It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Tuesday, April 04, 2023
Group steers Swiss billionaire’s money to liberal causes
By BRIAN SLODYSKO
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Berger Action Fund is a nondescript name for a group with a rather specific purpose: steering the wealth of Hansjörg Wyss, a Swiss billionaire, into the world of American politics and policy.
As a foreign national, Wyss is prohibited from donating to candidates or political committees. But his influence is still broadly felt through millions of dollars routed through a network of nonprofit groups that invest heavily in the Democratic ecosystem. Such groups don’t have to disclose the source of their funding — or many details about how they spend it.
Newly available tax documents show that his giving through the Berger Action Fund, which describes itself as advocating for “solutions to some of our world’s biggest problems,” swelled in 2021 to $72 million, cementing Wyss’ status as a Democratic-aligned megadonor.
Representatives for Wyss insist they comply with laws governing the giving of foreign nationals and have put in place strict policies limiting the use of donations to “issue advocacy” — not partisan electoral activities. But the fact that the money cannot be publicly traced highlights the difficulty of putting such assertions to the test.
Those same groups have helped to bankroll efforts to lift President Joe Biden’s agenda and paid for TV ads promoting Democratic congressional candidates ahead of last year’s midterm elections.
One ad paid for by a group that Wyss had financed praised Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., for helping pass a Biden-championed bill with green energy provisions. “Some politicians just ignore this crisis,” narrators said. “Maggie Hassan just did something about it.”
After criticizing Republicans for using dark money, Democratic-aligned groups spent more of it in 2020.
“The whole system is currently structured on this premise that we can take these nonprofit group at their word. The reality is there is really no effective oversight to make sure money from a foreign national doesn’t wind up in electoral politics,” said Saurav Ghosh, a director of the Campaign Legal Center, a Washington-based nonpartisan watchdog group.
Wyss, who lives in Wyoming, was born in Bern, Switzerland, in 1935. But he fell in love with the U.S. as a young man, drawn to the rugged beauty of the American West.
After graduating from Harvard Business School, Wyss worked in textiles and for automaker Chrysler. He later built a fortune, estimated by Forbes magazine last year to be worth $5 billion, after establishing the medical device maker Synthes USA, which was sold to Johnson & Johnson for about $20 billion in 2012.
Now, he is most aligned with environmental activism, establishing the Wyss Foundation in 1998 “to help ensure that the iconic Western landscapes that inspired him are protected for everyone.”
In 2007, he expanded his giving, creating the Berger Action Fund, which has donated $339 million to left-leaning nonprofits since 2016, records show.
Wyss’ sister, Heidi Wyss, described her brother’s pursuit of political influence in a 2014 biography that she authored, “Hansjörg Wyss: My Brother.”
“What was important for him was to find out that he could exert an influence through his foundation,” Heidi Wyss wrote.
“At a single meeting, the board of trustees quite often allocates several million dollars. Thus behind the scenes a Swiss plays an important part in American politics,” another passage states.
Of the $72.7 million donated in 2021 by Wyss’ Berger Action Fund, $62.7 million went to two groups that were focused on building public support for Biden’s agenda, according to tax documents and a statement from the group.
“The Berger Action Fund and the Wyss Foundation are committed to complying with all rules governing their activities and have established strict policies prohibiting their funds from being used for get-out-the-vote activities, voter registration, or supporting or opposing candidates or political parties,” the group said in a statement.
Between 1990 and 2006, he donated $119,000 directly to candidates and political committees, as previously reported by The New York Times. Wyss has not addressed the contributions. The statute of limitations to bring any charges has long since passed and the Federal Election Commission, which enforces campaign finance laws, declined to take action against him.
Since switching his focus to nonprofits, two closely related organizations that play a role in Democratic politics have been among the biggest recipients of Wyss’ money.
The Sixteen Thirty Fund and the New Venture Fund — two organizations that share the same founder, address and management firm — collectively received $245 million donated by Wyss’ groups since 2016, tax records show.
The organizations were established over a decade ago by Eric Kessler, a former Clinton administration official and heir to an automotive parts fortune.
“Nearly all of the donations we receive are intended for specific projects or purposes; many donations cannot be used for electoral activities; and every contribution is used in compliance with all guidelines, regulations, and laws,” Amy Kurtz, the president of Sixteen Thirty Fund, said in a statement.
The New Venture Fund is set up to focus on more traditional nonprofit work, while the Sixteen Thirty Fund, which has received $208 million from Wyss since 2016 is, oriented more explicitly toward the political arena. Molly McUsic, the president of Wyss’ Berger Action Fund, is a former director of the Sixteen Thirty Fund.
Sixteen Thirty Fund gives directly to political committees, but it also donates to other nonprofit groups that give money to political committees or pay for TV ads that back specific candidates or causes, tax filings and campaign finance disclosures show.
Last summer, staff attorneys for the FEC said Sixteen Thirty Fund should be required to register as a political committee, a distinction which would force more disclosure.
The recommendations were spurred by a complaint filed by a conservative group against Wyss, his nonprofits, the Sixteen Thirty Fund and the New Venture Fund.
In a memorandum, five FEC attorneys noted that the groups denied donations from Wyss’ nonprofits were used for overt political activity, like paying for ads or electoral activity. But the groups also declined to offer specifics about what practices they have in place to ensure the money is not used that way, the memo states.
The commissioners ultimately rejected the complaint, though two of them pledged greater scrutiny of such groups.
Allegations included in two recent lawsuits filed against the New Venture Fund accuse the organization, which shares the same legal compliance firm as the Sixteen Thirty Fund, of misrepresenting information to donors, or failing to abide by the the strict controls it says it has adopted.
One former contractor, Sarah Walker, alleged in a 2022 federal lawsuit that a New Venture Fund project, where she served as executive director, repeatedly used “tax-deductible contributions” to subsidize the “overhead and pay compensation to numerous employees who performed most of their work” in the political arena. Walker, who is Black, also accuses the nonprofit of fostering a hostile work environment and of racially discriminatory conduct.
Walker declined to comment for this story.
In a statement, New Venture Fund President Lee Bodner said the allegations have “no merit.”
“Further, like any 501(c)(3) organization, we do not engage in any partisan electoral work,” Bodner said.
Wyss also has donated to another nonprofit, Fund For A Better Future, which has received $101 million since 2016. In 2021, a Fund for a Better Future project called Climate Power led a campaign that helped finance millions of dollars in ads backing Biden’s Build Back Better agenda, records show.
Climate Power also spent about $5.3 million on ads supporting about 30 House Democrats in the closing months of the 2022 midterms, campaign finance disclosures show.
“Fund for a Better Future carefully tracks and controls its revenues and expenses to ensure we comply with legal limits and with any restrictions placed on the funds we receive from donors,” spokesperson Niki Woodard said in a statement.
NASA astronaut Christina Hammock Koch to become first woman to orbit the moon
Christina Hammock Koch, who will serve as mission specialist on NASA's Artemis II mission next year, will become the first woman to orbit the moon. Photo courtesy of NASA/Twitter
April 3 (UPI) -- NASA astronaut Christina Hammock Koch -- a flight engineer on the International Space Station and record-holder for the longest single spaceflight by a female -- will become the first woman to orbit the moon next year when the space agency launches its Artemis II mission.
Koch's name was revealed Monday as a member of the four-person crew of astronauts from the United States and Canada who will journey around the moon. Koch, who was assigned mission specialist, will be joined by Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen and NASA astronauts G. Reid Wiseman and Victor J. Glover Jr., who will become the first person of color to orbit the moon, NASA and the Johnson Space Center announced Monday in Houston, Texas.
"When I first found out I was assigned to Artemis II, my thoughts were disbelief, an immense sense of honor and responsibility, and readiness; ready to try to make everyone proud and to really fulfill what this mission truly means to all humanity," Koch said in a NASA video Monday.
Koch, who became an astronaut in 2013, grew up in Jacksonville, Fla., and attended the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in Durham, before going to North Carolina State University. Koch earned bachelor of science degrees in electrical engineering and physics, as well as a master of science degree in electrical engineering. In 2019, she spoke to NC State graduates from the International Space Station. RELATED U.S. Navy pilot to become first person of color to go to the moon
"Don't think there's just one way to accomplish your dreams or a set of boxes you have to check through life," Koch told graduates. "Live your life according to your interests and passions."
Koch participated in the NASA Academy program at Goddard Space Flight Center in 2001, after working as an electrical engineer at GSFC, and was selected in 2013 as one of the eight members of the 21st NASA astronaut class. She completed astronaut candidate training in 2015.
"To me, there's never really been a time when I didn't want to be an astronaut. Going back as far as I can remember, it's what I always dreamed of," Koch said Monday.
Koch served as ISS flight engineer during Expedition 59, 60 and 61. In 2018, she was assigned to her first space flight, which was a long duration mission on the International Space Station. Koch launched on March 14, 2019, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on a Soyuz spacecraft and returned to Earth on Feb. 6, 2020, setting a record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman and the second longest single spaceflight by a U.S. astronaut after retired astronaut Scott Kelly. Koch spent a total of 328 days in space, prompting her to post a video of her rescue dog's enthusiastic greeting when she finally returned home
During her missions to the ISS, Koch also took part in a total of six space walks, including the first all-female spacewalk, which NASA initially canceled because it did not have enough woman-sized space suits. Koch ended up wearing one of the medium-sized spacesuits and doing the walk with male astronaut Nick
Last week, Koch tweeted about how common it is to now see multiple women at the International Space Station.
"Why's this matter? To me, it's making more successful missions and a world where people with a dream work equally hard to reach that dream. Here's to my own astro sisters!" Koch wrote Friday with the hashtag "womenshistorymonth."
While at the ISS, Koch and her crew members contributed to hundreds of experiments to learn more about Earth and physical science, biology, human research and technology.
In 2019, Koch posted a photo of Ghana's national flag in space as she reminisced about her time spent in the country two decades ago.
"20 years ago, I was studying abroad at the University of Ghana. Like spaceflight, it was a positive, life-changing, perspective-deepening experience," Koch wrote.
A year later, Koch helped Nickelodeon debut its first footage of the children's cable network's iconic green slime in space. Koch and another crew member were able to spin the slime in mid-air and adhere it to a paddle board. While there was no gravity, they were not able to pour it over each others' heads.
"Playing with slime in space is way more fun that I thought it would be -- and way more unpredictable," said Koch. "Just like all of the other science we do, you cannot replicate these experiments on the Earth, you need zero gravity to see some of this behavior."
Koch faced angry flat Earth theorists when she shared her last photo of Earth in a 2020 tweet as she returned from the International Space Station, to which some replied "fake pic" and "nice fake curvature."
And Koch continued to share her photos from her missions, including a starry night Van Gogh-like photo from a composite image she captured at the International Space Station.
"City lights, stars, lightning storms, even satellite flares -- a composite of individual photos stacked on top of each other to show all the amazing things we see at night out our window."
While Koch will orbit the moon as a member of the Artemis II crew in 2024, another unnamed crew is expected to land on the moon in 2025.
On Monday, Koch said she is looking forward to working with the other Artemis II crew members.
"They all have a military background and I come from a more raw technical engineering background and I think that that complements one another really well," Koch said. "I think we'll work together great and I hope to be someone on the crew that really is that engineering expert and I hope that that can be the way I contribute the most."
Looking further into the future, Koch said she'd love to be chosen for a mission to Mars, even though she'd miss her husband and her family.
"For Mars, I'd ask my family and friends to make small surprises for me to open on designated dates," she said in an interview in 2016. "A handwritten card when you've been away 15 months can be the best thing imaginable."
NASA names Christina Hammock Koch 1st woman to launch to moon Expedition 59 crew members, including NASA's Christina Hammock Koch (C), Nick Hague of NASA (top) and Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos wave farewell before boarding the Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft for launch at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on March 14, 2019. The crew spent 6 1/2 months living and working aboard the International Space Station.
NASA astronaut Victor Glover will become the first person of color to orbit the moon when the space agency’s Artemis II mission launches as early as next year, the space agency announced Monday. Photo courtesy of NASA
April 3 (UPI) -- NASA astronaut Victor Glover will become the first person of color to orbit the moon, when the space agency's Artemis II mission launches as early as next year.
Born in Pomona, Calif., Glover has been an astronaut since 2013. The aviator served as second-in-command for Crew-1 SpaceX Crew Dragon. The second-ever crewed flight for the spacecraft landed successfully in May 2021.
Glover will serve as one of two pilots on the Artemis II Mission, tentatively scheduled for launch in November, 2024.
It wasn't the father of four's first time leaving the atmosphere.
Glover also served as Flight Engineer during Expedition 64 aboard the International Space Station. At the time, he became the first Black astronaut to serve on the space station.
During that mission, Glover shared pictures of the sunrise and sunset on his Twitter account, garnering international attention.
"I love sunrises and sunsets. Can you see the bands of color," Glover, who turns 47 later this month, Tweeted at the time
"They remind me of the scripture in Psalm 30, 'weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.' It seems darkest just before sunrise. I wish you all love and light. Goodnight from the ISS."
After graduating in 1994 from Ontario High School in Ontario, Calif., Glover went on to get his bachelor of science degree in general engineering from California Polytechnic State University. He earned his wings of gold after completing advanced flight training in 2001.
He now holds a master of science in flight test engineering, as well as a master of science in systems engineering from the Naval Post He has regularly taken time to speak to schoolchildren about the wonders of space.
""Inspiration is, 'Wow, I didn't realize that I could do that. I want to go to school and study that thing,'" he said during a 2021 interview.
"It turns into decisions."
As a pilot, Glover accumulated more than 3,000 flight hours in more than 40 aircraft, including over 400 landings on U.S. Navy aircraft carriers, often considered one of the most difficult tasks a fighter pilot performs. Of those carrier arrested landings, 24 came during combat missions.
He has been deployed across the world both in war and peacetime.
The importance of becoming the first person of color to eventually circle the moon was not lost on Glover on Monday.
"This is a big day. We have a lot to celebrate and it's so much more than the four names that have been announced," the veteran aviator said after his name and those of his crewmates were called by NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.
Should Glover and his fellow astronauts successfully execute the approximate 10-day lunar orbit mission, it would pave the way for NASA's planned mission to the surface of the moon.
That subsequent Artemis III Mission is slated to take place no earlier than 2025.
NASA is designing the Artemis missions in conjunction with the Gateway Program. Once built and launched, the orbiting space station will allow for ongoing exploration and research in deep space, including docking ports for multiple visiting spacecraft.
The platform will be used by astronauts to live, work, and prepare for lunar surface missions.
First astronaut of color to head to the moon: Victor J. Glover Jr.
NASA astronaut Victor J. Glover Jr. is seen during a NASA event at which it was announced that he, and NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins were assigned to the first mission to the International Space Station onboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston on August 3, 2018. NASA Photo by Bill Ingalls/UPI | License Photo
Disney CEO Bob Iger fought back against Florida Governor telling shareholders on Monday that recent actions by the state were “anti-business.”
New YorkCNN — actions against his company, telling Disney shareholders on Monday that recent actions by the state were “anti-business.”
The state of Florida has taken action to strip Disney of some of the powers it had over the land that includes and surrounds Disney World. Florida’s move came after the company objected to legislation passed last year to limit discussions of LGBTQ issues in Florida schools, a bill that opponents referred to as the “Don’t Say Gay” law.
Iger, asked about the fight at the company’s annual shareholders’ meeting, made his most public defense to date of the company’s actions, and the most direct criticism of Florida’s actions.
“Our point on this is that any action that thwarts those efforts simply to retaliate for a position the company took sounds not just anti-business, but it sounds anti-Florida,” he said.
Disney had operated for more than 50 years with broad power to control land use in and around its theme park. It did so through a self-governing body known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District, whose board members all had close ties with Disney.
But after the fight over the “don’t say gay” bill last year, Florida initially tried disband the district, only to become aware that such a move could leave local governments in central Florida with more than $1 billion in liability for bond issues. So earlier this year it passed legislation that instead gave the state the authority to appoint the board members.
Last week the new board disclosed that the land-use powers of the re-named Orange County Tourism Oversight District had been stripped away before the law passed, and given directly to Disney through an agreement with Reedy Creek. That set off a new round of criticism by state officials, including DeSantis, who has been a vocal critic of Disney’s actions.
On Monday, DeSantis ordered a state investigation into the outgoing board in charge of Disney’s special taxing district, his latest counterattack in the ongoing battle against the entertainment giant.
In a letter to Florida’s Chief Inspector General Melina Miguel, DeSantis accused the Reedy Creek Improvement District board of “collusive and self-dealing arrangements,” and unspecified ethical violations for taking actions that appeared to thwart his efforts to take over the board. Separately, DeSantis’ office said in a statement that “all legislative options are back on the table” as his administration seeks to claw back power and potentially retaliate against Disney.
“Disney is again fighting to keep its special corporate benefits and dodge Florida law,” DeSantis spokesman Jeremy Redfern said. “We are not going to let that happen. As Governor DeSantis recently said, ‘You ain’t seen nothing yet.’”
Redfern’s comments came before Iger made his comments at the shareholders’ meeting. Following Iger’s remarks, DeSantis’ office replied, “While a company has First Amendment rights, it does not have the right to run its own government and operate outside the bounds of Florida law. The Florida Legislature and Gov. DeSantis worked to put Disney on an even playing field, and Disney got caught attempting to undermine Florida’s duly-enacted legislation in the 11th hour.”
Disney took a position against the so-called “don’t say gay” bill after some Disney employees called on it to speak out against the legislation. Iger said the Disney may “not have handled the position it took very well.”
“We love the state of Florida,” Iger said. “I think that’s reflected in not only how much we’ve invested over the last 50 years, but how much we’ve given back in jobs and community service, taxes, tourism, of course. We’ve also always appreciated what the state has done for us. It’s been a two-way street.”
But Iger said it was wrong for the state to retaliate against Disney for taking its position.
“The company has a right to freedom of speech just like individuals do,” Iger said. “The governor got very angry about the position that Disney took, and it seems like he’s decided to retaliate against us… in effect to seek to punish a company for its exercise of a constitutional right. And that just seems really wrong to me – against any company or individual, but particularly against a company that means so much to the state that you live in.”
Iger said that Disney plans to invest $17 billion in Disney World over the next 10 years, investments he said would create 13,000 new Disney jobs and thousands of other indirect jobs, attracting more people to the state and generating more taxes.
Iger got follow up questions from shareholders who questioned the company taking a postion against Florida’s legislation. One shareholder asked if “it’s wise to take political positions that satisfy a very small portion of people when our primary mission is entertainment?” Another shareholder criticized the company’s actions, saying “Disney has turned from a place of magic for children to an ideological company… increasingly promoting the woke agenda.”
Iger responded that his job of what’s best for the company includes doing what’s best for its employees, allowing them to flourish. He said there are times when it weighs in on controversial issues because of the importance to employees, and times he thinks it should not weigh in. He said that he is sensitive to criticism, including by some of the shareholders at the meeting, that the company is “creating agenda-driven content,” but he denied that is the case.
“While I know we’re never going to please everybody all the time… I want parents to be able to trust the content we’re creating for their children, and we’re committed to creating age-appropriate content for family audiences,” he said.
Kurdish Oil Crisis: Tangled Ties And High Stakes In The Middle East
REGIONAL GOVERNMENT OF KURDISTAN, IRAQ - 2015: A view of the Kawergosk refinery at sunset. The oil ... [+]
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An international arbitration ruling last week disrupted the Middle East. The long-anticipated decision halted the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) oil exports through Turkey on March 25, pushing oil prices towards $80 a barrel. The International Chamber of Commerce's International Court of Arbitration also ordered Turkey to pay around $1.5bn to Iraq. Compliant with the ruling, Turkey now refuses crude loading from Iraqi Kurdistan without Iraq's federal government's consent.
Deadlocked talks between the KRG and the central Iraqi government preceded the ruling. Baghdad pushed for control via the State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO), while Erbil resisted. In the aftermath of the ruling, Kurdish officials said a preliminary deal has been reached with Baghdad, which will approach Turkey to resume oil imports from the KRG. However, no such request by the Iraqi government has materialized yet, and the terms of a potential agreement remain uncertain.
The Impact of the Arbitration Ruling on Exports and Autonomy
Baghdad seeks to create a new export mechanism under the Iraqi Oil Ministry and State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO). The arbitration court's decision signals the end of the KRG's independent oil exports and curtails its autonomy. Resuming oil exports will likely occur under Baghdad's watch, potentially fueling further political tensions. Owing to legal ambiguities that hampered securing new investors and export channels, the KRG has been exporting oil at a significant political discount, more than $10 below Brent. Under the new mechanism, that discount may cease, decreasing the profits made by Turkish companies and other end users.
KRG sources have taken to social media and spoken with Kurdish media, indicating that oil may resume flowing today, adding that the details of the agreement are expected to be announced later this week.
Kurdish oil matters. The ruling sparked multi-level negotiations involving key players such as the dominant factions of the KRG, Baghdad, Ankara, Tehran, the US, Russia, and potentially China, which recently brokered a deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to secure stability in the Belt and Road Initiative's "middle corridor." In 2015, the Kurdish oil it accounted for 77% of Israel's oil imports. The U.S. has already urged Iraq and Turkey to resume oil flow from Iraqi Kurdistan, with state department officials publicly emphasizing that disruptions to the global energy supply serve no one's interest.
However, the absence of a national Iraqi hydrocarbon law fosters political chaos. Different interpretations of the constitution create roadblocks rather than progress. Transparency is lacking, with undisclosed details about the International Court of Arbitration's ruling. The future of Iraqi Kurdish exports is uncertain as Turkey, Iraq's federal government, and the KRG seek a mutual agreement.
In 2014, the KRG began exporting crude oil independently from Iraq's federal government. Erbil’s independence ambitions were also at its peak during this time when the rise of Islamic State paralyzed the Iraqi government. The federal government responded by launching a case with the ICC. Tensions between the federal government and the KRG escalated in 2022 as Federal Supreme Court in Baghdad sought to stop the KRG's exports and deligitimized the KRG dealings. Prior to the halt in exports, the autonomous region was exporting roughly 450,000 barrels per day of crude, which has been an economic lifeline for Iraq's Kurdistan region.
Nine years after the case began, the ICC ruled in Iraq's favor, ordering Turkey to pay damages for violating the 1973 pipeline transit agreement. No clear winners emerged from this decision. While Turkey and the KRG lost, the penalty was less than what Iraqi officials demanded, making it an incomplete victory for Baghdad. Of all parties, the KRG faces the greatest consequences.
Complex Negotiations Among Regional Powers
Baghdad employed domestic and international mechanisms to target the KRG's oil exports and independence aspirations. Internally, the Iraqi government halted funding to the regional government, and the Federal Supreme Court ruled against the KRG dealings. They initiated the arbitration case and rallied regional support from Turkey and Iran against the Kurds. In moments of crisis, Turkey and Iran backed efforts, such as to dismantle Kurdish rule in Kirkuk in 2017. In later years, Iran began to, directly and indirectly through its proxies, employ hardball tactics, such as shelling to curb the KRG's burgeoning oil relationship with Turkey. The stakes are high.
Negotiations are complex. Between Turkey and the Iraqi government, Ankara wields the water card through the rivers that originate in Turkey against Baghdad which faces serious water scarcity, while Baghdad controls the oil card against Turkey.Moreover, Ankara also seeks Baghdad to actively fight against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a militant group that combats Turkish army since 1984. However, a recent meeting between the Iraqi premier and Turkish officials may not have produced the desired results.
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The Role of Nechirvan Barzani and the KRG’s Path Forward
Unity is key. The KRG can resolve this crisis by speeding up multiple processes: increasing its role in Baghdad, focusing on unity talks among Kurdish factions, and promoting transparency and accountability in oil and gas exports. KRG President Nechirvan Barzani, adept at maintaining connections with all parties, both internal and external, is the ideal leader for this endeavor.
Diversification is necessary. Income should be directed towards diversifying the KRG economy, creating alternatives to oil, increasing production levels, and reducing imports. The goal is to create jobs and foster economic stability.
Oil money isn't enough. The ICC ruling demonstrates that neither the KRG n
Global consequences loom. With the world market losing 450,000 barrels per day, oil prices rise, and Russia and Iran gain energy-borne leverage. The KRG and its partners must act urgently to find a solution, as failure to do so could have dire consequences for the region and the global economy.
The people pay the price. Amidst the political and economic turmoil, the most significant losers are the people of Kurdistan, caught in the middle of the crisis. As negotiations continue, it is crucial to use the dispute as a prompt towards a resolution that benefits all parties involved.
As a London-based research analyst and journalist, I focus on Turkey, the Middle East, and their relationships with Europe, the U.S., and Russia. I frequently visit the region and have a wealth of experience in the field, having previously advised the UK Parliament's Foreign Affairs Select Committee as a Specialist Adviser. I am currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Cambridge and have a background in journalism, having worked for over a decade at the BBC News. Additionally, I worked at notable think tanks such as the SWP-Berlin, ECFR, and MEI.
How The Commonwealth Can Combat Period Poverty With King Charles III's Support
As the new Head of the Commonwealth, His Majesty King Charles III faces the formidable challenge of reinvigorating an institution that has struggled to maintain its relevance in modern times and has been criticized as a prevailing vestige of British colonialism. The Commonwealth's success or failure will directly impact millions of people worldwide. But by prioritizing critical issues such as period poverty and leveraging effective leadership, it can emerge as a potent force for transformative change around the world.
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So what exactly is the Commonwealth? The Commonwealth of Nations is a global organization, composed of more than 50 member states spread across the world, ranging from the emerging superpower of India to the rapidly growing and youthful African nations, to the stunning island archipelago of Kiribati.
In his first Commonwealth Day address this year, The King touched on its "near-boundless potential as a force for good in the world." The Commonwealth is at its best, he went on to say, when "it is an association not just of shared values, but of common purpose and joint action." One notable example was how the Commonwealth served as a forum to rally support for economic sanctions on apartheid era South Africa in the 1980s (with the only notable member opposing the move being the UK itself under PM Margaret Thatcher). More recently, it played a particular role in the eradication of polio.
In 2011, the Commonwealth helped reinvigorate the fight to eradicate polio, with the gathering of Commonwealth leaders in Perth, Western Australia marking a turning point. The meeting’s host, the then Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, convinced member states to recommit to eradicating polio, pledging $118 million. Four years later in Malta, this commitment was renewed, with ongoing support from Commonwealth countries. Baroness Patricia Scotland praised polio eradication as "an exemplary example of what the Commonwealth can do." Since then, the number of countries where polio is endemic has been reduced from four to two, with only one case of wild polio being reported this year.
Unlike other forums such as the UN General Assembly Leaders' Week, the Commonwealth offers a less crowded platform that is better suited to rallying attention around specific issues such as polio. This is because the Commonwealth brings together key players and stakeholders, making it a unique and valuable forum. It could easily help raise other critical, yet often neglected, issues on the agenda. As a family of nations, the Commonwealth's member nations also share a deeper relationship that goes beyond traditional intergovernmental processes, making it a powerful vehicle for driving change and progress in areas like women's health and empowerment.
Girls' education and period poverty are two such significant issues that would hugely benefit from the Commonwealth’s urgent attention and leadership. Over 500 million women and girls worldwide who menstruate suffer from period poverty, with more than one in ten living in extreme poverty. This problem has serious effects on women and girls' physical, mental, and emotional health, and devastating implications for their development and economic potential. In addition, the pervasive stigma surrounding menstruation often exacerbates the issue, leading to further marginalization and social exclusion. Addressing period poverty requires not only practical solutions but also a concerted effort to break down harmful stereotypes and misconceptions, which is where the unique platform of the Commonwealth can play a critical role.
Packages of Tampax brand tampons on a drugstore shelf in New York on Wednesday, February 10, 2016. A ... [+]
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The Global Menstrual Equity Accelerator (GMEA) was launched at Global Citizen Festival in Ghana and New York in 2022 with the goal of promoting menstrual health equity through partnerships with grassroots organizations and initiatives around the world. Supported by Procter & Gamble, the Gates Foundation, Miss Universe India and others, the GMEA’s potential impact would be dramatically amplified if it is included on the agenda of the next Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Samoa in 2024, which will be the first time King Charles attends as the Head of the Commonwealth. The format for the meeting will be determined between the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Samoan Government. Imagine, though, the ripple effect of impact around the world for women, girls, and the pervasive stigma of period poverty if King Charles III were to address the issue in his first-ever speech as monarch at the summit! It would be a powerful way to ensure that menstrual equity becomes part of the global conversation and is officially recognized as a vital step toward the end of extreme poverty and gender inequity.
To be sure, Commonwealth countries have already made significant strides in tackling period poverty. For instance, Kenya eliminated their 'tampon tax', while Scotland now provides free period products in all schools and public institutions. Australia also abolished its goods and services tax on tampons. These best practices show that ending period poverty is a tangible and concrete objective that can be achieved with the right attention, and they need to be shared and scaled across the Commonwealth nations to ensure access to 12 years of quality education for all girls, universal health coverage for women and girls, and realization of their human rights. Commonwealth leaders have laid the groundwork in previous communiques and action plans to tackle this issue, but today’s Commonwealth has a chance to go further.
Ultimately, the Commonwealth has the potential to advance global health, gender equality, and environmental sustainability by continuing its work on polio and addressing issues such as period poverty and climate change. These initiatives would align with the King's recent articulation of the Commonwealth's defining values, which include peace, justice, tolerance, respect, solidarity, and care for the environment and the most vulnerable among us. By prioritizing these issues, King Charles and the Commonwealth can demonstrate an authentic commitment to improving the lives of millions of people worldwide and to creating a more just and sustainable future for all.
Many people are fixated on whether the King will remain the head of state of his 14 realms. However, it is unlikely that this will be the case, as the King himself acknowledged in Rwanda last year, and as countries increasingly take charge of their own constitutional arrangements. However, in my opinion, measuring the success of the King's reign by his stewardship of the Commonwealth is a more interesting and exciting approach. The growth in membership of the Commonwealth is a testament to its enduring appeal, which will only increase if it can demonstrate the positive impact it has on people's lives. Ultimately, the true test of the King's reign will be whether he can build on his mother's legacy and leave a lasting impression as the People's King for the 2.6 billion citizens of the Commonwealth. A pledge to end period poverty could be a good start.
I am the cofounder and chief policy and government relations officer at Global Citizen, a global advocacy and education movement focused on ending extreme poverty by 2030. At Global Citizen I oversee international advocacy campaigns in support of universal sanitation, climate mitigation and adaptation efforts, access to education, food security, gender equality and disease elimination and prevention. Since 2009, our advocacy work has resulted in over 100 commitments worth $48billion USD, affecting more than 880 million lives.
US Constitution does not say president 'must be Christian' AFP|Update: 04.04.2023 The US Constitution does not require the president to be Christian, contrary to a claim that has resurfaced in a Facebook post shared hundreds of times. The nation's supreme law explicitly prohibits any "religious test" as a prerequisite for public office but does require the president to be at least 35 years old, a natural born citizen and to have lived in the country for at least 14 years.
The claim was posted on Facebook here on March 4, 2023, and has since been shared more than 400 times.
"This is what the constitution of the 'grandfather of democratic countries' states," says part of the post's Burmese-language text, which was shared as an image.
It continues: "(By the Constitution of U.S.A) the president of the United States (including vice-president) has to be a Christian. Except for Christians, anyone who is a Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, Sikh or Hindu is not allowed to work for the White House."
It was posted by an account that has voiced support for the military in Buddhist-majority Myanmar.
The United States has repeatedly condemned the military junta, which toppled the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021, and called its rule "illegitimate".
Prior to the February 2021 coup, the country had seen surging Buddhist nationalism, with the cause of extremist monks receiving new support in 2017 when the army launched a brutal crackdown on the Muslim Rohingya, expelling more than half a million from the country.
Comments on the post suggest some users believed the claim.
One user wrote: "Is this what they call democracy?"
"Go ask for your human rights there," said another.
The same claim previously circulated on Facebook here in October 2020, and was shared more than 500 times.
The claim, however, is false.
Constitutional requirementsThe US Constitution states in Article VI, Clause 3: "No religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States."
It says the president must be at least 35 years of age, be a natural born citizen, and must have lived in the United States for at least 14 years.
Dov Levin, an assistant professor of international relations at the University of Hong Kong, told AFP the claim about a religious requirement for the US president is "complete misinformation".
He also said over email on March 30 that: "While the US Constitution was initially silent in this regard, the first amendment to the US Constitution, adopted shortly (1791) after the constitution came into force, also forbids the establishment of any official religion by the US federal government."
Levin added that this has been interpreted to mean "the US federal government maintains neutrality in regard to any aspect regarding religion and bans any US federal government discrimination on this basis on any US government hiring".
Officials who are not ChristianDespite a ban on religious requirements for public service, almost all the country's presidents have been Christian, according to the Pew Research Center. Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln are considered by scholars to not have had formal religious affiliation.
President Joe Biden's cabinet also includes several officials who come from non-Christian religious backgrounds, according to an article published by The Washington Post in January 2021.
Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, who also served under president Barack Obama, spoke about his Hindu faith in a Hindu American Foundation function in 2015.
Monday, April 03, 2023
Ozone-depleting CFCs hit record despite ban: study
Linnea Pedersen Mon, 3 April 2023
Their power to dissolve the ozone layer shielding Earth from the Sun prompted a worldwide ban, but scientists on Monday revealed that some human-made chlorofluorocarbons have reached record levels, boosting climate-changing emissions.
Despite being banned under the Montreal Protocol, the five chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) measured increased rapidly in the atmosphere from 2010 to 2020, reaching record-high levels in 2020, according to the study published in the journal Nature Geoscience.
It said the increase was probably due to leakage during the production of chemicals that are meant to replace CFCs, including hydrofluorocarbons (HFOs).
Although at current levels they do not threaten the recovery of the ozone layer, they contribute to a different threat, joining other emissions in heating the atmosphere.
"If you are producing greenhouse gases and ozone-depleting substances during the production of these next-generation compounds, then they do have an indirect impact on the climate and the ozone layer," said co-author Isaac Vimont of the Global Monitoring Laboratory at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
CFCs are potent greenhouse gases that trap heat up to 10,000 times more efficiently than carbon dioxide -- the biggest cause of the global warming that drives climate change, according to data from the Global Carbon Project.
In the 1970s and 1980s, CFCs were widely used as refrigerants and in aerosol sprays.
But the discovery of the hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica as a result of their use led to the global agreement in 1987 to eliminate them.
After the Montreal Protocol entered into force, global concentrations of CFCs declined steadily.
- Ozone 'early warning' -
The study analysed five CFCs with no or few current uses, beginning at the point of their total global phase-out in 2010.
In 2020 all five gases were at their highest abundance since direct measurements began.
Those emissions have so far resulted in a modest impact on the ozone layer and slightly larger climate footprint, said co-author Luke Western of Bristol University and the Global Monitoring Laboratory.
They are equivalent to the 2020 CO2 emissions of Switzerland -- about one percent of the total greenhouse gas emissions of the United States.
But if the rapid upward trend continues, their impact will increase.
The researchers called their findings "an early warning" of a new way in which CFCs are endangering the ozone layer.
The emissions are likely due to processes that are not subject to the current ban and unreported uses.
The class of industrial aerosols developed to replace those banned by the Montreal Protocol is to be phased out over the next three decades under a recent amendment to the 1987 treaty.
- Unknown source -
The protocol curbs the release of ozone-depleting substances that could disperse, but does not ban their use in the production of other chemicals as raw materials or by-products.
It was not the first time that unreported production had an impact on CFC levels. In 2018 scientists discovered that the pace of CFC slowdown had dropped by half from the preceding five years.
Evidence in that case pointed to factories in eastern China, the researchers said. Once CFC production in that region stopped, the draw-down appeared to be back on track.
The study said further research was needed to know the precise source of the recent rise in CFC emissions.
Nationwide data gaps make it difficult to determine where the gases are coming from and for some of the CFCs analysed there are no known uses.
But "eradicating these emissions is an easy win in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions," said Western.
lp/rlp/yad
'Moment of hope': UN urges Yemen peace talks on truce anniversary
AFP Sun, 2 April 2023
The United Nations' Yemen envoy warned on Sunday the war-ravaged country faces a "critical time" and urged steps towards lasting peace, exactly a year since a truce has dramatically reduced fighting.
Swedish diplomat Hans Grundberg called the UN-brokered truce that took effect in April 2022 a "moment of hope" and said it was largely holding, despite lapsing in October.
"But the truce's most significant promise is its potential to jumpstart an inclusive political process aimed at comprehensively and sustainably ending the conflict," the UN secretary-general's special envoy said in a statement.
Nearly a decade of war in Yemen has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, both directly and indirectly, and set off one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.
"There are still significant risks," Grundberg said, calling to "protect the gains of the truce and to build on them towards more humanitarian relief, a nationwide ceasefire and a sustainable political settlement that meets the aspirations of Yemeni women and men".
A landmark reconciliation deal announced last month between Iran and Saudi Arabia, the two regional powerhouses that back rival sides in Yemen's war, added to the optimism that started last year with the truce.
Riyadh is leading a military coalition on behalf of the ousted Yemeni government while Tehran backs Huthi rebels, who seized control of the capital in 2014.
Amid renewed deadly fighting and warnings from the rebels, the UN envoy said: "The military, economic and rhetorical escalation of recent weeks is a reminder of the fragility of the truce's achievements."
He urged the government and the Huthis to "sit together and responsibly engage in serious dialogue" that would lead to "a peaceful resolution of the conflict".
Yemen remains deeply fractured along regional, confessional and political lines, and riven with rival factions including Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.
"At this critical time, any new temporary or partial arrangement needs to include a clear commitment from the parties that ensures it is a step on the course of a peaceful solution... in an inclusive political process," Grundberg said.
"Moments like now are fleeting and precarious," he warned.
"More than ever, now is the time for dialogue, compromises, and a demonstration of leadership and serious will to achieve peace."
WTF
Nova Scotians now need to be paying 50% of income on housing to qualify for rent supplement
CBC Mon, April 3, 2023 Leigh MacLean said the rental subsidy is a stopgap measure, and more non-market housing is the solution. (Brian MacKay/CBC - image credit)
When housing support worker Leigh MacLean noticed a change on Nova Scotia's rent supplement application form, she thought it was a misprint.
The threshold to qualify for the program had been hiked from 30 to 50 per cent of a person's pre-tax income being spent on housing.
But it wasn't an error.
In late January, the province quietly changed the eligibility rules for the Canada-Nova Scotia Targeted Housing Benefit, known as the rent supplement program.
The definition of severe housing need was changed to only apply to those spending 50 per cent or more of their income on housing.
MacLean fills out the same form with clients dozens of times a week in her work as housing and homelessness team lead at Welcome Housing in Halifax. She said she and others in the sector weren't expecting a change.
"I think it's a drastic move and it's very secretive," MacLean said.
"I wish there would have been a little more transparency, community consultation around it because it just showed up on the new application and it wasn't discussed."
MacLean is concerned about the impact this change will have on the hundreds of clients served by her organization.
"I think if we're targeting 50 per cent [of income spent on housing], that's a lot less subsidies that they'll have to give out, ultimately," she said. "We're in a housing crisis, we're in a instability crisis. We really should be trying to help as many people as we can." CBC
On Friday, Housing Minister John Lohr echoed the idea that Nova Scotia is in a housing crisis, but said the change to the program was made for budgetary reasons.
"We could see that the demand for the program was exceeding what the budget would offer," Lohr said in an interview. "So, we felt the need to prioritize ... this to those most in need, and that's why that decision was made."
Though the change was made in January, it just came to light publicly recently when Suzy Hansen, MLA for Halifax-Needham, asked Lohr about it in question period at Province House Tuesday.
Hansen told CBC she found out about the change from a constituent.
"When you think about who this is gonna affect the most, it's gonna affect those that are on low income, those that are struggling seniors, and they didn't tell any of us," Hansen said. "So, for me, it was really shocking." Robert Short/CBC
Lohr said his department didn't consult community groups because a decision had to be made, but it wasn't done in secret.
"We put it right out there," he said. "It's on the website. Anybody applying could see the change."
What is the rent supplement?
The Canada-Nova Scotia Targeted Housing Benefit is a joint provincial-federal program that provides monthly funding to renters or homeowners who are determined to be in core housing need.
In order to qualify, a person needs to meet multiple requirements and fall under income thresholds. They also must be in "severe housing need" — the definition that was recently changed.
The 50 per cent of income spent on rent isn't calculated based on a person's actual rent, but based on the CMHC average rent for the area where they live.
For Halifax, this number was $1,449 for a two-bedroom unit. But MacLean said this number is usually much lower than actual rents in an area.
According to the Department of Municipal Affairs and Housing, the province is providing 7,000 rent supplements across the province. In Halifax, the monthly payment ranges from $403 to $963.
Old applications grandfathered in
Just two weeks ago, the Houston government didn't increase income assistance rates in this fiscal's budget, but instead said it would focus on "targeted supports" like the rent supplement.
A spokesperson for the department said in a statement that the Houston government has invested an additional $21.6 million in this fiscal year's budget to create at least 1,000 new rent supplements and "continue to support those we already have in place."
This means those who applied to the rent supplement program before the change took place on Jan. 27, 2023, will be grandfathered in if they meet the previous requirements.
"Recipients who continue to meet the eligibility criteria in place at the time they applied will continue to receive the benefit," spokesperson Krista Higdon said in an email. Paul Palmeter/CBC
But those who spend 30 per cent of their income on housing and applied for the supplement after Jan. 27 are likely to be out of luck.
Brian Dauphinee is one of them. He recently found out he and close to 80 other tenants in his building on Quinpool Road in Halifax are being renovicted.
Dauphinee had been living in the same studio apartment since 2015, paying $637.50 monthly. He fears his pension won't be enough to pay the current rents in the city.
"It's going to impact me severely," Dauphinee said. "It's going to force me into making decisions about what kind of food I buy, what kind of medical service I can afford to get ... what clothes I can afford to buy."
Working with Welcome Housing, Dauphinee sent in an application for the rent supplement in March. But now he knows about the change to the eligibility requirements, he isn't confident his application will be accepted.
MacLean said application waiting times have slowed from around eight weeks to up to 14 weeks. For Dauphinee, this just means more time in limbo.
"I'll have to take it at that time," he said. "I'm so shocked, I can't plan beyond right now. I don't know what I'm gonna do."
Women players benefit most in Cricket Australia’s new $634m pay deal
Guardian sport and Australian Associated Press Sun, 2 April 2023 a Photograph: Steve Bell/Getty Images
The majority of women’s cricketers on minimum contracts will earn more than $100,000 a year after Cricket Australia and the players’ union announced a landmark $634m pay deal on Monday.
CA and the Australian Cricketers’ Association on Monday revealed details of a new five-year memorandum of understanding that will see professional women players share $133m – an increase from $80m in the previous agreement – and benefit from a 66% increase in payments.
Under the new deal, minimum and average CA women’s contracts will increase by 25%, while the number of contracts will increase from 15 to 18. Domestic players who do not play for Australia, who play both WNCL (50 over) and WBBL (T20) formats, can earn on average $151,019 annually, inclusive of match fees.
This makes them on average the highest-paid female players of team sports in Australia, with its nearest competitor being Super Netball where the minimum salary is $43,000 with no additional match payments. The AFLW minimum wage sits at close to $40,000, while NRLW is $30,000 and A-League Women’s is $25,000.
The WBBL salary cap will also increase to $732,000 per year in a bid to keep pace with the women’s Hundred in England, India’s WPL and other franchise leagues.
“Cricket now clearly offers the best earning opportunities of any team sport for elite female sportspeople,” CA CEO Nick Hockley said.
“I am particularly pleased this MOU represents another major step forward in the rise of women’s cricket with significant increases in remuneration for the inspirational role models of the world champion Australian women’s team and the WBBL who are driving substantial growth in female participation.”
Centrally-contracted Australian male players will have their pay increase by 7.5% to an average of $951,000 before match payments, while the squad will increase to 24 players.
At a domestic men’s level, more significant changes are coming. The men’s BBL salary cap will rise from $2m to $3m. That will allow the league’s top earners to be paid up to $420,000, with CA desperate to keep and attract new top-line talent. It comes after officials made the competition a priority last season, and agreed to reduce the number of games from 14 for each team to 10 for 2024-25 at the latest.
“We have recognised the need to ensure that the BBL remains highly competitive in a changing global cricket landscape,” Hockley said. “We’re confident this agreement will help maintain its place at the heart of the Australian summer.”
Overall, the changes represent a 26% pay rise for players across the sport, with the deal the first done between Hockley and ACA counterpart Todd Greenberg.
“There is enormous capacity for growth right across the women’s game, as well as the BBL, both of which we believe have enormous untapped potential,” Greenberg said. “Our men and women will benefit from significant investment into the BBL and WBBL, which will help ensure we have the best players playing.”
