Argentina's currency crisis is so dire that it's allowing people to open bank accounts using the Chinese yuan


Huileng Tan
Mon, July 3, 2023 

Dollar vs. YuanYagi Studio/Getty Images

Argentina is allowing commercial banks to open deposit accounts in the Chinese yuan.


The country is facing a drastic shortage in the US dollar, a major currency used in global trade.


The Argentine peso has fallen nearly 80% against the greenback since the start of 2020.

Argentina is facing such a dire shortage of US dollars that it is now allowing commercial banks to open deposit accounts in the Chinese yuan.

The Central Bank of Argentina said in a Thursday statement on its website that it is allowing the Chinese yuan as a form of currency in savings and checking accounts.

The move complements the country's securities regulator announcing that Argentina can issue securities in the Chinese currency, the central bank added.

Argentina — which already allows bank accounts to be opened using US dollar deposits — has been boosting its use of the yuan following a drastic shortage of the greenback.

In April, the country started to pay for imports from China in the yuan. More recently, Argentina partly made a $2.7 billion payment to the International Monetary Fund using the yuan, the Buenos Aires Times reported, citing sources from the country's economy ministry on Thursday.

Argentina turned to the yuan as an alternative currency because its central bank dollar reserves are at their lowest level since 2016 — due in part to an ongoing drought that hit the country's agriculture exports, according to a June 23 Bloomberg report.

The drought meant that Argentina sold fewer crops, sales of which are denominated globally in the US dollar. This, in turn, led to a dollar crunch. It also means it's harder for the country to trade internationally because commodities are generally denominated in the dollar.

On top of that, the Argentine peso has crashed against the dollar, falling 30% this year — making it far more expensive for the country to buy any greenback. The peso has lost nearly 80% of its value against the greenback since the beginning of 2020.

All these developments have opened a window of opportunity for the yuan, which Beijing has been trying to internationalize.

China has been trying to increase the global circulation of the yuan, using the currency for almost all of the Russian oil it bought over the past year, Reuters reported in May, citing multiple trading executives with direct knowledge of the matter.

In Argentina, yuan transactions in the country's currency market came up to about $285 million in the first 10 days of June alone — double the volume in the entire month of May as over 500 companies look into paying for imports in the Chinese currency, Bloomberg reported on June 23.

Despite the surge in yuan usage, one key Argentinian politician is refusing to move away from the dollar. Javier Milei, a leading presidential candidate, has proposed replacing the peso with the greenback as Argentina's local currency to tame inflation.

"The peso melts like ice in the Sahara Desert," Milei is known to say, according to Bloomberg.

The Argentine central bank did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider sent outside regular business hours. 

CRIMINAL CAPITALI$M; TAX CHEAT

Branson, Virgin Group reputations at centre of $250 million London court clash

Sam Tobin
Mon, July 3, 2023   

 Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group, poses for a photograph on board of his new cruise liner, the Scarlet Lady at Dover Port in Dover

LONDON (Reuters) - British billionaire Richard Branson severely damaged Virgin Group's reputation by residing in a tax haven while UK-based airline Virgin Atlantic sought a government bailout during the pandemic, according to internal Virgin emails cited in a $250 million London lawsuit on Monday.

The emails were cited by lawyers for U.S. train operator Brightline, which is being sued by the Virgin Group after cancelling a deal to use the Virgin brand in 2020, just over 18 months after it was signed.

Under the deal Brightline operated a rail line in Florida using the name Virgin Trains USA.

Brightline says it cancelled the deal because the Virgin brand had been hit by negative press coverage of Branson's 2020 claim that Virgin Atlantic would need a bailout from the British government to survive the pandemic.

Brightline's lawyers cited internal Virgin Group emails describing group founder Branson being based in the British Virgin Islands for tax purposes as "a reputation killer", while one email from an external public relations adviser said: "Richard needs to show he's not a ruthless, tax-evading billionaire."

In an April 2020 email, Virgin Group CEO Josh Bayliss referred to Branson's tax residency in relation to the request for a bailout, saying: "Richard cannot escape the criticism. The truth is he has paid as little tax as possible".

Virgin argues its brand was not materially damaged by the group's handling of COVID-19, meaning Brightline was not entitled to cancel the licensing deal without paying an exit fee of up to $200 million. The company is also seeking unpaid royalties.

Virgin's lawyer Daniel Toledano said in court filings that the brand suffered some negative press in Britain in 2020 following Virgin Atlantic's request for government support, but its reputation quickly recovered and was unaffected in the United States.

Brightline's lawyer Nigel Tozzi, however, said the deal had entitled his client to a brand with a high international reputation, like Coca-Cola or leading European soccer teams Real Madrid and Barcelona.

"It is the Beatles, not the Bay City Rollers," he said in court filings.

(Reporting by Sam Tobin; Editing by Susan Fenton)

Take a look at the $300,000 electric flying car with a 110-mile range in the air that just got FAA approval for test 


The real reasons we don't have flying cars

Grace Dean
Mon, July 3, 2023 

Alef Aeronautics' Model A in flight.Alef Aeronautics

Alef Aeronautics' electric flying car, its Model A, got FAA approval for test flights.


Alef claims the EV has a driving range of 200 miles and a flight range of 110 miles.


The car will cost $300,000. Mock-up images show what it could be like.

Alef Aeronautics' electric flying car just won federal approval for test flights

Alef Aeronautics' Model A.Alef Aeronautics

The Californian automaker said last week that it had received a Special Airworthiness Certification from the Federal Aviation Administration for its Model A flying car, which it said marked the first time such a vehicle has received legal approval to fly from the US Government.

Because the FAA is currently developing policies for electrical vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles, the certificate limits the locations and purpose for which the car is permitted to fly.

Alef said in a press release in October that it had been test-driving and -flying a full-size prototype since 2019.

Mock-up images released by Alef show what the vehicle could be like.

The car could fly up to 110 miles

The Model A, which is fully electric, has a driving range of 200 miles and a flight range of 110 miles, Alef says. The company claims that the vehicle fits within the existing urban driving and parking infrastructure.

"Designed to drive on the street, take off vertically when needed and fly overhead above traffic, we're building the solution to the issues of modern congestion," Alef says on its website. "We enable faster and easier commutes, driven by proprietary technology that elevates the vehicle without the need for runways."

Alef says that the Model A is a low-speed vehicle. "The assumption is that, if a driver needs a faster route, a driver will use Alef's flight capabilities," the company says.

Occupants are kept 'stable' while in flight

Alef Aeronautics' Model A.Alef Aeronautics

Alef says that the two-seater vehicle's design means that it provides a "smooth, stable ride and flight" and occupants are kept "stable." It comes complete with a full-vehicle ballistic parachute.

Alef hopes to start shipping the car in 2025

Alef Aeronautics' Model A.Alef Aeronautics

The Model A will cost $300,000. It went on pre-sale in October, and buyers can put down a $150 deposit, or a $1,500 deposit to join the priority queue. Alef says that it's received "strong pre-orders" from both individuals and companies.

When pre-sales launched, Alef said it planned to deliver its first vehicles in the last three months of 2025.

It's working on a bigger vehicle, too

Alef Aeronautics' Model A.Alef Aeronautics

Alef says that it's also working on a four-person sedan, the "Model Z," which it said in October was scheduled for introduction in 2035 at $35,000.

The startup's backers include Elon Musk's space exploration company SpaceX.

 

WAGE THEFT

Musk, Zuckerberg Lead a $852 Billion Surge Among World’s Richest People

Annie Massa and Jack Witzig
Mon, July 3, 2023 


Musk, Zuckerberg Lead a $852 Billion Surge Among World’s Richest People
In this article:

(Bloomberg) -- The world’s 500 richest people added $852 billion to their fortunes in the first half of 2023.

Each member of the Bloomberg Billionaires Index made an average of $14 million per day over the past six months, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. It was the best half-year for billionaires since the back half of 2020, when the economy rebounded from a Covid-induced slump.

The gains coincided with a broad stock market rally, as investors brushed off the effects of central bank interest rate hikes, the ongoing war in Ukraine and a crisis in regional banks. The S&P 500 rose 16% and the Nasdaq 100 surged 39% for its best-ever first half as investor mania over artificial intelligence boosted tech stocks.

While Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg flirt with scheduling a cage match, Tesla Inc.’s chief executive officer came out on top in dollar terms. Musk, the world’s richest person, added $96.6 billion to his net worth this year through June 30, while Meta Platforms Inc. CEO Zuckerberg gained $58.9 billion.

Gautam Adani’s net worth sank the most in the six-month period, losing $60.2 billion. Adani, chairman of Adani Group, also posted the biggest one-day loss of any billionaire, shedding about $20.8 billion on Jan. 27, after short seller Hindenburg Research accused his conglomerate of accounting fraud and stock manipulation — a claim Adani denies.

Hindenburg, founded by Nate Anderson, also knocked down the net worth of another billionaire: Carl Icahn. His Icahn Enterprises LP had its steepest one-day drop after Hindenburg disclosed it was shorting the shares, saying the stock was significantly overvalued relative to its holdings. Icahn’s net worth fell $13.4 billion, or 57% — the largest percentage drop of any member of the Bloomberg Billionaires Index in the period.

For Musk, the wealth gains spilled over into July as Tesla shares climbed 6.9% on Monday in New York, tacking on an additional $13 billion to his fortune.

CRIMINAL CAPITALI$M

SEC charges window maker View, ex-CFO over accounting fraud

Jonathan Stempel
Mon, July 3, 2023 


(Reuters) -The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday charged View Inc, the maker of "smart" windows whose tinted panes adjust with the sun, and a former chief financial officer for understating the costs of replacing defective windows, leading to a restatement.

View won't have to pay a fine because it reported the error, took remedial action and cooperated with the SEC. The company, based in Milpitas, California, did not admit or deny wrongdoing.

Former CFO Vidul Prakash, 55, was charged in San Francisco federal court with negligence-based fraud, disclosure and books and records violations between December 2020 and May 2021.

View went public through a $1.6 billion merger in March 2021 with a Cantor Fitzgerald-backed special-purpose acquisition company.

The case arose from a defective sealing component in View's smart windows, which are often used in office buildings.

According to the SEC, View disclosed $22 million to $25 million of liabilities, largely for manufacturing replacement windows, but should have disclosed $48 million to $53 million of liabilities, incorporating shipping and installation costs.

The SEC said Prakash was told multiple times that View would pay for shipping and installation, but failed to have staff assess whether the costs were probable and could be reasonably estimated, which would require disclosure.

In November 2021, View said it would restate more than two years of financials, and it replaced Prakash as CFO.

View and its lawyer did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Prakash's lawyer Craig Martin said he was disappointed the SEC decided to sue. "At all times, Vidul acted reasonably, and we look forward to vindicating him in court," Martin said.

View's share price is down nearly 99% since the SPAC merger closed. The shares rose 0.7 cent to 12.8 cents on Monday. View asked shareholders last month to approve a reverse stock split.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Devika Syamnath and Leslie Adler)

US measure would ban products containing mineral mined with child labor in Congo

The Canadian Press
Mon, July 3, 2023 



ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — A measure has been introduced in the U.S. House to ban imported products containing minerals critical to electric vehicle batteries but mined through child labor and other abusive conditions in Congo, where China has enormous mining stakes.

The bill targets China, which sponsor Republican Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey says uses forced labor and exploits children to mine cobalt in the impoverished but resource-rich central African country.

Congo is the world’s largest producer of cobalt, a mineral used to make lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles, a key pillar of President Joe Biden’s climate plans. China controls the majority of the cobalt mines in Congo, strengthening Beijing’s position in the global supply chain for electric vehicles and other products.

“On the backs of trafficked workers and child laborers, the Chinese Communist Party is exploiting the vast cobalt resources of the Democratic Republic of Congo to fuel its economy and global agenda,” Smith’s office said in a statement following the bill's introduction Friday.

The legislation comes amid strained ties between the U.S. and China. Biden referred to Chinese President Xi Jinping as a “dictator ” during a campaign fundraiser last month, leading to outcry from Beijing. That has followed tensions over a Chinese surveillance balloon that the U.S. government shot down, U.S.-led restrictions on China’s access to advanced computer chips, and the status and security of Taiwan.

But the Biden administration is looking to ease those tensions with a visit to China this week from U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, following Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s two-day stop in Beijing last month.

China holds a 68% stake in Sicomines, the copper and cobalt joint venture with Congo's state mining firm Gecamines, following a 2008 infrastructure-for-minerals deal, which Congo now is seeking to review over concerns it gets too little benefit from the arrangement.

Congo is also Africa’s top producer of copper, and lithium was recently found there — also key components of EV batteries.

The extraction of the minerals has been linked to child and exploitative labor, environmental abuses and safety risks. In a 2016 report, Amnesty International blamed Chinese firms for child labor in Congo’s cobalt mining and multinational tech firms for failing to address the negative human rights issue in their supply chains.

The U.S. legislation would prohibit importing “goods, wares, articles, or merchandise containing metals or minerals, in particular cobalt and lithium and their derivatives, mined, produced, smelted or processed, wholly or in part, by child labor or forced labor in the DRC,” Smith's office said.

The measure also would require the president to identify and impose sanctions, including visa and transaction prohibitions, on foreign actors who facilitate and exploit child labor in Congo.

In a blow to American production, an Australian mining company that had been set to open the only cobalt mine in the U.S. halted construction on the Idaho project in March, citing falling cobalt prices fueled by competition from China and Congo.

Jervois Global CEO Bryce Crocker said the company expects to complete construction of the mine and commission it when cobalt prices recover.

The U.S. Defense Department has awarded the company $15 million for drilling and a feasibility study of a cobalt refinery in the U.S. Cobalt is considered a critical mineral by the U.S. government due to its use in the military and energy sectors.

___

Associated Press writer Matthew Daly in Washington contributed.

___

Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about AP’s climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Taiwo Adebayo, The Associated Press

If companies want to stop quiet quitting they need to take burnout seriously


Claudine Mangen, RBC Professor in Responsible Organizations and Associate Professor, Concordia University

THE CONVERSATION
Mon, July 3, 2023 

Unless businesses deal with the root causes of employee burnout, they will struggle to retain their workforce.

In 2023, between a quarter and a third of Canadians are feeling burned out. Burnout has not declined compared to last year. A full 36 per cent of employees are more burned out now than last year.

If you aren’t burned out, it may well be because you did some quiet quitting to keep work at bay. Most workplaces haven’t changed their workload or how work is done, although there are a growing number of exceptions.

My research focuses on organizational governance. I study organizations and employees’ experiences of their workplaces. Last summer, I wrote about how employee burnout remained high in Canada and discussed how it could be addressed. I cautioned that often, workplaces hold employees responsible for managing burnout.

However, addressing the root causes of burnout requires workplaces to examine the workload and expectations they place on employees. How can workplaces change their approach to burnout? Are they now more concerned with handling the root causes of burnout?
Burnout and quiet quitting

According to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, burnout includes a variety of symptoms from being emotionally depleted to detachment and cynicism to a sense of low personal accomplishment and depersonalization — the feeling that work does not belong to oneself.

To address burnout businesses should examine how much work their employees have and how they expect them to do it. 

The fact that burnout hasn’t decreased suggests that organizations have not addressed its root causes. Instead, employees have taken matters into their own hands and done some quiet quitting.

Quiet quitting refers to doing what our job requires and nothing more. Gone are the days of overwork and constant availability. According to a 2023 Gallup report, most employees around the world are quiet quitting. Because employees who quiet quit may set better boundaries around their work, quiet quitting enables them to prevent burnout.

Read more: Quiet quitting is a new name for an old method of industrial action

The fact that many employees have resorted to quiet quitting suggests workplaces are not addressing or taking burnout seriously enough.

As a result, work remains the primary source of stress for Canadians. We have too much work, work in organizational cultures that are too toxic and don’t feel supported enough.

Not surprisingly then, a recent survey found one third of Canadians have left a job due to burnout. One in four businesses in Canada have had challenges with employee retention.
How workplaces can address burnout

Employers need to revisit the workload they place on their employees. They should consider how realistic it is for employees to complete their work within the required time frame.

They also need to address their culture and question how it can be toxic, notably concerning how work is done, and how toxicity can be addressed.

By accommodating the needs of their employees, businesses can improve retention and reduce burnout. (Shutterstock)

Finally, organizational leaders need to listen to their employees and set a tone that is supportive, shows empathy and is not merely rhetoric. Words have to be followed by actions to ensure the work environment fits the needs of employees.

Paying employees more isn’t sufficient. Having a good work-life balance is often more important than higher salaries.

There are signs that some workplaces are serious about addressing the root causes of burnout. They are concerned with reducing workload. For instance, they can offer prolonged, or even unlimited, paid leave. They can provide more days off to allow employees to recharge.

A growing number of businesses are also embracing four-day work weeks as a way of boosting employee morale. Other workplaces give their employees the flexibility to work onsite and remotely.

Flexibility is essential for employees who also shoulder care work. Care work in many households is still done by women more than men. Women with young children take time away from their paid work for family responsibilities and miss more than twice as many days at work than men, leaving many mothers drained.

More than one third of working mothers in Canada say it is difficult for them to arrange child care. Mothers are about 20 per cent more likely than fathers to consider leaving their job because they struggle to find child care.

Employees need accommodating and flexible workplaces that understand their needs. Workplaces need to be mindful of that flexibility and should not view employees who seek it as less reliable than those who can work in offices for longer hours.

This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. 

It was written by: Claudine Mangen, Concordia University.

Read more:

Employee resilience isn’t the magic bullet solution to adversity that organizations think it is


We’re all exhausted but are you experiencing burnout? Here’s what to look out for

Claudine Mangen receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

Sharing Our Stories: My grandmother Elizabeth / Akhsótha’ Arísawe


Local Journalism Initiative
Mon, July 3, 2023

We had a hard time continuing in education because the church was in control of the education here, the nuns. They had these special nuns from Boston. Sisters of St. Anne they call them. And they were experts at what they call proselytizing – how to change who you are.

And they were good at it.

They would always humiliate somebody in the class. Call them out and humiliate them somehow.

I would always go back home and tell my grandmother what this nun did. She would tell some of her friends and they would organize and go raise hell at the school.

If you were left handed, then they were going to change you to be right handed. If she caught you, she’d come right there and smack you right on the hand with a ruler, and you were only little.

My grandmother said, “Why are you talking like that?”

I said, “Like what?”

She said, “You’re stuttering. Why are you stuttering?”

“Oh, it’s that stupid nun,” I said. “She’s always smacking my hands. She doesn’t want me to be left handed.”

Well, my grandma went there and raised holy hell with the nun.

She says, “She’s stuttering now because you’re trying to change her from left to right.”

See, she knew how to raise children. She would notice things right off the bat. She was smart, really smart.

*

Ionkwentora’séhahkwe’ ne ísi’ nón: niaiakwatahsónteren’ tsi iakwaterihwaiénstha’ ase’kén nononhsatokénhti thotiniarotáhrhon ne aionterì:waienste’ ne kèn:’en. Iotiia’tatokénhti nen nè:’e. Rononkwè:taien kí:ken ísi’ nikontiia’tò:ten iotiia’tatokénhti, Wáhston nitioné:non. Iotiia’tatokénhti ne St. Anne konwatina’tónhkhwa’. Tánon’ kontiweiente’kó:wa tsi nahò:ten’ ratina’tónhkhwa’ proselytizing – né:ne taiesaté:ni’ tsi nahsia’tò:ten’.

Tánon’ kontiweién:te’.

Tió:konte’ shes enhonwatiia’tahnó:ten’ tánon’ enhonwanatéha’te’ ne ratiksa’shòn:’a.

Tiótkon enskahtén:ti’ tánon’ enkhehró:ri’ nakhsótha’ tsi na’ká:iere’ kí: ioia’tatokénhti.

Enkonwatihró:ri’ ótia’ke nonatshi’ó:kon tánon’ enkontirihwahserón:ni’ tsi ionterihwaienstáhkhwa’ akontinenhskaríha’.

Tóka’ ken sehsenekwá:ti, sok eniesónnien’ aonsahseweientehtáhkhwake’. Tóka’ aiesahá:ra’se’, kwah tho éntien’ tánon’ ionte’nientenhstáhkhwa’ teniesahsnónhse’ke’, tánon’ ken’ ki’k níhsa’.

Aksótha’ wa’ì:ron’, “Oh nontié:ren tho ní:ioht tsi sáhthare’?”

Wa’kì:ron’, “Oh káti’ ní:ioht?”

Tonta’ì:ron’, “Sawén:nis. Oh nontié:ren tsi sawén:nis?”

“Á:, thí:ken tiotónhnho’kte’ ioia’tatokénhti,” wa’kì:ron’. “Tiótkon ne tewakehsnonhsé’ks. Iah té:wehre’ aonsakenekwatíhake’.”

Tho niahà:’en’ nakhsótha’ tánon’ kwah wa’enenhská:ri’ tsi teiotíhthare’ ne ioia’tatokénhti.

Ión:ton, “Iakowén:nis ó:nen ase’kén sate’niéntha’ ahsheiónnien’ aonsaieweientehtáhkhwake’ né:ne iá:we’ tsenekwá:ti.”

Ieweién:te’ se’ ahonwennehià:ron’ ne ratiksa’okòn:’a. Enionttokáhstsi’ tóka’ tiok ní:ioht. Ionttókha’, kwah í:ken tsi ionttókha’.

Story told by: Lorraine Montour, Written by: Simona Rosenfield - Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Translation by: Sahawisó:ko’ Arquette, The Eastern Door

MUTUAL AID/SOLIDARITY/DIY

'A life-saving tool': More people carrying naloxone to help strangers on the street

The Canadian Press
Mon, July 3, 2023 



Kym Porter has been carrying a naloxone kit in her purse since her son died of an overdose more than six years ago.

Porter, a retired school teacher in Medicine Hat, Alta., was trained to use both the syringe and nasal versions of the overdose reversal drug, but never ran into an emergency situation until May.

"I saw this fellow lying under a tree and he wasn't moving," Porter said.

She approached the man, looked for any drug paraphernalia, called out to him and shook his shoulders. No response.

Porter dialed first responders and reached for her naloxone kit.

"But for some reason, I don't know why, I hesitated," she said. "I didn't administer it."

Emergency crews arrived and brought back the manwho confirmed to her that he had overdosed.

Naloxone kits are easily available, over-the-counter antidotes that block the effects of opioids such as fentanyl, heroin, morphine or cocaine.

More people are carrying naloxone kits with them on the streets as drug poisoning-related fatalities break records every passing year in Canada.

In Alberta, the latest numbers show April was the deadliest month, with 179 deaths from opioid overdoses.

Caitlin Shane, a drugs policy lawyer with Pivot Legal Society in Vancouver, said she sees people in the community, as well as health professionals on and off the job helping others who may have overdosed on opioids.

"Oftentimes, it's people who just happen to be walking by (and) have naloxone attached to their bag or backpack," she said.

Shane said it is crucial to know the signs of an overdose to ascertain when to administer naloxone.

"That way, you can feel more comfortable doing it."

The signs could be shallow breathing, blue or grey lips or nails, small pupils, the inability to wake up despite calling out or shaking the person, and choking or snoring sounds.

"If you believe someone is overdosing and you're not sure if it's an opioid or stimulant overdose, Health Canada recommends administration (of naloxone)," she said.

"The outcome will most likely be better than not administering it."

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says injecting naloxone into a person who may be unconscious for other reasons such as diabetic coma or cardiac arrest would not cause them additional harm.

Shane said the Emergency Medical Aid Act protects people who administer naloxone outside of a health or medical setting, or when the person is not being compensated for their help.

"If you're walking down the sidewalk and you see someone has overdosed and you administer naloxone, and in doing that, you injure the person or cause their death, you will not be legally liable," she explained.

The only exception is if the injury or death is caused by "gross negligence," Shane added.

Candice Chaffey, a nurse at a Toronto-area hospital, was on her way to pick up a takeout pizza when her eyes caught a man lying unconscious on the pavement.

The man was surrounded by bystanders in Brampton, Ont., as they waited for paramedics to arrive.

Chaffey approached the man and began with sternal rubs on the chest to wake him up. She knew it was an overdose.

"I ran home and got back with my naloxone kit within 30 seconds," Chaffey recalled of the evening last summer.

She opened the kit, pulled out the ampoule, pulled it through the syringe and injected naloxone into the man.

"He immediately started to get up and said, 'Why did you poke me?'" she recalled.

The man passed out again so Chaffey repeated the steps with a second dose and helped him get up. But the man wasn't happy with the intrusion.

Chaffey said things could get violent. It didn't in this case.

"That is a risk you take," she said.

She warned that people shouldn't put themselves at risk if they are not comfortable approaching a person who is potentially overdosing.

"The best thing to do is just wait for a paramedic to arrive," Chaffey said.

For Porter, the hesitation wasn't coming from safety or legal concerns. Instead, she felt she was "overdramatizing" the situation when she came across an unconscious man.

"I questioned myself," Porter said. "Am I just wanting to do this because I know how to do this? Am I making too big of a deal about this?"

Looking back at the day, Porter said she wouldn't hesitate to administer naloxone if it happens again.

She recalled her 31-year-old son's last interaction with a neighbour before he died of drug poisoning.

"The woman upstairs came down. (My son's) door was open. She saw him lying on the floor, snoring and didn’t realize he was dying," she said.

"She kindly covered him with a blanket, thinking he was asleep."

Porter said if the neighbour knew the signs, her son could have lived.

"I'm not an expert, I'm not a nurse, I'm not wise enough to know how sick a person is," she said.

"But naloxone is a life-saving tool."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 3, 2023.

---

This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.

Ritika Dubey, The Canadian Pres

HINDUTVA PARANOIA

Joly concerned for safety of India's diplomats, calls protest poster 'unacceptable'

The Canadian Press
Tue, July 4, 2023 



OTTAWA — Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly says she is concerned about the safety of India's diplomats following what she calls an "unacceptable" poster for an upcoming protest near Toronto.

The protest is planned in memory of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar who was killed in a shooting in British Columbia in June.

A poster for the protest circulating on social media includes photos of India's top two diplomats in Canada, calls them "killers in Toronto" and suggests it's time to "kill India."

Niijar was a vocal opponent of India and supporter of an independent Sikh state but police say they have found no link to India in their investigation.

Joly says Canada takes the safety of foreign diplomats "very seriously" and is in touch with Indian officials about the poster.

New Delhi has long accused Canada of harbouring extremists who want to carve out a state within India, but Ottawa says that freedom of speech means groups can voice political opinions if they don't use violence.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 4, 2023.

LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment: Search results for HINDUISM IS FASCISM