EVANGELICAL ANTI-VAXXERS
Whooping cough outbreak declared in Alberta — symptoms and prevention explained

Late last week, Alberta Health Services (AHS) declared an outbreak of pertussis.

Julia Ranney
·Lifestyle Editor
Mon, January 30, 2023

Whooping cough is on the rise in parts of southern Alberta. (Photo via Getty Images)

This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Contact a qualified medical professional before engaging in any physical activity, or making any changes to your diet, medication or lifestyle.

Amidst COVID-19, RSV, the flu and the common cold, there's another condition on the rise — whooping cough.

Late last week, Alberta Health Services (AHS) declared an outbreak of pertussis — better known as whooping cough — in parts of southern Alberta.

The bacterial infection causes severe coughing that can last for weeks and is easily transmissible. Infants are most at risk of serious complications such as pneumonia, convulsions, brain damage and even death.

At this time, the communities impacted involve those spanning the County of Lethbridge, Coaldale, Taber, Vauxhall, Grassy Lake and Bow Island.

"These are communities with significantly low childhood immunization rates," AHS said in a statement.

Getting vaccinated is one way of preventing whooping cough. (Photo via Getty Images)

According to the AHS, immunization is the best method to protect against and limit the spread, along with regular hand washing and not sharing drinks, food or cutlery.

"Pertussis immunization is safe and effective against preventing severe illness," they added.

Currently, sixteen cases of pertussis have been identified in the South Zone. Of these cases, three patients have required hospitalization.

The pertussis vaccine is free for all Albertans under 18 years of age, individuals in the third trimester of pregnancy (27 weeks) and adults who have not had a tetanus booster in the past 10 years.

For other parts of Canada, refer to your provincial health website for information on the pertussis vaccine.

Read on to learn more about the condition, as well as its symptoms, risks and prevention.

Whooping cough is transmitted through respiratory droplets. (Photo via Getty Images)
What is whooping cough?

According to Public Health Ontario (PHA), whooping cough is "an acute infection of the respiratory tract caused by the bacteria Bordetella pertussis."

The condition is transmitted through respiratory droplets. An infected person spreads it by coughing and sneezing. The coughing can be so intense that a "whooping" sound happens when you try to catch your breath.

According to the Government of Canada, each year between 1,000 and 3,000 Canadians fall ill from pertussis. Worldwide, there are about 20 to 40 million cases of and 400,000 deaths from pertussis each year.

Without treatment, pertussis can last for weeks or months, and can cause brain damage or even death.

The condition is most dangerous for children under one year old, especially if they are unvaccinated. In some cases, whooping cough can lead to worse complications like pneumonia.

What are the signs and symptoms of whooping cough?

PHA explains that whooping cough symptoms start small and consistently get worse.

The condition will initially present as a mild respiratory illness featuring a mild fever, runny nose, red watery eyes and a cough, which progresses to "prolonged cough episodes." During the episodes, choking or vomiting is sometimes present.

For older children and adults, pertussis symptoms may be less severe. They may appear as cold-like symptoms with a cough that lasts longer than a week.

If you or someone you know has a severe or prolonged cough, or any of the above symptoms, see a health care provider as soon as you can.

Whooping cough will initially present as a mild respiratory illness. 

(Photo via Getty Images)

Why is there a rise of whooping cough?

While there could be a plethora of factors leading to the rise of whooping cough in Alberta, there's one main factor contributing to the large number of cases in the area: a lack of vaccinations.

"By age two, children should have received four doses of pertussis vaccine, and in some of these areas only one -third of two-year-old children have," the AHS revealed, drawing attention to the fact that many children in the area are unprotected from the condition.

Moreover, as whopping cough is extremely contagious, it's likely spread in schools or public settings where children and infants congregate.

Refer to Health Canada for more information on where and how to get your whooping cough vaccine.

Who is at risk of whooping cough?

While can get whooping cough, it is most dangerous for infants under the age of one.

As immunization programs begin at two months, infants under two months of age are vulnerable. Those who are most at risk for pertussis are children who are not vaccinated or under-vaccinated.

Additionally, pregnant women in the third trimester or individuals with chronic respiratory illnesses are also more at risk.

Other than infants, pregnant women in the third trimester are at risk of whooping cough. (Photo via Getty Images)
How can I help prevent whopping cough?

To prevent whooping cough, Health Canada recommends infants and children get the vaccine.

A child under six years old needs five doses of the pertussis vaccine, starting at two months of age. As protection lessens over time, so it's important to get a booster dose.

You may need a booster for pertussis if you are between 14 and 16 years of age, you are an adult and you were not immunized against pertussis, or if you are between 27 and 32 weeks of pregnancy.

Additionally, if you interact with infants and children on a regular basis, it's very important to be vaccinated.

Outside of the vaccine, other ways to help prevent whooping cough are to consistently wash your hands, refrain from sharing food, drinks or cutlery, and covering your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing.

RIP

'Laverne & Shirley' actor Cindy Williams dies at 75

Mon, January 30, 2023 



LOS ANGELES (AP) — Cindy Williams, who was among the most recognizable stars in America in the 1970s and 1980s for her role as Shirley opposite Penny Marshall's Laverne on the beloved sitcom "Laverne & Shirley," has died, her family said Monday.

Williams died in Los Angeles at age 75 on Wednesday after a brief illness, her children, Zak and Emily Hudson, said in a statement released through family spokeswoman Liza Cranis.

"The passing of our kind, hilarious mother, Cindy Williams, has brought us insurmountable sadness that could never truly be expressed," the statement said. “Knowing and loving her has been our joy and privilege. She was one of a kind, beautiful, generous and possessed a brilliant sense of humor and a glittering spirit that everyone loved.”

Williams worked with some of Hollywood's most elite directors in a film career that preceded her full-time move to television, appearing in George Cukor's 1972 “Travels With My Aunt,” George Lucas' 1973 “American Graffiti” and Francis Ford Coppola's "The Conversation" from 1974.

But she was by far best known for “Laverne & Shirley," the “Happy Days” spinoff that ran on ABC from 1976 to 1983 that in its prime was among the most popular shows on TV.

Williams played the straitlaced Shirley Feeney to Marshall's more libertine Laverne DeFazio on the show about a pair of blue-collar roommates who toiled on the assembly line of a Milwaukee brewery in the 1950s and 1960s.

“They were beloved characters,” Williams told The Associated Press in 2002.

DeFazio was quick-tempered and defensive; Feeney was naive and trusting. The actors drew upon their own lives for plot inspiration.

“We’d make up a list at the start of each season of what talents we had,” Marshall told the AP in 2002. “Cindy could touch her tongue to her nose and we used it in the show. I did tap dance.”

Williams told The Associated Press in 2013 that she and Marshall had “very different personalities” but tales of the two clashing during the making of the show were “a bit overblown.”

The series was the rare network hit about working-class characters, with its self-empowering opening song: “Give us any chance, we’ll take it, read us any rule, we’ll break it."

That opening would become as popular as the show itself. Williams’ and Marshall’s chant of “schlemiel, schlimazel” as they skipped along together became a cultural phenomenon and oft-invoked piece of nostalgia.

Marshall, whose brother, Garry Marshall, co-created the series, died in 2018.

Actor Rosario Dawson shared a video of the opening theme on Twitter on Tuesday.

“Singing this song with so much gratitude for both of you ladies,” Dawson tweeted. “Absolute gems. United again… Rest in Paradise Cindy Williams.”

The show also starred Michael McKean and David Lander as Laverne and Shirley's oddball hangers-on Lenny and Squiggy. Lander died in 2020.

McKean paid tribute to Williams on Twitter with a memory from the production.

“Backstage, Season 1: I’m offstage waiting for a cue. The script’s been a tough one, so we’re giving it 110% and the audience is having a great time,” McKean tweeted. “Cindy scoots by me to make her entrance and with a glorious grin, says: ‘Show’s cookin’!’ Amen. Thank you, Cindy.”

As ratings dropped in the sixth season, the characters moved from Milwaukee to Burbank, California, trading their brewery jobs for work at a department store.

In 1982, Williams became pregnant and wanted her working hours curtailed. When her demands weren’t met, she walked off the set, and filed a lawsuit against its production company. She appeared infrequently during the final season.

Williams was born one of two sisters in the Van Nuys area of Los Angeles in 1947. Her family moved to Dallas soon after she was born, but returned to Los Angeles, where she would take up acting while attending Birmingham High School and a major in theater arts at LA City College.

Her acting career began with small roles in television starting in 1969, with appearances on “Room 222,” “Nanny and the Professor” and ”Love, American Style."

Her part in Lucas' “American Graffiti” would become a defining role. The film was a forerunner to a nostalgia boom for the 1950s and early 1960s that would follow. “Happy Days," starring her “American Graffiti” co-star Ron Howard, would premiere the following year. The characters of Laverne and Shirley made their first TV appearance as dates of Henry Winkler's Fonzie before they got their own show.

Lucas also considered her for the role of Princess Leia in “Star Wars,” a role that went to Carrie Fisher.

In the past three decades, Williams made guest appearances on dozens of TV series including “7th Heaven,” “8 Simple Rules” and “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.” In 2013, she and Marshall appeared in a “Laverne & Shirley” tribute episode of the Nickelodeon series “Sam and Cat.”

Last year, Williams appeared in a one-woman stage show full of stories from her career, “ Me, Myself and Shirley," at a theater in Palm Springs, California, near her home in Desert Hot Springs.

Williams was married to singer Bill Hudson of musical group the Hudson Brothers from 1982 until 2000. Hudson was father to her two children. He was previously married to Goldie Hawn and is also the father of actor Kate Hudson.

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Follow AP Entertainment Writer Andrew Dalton on Twitter: https://twitter.com/andyjamesdalton

Andrew Dalton, The Associated Press

'Laverne & Shirley' star Cindy Williams dies at 75: 'One of a kind'

Taryn Ryder
·Writer, Yahoo Entertainment
Mon, January 30, 2023 

Actress Cindy Williams, here in 2012, has died after a brief illness. (Photo: Getty Images)

Laverne & Shirley and Happy Days star Cindy Williams has died after a "short illness," her family confirmed on Monday. She was 75. The actress was best known for playing Shirley Feeney opposite Penny Marshall's Laverne on the beloved sitcoms.

Williams's children, Zak and Emily Hudson, issued a statement to Yahoo Entertainment saying that Williams passed away peacefully on Jan. 25.

"The passing of our kind, hilarious mother, Cindy Williams, has brought us insurmountable sadness that could never truly be expressed," family spokesperson Liza Cranis shared on Monday. "Knowing and loving her has been our joy and privilege. She was one of a kind, beautiful, generous and possessed a brilliant sense of humor and a glittering spirit that everyone loved."

Born just outside of Los Angeles, Williams started acting in high school where she shared the stage with Sally Field, according to the actress's website. After graduating college, where she majored in Theater Arts, Williams landed her first television roles in Room 222, Nanny and the Professor and Love, American Style. Movie roles followed as she starred in director George Lucas's classic 1973 film American Graffiti alongside Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfuss and Harrison Ford. The following year, she starred in Francis Ford Coppola's The Conversation.

Williams's biggest break came in 1975 when she was cast in ABC's Happy Days. Williams's character Shirley and her best friend Laverne DeFazio (Marshall) went on a double date with Richie (Ron Howard) and Fonzie (Henry Winkler). The duo's scene-stealing roles led to the spinoff Laverne & Shirley, following the roommates as they worked at a Milwaukee bottling factory in the 1950s and '60s. Laverne & Shirley ran for eight seasons and was one of the most popular shows on television during its run.

Thanks to Williams and Marshall's energetic onscreen chemistry, Laverne & Shirley, is widely considered one of the most iconic female friendships in television history. Williams and Marshall remained friends offscreen and appeared together in 2004 for the joint unveiling of the stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. When Marshall, who later directed such films as Big and A League of Their Own, died in 2018 at the age of 75, Williams described it as "an extraordinary loss."

Williams was still entertaining audiences prior to her death. Last year, she completed a national theater tour of her one-woman show: Me, Myself and Shirley.

Tributes are pouring in from Williams's peers on Monday night as news of her death made headlines.

Former goalkeeper and Marine named VP, GM of Orlando Pride

Mon, January 30, 2023 

The Orlando Pride have named former professional goalkeeper and U.S. Marine Haley Carter their vice president of soccer operations and general manager.

In the newly created position with the National Women's Soccer League team, Carter will oversee all soccer operations, including the coaching staff and scouting, player safety and performance.

Carter, 37, is well known in the soccer community. She served as an assistant coach for the Afghanistan women's soccer team and was instrumental in helping those players evacuate the country in 2021 after the Taliban takeover.

She was a goalkeeper over four years at the U.S. Naval Academy before spending eight years in the Marines, including two deployments during the Iraq War.

She spent three seasons as a backup goalkeeper with the NWSL's Houston Dash, but never appeared in a game. She later served as a consultant for the club.

“What really attracted me to this position is that it’s at the intersection of business and soccer. And that’s what I love, that really gets my heart racing. I’ve cared about the business side of it for a very, very long time, just in terms of how do we grow investment in the women’s game and what does that look like?” she told The Associated Press. “But as somebody who played and coached, I’ve also been very serious about advocating for players, advocating for women coaches, women, the women’s game.”

Carter believes she's the right person to lead the Pride following the turbulence in the NWSL for the last 18 months. Allegations of coach misconduct spurred two investigations and significant turnover across the league.

The Pride were among the teams impacted. The NWSL terminated the contracts of Orlando coach Amanda Cromwell and assistant Sam Greene in October following allegations of retaliatory conduct. The two were suspended by the team in June. Cromwell released a statement denying the allegations.

“Haley is a strong, experienced and respected leader with a vast background and network across women's soccer, including an extensive knowledge of the NWSL,” Pride Chairman Mark Wilf said in a statement. “Off the field, she has a clear dedication to service, community and player safety.”

___

More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Anne M. Peterson, The Associated Press

France buys new masterpiece for Orsay museum with LVMH gift

Mon, January 30, 2023 



PARIS (AP) — France has acquired a stunning Impressionist masterpiece for its national collection of art treasures, with a donation from luxury goods giant LVMH paying the 43 million euros (nearly $47 million) for "Boating Party” by 19th-century French artist Gustave Caillebotte.

The oil on canvas shows an oarsman in a top hat rowing his skiff on languid waters. The work, remarkable in its realism, delicate colors and almost cinematic perspective, as though the artist was in the boat with the rower, went on display Monday in the Musée d’Orsay. It is the latest addition to the Paris museum's already impressive collection of Impressionist art.

The painting was sold by Caillebotte's descendants. It had been one of the last Impressionist masterpieces still in private hands, said Jean-Paul Claverie, an adviser to LVMH boss Bernard Arnault.

“A work of art of this level, this quality, an absolute masterpiece, there are nearly no more left in the Impressionist period," he said. “This painting was, of course, sought after by the biggest museums in the world," he said.

Managing to keep the painting in France represented “a beautiful victory,” said the government's culture minister, Rima Abdul Malak.

Although a prolific painter in his own right, Caillebotte was long better known as a millionaire patron of France's Impressionist artists who revolutionized Western painting in the late 19th century.

Born into a wealthy family, Caillebotte accumulated an enviable collection of dozens of works by his friends Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro and other artists he helped support financially. Before his death, he bestowed their artworks to the French state, hoping they'd be displayed in the Louvre.

After Caillebotte died at age 45 in February 1894, France took possession of 38 of his paintings by Monet, Renoir, Édouard Manet, Paul Cézanne and other artists for its national collection. That donation later formed the core of the Impressionist collection at the Musée d’Orsay, opened in 1986 in a former railway station.

His reputation as an important collector and donor of Impressionist art long overshadowed Caillebotte's own contributions to the movement as a painter, partly because he didn't include his own work in the collection he bequeathed to the French state.

When Caillebotte died, unmarried and without children, his brother Martial Caillebotte inherited 175 of the artist's works.

Much of his work stayed in his descendants' hands and just a sliver of it ended up in French museums.

___

Leicester reported from Le Pecq, France.

Catherine Gaschka And John Leicester, The Associated Press

The unsolved mystery of the SS City of Boston's disappearance


Randi Mann
Mon, January 30, 2023 

The unsolved mystery of the SS City of Boston's disappearance

This Day In Weather History is a daily podcast by Chris Mei from The Weather Network, featuring stories about people, communities and events and how weather impacted them.

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The SS City of Boston was an iron-hulled, single-screw passenger steamship. Its maiden voyage was on Feb. 8, 1865, from Liverpool to New York. Its final sail took place on or after Jan. 28, 1870. Of course, no one knows the exact date as she disappeared.

The City of Boston's final voyage was supposed to be from Nova Scotia to Liverpool. Onboard was Capt. Halcrow, plus 83 crew, 55 cabin passengers, and because it was the 1800s, an additional distinctly counted 52 steerage passengers.

Memorial in St Pancras Parish Church London

Memorial in St Pancras Parish Church London to victims of loss of SS City of Boston 1870. Courtesy of Cj1340/Wikipedia/CC BY-SA 3.0

It did not make it to its destination, and no one is completely sure what happened to the ship, but there are some conjectures.

A violent storm occurred on Jan. 30, which could explain the ship's fate. Others suggested that a collision with an iceberg could have caused it to sink.

People said they saw the ship off the coast of Ireland on Feb. 25, reporting that both cylinders in the engine appeared to be broken.

But on April 25, a piece of wood with the inscription "City of Boston is sinking. Feb. 11" washed up at Perranporth, Cornwall.

In November of the same year, a message in a bottle found at Crantock, Cornwall, described that the ship had collided with another vessel and was sinking.

City of Boston mail steamer
Inman Line of Mail Steamers "City of Boston." Courtesy of Wikipedia

One theory even suggested that the ship was sunk on purpose by "Dynamite Fiend." This rumour started after an explosion at the German seaport of Bremerhaven killed 80 people. The dynamite was planted by someone who wanted the insurance money for the ship, but it blew up prematurely. It was later disproven that there were any relations between these two incidents.

The disappearance of the SS City of Boston remains a mystery, but to learn more about the ship, listen to today's episode of "This Day In Weather History."

Subscribe to 'This Day in Weather History': Apple Podcasts | Amazon Alexa | Google Assistant | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeartRadio | Overcast'

Thumbnail image: The Missing Screw-Steamer City of Boston, by Edwin Weedon. Courtesy of Wikipedia

Mining companies partner on lithium


Mon, January 30, 2023 

BURGEO — From Matador Mining and the Cape Ray Gold Project to Atlantic Minerals Ltd. and the Lower Cove Mine on the West Coast, the mining industry has been growing in Newfoundland and Labrador, and it appears that trend will continue. A joint venture near Burgeo has uncovered another significant mineral outcropping – lithium.

Andrew Parsons, Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology, said there are two companies presently involved in the discovery.

“One of them being Sokoman (Minerals Corp.) and Benton (Resources Inc.). It’s a joint play and they have what is called the Golden Hope Project. They are just west of the Burgeo highway and just north of Burgeo, and they’ve actually made an initial discovery, and they are very excited about what they’ve found, but it’s really early on,” said Parsons. “Since that time I’ve been made aware of another company called MLK Gold who are looking for the same thing in the same vicinity.”

Timothy Froude, President, CEO and Director of Sokoman Minerals Corp. said the companies are equal partners on the project.

“It’s a very large property and we staked it in the spring of 2021. It covers about 750 square kilometres and it straddles the Burgeo Highway. It doesn’t quite go down to Burgeo,” said Froude via phone interview. “It covers a pretty big swath of ground and it’s going to take us a little bit of time to get our heads around it.”

While the project, which consists of over 3,000 claims, was initially staked for gold with the Hope Brook Mine in the same area, prospectors happened to discover lithium.

“We were prospecting for gold when we discovered a series of lithium bearing dykes (the Kraken Prospect) about 12 kms west of the Burgeo Highway, 30 kms or so north of the town of Burgeo. In late 2022, we discovered a dyke (named Hydra) which is highly enriched in cesium, along with significant lithium, rubidium and tantalum, 12 kms to the northeast of the Kraken."

These dykes, called pegmatite dykes, are an igneous rock type that carry significant levels of obscure minerals like lithium, cesium, and tantalum.

“We’ve moved up to the next level and put a camp in. There is a camp there now, but we’re not occupying the camp because winter is a difficult time to explore down there with the windy conditions and white outs. It’s not very safe, so field work will probably start again down there around April. The snow won’t all be gone, but the days will be longer and it will be warmer.”

These minerals are a critical aspect of the greener economy the country and province are currently focused on.

“This is still really early on. At the end of the day, mining is a boom and bust industry and it very much depends on factors that are out of our control, such as the price of the commodity, and it comes down to demand. But right now, these are minerals that are very much in demand for what they call the ‘green economy,’” said Parsons.

Even though the resources themselves are non-renewable, the impact they have on the economy is significant.

“When you’re talking about a non-renewable resource, you have to ensure you get the best value for it that you can because once you take it, it’s gone,” explained Parsons. “No different than producing oil. The thing is that it has a value. It’s a resource that belongs to the people, and it’s these resources that pay for our social systems that we rely heavily on, our healthcare system, education, all these other things that we’ve grown to rely on, and it’s got to be paid for somehow. Resources are what pay for it.”

As with any large undertaking, environmental impacts are always a concern.

“Anything they do still goes through an environmental process, same as any other natural resource development, so there’s nothing that I’ve been made aware of that’s any different from any other extraction or natural resource processes,” said Parsons. “Anybody who wants to do anything in this province has to go through an environmental application process and, depending on what you’re trying to do, there are different levels to that. If anything, given the need for lithium as a critical mineral, I think you’re going to see more of it, not just in Newfoundland and Labrador, but worldwide.”

Froude said the project is still considered a grass roots project and is a low-impact exploration.

To date there have not been any formal Indigenous consultations, but both companies employ Indigenous workers, including Benton Resources, whose President and CEO, Steve Stares, is a Qalipu member.

“Yes, there will be local ground disturbances for the camp and drill setups, but we reclaim and backfill sites we feel are low potential as we go. We also operate under a series of guidelines and requirements that are mandated each year in our work permits that have to be renewed each year,” said Froude. “We don’t do things unchecked.”

The project, which are actually two separate entities – the gold project and the lithium (and other critical minerals) project – will remain under the same umbrella, and the hope is for multiple strike sites.

“We already have two prospects 12 kms apart (Kraken and Hydra) so the potential is high for others,” said Froude.

Currently the camp in place is a 10-person camp, but there is much indirect and contract work that contribute to the necessary manpower, which would undoubtedly increase if and when a mine is put in place.

“We are a long way from a mine yet, many years in fact. The results of the work this year will go a long way towards giving us the information we need to determine whether or not the project has a chance,” said Froude.

The project will also carry a hefty budget.

“We are budgeting between $3 and $5 million this year for the project, of which nearly all will go to NL-based workers and businesses. This will include businesses in Burgeo, Springdale, Clarenville, Stephenville, with employees coming from all over the island.”

Froud said they source locally whenever possible, which means significant benefits to the surrounding communities.

“We also have a joint venture project with Benton just north of the tiny village of Grey River, where we’ve been drilling for gold there for a couple of years, and we’re part of the family down there now I think,” said Froude.

“We’ve grown attached to the place and for the past two Christmases, in fact, we’ve bought a turkey for every household in Grey River just to ease the burden. Anything we can do to help out, and right now I’m in the process of trying to scratch up some funds because we got a request from the principal of the school in Grey River to help fix up the playground for the kids who are there. So we’ll be donating to that and helping out as much as we can. We do try to help out and we will continue to do that. It’s part of our corporate responsibility as a good corporate citizen.”

Even though the company itself is primarily a gold company, Froude said they are also an exploration company.

“We don’t throw stuff away that we’re not looking for. It’s part of my mission and mandate as CEO to evaluate any and all possible commodities to the benefit of the local community first and the shareholders second, so I’m really excited,” said Froude. “I’ve worked in these types of rocks before, a long time ago up in Ontario, and I never considered Newfoundland as a go-to spot for these sort of things, but Newfoundland is obviously full of surprises. We’re one of the busiest gold exploration areas in the country right now and there’s a lot more gold out there then people realize, I think. We are also trying to prove to the world that Newfoundland and Labrador is a destination of choice, not just for copper, zinc, iron ore, and nickel, but things like lithium and cesium that I’m still learning about."

Jaymie White, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Wreckhouse Weekly News

Burgeo

Burgeo is a town in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is located mainly on Grandy Island, on the south coast of the island of Newfoundland. It is an outport community. Wikipedia

Japan ex-soldier sues gov't, colleagues over sexual abuse

Mon, January 30, 2023

TOKYO (AP) — A former Japanese soldier who reported being sexually abused by military colleagues said Monday she has filed a damage suit against five perpetrators and the government because she feels their earlier apologies were empty.

Rina Gonoi went public with her experience last year, demanding the Defense Ministry reinvestigate her case, in which she said she was repeatedly assaulted by several servicemen, causing her to give up her military career. The military had dropped her case when she initially filed a complaint in 2021, saying there was insufficient evidence.

Japan’s army in September acknowledged part of the misconduct after an internal probe and apologized. Four of the five perpetrators personally apologized a month later to Gonoi. The ministry in December dismissed the five servicemen and punished four others.

Gonoi said she decided to go to court after feeling that the five perpetrators still took their actions lightly and had stopped responding in their discussions toward a settlement.

She is seeking a total of 5.5 million yen ($42,270) from her assailants for their misconduct and her mental distress, and 2 million yen ($15,370) from the government over its failure to prevent the assaults, properly investigate and take appropriate steps.

“Honestly, I was very reluctant to fight, and I’d rather not choose this option,” Gonoi said. “But the message I got from them was that they still lacked a sense of remorse, and I thought harassment (in the army) can never be eradicated unless I take action.”

Gonoi said she still admires the army and the work it does and wants it to become a place “where all servicemembers, men or women, are treated with respect and a sense of justice.”

Gonoi was first assigned to a Fukushima unit in April 2020 and said she quickly became a target of sexual misconduct. Her male superiors repeatedly asked her breast size or made unnecessary physical contact such as by trying judo techniques on her, Gonoi said.

Then in July 2021 inside a tent at a training ground, she had her breasts touched by male superiors, who also forced her to touch their private parts, she said.

In August 2021, senior male colleagues pressed the lower part of their bodies against her in a dorm and made motions as if having sex, while more than 10 other male colleagues and supervisors watched and laughed, Gonoi said earlier.

After dropping their initial investigation in May, civilian prosecutors are reinvestigating the case after her appeal.

Gonoi said if she had received adequate support from the Defense Ministry, she wouldn't have had to quit her military career, which she said she chose because of the help her family received from army relief workers after a 2011 tsunami in northern Japan.

Sexual misconduct complaints are often disregarded in Japan. Victims also tend to face criticism for speaking up.

Mari Yamaguchi, The Associated Press

Firing of Memphis police officers signals progress, but also need for change: Canadian experts


Mon, January 30, 2023 



Canadian experts and advocates say the firing and charging of the five Memphis, Tenn., officers who beat a Black man to death during a traffic stop suggests there's been societal progress in holding police to account, but also highlights the need for further institutional change.

Authorities in Memphis, Tenn., released footage on Friday of officers holding Tyre Nichols down and striking him repeatedly as he screamed for his mother. After the beating, officers milled about for several minutes while Nichols lay propped up against a car, then slumped onto the street.

Nichols died three days after the Jan. 7 confrontation. The officers, all of whom are Black, were charged Thursday with second-degree murder and other crimes.

Timothy Bryan, an associate professor of sociology at the University of Toronto, said the case highlights the need for more nuanced understanding of the relationship between race and policing.

"One of the things that has always given me pause was that the conversations we were having about race and policing were often conversations about individual racial prejudice of police officers, and the way that those prejudices influenced policing," he said.

"The problem with that kind of conversation is not that it's inaccurate, it's that it's incomplete. That's an incomplete understanding of the relationship between policing and race and racism."

Bryan said he was not surprised that the incident did not spark international protests the way the 2020 killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minn., did, because most of the changes people were calling for were addressed in this case.

"The firing and laying of charges, and getting that entire sort of criminal justice process started probably helped to allay some of the concerns," he said in an interview.

The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police condemned the actions of the five Memphis officers, saying "leaders across Canada are saddened and horrified by the tragic and unnecessary death" of Nichols.

"As police leaders, we recognize that the actions of these officers will also impact the trust and confidence in policing throughout the United States and Canada—damaging the reputation of a majority of officers who are unwavering in their commitment to public safety," it said in a statement on Thursday.

Fo Niemi, the executive director of the Centre for Research-Action on Race Relations, said Nichols' death illustrates how use of excessive force can undermine public confidence in police departments, and called the CAFC statement "an impressive demonstration of leadership."

"I can't help but praise their sensitivity (and) recognition for police to maintain trust and confidence," he said in an interview.

"I think there's certainly a cultural shift also, at least among many police chiefs in Canada, especially in dealing with minority populations and dealing with the issue of excessive use of force," he said. "That growing awareness is encouraging and hopefully we can bring about change, but we're not there yet."

Niemi said the video footage of Nichols' beating also showcases the need for all officers to wear body cameras, and he is now calling on all departments across Canada to implement them.

"Without body cams, we may not have the level of transparency and accountability that we see here in Memphis and in the United States," he said.

Bryan said that while the CAFC statement was the "right thing to do," it likely is not "reflective of a larger cultural shift in policing."

"You can apologize for them, you can be outraged at them but the underlying architecture of policing is the thing that contributes to these outcomes," he said.

Bryan said one notable aspect of this case is that all the officers are Black men. This, he said, signals the need to focus less on individual racism and more on the institution of policing and the role officers play in society.

"What this incident reveals in a much more stark way is the way in which policing is often not conceived of by police as a service to communities, but rather the enforcement on communities," he said.

"None of that changes just because you change the complexion of officers."

— By Brieanna Charlebois in Vancouver and Marisela Amador in Montreal.

— With files from Associated Press

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 30, 2023.

Brieanna Charlebois, Marisela Amador, The Canadian Press

High costs and low rates are pushing B.C. providers who house people with disabilities past their limits

Mon, January 30, 2023 

Home-share caregiver Lisa Garner helps her live-in client Paul make his own lunch.

 (Ben Nelms/CBC - image credit)

Surrey's Lisa Garner is always on the go.

For the past 20 years, she has worked as a home-share provider offering housing and support to an adult with disabilities.

She cooks and cleans. She helps her client get dressed and groomed.

"I am solely responsible for the individual 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year."

But as the cost of living continues to soar across B.C., home-share providers like Garner are being financially stretched to their limit. And they're calling on the provincial government to raise room and board rates that have long remained stagnant.

Home-share providers' compensation is divided into two streams: a contribution from Community Living B.C [CLBC] that varies based on the individual's level of disability support and a room and board contribution of $716 from the individual's monthly benefits.

According to a monthly report from the former Ministry of Social Development and Innovation, $375 of the individual contribution is supposed to cover shelter, leaving $341 for other costs, which breaks down to about $11 a day.

"How are we supposed to feed the clients for the allotment that I get?" asked Garner.

As of December 2022, the cost of food had risen 11 per cent compared to one year earlier, according to Statistics Canada.

The individual contribution rate of $716 hasn't increased since 2007 despite the cost of living soaring.

Garner says she's having to cover the difference personally to ensure her client has everything he needs.

Low rates, rising costs forcing providers to quit

Garner's experience isn't unique.

There are around 4,000 home-share providers in B.C. who support 4,300 people, according to CLBC. There are also another 300 people with disabilities who have requested home-sharing.

Selena Martin, president of the B.C. Home Share Providers Association says providers across the province are struggling under the financial burden.

"When inflation started to go up, it was sort of almost the last straw. People were at the end of their ropes. And now people are finding it hard to make ends meet."

She says it's forcing some providers to leave the industry altogether because they simply can no longer afford it. Meanwhile, the demand for home-share providers outweighs the supply.

CBC News/Martin Diotte

And Garner says leaving is not a decision home-share providers choose easily.

"It's not a job. It's already gone so far past a job that the person becomes part of your household, part of your family," she said.

The association is calling on the province and CLBC to increase the room and board individual contribution rates and to provide home-share providers with yearly compensation increases that match the rate of inflation so they can continue to provide support for people with disabilities. It's also calling for increases in disability assistance rates. Right now, people with disabilities earn $1,358 a month.

"People on PWD [person with disabilities] do not get enough money. They live in poverty, and their family and their caregivers are trying to lift them out of poverty, and it's coming out of their pockets, the caregivers and the families," she said.

CLBC reviewing room and board costs

Martin's plea is echoed by B.C. Liberal MLA Dan Davies, shadow minister of social development and poverty reduction, who says he hears from home-share providers regularly.

"These, in many cases, are the most vulnerable people who are being cared for," said Davies.

"We need to make sure that the people who are caring for these people are also cared for so that we can still maintain a system that is reliable, a system that works, and a system that is going to be sustainable into the future."

The Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction declined an interview and did not respond to specific questions, but in a statement, Minister Sheila Malcolmson thanked home-share providers for their work and said she is taking their concerns seriously.

"Home-share providers' in-home support is integral to an inclusive province that supports the participation of people with disabilities in their community," she said.

Darryl Dyck/Canadian Press

In 2019 and 2020, there were increases to the compensation home-share providers receive from CLBC, which now ranges from $1,716 a month to $5,641 a month. But the individual contribution rate has remained unchanged.

CLBC also declined an interview deferring to the province.

The ministry also said that CLBC is currently reviewing compensation for room and board costs.

What you need to know about the decriminalization of possessing illicit drugs in B.C.

Mon, January 30, 2023 

A man holds boxes containing tested cocaine, meth and heroin given out by the Drug User Liberation Front in July 2021. It will not be a criminal offence to possess up to 2.5 grams of certain illegal drugs in B.C. starting Tuesday, Jan. 31. 

(Ben Nelms/CBC - image credit)

Starting Tuesday, it is no longer a criminal offence to possess small amounts of certain illicit drugs in B.C. for people aged 18 or above.

It's part of a three-year pilot by the federal government, which granted B.C. an exemption from the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) on May 31, 2022.

While advocates for drug users say decriminalization alone won't stop thousands of people dying from a tainted drug supply, others say it is a step in the right direction when it comes to how drug users are treated.

Here's what you need to know about B.C.'s drug decriminalization pilot.

Which drugs are included in the pilot?

Under the exemption, up to 2.5 grams of the following four drug types can be legally possessed:

Cocaine (crack and powder).


Methamphetamine.


MDMA.


Opioids (including heroin, fentanyl and morphine).

Fentanyl and its analogues were detected in nearly 86 per cent of drug toxicity deaths from 2019 until 2022, according to the latest report from the B.C. Coroners Service.

Illicit drugs involved in deaths in B.C. — 2019-22

How long will the pilot last?

The exemption pilot is set to last for three years until Jan. 31, 2026, unless it is revoked or replaced before then.

Watch | Carolyn Bennett says B.C. decriminalization marks a shift in drug policy in Canada:

A Health Canada spokesperson said the federal government will monitor the pilot throughout its duration to gauge its effectiveness.

On Monday, Carolyn Bennett, the federal minister of mental health and addictions, said the government plans to collect data on health, criminal justice interactions, public safety and other indicators throughout the next three years. That information will eventually be available to the public through an online dashboard updated quarterly, she said.

Does this mean those drugs can be sold legally?

No. Anyone caught selling drugs or trafficking them will still face criminal penalties in B.C.

Trafficking illegal drugs or possessing them for the sake of trafficking (not for personal use) could land a person in prison.

What is still criminal when it comes to drug use?

Possessing illegal drugs at schools, child-care facilities, and airports remains illegal.

Multiple municipalities, including Vancouver, have bylaws that prohibit drug use at city facilities and private areas like malls or cafes.

"However, adults removed from private establishments would not be subject to federal criminal charges for their personal possession of up to 2.5 grams of the illegal drugs listed in the exemption," the B.C. ministry of mental health and addictions said.

Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press

How will the police enforce the threshold?

According to officials, police have been provided with infographics and photos illustrating what 2.5 grams of the decriminalized drugs might look like.

To determine which drugs are in someone's possession, officers are being instructed to simply ask the drug user what they believe the substance to be.

The province has developed a training process for police that many departments, including the RCMP and Vancouver Police Department, have made mandatory for all officers.

WATCH | B.C. hopes to reduce drug deaths with decriminalization:

The government says police will not seize any drugs they find on an adult.

"Instead, they will be offered information about health and social supports, including local treatment and recovery services, if requested," the government said in a statement.

Why 2.5 grams?

When the province first applied for an exemption under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act in November 2021, it sought a threshold of 4.5 grams.

The federal government lowered the threshold to 2.5 grams when they granted the exemption, citing feedback from law enforcement officials across B.C.

Addictions Minister Carolyn Bennett said the threshold was a "starting point" that can be adjusted as needed.

However, drug users have said both thresholds were far too low, given how most people consume substances.

How did we get here?

When B.C. first applied for the exemption in 2021, it was five years after a public health emergency was declared due to the spike in fatal overdoses resulting from a poisoned drug supply.

More than 10,000 B.C. residents have died since the emergency was declared in 2016.

Politicians and advocates have argued that decriminalizing drug use would remove the stigma associated with it and treat the crisis as a health issue rather than a criminal one.

However, others — including B.C. Chief Coroner Lisa Lapointe — have said that decriminalization won't do much to stop people from dying and that only an accessible, safe supply of drugs would do so.