Society, stigma keep women veterans from accessing federal benefits, VA says

By Julia Mueller, Medill News Service

Service members observe joint service flyover honoring the centennial anniversary of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery on Thursday. Veterans Affairs said female service members are often reluctant to acknowledge their military service and thus receive veterans benefits. Pool photo by Kenny Holston/UPI | License Photo

Nov. 11 (UPI) -- WASHINGTON -- Too many veteran women aren't using the services they're entitled to, said Veterans Affairs representatives Thursday at the seventh annual National Women Veterans Leadership and Diversity Conference, hosted by Women Veterans Interactive.

Dennis May, deputy director of the VA for the Center for Minority Veterans, said that veterans who leave the service without major injuries or issues are often reluctant to "take benefits away from other veterans who may have had it worse" by comparison.

"While that's a noble sentiment," May said, "it's not based in fact."

The VA is the second-largest federal agency, with a budget of over $260 million annually. As more veterans use the services, May said, the budget will increase to reflect that.

"Your receiving VA benefits does not come at the expense of some other veteran."

This reluctance is heightened for women veterans, who often discount their service.

"I didn't do much, or I was just in supply, or I only served three years," said Elizabeth Estabrooks, deputy director of the VA for Women Veterans.

"Too often, women veterans and service women don't acknowledge their service, the sacrifices they made personally and what they've given up to serve our nation," she said. "The children they left behind, the breast milk they had to pump and dump, the first steps missed, the marriages they placed second."

Because the women dismiss these sacrifices, Estabrooks said, so too does the public -- and this societal stigma contributes to the issues of understanding, access and use of VA services.

"When women see themselves as veterans," Estabrooks said, "they're more likely to connect with the benefits and services they deserve."

During the question-and-answer period, several conference attendees remarked that they had not heard of the services Estabrooks and May were describing in their respective VA offices.

"If that's the case," said WVI founder and CEO Ginger Miller, "we have more work to do getting inside the bases."

Miller, a formerly homeless, service-disabled Navy veteran, was awarded the Obama administration's Champions of Change award for her work.

Former service members should be "armed with information" so they can access the services they have earned, May said.

"All the data shows that veterans who access VA benefits and services have better health outcomes, have better economic outcomes, than veterans who do not."

Estabrooks also explained a VA initiative to elevate the representation, "image and notion" of women veterans -- who she said are often disinclined even to identify as full members of the military. A series of art exhibits called "I Am Not Invisible" feature portraits of women veterans from across the country.

"Women, too, are [prisoners of war]. Are buried overseas and in national military cemeteries," Estabrooks said. "We deserve all the honors and benefits of our brothers in arms."

The virtual conference will continue through Friday, including panels and presentations on legal services, financial security, business and leadership for women veterans.

White House orders VA to examine links between military toxin exposure, cancers



Nov. 11 (UPI) -- The Veteran Affairs Department will examine research into numerous rare cancers to determine whether they could have come from exposure to toxins during military service, the White House announced Thursday.

Officials said the White House is giving the department 90 days to come up with recommendations after their research, which could lead to healthcare compensation for veterans who came into contact with dangerous toxins.

Officials said the VA will develop and test a model for establishing a connection between the toxins and military service, create conditions to begin disability claims, improve data on individual exposures and increase awareness of VA benefits.

"As we mark Veterans Day and honor those who have worn the uniform of the United States, the administration is moving forward to support our service members and veterans who may have encountered environmental hazards," the White House said in a statement.


U.S. troops are seen during a battle in Vietnam during the Vietnam War on May 3, 1969. The White House noted on Thursday that it took decades for the VA to provide healthcare to many Vietnam era veterans for conditions presumed to be related to Agent Orange exposure. UPI Photo/File

Officials said although exposure to contaminants and environmental hazards poses a major health concern for veterans, there are still gaps and delays in gathering scientific evidence and proving conclusive links between known exposures and health impacts on American veterans.

"For example, it took decades to provide access to compensatory benefits and healthcare to many Vietnam era veterans for conditions presumed to be related to Agent Orange exposure," the White House added.

"For the newest generation of veterans, concerns about burn pits and other exposures continue to mount."

The White House hopes the new measures will allow veterans who think they have been exposed to get help.

"Taken together, these actions will improve our understanding of the health effects of military-related exposures, educate providers and veterans about these exposures, and provide timelier access to health services and benefits for individuals who were exposed," it said.

 

LA remains an epicenter of homeless veterans amid struggle to find services

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A veteran  amongst homeless tents in a parking lot at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo

Nov. 11 (UPI) -- Researchers say that Los Angeles remains an epicenter of homelessness for veterans nationwide, with a report published Thursday finding that homeless veterans in Los Angeles struggle to find services to meet their needs.

Veterans make up about 6% of the U.S. population, but 8% of its homeless population.

The number of veterans experiencing homelessness has been cut nearly in half between 2009 and 2019, but more than 37,000 nationwide were still experiencing homelessness in January 2020, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

According to HUD, about 580,000 people in the general population were homeless as of January 2020.

The new report's lead author, Sarah Hunter, director of the RAND Center on Housing and Homelessness in Los Angeles, cited a homeless population of around 3,900 homeless veterans each year in Los Angeles since 2015 -- despite other regions making progress in reducing the number of veterans experiencing homelessness.

In particular, three states, Connecticut, Delaware and Maryland, have found a permanent housing solution for veterans within 90 days.

"None of those places are confronting the acute, widespread homelessness that plagues Los Angeles," Hunter wrote Thursday in an editorial published by the Los Angeles Times.

"The city has the largest VA medical center in the nation. There are federal housing programs exclusively for veterans. So why hasn't Los Angeles been able to make a dent?" Hunter wrote.

As part of the report, Hunter and researchers from Rand and the University of Southern California followed 26 homeless veterans over a year-long period, starting in August 2019, to see why the city hadn't been able to help find them a permanent place to live.

Over the year, 17 of the 26 veterans received some kind of stable housing, which included leaving Los Angeles and participating in programs set up in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as the Project Roomkey initiative, but only three obtained permanent housing.

Homeless denizen cleans his bicycle at an encampment, adjacent to the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center during the coronavirus pandemic in Los Angeles. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI |

The majority of the veterans studied were getting assistance from non-VA service providers or no help at all, Hunter said.

"I am just so surprised that there aren't vans that come around and offer shuttle service [to the VA]," Shandra, then 42 and an Air Force veteran, told the research group in early 2020. "I am just surprised that there aren't people that are willing to meet you to help you navigate through some of these difficult phone calls and paperwork."

Researchers found that the VA's outreach team consisted of five individuals who were responsible for Los Angeles and parts of adjacent counties, and lacked medical or behavioral health expertise and mobile technology to help veterans.

The stable housing did, however, improve mental health, quality of life and social support, and reduced costly emergency room visits and hospital stays, according to the research.

"Housing was a priority for the people we studied, but often they did not like the options available to them," Hunter said Thursday in a press release.

The type of housing the VA offered sometimes failed to meet their needs and preferences, including some veterans turning down shelter they deemed unsafe, the researchers found.

"They wanted a safe and private place that respects their autonomy. Housing options need to be aligned with veterans' housing preferences. If housing opportunities do not respect their needs, they will say, 'Screw this, I will go pitch a tent in the park,'" Hunter said.

Some veterans with substance abuse issues also became homeless again after breaking sobriety rules, while others struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder, too much noise or had difficulty using VA rent vouchers.

"Veterans are a priority population who generally have access to services, but few of those we followed found permanent housing," Hunter said in the press release. "This study demonstrates how difficult it can be for people who are unhoused to navigate the system to find suitable housing."

MISOGYNISTIC FEMICIDE BY INCEL
Woman injured in 2018 Toronto van attack dies

A rented van sits on a sidewalk about a mile from where several pedestrians ran over in northern Toronto, Canada, on April 23, 2018. File Photo by Warren Toda/EPA-EFE

Nov. 12 (UPI) -- A 65-year-old woman injured in 2018 when a man deliberately drove his van into more than a dozen people in Toronto has died, Canadian authorities said, raising the death toll from the attack to 11.

Toronto police said in a statement Thursday that Amaresh Tesfamariam succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead in hospital on Oct. 28.

The Toronto resident had been hospitalized since April 23, 2018, when Alek Minassian, then 25 years old, drove his white van onto the sidewalk at the busy intersection of Younge Street and Finch Avenue, striking 14 people, 10 of whom died.

In March, Minassian was found guilty of 10 counts of first-degree murder and 13 counts of attempted murder.

"This was the exercise of free will by a rational brain, capable of choosing between right and wrong," Justice Anne Molly said in her verdict. "It does not matter that he does not have remorse, nor empathize with the victims."

Minassian told investigators that he was inspired by previous mass killings by those motivated by the incel ideology, which stands of involuntary celibate. The Anti-Defamation League describes incels as heterosexual men who blame women and society for their lack of romantic success, believing women have too much power in sexual relationships.

With Tesfamariam's death, Minassian killed nine women in the attack.

"Make no mistake, this was an attack fueled by misogyny and hatred of women and should be treated as such," Toronto Mayor John Tory said in a statement on the day Minassian was convicted. "We must all stand up against this kind of hateful behavior and those who promote it."

Tesfamariam, a nurse, was left paralyzed from the neck down by the accident.

Her death though now considered a homicide will not result in additional charges against Minassian, authorities said.

"It is my understanding that a new charge will not be laid," police spokesman Const. David Hopkins said. "But the judge will consider that there is a new victim in sentencing."

Minassian is scheduled for sentencing Jan. 11.

Subaru announces new 2022 electric vehicle Solterra


Subaru announced its new Solterra, a battery electronic vehicle (BEV), which will hit markets in 2022. Photo Courtesy of Subaru

Nov. 11 (UPI) -- Subaru announced its first battery-powered electric vehicle called Solterra on Thursday.

The Japanese automaker will introduce the SUV -- which has been co-developed with Toyota -- to the U.S., Canada, and Europe next year.

It comes in front-wheel and all-wheel drive options with a 71.4kWh battery beneath the floor of the vehicle. It estimates a range of 329 miles per charge.

The company didn't say how long its DC fast charging would take, but Toyota's BZ4X, which is built on the same EV platform, takes a half hour to reach 80% charge.

"In developing SOLTERRA, the brand's first BEV to be launched globally, Subaru aimed to exceed the various customer expectations for BEVs and make it a practical vehicle so that customers can choose it comfortably and confidently, as the vehicle will be the cornerstone of Subaru's future BEVs," the company said in a statement.

The car will feature a normal interior with a steering wheel and the company's X-Mode AWD control system.

Subaru joins other automakers pushing for more EV options as the Biden administration pledges to have 50% of all new vehicles be electric by 2030.

'Alberta Clipper' expected to spread first snowfalls across Midwest

ITS A MANITOBA MONSTER

LOOK AT THE MAPS
By Ryan Adamson, Accuweather.com

By this weekend, much of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and northern Indiana will receive snow. Chicago, Milwaukee and Madison, Wis., have not yet received any snow this season. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo

Nov. 11 -- A strong storm with wind and snow will plague much of the northern Plains, Upper Midwest and south-central Canada through the end of the week. After that storm departs, AccuWeather forecasters say that it won't take too long for snow to return.

Many areas in the Dakotas, Minnesota and south-central Canada are likely to receive their first accumulating snow of the season on Thursday or Friday.

The following storm system will contain less moisture, forecasters say, but many more locations are expected to have their first snow of the season.

"Cold air will descend from Canada into the North Central states and bring another round of snowfall to the Dakotas, Minnesota and Great Lakes region this weekend," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Alyssa Smithmyer.



The storm system, known as an "Alberta Clipper," will move southeast through North Dakota and into Minnesota on Saturday.

To the north of where the clipper tracks, snow will fall, with a mix of rain and snow to the south. Most locations are expected to be above freezing, which will limit accumulation.

North Dakota cities such as Grand Forks and Fargo are likely to be near or below freezing, and 1-3 inches of snow could fall.

By late Saturday, much of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and northern Indiana will receive snow. Chicago, Milwaukee and Madison, Wis., have not yet received any snow this season.

Not only are the first flakes expected with this system, but the snow may be measurable. Measurable snow is defined as more than a trace, at least 0.1 of an inch.





In general, this is right around the normal time of year when the first accumulating snow occurs. Chicago typically receives its first measurable snow on Nov. 18 and Milwaukee and Madison usually see their first on Nov. 15 and Nov. 11, respectively.
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The clipper will eventually move into the Northeast by Sunday. However, there will be a lead system that may bring snow ahead of the incoming clipper. The air in the Northeast will not be as cold as farther to the west, but that will not eliminate the chance of snow.

"Locations across the interior Northeast in higher elevations can expect temperatures to drop to sub-freezing levels overnight this weekend," Smithmyer said.

A developing area of low pressure along a cold front can bring snow or a mix of rain and snow to many higher-elevation locales in the Northeast on Saturday that are generally above 2,000 feet.


As the storm intensifies while moving into New England on Saturday night, a few inches could fall in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and the higher elevations in western Maine. Elsewhere, a few snowflakes can mix in but less than an inch is expected.

The Alberta Clipper will slow down as it moves into the Northeast. Very limited moisture is expected to be left by the time the system reaches the region. However, the air will be colder and the first flakes are possible in many more locations. The chance of snowflakes falling along the coast is very low, forecasters say.
  

1. The Alberta Clipper

   www.theweatherprediction.com/weatherpapers/003

   An Alberta Clipper is born in the Canadian province of Alberta. It’s one of the most significant synoptic-scale winter weather phenomena affecting central North America. It occurs most frequently during December and January and substantially less during October and March. It’s defined as; a very fast moving low-pressure system, usually low in moisture content, originates in Alberta in the lee of the …

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Australia gardener's tree grows five different species of fruit


Hussam Saraf of Shepparton, Australia, was awarded a Guinness World Record for grafting five different species of fruit onto a single tree. Photo courtesy of Guinness World Records

Nov. 11 (UPI) -- An Australia gardener earned a Guinness World Record when he successfully grafted five different types of fruit onto a single tree.

Hussam Saraf of Shepparton, Victoria, said he actually grafted 10 different fruits onto the tree in his back yard, but Guinness World Records told him not all of them counted as different types.

Saraf's tree bears white and yellow nectarines, white and yellow peaches, blood and yellow plums, peachcots, apricots, almonds and cherries.

"They told me my application was rejected, because they needed five different species, not varieties," Saraf told Guardian Australia.

Guinness initially told Saraf he had merely tied the record of five fruits, which was set by Luis H. Carrasco of Chile, but a further review found two of Carrasco's fruits -- peaches and nectarines -- only counted as a single species, reducing his number to four and giving the new record to Saraf.

"Sometimes you just need to have a conversation," Saraf said.

Saraf told Guinness his tree is meant to symbolize "peaceful coexistence" and serve as an example of how to live together with respect and acceptance in a diverse society.

Worshippers descend on India's Yamuna River despite toxic foam

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Worshippers observing the Hindu festival of Chhath Puja waded into the Yamuna River in India despite the presence of toxic foam resulting from sewage runoff. Photo by Abhishek/UPI | License Photo

Nov. 11 (UPI) -- Thousands of worshippers plunged into India's Yamuna River and waded through toxic foam as government leaders quarreled over how to clean the waterway.

Devotees made their way into the water as part of the four-day Hindu festival of Chhath Puja that ended Thursday, celebrating the sun deity Surya by fasting and making offerings while standing in water.

Worshipers in northern India traditionally take to the Yamuna River, a tributary of the Ganges that runs through the capital city of New Delhi, however this year the river was coated with thick foam resembling snow.

"It's a sewer," worshipper Ravi Shankar Gupta told The New York Times. "But the sun deity says: 'Even if you stand in a gutter and make an offering, I will protect you for the rest of the year.'"

The festival celebrates the sun deity Surya by fasting and making offerings while standing in water. Photo by Abhishek/UPI | License Photo

The foam bubbles are the result of organic matter decomposing as untreated sewage from Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh are dumped into the river leaving soap-detergent particles, industrial effluents, decomposing vegetation and filamentous bacteria.

Short-term exposure to the foam can cause skin irritation and allergies and if ingested it can lead to gastrointestinal issues and diseases such as typhoid. Long-term exposure to heavy metals found in industrial pollutants can cause neurological issues and hormonal imbalances.

New Delhi treats about two-thirds of its sewage but hundreds of millions of gallons are dumped into the Yamuna untreated as the city grapples with an expanding population.

The government of Delhi attempted to mitigate the impacts of the foam, sending out boats to attempt to sweep it away, laying down bamboo barricades to prevent it from spreading and sending workers to hose down the foam.

Members of India's AAP Party in Delhi accused neighboring states of polluting the water while BJP leaders said the government prevented the festival from taking place in the river to hide the pollution. Photo by Abhishek/UPI | License Photo

Government leaders also resorted to fingerpointing Thursday as Gopai Rai and Raghav Chanda of Delhi's Aam Aadmi Party said Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have released 155 million gallons of untreated waste water into the river while Delhi has worked to upgrade sewage treatment plants to meet Delhi Pollution Control committee standards.

However, Bharatiya Janata Party Member of Parliament Manoj Tiwari accused the AAP government of not allowing the celebration to take place on its banks in order to cover up the pollution.

'Rarest mammal in North America' wanders into Colorado garage

Nov. 11 (UPI) -- Wildlife officials in Colorado said rescuers were summoned to a resident's garage to relocate a black-footed ferret, "the rarest mammal in North America."

Colorado Parks and Wildlife said a resident of Pueblo West, near Walker Ranch, contacted the agency this week to report the discovery of the ferret inside his garage.

"Bears in garages are old news. But an endangered black-footed ferret, the rarest mammal in North America, in a Pueblo West garage?" the wildlife agency tweeted.

The man managed to trap the ferret in a box by the time officers arrived, the agency said.

A microchip implanted in the animal revealed it was one of nine black-footed ferrets released two weeks earlier on a 1,600-acre prairie dog colony near Highway 50 as part of conservation efforts for the species.

"We don't know exactly why this black-footed ferret left the colony," Ed Schmal, an agency conservation biologist, said in a news release.

"We put them into prairie dog burrows, but they may not stay. Sometimes they scramble around the colony to find the right home. This one might have gotten pushed out by other ferrets and it went looking for a new home. We really don't know."

The ferret was determined to be healthy and was successfully returned to the colony, officials said.

Volcanoes hastened Chinese dynasties' collapse, researchers call it a warning

Volcanic eruptions may have contributed to the collapse of dynasties in China, a new study has found. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey

Nov. 11 (UPI) -- Volcanic eruptions helped collapse dynasties in China in the last 2,000 years by temporarily cooling the climate and affecting agriculture, a study published Thursday by Communications Earth & Environment found.

Large eruptions created a cloud that blocked some sunlight for a year or two, reducing the warming of land in Asia in the summer and leading to weaker monsoons and less rainfall, the data showed.

This, in turn, led to decreases in crop harvests, causing hunger and migration that were factors in the collapse of several ruling dynasties in the region, the researchers said.

"We confirmed for the first time that collapses of dynasties in China over the last 2,000 years are more likely in the years after volcanic eruptions," co-author Alan Robock said in a press release.

"The impact of a cooled climate on crops can also make conflict more likely, further increasing the probability of collapse," said Robock, a professor of environmental sciences at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

Erupting volcanoes can pump millions of tons of sulfur dioxide into the upper atmosphere, forming vast sulfuric acid clouds that reflect sunlight and lower the Earth's average surface temperature.

Major eruptions can lead to "a double jeopardy of marked coldness and dryness during the agricultural growing season," the researchers said.

These impacts may be worsened by livestock deaths, accelerated land degradation and more crop damage from agricultural pests that survive during milder winters.

For this study, Robock and his colleagues reconstructed 156 explosive volcanic eruptions from 1 A.D. to 1915 by examining elevated sulfate levels in ice cores from Greenland and Antarctic.

They also analyzed historical documents on 68 Chinese dynasties and examined warfare in the region between 850 and 1911.

Smaller volcanic "shocks" to the climate may have caused dynasties to collapse when political and socioeconomic stress is already high, the data showed.

In addition, larger shocks may have led to collapses, even without other factors such as poor leadership, administrative corruption and demographic pressures.

The findings emphasize the need to prepare for future eruptions, especially in regions with economically vulnerable populations, perhaps comparable to the Ming and Tang dynasties in China, the researchers said.

Future volcanic eruptions could also impact countries with a history of resource mismanagement, such as in Syria before the 2011 uprising, which may have been partly triggered by drought.

When combined with climate change, these eruptions are also likely to profoundly affect agriculture in some of the Earth's most populous and most marginalized regions, the researchers said.

Eruptions during the 20th and 21st centuries have been smaller than many during imperial China, but have still contributed to the Sahelian drought of the 1970s to 1990s, resulting in about 250,000 deaths and 10 million refugees in this economically marginalized region, they said.

"The relationship is complex," Robock said.

"If there is ongoing warfare and conflict, dynasties are more susceptible to collapse," he said.