Railroads propose safety reforms after fiery Ohio derailment



Train Derailment Florida

This photo provided by the Manatee County Government shows a derailed freight train operated by Seminole Gulf Railway near Bradenton, Fla., on Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023. Officials in Florida are keeping a watchful eye on a train car carrying 30,000 gallons (113,562 liters) of propane that tipped over in a derailment in an industrial area near Sarasota Bradenton International Airport. (Steve Litschauer/Manatee County Government via AP)

JOSH FUNK
Wed, March 8, 2023 

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The major freight railroads announced a number of steps Wednesday that they are taking to improve safety in the wake of last month’s fiery Ohio derailment, but it’s not clear if their actions will be enough to satisfy regulators and members of Congress who are pushing for changes.

Many of the proposals from the Association of American Railroads trade group focus on strengthening the network of trackside detectors that railroads use to spot problems before they can cause derailments. The railroads plan to do this by installing 1,000 more of the detectors nationwide and tweaking the way railroads use the data from them.

Norfolk Southern, the railroad responsible for the Feb. 3 derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, near the Pennsylvania border, proposed similar changes earlier this week, but the Federal Railroad Administration responded saying the company wasn't doing nearly enough.

And several members of Congress — led by Ohio's two senators — have proposed a sweeping package of rail reforms that go well beyond what the industry is proposing. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has also urged the railroads to make immediate changes.

Federal regulators didn't immediately respond Wednesday to questions about the industry's proposals. Congress plans to scrutinize Norfolk Southern's safety record and its response to the Ohio derailment at a Senate hearing Thursday morning that will also examine the reforms Ohio's senators proposed. Two federal agencies also announced broad investigations into Norfolk Southern's safety record Tuesday.

Overall, railroads are proud of their safety record, which reflects a decline in derailments over the past several years, and they like to tout the statistic that 99.9% of all hazardous materials shipments railroads handle reach their destinations safely. Still, there were 1,049 derailments nationwide last year — and the East Palestine one showed how even a single mishap involving hazardous materials can be disastrous.

“Rail is indisputably the safest way to move dangerous commodities,” AAR President Ian Jefferies said. “Yet we fully appreciate that these data do not comfort the residents of East Palestine and that public trust must be restored through action."

The major freight railroads — which include Norfolk Southern, CSX, Union Pacific, BNSF, Canadian Pacific, Kansas City Southern and Canadian National — said they will tighten up the spacing between the hot-bearing detectors to ensure they average no more than 15 miles (24 kilometers) apart along the main routes they use to transport hazardous chemicals. Currently, there are no federal rules on those detectors, which can be spaced up to 40 miles (64 kilometers) apart in places, though most of them are much closer together.

Rail safety expert Allan Zarembski said the existing network of detectors was already quite effective and allowed only a handful of derailments every year related to overheating bearings. But these changes will undoubtedly catch even more of these problems, said the University of Delaware professor who leads the railroad engineering and safety program there.

Zarembski said he believes these changes are likely to be “pretty effective.”

The railroads said they will also commit to stopping and inspecting any train that has a bearing that registers more than 170 degrees above the outside temperature. That’s in line with the standards Norfolk Southern already uses.

The National Transportation Safety Board has said the Norfolk Southern crew received a warning about an overheating bearing just before the derailment but wasn’t able to stop the train before 38 cars, including 11 carrying hazardous materials, jumped off the tracks and caught fire. About half the town of East Palestine — about 2,500 residents — had to evacuate a couple days later because officials were worried that five of the cars carrying vinyl chloride might explode. They then released the chemical and burned it off.

In addition to stopping trains anytime a bearing exceeds 170 degrees, the railroads also analyze the data from sensors all across their networks to identify problems even before a bearing hits that threshold. The trade group said all the major railroads plan to discuss ways to improve that analysis by the end of March.

The railroads said they also plan to train about 20,000 first responders nationwide this year to deal with hazardous materials incidents. As part of that, Norfolk Southern announced plans Wednesday to build a new regional training center in Ohio. Gov. Mike DeWine praised the effort.

“The derailment in East Palestine made clear that ensuring first responders are prepared for disasters involving hazardous materials is vitally important to the safety of communities,” DeWine said. “Often, first responders are volunteers, and their need to have the most up-to-date training and equipment is vitally important."

CLAD IN RED  HANDMAIDS OUTFITS

Israeli women form human chains to protest planned judicial overhaul



 

Women clad in red lined the popular Tel Aviv beach-front promenade, clapping and chanting "democracy."

Women form a human chain as part of a demonstration against the Israeli government's judicial overhaul and to mark International Women's Day, in Tel Aviv

Wed, March 8, 2023 
By Emily Rose

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - To mark International Women's Day, thousands of Israeli women formed human chains on Wednesday to protest the right-wing Israeli government's planned judicial overhaul that would drastically limit the powers of the courts.

Several sectors of Israeli society have joined in weekly protests against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plans to limit the Supreme Court's ability to rule against the legislature and the executive, while giving lawmakers decisive powers in appointing judges.

The women's group joined the ongoing protests dressed clad in red, lining the popular Tel Aviv beach-front promenade, clapping and chanting "democracy." Demonstrators at previous women's protests have dressed in red cloaks and white bonnets, mimicking the popular Handmaid's Tale television show and novel which depicts a dystopian reality whereby a brutal ultra-religious regime have stripped women of their rights.

"It's supposed to be a happy day that we celebrate our rights but now we need to protest again," protestor Moran Katzenstein told Reuters at a demonstration in Jerusalem. "We all wear red and we show that we are drawing a red line and we will not allow this government to harm our rights."

Waving signs that read "harming women's rights, not on our shift" and "women's struggle," protesters demonstrated against the legislation, which Netanyahu proposed with his right-wing and religious allies last month.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Monday said a compromise in the government's judicial overhaul plan could be imminent, but opposition leader Benny Gantz told Reuters at the women's demonstration in Tel Aviv that they would not negotiate until the legislation is halted.

"Agreements can be reached, compromise on democracy we cannot reached," Gantz said.

"We feel that every step of this reform is going to hurt women and take women's rights back," said Adi Agasi-Shafir in Tel Aviv.

"We are going to be deprived of all the rights and achievements that we managed to get so far, it's really dangerous and we're not willing to accept that," Agasi-Shafir said.

(Reporting by Emily Rose; Editing by Josie Kao)

Israeli protests disrupt visit by US defense secretary


United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin reads a statement following a NATO defense ministers meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023. Austin said Wednesday, March 8, that America’s defense partnership with Egypt is an “essential pillar” of Washington’s commitment to the Middle East. (AP Photo/Olivier Matthys, File)


JOSEF FEDERMAN
Wed, March 8, 2023 
JERUSALEM (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was forced to change the schedule of a planned visit to Israel due to anti-government protests that are expected to paralyze traffic across the country, U.S. and Israeli officials said Wednesday.

Austin was scheduled to arrive early Thursday from Egypt for a one-day visit to Israel, a close American ally. But instead of meeting Israeli officials in Jerusalem or at the Defense Ministry in central Tel Aviv, his meetings will be held at a factory near Israel’s international airport.

Tens of thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets in recent weeks to protest plans by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's new government to overhaul the country's judiciary. More demonstrations are planned Thursday, with roads expected to be blocked and authorities warning of possible disruptions at the airport.

Netanyahu's allies say the legal overhaul is needed to curb the influence of unelected judges. His opponents say the changes will concentrate power in the hands of Netanyahu and push the country toward authoritarian rule. They also say that Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption charges, is motivated by a personal grudge and has a conflict of interest.

Pentagon spokesman Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said the change in location had come at the request of the Israeli Defense Ministry and referred further questions to Israel.

A senior U.S. defense official said Israeli officials have expressed concerns about planned protests near the Israeli Defense Ministry — which is located near the epicenter of the protests. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the matter publicly, said the U.S. supports the right to hold nonviolent protests and that Austin is prepared to meet his Israeli hosts wherever they prefer.

An Israeli official, also speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter with the media, confirmed the decision.

Austin is scheduled to meet Netanyahu and his Israeli counterpart, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

___

AP correspondent Tara Copp reported from Washington.

Explainer-Why Japan's 'shunto' spring wage talks matter



Tue, March 7, 2023 
By Tetsushi Kajimoto and Leika Kihara

TOKYO (Reuters) - Every March, management of major Japanese firms meet with unions for wage talks across industries that set the tone for employees' pay in the new fiscal year.

The precedent set at the "shunto" spring wage talks also influences wages at smaller firms that employ seven out of 10 Japanese workers and supply big manufacturers.

The outcome will have a huge influence on how soon the Bank of Japan (BOJ) could end ultra-low interest rates, as steady wage hikes are crucial to kick-starting domestic demand and keeping inflation sustainably around its 2% target.

Here is an overview of the wage negotiations: and why they are important.

HOW IS PAY DECIDED IN JAPAN?

In around March of each year, companies and union negotiate pay for the fiscal year beginning in April of that year.

The practice, known as "shunto," began in 1956 when Japan's postwar economy was booming. Unions demanded improvement in wages and job conditions by resorting to strikes in big cities.

The talks peaked in 1974 with a record 33% rise in pay. The increases fell below 3% after Japan slipped into deflation and prolonged economic stagnation in the 1990s.

Unionists have long since turned cooperative, rather than combative, working with management on the shared objective of job security rather than higher pay.

The focus on job security, rather than higher pay, is blamed for keeping Japan's wage growth stagnant.

WHY ARE COMPANIES UNDER PRESSURE?

Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's "Abenomics" stimulus policies helped boost corporate profits, but failed to prod firms to trickle down the benefits to households via wage hikes.

Incumbent premier Fumio Kishida wants to change this under his flagship "new capitalism" policies that seek to distribute wealth more broadly among the population through higher pay.

He has called on companies to achieve wage hikes that exceed the pace of inflation to help households weather rising living costs brought by a spike in fuel and raw material prices.

Aside from such political pressure, companies also need to offer higher pay to retain talent and hire young workers as Japan's rapidly aging population intensifies a labour crunch.

WHAT WILL BE THE OUTCOME OF THE WAGE TALKS?

Some of Japan's biggest firms have already promised large pay hikes including auto giant Toyota and fashion brand Uniqlo parent Fast Retailing.

Analysts expect big firms to offer wage hikes of around 3% in wage talks, which would be the fastest pace of increase since 1997 when Japan was on the cusp of deflation. That would follow a 2.2% increase in 2022, which was the first hike in four years.

Such hikes would meet Kishida's calls for companies to offer annual wage hikes of 3% but miss an ambitious goal of a 5% pay increase demanded by Japan's labour umbrella Rengo.

WILL WAGES KEEP RISING?

The key for the economy will be how much companies will raise base pay, which are across-the-board and permanent payments that provide the basis of future allowances like retirement and pensions.

Wary of increasing fixed costs, many Japanese firms long compensated employees with one-off bonus payments in good times rather than raising base pay.

As Japan slid into deflation in the late 1990s, management and unionists agreed to no base-pay hikes for more than a decade through 2013.

Kishida has approached Japan's union umbrella Rengo in prodding firms to hike base pay. Rengo is demanding a 5% pay hike that includes a base pay rise of 3%, which many analysts see as too ambitious for many firms to swallow.

Of the 2.85% wage hike projected by economists in a January poll, 1.08% is comprised by base pay hikes and another 1.78% increase in additional salary based on seniority.

(Reporting by Tetsushi Kajimoto and Leika Kihara; Editing by Sam Holmes)


Japan's workers eye bumper pay hike in closely watched union talks

Tetsushi Kajimoto and Leika Kihara
Tue, March 7, 2023 at 11:22 PM MST·4 min read


*

Major wage talk outcomes due on March 15

*

Big firms to offer average pay rise of 2.85% - poll

*

Meagre rise in base pay casts doubt on outlook for future gains

*

Uncertainty on wage outlook may keep BOJ from early exit

(Adds govt plan for talks with firms, unions in 5th paragraph)

By Tetsushi Kajimoto and Leika Kihara

TOKYO, March 8 (Reuters) - Japan's big companies are expected to deliver the largest pay rise in 26 years in next week's "shunto" wage negotiations, offering policymakers hope the country might finally emerge from its deflationary doldrums.

But the expected average salary hike of around 3% will likely include just a 1% increase in base pay, casting doubt on whether Japan can achieve the kind of sustained wage gains the central bank sees as key to stably hitting its 2% inflation target.


The outcome of "shunto" wage talks with unions, many of which conclude on March 15, will be crucial to how soon the Bank of Japan (BOJ) could end its bond yield control policy under incoming governor Kazuo Ueda.

It will also test Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's flagship "new capitalism" policy that aims to more widely distribute wealth among households by prodding firms to hike pay.

The government is preparing to hold a meeting with business and union executives on March 15, the first to be held in about eight years, its top spokesperson said on Wednesday in a sign of the focus Kishida is putting on achieving wage hikes.

Hopes are running high that Japan, which has seen wages stagnate for nearly three decades, will finally see change as companies face pressure to beat a labour crunch and compensate employees for inflation running well above the BOJ's target.

World's largest car maker Toyota accepted a union demand for the biggest base salary growth in 20 years, while gaming giant Nintendo plans to lift base pay by 10%.

Big firms will offer on average pay rises of 2.85% for the financial year beginning in April, which would be the fastest pace of increase since 1997, a survey by the Japan Economic Research Center (JERC) showed in January.

The gain will comprise a 1.08% rise in base pay and a 1.78% increase in additional salary based on seniority, it said.

Such hikes would meet Kishida's calls for companies to offer annual wage hikes of 3%, but miss an ambitious goal of a 5% pay increase demanded by Japan's labour umbrella Rengo.

Some analysts doubt whether smaller firms can follow suit, as stubbornly high raw material costs erode their margin.

More than 70% of small firms have no plan to raise wages, according to a January poll by the Jonan Shinkin Bank and the Tokyo Shimbun newspaper.

There is also uncertainty on whether companies will keep hiking wages as much next year and beyond.

After hitting a nearly 42-year high of 4.3% in January, core consumer inflation in Japan's capital Tokyo - a leading indicator of nationwide trends - slowed to 3.3% in February.

The BOJ expects core consumer inflation to slow back below its 2% target towards the year-end, which will take some pressure off firms to keep hiking pay next year.

"Certainly, wages are expected to swing upward considerably in this year's spring wage talks, but this will be very transitory," said former BOJ board member Takahide Kiuchi, who is now executive economist at Nomura Research Institute.

"A virtuous cycle between wages and prices is unlikely," he said of the chance Japan can achieve a combination of rising prices and higher wages - a condition the BOJ sees crucial in heading for an exit from its ultra-loose policy.

Markets are rife with speculation the BOJ will end its unpopular bond yield control policy soon after Ueda - chosen by Kishida to become next BOJ chief - takes the helm in April.

Uncertainty over the sustainability of wage hikes could prod the BOJ to go slow in dialing back stimulus, some analysts say.

Speaking in parliament, Ueda said he was mindful of the demerits of prolonged easing. But he added the recent cost-push inflation must shift to one backed by solid wage growth for the central bank to end ultra-low interest rates.

"The average pace of wage gains consistent with 2% inflation would be around 3%. If wage gains stably exceed 3%, the BOJ may need to overhaul its monetary framework," said Hisashi Yamada, senior economist at Japan Research Institute.

"But there's a chance this year's wage hike could prove temporary. The BOJ will probably wait until next year in doing anything radical, such as ending its bond yield control policy." (Reporting by Tetsushi Kajimoto and Leika Kihara; Editing by Sam Holmes)

Michigan House approves repeal of state's right-to-work law


Democratic state Reps., from left, Denise Mentzer, Matt Koleszar, Joey Andrews, Jaime Churches and Dylan Wegela, listen as testimony is given during a House Labor Committee meeting, Wednesday, March 8 , 2023, in Lansing, Mich., on repealing the state's right-to-work law and restoring prevailing wages. (AP Photo/Joey Cappelletti) 

JOEY CAPPELLETTI
Wed, March 8, 2023

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan's Democratic-led House approved legislation Wednesday that would repeal the state's “right-to-work” law that was passed more than a decade ago when Republicans controlled the Statehouse.

Repealing the law, which prohibits public and private unions from requiring that nonunion employees pay union dues even if the union bargains on their behalf, has been a top priority for Democrats since they took full control of the state government this year.

“This bill is not about making history. It is about restoring the rights of workers from whose work we’ve all benefited,” Rep. Jim Haadsma, a Battle Creek Democrat, said on the House floor prior to the vote.

Supporters of the repeal, who poured into the gallery above the House chambers, cheered loudly as the legislation passed along party lines late Wednesday. Legislation restoring the state’s prevailing wage law, which requires contractors hired for state projects to pay union-level wages, was also approved by the House.

Both bills will need to pass the state Senate before being sent to Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for final approval.

A $1 million appropriation was attached to both bills prior to the House vote that Republican House Leader Matt Hall said would make them “referendum-proof.” Michigan law says the “power of referendums” does not extend to bills with appropriations attached.

Whitmer previously wrote in a government accountability plan that if “a non-appropriations bill has a dollar amount added to circumvent the people’s right to a referendum," she would veto it.

The House Labor Committee advanced the repeal, in addition to the legislation that would restore the state's prevailing wage law, early Wednesday as supporters and opponents of the bills packed the main committee room and three overflow areas. The committee allowed just over an hour of testimony, predominately from supporters of the repeal, before voting to advance the bills.

“We don't want the government telling two private parties what they can agree to in negotiations,” said Jonathan Byrd, president of the South Central Michigan AFL-CIO. “That is what right-to-work does.”

Whitmer commended the committee for putting “Michigan workers first,” saying in a statement that “working people should always have basic freedoms in the workplace without interference from the government.”

House Republicans argued in the committee that the public showed its support of right-to-work when voters rejected a 2012 constitutional amendment that aimed to protect the right to organize and bargain collectively. They also complained that the bills were being rushed through and that more debate was needed.

Haadsma, who chairs the House Labor Committee, said the committee “had to accomplish this today so we can accomplish this by spring break,” referring to the Legislature's two-week break that begins March 23.

When the Legislature passed the right-to-work legislation in 2012, thousands of union supporters descended on the Capitol to protest. The law dealt a devastating blow to organized labor in a state that had played an important role in the growth of the U.S. labor movement, though unions have lost significant power in the region over the past decade.

The year before, neighboring Wisconsin under Republican Gov. Scott Walker proposed all-but ending collective bargaining for most public workers. It sent off weeks of protests that grew to as large as 100,000 people and led Democratic state senators to leave the state in a failed attempt to stop the bill’s passage.

Four years later, after he had said he wouldn’t go after union rights of private sector workers, Walker signed a right-to-work law for Wisconsin.

___

Associated Press writer Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin, contributed to this report.

Michigan House passes bills to repeal right-to-work



Clara Hendrickson, Detroit Free Press
Wed, March 8, 2023 

Michigan House Democrats passed legislation Wednesday night over GOP objections to deliver on a key promise to union activists: repealing the state's right-to-work law.

The law, established by Republicans in 2012, allows workers in unionized jobs to opt out of paying union dues and fees. Michigan — a state steeped in labor history — could become the first state in nearly 60 years to ditch its right-to-work law.

"It has done nothing but hurt hardworking Michiganders," said bill sponsor state Rep. Regina Weiss, D-Oak Park. "It has allowed people who don't pay union dues to take advantage of union benefits."

Democrats championed their bills to repeal the law as a boon for workers' rights that would strengthen unions and help reverse wealth inequality. "It gives union members their power back," said state Rep. Jim Haadsma, D-Battle Creek, who chairs the House Labor Committee. "It restores balance in negotiations."

Republican lawmakers countered that the legislation will harm Michigan's economic competitiveness and make unions less responsive to workers' needs.

"This is about forcing Michigan workers to join a union," said House Minority Leader Matt Hall, R-Kalamazoo. "If a union is providing the value, then people will join."

More:Planned repeal of right-to-work law puts Michigan on national stage

More:After years of shrinkage, Michigan state government employment is growing again

The legislation — House Bill 4004 and House Bill 4005 — both passed by a one-vote margin with all Democrats sticking together to support the measures.

HB 4004 would repeal right-to-work for public sector workers. A U.S. Supreme Court decision barring public sector unions from requiring employees covered by collective bargaining agreements to pay union dues renders HB 4004 unenforceable. But proponents of the bill want to change Michigan’s labor laws for public employees in the event the court overturns the decision.

HB 4005, meanwhile, would repeal Michigan's right-to-work law for workers in the private sector.

Both bills were modified late Wednesday to include a $1 million appropriation to the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity to respond to public questions about the legislation and implement it.

The appropriation means that the legislation is not subject to a public referendum in which voters could reject the law. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in her first term issued an executive directive promising to veto any legislation "that circumvents the right to a referendum."

The votes took place the same day the House Labor Committee heard testimony on the bills and sent them to the floor for a vote.

Tens of thousands of Michigan workers currently protected by union agreements don't provide any financial support to the union. State Rep. Jimmie Wilson, D-Ypsilanti, said eliminating right-to-work will "repeal the right to freeload."

The share of workers covered by a union declined before Michigan's right-to-work law kicked in and continued to fall in the subsequent years. Most Michigan employees are not covered by unions today. Democrats who supported the bills Wednesday posit stronger unions will secure higher wages and force all employers to keep pace.

Clara Hendrickson fact-checks Michigan issues and politics as a corps member with Report for America, an initiative of The GroundTruth Project. Contact her at chendrickson@freepress.com or 313-296-5743. Follow her on Twitter @clarajanehen.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan House passes bills to repeal right-to-work

Cyber attack hits Canadian engineering giant with contracts for military bases, power plants


Wed, March 8, 2023 



OTTAWA — A Canadian engineering giant whose work involves critical military, power and transportation infrastructure across the country has been hit with a ransomware attack.

Toronto-based Black & McDonald has so far refused to publicly comment on the cyberattack, while the Department of National Defence and other clients of the company have downplayed any impact or damage.

"Black & McDonald notified OPG that they had experienced a ransomware attack which was unrelated to OPG operations and information," said Ontario Power Generation spokesman Neal Kelly.

"OPG conducted an immediate investigation and found there was no impact to our operations. OPG constantly monitors to ensure the highest levels of cybersecurity.

Experts are nonetheless concerned, saying the attack on Black & McDonald represents a far greater threat to Canada's national security and critical infrastructure than the attack on Canada's largest bookstore chain, Indigo Books & Music Inc.

"This is a different ball game," said David Shipley, CEO of cybersecurity firm Beauceron Security. "If it's tied back to Russia in some way, then we've got some more questions to ask. Other nation-states are stepping up cybercrime groups as well, notably North Korea, but also Iran."

Details about the ransomware attack are scarce, with Black & McDonald refusing even to confirm it happened.

Department of National Defence spokeswoman Jessica Lamirande in a statement said it was first reported to Defence Construction Canada, which handles contracts with outside companies for the support and maintenance of military bases across the country.

"Once DCC was informed of the incident, it blocked all incoming emails from Black & McDonald out of an abundance of caution and conducted business by phone or in person," she said. "Once the contractor restored its email system and informed DCC, email communication resumed."

But while Lamirande confirmed the company reported the cyber breach early last month, she could not comment on the ransomware's origins or what measures the company had taken.

Black & McDonald and its subsidiary Canadian Base Operators have several multimillion-dollar contracts with the Defence Department for the support of Canadian military bases, including one signed in 2020 and valued at $157 million over 10 years.

The company, which has 5,500 employees across Canada and reported more than $1.5 billion in sales last year, also provides engineering and construction services for critical infrastructure projects, including nuclear power plants, airports and with the Toronto Transit Commission.

"We were advised by B & M last week, but no immediate concerns were conveyed," TTC spokesman Stuart Green said in an email, adding: "No impact on the TTC."

Without more information on the nature of the attack and its culprit, Shipley takes such assurances with a grain of salt.

"An absence of evidence that something bad happened doesn't mean something bad didn't happen," he said. "What proof do you have that says this didn't get touched, exfiltrated, et cetera. How are you this confident?"

Until more information is available, Shipley said questions will remain.

Cybersecurity officials inside and outside government have been warning for years about the need to strengthen Canada's cyber defences when it comes to critical infrastructure. The country has already seen the impact of such an attack.

Late last year, hackers accessed the private data of more than 58,000 Newfoundlanders. They also wiped out the information technology systems of the province's largest health authority, forcing officials to cancel thousands of appointments, including cancer care.

The threat of a successful attack isn't just losing information. A growing number of devices used to control nuclear power plants, air-traffic control systems and other infrastructure can be accessed remotely, said Terry Cutler, CEO of cybersecurity firm Cyology Labs.

"So it's very serious because if that data got out, they're going sell it on the dark web," he said. "Cyber criminals will sell it, and maybe state-sponsored actors will buy that stuff. And then from there, they can start building up plans to attack."

Black & McDonald's ties to the Canadian military are also a potential source of concern, said Brett Callow, a threat analyst with cybersecurity firm Emsisoft, particularly given current tensions with Russia.

"Some ransomware operations are Russia-based and some are believed to have connections to the Russian government," he said. "This means there's no way to know where the data that they steal may end up or, necessarily, even what the real motive for an attack may be."

There have been reports of other attacks on Canadian defence firms in the past year, though whether there has been an increase is unclear as companies are not normally required to report incidents to the government, let alone the public.

"There's so much secrecy around incidents that's it's hard to tell whether attacks are trending up or trending down," Callow said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 8, 2023.

Lee Berthiaume, The Canadian Press

B.C. First Nations leaders want Fisheries and Oceans science reviews put under the microscope

Wed, March 8, 2023 

The Okisollo fish farm is pictured during a DFO fish health audit near Campbell River, B.C. on Oct. 31, 2018. (Jonathan Hayward/Canadian Press - image credit)

First Nations leaders in B.C. are calling for an investigation into Fisheries and Oceans Canada's (DFO) scientific review and decision-making processes after a group of scientists pointed out flaws in a recent report on salmon farming and parasites.

The First Nations Leadership Council — a political executive made up of the B.C. Assembly of First Nations, First Nations Summit and the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs — is calling for an independent external investigation and an overhaul of these processes to restore the department's credibility.

Sixteen professors and research scientists from Canadian and American universities signed a letter to Fisheries and Oceans Minister Joyce Murray, dated Jan. 30, saying a DFO report on the association between sea lice from salmon farms and wild B.C. salmon "falls far short of the standards of credible independent peer review and publishable science."

"We were astounded by [the letter] and immediately called out the minister because of it," said Hugh Braker, a member of the First Nations Summit political executive.

Braker said sea lice infestations in salmon are a touchy issue for most First Nations in B.C. and that the First Nations Summit would like for the minister to not renew any fish farm licences.

"The salmon are a staple for First Nations in British Columbia," said Braker.

"They are pillar of most cultures for First Nations in British Columbia. If we don't have that, then one of those pillars is gone. That's not really an option for us."

Letter to DFO minister

John Reynolds, research chair in aquatic conservation at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, and a former chair of the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, was one of the people who signed the letter to the DFO minister.

He said the DFO report on sea lice infestations was "flawed from top to bottom" and the conclusion of the report that there was no statistically significant association between lice on salmon farms and the lice in wild salmon populations in B.C. was the opposite of findings he and his colleagues have concluded in their own research.

The letter points to more than 30 peer-reviewed studies from B.C. and Europe that show a significant link between sea lice infestations on salmon farms and the wild population, some of which were cited in the DFO report but were not integrated into its conclusions.

The letter says the contributors to the report are almost all aquaculture-focused DFO staff "with the mandate to 'support aquaculture development'" and that it was externally reviewed by one industry-associated professor who regularly advises B.C. salmon-farming companies. The scientists say this is one of the reasons why the report does not meet independent peer-review standards.

Submitted by Alexandra Morton

Sea lice are a naturally occurring parasite that feed on the skin and external tissues of wild fish that make them more susceptible to predators, can change their behaviour and weaken their immune systems.

"If you concentrate a large number of fish in one place, such as in an open-net pen salmon farm, then the numbers of sea lice will amplify on those captive fish the same way that any disease will amplify in people if they're crowded together," said Reynolds.

DFO did not provide comment by time of publishing.

On Feb. 17, Murray announced DFO would not renew the licence of 15 open-net Atlantic salmon farms in B.C.'s Discovery Islands due to the uncertain risks the farms pose to wild salmon and that the government is committed to developing a plan to transition away from open-net farming.

Sean Godwin, a postdoctoral fellow at Simon Fraser University studying marine ecology and another signatory of the letter, said the future of salmon farming in B.C. will have a great impact on the ecosystem, which is why the advice given to the minister to make decisions is important.

"It would be really good for the minister and DFO to admit the mistakes and breaches to scientific conduct that were made in this report, but more importantly, withdraw the report so that its conclusions can't really affect the really important decisions coming up," said Godwin.

"[Murray] deserves to be able to trust the science advice that's given to her by her own department, which just is not possible right now."

THE SECOND INTERNATIONAL

Social Democrats reflect on Ukraine war, European security


Wed, March 8, 2023 



WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Leaders of nine Social Democratic parties in Europe declared unwavering support Wednesday for Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s invasion and discussed future European security.

Social Democrats from Germany, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Ukraine, Poland, Sweden, Slovenia, Finland and Croatia met in Warsaw for a two-day conference about the war and the ways it has altered European politics.

Former Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven, president of the Party of European Socialists, said there was no going back to “business as usual” with Moscow. He stressed that Europe must make sure Ukraine wins the war and that any peace agreement is struck on Kyiv's terms.

His party is a coalition of Socialist, Social Democratic, Labour and Democratic parties in the European Union, the U.K. and Norway.

Lars Klingbeil, the co-chairman of Germany’s Social Democratic Party, recently visited Kyiv and spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He stressed that Ukrainians were fighting for European values as well as their country and should receive all available support.

Klingbeil told reporters the Leopard 2 tanks that Germany has pledged would make it to the front lines in Ukraine this month.

Participants at the meeting discussed the future leadership of NATO, since Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg's term ends in October.

The meeting's host, the head of Poland's New Left party, Wlodzimierz Czarzasty, mentioned Poland's former left-wing president, Aleksander Kwasniewski, as a possible candidate to lead the alliance.

During Kwasniewski's 1995-2005 presidency, Poland joined NATO and the European Union.

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Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

The Associated Press

DEEP WATER OIL PROJECT

Feds, Equinor push back in court clash over Bay du Nord


Wed, March 8, 2023 

Lawyers representing Equinor and the federal government on Thursday pushed back against arguments that Canada’s first deepwater offshore oil project was unlawfully approved.

In April 2022, Environment and Climate Change Minister Steven Guilbeault approved Bay du Nord, stating it was environmentally sound. He determined the project, about 500 kilometres east of St. John’s in Newfoundland, “is not likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects.” Opponents were quick to condemn the approval, noting the significant emissions that would come from the project and the risk it poses to marine life.

In Ottawa on Wednesday, lawyers on behalf of Sierra Club Canada, Equiterre and Mi'gmawe'l Tplu'taqnn Incorporated (MTI) — a group representing eight Mi’gmaq communities in New Brunswick — said Guilbeault didn’t have the full picture when considering the project’s environmental effects. Notably missing from the environmental assessment he based his approval on, they argued, were downstream emissions (when the oil is burned) and the potential effects marine shipping activity could have on the environment and Mi'kmaq rights.

On Thursday, Equinor lawyer Sean Sutherland confirmed that while assessing the project, the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada didn’t include downstream emissions, but said the groups had ample opportunities to request that those issues be addressed during the public consultation process.

Regarding downstream emissions, he said it is common practice for them not to be included in environmental assessments.

“Indeed, in a project EA, it is impossible to identify ultimate downstream uses, the regulations that may apply to those emissions, mitigation measures, and justification,” reads court documents.

He also dismissed the idea that marine shipping was omitted from the assessment, saying there was a reasonable inclusion of potential effects from marine tankers. Sutherland noted Equinor doesn’t know where any of this oil will be shipped yet, and some products might go straight to international markets from the production site, making it difficult to describe the full picture of tanker activity.

He focused heavily on arguments around Equinor’s openness to engage with environmental groups and First Nations, and what he said were numerous examples of the opponents weighing in on the project, and that they didn’t focus on marine shipping or downstream emissions.

Dayna Anderson, a lawyer for the Attorney General of Canada, said consultations with First Nations, specifically those represented by MTI, were thorough. During the process, the government deemed the duty to consult with the group as “low” because of the project’s distance from land and “therefore impacts to MTI’s rights would be minimal,” court documents read.

MTI never agreed to that designation and maintained it was not given enough time and resources to weigh in on and get information on how marine shipping could impact the environment, specifically the endangered Atlantic salmon population that migrates between the Bay of Fundy and the Bay du Nord area.

Ultimately, environmental lawyer Joshua Ginsberg said MTI’s participation was “incomplete,” and that the group’s requests for more information and communication were not met. He said groups not only weighed in during the official process, but they sent letters to Guilbeault and spent significant resources speaking to media and raising concerns specifically around emissions and the transport of oil.

Even though Bay du Nord, if financed and completed, will be hundreds of kilometres from land, Ginsberg said its effects would be felt far beyond the project area. The planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions from the project will know no borders, and if a spill were to occur, it would inevitably harm marine life. Ginsberg argues it is necessary to assess the impacts of marine shipping and what downstream emissions could mean for Canada’s climate goals.

There is no specific date set for a decision, but Federal Court Justice Russel W. Zinn noted “it may take some time” based on the volume of information.

Cloe Logan/ Local Journalism Initiative / Canada’s National Observer

Cloe Logan, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada's National Observer

Margaret Atwood's new short stories tackle cancel culture, reproductive rights, technology

Wed, March 8, 2023 

TORONTO — Margaret Atwood has been applauded for her speculative and sometimes bleak bibliography that imagines a future not too far from reality, but the renowned author is not in the habit of making predictions about her own times ahead.

Atwood, 83, hasn't yet decided when it will be time to put the pen down.

"If you have a book to write, you write it. And then if you don't have one, then you don't," says the Canadian literary legend, whose vast collection of writings explore a range of topics from dystopian futures, animals rights and identity, often from a feminist point of view.

In fact, she's showing no signs of slowing down. In addition to the author's new collection of short stories, "Old Babes in the Wood," published Tuesday, Atwood told "The Today Show" she's working on a memoir.

She's also expanded how she communicates with readers outside the printed page by starting her own newsletter with Substack last November.

"It allows my readers to connect with me in a different way," Atwood said, noting the platform allows for posts that are longer and more engaging than Twitter feeds.

In "Old Babes in the Wood," Atwood continues to provide literary commentary on present-day challenges surrounding cancel culture, women's reproductive rights, as well as society's reliance on technology and, though not explicitly said, social media by extension.

Atwood understandsthe lure of social media but when asked if she is on TikTok she responds with, "are you joking?" followed by a reference to her age. She does see the promotional appeal of the app, especially for a younger generation of readers.

"BookTok on TikTok is very much a young person thing," she said referring to the subculture where users review and share their favourite books.

"There's a benefit for the authors and also for the readers if they're enjoying the book...but there is no human technology that does not have a plus and minus and then something stupid that you haven't anticipated at all."

TikTok has recently come under fire with federal and provincial governments banning employees from using the social media app on government-owned devices due to security concerns. Atwood said she doesn't expect this to impact the number of users contributing to BookTok.

Fans can still find musings from Atwood on Twitter despite the deluge of misinformation and toxicity found on the app, but only because, "there hasn't been anything that has quite replaced it yet."

The author has spoken out about cancel culture previously and explores the phenomenon in "Airborne: A Symposium." The story is situated around a group of older women friends discussing the evolution of feminist movements and social protocols when a friend's blunder blows up on social media.

Atwood said it's never a question of whether or not people can say anything they want without consequences because they can't, but it's more of a question of where society draws the line.

"It's the old biddies trying to figure it out, and if you think the biddies aren't doing that, think again," said Atwood.

"Old Babes in the Wood" is Atwood's first collection of short stories since releasing "Stone Mattress" in 2014.

The bookfeatures new pieces such as "Bad Teeth," which tells the story of two older women who have built the kind of friendship where a white lie cannot shake its foundation, and "Metempsychosis," a quirky tale of a frustrated snail who has taken over the body of a customer service representative.

"Old Babes in the Wood" is bookended by several stories featuring married couple Nell and Tig, characters introduced in Atwood's previous short story work. The pieces examine love, aging and the grief of losing a partner in life.

Atwood dedicated the collection to her late partner Graeme Gibson who died in 2019.

While Atwood pulls from her own experiences when crafting a story, she said readers often think that the process of writing is entirely self-expression on the part of the writer, when it is evocation on the part of the reader.

"The concern of the writer is not so much to do self-expression, which you can do by going out into the backyard and screaming, but to put words together in such a way that they will connect with a reader."

The collection also includes previously released pieces including "Impatient Griselda," which is set in a pandemic world where alien-like creatures are brought in to intervene.

The piece was included in a series of short stories commissioned by The New York Times months after the COVID-19 pandemic started.

Atwood surmises she's "kind of too old to be influenced," even by a pandemic that upended many people's lives, so she doesn't expect COVID-19 to impact her work.

"What do writers do anyway in their lives? They sit in rooms by themselves and talk to people who aren't there. So not much of a change," she said, of pandemic isolation measures.

And while she may be used to writing about a future plagued by uncertainty, Atwood said she's not sure she would have incorporated the pandemic in her craft if she hadn't been asked to.

"Writers in general write about the times that they're living in. It's kind of hard not to."


This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 8, 2023.

The Canadian Press

CRIMINAL CAPITALI$M
Executive gets 15 months in prison in doomed nuclear project

Wed, March 8, 2023 



COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A former executive utility who gave rosy projections on the progress of two nuclear power plants in South Carolina while they were hopelessly behind will spend 15 months in prison for the doomed project that cost ratepayers billions of dollars.

Ex-SCANA Corp. Executive Vice President Stephen Byrne apologized in court Wednesday, saying he thinks about how he let down customers, shareholders, employees, taxpayers and his family almost every day.

The two nuclear plants, which never generated a watt of power despite $9 billion of investment, were supposed to be “the crowning achievement of my life,” Byrne said. “But I failed.”

Byrne is the second SCANA executive to head to prison for the nuclear debacle. Former CEO Kevin Marsh was sentenced to two years in prison in October 2021 and released earlier in March after serving about 17 months.

Two executives at Westinghouse, which was contracted to build the reactors, are also charged. Carl Churchman, who was the company's top official at the Fairfield County construction site at V.C. Summer, pleaded guilty to perjury and is awaiting sentencing. Former Westinghouse senior vice president Jeff Benjamin faces 16 charges. His trial is scheduled for October.

Both defense lawyers and prosecutors agreed to delay Byrne's prison sentence until he testifies at Benjamin's trial to make sure he is honest and helpful.

But that isn't in doubt. Prosecutors said Byrne was the first executive to come to investigators after the project was abandoned in July 2017. His careful notes taken in every meeting of who spoke and what was said saved the government years of work unraveling the lies, prosecutor Winston Holliday said.

“They are the handwriting of an engineer," Holliday said.

In all, Byrne met with state and federal agents 15 times, sometimes for entire days. He walked them through what happened from the 2008 proposal to build the plants that led to a state law allowing the utility to raise rates so much of the risk fell on customers, to the final desperate meetings in 2017 when it was obvious the project was dead.

His cooperation led U.S. District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis to agree with the defense and prosecution recommendation of a 15-month prison sentence, a $200,000 fine and $1 million in restitution. Federal sentencing guidelines suggest a maximum five-year sentence for conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.

Byrne, 63, told state regulators in 2016 that construction of the plants would finish in time to get more than $1 billion in tax credits vital for SCANA and its subsidiary South Carolina Electric & Gas to afford the project. The goal was to reassure shareholders and others that the project, which leaders knew was hopelessly delayed and over budget, was on track.

But unlike other executives, whose sin was greed and wanting to line their own pockets with bonuses, Holliday said Byrne's sin appeared to be pride.

“I genuinely believe as an engineer he wanted to build this thing," Holliday said.

The first words Byrne said in court were “I'm sorry.” He has been a nuclear engineer all his life and said he regrets the role he played in stifling the growth of nuclear power in the United States because the SCANA debacle showed the projects are too expensive and unwieldy.

“I failed the nuclear industry as well. What we hoped would be a nuclear renaissance — we put the brakes on it,” Byrne said.

Since losing his job in 2018, Byrne has been building houses with Habitat for Humanity. His lawyers said he took classes to be an electrician at a technical college so he could better help the organization.

“It is my fervent hope that when I retire I can go on to live a quiet life and no one in here ever hears from me again,” Byrne said.

Jeffrey Collins, The Associated Press