Global Gender Gap in Unpaid Care: Why Domestic Work Still Remains a Woman’s Burden

February 12, 2022

In the brief Global Gender Gap in Unpaid Care: Why Domestic Work Still Remains a Woman’s Burden, the author reviews the literature on both the economic and sociological factors which perpetuate the pattern of gender disparity in unpaid domestic care work. The author also summarizes the “recognize, reduce and redistribute” policies which could be adopted to help address the problem.

The policy brief includes country reports on gender gap in unpaid domestic care in Armenia, Belarus, Georgia and Ukraine. It was published by The Forum for Research on Eastern Europe and Emerging Economies (FREE Network).

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• FROGEE POLICY BRIEF 4 Insights from Armenia
• FROGEE POLICY BRIEF 4 Insights from Belarus
• FROGEE POLICY BRIEF 4 Insights from Georgia
• FROGEE POLICY BRIEF 4 Insights from Ukraine

EU4GENDEREQUALITY

RETURN OF THE NORTHWEST COMPANY
Federation fur company promises to get Métis trappers back on lines
Thursday

Over a year in the planning, the Manitoba Metis Federation (MMF) is taking the next step in revitalizing the Red River culture and way of life.

First it was about the music and getting more than 3,500 kids fiddling and promoting square dancing. Then it was about providing economic support to artisans in the form of grants and purchasing the high-quality products to sell in the MMF store locally, nationally and internationally. Now, it’s about the trappers.

“I have a passion for history and culture and just our nation in general. This is part of the evolution of our nation and we kind of got pushed out of the market many, many moons ago,” said MMF President David Chartrand.

Come spring, the new Red River Métis Fur Company will purchase muskrat and beaver pelts from Métis trappers and pay them an above-market price. As the year goes on, the furs of other animals in season will be purchased.

The Red River Métis Fur Company has committed $1 million to purchasing those furs.

The fur industry for Métis trappers has taken a beating over the years, says Chartrand. Animal rights and environmental activists have campaigned against trapping. Fur farms have grown in numbers. Farmers and ranchers have killed coyotes and other predators to keep their properties clear.

“This has impacted the way we trap and do things,” said Chartrand. “We want to give (the trappers) not only the opportunity to practise something they love to do, their traditions, but to at least give them a chance to make some money. We’ll buy from them and then we’ll worry about selling them.”

Local Métis artisans will get first priority for the furs to create beaver mitts or muskrat hats and other products.

Working with artisans and trappers, points out Chartrand, is about creating microbusinesses. He believes local economies will benefit from small businesses more than any large business.

MMF is also investigating overseas markets for fur sales, with possibilities existing in countries like Turkey, Russia and China.

To ensure the environment and species are protected, a quota-based system will be put in place, which will limit how many animals of each species Métis trappers can take. Chartrand says those numbers will be easy to track, pointing out that trappers will be aware of when their lines are coming up empty in specific fields.

“We always want to make sure the trapper has something to trap and at the same time ensure a balance in the environment,” said Chartrand.

While the MMF’s goal is to give Métis trappers the opportunity to renew their culture and gain economically, if there aren’t enough furs coming in, Chartrand says he will speak to local First Nation trappers, set quotas and purchase their furs.

There will also be grants in place through the MMF for trappers to purchase traps.

Chartrand says the MMF is also looking at “getting the traditional hide back.” He says many artisans would prefer to work with moose, elk or deer hide instead of cow hide. However, the present price for those traditional hides is low.

The MMF is also considering the bead market. Beads are becoming scarce, says Chartrand, and are an important part of the Métis culture. Métis are known as the Flower Beadwork People. The MMF will either consider purchasing a “massive amount of beads” or developing a company that will make their own beads.

“I’ve been talking about traditional economies and figuring out how to do it for at least 20 years. I’m so proud as a Métis government that we have the resources economically now to do our part. To make sure we give a hope to our trappers, a hope to our culture and way of that life, that we do not give it up. That is part of who we are and that will carry on for centuries to come,” said Chartrand.

Windspeaker.com

By Shari Narine, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Windspeaker.com, Windspeaker.com

Founded in 1779, the North West Company was a major force in the fur trade from the 1780s to 1821. Managed primarily by Highland Scots who migrated to Montréal after 1760, or came as Loyalists escaping the American Revolution, it also drew heavily on French-Canadian labour and experience. The name first described Montréal traders who in 1776 pooled resources to reduce competition among themselves and to resist inland advances of the Hudson’s Bay Company.

https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/north-west-company

Sen. Bernie Sanders warns of 'drumbeats' of war in Washington


Sen. Bernie Sanders gave a speech on the Senate floor Thursday expressing grave concern over the "drumbeats" of war building in Washington, D.C., amid escalating tensions along the Ukrainian border.

Sanders, I-Vt., the de-facto leader of the Democratic Party's progressive wing, which had kept relatively quiet on the issue to this point, pleaded with government officials to not follow a similar path of past military conflicts.

"I'm extremely concerned when I hear the familiar drumbeats in Washington, the bellicose rhetoric that gets amplified before every war, demanding that we must 'show strength,' 'get tough' and not engage in 'appeasement'," said Sanders, who has, in the past, led the charge to defund the war in Iraq and to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan.


Bernie Sanders leaves the Capitol following a vote on January 31, 2022

 in Washington, DC.

The senator focused on the "unintended consequences" that have resulted from previous American military involvements and the way wars have been portrayed in the lead up to those conflicts.

"They [wars] rarely turn out the way the planners and experts tell us they will. Just ask the officials who provided rosy scenarios for the wars in Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq, only to be proven horribly wrong," Sanders said.

Sanders reaffirmed his support for the pursuit of a diplomatic solution with Russia, the latest attempts of which have been led by French President Emmanuel Macron, who met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy separately this week.


Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President

 Emmanuel Macron attend a joint press conference, in Moscow, Russia, Feb. 7, 2022.

MORE: Macron: Putin told him Russia won't escalate Ukraine crisis

While condemning Putin over his responsibility for the current crisis, Sanders also called on officials to "consider the perspectives of our adversaries." Putin has demanded the U.S. and Europeans commit to keeping Ukraine out of NATO, something the West has rejected outright.

"One of the precipitating factors of this crisis, at least from Russia's perspective, is the prospect of an enhanced security relationship between Ukraine and the United States and Western Europe," Sanders said.

In addition to his war critique, Sanders objected to potential sanctions against Russia and the possible impact on civilians. That includes a package the Senate has been discussing that could cause economic devastation in Russia and reverberate across Europe.

The legislation appears to be on hold following disagreement on a variety of issues, including the strength of the sanctions, leading some to suggest President Joe Biden should proceed on his own.

On Tuesday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., indicated it would be better for Biden to take action as opposed to waiting for the passage of a sanctions package he believes wouldn't deter Putin. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., struck a similar tone.


Chairman Bob Menendez, left, and Senator Jim Risch, during a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at the US Capitol in Washington, DC.

"We're just a hair's breadth away from an agreement on strong, message-sending sanctions legislation, but I really believe the Biden administration should act now -- in fact yesterday," said Blumenthal, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.


A soldier fires during a Russian and Belarusian joint military drills at Brestsky firing range, Belarus

.MORE: Russia begins huge war games in Belarus amid Ukraine invasion fears

Concerns about a Russian invasion into Ukraine continue to build as the Russian military began a series of exercises in Belarus on Thursday that are expected to continue until Feb. 20.

"[We] must work hard to achieve a realistic and mutually agreeable resolution...that is not weakness," Sanders said. "That is not appeasement. Bringing people together to resolve conflicts nonviolently is strength, and it is the right thing to do."

ABC News' Trish Turner and Allison Pecorin contributed to this report.

'I'm proud of the truckers,' says Poilievre in lambasting Justin Trudeau's response to protests

Catherine Lévesque - Yesterday 


© Provided by National PostPierre Poilievre:

Conservative leadership candidate Pierre Poilievre says he is “proud” of the truckers and stands with them.

Poilievre also says he blames Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for the situation, which is paralyzing critical infrastructure at the border.

“I’m proud of the truckers and I stand with them,” Poilievre said in an interview recorded on Thursday for next week’s episode of the Postmedia podcast Full Comment with Anthony Furey.

“They have reached a breaking point after two years of massive government overreach of a prime minister who insults and degrades anyone who disagrees with his heavy-handed approach.

“But let’s be honest, if Canadians are being inconvenienced, or in any way suffering from these protests, it is because Justin Trudeau made these protests happen and his intransigence is keeping the protests going,” he added.

Poilievre said it looks to him like Trudeau put a vaccine mandate on truckers “as a vindictive wedge strategy to divide Canadians and demonize an apparently unpopular minority of unvaccinated people to his own political advantage.”

“But now it’s blown up in his face,” said Poilievre.

“So he’s gotten himself into an impossible political situation. And unfortunately, the rest of the country is held hostage by his unwillingness to do the right thing, admit he was wrong, and lift these mandates.”

Earlier Thursday, Conservative interim leader Candice Bergen called on Freedom Convoy protesters to take down the barricades and go home.

Bergen, who has been sympathetic to truckers since the beginning of the protests in Ottawa, changed her stance and asked for blockades to end. She made the comments as she presented a motion in the House of Commons asking for the end of federal restrictions.

In an appeal to the protesters, Bergen said, “I believe the time has come for you to take down the barricades, stop the disruptive action, and come together. The economy you want to see reopen is hurting. Farmers, manufacturers, small businesses and families are suffering. I believe this is not what you want to do.

“You came bringing a message. That message has been heard,” she continued. “Conservatives have heard you and we will stand up for you and all Canadians who want to get back to normal life. We will not stop until the mandates have ended.”

Ontario freezes $8 million from online fundraiser bound for truckers

Trucker protests: What started in Ottawa could roll round the world

The protests have been going strong in Ottawa for two weeks now, but the police’s reluctance to act has resulted in demonstrations taking place across the country.

Blockades have now spread to border crossings in Alberta, Ontario and, more recently, in Bergen’s home province of Manitoba, causing significant disruption in trade between Canada and the United States and forcing the auto industry to shut down factories.

Just last week, Bergen was siding with the protesters in Ottawa, calling them “passionate, patriotic and peaceful.” Other Conservative MPs, including former leader Andrew Scheer, took pictures with them or were encouraging them while making their way to Parliament Hill.

Bergen urged other parties to join the Conservatives in supporting the motion, which calls for the Liberals to present a plan before the end of the month to end federal mandates and restrictions.

The Bloc Québécois will vote in favour of the Conservative motion, which will guarantee almost a majority of votes in the Commons when the time comes. Motions are however non-binding and the government will not be forced to implement it even if it is adopted.

Bloc Public Safety critic Kristina Michaud told the National Post that the federal government should re-evaluate and reconsider a number of measures, as a number of provinces including Quebec have already done in the past few days.

Meanwhile, Liberals are showing no signs of changing their course of action.

During Question Period, Trudeau continued to repeat that the best way through the pandemic is by listening to science and by following health advice “and indeed, by getting vaccinated.” He encouraged more people to “step up” and get their shots.

Trudeau also mocked the Conservatives’ new position on the convoys, saying that they had “spent the last two weeks endorsing and enabling these blockades” and that Bergen and some in her team had been “their biggest champions.”

Discovery of what ailed Dolly the dinosaur is a first, researchers say

By Ashley Strickland, CNN - 
© Woodruff et al. (2022), Corbin Rainbolt


About 150 million years ago, a young long-necked dinosaur fell ill, likely coughing and suffering from a fever as it wandered what is now southwest Montana.

The fossil of this dinosaur, nicknamed "Dolly" for Dolly Parton, has revealed what could be the first evidence of a respiratory infection in a dinosaur, according to new research. A study detailing the findings published Thursday in the journal Scientific Reports.

The diplodocid, an herbivorous dinosaur with a long neck, reached about 60 feet (18 meters) in length and was between 15 and 20 years old when it died, according to Cary Woodruff, lead study author and director of paleontology at the Great Plains Dinosaur Museum in Malta, Montana.

Dolly's remains, including a complete skull and neck vertebrae, were first discovered in 1990 at a site in Montana yielding other dinosaur discoveries. They aren't able to determine Dolly's gender based on the fossils.

Recently, Woodruff and his colleagues decided to take a closer look at three of Dolly's neck bones and discovered abnormal bony protrusions with an irregular shape and texture.

The researchers used CT imaging to determine that the abnormal bone growth likely formed in response to an infection in Dolly's air sacs. The dinosaur had a complex respiratory system and the air sacs connected to its lungs.


© Woodruff et al. (2022)Abnormal bony growths, depicted in red, were found in Dolly's neck bones.

The researchers believe that the diplodocid developed a respiratory infection within its air sacs and the infection then spread to its neck bones.

"During times of trauma, bone can grow pretty fast, so I imagine all in all, we're looking at a prolonged infection that occurred sometime during the last year of Dolly's life," Woodruff said in an email.

"Given the likely symptoms this animal suffered from, holding these infected bones in your hands, you can't help but feel sorry for Dolly," Woodruff said in a statement. "We've all experienced these same symptoms -- coughing, trouble breathing, a fever, etc. -- and here's a 150-million-year-old dinosaur that likely felt as miserable as we all do when we're sick."


© Woodruff et al. (2022), Francisco Bruñén AlfaroThis diagram shows the pathway Dolly's infection might have taken. The human figure included for scale is Dr. Anthony Fauci.

The bony growths were only about a centimeter in height, so it's unlikely that they protruded or caused Dolly's neck to swell, Woodruff said. Instead, Dolly was likely most miserable due to her flu or pneumonia-like symptoms, including weight loss and sneezing.

Dolly's illness may have been caused by a fungal infection not unlike aspergillosis. This is a common respiratory illness in modern birds and reptiles that can lead to bone infections. When aspergillosis is left untreated, it can be fatal in birds, so it's possible that Dolly died after falling ill, although they can't tell when the dinosaur died after getting sick.

But how did Dolly get sick in the first place? Trying to piece together the puzzle of dinosaur disease with only bones, given that soft tissue doesn't fossilize, can be difficult.

It's possible that the environment in Montana 150 million years ago contributed to Dolly's illness. At the time, there was an inland seaway slowly withdrawing northward toward Canada, Woodruff said.

"The baby Rocky Mountains were in their infancy, and the environment would have been very similar to the Gulf Coast region of the US -- relatively flat, large rivers draining into the seaway, warm, humid, and well vegetated," he said. "One possibility we proposed was that Dolly's infection was from a fungal infection. Warm, humid climates are a perfect habitat for fungi today, and the same was true millions of years ago."

If Dolly had an aspergillosis-like infection, the dinosaur could have caught it in a multitude of ways, like accidentally breathing in a fungal spore or catching it from another member of the herd.

In modern birds, crowded conditions can cause the spread of infection. Dinosaurs like Dolly were known to stick close together during nesting season, which could have caused infections to "spread like wildfire," Woodruff said.

While the true cause will likely never be known, this research has provided more insight into the immune systems of dinosaurs.

"This fossil infection in Dolly not only helps us trace the evolutionary history of respiratory-related diseases back in time, but gives us a better understanding of what kinds of diseases dinosaurs were susceptible to," Woodruff said.

Previous research has revealed that, much like humans, dinosaurs suffered from gout, cancer and infections from injuries. There is also evidence of a tuberculosis-like infection in a marine reptile that lived 245 million years ago.

But this is the first time a dinosaur fossil has revealed evidence of a respiratory infection.

Making this discovery helps researchers to better understand how dinosaurs breathed, the evolutionary relationship between birds and dinosaurs, and the pathways of infections and diseases in dinosaurs that aren't too dissimilar from ones we experience today, Woodruff said.

Next, the researchers want to determine if any of the other dinosaur fossils found in the same location as Dolly had this infection and explore what other diseases dinosaurs may have had that can be found in modern birds.

Paleopathology, or the study of pathological conditions found in ancient human and animal remains, is growing as scientists across different disciplines work together to understand the lives of dinosaurs.

Woodruff predicts that the approach, techniques and makeup of research teams will change in the future, something that has him excited for discoveries on the horizon. Including specialists from different disciplines, such as medical experts, is allowing for new insights as researchers analyze fossils.

"Previously, we could only really speculate," Woodruff said. "We could tell that a bone had broken and healed, but we had no idea of what caused the break. While that can certainly still be the case today, the more we approach these pathologies from a differential diagnosis perspective, and importantly, the more we work with medical professionals, the greater our identification accuracy is."

Most Sask. residents believe society has become more polarized compared to a year ago: survey

Theresa Kliem -CBC

A strong majority of respondents in a new poll in Saskatchewan said society has become more polarized compared to a year ago.

The Canadian Hub for Applied and Social Research (CHASR) at the University of Saskatchewan conducted the survey on divisiveness in partnership with CBC Saskatchewan, collecting data by phone from 400 residents across the province between Dec. 1, 2021 and Dec. 30, 2021.

The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.90 per cent, 19 times out of 20.

According to the survey, 78.7 per cent of respondents believe that society has become more polarized. Just over 17 per cent said polarization is about the same, and around two per cent said society has become less polarized.

"It seems to be a very timely topic to ask," said CHASR director Jason Disano.

"We don't have any sort of historical or retrospective data to compare this to…. But what the data do indicate is that people are largely feeling that we are divided as a province. "
More than 8 out of 10 people think pandemic has been dividing people in Sask.

Survey participants were asked about five potentially divisive topics: the COVID-19 pandemic, fighting climate change, the energy sector, the federal election and increasing ethnic diversity.

In three out of the five categories, the majority of respondents said the issue has served to divide the people of Saskatchewan over the past year, with a fourth coming just shy of 50 per cent.

About 83 per cent agreed that the pandemic has been dividing people, and more than 70 per cent said the same about the federal election.

Disano said he was surprised to see 44 per cent of respondents say that increasing ethnic diversity has served to unite the Saskatchewan population.

"I was expecting that one to sort of fall more on the side of divisiveness as opposed to uniting folks," he said.

"But I was happy to see that one came out a bit more balanced."

Responses varied somewhat by demographic.

For example, younger survey participants (18 to 34) were more likely to believe that ethnic diversity has been uniting people (74 per cent), particularly compared to the 55 and older age group (32.8 per cent).

Respondents in larger cities like Saskatoon or Regina were more likely to think the COVID-19 pandemic united people of Saskatchewan (around 19 per cent) in comparison with respondents from smaller cities or rural areas (around seven per cent).

Respondents also ranked the energy sector (49.8 per cent) and climate change (62.3 per cent) as divisive subjects.

Younger respondents were more likely than older respondents to think that the energy sector united the people of Saskatchewan, with 57.1 per cent in the 18 to 34 age group saying so. More participants 55 or older thought the topic was divisive (74 per cent) rather than a unifying force (26 per cent).


© Omayra Issa/CBC

Glenn Wright is urging world leaders to be bolder in setting climate goals.

As an advocate for the fight against climate change, Saskatchewan farmer and lawyer Glenn Wright often experiences the polarization first hand.

"In the farming circles, I see many people feeling threatened," he said.

"A lot of them can't envision a way to grow our food without the connection to fossil fuels, whether that is fertilizer that's applied or whether it is diesel fuel to run their tractors and combines."

Wright farms between Vanscoy and Delisle, southwest of Saskatoon.

He is very outspoken about climate change, which has led to estrangement from some friends and family members.

"I've been subject to personal attacks," he said.

"I have pushed the issue at family discussions and at Christmas time to the point where I've seen some of my relatives get upset and push themselves up from the table to get up and leave."

Wright said he hopes the polarization will not last forever.

"Am I going to take any pleasure in 20 years from now saying I told you so? Probably not."
1 in 3 people have reduced contact with someone because of differing views

Wright is not alone.

When survey participants were asked if, over the past year, they have had reduced contact with a friend or family member because of differing views or opinions, almost 32 per cent — nearly one in three people — said they had.

"That's a pretty sizable chunk," said Disano.

The vast majority of the respondents (around 94 per cent) who had this reduced contact said it was due to disagreement about COVID-19.

A larger proportion of women (39.2 per cent) than men (23.5 per cent) had reduced contact with someone in the last year because of differing views.

Darla Read is one of those people.

The Saskatoon woman left her parents' house in November 2020 after a disagreement about how the pandemic was being handled by politicians in the province.

While the relationship was not perfect before COVID-19 hit, Read and her mother used to be close after Read's now-seven-year-old son was born.

Now the Saskatoon woman doesn't talk with her parents unless they are making arrangements for her son to meet his grandparents. She said she doesn't want her son's relationship with his grandparents to become estranged.

"My parents are good grandparents," said Read.

"You can love someone and love many parts of them, and there are also going to be other parts that you don't like. It's not that easy. Nothing is that black and white."

YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS STUFF UP

Nevada County Names Justice Building After Trump

By Jeffrey Rodack | Friday, 11 February 2022 

Lyon County, Nevada, has officially renamed its justice building the Donald J. Trump Justice Complex.

The complex in Yerington, Nevada, houses the sheriff's office, jail, and Third Judicial District Court, according to the county's website.

The Board of Commissioners had approved a proclamation in August 2021 to rename the facility.

According to The Associated Press the commissioners originally had planned to rename a road in Dayton, Nevada, after the former president. However, they decided against the plan after realizing some residences and businesses would have been forced to change their addresses.

Some suggestions for the street's name were "President Donald Trump Way," "President Trump Way," or "45 Way" until "Pres. Trump Way" was agreed upon.

About 50 people attended the dedication of the building on Saturday.

Figure skater makes history by reaching finals at Winter Olympics

He's the first Mexican skater to reach the finals despite never having trained on professional rinks

 

Donovan Carrillo flew into the final round of the Olympics men's individual figure skating competition on Tuesday. He's the first Mexican to do so. 

LOS JUEGOS OLÍMPICOS TWITTER

Published on Tuesday, February 8, 2022

A Mexican figure skater has made history by reaching the finals at the Winter Olympics in Beijing, becoming the first Mexican skater ever to reach the last round at the international competition of the world’s best athletes.

Donovan Carrillo, 22, will join 23 other skaters in the free skate program on Thursday — Wednesday night in North America — despite having spent his life training in Mexico without an ice rink suitable for high-performance athletes.

Medals in the individual figure skating competition are determined by combining the scores achieved in the short program and the free skate program.


Carrillo finished in 19th place in the short program on Tuesday with a personal record score of 79.69 and thus qualified for the free skate program, also known as the long program. It is something none of his compatriots had ever before achieved.

It has been far from plain sailing for the Guadalajara native, who grew up training on ice rinks in shopping malls. At age 12, he moved with his coach to León, Guanajuato, but was still without a professional rink to practice on

.

Carrillo performed in an outfit provided free by Guadalajara designer Edgar Lozano, who used more than 17,000 crystals to make it. 

LOS JUEGOS OLÍMPICOS TWITTER

His family sought sponsors but were rejected. In the end he was supported by friends and relatives, enabling him to travel to Europe to compete.

“Kisses to my family and to all Mexico, dreams really do come true,” he said after the routine.

“One of my first emotions when I finished the short program is that I didn’t want it to end. It was a very special moment, and I was enjoying to the fullest what I love most in life, which is skating … I’m very motivated to give my best in the long program,” Carrillo added.


The figure skater promoted Mexican culture in his performance: the rock ballad Black Magic Woman by Mexican American Carlos Santana, an artist whose music his father played to him as a child, accompanied his acrobatic routine. In the past, he has performed to the music of national treasure Juan Gabriel.

His eye-catching gold and black costume, composed of more than 17,000 crystals, was also of Mexican origin. It was designed by Édgar Lozano, also from Guadalajara, who crafted costumes for Miss Universe 2020, Andrea Meza.

Only three Mexicans have competed in figure skating at the Olympic Games: Ricardo Olavarrieta in 1988 and 1992, Diana Evans in 1988 and Mayda Navarro in 1992.

Donovan Carrillo’s short program performance, skating to the music of Santana.

With reports from El País and Cultura Colectiva

 

Once confined to classical music, figure skaters now turn to an eclectic mix of genres 


By —Sally Ho, Associated Press

Arts Feb 11, 2022 12:37 PM EST

BEIJING (AP) — First there was the explosive hip-hop beat drop, then a bold rap verse proclaiming, “The greatest of all time!”

It couldn’t have described Nathan Chen any better.

On the barren sheet of ice, matching the fierceness of that energy at the Beijing Olympics, was the typically reserved U.S. figure skater, wrapping up a near-perfect, gold-winning free skate to cap his historic run at the Winter Games.

As he flaunted through the last minute of his Thursday program at Capital Indoor Stadium with such joy and personality, it was clear the 22-year-old American’s diverse musical selections — in this case, a remixed, Elton John-heavy “Rocketman” medley of classic rock, pop, hip-hop and rap — marked a new, edgier dawn for winning performances.

“I’ve historically skated to pretty slower pace, more classical pieces, and so bringing in this faster pace (was) very exciting,” said Chen, a classically trained pianist who’s been spending his free time in Beijing strumming his Stratocaster. “It was like, something that totally just made sense, and it was just so much fun to skate to and practice.”

Traditional figure skating music is often classical or instrumental — Boléro, Swan Lake, Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 — or expansive movie scores from films like “Gladiator,” “Pirates of the Caribbean” or “Moulin Rouge.”

But the Beijing Olympics has witnessed the rise of more current, mainstream and offbeat music that first took hold four years ago in Pyeongchang, the first Winter Games in which lyrics were allowed. The eclectic mix of genres seen so far have produced a new tone in the most stylish of performances, which are being heavily rewarded by the judges.

Adam Rippon, a member of the American bronze medal team at the 2018 Olympics, called Chen’s performance a watershed moment for the sport and predicts that his soundtrack will inspire a new and different generation of athletes.

“It’s edgy, it’s fun, it’s young,” said Rippon, who helps to coach figure skater Mariah Bell, one of Chen’s closest friends on the American team. “When that hip-hop beat drops, he’s gotten through all the technical elements and he can just show off his personality and that changes your view of what you think skating is.”

Chen’s not the only skater taking a progressive approach to musical selection.

Elsewhere on the U.S. team, ice dancers Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue’s rhythm program features Janet Jackson’s socially-conscious “Rhythm Nation.” Madison Chock and Evan Bates’ free dance is set to French duo Daft Punk’s electronic beats and is meant to illustrate an avant-garde intergalactic love story.

“It was always music that I remember, and of course, my parents played it in our house and I grew up hearing it on the radio, but I think our love for Janet Jackson came because we fell in love with dancing to this music,” Hubbell said. “It took us by surprise. It wasn’t necessarily a style we thought we would really vibe with.”

Both dance duos won their events in the team competition this past week with career-best scores, helping the Americans to a silver medal that could eventually turn to gold depending on the outcome of a Russian doping case.

“Picking a genre that’s nontraditional – you know, we skated to electronic music at the Olympic Games in ice dance. I don’t think that, in my memory, it’s been done before, and we’re proud to be a team that is willing to take risks,” said Bates, who along with the rest of the dancers will begin individual competition Saturday.

French skater Adam Siao Him Fa and Czech ice dancers Natalie Taschlerova and Filip Taschler also tapped into the trend.

For his short program, Fa used a “Star Wars” medley also infused with hip hop, and for his free skate he sampled Daft Punk’s famous “Harder, Faster, Stronger” refrain made iconic by rapper Kanye West.

The Czech duo’s rhythm dance used Madonna songs that also featured the rappers M.I.A. and Nicki Minaj.

“We wanted to bring something iconic. Like, when people hear it, everyone will start to dance,” Taschler said. “We love this music. It’s super dance music and we are trying to share this feeling with the audience and judges.”

It will be hard to top Chen’s spectacular display to music by Elton John on Thursday.

It started with an understated, haunting snippet of “Yellow Brick Road” backed by more traditional instrumentals. Then, his 4-minute coronation veered to the classic rock and pop hit “Rocket Man,” then finally turned to an electrifying “Bennie and the Jets” remix by the singer Pink and rapper Logic, who declared “Momma, I made it/True story, I have upgraded.”

For Chen, that meant upgraded all the way to the gold medal.

“This program, no matter what, is always fun for me to skate,” he said, “And I loved it.”

It certainly produced better memories than four years ago in Pyeongchang, when his short program to music from British poet and lyricist Benjamin Clementine fell flat. Not even an incredible free skate two days later to an orchestral piece by Igor Stravinsky could salvage a medal for Chen.

He has come a long way in the past four years, putting in untold hours to perfect his craft. And it came through on the ice in Beijing, where the rap lyrics “I been runnin’ and gunnin’/Been fightin’ for something in due time” were never truer.

“When you watch a sport,” Rippon said after marveling at Chen’s performance, “you want to see a little bit of yourself in there. And when you open it to be different kinds of music … it’s going to make people feel more involved, more included. It makes it a lot more accessible to everybody.”

DECRIMINALIZE DRUGS

US commission says ‘hugs not bullets’ policy not enough to combat drug trafficking

But for 'real progress,' the U.S. must also decrease its demand for the drugs
 

A National Guard agent with bags of fentanyl confiscated in Mexico. 

GUARDIA NACIONAL

Published on Friday, February 11, 2022

The federal government’s non-confrontational security strategy that purports to address the root causes of violence through the delivery of social programs is insufficient to combat synthetic drug trafficking, according to a United States government commission.

In a new report, the Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking said that Mexico is the principal source of illicit fentanyl and similar substances that are smuggled into the United States.

“In Mexico, cartels manufacture these poisons in clandestine laboratories with ingredients – precursor chemicals – sourced largely from [China],” the report said.

“Because illicit fentanyl is so powerful and such a small amount goes such a long way, traffickers conceal hard-to-detect quantities in packages, in vehicles, and on persons and smuggle the drug across the U.S.-Mexico border. It is difficult to interdict given that just a small physical amount of this potent drug is enough to satisfy U.S. demand, making it highly profitable for traffickers and dealers,” it said.

The commission said the Mexican government, “in part out of self-preservation and in part because the trafficking problem transcends current law enforcement capacity,” recently adopted a “hugs, not bullets” approach to managing the transnational criminal groups.

A small volume of fentanyl goes a long way. The smaller quantities make smuggling easier and more profitable.

 COMMISSION ON COMBATING SYNTHETIC OPIOID TRAFFICKING, FINAL REPORT

“However, such approaches have not been able to address trafficking issues, and further efforts will be needed,” the report said.

“… In Mexico, two cartels dominate the drug trade,” the commission said, referring to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel.

“Their financial prowess and extensive use of weapons, bribery, threats, and murders of politicians and members of the public– very few of which are ever solved – significantly impedes the state’s capacity to control them.”

The commission said that President López Obrador, “who began his presidency publicly committed to a policy of ‘hugs, not bullets’ for the cartels despite the continued rise of violence,” must do more in the months and years ahead to more directly address the threat that cartels pose to the health and safety of people in both Mexico and the United States.

As things stand, “the flow of precursors from China to Mexico remains almost unabated,” the report said, referring mainly to shipments of chemicals that arrive by sea at the country’s Pacific coast ports.

The commission – made up of representatives from nine U.S. government bodies, including the Senate, House of Representatives, DEA and Department of State – described the trafficking of synthetic drugs into the United States as not only a public health emergency but also “a national emergency that threatens both the national security and economic well-being of the country.”

It noted that more than 100,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in the 12 months leading up to May 2021 – “more than twice the number of U.S. traffic fatalities or gun-violence deaths during that period.”

Some two-thirds of the deaths – “about 170 fatalities each day, primarily among those ages 18 to 45” – involved synthetic opioids, including fentanyl, which can be “up to 50 times more potent than heroin,” the report said.

The commission said that joint U.S. and Mexican efforts – the two countries recently reached a new security agreement that entails greater cooperation to combat drug trafficking – could disrupt the flow of synthetic opioids across U.S. borders, “but real progress can come only by pairing illicit synthetic opioid supply disruption with decreasing the domestic U.S. demand for these drugs.”

“… Supply and demand are two sides of the same coin. Therefore, to reduce illegal supply, the United States must also reduce demand,” the report said.

“… The magnitude of this fast-moving problem and the unique challenges it presents will require a new and different national response across all levels of government and policy domains. Without a major shift in U.S. policy, more American sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, neighbors and friends will perish.”

Mexico News Daily