The Army Is Preparing for the End of Nationwide Abortion Rights as Senators Press to Keep Access



Rebecca Kheel
Thu, May 12, 2022

The Army is weighing new policies in response to the Supreme Court's expected decision to reverse Roe v. Wade and eliminate protections on abortion rights across the country, the service's senior enlisted leader told Congress on Thursday.

Sergeant Major of the Army Michael Grinston's testimony to the House came the same day that eight Senate Democrats separately pressed the Pentagon to ensure female troops will continue to be able to access abortion services if the high court acts on Roe.

News outlet Politico on May 2 published a draft ruling that the Supreme Court's five-judge conservative majority had been working on earlier this year, setting the stage for an expected decision later this summer to overturn the precedent-setting case from 1973 that has kept abortion rights the law of the land for decades.

"The answer is yes, we are drafting policies to ensure we take care of our soldiers in an appropriate way," Grinston told a House Appropriations Committee subpanel. "There are drafts if it were to be overturned, but that would be a decision for the secretary of the Army to decide the policy."

Grinston did not provide any more details about what the draft policy could entail, but pledged to keep lawmakers apprised of the drafting process.

"We do not want to disadvantage anyone in our force -- men, women -- or alienate anyone that is eligible to serve in the military," Grinston added when asked how overturning Roe could affect recruitment of women. "We'll continue to recruit as best as we can with the policies that we have."

Separate from the hearing, eight Senate Democrats, led by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., on Thursday penned a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin urging him to ensure female troops "have the ability to continue accessing safe reproductive health care no matter where in the nation their military service sends them." The letter comes a day after Senate Democrats failed to advance a bill to codify Roe after all Republicans and Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., voted against it.

Up to 26 states could ban abortion after Roe is overturned, including 13 that have so-called trigger laws to immediately end abortion after a Supreme Court ruling, according to the pro-abortion rights Guttmacher Institute.

Military doctors are already barred from performing abortions under most circumstances because of a law that bans federal funding from being used, with exceptions for when the mother's life is at risk. That means servicewomen must go off base to get abortions.

Experts and advocates have been warning that overturning Roe could be particularly hard on female troops, who cannot choose where they are stationed, because those based in states that ban abortion will have to ask for leave from their commanders to travel out of state.

"Women in the military already have a higher rate of unintended pregnancies than civilian women," Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., said at Thursday's hearing. "For those female soldiers in states with restrictive abortion laws, their options for safe abortions may be completely erased if Roe v. Wade is overturned."

Despite Grinston's comments Thursday, officials at the Defense Department level have sidestepped questions about post-Roe policies, saying the ruling isn't final yet.

"The health and well-being of our men and women are paramount concerns of department leadership, and we certainly want to make sure that whoever they are and wherever they are that they know that we're serious about that pledge," Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby told reporters the day after the draft opinion leaked, while adding he's "just not going to entertain" questions specifically about a ruling that's not official yet.

But in their letter Thursday, the eight Senate Democrats argued that "we cannot wait to act" until after the court's final decision.

The senators argued that, "at a minimum," the Defense Department should make it easier for service members to take leave if they need to travel out of state for reproductive health care.

They said a decision by the court to reverse Roe would strip hundreds of thousands of troops, dependents and DoD civilians of access to reproductive health care and create a "scenario where service members' reproductive and healthcare rights would become dependent on their duty station."

"A soldier at Fort Drum would retain their personal autonomy while a soldier at Fort Hood would not," they wrote. "This outcome would violate the trust servicemembers place in the Armed Forces when they swear an oath to defend the Constitution."

-- Rebecca Kheel can be reached at Rebecca.Kheel@Military.com. Follow her on Twitter @reporterkheel.

US Military Risks a Decline in Female Troops Under Roe Rollback

Members of Congress, including Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-New York), Rep. Jackie Speier (D-California), Rep. Barbara Lee (D-California) and others join a pro-choice rally in front of the U.S. Supreme Court as the justices hear hear arguments in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health, a case about a Mississippi law that bans most abortions after 15 weeks, on Dec. 1, 2021 in Washington, D.C. (Chip Somodevilla/Tribune News Service)

7 May 2022

Bloomberg News | By Roxana Tiron

U.S. troops could see their access to abortion severely curtailed if the Supreme Court overturns its landmark ruling on reproductive rights, potentially hurting military recruitment and the retention of women.

As employees of the federal government, doctors on military bases are already banned from performing abortions so female troops — and the female spouses of troops — must seek out the procedure on their own. That would become much more difficult if the Supreme Court overturns the precedent set in its Roe v. Wade ruling almost five decades ago, as a leaked draft ruling indicates it’s likely to do.

At least 26 states probably would place restrictions on abortion laws, including Texas, Florida and other southern states that have many of the nation’s military bases, according to Sean Timmons, a managing partner at Tulley Rinckey who specializes in military law.

The potential impact on recruitment and retention would come as the military is already struggling to find qualified troops. Women make up almost 20% of the 1.3 million-member active-duty force.

“It places an undue burden on women serving in the military because they are going to have to go through extraordinary lengths to seek fair access to reproductive health care, which they wouldn’t be facing if they hadn’t joined the military, for example, and then been stationed in a state that has very restrictive access,” said Rachel VanLandingham, an associate professor at Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles who specializes in national security law.

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But Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, disputed the idea that new limits on abortions could affect women’s willingness to serve.

“I have seen nothing from the Department of Defense that has led me to believe that access to abortion is a factor in recruiting and retention one way or another,” Inhofe said in a statement.

Defense Department spokesman John Kirby declined to directly address the abortion issue when questioned this week. But he said “the health and well-being of our men and women are paramount concerns of department leadership,” and “we are serious about making sure they have the information, the tools that they need to make the most informed decisions for their own personal health and well-being.”

“Of course we cannot be an effective military without the brave women who serve inside the military, and who serve in the civilian ranks,” he told reporters.

Military medical facilities aren’t allowed to perform abortions — and the cost of the procedure in private facilities isn’t covered by the military’s Tricare health insurance — because of the Hyde Amendment of 1976, which prohibits the use of federal dollars for abortions unless the life of the mother is at risk.

Women can ask to be discharged from the military if they are pregnant, according to Timmons.

To get an abortion out of state, women in the military would have to ask for approved leave from their commanders, and probably have to disclose the reason. “It could well lead to additional hostile work environment, harassment, obnoxious behavior from colleagues if they know why the absence is necessitated,” Timmons said.

Asking for leave also can put women at a disadvantage on performance evaluations — especially if they are based overseas in places where abortion is banned — because they’d be asking for special treatment to take the leave, said VanLandingham, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel.

“It adds to the burden the women already shoulder by being in the minority in the military within a still very much male culture,” she said.

The vast majority — 95% — of all women serving in the military are of reproductive age, according to Defense Department estimates. The Pentagon provides health care to more than 1.5 million women of reproductive age, including servicewomen on active duty, in the guard and reserves, as well their dependents, according a statement by Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., who have championed women’s health care in the military.

Studies have also shown that women in the military have a 50% higher rate of unplanned pregnancy than the general population, according to the lawmakers.

Despite incremental increases in the population of military women over the past 15 years, female service members are 28% more likely to separate from service than their male active-duty counterparts, according to a Government Accountability Office report in 2020. Family planning, sexual assault, and dependent care were some of the issues listed as influencing women’s decisions to leave the military, according to the GAO.

Because Congress isn’t likely to scuttle the Hyde Amendment any time soon, VanLandingham, the law professor, urged the Pentagon and the Biden administration to change internal policies and attitudes to let troops know “that we will take care of you, we will help seek access to reproductive health care, and to overcome these additional burdens.”

Democratic Senators Urge 

Defense Secretary To Protect Abortion Rights For Service Members

Sanjana Karanth

Thu, May 12, 2022, 

A group of Democratic senators sent a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Thursday urging him to proactively implement measures protecting abortion rights for service members in the event that the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade.

In the letter, senators led by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) brought up a recently leaked Supreme Court draft opinion in which conservative justices voted to overturn the 1973 landmark decision that guaranteed a person’s right to an abortion at the federal level.

The senators warned that hundreds of thousands of troops, dependents and Defense Department civilians stationed in states with abortion bans would lose access to reproductive health care and potentially face criminal prosecution if the Supreme Court’s final opinion is similar to the leaked draft.

“As the leader of our military services, it falls upon you to preserve the health and welfare of our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and guardians,” the senators wrote. “With our country facing the likely rollback of personal rights, what are you and your staff doing in preparation to protect the health and welfare of those under your command? What steps will you take to assist service members in need of an abortion?”

The senators advised Austin to “at a minimum” consider policy changes that would allow service members to obtain “special liberty or permissive temporary additional duty permissions in order to travel out of state for reproductive health care and abortions” if they are stationed in a jurisdiction that restricts those rights.

“A soldier at Fort Drum would retain their personal autonomy while a soldier at Fort Hood would not. A service member raped by their supervisor in Mississippi, Kentucky, or Oklahoma would not be permitted to obtain an abortion in those states,” the senators wrote. “In places like Missouri, legislators have sought to ban abortions even for ectopic pregnancies, leaving a service member or their dependent facing a choice of death or criminal activity.”

“This outcome would violate the trust service members place in the Armed Forces when they swear an oath to defend the Constitution,” they continued.

In addition to Gillibrand, the letter was signed by Sens. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) and Angus King (I-Maine). Gillibrand has a years-long history of pushing the Defense Department to better protect service members in the event of sexual assault.

A spokesperson for the Defense Department did not immediately return HuffPost’s request for comment on the letter.

The letter came a day after Republicans again blocked the Senate from advancing the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would have codified Roe v. Wade.

Fauci calls 1 million COVID deaths ‘incredibly tragic’: ‘Many of those deaths were avoidable’



Caroline Vakil
Thu, May 12, 2022

Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, said in an interview on Thursday that the COVID-19 death toll of 1 million people in the U.S. is “incredibly tragic” and added that “many of those deaths were avoidable.”

“I mean, the idea of 1 million deaths in an outbreak, that is historic in nature. We have had nothing like this in well over 104 years. One of the parts about it that adds to the tragedy is that many of those deaths were avoidable, avoidable if people had been vaccinated,” Fauci told Amna Nawaz of PBS.

“It’s estimated that, if people had been vaccinated to a much greater extent right now, that vaccines would have avoided at least a quarter of those deaths, namely about 250,000.” TRUMP DEATH TOLL

Fauci urged Americans not to let their guard down, reiterating a previous warning that the United States could see a surge in COVID-19 cases between the fall and winter.

“There is a threat and a likelihood that we’ll see a surge as we get into the fall and the winter. So we’ve got to be prepared. And we’ve got to be prepared with vaccinations, with boosters, with optimizing the therapy,” he said.

Asked what more the Biden administration could be doing to combat the pandemic, President Biden’s top medical adviser said officials were continuing to urge those who have not already been vaccinated to get the shots, and as well as working to make COVID-19 treatments more widely available in an effort to protect against serious disease.

The interview comes as Congress remains stalled over COVID-19 funding the White House warns is much needed to keep up with vaccinations and boosters, among other necessities.

If Congress cannot come to a deal, the U.S. could face risks such as shortages of tests, vaccines and COVID-19 treatments, in addition to an inability to fund new potential breakthrough treatments.

Fauci reiterated the need for Congress to pass new COVID-19 funding during his interview.

“First of all, we won’t have enough antivirals. We won’t be able to develop newer and better antivirals. We won’t be able to have a booster for everyone, and we will not be able to get the best possible boosters,” he said, outlining how the U.S. could be impacted without proper pandemic funding.

“We have studies right now that are lined up to try and figure out what the most appropriate booster will be for the fourth shot that likely people will need as we get into the fall. If we don’t get the resources that we asked for, we’re not going to be able to do that,” he added.

Anyone home? ‘Doorway’ on Mars spawns alien conspiracy theories

Sarah Knapton
Thu, May 12, 2022, 

Grainy image shows what appears to be a carved-out doorway on the side of the rock face on Mars - NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/SWNS

At first glance, it looks as if a doorway has been carefully carved into a rock face on Mars.

The grainy image, taken by the mast-mounted camera on Nasa’s Curiosity rover on May 7 this year, appears to show an opening with an arched lintel leading to a passageway with smooth walls.

Conspiracy theorists have seized upon the snap as evidence for life on the Red Planet, but scientists were quick to point out that the surrounding geology gives a clear picture of how the formation arose - and unsurprisingly it does not require Martian architects.

A large fissure to the left of the doorway demonstrates rock-cracking events frequently occur in the region, while a boulder in the foreground appears to have fallen from the opening.

Sanjeev Gupta, a professor of earth science at Imperial College London, one of the scientists of Nasa's Curiosity rover mission, said the hole was formed through “normal geological processes”.

A large fissure to the left of the doorway demonstrates rock-cracking events frequently occur in the region - NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/SWNS

“The boulder likely just got eroded off a hillslope and tumbled down,” he said. “It does not require a meteorite strike.

“The crack is a fracture and they are abundant on Mars and Earth - no need for marsquakes to produce them.

“There is nothing at all strange in the image - these are just normal geological processes.”

It is not the first time that images from Mars have sparked theories that civilisations may have inhabited the planet.

In 1977, Nasa’s Viking 1 spacecraft photographed what appeared to be a face, staring up from the surface, leading to claims that Martians may have constructed monuments like the Sphinx.

When Nasa’s Mars Global Surveyor flew over the area 11 years later, snapping images 10 times sharper than the original Viking shots, the “face” was found to be a shapeless rock formation. The original facial features had been caused by shadows.
Human brains programmed to find meaning in images

In May 2015, Curiosity photographed a pyramid about the size of a small car, which some people speculated may be the capstone of a larger, buried megalith.

But at the time, Nasa pointed out that the rock was similar to angular volcanic rocks found in Hawaii or Iceland.

Humans brains are programmed to find significance in random images, a psychological phenomenon known as pareidolia.

Facial pareidolia, which is particularly strong, would have helped our ancestors to spot predators in dense undergrowth or in the dark.

It is likely to be the reason why people believed they had spotted a yeti on Mars Gusev crater, in pictures taken by Nasa’s Spirit rover in 2008. A rock which resembled an iguana was also spotted in 2013.

Scientists believe that life may once have existed on Mars, but would struggle today due to the lack of atmosphere. Nasa and the European Space Agency (ESA) have plans to drill down into the surface in the hope of finding fossilised remains of alien lifeforms.

TAX THE RICH EARN A SURPLUS
California Sees Record $97.5 Billion Surplus, Driven by the Rich


Romy Varghese
Fri, May 13, 2022



(Bloomberg) -- California Governor Gavin Newsom said Friday that his state has a record $97.5 billion operating surplus, as high tax rates on its wealthiest residents mean he has more cash to fund liberal priorities such as education and health care.

The surplus is bigger than the entire 2020 spending of any other state except New York and Texas. Of that windfall, lawmakers can tap $49.2 billion for any purpose. That figure surpasses the staggering $38 billion that they had at their disposal during the previous budget season, then considered the biggest.

The surplus is “simply without precedent,” Newsom, a first-term Democrat up for re-election this year, said as he unveiled a $227.4 billion budget for the next fiscal year beginning in July.

While billionaires such as Elon Musk have derided California’s high taxes as they decamped to low-tax states such as Texas, the progressive tax system rakes in more revenue when income rises for its wealthiest residents. That group has reaped the benefits of rising stock prices and stable employment even as many lower-income workers lost their jobs in the pandemic. For capital gains realizations alone, California expects to collect a record $291 billion for 2021, budget documents show.

“It’s a sign of how well a number of people are doing in this economy,” Newsom said. “I’m proud of California’s progressive tax system and we’re the beneficiaries of that.”

This lopsided tax structure, in which the top 1% of earners pay nearly half of personal income-tax collections, also means revenue could plummet severely in an economic downturn. Indeed, capital gains as a share of the personal income collections are at levels last seen shortly before the dot-com bust.

Newsom said he is “deeply mindful” of prospects of a slowdown. More than 90% of the surplus would go to one-time spending items, he said. Reserves, including constitutionally mandated deposits, total $37.1 billion. Newsom also proposes paying off $3.5 billion of bonds early -- an idea pitched by Wall Street -- and using cash instead of selling debt to finance some capital projects.

Newsom’s spending plan also allocates billions of dollars to providing checks to residents to offset rising costs, subsidizing health care and fortifying the state’s energy grid and responses to climate change.

In what Newsom called the biggest inflation package in the country, the state would send $400 refunds to personal car and truck owners, with a maximum of $800 for up to two cars. Legislators have proposed broader taxpayer relief based on income.

Asked about the potential of his surplus spending causing inflation to spike even more, Newsom said he didn’t think there would be a “significant impact.” The governor said offsetting costs for residents is “wise and noble, and it’s something I think that should be celebrated and not criticized.”

While Democrats have a supermajority in both legislative chambers, their priorities have at times diverged from Newsom’s. Lawmakers last month declined to act on the governor’s request to delay an annual inflation-indexed fuel tax increase set for June, saying they saw “pitfalls” in the temporary move.

Some of Newsom’s proposals are “encouraging,” said Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins and Senator Nancy Skinner, chair of the budget committee, in a joint statement. “Others, as happens every year, will require more discussion and negotiation.”

Lawmakers have to approve a budget by June 15 or forgo pay.

Newsom’s spending plans include:

$11.5 billion to every eligible registered vehicle owner, capped at two $400 checks per individual


$2.7 billion for emergency rental assistance


$2 billion for affordable housing production


$1.4 billion for overdue utility bills


$933 million for hospital and nursing home staff


$750 million for free public transit


$125 million to bolster access to reproductive health services

Embattled Orpea Gets $1.8 Billion Financing as Debt Looms

Albertina Torsoli
Fri, May 13, 2022



(Bloomberg) -- Orpea SA, the embattled retirement-home operator at the heart of a scandal in France, secured 1.73 billion euros ($1.8 billion) of financing from banks as the company faces increasing costs and debt maturities.

The company aims to sell 3 billion euros of assets by end of 2025 to reduce debt, Orpea said in a statement Friday. It won’t pay a dividend this year because of the expenses it faces to overhaul its operations in the wake of the scandal, in which it was accused of stinting on care for the elderly to boost profits. The stock slumped as much as 7.9%, only to reverse losses and gain as much as 4%.

The financing agreement, with banks including BNP Paribas SA, Credit Agricole SA and Societe Generale SA, includes a commitment to maintain at least 300 million euros of cash on hand. The syndicated facility is a response to “the current period of uncertainty,” access to financial markets that’s been closed off and a slowdown in the originally planned asset disposal program, it said. The average interest rate on the facility is higher than the company’s current cost of funding of 2.2%.

Orpea has “major financing challenges” due to investments amounting to about 900 million euros a year for the development of its real-estate portfolio in 2022 and 2023, the company said. It has 850 million euros of debt maturing in the second half of this year and 983 million euros in 2023. Orpea is setting up another “optional” syndicated facility for up to 1.5 billion euros, it said.

The company was thrust into the spotlight at end of January, when a book called “The Gravediggers” singled out its top managers for putting profits ahead of patient welfare, rationing items like food and adult diapers. Orpea shares have since lost about 60% of their value, and a string of government representatives -- including President Emmanuel Macron -- expressed shock and disgust over the revelations.

France to Bolster Nursing-Home Oversight After Orpea Scandal

A review into the allegations commissioned by Orpea pointed to chronic under-staffing and mishandling of public funds. France’s government in March filed a legal complaint, saying it wants Orpea to return millions of euros that it believes were misused.

Prosecutors last month expanded an investigation into the company following a referral by the government. The probe is looking into allegations of falsification of records and violation of labor rules through the abusive use of short-term contracts, according to prosecutors.

Orpea said Friday that net income slumped 59% last year to 65.2 million euros, with debt standing at 7.89 billion euros as of Dec. 31, up by 1.23 billion euros versus the previous year due to a “sustained” property development and acquisition strategy. Last year’s net income result includes 83 million euros of provisions for liabilities and charges linked to risks for the 2017-2021 period following investigations commissioned by the government, Orpea said.

“We remain pessimistic,” Yi Zhong, analyst at Alphavalue, wrote in a note to clients. “The ESG crisis weighed on Orpea’s FY21 results and its occupancy rate in France. The group has signed a sort of ‘emergency’ financing at nearly-doubled cost, showing a worrying liquidity outlook.” She sees the stock sinking another 39% over the next six months.

First-quarter sales climbed 9%, Orpea said. That’s in line with expectations, according to Jefferies International Ltd. analyst James Vane-Tempest. The company held a conference call with analysts at 2 p.m. Paris time to discuss the publication and denied access to reporters. Earnings calls typically are open to journalists. Orpea, which says it’s making efforts to bolster its transparency, declined to comment on the lack of media access.

The company expects operating profitability will be hurt this year by inflation, notably higher energy costs and salaries in certain countries. It’s also bracing for expenses related to the management of the scandal and its consequences.

The company plans a “major” overhaul, primarily in France, focused on the quality of care and well-being of residents, the strengthening of dialog with stakeholders, an improved human resources policy, stronger internal controls and promotion of its whistle-blowing policy for employees, it said.

DOJ warns AI hiring and productivity tools can violate anti-discrimination law

Jon Fingas
·Reporter
Fri, May 13, 2022,


Federal agencies are the latest to alert companies to potential bias in AI recruiting tools. As the AP notes, the Justice Department and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) have warned employers that AI hiring and productivity systems can violate the Americans with Disabilities Act. These technologies might discriminate against people with disabilities by unfairly ruling out job candidates, applying incorrect performance monitoring, asking for illegal sensitive info or limiting pay raises and promotions.

Accordingly, the government bodies have released documents (DOJ, EEOC) outlining the ADA's requirements and offering help to improve the fairness of workplace AI systems. Businesses should ensure their AI allows for reasonable accommodations.They should also consider how any of their automated tools might affect people with various disabilities.

There's no guarantee companies will follow the advice. However, it comes amid mounting pressure on companies to temper their uses of AI for recruiting and worker tracking. California recently enacted a productivity quota law banning algorithms that violate health, labor and safety regulations, or lead to firings of people who can't meet dangerous quotas. New York City, meanwhile, now requires that AI hiring systems pass yearly audits looking for discrimination. Companies that don't heed the new warnings could face serious legal repercussions at multiple levels.

Harvard Paid Endowment Chief Narvekar $6.24 Million in 2020

Janet Lorin
Fri, May 13, 2022


(Bloomberg) -- N.P. “Narv” Narvekar, the head of Harvard University’s endowment, was paid $6.24 million in 2020, little-changed from the year before.

Narvekar received about $1 million in base salary, according to the school’s federal tax filing. He had about another $5.2 million in deferred compensation, Harvard said.

Since taking over in December 2016, Narvekar has revamped the endowment -- which at $53 billion is the largest in US higher education -- by unloading underperforming assets. He also changed the investment team’s compensation, tying it to long-term returns and overall portfolio returns.

The endowment’s performance has recently lagged behind peers. The fund gained 34% in the year through June 2021, a period when many colleges benefited from the surge in stocks. That ranked it seventh out of eight Ivy League schools. Harvard’s 10-year return of 9.2% is the lowest among the group.

Narvekar’s 2020 pay differs from what’s in Harvard’s tax filing because some of his payments are deferred and will appear in future years, according to the school.

In 2019, Narvekar, chief executive officer of Harvard Management Co., the entity that runs the endowment, had total compensation was $6.25 million.

The importance of college endowments has been underscored as the pandemic led to a financial crisis in US higher education. Universities lost revenue as they were forced to close and refund room and board fees. At the same time, schools incurred additional costs for Covid-19 testing and other social-distancing measures.

Bill Gates Sells $940 Million of CN Rail Stock, Trimming Stake to 9%

Scott Carpenter
Fri, May 13, 2022


(Bloomberg) -- Bill Gates sold about $940 million of Canadian National Railway Co. shares, trimming one of the largest holdings of the investment firm that controls his $117 billion personal fortune.

Cascade Investment unloaded roughly 12% of its shares in the Montreal-based company from April 27 to May 12, leaving it with a stake of about 9% or $6.8 billion, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing.

Cascade has been reducing its ownership of the Canadian railway since at least May 2021, when it still owned roughly 13% of the company. One of Cascade’s investment managers, Justin Howell, has served on Canadian National’s board since last year.

Canadian National shares have slid 7.3% this year after rising steadily from pandemic-era lows in March 2020.

Kirkland, Washington-based Cascade also owns a $14.1 billion stake in Republic Services Inc., a waste-management company, as well as $9.7 billion of Deere & Co. stock. Cascade’s largest holding is thought to be $26.9 billion worth of shares in Microsoft Corp., the software company Gates founded. Gates stopped reporting his Microsoft shares in 2020 after stepping down from its board.

Gates, 66, the world’s fourth-richest person according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, recently got into a spat with Elon Musk after he accused Gates of damaging his environmental credibility by shorting Tesla Inc. In an interview with the BBC this month, Gates appeared to acknowledge that he had indeed shorted shares of the electric-vehicle maker, saying that he was merely diversifying his investments.

Gates’s former wife, Melinda French Gates, 57, received stock of companies including Canadian National, Deere and AutoNation Inc. from Cascade after the couple announced a divorce last year. She’s since sold a large portion of the railway holding, including $467 million of shares in December.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust also sold $180 million worth of Canadian National shares since late April, reducing its stake to less than 2%, according to the filing.

Wolves, witches and rapping Ukrainians compete for Eurovision title




Alexandria SAGE
Fri, May 13, 2022


Will it be Norway's banana-eating wolves, France's coven of witches or Britain's space man?

Or maybe a Greek with a death wish, a slinky Lithuanian chanteuse with a jet-black bowl cut or a Serbian germaphobe?

The line-up for Saturday's grand finale of the Eurovision Song Contest is typically outlandish, but with the roars of war on the continent's eastern front, a hiphop lullaby from Ukraine is the song to beat.

Riding a wave of public support following Russia's invasion, Kalush Orchestra's tribute to the motherland is the bookmakers' favourite to triumph at the world's biggest live music event, watched by tens of millions of people.

Kitschy and quirky, Eurovision embraces the eccentric and the contest's 66th edition held in Italy's northwestern city of Turin is no exception, with its national competitors exemplifying the contest's central charm -- anything goes.

That's good news for Norway, whose Subwoolfer performs "Give that Wolf a Banana" dressed in cartoonish yellow wolf masks with long white fangs and France's Alvan & Ahez, whose "Fulenn" sung in Breton celebrates nocturnal dancing with the devil.

And not to be outdone is Serbia's Konstrakta, who scrubs her hands onstage while reflecting on Meghan Markle's well-hydrated hair in a subtle critique of national healthcare in "In Corpore Sano".

- Back at the front -

The joy of Eurovision is in the camp and the clowning, although the nearly three-month war in Ukraine hangs heavily over festivities.

The European Broadcasting Union, which organises the event, banned Russia on February 25, the day after Moscow invaded its neighbour.

Ukraine's Kalush Orchestra is heavily tipped for victory amid an outpouring of empathy in Europe for the country's plight -- as well as genuine appreciation for their unique song, "Stefania".

Written before the war, the song mixes traditional Ukrainian folk music with an invigorating hiphop beat and nostalgic lyrics recalling the motherland.

The band has pulled off a crowd-pleasing cultural mashup with the sound of obscure flute-like folk instruments and the sight of embroidered ethnic dress onstage added to breakdancing and rapping.

Representing Ukraine at Eurovision while loved ones suffer back home has been tough, frontman Oleh Psiuk told AFP.

"We have one band member who joined the territorial defence of Kyiv on the third day of the war," and who remains at the front, Psiuk said.

"We are very worried about him, and we hope to see him safe once we are back."

- Stratospheric singing -

Other more sober offerings include Greece's "Die Together" by Amanda Georgiadi Tenfjord and "Brividi" (Shivers), a duet from Italy's Mahmood and Blanco.

Italy hopes the gay-themed love song will bring it a second consecutive Eurovision win after last year's "Zitti e Buoni" (Shut up and Behave) from high-octane glam rockers Maneskin, who will perform at Saturday's finale.

After a quarter century of being shut out from the top spot, Britain hopes it has found a winner in "Space Man", whose stratospherically high notes belted by the affable, long-haired Sam Ryder has made it a serious contender.

On the fashion front, Lithuania's Monika Liu has generated as much social media buzz for her bowl cut hairdo as her sensual and elegant "Sentimentai".

Meanwhile, Sheldon Riley of Australia -- one of Eurovision's few non-European entries -- has sung his personal self-affirmation ballad "Not the Same" through a sparkling face veil laden with crystals.

And since no Eurovision is complete without a smattering of gyrating and undulating bodies onstage, Spain's Chanel comes to the rescue with "SloMo" and its memorable "booty hypnotic" refrain.

Votes for Eurovision's winner are cast by music industry professionals and the public from each country, with votes for one's home nation not allowed.

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Eurovision Song Contest 2022 - Grand Final - Full Show - Live Stream - Turin

 

Eurovision final: With Russia excluded, Ukraine wins the political contest

Sabrina HAESSLER 

Italy will host the final of the 66th Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday evening with one country notably absent: Russia was excluded from the competition in February following its invasion of Ukraine. Despite the competition organisers' insistence that the contest is a non-political event, the conflict in Europe looks set to dominate the public vote. 

© Marco Bertorello, AFP

Bets are already being placed on the results of the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest final, happening on May 14 in Turin, Italy. Sweden and last year's winners Italy are among the bookmaker’s favourites, with both countries entering soaring love ballads that typically go down well in the competition. Another favourite to win is Ukraine, represented by a less traditional front-runner: folk-rap group Kalush Orchestra.

Ukraine’s status among the favourites is undeniably linked to the war being waged in its territory by Russia. Since Russian troops entered Ukraine on February 24, Russia has faced international sanctions and been banned from competing in sports competitions around the world. The day after the invasion, The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which owns the right to Eurovision, announced that Russia would be banned from the 2022 contest.

“In light of the unprecedented crisis in Ukraine, the inclusion of a Russian entry in this year’s Contest would bring the competition into disrepute,” the EBU said in a statement.

Songs are frequently rejected from the Eurovision Song Contest for being too political, but it is rare to see a country disqualified for its political stance. The last time this happened was almost 30 years ago, in 1993. Following sanctions from the United Nations, Yugoslavia, led by Slobodan Milosevic, was banned from Eurovision at the height of the Yugoslav wars.

‘The one and only thing to do’

The decision to ban Russia this year was not controversial among fans. “Most fans thought that it was the one and only thing to do,” Simon Bennett, President of OGAE International, a Eurovision fan group with national committees in 43 countries, said. ”No one was happy about [the ban] at all, but most people thought it wouldn’t be appropriate for Russia to compete.”

The EBU also reached a consensus on Russia quickly, said Eurovision historian, Dean Vuletic. “Pressure came from within the EBU, especially from the Nordic countries, who threatened to not participate if Russia was allowed to stay,” he explained. “And it was more important for the Eurovision to have Sweden than Russia.”

Sweden is one of the Eurovision’s most prolific winners, having won the competition six times, most famously in 1974 with ABBA’s 'Waterloo'.

The exclusion of Russia this year is the cumulation of years of tensions with Ukraine that have played out on the Eurovision stage. In 2014, Russia was not officially excluded from the event following its annexation of Crimea, but was obstructed by Ukraine in years to come.

The next time Ukraine competed in the contest after the annexation was in 2016, when it was represented by Jamala, a singer of Crimean Tatar origin. Her song '1944', which memorialised the historical deportation of her people from the Crimea, went on to win the competition.

As winners, Ukraine hosted the competition the following year and tensions with Russia increased. Ukrainian organisers refused to let Russia’s entry, disabled singer Yulia Samoilova, into the country on the basis that she had performed in Crimea since the annexation and had therefore breached Ukrainian law. Russia refused to send another performer or to participate remotely, meaning a de facto exclusion from the final.

Tensions between the two countries were visible in previous Eurovision contests too. “It started much earlier, with the Orange Revolution,” said Vuletic. In 2004-5 a presidential election which was widely believed to be rigged in favour of pro-Russian candidate Viktor Yanukovych sparked protests in Ukraine. “One of the spokespeople [for the revolution] was the singer Ruslana,” said Vuletic. That same year, Ruslana won the 2004 Eurovision final with her song 'Wild Dances'.

By the time the contest was held in Ukraine the following year, Ukraine had a pro-European president, Viktor Yushchenko, who attended the event to award the winner and extol European values. Ruslana went on to become an MP and was heavily involved in Ukraine’s 2014 Maidan Revolution, protesting a government decision not to sign a political association and free trade agreement with the European Union.

‘The definition of soft power’

Despite the EBU’s best efforts, it seems countries are willing to use the Eurovision Song Contest for political purposes. “The motives are similar in sport and Eurovision,” Lukas Aubin, a specialist in Russia and geopolitics in sport, explained. “These events are a way for countries to highlight their national identity, construct a narrative and improve their image. It’s the definition of soft power.”

Ukraine is not the only country to do this. “Russia has been instrumentalising the Eurovision Song Contest for a long time, investing lots of money in participating, producing very lavish entries, with expensive stage effects,” said Vuletic. In 2009 Russia spent more than any previous host country when it hosted the Eurovision final in Moscow. Since then, only Azerbaijan has spent more.

In 2022, Russian authorities have taken a more critical stance on the Eurovision and its LBGT values in particular, indicating a change in attitude. “The contest is very popular in Russia and in former Soviet countries,” said Aubin. “But the authorities in Russia are opportunistic and want to participate in the Eurovision to show their best side. Then as soon as they are criticised or excluded, they play the victim and criticise the contest.”

When Ukraine won the content with Jamala in 2016, “it was seen as an insult in Moscow”, Aubin said. This year, exclusion from the contest fits neatly into a Russian narrative that the West is hostile to Russia. Ultimately, “the Eurovision is seen as a weapon of Western soft power”, Aubin said. As such, Russia’s relationship with the West defines its attitude towards the Eurovision.

‘In favour of Ukraine’

Meanwhile Ukraine continues to use the contest to construct its own image on the international stage. It’s entry this year is a mix of rap and traditional Ukrainian music entitled 'Stefania'. “The song was created before the war, but in the context, it has taken on a patriotic turn,” said Vuletic.

In the song, the lyrics are addressed to a mother. The group sings, “I will always find my path towards home, even if all the roads are destroyed.” It is difficult to avoid pairing the words with the images of destruction that have come from Ukraine in recent months.

At the same time, Ukrainian authorities have emphasised that the members of the group have been given special authorisation to travel to Italy for the contest, while other Ukrainian men in their age group have been banned from leaving the country, in case they are needed for the war effort.

For many, it will be impossible to separate Ukraine’s Eurovision performance from the context of the war.

“The public televote will probably be overwhelmingly in favour of Ukraine to show support,” said Bennett. Public voting will open after the acts have performed in Saturday’s final, but half of all points are given by a professional jury, which are harder to predict. Especially as the Ukrainian entry is not a typical Eurovision crowd pleaser. “If it was a normal year, we wouldn’t be talking about Ukraine winning,” Bennett said.

Win or not, the group is expected to perform well when their moment comes at the final in Turin. The event is typically watched by more than 200 million people in over 30 countries each year. As such, “Ukraine doesn’t have to win the Eurovision Song Contest to win over Russia here,” said Vuletic. “It won the day Russia was banned.”

This article was translated from the original in French.

‘I will not wear the burqa’: Some Afghan women defy Taliban edict

The Taliban earlier this month issued a decree urging women to stay home and ordering those who have to go out to cover their faces with a burqa. But a few brave Afghan women have vowed to defy the restrictive edict.

© FRANCE 24 screengrab

A day after the Taliban issued a decree on May 7 ordering women to fully cover their faces in public – ideally with the burqa – a group of women took to the streets of Kabul to protest the edict.

One of the women at the protest, who declined to be identified for security reasons, said the Taliban did not let them continue the demonstration.

"They insult us. We can't even reply because they have guns and their fingers are always on the trigger. They don't care that we are women, they don't value women. I am not just defending my own rights, but the rights of all women in Afghanistan," she said.

The decree from Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada also said that if women had no important work outside then it was "better they stay at home", and outlined punishments for their male guardians if they did not comply with the new dress code.


Video: Afghan women protest decree to cover faces (AFP)

It was a major blow for women’s rights in Afghanistan, following two decades of relative freedom while US-led troops were stationed in the country.

"When you wear this, you can't even breathe. Even if they threaten to hang me, I will not wear the burqa," said another woman.

The decree was issued by the ministry for the promotion of virtue and suppression of vice, a department opened after the August 2021 Taliban takeover of Afghanistan following a chaotic US military exit. On the exterior walls of the ministry, a banner urges Afghan women to wear the proper Islamic veil.

"The proper Islamic dress covers from head to toe, including the face. This order does not come from the Islamic Emirate, but from Allah and the Koran. The implementation of the decree started the day we announced it. For now, we are explaining things and acting gently towards our sisters," said Mohammad Akif Muhajir, a ministry spokesman.

In some parts of Kabul, there are still women who do not cover their faces in public. But since the decree was issued, their numbers are decreasing.