, and subsequently mate with the local Ryukyu citrus.

It turns out, Japan's shiikuwasha citrus inherited their ability to reproduce asexually from the Mangshan subspecies. This ability has allowed farmers to cultivate stable varieties like the golden shiikuwasha.

RELATED  Native American yaupon shrub gets new attention as caffeine source

"They're all hybrids!" said study co-author Chikatoshi Sugimoto, a molecular geneticist and postdoctoral researcher at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology.

"The tachibana lineage also seems to have descended from the newly described Ryukyu species and another mandarin from China, but its birthplace was probably what is now mainland Japan," Sugimoto said.

The breakthrough findings have allowed scientists to identify several previously unrecognized mandarin hybrids in Japan. In the future, scientists hope their analysis will inspire the creation of new hybrids that are resilient against heat and drought.

Megan Rapinoe among 28 U.S. soccer players to appeal equal pay ruling


President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden listen to remarks by Megan Rapinoe, of the U.S. Soccer Women's National Team, during an event to mark Equal Pay Day in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on March 24. Pool File Photo by Shawn Thew/UPI | License Photo

July 23 (UPI) -- Megan Rapinoe and 27 other current and former United States Women's National Team players filed an appeal Friday in their ongoing gender-based pay discrimination lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation, a player spokeswoman said.

"We believe in our case and know our value," Rapinoe said in a news release. "It's time the [federation] does, too."

The appeal is in response to federal Judge R. Gary Klausner's dismissal of the players' claims of unequal pay, compared to United States Men's National Team players.

Klausner issued a partial summary judgement, which dismissed most of the players' claims, in May 2020 at the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California in Pasadena.

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On Friday, the players filed their opening brief with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to try to reverse Klausner's decision.

"If a woman has to work more than a man and be much more successful than him to earn about the same pay, that is decidedly not equal pay and it violates the law," spokeswoman Molly Levinson said.

"And yet, that is exactly what the women players on the U.S. National team do -- they play more games and achieve better results in order to be paid about the same amount as the men's national team players per game.

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"By any measure, that is not equal pay, and it violates federal law. Today, we filed our brief with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and we are confident the facts show intentional -- and ongoing -- gender discrimination by the U.S. Soccer Federation. We look forward to presenting our case to the court."

The players' brief asks the Ninth Circuit to send the case back to the district level so they can go to trial, which would allow a jury to decide if the federation provided equal pay to the players.

The federation issued a statement Friday, saying it is "committed to equal pay and to ensuring that our [women's team] remains the best in the world."

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"In ruling in favor of [the federation] on the players' pay discrimination claims, the district court rightly noted that the [women's team] negotiated for a different pay structure than the [men's team] and correctly held that the [women's team] was paid more both cumulatively and on an average per-game basis than the [men's team]," the federation said.

"[The federation] is a non-profit with a mission to grow the game for every player, regardless of age, gender or ability level. The focus today is on supporting the [women's team] in their quest to win a fifth Olympic gold medal.

"Moving ahead, we will continue to seek a resolution to this matter outside of court so we can chart a positive path forward with the players to grow the game both here at home and around the world."

The players filed their initial lawsuit, which reached class-action status, on March 8, 2019. They cited years of "ongoing institutional gender discrimination," which they said impacted their compensation and working conditions.

In December, the players and the federation reached a settlement, which guaranteed that the federation would provide equal working conditions for the men's and women's teams. That settlement was approved by the district court in April.

"As outlined in the brief, [the federation] continues to rely on flawed and sexist logic in justifying their ongoing pay discrimination against the [players] -- even though the women have generated more revenue and TV viewership than the men," the players said.

"[The federation] pays players not only to play, but to win, and provides both the women's and men's teams performance bonuses for success on the field. But the district court said it was OK to make the women perform better than the men to get about the same amount of pay per game.

"Put another way, the district court penalized the players on the United States Women's National Team for their success."

The United States Women's National Team lost to Sweden in their first game of the postponed 2020 Summer Games on Wednesday in Tokyo. The setback snapped a 44-game unbeaten streak. The women's team faces New Zealand in another Group G match Saturday in Saitama, Japan.

The men's team failed to qualify for the 2020 Summer Games, which run through Aug. 8.

"We are working to ensure that the next generation of women soccer players has the opportunity to play for a federation who truly values their contributions and successes, and treats them as equal to -- not less-than -- their male counterparts," said Christen Press, a current player on the women's team in Tokyo.

"Anyone who knows this team knows that we do not give up until we win. That is what you can expect from us on the field -- and that is what you can expect from us in our fight for equal pay."

REST IN POWER

Mississippi Freedom Summer organizer Bob Moses dead at 86


Bob Moses, organizer of the Mississippi Freedom Summer project, has died at the age of 86, his family said Sunday. Photo courtesy Miller Center/Wikimedia Commons

July 25 (UPI) -- Civil rights leader Bob Moses -- known best for organizing voting rights campaigns in Mississippi -- has died, his family said Sunday. He was 86 years old.

Moses, organizer of the Freedom Summer project and founder of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party as well as the Algebra Project, died at his home in Hollywood, Fla., his daughter Maisha Moses confirmed to The New York Times. She did not specify a cause.

Born on Jan. 23, 1935, in New York City, Moses studied philosophy and French at Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y. and earned a master's degree in philosophy from Harvard in 1957.

He worked as a high school teacher in New York City before leaving for Mississippi in 1960 after he said images of Black people picketing and conducting sit-ins during the civil rights movement "hit me powerfully, in the soul as well as the brain."

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After arriving, Moses volunteered for the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, focusing on voter registration drives throughout the state and was a director of the Council of Federated Organizations.

In 1964, he became the principal organizer of the Mississippi Freedom Summer, which recruited college students to join with Black Mississippians to register Black voters and promote civil rights.

The campaign drew violent resistance as James E. Chaney, a Black activist working on the campaign and White activists Andrew Goodman and Michal H. Schwerner were killed by members of the Ku Klux Klan and local police weeks into the effort.

The same year, Moses was among the chief founders of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party which challenged Mississippi's all-White delegation at the 1964 Democratic National Convention.

Moses and other members of the group held out for full recognition at the convention, while other civil rights leaders including Martin Luther King Jr. favored a compromise that gave members two seats alongside the delegation.

In 1991, Moses founded the Algebra Project, a program that uses mathematics as an organizing tool to provide quality education to middle and high school students who previously performed in the lowest quartile on standardized exams.