Thursday, April 28, 2022

Jordan’s restoration efforts push back on degrading land

By OMAR AKOUR and WANJOHI KABUKURU

FILE - A dam built in the 1960's by the Department of Antiquities, and the ancient Mudlim tunnel, both built to protect the area from flooding, in Petra, Jordan, Nov. 15, 2018. Efforts to restore damaged but once fertile land in Jordan's desert is sprouting hope for one of the world’s most water-scarce nations, as a land assessment report Wednesday, April 27, 2022 warns about the effects of degradation. 
(AP Photo/Laure Van Ruymbeke, file)


SABHA, Jordan (AP) — Efforts to restore damaged but once fertile land in Jordan’s desert are sprouting hope for one of the world’s most water-scarce nations, as a land assessment report Wednesday warned of the growing scale of global degradation.

Local organizations believe projects that reintroduce native plants and implement smart water harvesting systems will cushion the impacts of climate change and desertification, which are only set to worsen, according to the United Nations report.

The U.N. desertification agency says 40% of land globally is currently degraded, blaming unsustainable land and water management, poor agricultural practices, mining, urbanization and infrastructure development for the land’s deterioration.

Mira Haddad, from the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas said several other factors, including “overexploitation of vegetation cover, overgrazing, and...new land practices” as well as climate change are also contributing to land degradation in Jordan.

But environmentalists are already pursuing options to ward off further damage. One of the efforts, run by the Watershed and Development Initiative, is introducing four native plants to 10,000 acres (41 square kilometers) of desert in the Sabha reserve, roughly 56 miles (90 kilometers) east of the Jordanian capital Amman.

“We’re working on the water, we’re working on the green cover and we’re working also with the habitats of the creatures, from insects to animals and all living parts of that ecosystem,” Deyala Tarawneh, a WADI founding member, said. “The success rate of these plants is 85%, which is considered a very high percentage, and they only need to be watered once, which is also reducing the amount of water needed for the irrigation of the green areas.”

But despite the success of WADI’s planting initiative, land restoration in Jordan is still facing several challenges: the number of land unit areas available for restoration is lacking, and the willingness of local communities to leave the land for at least one or two rainy seasons without grazing is also hindering efforts, said ICARDA’s Haddad.

Jordan is one of several countries already grappling with the effects of degradation, with more than 2.3 billion people currently living in water-stressed countries, according to the U.N. report. It warned that more food supply disruptions, forced migration and greater pressure on species survival are also expected as climate change intensifies and poor land management practices continue. By 2030, it warns that 700 million people could be displaced by drought.

“The situation we have right now is unhealthy and certainly not acceptable,” Ibrahim Thiaw, the executive secretary of the U.N. desertification agency, told the Associated Press. “The more you degrade land the more you emit carbon and the more you contribute to climate change.”


 Filao trees form a curtain that protects the beginning of the Great Green Wall, planted to slow coastal erosion along the Atlantic Ocean, in Lompoul village near Kebemer, Senegal, Nov. 5, 2021. Efforts to restore damaged but once fertile land in Jordan's desert is sprouting hope for one of the world’s most water-scarce nations, as a land assessment report Wednesday, April 27, 2022 warns about the effects of degradation. Like Jordan, several other countries addressing their own land issues, from drought preparedness programs in Mexico, the USA and Brazil, to the 11-country Great Green Wall in Africa aimed at restoring 100 million hectares of degraded landscapes along the Sahel. 
(AP Photo/Leo Correa, file)

The report calls for financial support to bolster conservation and restoration in developing countries. It says the expansion of protected areas and conservation hotspots, better water management, smart agriculture, and the rewilding of biodiversity can be boosted by appropriate funding.

If these kinds of measures are implemented on a wider scale, the U.N. agency’s restoration scenario predicts reduced biodiversity loss and improved soil health, with the benefits particularly felt in North and Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America.

But it also notes that inaction would lead to 16 million square kilometers (6 million square miles) — nearly the size of the entire South American continent — of land degradation by 2050.

The report also recommends scaling up land rights for Indigenous peoples and local communities, urging farmers to draw on ample lessons about land restoration, crop adaptation and livestock from established customs and traditional knowledge.

“We welcome new allies to this battle, including economic actors who are increasingly interested in avoiding climate risk, but we must make clear that we will not be used for greenwashing,” José Gregorio Diaz Mirabal, the leader of the Congress of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin, said in a statement. “Partnering with Indigenous peoples requires embracing transformative change.”

The U.N.’s Thiaw agreed that support for restoration projects should be ramped up. He said addressing land degradation is “the cheapest solution to the climate crisis and biodiversity loss. It is possible to do it by 2050, which is just one generation.”

He added: “It does not require high tech nor a PhD to undertake. Land restoration is accessible and democratic.”

Several countries, like Jordan, are already addressing their own land issues, from drought preparedness programs in Mexico, the USA and Brazil, to the 11-country Great Green Wall in Africa aimed at restoring 100 million hectares (390,000 square miles) of degraded landscapes along the Sahel.

“Land restoration is a win for the environment, economy, society, and for biodiversity,” said Thiaw. “What we are calling for now is the acceleration of such programs.”

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Wanjohi Kabukuru reported from Mombasa, Kenya.

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Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about AP’s climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
CRIMINAL CAPITALI$M 
Lawmakers scrutinize McKinsey’s opioid, FDA consulting work


Bob Sterfels, Global Managing Partner, McKinsey & Company, testifies remotely at a House Oversight and Reform committee hearing on Wednesday, April 27, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Democrats vowed to continue investigating consulting giant McKinsey’s work with opioid drugmakers after a Wednesday hearing detailed how the firm had advised companies pushing painkillers as well as U.S. health regulators.

The hearing before a House committee is part of an ongoing probe into McKinsey’s role in the U.S. opioid crisis that has been linked to over 500,000 overdose deaths from both prescription pain medications and illicit drugs like fentanyl.

McKinsey’s top executive challenged some of the committee’s findings but said the company has overhauled how it does business and no longer works with opioid manufacturers, including OxyContin-maker Purdue Pharma.

“I’ve apologized for our work for Purdue and other opioid manufacturers and we fully recognize it fell short of our standards,” said Bob Sternfels in testimony before the House Oversight and Reform Committee. He said the company would continue

Last year the consulting powerhouse agreed to pay $600 million to settle lawsuits over its work advising opioid makers, though it admitted no wrongdoing.

Lawmakers questioned Sternfels for three hours about revelations that his company allowed consultants working for Purdue Pharma to simultaneously advise the Food and Drug Administration, the agency tasked with overseeing drug safety.

“McKinsey was advising both the fox and the hen-house — and getting paid by both,” said Chairwoman Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y. ”Clearly, McKinsey should not be setting strategy for both drug companies and the FDA.”

A preliminary report from the committee found 22 McKinsey consultants who worked for both the FDA and an opioid manufacturer over the span of a decade. The overlapping work included McKinsey staffers advising the FDA on overhauling its drug safety division, according to the committee’s review of thousands of company documents.

Meanwhile, McKinsey consultants recommended “cash prizes” and “unrivaled recognition” for top OxyContin sales reps to increase Purdue’s revenue, according to a 2013 strategy presentation released Wednesday.

Lawmakers heard conflicting accounts of whether McKinsey’s work helped Purdue avoid tighter FDA regulation.

Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, testifying remotely, said that her state’s own investigation into McKinsey uncovered emails recommending Purdue “band together” with other drugmakers in 2009 to “defend against strict treatment by the FDA.”

Sternfeld said McKinsey did not share FDA documents or intelligence with Purdue and said claims of information sharing were inaccurate.

He also testified that McKinsey was open with FDA about its pharmaceutical consulting work.

“We made very clear that we were working both with the industry and with opioids in particular,” Sternfeld said. FDA officials have previously stated they were aware of McKinsey’s pharmaceutical consulting.

Maloney and other Democrats repeatedly suggested McKinsey’s work may have violated federal contracting rules on disclosing potential conflicts of interest.

On Wednesday, Maloney introduced legislation that would bolster requirements for contractors to disclose potential conflicts. A bipartisan group of Senators previously introduced similar legislation in their chamber.

The committee’s Republicans spent most of their allotted time undercutting the relevance of the hearing, noting the vast majority of opioid overdoses are now caused by fentanyl and heroin, not prescription drugs. They urged tighter border security, noting nearly all illicit opioids enter the U.S. through the southern border.

“We have a new opioid crisis, folks, and it’s not from big pharma in the United States— it’s from the drug cartels who operate sites in Mexico,” said Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Florida.

House Democrats spotlighted several examples of McKinsey touting its FDA connections when soliciting consulting business from drugmakers. The company also submitted advice on dealing with the opioid epidemic to members of the Trump administration, according to the report. It’s unclear if the information had any effect on federal policy.

For decades, McKinsey has been the preeminent corporate consulting firm, advising many of the world’s biggest companies on strategy and operations. The company has also made inroads into government consulting, receiving nearly $1 billion in federal contracts.

The Oversight Committee scrutinized McKinsey’s work on three dozen FDA contracts worth more than $65 million, stretching from 2008 to 2021.

At a separate Senate hearing Tuesday, the head of FDA’s drug center told lawmakers McKinsey’s work dealt with “organizational design and did not entail involvement in product regulation.” The agency currently has no contracts with McKinsey, she noted, and no new awards are expected while Congress investigates the firm.

The House report did not conclude that McKinsey’s FDA consulting resulted in lighter regulation of OxyContin or any other opioids.

For years the FDA has attempted to discourage doctors from overprescribing the drugs, mainly by adding starker warnings to their labeling. Prescriptions have fallen from their peak in 2012, but mainly due to new prescribing limits imposed by state and local governments, insurers and hospital systems.

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AP Writer Geoff Mulvihill contributed to this story from Cherry Hill, N.J.
JAR JAR BOLSONARO
EXPLAINER: Brazil’s Bolsonaro, top court on collision course

By MAURICIO SAVARESE and DÉBORA ÁLVARES
Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro attends a meeting with parliamentarians at the Planalto Presidential Palace, in Brasilia, Brazil, Wednesday, April 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro is once again at odds with the country’s Supreme Court, pardoning a congressman who had just been convicted by high court justices for urging violence against one of them.

Justices may review the pardon, and the case threatens to become an institutional crisis as Bolsonaro is gearing up to seek a second term.

CONVICTION AND PARDON


In a nearly unanimous vote, Brazil’s top court on April 20 sentenced freshman lawmaker Daniel Silveira to almost nine years in prison for inciting physical attacks against Supreme Court justices — particularly Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who presides over a separate investigation into the dissemination of fake news that had already led to a conviction of Silveira.

“May the people enter the Supreme Court, grab Alexandre de Moraes by his collar, shake his egghead and throw him in a garbage can,” Silveira said in a broadcast on social media in February 2021.

The day after Silveira’s conviction, Bolsonaro issued a decree pardoning him, citing the right to free speech. Three opposition parties have challenged the decree, claiming Brazil’s constitution doesn’t allow pardons based on personal motives, such as protecting an ally.

Brazilian presidents traditionally issue year-end pardons based on studies by legal experts at the Justice Ministry. Those have been criticized for freeing corrupt politicians along with other people convicted of nonviolent crimes. But it’s almost unheard of to pardon a specific presidential ally in the way that U.S. leaders have sometimes done in cases such as those of Richard Nixon (by Gerald Ford), Marc Rich (by Bill Clinton) or Steve Bannon (by Donald Trump).

And Bolsonaro’s move was especially provocative, according to Francisco Caputo, a constitutional law expert and member of the national council of Brazil’s bar association. “The way this one was written, mentioning he was trying to correct the Supreme Court, is defiant. Bolsonaro’s decree says he had better understanding of the case than the country’s top court.”

A commission of Brazil’s bar association on Wednesday said that Bolsonaro’s pardon is unconstitutional as it is not in the public interest. The commission also said it was biased and lacking in morality.

WHY MIGHT THIS ESCALATE?

The far-right president has long accused court justices — most of whom were confirmed during past leftist administrations — of trying improperly to frustrate his policies, and he has tried to stir up public opposition to them.

He rallied nationwide demonstrations in September in which protesters shouting “Let’s invade!” pushed past police containment barriers at the Supreme Court, prompting justices to beef up their personal security.

Bolsonaro has been especially resentful of de Moraes, who will assume the presidency of the nation’s top electoral court later this year — overseeing the upcoming presidential election. Last September, he threatened to ignore rulings by the justice, though he never did so.

Four of the justices, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to avoid further inflaming tensions, said they worry Bolsonaro could incite more violent demonstrations against the judiciary if they annul his pardon of Silveira.

An annulment may be a possibility in a Brazilian system whose courts appear to be more willing to intervene in pardon decisions than U.S. judges are.

HOW ARE SUPREME COURT JUSTICES RESPONDING?

So far, the Supreme Court’s justices haven’t publicly challenged the legality of Bolsonaro’s pardon, though at least two have written that the pardon will be reviewed by the court, though no date for that has been set. One of them, Rosa Weber, ruled Monday that that Bolsonaro’s administration must provide justification for the pardon within 10 days.

The other, de Moraes, wrote in a document sent to Silveira’s defense team on Tuesday that the pardon, while wiping away his jail time, would not free him to run for another congressional term.

Further stoking tensions between the executive and the judiciary, Justice Luis Roberto Barroso said during an April 24 speech that the armed forces “are being directed to attack the (electoral) process and try to discredit it.” He was referring to military leaders who had publicly echoed Bolsonaro’s doubts about the reliability of Brazil’s voting system.

HOW IS BOLSONARO’S ADMINISTRATION REACTING?


Brazil’s Defense Ministry, which oversees the armed forces, issued a statement saying Barroso’s comments were “irresponsible and constitute a grave offense.”

The issue of the military’s role hangs over the conflict in part because Bolsonaro has often praised the 1964 coup that put Brazil under military control until 1985. Bolsonaro’s hard-core supporters frequently call on him to use a constitutional clause that lets presidents deploy the armed forces to enforce “law and order” alongside police and other agencies.

Some have suggested troops should be used against the court in some way, though experts overwhelmingly say that would be unconstitutional.

With elections set for October, Bolsonaro has frequently attacked the reliability of the electronic voting machines and claimed the race will be rigged unless there are printed receipts for voters, though experts say there’s no evidence for that. Brazil’s electoral authority oversees the electronic system, and includes some Supreme Court justices among its members.

Two of Bolsonaro’s Cabinet ministers as well as one close ally told the AP that the president has been privately discussing the possibility of invoking the constitutional clause to deploy the armed forces because of Supreme Court actions that have impeded or undermined his decisions, though it isn’t clear what exactly the purpose would be. Two of them said they have relayed that information to Supreme Court justices. All spoke on condition of anonymity because they aren’t authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

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Álvares reported from Brasilia.



The AP Interview: UN nuke chief wants Ukraine plant access

By DAVID KEYTON and CARA ANNA

1 of 6
Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi talks during an interview with Associated Press in Kyiv, Wednesday, April 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)


KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The International Atomic Energy Agency’s director-general says the level of safety at Europe’s largest nuclear plant, currently under Russian occupation in Ukraine, is like a “red light blinking” as his organization tries in vain to get access for work including repairs.

Rafael Grossi, in an interview with The Associated Press, turned the focus to the nuclear plant at Zaporizhzhia — a day after the 36th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster in 1986. That plant was also taken over by Russian forces.

Grossi said that the IAEA needs access to the Zaporizhzhia plant in southern Ukraine so its inspectors can, among other things, reestablish connections with the Vienna-based headquarters of the U.N. agency. And for that, both Russia and Ukraine need to help.

The plant requires repairs, “and all of this is not happening. So the situation as I have described it, and I would repeat it today, is not sustainable as it is,” Grossi said. “So this is a pending issue. This is a red light blinking.”

He spoke in an interview Wednesday, a day after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about the issue.

“Understandably, my Ukrainian counterparts do not want the IAEA inspectors to go to one of their own facilities under the authority of a third power,” Grossi said. “I had a long conversation about this with President Zelenskyy last night, and it’s something that will still require consultations. We are not there yet.”

The IAEA chief continues to press Russia’s government for access to the Zaporizhzhia plant.

“I don’t see movement in that direction as we speak,” he said. But he is meeting with the Russian side “soon.”

“There are two units that are active, in active operation, as you know, others that are in repairs or in cool down. And there are some activities, technical activities and also inspection activities that need to be performed,” Grossi said.



With 15 reactors and one of the largest nuclear power capacities in the world, the war has essentially turned parts of Ukraine into a nuclear minefield. Again and again since the invasion, nuclear experts have watched in alarm as Russian forces have come uncomfortably close to multiple nuclear plants in Ukraine.

A Chernobyl security worker told the AP that the Russians flew aircraft over the damaged reactor site and dug trenches in highly radioactive dirt.

On Monday, Russian cruise missiles flew over the Khmelnitsky nuclear plant in western Ukraine.

“There cannot be any military action in or around a nuclear power plant,” Grossi said, adding that he has appealed to Russia about this.

“This is unprecedented to have a war unfolding amidst one of the world’s largest nuclear infrastructures, which, of course, makes for a number of fragile or weak points that could be, of course, exploited wittingly or unwittingly,” he added.

“So this requires a lot of activity on our side and cooperation. Cooperation from the Russian side. Understanding from the Ukrainian side so that we can avoid an accident.”

On Iran, Grossi said his agency is still trying to clarify answers from Tehran on outstanding questions involving traces of human-made enriched uranium at three sites in the country. The Islamic Republic and the IAEA have been trying to resolve a series of issues between them since the collapse of Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers, including regaining access to footage from surveillance cameras at atomic sites in the country.

He also acknowledged Iran’s ability to enrich uranium since the deal’s collapse had expanded as it uses more-advanced centrifuges. Tehran recently moved a centrifuge workshop to its underground Natanz nuclear facility after a suspected Israeli attack.

“They are transferring the centrifuge producing capacity to a place where they feel they are more protected,” Grossi said.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, along with U.S. and European support for Ukraine in the conflict, have increased tensions between Russia and the West, but it’s “imperative for us to look for common denominators in spite of these difficulties,” he said.

He added: “We cannot afford to stop. We have to continue. It’s in the world’s interest, it’s in their own interest that the nuclear situation … is successful. I cannot imagine a geostrategic scenario where more nuclear weapons, proliferation, in the Middle East would help anybody or anything.”

Iran long has insisted its nuclear program is peaceful. However, U.S. intelligence agencies and the IAEA assess Tehran had an organized military nuclear program through 2003.

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Associated Press reporters Jon Gambrell in Lviv, and Oleksandr Stashevskyi in Kyiv, contributed to this report.

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Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
North Korean hackers stealing military tech, cybersecurity experts say


The hackers were able to break into servers belonging to an engineering firm in the energy and military sectors and install backdoor malware that allowed them to secretly steal data over several days, security officials said. File Photo by Andrew Wong/UPI | License Photo

SEOUL, April 27 (UPI) -- A North Korean-linked hacker group recently breached an engineering company with military ties, U.S. cybersecurity firm Symantec said Wednesday, in Pyongyang's latest cyberattack aimed at bolstering its weapons development program.

The hackers, known as Stonefly, have been in operation since at least 2009, but in recent years have narrowed their focus "solely to espionage operations against select, high-value targets," security experts with Symantec said in a blog post.

"Virtually all of the technologies it appears to be interested in have military as well as civilian uses and some could have applications in the development of advanced weaponry," the post said.

Stonefly's most recent known attack was in February against an engineering firm working in the energy and military sectors. The hackers were able to break into one of the firm's servers and install backdoor malware that allowed them to secretly steal data over several days.

"The group's capabilities and its narrow focus on acquiring sensitive information make it one of the most potent North Korean cyber threat actors operating today," Symantec said.

The warning comes on the heels of a $620 million cryptocurrency heist, the largest in history, by North Korea's Lazarus Group.

A trio of U.S. agencies warned last week that North Korea was stepping up cyberattacks on cryptocurrency and blockchain platforms as the secretive regime looks for ways to evade international sanctions.

Despite an economy that has grown even more isolated by the COVID-19 pandemic, North Korea is prioritizing its weapons program. Pyongyang has unleashed a flurry of missile launches since the beginning of the year and officials in Washington and Seoul have warned that a nuclear test may be on the horizon.

On Monday, North Korea held a military parade that displayed its latest intercontinental ballistic missiles while leader Kim Jong Un vowed to continue "developing the nuclear forces of our state at the fastest possible speed."
Democrats accuse Trump administration of improper $700M COVID-19 aid loan


The subcommittee said then-Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin approved the loan for the trucking company after a meeting with Defense Secretary Mark Esper. 
File Photo by Sarah Silbiger/UPI | License Photo

April 27 (UPI) -- The Trump administration improperly overruled career Defense Department officials' recommendations not to provide a $700 million loan to a trucking company as part of coronavirus relief in 2020, Democratic lawmakers said Wednesday.

The allegations came in a report released by Democrats on the House Select Committee on the Coronavirus Crisis, which was set up in April 2020 to oversee the use and dispersement of COVID-19 pandemic-related aid.

Congress passed the $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act to assist Americans and U.S. companies negatively impacted by the pandemic. Some $17 billion was designated for a program to provide loans to companies considered critical to national security. The largest chunk of funding from that program went to YRC Worldwide, which now goes by the name Yellow Corporation.

But the subcommittee overseeing the funding said it's uncovered evidence that the $700 million loan was pushed by political appointees with links to Yellow over the objections of career defense officials.

"Today's select subcommittee staff report reveals yet another example of the Trump administration disregarding their obligation to be responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars," said subcommittee Chairman Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C.

"Political appointees risked hundreds of millions of dollars in public funds against the recommendations of career DOD officials and in clear disregard of provisions of the CARES Act intended to protect national security and American taxpayers. The select subcommittee is committed to accountability for government officials and other unscrupulous actors who sought to use a public health crisis as an opportunity for political gain and personal profit."

The report says career defense officials recommended against granting the loan, saying Yellow had misrepresented how critical its services were to the Defense Department and had overcharged for its services. Officials said the services provided by Yellow could be replaced by another company.

There were also questions about Yellow's previous financial and legal troubles. The Justice Department had previously sued the company for overcharging the government and Yellow lost some $100 million in the year before the pandemic.

The subcommittee report said that when the Treasury Department -- which made the final approval on loans under the CARES Act -- caught wind that the Defense Department didn't plan to certify the loan to Yellow, former Secretary Steven Mnuchin's office set up a direct call with then-Defense Secretary Mark Esper.

According to the report, Esper overruled career defense officials and certified the loan was critical to national security.

Then-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows was instrumental in securing the loan for Yellow and was regularly in contact with representatives from the company, the report said. James P. Hoffa, head of the Teamsters union, which represents truckers employees by Yellow, was in direct with Trump about the loan, and some Democratic and Republican lawmakers appealed to Mnuchin to approve the loan
.

Others believed the loan was a mistake, including Rep. French Hill, R-Ark., a member of the Congressional Oversight Commission that also reviews use of COVID-19 aid.

"As I've previously said, the $700 million taxpayer-backed loan treasury made to Yellow, formerly YRC, was a mistake, and now the commission is focused on how we can prevent this from happening again," he said, according to The New York Times.

The report said there were a number of ties between Yellow, Apollo Global Management, which provided financial backing to the company, and the Trump administration -- Former Apollo CEO Darren Hawkins served on Trump's coronavirus economic task force and Trump nominated former Yellow CEO William Zollars to the U.S. Postal Service's board of governors.

In response to the report, Yellow accused the subcommittee of "baseless speculation and innuendo."

"Yellow strove hand-in-hand with senior union leadership to garner support for its loan application, and in fact received broad support from numerous members of Congress on both sides of the aisle who recognized Yellow's criticality and urged treasury to approve Yellow's application," company lawyer Marc Kasowitz said, according to The Washington Post.
Analysis says most U.S. workers need major pay increase to earn living wage

A LIVING WAGE BEGINS AT $20 PR HR

Restaurant workers and owners rally on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on February 8 to call for a federal government wage increase.
 UPI Photo/File | License Photo

April 27 (UPI) -- A health-related report that examines numerous issues for American families, such as wages and rising costs, said on Wednesday that economic security is out of reach for many people in the United States -- particularly women and women of color who are still at a fiscal disadvantage compared to men.

The assessment, the 2022 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps report, looks at a number of key issues facing working Americans and found that most need a pay increase of more than 70% before they can earn a living wage.

At worst, in some counties across the United States workers need a 229% pay increase to earn a living wage.


The 20-page report was created by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, which is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.


"The data reinforces what we've known for some time. People in both rural and urban communities face long-standing barriers, systemic barriers -- avoidable barriers -- that get in the way of groups of people and places in our country from being able to live long and well," Sheri Johnson, co-director of County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, told ABC News.

Wednesday's report said that researchers compiled data and offered guidance for leaders and communities to improve the lives and health of Americans. The data paint a picture of economic insecurity that's impacting the health of working Americans.

According to the analysis, an average living wage of $35.80 an hour is needed across all U.S. counties for a household with one adult and two children. That wage figure ranges from $29.81 per hour and rises to a high hourly rate of $65.45.


RELATED 
Democrats introduce $15 minimum wage bill


Wednesday's assessment said that the pay gap between men and women "is especially harmful to the health of working women responsible for covering basic needs and providing for those who depend on them." 
File Photo by Brian Kersey/UPI

Researchers found that working women and women of color are particularly affected by the disparities in pay.

"For decades, working women, particularly women of color, have navigated employment discrimination, been segregated into female-dominated sectors such as service, education and health care, and received less pay for equal work," the report states, adding that racial and gender discrimination are still constant factors at all stages of employment.

The COVID-19 outbreak, it said, compounded economic insecurity and worsened conditions for millions. Over the course of the pandemic, it found that women's participation in the workforce fell to a 30-year low.

RELATED Poll: Many in U.S. don't see link between racism, health outcomes

"The pandemic both revealed and worsened the burdens and barriers that women, people of color, and people with low incomes face," the authors said. "It also underscored that resources have not been distributed fairly within and across communities."

Although strides have been made over recent decades toward closing the wage gap between men and women, Wednesday's analysis said that women are still earning only about 80 cents for every dollar that men make.

A Hispanic woman, it said, would have to work roughly 300 more days to earn the average annual salary of $61,807 given to White male workers in the United States.



The pay gap, it explained, between men and women "is especially harmful to the health of working women responsible for covering basic needs and providing for those who depend on them."

The assessment also noted that working Americans continue to struggle with paying for child care. It found that a household with two children spends an average of 25% of its income on childcare -- more than three times the affordability benchmark of 7%.

Further, public schools are underfunded and education centers in half of all U.S. counties are operating on budget deficits.



Researchers said that about $3,000 more per student, per year is needed to support achievement of national average test scores.


"By recognizing how historic and current policies and systems create disadvantage, we can allocate resources where they are most needed so that economic inclusion, good health, and prosperity are shared by all," the authors said.

"This report is a call to action to strengthen relationships across sectors to advance economic security and health for everyone."
Poll: A third of U.S. college students consider withdrawing due to stress

April 27 (UPI) -- Emotional stress is forcing a large number of college students to consider taking a break.

A third of all college students in the United States considered withdrawing from their studies in the past six months, according to a Lumina Foundation and Gallup poll released Wednesday.

Some 32% of bachelor's degree candidates reported considering withdrawing for at least a semester. And 41% of associate degree students considered taking a break in the past six months, according to the State of Higher Education 2022 Report.



RELATED Survey: 1 in 3 college freshmen deals with depression, anxiety

Still, most students in the study still see college as valuable.

"Those who had stopped out or had never enrolled are still reporting that they think an education beyond high school is a pathway to a better job and a better life," said Stephanie Marken, executive director of education research at Gallup.

Emotional stress caused by COVID-19, the cost of tuition and difficult coursework were the three most-reported reasons students considered taking a break.


"Mental health crises have been popping up on campuses across the country for several years, pre-pandemic, but COVID-19 really exacerbated these issues for students," Marken said.

Colleges are adding mental health counseling to existing academic help. Virtual classes, which became a quick necessity during the pandemic, make education accessible to those students who need a break. And many schools are offering de-stressing activities to reduce anxiety before midterm and final exams.

At Illinois Central College, students can enjoy massage chairs, oxygen bars and some arcade games. The University of Houston's stress-free finals include Lego building and ice cream. And at Kellogg Community College in Michigan, students smash electronics during Stress Busters Week.



Other colleges offer days off to color, ride tricycles or play with puppies.

A Washington State University study in 2021 found dogs are a big help for stressed students. Students reported feeling less anxiety after petting therapy dogs than they did after taking stress management courses.

"Dogs are such a great, happy distraction from our troubles. I think they bring you out of your head," Amy Hrin, national director of special projects at American Human, said at the time. "And when you think about this particular population -- students who are away from home -- and here they can have this chance to give and receive affection with this warm, friendly animal. If you can't have a hug from Mom right now, this is the next best thing."
Minneapolis police engaged in pattern of racial discrimination, report finds


Protestors and local residents gather at the George Floyd Memorial in 2021, while on Wednesday, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights published a report that found Minneapolis Police repeatedly engaged in a pattern of racial discrimination. 

Photo by Jemal Countess/UPI | License Photo

April 27 (UPI) -- Minneapolis police engaged "in a pattern or practice of race discrimination," according to a report issued by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights on Wednesday.

The report found the Minneapolis Police Department violated the state's Human Rights Act, repeating a pattern that saw officers use higher rates of more severe force against Black community members than White community members in similar circumstances.

The pattern was caused by an organizational culture, including flawed training, deficient accountability systems, and an overall lack of collective action by the city and police department leadership, according to the report.

Training emphasized "a paramilitary approach to policing," said state human rights commissioner Rebecca Lucero, who co-authored the report.

The Department of Human Rights launched the investigation in June 2020 following the death of George Floyd to look at "a pattern or practice of race discrimination" within the city's police force.
 

Lucero said Wednesday that Black residents in Minneapolis represented around 78% of all police searches between 2017 and 2020 but represent about 19% of the city's population of approximately 420,000 people.

The human rights department will work with the city to develop a consent decree, a court-enforceable agreement that identifies specific changes to be made to the police department and timelines for those changes to occur.

It will then work to identify what should be included in the decree to address the racial discrimination.



"We will work with the city to develop a consent decree and engage with community members, police officers and other stakeholders," the department said on Twitter after releasing the report.

"We have a hell of a lot of work to do as a city. We have a hell of a lot of work to do in this nation," Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey told reporters Wednesday afternoon.

"I found the contents to be repugnant, at times horrific. They made me sick to my stomach and outraged and I think that our community feels the same way."

The report was issued the same day lawyers for former police officer Derek Chauvin asked an appeals court to overturn his conviction. Chauvin was found guilty a little more than a year ago of killing Floyd.

The City of Minneapolis announced a $27 million settlement with Floyd's family in March 2021.


Demonstrators hold a sign in Los Angeles on June 14 for Breonna Taylor, a black woman who was shot by police in her home while she was sleeping.
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CRIMINAL CAPITALI$M
US indicts Archegos founder Hwang for fraud,market manipulation

2022/4/27
© Agence France-Presse

New York (AFP) - US authorities on Wednesday arrested Archegos founder Bill Hwang and charged him with securities fraud and market manipulation following the fund's spectacular implosion last year that cost large banks billions of dollars.

The family-owned hedge fund run by Hwang had taken huge bets on a few stocks with money borrowed from banks, and when several of those bets turned sour, the fund was unable to meet "margin calls" to cover the losses.

The 2021 collapse of the fund sent shockwaves through financial markets and caused $10 billion in losses for Credit Suisse, Nomura, Morgan Stanley and other leading financial institutions.

Hwang and Patrick Halligan, chief financial officer of Archegos, were both arrested by the FBI early Wednesday.

"Their alleged crimes jeopardized not only their own company but also innocent investors and financial institutions around the world," Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco told reporters.

Both men pled "not guilty" in court appearances, said attorneys for Hwang and Halligan.

A searing 59-page indictment said Hwang and Halligan used the firm "as an instrument of market manipulation and fraud, with far-reaching consequences for other participants in the United States securities markets," according to the indictment.

Hwang and other conspirators, including head trader William Tomita, sought to defraud investors by convincing them that shares in the fund's portfolio were on the rise when in fact the stock price increases "were the artificial product of Hwang's manipulative trading and deceptive conduct that caused others to trade," the indictment said.

They also repeatedly made "false and misleading statements" to convince others to trade with and extend credit to the firm.
Inflating share prices

The fund used derivatives to take large stakes in top Chinese names such as Baidu Inc, Tencent Music Entertainment Group and Vipshop Holding, plus US giants such as ViacomCBS and Discovery.

The plan initially worked and the fund tripled in size in just a year, while Hwang's personal fortune soared to $35 billion from just $1.5 billion and turned him and the firm into "significant economic forces in the United States securities markets," the filing said.

The US financial markets regulator, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), also charged Hwang, Halligan, Tomita and Chief Risk Officer Scott Becker for their roles in the scheme.

The move to inflate share prices caused the firm to expand rapidly, "increasing in value from approximately $1.5 billion with $10 billion in exposure in March 2020 to a value of more than $36 billion with $160 billion in exposure at its peak in March 2021," the SEC said in a statement.

Both Becker and Tomita also pled guilty to criminal charges, according to a Justice Department press release that said both men were cooperating with the government.

Hwang studied in the United States and went to work for Tiger Management, rising to form his own Tiger Asia Management. In 2012, Hwang paid $44 million to settle with the SEC over an insider trading case and shuttered the firm.

U.S. charges investors with deceitful Wall Street scam to make billions

Stock traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street in New York City on April 25.
 Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo

April 27 (UPI) -- Federal regulators said on Wednesday that it's charged a Wall Street investors with securities and wire fraud in a racketeering conspiracy that they say included lying to other Wall Street firms.

The Securities and Exchange Commission said the charges were filed against Archegos Capital owner Bill Hwang and Chief Financial Officer Patrick Halligan.

Prosecutors say Hwang used his personal finances to manipulate markets and commit fraud in a scheme that increased his wealth from about $1.5 billion to more than $35 billion.

"Hwang purchased on margin billions of dollars of total return swaps," the SEC said in a statement. "These security-based swaps allow investors to take on huge positions in equity securities of companies by posting limited funds up front.

Also indicted were Archegos head trader William Tomita and Chief Risk Officer Scott Becker.

SEC Chair Gary Gensler said the case underscores the importance of updating the security-based swaps market to enhance the investor protections, integrity and transparency.

"As alleged, Hwang frequently entered into certain of these swaps without any economic purpose other than to artificially and dramatically drive up the prices of the various companies' securities, which induced other investors to purchase those securities at inflated prices."

Prosecutors say Archegos deliberately misled parties about the firm's exposure, concentration and liquidity to get increased trading capacity so Archegos could continue buying swaps and driving up prices.

The scheme unraveled last year when prices declined in Archegos' most concentrated positions, which drew sizable margin calls that overwhelmed Hwang. The result was billions of dollars in credit losses.

"Hwang and Archegos propped up a $36 billion house of cards by engaging in a constant cycle of manipulative trading, lying to banks to obtain additional capacity, and then using that capacity to engage in still more manipulative trading," Gurbir Grewal, director of the SEC Division of Enforcement, said in a statement.

"But the house of cards could only be sustained if that cycle of deceptive trading, lies and buying power continued uninterrupted, and once Archegos's buying power was exhausted and stock prices fell, the entire structure collapsed."