Alberta health-worker unions call on Kenney to request military help with COVID-19 crisis

By Phil Heidenreich Global News
Posted September 18, 2021 

A letter from the leaders of several unions that represent health-care workers in Alberta is calling on Premier Jason Kenney to request assistance from both the military and the Red Cross as the health-care system struggles to keep up with demands placed on it by the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.


“(We) urge you in the strongest possible terms to call on the federal government to immediately deploy the military, the Red Cross and all available medical staffing resources from other provinces to assist our province’s overwhelmed hospitals,” reads the letter, dated Sept. 18.

READ MORE: Surge of COVID-19 cases spurs City of Red Deer to declare state of local emergency

The document, signed by United Nurses of Alberta president Heather Smith, Health Sciences Association of Alberta president Mike Parker, CUPE Alberta president Rory Gill and Alberta Federation of Labour president Gil McGowan, underscores the dire situation facing the province’s health-care system.

“It is our assessment that Alberta’s health-care system is not just ‘on the verge’ of collapse — we believe it’s actually collapsing in front of our eyes,” the letter reads. “There are no more nurses in our province who can be deployed. There are no more paramedics. There are no more respiratory therapists. There are no more support staff. The tank is empty. The well is dry.

“Our members have been going above and beyond for 19 months, but they are worried that this wave of the pandemic is the one that will crush them.”

READ MORE: Alberta Children’s Hospital to temporarily close 75% of operating rooms by Monday

Speaking at a news conference on Wednesday, Kenney announced his government would be implementing new COVID-19 measures, including a vaccine passport program, in an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19 and to keep the health system from being stretched beyond its capacity.

“We may run out of staff and intensive care beds within the next 10 days,” the premier said.

“Unless we slow (virus) transmission, particularly amongst unvaccinated Albertans, we simply will not be able to provide adequate care to everyone who gets sick.”

READ MORE: Alberta adds COVID-19 measures, vaccine passport in effort to prevent health-care system’s collapse

The number of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and ICU admissions in Alberta has been rising dramatically in recent weeks. As of Friday afternoon, Alberta Health said the province had 19,201 active coronavirus cases and noted 911 people are in Alberta hospitals with COVID-19, 215 of which are in ICUs.

When asked to comment on the letter, Steve Buick, the press secretary for Health Minister Tyler Shandro’s office, said “the military and Red Cross would have limited ability to provide clinical resources.”

“So no requests have been made to them to date,” he wrote in an email. “If and when their assistance is needed, for example to provide equipment or logistical support such as patient transport, we’ll support requests as appropriate.”

READ MORE: Veteran Edmonton nurse on staffing shortages, skyrocketing COVID-19 patients: ‘It’s devastating’

“We’ve never seen anything like this,” McGowan told Global News on Saturday. “Heaven forbid that anybody gets in a car accident or has a heart attack.

“We decided to write this letter because, frankly, what we’ve been hearing from our own members who are on the front lines of the fourth wave. And what we’re hearing is that this is worse than we’ve ever seen in Alberta.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who is currently campaigning for re-election, said this week that his government will offer support to Alberta during the crisis, including by sending ventilators to the province.

Alberta Health Services president and CEO Dr. Verna Yiu said this week that as hospitals are stretched thin, efforts to increase surge capacity are ongoing. She said she has reached out to counterparts in other provinces to see if they are able to accommodate Alberta patients or send staff to Alberta if the situation deteriorates to a point where such action is necessary.

Since Kenney’s news conference on Wednesday, British Columbia Premier John Horgan has said his province will do what it can to help Alberta, but stopped short of offering hospital beds or staff.

Premier Kelvin Goertzen said Manitoba will send pharmaceuticals to Alberta to help with the COVID-19 situation.

Yiu confirmed Thursday that Ontario has offered to help Alberta weather its public health storm as well.

‘It’s devastating’: Veteran Alberta nurse shares emotional toll 4th wave of COVID-19 is having on front-line workers‘It’s devastating’: Veteran Alberta nurse shares emotional toll 4th wave of COVID-19 is having on front-line workers

In their letter Saturday, the union leaders said they believe it is Kenney’s “constitutional role as premier” to formally request help from the federal government.

“They cannot act unless you ask them to act,” the letter reads.

“So please, on behalf of our beleaguered members on the front line of this crisis, and on behalf of all Albertans, we are officially asking you to request help from the federal government.”

Canada election: Liberal government will support Alberta, Saskatchewan on COVID-19 vaccine certification, Trudeau saysCanada election: Liberal government will support Alberta, Saskatchewan on COVID-19 vaccine certification, Trudeau says

The letter also notes that earlier this year, military medical units were deployed to hospitals in Ontario as they grappled to keep up with patients during the pandemic’s third wave.

“The hour is late and the situation is grim,” the union leaders’ letter reads. “By itself, federal deployment of resources will not be enough to see us through. But it will help.

“The bottom line is that we need more aggressive action from your government to reduce the viral transmission that is driving this crisis.”

READ MORE: Alberta sees spike in COVID-19 vaccinations, 2,020 new cases confirmed Friday

On Friday, Alberta Health reported that the province had identified 2,020 new cases of COVID-19 over the previous 24 hours. The government department said Alberta’s active case count was at 19,201 people Friday afternoon.

Of those, 911 were in hospital with COVID-19 and 215 were in intensive-care units because of the disease.

© 2021 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Drought tests centuries-old water traditions in New Mexico


ABIQUIU, N.M. (AP) — At the edge of a sandstone outcropping, Teresa Leger Fernández looks out on the Rio Chama. The river tracks a diverse landscape from the southern edge of the Rocky Mountains through rugged basalt hillsides, layers of volcanic tuff, and the red and yellow cliffs made famous by painter Georgia O’Keeffe.

Here marks the genesis of New Mexico’s centuries-old tradition of sharing water through irrigation systems known as acequias.

It’s also one of the many spots in the arid West facing more pressure as drought stretches into another decade and climate change piles on with warmer temperatures.

Once an acequia commissioner and now a U.S. congresswoman, Leger Fernández knows how hard it is to tell farmers they won't get all the water they need — or maybe none at all.

She talks about the annual limpia, or cleaning of acequias in preparation for planting season.

“There was always a sense of accomplishment but now what we’re witnessing is we can’t do it all the time anymore because we don’t have the water,” she said during a tour with acequia officials. “And what you all are facing is not of your making, right? But you are having to work through the struggle of making whatever water is available work for everybody in the community.”

Some earthen canals didn't get a drop of water this year, another example of parched Western conditions. Like many parts of the world, the region has become warmer and drier over the last 30 years, mainly due to rising levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases resulting from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas development and transportation.

Boat docks are high and dry at reservoirs around New Mexico, and Lake Powell along the Utah-Arizona line has hit a record low this year. A key Northern California reservoir that helps water a quarter of U.S. crops is shrinking.

For mayordomos — those who oversee acequias and ensure equitable water distribution — it has become a scramble.

Less snow falls, and warmer temperatures melt it sooner. Dry soil soaks up runoff before it reaches streams and rivers that feed acequias.

Paula Garcia, New Mexico Acequia Association executive director, shuns the phrase “new normal” because she said that implies stability in weather patterns the community's ditches rely on.

“We’re trying to be quick on our feet and adapt as much as we can, but it tests what we can really call resiliency," she said, standing in shade at Santa Cruz Farm and Greenhouses in Espanola, where rows of chile, corn and blackberries bake in the sun. “We think we’re resilient, but resilient to what point? We’re bumping up against what those tipping points are."

Federal water management policies have complicated matters as needs of cities and other users overshadow these Hispanic and Indigenous communities.

Their traditions are rooted in Moorish ingenuity first brought to Europe and then to North America via Spanish settlers. Those water-sharing ideas were blended with already sophisticated irrigation culture developed by Indigenous communities in what is now the southwestern U.S.

What developed were little slices of paradise, with gardens and orchards that have sustained communities for generations.

Roughly 640 New Mexico acequias still provide water to thousands of acres of farmland.

Darel Madrid, Rio Chama Acequia Association president, didn't grow a garden this year. He wanted to lead by example.

“It’s going to get worse before it gets better,” said Madrid, who would love nothing more than to grow watermelons again. “As long as we have reduced snowpacks and warmer springs, there’s going to be a certain point where we’re going to only be able to rely solely on rainwater and the monsoon season. That’s going to be bad.”

After back-to-back record dry summer rainy seasons, some Southwest areas enjoyed above average rain this year. But maps are still bleak, with nearly 99% of the West dealing with some form of drought.

Madrid said some parciantes — or acequia members — grow crops to supply regional farm-to-table programs and farmers markets. Others do it to subsidize income in a region where many live close to poverty.

When water-sharing compacts involving some of New Mexico's largest cities were first negotiated decades ago, Madrid said communities along Rio Chama were left out. Now, as supplies are scarce, acequias around Abiquiu have been forced to seek state funding to buy water from downstream users. If none is available, they go without.

As long as Rio Chama flows above 140 cubic feet per second, water can be diverted by acequias. The flow usually nosedives in May, and rationing starts when it drops below 50 cfs. Aside from isolated spikes from storm runoff, the flow is now less than half that.

Madrid said acequias would benefit from permanent water storage in an upstream reservoir, which would need federal approval.

“The bottom line is we want to be self-sufficient," he said. “We want to be able to take care of ourselves.”

Since 2017, more than $5.3 million has been funneled to dozens of community irrigation projects through New Mexico's Interstate Stream Commission. Another $15 million in state capital funds have been earmarked for acequia projects since 2018.

Madrid said state and federal officials are starting to take notice as more acequias organize and speak out.

Leger Fernández noted that acequias represent some of the earliest forms of government that predate the U.S.

“What we’re trying to do now is preserve something that the parciantes and the mayordomos and commissioners have been able to do for 400 years,” she told the group gathered along Rio Chama.

Part of that means reimagining acequias without giving up the sense of community they command.

At Santa Cruz Farm, owner Don Bustos is growing crops in greenhouses in fall and winter when less water is needed and evaporation is reduced, he said.

In Taos, acequia leaders have bumped up annual cleaning to the fall so they don't miss out on early runoff.

Madrid recalls a futuristic comic book storyline where an elaborate system of pipes and ration cards are used to control water. He's hopeful that will never come to pass, but he and others acknowledged that acequias need upgrades to last another 400 years.

Garcia said she believes farmers, masters of soil health and seed savers always will be in New Mexico's rural valley, they'll just have to innovate.

“There’s still a lot of adaptations that we haven’t touched yet. We’re just barely seeing the beginning of it now,” she said. “We’re dealing with centuries-old ditches and in another century they might look very different, but I do think we’re still going to be here.”

Acequias have overcome periodic environmental crises, rivalries among water users and profound historical changes, Spanish historian and anthropologist Luis Pablo Martínez Sanmartín noted in a 2020 research report. He said survival has hinged on a common-good design based on cooperation, respect, equity, transparency and negotiation.

Leger Fernández kept coming back to ideas of community and mutual respect as she walked through rows of blackberries at Bustos' farm, never missing a chance to pick another berry. She also talked about gathering capulin — or chokecherries — and roasting blue corn to make atole — a traditional beverage — to share during the holidays.

“To me, acequias are the most perfect symbol of what we should be about: a community,” she said.

Susan Montoya Bryan, The Associated Press

'TRUMP'S ARMY LOOKS LIKE LOSERS' 

'Justice for J6' rally 

 

'Trump's army look like losers': National security expert blows up rally organizer's boast about success - 

Insurrection supporters blame Trump after 'Justice for J6' rally flopped

Bob Brigham
September 18, 2021

Screengrab.

Attendance was sparce at Saturday's rally in Washington, DC backing the Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol on January 6th in an attempt to overturn the 2020 election, which was won by Joe Biden.

Capitol Police estimated turnout was only 400 to 450 people.

CNN's Shimon Prokupecz reported live from the scene.

"Some were upset at the former president because they felt that he, by coming out and saying people shouldn't come or they felt he wasn't strong enough in support," he reported. "I did hear from some of those folks who took issue with it, but I didn't hear them changing their opinions or their support of the former president."

"And as much as i just want to make one other point, as much as the organizers said, well, this wasn't political, this wasn't about politics, it really was, in the end. Everywhere you went here, you hear, you see signs about the former president," he added.

Trump was scheduled to spend his day attending a golf tournament in New Jersey.

Watch:

Trump supporter wearing dead animal refuses to believe Jan 6 was violent — even after CNN showed him video

Bob Brigham
September 18, 2021

Screengrab.

One of the 400 to 450 people who rallied in DC in support of those who stormed the Capitol on January 6th refused to believe that the Trump supporters who sought to overturn the election were violent.

CNN's Shimon Prokupecz interviewed a Trump supporter wearing an animal hat who was clearly misinformed about the events on January 6th.

"It's a public building. I mean people have been held all this time, I think the most severe charge that any of them have is trespassing," the man falsely claimed.

"But there are some who were charged with assaulting officers," Prokupecz noted.

"Those are lies," the fur-clad Trump supporter argued.

"So you don't believe the video?" Prokupecz asked.

The man claimed he had seen no such video. So CNN showed him video — and he still didn't believe it.

Video of the man singing a song about Ashli Babbitt was captured by HuffPost reporter Ryan J. Reilly.

Prokupecz offered his analysis to CNN anchor Jim Acosta.

"It just seems, Jim, that it would take almost a miracle to convince some of the people who were here that this was a very serious situation. They all have downplayed it. In this instance, this video blaming the police for what happened and they should have gotten out of the way," he said.

"They're in a state of denial, is what it is," Acosta replied. "I mean, that's just extraordinary to meet somebody who says show me the video and then you show them the video — and they're still not convinced. It just shows you how sinister this world of disinformation is that we're all living in right now."

  

Why has Republican rhetoric gotten so unhinged?

BECAUSE THEY ARE

Kirk Swearingen, Salon
September 18, 2021

Marjorie Taylor Green (Erin Scott/Pool/AFP)

Some Republicans have dialed up the hyperbole to express their indignation about President Biden's vaccine mandates. Here are two tweets from South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster:

The American Dream has turned into a nightmare under President Biden and the radical Democrats. They have declared war against capitalism, thumbed their noses at the Constitution, and empowered our enemies abroad.

Rest assured, we will fight them to the gates of hell to protect the liberty and livelihood of every South Carolinian."

Hearing Republican politicians speak about the American dream while voting against a livable minimum wage and undermining unions and consumer protection, is always, well, a little rich.

In this little tirade, McMaster was merely piling on while reacting to the supposed tyranny of Biden's recently announced mandates for vaccinations or testing in the workplace and in school.

So: You will fight sensible policies in an ongoing global health crisis — one that has already taken at least 660,000 lives of your own countrymen — to the gates of hell? Beyond the obvious morbid jokes that statement naturally elicits (e.g., Trevor Noah: "Normally, that statement is hyperbole, but with COVID you might actually get the chance."), where can McMaster now go if he wants to further ratchet up this rhetoric?

Before I listen to you, you'll see me do-si-do with Satan himself!

Do so, and you'll be up the River Styx without a paddle, pardner!

I'd rather traverse down all nine levels of Dante's Inferno, with a poet, than be bipartisan with the likes of you!

And how about that use of "thumbing their noses"? With that aged locution, the good governor is, without doubt, speaking directly to his demographic.

If one wanted to use old-fashioned phrases or words, one might ask: What is it with this ceaseless perfidiousness from the right? Merriam-Webster defines "perfidious" as "untrue to what should command one's fidelity or allegiance." Synonyms include faithless, false, disloyal, treacherous and traitorous.

Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course.

One need only consider the Republican votes during the two impeachment trials of Donald Trump, or their Trumpian adherence to the Big Lie about the 2020 election, or their whitewashing of the deadly insurrection at the Capitol, to understand the word. It might be a fun game to connect the most apt synonym with specific members of the House or Senate.

For decades the Republican game has been to claim that liberals and progressives are out to ruin the country with their unholy desire to see a bit more sharing of wealth and resources. But the rhetoric they're employing lately seems truly biblical, end-times unhinged, of the "If you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore" variety. And it all seems to be a psychological projection of their own desire to bring the American experiment as a democratic republic to an end.

The left now understands (let us hope) that like the British aristocracy of the 18th century, the GOP is going to war to retain power by any means. We need a modern-day Paul Revere (and a William Dawes, who didn't get a mention in the famous Longfellow poem) to raise the alarm. Their signals in the Old North Church today might be: "One if by gerrymandered land, and two if by voters put out to sea."

Our modern-day Revere, Stacey Abrams, can see those three lanterns glowing, day and night. Even with her eyes shut.

Have you heard the one about the Irishwoman who tried to shoot Benito Mussolini?


IS THAT TERENCE STAMP IN DRAG?

September 17 2021

Next week, TG4 will broadcast a gripping documentary about Irishwoman Violet Gibson, the woman who tried to shoot Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini.

Violet Gibson: An tÉireannach Mná a Lámhach Mussolini explores the moment Violet pushed her way through an adoring crowd in Rome on 7 April 1926 and shot one of the 20 century’s most infamous dictators at point-blank range.

She came the closest to success of the four assassination attempts on Mussolini. Yet, among the many acts of individual bravery against fascism in Europe back in the 20 century, Violet’s has been largely lost to history.

Violet Gibson: An tÉireannach Mná a Lámhach Mussolini is scheduled to be shown on TG4 at 9:30pm on Wednesday 22 September. It is a must-watch for all, but particularly documentary and history lovers.

Ahead of its showing, we take a closer look at this historic event and the questions it raised

Who was Violet Gibson?

Violet Gibson was born in Dublin on 31 August 1876 to Frances Colles and Edward Gibson, who was an Irish lawyer and politician. Edward served as Lord High Chancellor of Ireland from 1885–1905.

Violet was the second youngest of eight children: four boys and four girls, and was educated at home. The family lived between Dublin and London, and had a privileged Anglo-Irish background. Violet had been a debutante in the court of Queen Victoria, during her reign, and even appeared in the social columns of newspapers. She was a serious young woman, with an interest in religion and philosophy. After an attempt to engage with her mother’s religion of choice, Christian Science, she soon converted to Catholicism.

 
Who was Benito Mussolini?

Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini, also known as ‘Il Duce’ or ‘the leader’ was an Italian politician and journalist, who founded and led the National Fascist Party. As dictator of Italy and founder of fascism, Mussolini inspired and supported the international spread of fascist movements between the end of the First World War and the beginning of the Second World War, also known as the interwar period.

Mussolini coined the term ‘fascism’ in 1919. While it is a complex term, Robert Paxton - a professor emeritus of social science at Columbia University in New York, who is widely considered the father of fascism studies - told Live Science that fascism uses propaganda to promote:

anti-liberalism, rejecting individual rights, civil liberties, free enterprise and democracy
anti-socialism, rejecting economic principles based on socialist frameworks exclusion of certain groups, often through violence nationalism that seeks to expand the nation's influence and power

Mussolini believed a larger Italian population was necessary for the nation to function as a world-class military power. He also regarded Africans and Asians as inferior. And it is estimated that at least three million deaths can be directly attributed to Mussolini's rules, policies, and warmongering.
Why was Violet in Italy before the shooting of Mussolini?

Gibson was often ill as a child, and it was said she had lifelong difficulties with her mental health. In November 1924, she went to Rome accompanied by an Irish nurse companion, Mary McGrath and took up residence in Our Lady of Lourdes convent.




What drove Violet to this fateful act?

It was said that Violet was convinced that God wanted her to kill someone as a sacrifice. In February 1925, Gibson got hold of a gun and shot herself in the chest. Miraculously, she survived. In March 1926, her mother passed away. By April of that year, her goal to kill someone had refocused and was now trained on Mussolini.

It is worth noting that Violet was a committed anti-fascist. It is believed that she spotted the dangers of fascism, at a time when many in the Anglo elite were either supportive of fascist ideas or believed in appeasement. Violet rejected her Anglo-Irish upbringing in a well-connected, political class to become a bold freethinker committed to social justice, anti-war activism, and opposition to fascism.
What happened to Violet after she shot at Mussolini?

When Violet fired on Mussolini, it almost altered the course of history forever. But what happened next was beyond belief.

95 years after the assassination attempt, Dublin City Council’s decision to erect a commemorative plaque honouring Violet Gibson has generated worldwide interest in this truly captivating story of Violet Gibson: The Irish Woman Who Shot Mussolini.

This is the story of why one woman attempted such a daring assassination and how the world conspired to bury her in the aftermath.

To find out what prevented Violet from succeeding and what happened to her after this significant event, tune in to Violet Gibson: An tÉireannach Mná a Lámhach Mussolini on TG4 at 9:30pm on Wednesday 22 September.

Watch Violet Gibson: An tÉireannach Mná a Lámhach Mussolini on TG4 at 9:30pm on Wednesday 22 September

Fundraiser for B.C. canine blood donor's surgery exceeds expectations



Adam Sawatsky
CTV News Vancouver Island Arts & Entertainment Host
Updated Sept. 18, 2021 4:26 p.m. MDT

NANAIMO, B.C. -

There’s always been something special about Norman.

From the moment he was born on Christmas Eve (there’s a picture of the puppy wearing a red elf hat) to the countless moments in which the now-190-pounder considers himself a lap dog, the Japanese mastiff has been winning hearts and minds.

“Wherever we go, everybody loves Norman,” his owner Jeff says. “Everybody goes, ‘Did you bring your dog?’”

Blood donor dog that has saved many canine lives now needs surgery

One of Norman’s favourite places to visit is the animal hospital.

“I wouldn’t be excited going to a clinic,” Jeff says, looking down affectionately at Norman. “But apparently he does.”

His vet Ken says — in 40 years of practice — he’s never met a dog like Norman.

“He almost seems to willingly want to give blood,” Ken says. “He jumps up on the table and doesn’t have to be sedated or anything.”

Norman is a universal blood donor – a rare trait in dogs. He has helped save the lives of 16 other dogs.

“Why wouldn’t we help?” Jeff says. “It’s the good thing to do.”

Recently, bad things started happening with Norman’s back leg.

“Seeing him in pain makes me want to cry,” Jeff says, pointing out Norman’s limp. “It’s heartbreaking.”

The vet discovered that Norman had torn a ligament in his knee that would cause increasing pain and shorten the dog’s life without specialized surgery in a bigger city.

“Unfortunately, big dog, big cost,” Ken says.

The $8,500 estimated bill has been causing sleepless nights for Ken.

“Top 10 worst things that could happen in your life, this is like one, two, or three,” Ken says.

So Ken decided to launch a GoFundMe page, hoping that the dog who helped so many might receive a little help himself.

“I thought, ‘It’s worth a try,’” Jeff says. “Every little bit helps.”

He certainly never expected that, just a day later, he’d reach his fundraising goal — let alone surpass it.

“Norman’s done a lot in the doggy community,” Jeff says appreciatively, adding that he’ll donate any surplus money to the SPCA. “Now he’s getting some payback. That’s awesome!”

11-year-old B.C. girl publishes Indigenous language book after winning UNESCO writing contest



Adam Sawatsky
CTV News Vancouver Island Arts & Entertainment Host
Updated Sept. 11, 2021 

VICTORIA -

Addy Newman-Ting is in the midst of building a miniature amusement park in her basement for a cast of eclectic characters.

“I like to put cute faces on them,” she says, showing CTV News chestnuts with googly-eye stickers and woodblocks with jiffy-marker smiles.

When Addy’s not crafting rides out of cardboard for them, the 11-year-old’s constructing stories about them on her computer.

“I just like writing,” she says. “It just comes out and it’s a good way to express things.”

Like the sorts of things you think about while growing-up in a multi-cultural family.

“My mom’s language is Mandarin and that’s spoken worldwide,” Addy explains. “But my dad’s (Indigenous) language is almost dead and gone.”

So when Addy heard about a youth writing competition organized by UNESCO, she wondered if this was her chance to raise global awareness about the traditional Kwak’wala language, and asked her dad, Carey Newman, for help.

“What do you do when your kid says that?” Carey smiles. “You say, ‘Of course! I’ll do everything I can to support you.’”

So Carey accepted the role of “research assistant” while Addy wrote the story. It’s about two friends who join forces with two talking animals to inspire a community to protect the environment and find their lost language.

“When she made this connection between land and language,” Carey begins saying, before stopping to fight back tears.

“Kids and their perspective have a way of cutting through all the politics and things and finding the purity of it.”

Addy ended up winning UNESCO's Voices of Future Generations project. Although she feels honoured and grateful that her book — “Finding the Language” — is being published, she’s not pursuing a career as a writer.

“I don’t think I want to be an author,” she says.

She says she wants do something more visually artistic (like what she’s building in her basement) when she grows up, but felt compelled to write the book.

“I want to do it now,” Addy explains. “Because I want the world to hear about it now.”

Now, before it’s too late to find what’s lost and create a real world like the imaginary ones she makes out of cardboard: a world that’s connected, caring, and inclusive.

“We shouldn’t make everybody the same,” Addy says. “We should celebrate each other’s differences.”

WU HAN CONSPIRACY THEORY FROM DOWN UNDER

Donald Trump reveals secret intelligence on COVID origins in rare interview

LUKE GRANT

 

AUSTRALIA OVERNIGHTCORONAVIRUSDONALD TRUMPSHARRI MARKSONWUHAN LAB LEAK

Former US President Donald Trump will share his knowledge about the origins of the coronavirus in a rare one-on-one interview with The Australian’s Investigations Editor, Sharri Markson.

Markson says the former US President was warm and attentive in one of the few interviews given since he was elected in 2016.

She’s told Luke Grant that her investigations into the origins of the SARS-CoV2 virus in 2019 have culminated in her interview with the president.

“It was over six months of trying before I could secure the interview,” she said.

She told Luke about the unique insight Donald Trump offered her during the conversation.

“He’s seen the intelligence. He was convinced that this virus came from a lab.

“I wanted to know what top secret intelligence he’s seen that’s convinced him the virus came from a lab,” she said.

Globally, the coronavirus pandemic has infected more than 200 million people and killed more than 4.5 million.

Sharri Markson’s new book What Really Happened in Wuhan seeks to reveal the coverups and secrets from the very earliest days of the virus.

Much of the reporting centres on the Wuhan Institute of Virology, a key piece of the theory that the virus could have escaped from a laboratory. 

Some evidence suggests that America’s top doctor, White House Chief Medical Advisor Dr Anthony Fauci, had knowledge of gain-of-function research being carried out at the Institute, partly-funded by the US.

Click play below to listen to Sharri discuss her interview with Donald Trump.

Sharri Markson’s special investigation documentary will air on Sky News Australia Monday night at 8pm. Her book ‘What Really Happened in Wuhan’ is available for preorder now, to be released this month.

Click play below to listen to Luke Grant’s full interview with Sharri Markson.

 

Media backtracks on Sharri Markson’s Wuhan lab leak story

29/05/2021 LUKE GRANT

 

AUSTRALIA OVERNIGHTSHARRI MARKSONWUHAN LAB LEAK

Early reports and investigations into the origins of the coronavirus were met with immediate and baseless criticism by many parts of the media.

Sharri Markson is the Investigations Writer at The Australian newspaper and host of Sharri on Sky News Australia.

Major social media platforms attempted to discredit and shut down her extensive reporting of the evidence, until the US Presdient Joe Biden reversed his position on the lab leak theory.

She’s told Luke Grant about her original investigations into the origins of the COVID-19 virus in Wuhan and spoke about the attempts to censor and suppress the story by big tech companies and parts of the media.

Her book ‘What Really Happened in Wuhan’ is available to preorder ahead of its release later in the year.

Click play to listen to the interview.

#AUKUS Fiasco: France Accuses Australia, US Of ‘Lying’ In Escalating Crisis

By Arshad Majeed On Sep 19, 2021

France on Saturday accused Australia and the United States of lying over a ruptured Australian contract to buy French submarines, saying a grave crisis was under way between the allies.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday recalled the ambassadors to Canberra and Washington in an unprecedented move to signal his fury over Australia’s decision to break a deal for the French submarines in favour of American nuclear-powered vessels.

The row has, for now, ended hopes of a post-Donald Trump renaissance in relations between Paris and Washington under President Joe Biden and also focused French attention on boosting the European Union’s security strategy as it ponders NATO’s future.

Speaking to France 2 television, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian gave no indication Paris was prepared to let the crisis die down, using distinctly undiplomatic language towards Australia, the United States and Britain, which is also part of the three-way security pact.

“There has been lying, duplicity, a major breach of trust and contempt,” Le Drian said. “This will not do.”

He described the withdrawal of the ambassadors for the first time in the history of relations with the countries as a “very symbolic” act that aimed “to show how unhappy we are and that there is a serious crisis between us”.

On Sunday, Australian Finance Minister Simon Birmingham again insisted his country had informed the French government “at the earliest available opportunity, before it became public”.

He told national broadcaster ABC that it was “always going to be a difficult decision” to cancel the French deal.

“We don’t underestimate the importance now of… ensuring that we re-establish those strong ties with the French government and counterparts long into the future,” he added. “Because their ongoing engagement in this region is important.”

‘The third wheel’

Le Drian also issued a stinging response to a question over why France had not recalled its ambassador to Britain, which was also part of the security pact that led to the rupture.

“We have recalled our ambassadors to (Canberra and Washington) to re-evaluate the situation. With Britain, there is no need. We know their constant opportunism. So there is no need to bring our ambassador back to explain,” he said.

Of London’s role in the pact under Prime Minister Boris Johnson, he added with derision: “Britain in this whole thing is a bit like the third wheel.”

NATO would have to take account of what has happened as it reconsiders strategy at a summit in Madrid next year, he added.

France would make a priority now of developing an EU security strategy when it takes on the bloc’s presidency at the start of 2022, he said.

Admiral Rob Bauer, chair of NATO’s Military Committee, earlier played down the dangers, saying it was not likely to have an impact on “military cooperation” within the alliance.

‘Resolve our differences’

Biden announced the new Australia-US-Britain defence alliance on Wednesday, extending American nuclear submarine technology to Australia as well as cyber-defence, applied artificial intelligence and undersea capabilities.

The pact is widely seen as aimed at countering the rise of China.

The move infuriated France, which lost a contract to supply conventional submarines to Australia that was worth Aus$50 billion ($36.5 billion, 31 billion euros) when signed in 2016.

A White House official on Friday expressed “regret” over the French envoy’s recall but added: “We will continue to be engaged in the coming days to resolve our differences, as we have done at other points over the course of our long alliance.”

State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a tweet that Washington understood France’s position and was in “close contact” with Paris.

He added that the issue would be discussed “at the senior level”, including at the United Nations General Assembly next week, which both Le Drian and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will attend.

Le Drian had on Friday described the submarine move as a “stab in the back” and said the behaviour of the Biden administration had been comparable to that of Trump whose sudden changes in policy exasperated Europe.

Australia has also shrugged off Chinese anger over its decision to acquire the nuclear-powered submarines, while vowing to defend the rule of law in airspace and waters where Beijing has staked hotly contested claims.

Beijing described the new alliance as an “extremely irresponsible” threat to regional stability, questioning Australia’s commitment to nuclear non-proliferation and warning the Western allies that they risked “shooting themselves in the foot”.

France: AUKUS submarine deal has caused one of the gravest rifts among Western allies in living memory

France's decision to recall its ambassadors has dashed hopes on the on the UK, US and Australian side that normal relations with Paris would resume once "disappointment" at losing out on the multi-billion pound submarine deal faded, Sky's Deborah Haynes writes.


Analysis
Deborah Haynes
Security and Defence Editor @haynesdeborah
Saturday 18 September 2021 11:21, UK

French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said the snub 'constitutes unacceptable behaviour between allies and partners'. 

France's drastic decision to recall its ambassadors to the United States and Australia marks one of the gravest rifts among allies in living memory.

And it will also be watched by rivals like China and Russia with glee.

The extraordinary diplomatic rebuke follows a decision by Canberra to ditch a French submarine contract for a new nuclear submarine partnership with Washington and London.

Yet the French fury - conveyed in a communique by the foreign minister - omitted any mention of Britain even though the UK is clearly also in the firing line.

Gerard Araud, a former French ambassador to the US, wrote on Twitter: "You can interpret the omission of the UK as a sign of conciliation or contempt. Your choice."

The French move dashes hopes on the UK, US and Australian side that normal relations with Paris would resume once French "disappointment" at losing out on the multi-billion pound submarine deal faded.

Their so-called AUKUS partnership was meant to be about bolstering the defences of democratic countries in the face of a growing challenge posed by authoritarian China in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.

AUKUS: Maintaining West's unity will 'require a lot of effort', German official says, as France rages over nuclear submarine deal


British nuclear-powered subs make rare 'surface'

But instead of strengthening western unity, it has triggered this significant rupture - an outcome that could well be exploited by Beijing and Moscow.

Any friction between western allies is an opportunity for their authoritarian rivals to amplify.

The US, UK and France are all members of the G7 group of industrialised, democratic powers and the NATO defence and security alliance, while Australia is also a close and like-minded ally.

Frantic efforts will be going on behind the scenes to try and defuse the row

However, President Emmanuel Macron, heading into an election year, has been badly bruised on the international stage and needs to hit back.

His country not only lost a big chunk of business when Australia sank the submarine contract, but it will also miss out on the prestige of providing the Australian navy with such a strategic asset over several decades.

Adding to the injury, Mr Macron will have to watch the US and the UK take France's place.

Not a great look for a president who sees his country as the predominant military power in Europe.

The anger was clear in foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian's statement: "The abandonment of the ocean-class submarine project… and the announcement of a new partnership with the United States… constitutes unacceptable behaviour between allies and partners".

Viral video of orbital sunset captured from DragonX's Cupola

Elon Musk reacted to the viral video of orbital sunset captured from DragonX's Cupola shared on Twitter.

By Trisha Sengupta

PUBLISHED ON SEP 18, 2021 03:46 PM IST

A video shared on the official Twitter handle of SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk, has created a buzz online. The video shows an orbital sunset captured from Dragon's Cupola that is orbiting Earth with four private astronauts while on the Inspiration4 mission.

“View of an orbital sunset from Dragon's cupola,” reads the caption shared along with the video. The video prompted many to share different comments and Elon Musk joined in too. This is what he posted while re-tweeting the video.

The video, since being shared a few hours ago, has gathered more than 1.9 million views and the numbers are only increasing.

“What a time to be alive!” wrote a Twitter user. “I am crying. This is a scene from a science fiction movie that became a reality. Let's go to space now!” posted another. “Wow,” expressed a third.