Groups Urge Biden to Invoke Defense Production Act to Counter Putin, Accelerate Green Transition

"A renewable energy future," the groups wrote, "is a peaceful and ultimately more prosperous one."

An employee with Ipsun Solar installs solar panels on the roof of the Peace Lutheran Church in Alexandria, Virginia on May 17, 2021. 

(Photo: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

ANDREA GERMANOS

COMMON DREAMS

March 9, 2022

A coalition of over 200 groups on Wednesday called on President Joe Biden to leverage his authority under the Defense Production Act to simultaneously "produce alternatives to fossil fuels, fight the climate emergency, combat Putin's stranglehold on the world's energy economy, and support the transition to a renewable and just economy."

"With one fell swoop, you would reduce energy costs and move the world away from fossil fuel markets that are all too easily manipulated by bad actors."

The demand was delivered in a letter to Biden—signed by groups including the Center for Biological Diversity, Global Witness, and Stand.earth—and follows the administration's move Tuesday to ban U.S. imports of Russian fossil fuels in response to Russia's ongoing military attack on Ukraine.

The groups thank Biden for that immediate ban and say it must be followed not by "short-sighted policies" like ramping up domestic drilling, as the U.S. fossil fuel lobby and industry supporters like Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) have called for, because that would worsen the climate emergency and "deepen our dependence on fuels that lead to global instability."

"Oil and gas constitute 40% of Russia's national revenue, meaning Russian exports of oil and gas are literally funding this invasion," the letter states.

Ramping up fossil fuel extraction and use would also worsen the climate crisis, the groups note, referencing the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report released last week showing that "natural and human systems" are being driven "beyond their ability to adapt."

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What is needed instead, the letter states, is a massive surge in the deployment of renewable energy.

Biden can lead that effort by utilizing the Defense Production Act (DPA), with specific actions on three fronts, all of which should center communities most impacted by the current fossil fueled-based system. The letter calls on the president to:

Rapidly scale up production, manufacturing, and deployment of renewable energy technologies, heat pumps, storage, and weatherization technologies here and abroad. These green technologies can be exported to Ukraine, the rest of Europe, and the Global South to help wean them off of their dependence on Russian fossil fuels. And they should be simultaneously deployed across the United States to jumpstart the renewable energy revolution and prioritize construction in climate-vulnerable communities. With one fell swoop, you would reduce energy costs and move the world away from fossil fuel markets that are all too easily manipulated by bad actors.
Create millions of long-term, high-paying domestic jobs and position the U.S. to be a global leader in showcasing the economic benefits of the just and renewable energy transition. Investments by the federal government can create high-quality, family-supporting jobs; and build worker power by including high-road labor standards.
Accelerate the transition to zero-emission public transportation, alternatives to car based transportation and related infrastructure domestically, and deploy it nationwide, prioritizing communities who are most vulnerable to the climate emergency. These steps will reduce the burden of higher gas prices at the pump for U.S. residents.

"A renewable energy future," the groups wrote, "is a peaceful and ultimately more prosperous one."

Climate advocates have previously linked Russia's military attack on Ukraine with reliance on fossil fuels.

American author and climate activist Bill McKibben, for example, wrote last month in his newsletter The Crucial Years that "it is a war underwritten by oil and gas" and urged Biden to invoke the DPA to produce "electric heat pumps in quantity, so we can ship them to Europe where they can be installed in time to dramatically lessen Putin's power. "

Fridays for Future youth activists also took to the streets of cities across the globe last week to #StandWithUkraine and heed a call from the Ukrainian arm of the global climate movement.

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In a series of tweets last Thursday, the day of the demonstrations, the global group called this "an eye-opening moment for humanity to see that the world is aflame with new and old wars caused by fossil fuels."

"We want to call out the era of fossil fuel, capitalism, and imperialism that allows these systemic oppressions," they said. "We demand a world where leaders prioritize #PeopleNotProfit."

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Flames fans relentlessly boo Alex Ovechkin on historic night

Thomas Williams

·Writer

Wed., March 9, 2022, 

Alex Ovechkin hit a substantial milestone on Tuesday night, but it was slightly dwarfed by some fans in Calgary.

Ovechkin tied hockey great Jaromir Jagr for third on the NHL's all-time goals list but the Russian Washington Capitals star was treated to a parade of boos and jeers from Flames fans at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

The taunting continued throughout the game, and especially whenever his name was mentioned by the PA announcer.

While it is normal to heckle an opposing player, this is steeped in the fact that Ovechkin has faced some heat amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine for his close ties to Russian president Vladimir Putin. Ovechkin has been called out by the hockey world, including by goaltending legend Dominik Hasek, who referred to the 36-year-old as a “chicken sh–” when Ovechkin took an on-the-fence stance on the attack.

Prior to the game against the Flames, the Capitals released a statement about the situation overseas.

In addition to condemning Russia’s attack on Ukraine and expressing hope for a peaceful resolution, the Capitals added their support for Russians in their organization.

“The Capitals also stand in full support of our Russian players and their families overseas,” the statement read. “We realize they are being put in a difficult situation and stand by to offer our assistance to them and their families.”

Flames fans were booing Alex Ovechkin all night on Tuesday. (Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports)

In Calgary, the Flames projected a massive Ukrainian flag on their ice during a game against the Montreal Canadiens last week, while the Ukrainian national anthem was performed prior to Monday's Battle of Alberta.

Ovechkin scored twice on Tuesday as his Capitals came back from a 2-0 deficit to earn a 5-4 win over the Flames. With 36 goals this season, Ovechkin now sits with 766 in his career, just 35 behind Gordie Howe for second place all-time.

Washington plays in Alberta again on Wednesday, giving Edmonton Oilers fans a chance to join in on the boos.

THIS APPLIES TO ALBERTA TOO

'Naive. Reckless. Irresponsible': Ontario doctors question decision to lift province's mask mandate as BA.2 variant rises

Elisabetta Bianchini

Wed., March 9, 2022, 

As of March 21, the mandatory masking requirement in Ontario will be removed for most settings, including schools.

Exceptions to the change in the provincial masking mandate includes public transit, healthcare settings, long-term care homes and high-risk congregate settings.

"It is now a choice not a mandate," Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario's chief medical officer of health, said at a press conference on Wednesday.

"Removing the mask mandate does not mean the risk is gone, COVID-19 transmission is still occurring across the province and masks can help protect you, and others, from becoming infected with COVID-19."

Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario's chief medical officer of health

"In fact, we can expect indicators such as cases and hospitalizations to increase slightly as [Ontarians] increasingly interact with one another. However, thanks to our high vaccination rates and natural immunity that is developing, as well as the arrival of other therapeutics and antivirals, Ontario has the tools necessary to manage the impact of this virus."

Dr. Moore added that for individuals most vulnerable to the virus, including older Ontarians and people with a chronic illness, it is still "strongly recommended" that they continue to wear a mask.

Ontario's chief medical officer of health stressed that the public should be "considerate and kind" to those who choose to wear a mask, adding that, personally, he will not be wearing a mask in outdoor settings and will be doing a personal "risk assessment" for "high-risk" indoor settings.

"If I go to the Eaton Centre, I'll wear my mask, if I'm on the subway it will be mandated, and/or a public bus or streetcar," he said. "If I go to a busy, busy box store, I'll put my mask on in those settings."

"You have to recognize, you can't mandate masking forever. It has to be, eventually, an individual choice based on an individual's risk assessment, and we're at that point, by March 21."

As of March 21, schools and childcare providers will no longer be required to conduct on-site screening for all children, students and staff, but any individuals in these settings should stay home if experiencing worsening symptoms. Ontario is also eliminating the cohorting and distancing requirements.

"In alignment with community masking requirement, masks will no long be required of children, students and staff, or visitors in childcare, schools, school board offices, and/or student transportation," Dr. Moore confirmed. "Should individuals chose or are required to continue to wear a mask at school or childcare, I would ask that we respect and be supportive of these decisions."

Changes to isolation rules

Ontario's chief medical officer of heath added that while, previously, everyone in a household with someone who was sick or tested positive for COVID-19 had to stay home, household members who are fully vaccinated, including a booster dose for adults, now do not have to stay home.

"These household members still need to wear a mask outside the house and avoid vulnerable people in high-risk settings, like long-term care homes, for 10 days, but they can continue to go into work and/or school, as long as they’re asymptomatic," Dr. Moore said.

"For those non-household members who have been in close contact with someone with COVID-19, you are no longer required to self-isolate, regardless of your vaccination status. You do have to self-monitor for 10 days, wear a mask when outside the house, avoid activities where mask removal would be necessary and avoid vulnerable individuals in high-risk settings, like hospitals."

Symptomatic individuals do have isolate right away and get test, if they have access to a PCR test or rapid antigen test.

Several people in Ontario, including health experts, took to social media to comments on the removal of the provincial masking mandatory masking requirement.

Korean Ukrainian actor Pasha Lee, 33, dies from Russian shelling after joining war defense

Ryan General

 

23 hours ago NEXTSHARK

• Actor-turned-soldier Pasha Lee was killed from a shelling attack by Russian forces in Ukraine’s city of Irpin on Sunday.
• Lee, who worked as an actor, singer, TV host and composer, joined the Ukrainian army after Russia’s invasion began on Feb. 24.
• Colleagues and fans have taken to social media to mourn Lee’s death.

Pasha Lee, a 33-year-old Ukrainian actor of Korean descent, died on Sunday while defending his home country.

Lee joined the army after Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24. He was killed from a shelling attack by Russian forces in Ukraine’s city of Irpin.

Before Russia’s invasion less than two weeks ago, Lee worked as an actor, singer, TV host and composer. 

Serhiy Tomilenko, the president of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine, shared news of Lee’s death on Facebook.

The Odesa International Film Festival (OIFF) celebrated his legacy by listing his acting roles in various films such as “Shadows of Unforgotten Ancestors,” “The Fight Rules” and “Meeting of Classmates,” among others.

“We call on the world community to help Ukraine in the fight against Russia and stop the war,” wrote the OIFF. “We urge you to close the sky over Ukraine immediately and continue to boycott Russian cinema.” 

Lee was also known for his voice work, most notably in the Ukrainian dubbings of “The Hobbit” film series and the 2019 live-action remake of “The Lion King.”

Fellow colleagues and fans have taken to social media to mourn Lee’s death.

Ukrainian actor Anastasiya Kasilova, who co-starred with Lee in the TV show “Provincial,” wrote on Facebook that Lee “is an actor, TV presenter, my colleague and a good acquaintance… Never forgive!”

Meanwhile, Ivana Chubbuck, an American acting coach who worked with Lee during her last workshop in Ukraine, and Vlad Davidzon, the founding editor of Ukrainian magazine The Odessa Review, also posted about Lee.

The current conflict between Russia and Ukraine has claimed the lives of more than 351 civilians since Feb. 24. 

Featured Image via @pashaleeofficial

TWO YEARS AGO

California Passed Bill to Make Ethnic Studies a Requirement for High School Students

Ryan General

September 3, 2020

A new California bill headed to Governor Gavin Newsom is set to make ethnic studies a graduation requirement for high school students in the state.

Assembly Bill 331: Should the governor sign the landmark bill, California would become the first state to require that all high school students pass a one-semester ethnic studies course, SF Chronicle reports.  

• Legislature passed the bill on August 31, which marks the last day of the legislative session.
• In passing AB331, a Senate committee voted 33 to 4 without much discussion, according to EdSource.
  
• Sen. Andreas Borgeas (R-Fresno), who supported the ethnic studies and voted for the bill, raised the question of whether the legislature should mandate additional graduation requirements for those who might consider vocational studies.
  
• Completing an ethnic studies course would satisfy one of the English or social studies course requirements for graduation.
• Student groups GENup, Diversify Our Narrative, and March for Our Lives California, created a petition to rally support for the bill.
• The petition states: “Our education system owes it to us to equip us with the tools to adequately navigate these systems, yet our history courses largely focus on the highlights of European and American history, disregarding the negative impacts of the European experience and misinforming us on how the U.S. government harmed and discriminated against marginalized groups.”
• The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) California believes it is “essential for students to learn about the origins of various ethnic groups and our transnational linkages.”
• The curriculum will reportedly study history, culture, politics, contributions and prejudices.
• On August 17, Newsom signed another bill requiring ethnic studies for California State University graduates into law.

One slight change: The bill’s primary author, Assemblyman Jose Medina (D-Riverside) needed one amendment to be accepted by several others before it was sent to the final vote.

• Medina’s amendment pushes the start date for the inclusion of ethnic studies to the 2029-30 year, instead of the original plan offering the course in the 2025-26 year.
• This should give schools and districts “plenty of time to prepare for a smooth implementation,” such as giving the state more time to provide funding for the new courses, according to the assemblyman.
• Another amendment was pushed to give the governing board of a school district or charter school authority to adopt a “locally developed” ethnic studies course instead of a statewide model ethnic studies curriculum that is being developed.
• The proposal essentially gives power to some districts to adopt a course that may deviate attention from the model curriculum’s focus on the four minority groups traditionally covered by ethnic studies courses: African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans and Native Americans.

Los Angeles Unified, adopted an ethnic studies graduation requirement on its own last week, while Fresno Unified adopted a two-semester ethnic studies requirement a month ago. Other districts are expected to also establish an earlier timetable in adopting the requirement.

Featured Image via Official GDC (CC BY 2.0)

AMERICAN FASCISM

Furthering Attacks on Trans Kids and Abortion Rights, GOP Targets Those Who Leave State for Care

New proposals would criminalize parents of transgender youths in Idaho who leave the state for gender-affirming care and women in Missouri who travel to obtain abortions.

Thousands of New Yorkers took to the streets of Manhattan on June 27, 2021 to participate on the Reclaim Pride Coalition's third annual Queer Liberation March, where no police, politicians or corporations were allowed to participate. 

(Photo: Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images)

JULIA CONLEY

COMMON DREAMS

March 9, 2022

Republican-led state legislatures are intensifying attacks on transgender and reproductive rights by trying to bar people from leaving their home states to receive gender-affirming healthcare and abortion care, as lawmakers in Idaho and Missouri have proposed in recent days.

In Idaho on Tuesday, the state House passed a bill that would make providing gender-affirming care to transgender youths a felony—punishable by life in prison. It also includes a provision making it a crime for parents or guardians to permit their child to travel out of state for treatment.

"Denying someone medically-necessary healthcare simply because you don't approve of who they are is textbook discrimination."

The bill, H.B. 675, easily passed in a 55-13 vote, with just one Republican joining all the Democrats in rejecting the measure. The measure will now move to the state Senate and may be signed into law by Gov. Brad Little, a Republican, if it passes.

The legislation passed as more than 300 anti-LGBTQ+ bills are making their way through state legislatures, targeting transgender youths' right to play on sports teams that correspond to their gender rather than sex assigned at birth and to access healthcare, teachers' rights to discuss LGBTQ-related topics at school, and other rights.

According to state Rep. Lauren Necochea, a Democrat who spoke out against the bill on the House floor, multiple transgender children in Idaho have made suicide attempts since H.B. 675 was introduced.

"Our transgender youth are so incredibly courageous, and I know how stressful it has been for transgender youth and their families as they've watched this bill move through this body," Necochea said. "An Idaho doctor has had to assist three transgender youth related to their suicide attempts since this bill has been introduced. We need to trust those parents and providers to make these deeply personal decisions."

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's directive calling on the state Department of Family and Protective Services to investigate the families of transgender youths who obtain treatment has pushed Texas Children's Hospital, the largest pediatric hospital in the U.S., to halt gender-affirming care for minors.

According to The Washington Post, more Texas parents of transgender children are now "looking to get treatment out of state—or move altogether."

If parents in Idaho make similar attempts, they could be found guilty of a felony.

Chase Strangio, deputy director for transgender justice at the ACLU, called the proposal "deadly."

"These bills do nothing to invest and protect Idaho youth and families and Idahoans deserve better," said Strangio. "Criminalizing healthcare for transgender adolescents is counter to science, medicine, and ethics and we stand ready to fight any attack on transgender youth and their families."

Major national medical associations including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association support gender-affirming care for youths. As Human Rights Campaign state legislative director and senior counsel Cathryn Oakley said in a statement Tuesday, new research has found that such treatment "reduces the risk of moderate or severe depression by 60% and suicidal thoughts by 73%" in transgender young people.

"Every kid in Idaho deserves the chance to grow up feeling safe and respected for who they are," said Oakley. "Denying someone medically-necessary healthcare simply because you don't approve of who they are is textbook discrimination."


As H.B. 675 moves through the Idaho state Senate, at least one Republican lawmaker in Missouri is attempting to bar pregnant people from leaving the state to obtain abortion care, as thousands of residents have since Gov. Mike Parson signed a bill banning abortions after eight weeks of pregnancy in 2019.

That law has since been enjoined amid litigation, but it includes provisions banning the procedure at 14, 18, and 20 weeks in case earlier bans are struck down.

Since the law was signed, a Planned Parenthood clinic at the Missouri-Illinois border has reported that at least 10,644 Missouri residents have received care there.

The new proposal, which GOP state Rep. Mary Elizabeth Coleman is adding to several abortion-related bills ahead of debates in the legislature, would allow private citizens to sue anyone who helps a person obtain an abortion out of state.

Coleman's proposal is "more proof that it's not about abortion, it's about controlling people who can become pregnant," said reproductive rights advocate Justine Sandoval.


"They are putting bounties on the heads of women," said political consultant Fred Wellman. "That's what this is."

NOT FOR ARACHNOPHOBES

A spider as big as the palm of your 

hand could soon invade the East Coast, 

scientists say

Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY

Tue, March 8, 2022, 

If you haven't met the colorful, massive Joro spider yet, you may soon be introduced to the invasive species if you live on the East Coast, scientists predict.

The predominately yellow spider, which can get as big as the palm of your hand, was first spotted in Georgia in 2013. Originating from Asia, there is no clear answer for how it made it into the United States other than it likely came in a shipping container. But in nearly 10 years, the species has rapidly spread across Georgia and other parts of the Southeast.

Now, scientists from the University of Georgia say in a study published in the journal Physiological Entomology the Joro spider could take over much of the East Coast in the coming years.

“People should try to learn to live with them," Andy Davis, research scientist at Georgia's Odum School of Ecology and co-author of the study, said in a statement. "If they’re literally in your way, I can see taking a web down and moving them to the side, but they’re just going to be back next year."

The joro spider, a native of Asia, has become a common sight in neighborhoods in Athens and across Northeast Georgia.

Scientists came to their conclusion by comparing the Joro spider to its relative, the golden silk spider. Known as the "banana spider," the golden silk spider hails from the tropical regions of Central and South America, but made its way into the southeast U.S. around 150 years ago and similarly took over the region, making it the "perfect experiment" to use for comparison.

But as much as the golden silk spider population has grown, it has yet to expand into the North because the spider is susceptible to the cold. The scientists collected the two species and measured numerous physical traits as well as how they adapted to different environmental conditions, including brief periods of temperatures below freezing.

The results showed Joro spiders, compared to their relative, had a metabolism twice as high, a 77% higher heart rate in low temperatures and they survived 74% of the time in the temperatures below freezing, while the golden silk spider survival rate was only 50%. Scientists also noticed the species does well in Japan, with some regions that have climates similar to the Northeast.

"While we should not draw sweeping conclusions from this comparison of just two species, it is at least clear that the Joro spider has a physiology that is more suited to a cooler environment than its congener," the study reads.

Unhappy Meal: A customer's McDonald's chicken and bacon wrap came with a side of spider

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Davis also noted humans play a factor in how far the species could spread, as they can hitch rides on vehicles and in containers. He said he heard reports of someone "accidentally" transporting a Joro spider to Oklahoma.

The size of the spider may frighten people, but experts say they shouldn't worry. They are poisonous, but they don't bite humans unless they are cornered. Plus, their fangs don't penetrate human skin.

University of Georgia entomologist Nancy Hinkle told USA TODAY in September that Joro spiders also serve as "pest control," feeding on insects like mosquitoes, flies and stink bugs. Birds also feed on the spiders, but the official impact on the Southeast and its species has yet to be determined.

So if you do eventually run into a Joro spider, let them be, says Benjamin Frick, a graduate student in the Integrative Conservation and Sustainability program at the University of Georgia and study co-author.

"There’s really no reason to go around actively squishing them," Frick said. "Humans are at the root of their invasion. Don’t blame the Joro spider."

Contributing: Jay Cannon, USA TODAY; Wayne Ford, Athens Banner-Herald

Follow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter: @jordan_mendoza5.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Giant, invasive Joro spider could soon be throughout the East Coast