Ultra-right group disbanded after violent clashes in south of France

France's interior minister Gérald Darminin has announced the dissolution of the ultra-right Division Martel group following their involvement in violence and inciting racial hatred in the Drôme department last month.


Issued on: 07/12/2023 
Ultra right demonstration organised in May 2023 in tribute to the young militant, Sebastien Deyzieu who died on 9 May 1993 at an anti-American imperialism march. 

© AFP
By:RFIFollow
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Founded a year ago by former members of a previously disbanded ultra-right group, the Division Martel was officially shut down this Wednesday.

The move was announced at the French government's Council of Ministers meeting, following the group's violent clashes with police that took place at the end of November in the south of France.

On 28 November, the Minister of the Interior proposed disbanding Division Martel, the day after incidents that resembled "a punitive expedition" following the death of a teenager in the village of Crépol.

Earlier Wednesday, Gérald Darmanin confirmed on X: "This tiny group incites violence and racial hatred. It has no place in our Republic".

More extremist groups targeted

At the time of his announcement at the end of November, he also mentioned two other ultra-right-wing groups set to be dissolved, without naming them.

According to the minister's entourage, the names of the groups will be revealed shortly and their dissolution will take place speedily.

The Division Martel, was formed in 2022 and consisted of around thirty members that advocate violence "against antifascists and people of immigrant origin or presumed to be Muslim".

It also promoted "the use of violence to foster the advent of nationalist and xenophobic supremacy"

.Six remanded in custody over killing of French teenager

'Settling scores'

Darmanin proposed dissolving the group following a violent protest by the militant group in the town of Romans-sur-Isère on the night of 25 to 26 November.

They had gone to an area of the town – where several of people implicated in the stabbing to death of a 16 year-old – came from.

According to the authorities, their aim was to "settle scores".

They were blocked by the police, with whom they clashed for a prolonged period leading to the arrest and immediate sentencing of six members of the group, who are now serving between six and ten months in prison.

Darmanin also stated that "France has avoided a scenario of petty civil war because it has acted firmly," adding that teenager's death was a "despicable tragedy" but does not allow for anyone "to stand in the name of the State to dispense justice."

The Division Martelwas also involved in the planning violent attacks in the streets of Paris against supporters of North African origin during the France-Morocco football World Cup semi-final on 14 December 2022.

GAIA LIVES
Icelandic volcano eruption eases as evacuated village remains off-limits

Reykjavik (AFP) – A volcanic eruption that rocked Iceland this week diminished in intensity for a second day Wednesday, though media reports said a nearby evacuated fishing village would remain off limits for at least another week.


Issued on: 20/12/2023 -

Entry to Grindavik will remain blocked until at least December 28 while a new risk assessment is carried out 

© Viken KANTARCI / AFP


The eruption on the Reykjanes peninsula has produced spectacular lava flows, though they were now constrained to two craters, the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) said in a statement Wednesday morning, down from three earlier.

"The power of the eruption has decreased with time as well as the seismicity and deformation," IMO said in its latest update.

The eruption, which opened a fissure in the ground about four kilometres long, only three kilometres (1.8 miles) from the evacuated fishing port of Grindavik,began Monday evening after a "swarm" of small tremors.

Entry to Grindavik will remain blocked until at least December 28 while a new risk assessment is carried out. The popular Blue Lagoon tourist site also remains closed.

Lava flows on the Reykjanes peninsula were now constrained to two craters, the Icelandic Meteorological Office said 

© Oskar Grimur Kristjansson / AFP

"The people of Grindavik are not going to be able to be home for Christmas," Vidir Reynisson, head of Iceland's Civil Protection and Emergency Management, told AFP.

In the capital Reykjavik, life was little affected, partly because it is some 40 kilometres (25 miles) north-east of the eruption, but also because volcanos are part of life in Iceland.

"Everybody’s excited but also very calm about it. You can't do anything about it. We're used to it. You know Iceland, it's powerful nature," said Anna Dora, a 60-year-old shopkeeper in Reykjavik.
The norm

Amid weeks of warnings from scientists, the authorities built reinforcements around the Svartsengi geothermal plant, which is just two kilometres from the eruption and supplies electricity and water to 30,000 people on the peninsula.

"I actually work at the power plant Svartsengi so I'm pretty close to it but I think it's OK. It started big but it's getting really small now, so I'm not worried about it," 37-year-old Arnar Flokason told AFP as he dropped off his child at school in Reykjavik.

Helga Gudjonsdottir, a 33-year-old office worker, also wasn't too bothered about the flow of lava, saying it was "just something that is going to be happening for the next years."

Some Icelanders have ignored government advice not to travel to the Reykjanes peninsula to see the volcanic activity 

© Maria Steinunn Johannesdottir / AFP

"It's just something that we will have to live with," she added.

"It's going to be a tourist attraction again. We are hoping to boost the economy," Lukasz Wrobel, a store manager who moved to Iceland from Poland six years ago, said.

The Icelandic government has told people not to travel to the Reykjanes peninsula to see the volcanic activity, but many have not heeded the advice.

Iceland: decreased activity around fault 

© Valentin RAKOVSKY, Laurence SAUBADU / AFP

Volcanic eruptions are not uncommon in Iceland, which is home to 33 active volcano systems, the highest number in Europe.

But the Reykjanes peninsula had not experienced an eruption for eight centuries until 2021.

Since then, eruptions have struck in 2021, 2022 and earlier this year -- all in remote, uninhabited areas. Volcanologists say this could be the start of a new era of activity in the region.

"We have had several cases of volcanic eruptions always because this is just part of who we are. The country we live in," Jakobdottir told reporters at a press conference.

© 2023 AFP

France to sanction some extremist Israeli settlers for 'unacceptable violence'

France is to sanction certain extremist Israeli settlers, Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said on Tuesday, denouncing "unacceptable" violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.


Issued on: 19/12/2023 - 

French Foreign and European Affairs Minister Catherine Colonna (R) and British Foreign Minister David Cameron give a press conference in Paris on December 19, 2023. 

AFP- MIGUEL MEDINA

By: RFI

The diplomat also urged "restraint" in meetings with senior officials in Beirut, seeking to de-escalate tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border.

France "has decided to take measures... against certain extremist Israeli settlers," Colonna said at a joint press conference with her British counterpart David Cameron, as she returned from a tour in Israel, the Palestinian territories and Lebanon.

"I was able to see for myself the violence committed by certain of these extremist settlers. It's unacceptable."

Paris had already indicated at the beginning of December that it was considering taking sanctions such as banning French territory and freezing the assets of certain settlers, and had requested that such measures be taken on a European scale.

US sanctions

The United States, for its part, took sanctions at the beginning of December against dozens of settlers who are now prohibited from entering American territory.

Settler violence has increased in intensity since the attacks perpetrated on 7 October by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in Israel where 1,200 people were killed and some 250 taken hostage.

The attack triggered Israel's retaliatory campaign which the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says has so far killed more than 19,400 people, mostly women and children.

More than 290 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the West Bank since the start of the war, according to Palestinian health officials.

Relatives and friends carry the body of Palestinian teenager Yazan Akoub during his funeral in Nablus city in the occupied West Bank, on December 3, 2023, a day after he was shot by Israeli security forces at a checkpoint near the city. 

AFP - JAAFAR ASHTIYEH

Near-daily exchanges of fire

As part of her regional tour, Colonna on Monday urged restraint in meetings with senior officials in Beirut, seeking to de-escalate tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border.

Since the Israel-Hamas conflict started, the frontier between Lebanon and Israel has seen cross-border fire, mainly between the Israeli army and Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, which says it is acting in support of Hamas.

Colonna met with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati and parliament speaker Nabih Berri, a key ally of Hezbollah, calling for responsibility and restraint a day after making similar appeals in meetings with Israeli officials.France says 'light must be shed' on 13 October strike on journalists in Lebanon

France's top diplomat also discussed the situation on the ground with the commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Major General Aroldo Lazaro.

"We are trying to continue with our liaison and coordination role... in order to avoid miscalculations, misinterpretations that could be another trigger for escalation," Lazaro told reporters.

Mourners stand near the coffins of the two journalists working for Lebanon-based Al Mayadeen TV channel said to be killed by an Israeli strike on Tuesday in southern Lebanon, as they gather outside the channel's building to offer prayers ahead of their funeral, in Beirut, Lebanon November 22, 2023. 

REUTERS - AZIZ TAHER

France, which contributes some 700 troops to the UN force in south Lebanon, has condemned recent attacks on peacekeepers and their facilities.

Since the cross-border exchanges began in October, more than 130 people have been killed on the Lebanese side, most of them Hezbollah fighters but also including a Lebanese soldier and 17 civilians, three of them journalists, according to a tally by French news agency AFP.

On the Israeli side, four civilians and seven soldiers have been killed, authorities have said.

700 tonnes of aid

As concern grows over the humanitarian situation in Hamas-ruled Gaza, Colonna announced a new shipment of 700 tonnes of aid to the Palestinian territory, half of which is set to depart from the French port of Le Havre on Wednesday.

"The other half will depart next week," she told a news conference, reiterating calls for "a ceasefire... as soon as possible".

Colonna said the objective of Israel's "military operations" was "that Hamas will not be able to repeat such acts".Israel under pressure from allies, as Gaza descends into 'Hell on Earth'

But "we have reservations and differences in viewpoints" with Israel, she said.

"We ask them to act in a different way, in a more surgical manner".

Meanwhile, the UN Security Council is struggling to speak with one voice ahead of a vote expected Tuesday on a new resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

On 8 December, despite unprecedented pressure from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the United States blocked the adoption of a resolution calling for an "immediate humanitarian ceasefire" in the Gaza Strip.

According to diplomatic sources, a new modified text is now on the table, in an attempt to get closer to a compromise.

Despite the international push for a ceasefire, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin vowed Monday to keep arming its ally Israel, which Washington has already provided with billions of dollars in military aid.

(with newswires)

Russia, Arab League demand UN ceasefire for Gaza

Marrakesh (Morocco) (AFP) – Russia and the Arab League called jointly on Wednesday for a UN ceasefire resolution for the Israel-Hamas war during the Russian-Arab Cooperation Forum in Marrakesh, Morocco.

Issued on: 20/12/2023 - 

Russia has joined Arab countries at a forum in Morocco in calling for a ceasefire in the fighting between Israel and Hamas militants that has killed thousands in the besieged Gaza Strip 

© FADEL SENNA / AFP

The forum, which usually focuses on diplomatic and economic ties, was dominated by the conflict in the Gaza Strip.

"We hope that the Security Council will raise its voice for a mature resolution (calling for a ceasefire)," said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during the meeting. "We have agreed to continue coordination within the United Nations."

The UN Security Council was set to vote later on Wednesday on a resolution calling for a pause in the conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, diplomatic sources told AFP.

Israel's war in Gaza has killed more than 19,600 people, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run Palestinian territory.

On October 7, Hamas militants carried out an unprecedented attack against Israel from Gaza, killing about 1,140 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.

Chaired by Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, the meeting was attended by Lavrov and diplomats from the 22-member Arab League.

"We hope that the Security Council can adopt this resolution and that there will not be a veto from a permanent member, notably the United States," said Hossam Zaki, assistant secretary general of the league.

"The Arab hope is that the United States understands that international patience is exhausted in the face of Israel's practices."

Speaking via videoconference, Arab League Chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit called for an "immediate ceasefire," adding that "anyone who opposes an immediate ceasefire in Gaza has the blood of innocents on their hands".

"The occupation is the heart of the problem and the origin of the cause," Aboul Gheit said, advocating for a two-state solution and calling for the "creation as quickly as possible of a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders".

Lavrov also said it was "urgent to create a Palestinian state" and even "accelerate the process," because "some sources say that our Western partners are trying to develop hidden projects to separate the West Bank from Gaza".

On December 8, the US vetoed a ceasefire resolution.

Wednesday's vote on a new resolution comes after two votes were delayed on Monday with members wrangling over wording, sources told AFP.

The text's latest version calls for a "suspension" of the conflict, said the sources.

© 2023 AFP

In wartime Israel, peace campaigners fear mounting crackdown

Tel Aviv (AFP) – Clutching an olive branch, 24-year-old Roni keeps a wary eye out for the police as she leads a small ceasefire march through the heavily guarded streets of Tel Aviv.


Issued on: 20/12/2023 - 

Peace activists now try to get past police curbs by holding vigils or smaller rallies 

© AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP

She and her friends say they have been arrested, harassed and received death threats following similar demonstrations against Israel's onslaught of the Gaza Strip after Hamas's bloody October 7 attack.

"It's almost impossible to call for peace in Israel right now," the activist said, glancing over her shoulder. "You have to be very careful."

Civil rights groups say Israeli authorities have launched a sweeping crackdown on internal dissent since the war began, including the interrogation of hundreds of anti-war activists and charges of terror offences.

Hamas's cross-border attack killed about 1,140 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on the latest official Israeli figures, with around 250 hostages taken back to Gaza.

Israel's retaliatory assault has killed at least 19,667 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.

But as global peace demonstrations and international diplomacy build pressure on Israel to minimise civilian casualties, it has become harder than ever for Israelis to challenge their government.

"What we're seeing now is unprecedented in its scope," said Noa Sattath, the head of ACRI, Israel's oldest civil rights group. "The silencing of dissent is overwhelming."
'Zero tolerance'

Following the onset of the conflict, Israel's police chief Kobi Shabtai declared a "zero tolerance" policy for protests in support of Gaza, even threatening to send anti-war demonstrators to the besieged territory.

Shabtai said Israel cannot allow "all sorts of people to come and test us", in a clip posted online.

Israel's police force told AFP that while it "firmly upholds the fundamental right to freedom of speech, it is also imperative to address those who exploit this right to incite violence, promote obscenity, engage in hate speech, issue threats, or create public safety concerns, especially during times of war against a cruel terrorist organisation."

But rights groups say police are using their powers to target peaceful activists, especially among Israel's Arab minority, which makes up around a fifth of the population.

Israel has now killed more than 19,667 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, most of them women and children, officials in the Hamas-run territory say 

© Bashar TALEB / AFP

The Adalah legal centre, dedicated to safeguarding the rights of Palestinian citizens of Israel, said it had followed the cases of almost 300 arrested since the start of the war.

In most instances police tried to extend their detention, it said.

Adalah said police had repeatedly denied permits for anti-war rallies, detained protest leaders ahead of marches, and cracked down on demonstrators with "brutal force".

Authorities have charged scores of Palestinian citizens of Israel with "supporting terrorist organisations" or "incitement to terrorism", it said.

"The state interprets any support for Gaza as support for terror," the group's head Hassan Jabareen told AFP. "It's like living under a military regime."

- Neighbourhood watch –

But it's not just the authorities that anti-war campaigners have to watch out for. They've faced intense backlash from fellow citizens too.

Opinion polls suggest the Israeli public became more hawkish than at any point in the last two decades after the Hamas attack.

Israel's peace activists are in a minority, and feel dangerously exposed.

Opinion polls suggest the Israeli public became more hawkish than at any point in the last two decades after the October 7 Hamas attack 

© FADEL SENNA / AFP

"People tell us holding these protests is shameful right now," said Roni, who asked to withhold her last name after being called a traitor and receiving death threats online.

Even old friends from her hometown have sent abusive messages. One seen by AFP said: "I hope you and your family get raped" and taken to Gaza.

Under pressure from police and the public, activists have had to tone down their demonstrations and find ways to skirt around restrictions.

Roni's group does not have a name, believing it is safer to stay anonymous. They hold vigils or smaller rallies, and usually avoid bringing Palestinian flags which can spark aggressive reactions.

Before the war, Roni said her group could stage bolder demonstrations against causes contrary to the right-wing government's stance.

But the mood has now changed drastically.

She said she was among 18 people arrested at a November 9 demonstration in Jaffa. Social media footage verified by AFP shows police manhandling protesters and confiscating their signs.

"To even be on the streets we've had to moderate what we say," Roni explained. "You can't be seen to be sympathising with Gaza now."

In a state where calling for peace can be taken as an act of rebellion, a simple message often works best, Roni said.

Still clutching her olive branch, she marches towards the defence ministry, chanting: "Stop the war."

© 2023 AFP

MEET BIG OIL

Alberta pursues massive opportunities in traditional and renewable energy as global transition accelerates

By The Alberta Securities Commission
Published December 20, 2023

Photo courtesy the Alberta Securities Commission

The content featured in this article is brand produced.

The energy transition is accelerating at the same time as the world hunts for a more secure supply of oil and gas from stable countries. Together, these two things are creating major opportunities for Canadian energy.

At ASC Connect 2023, a diverse panel of energy leaders explored the work Alberta companies and other stakeholders are doing to capitalize on these opportunities, the challenges they’re facing, and how collaboration will help usher in a new age for Canadian energy.

Hosted annually by the Alberta Securities Commission (ASC), ASC Connect brings together stakeholders from Alberta and across Canada to discuss critical issues and evolving trends affecting Alberta’s capital market.

During a morning panel discussion, business leaders explored the opportunities for energy issuers, investors and all stakeholders. The panel consisted of:Jackie Forrest, Executive Director, ARC Energy Research Institute & Managing Director, ARC Financial Corp.

Wes Jickling, Vice-President, Technology Development & CEO of Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance, Pathways Alliance
Stephen Mason, Chairman & CEO, Reconciliation Energy Transition Inc.
David Van Den Assem, Director, Hydrogen Centre of Excellence & Director, Clean Technology, Alberta Innovates
Craig Burns, Manager, Energy Group, ASC (panel moderator)

Carbon capture was a key focus of the discussion — its potential impact and questions about the viability of the technology and long-term demand if hydrocarbon usage eventually peaks or declines

.

Photo courtesy the Alberta Securities Commission

“There was always skepticism about the oil sands, that it would never be economically viable. We’ve overcome that,” said Jickling of Pathways Alliance. “Carbon capture is a similar defining challenge for Canadian energy so this isn’t unfamiliar territory. But we’re at record levels of oil consumption. We need to do better, we need to reduce emissions, we need to be environmentally responsible. We have to find a way, and that’s exactly what we’re doing.”

Jickling noted that the foundational project of the Pathways Alliance — a collaborative effort of Canada’s six largest oil sands companies — is a carbon capture facility that will be located in Cold Lake, Alberta, which is targeting the capture of 10 to 12 million tonnes of carbon by 2030.

Photo courtesy the Alberta Securities Commission

Jackie Forrest of ARC Financial echoed the ongoing global need for Canadian oil and gas, but from a different angle.

“Only about 25 per cent of the world’s oil supply comes from countries that would be considered stable, secure and non-corrupt, so we think that’s going to be a very important differentiator for Canada. Alberta has a great opportunity to be a secure source of supply,” she said.

Also part of the discussion was Alberta’s history of energy innovation. The panel talked about current cleantech and renewable energy initiatives, including everything from biofuels to geothermal, to the potential for small modular nuclear power.

One of the key areas of focus: hydrogen.

“The Hydrogen Centre of Excellence started with $50 million in seed funding from the province of Alberta,” said David Van Den Assem of Alberta Innovates. “Its intent is to integrate hydrogen use into the energy system within Alberta.”

Photo courtesy the Alberta Securities Commission

Alberta Innovates provides non-dilutive funding to help advance technologies, business advice and support for entrepreneurs, as well as connections, networking and collaboration support.

While Van Den Assem was enthusiastic about hydrogen, Forrest believes Canadian hydrogen producers face challenges compared to initiatives in the U.S. where there are substantial tax incentives to develop the technology. In 2022 the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act was introduced, and that included $370 billion (USD) in subsidies for clean energy.

“I’m not that optimistic we’re going to see a whole bunch of hydrogen investment,” Forrest said. “I just don’t see the economics working here.”

Van Den Assem agreed there are challenges, but sees the hydrogen opportunity as being similar to Pathways Alliance’s carbon capture efforts. Although it may seem implausible now, history has shown us that in Alberta’s energy industry, a lot of challenges can be overcome.

“We’re in a very different position than the same technology providers and users in the U.S.,” he said. “I’m hoping that awareness moves things along [here in Canada.] I also think everything moves on a trajectory of development. We saw it with solar in the ‘70s, where a solar panel was ridiculously expensive. Wind came shortly after, then electric. They’re all just now starting to reach their peak. Hydrogen is just a little further behind — but it’s on the same trajectory.”

As panelists discussed challenges and opportunities for the energy industry, an emphasis was placed on the importance of cooperation. All panelists considered it a critical factor for Alberta to seize the economic opportunities in both traditional and renewable energy.

Photo courtesy the Alberta Securities Commission

Stephen Mason of Reconciliation Energy Transition Inc. shared some of the work his organization is doing to develop cooperative projects with Indigenous communities in the province.

“If we are going to get major infrastructure projects built, we have to take a different view,” said Mason about the ideal approach to collaborating and cooperating with Indigenous groups. “Rather than promising jobs for the building of a pipeline, which go away when it’s done, or some level of token surface lease rentals, we need to have a conversation about material equity. That starts at 30 per cent.”

Mason said landowners and industry need to work with Indigenous Peoples who are impacted by these projects.

“[Indigenous communities] need to be there in early-stage development, and be aware of the environmental impact of these projects. And they must have a voice at the table and participate from an economic perspective.”

For more information, to see conference highlights, or to replay panel conversations from ASC Connect, visit www.asc.ca/en/asc-connect-2023

WRITTEN BYThe Alberta Securities Commission


The Alberta Securities Commission (ASC) is the regulatory agency responsible for administering the province's securities laws. It is entrusted to foster a fair and efficient capital market in Alberta and to protect investors. As a member of the Canadian Securities Administrators, the ASC works to improve, coordinate and harmonize the regulation of Canada's capital markets.

COVID-19 infection causes teen’s vocal cord paralysis in first-of-its-kind case

Peer-Reviewed Publication

MASSACHUSETTS EYE AND EAR INFIRMARY

Physician-researchers from Mass Eye and Ear, a member of Mass General Brigham, report the first pediatric case of bilateral vocal cord paralysis after COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. The patient, an otherwise healthy 15-year-old female, came to the emergency department at Massachusetts General Hospital with symptoms of respiratory distress nine days after diagnosis with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Examination with an endoscope revealed bilateral vocal cord paralysis, which is an immobility of both vocal cords found in the larynx or voice box. The researchers concluded that this paralysis was likely a downstream effect of the COVID-19 virus when an extensive workup revealed no other cause.

The case, which is presented December 19th in the journal Pediatrics, suggests that vocal cord paralysis may be a nervous system-related (neuropathic) complication of the virus, in addition to already well-established neurologic complications in children and adults.

“Given how common this virus is among children, this newly recognized potential complication should be considered in any child presenting with a breathing, talking or swallowing complaint after a recent COVID-19 diagnosis,” says first author Danielle Reny Larrow, M.D., a resident in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Mass Eye and Ear. “This is especially important as such complaints could be easily attributed to more common diagnoses such as asthma.”

While at the hospital, the patient underwent a detailed battery of diagnostic tests from Mass General Brigham clinicians including blood work, imaging, cerebrospinal fluid analysis and consultations with otolaryngology, neurology, psychiatry, speech language pathology and neurosurgery.

When speech therapy failed to relieve the patient’s symptoms, the physicians performed a tracheostomy – a surgically created opening in the windpipe – to relieve the patient’s breathing difficulties. She remained tracheostomy-dependent for more than 13 months after initial treatment, suggesting that this type of nerve complication may not be temporary.

Following the submission of this case report, the physicians were able to remove the tracheostomy—15 months after it was inserted and just in time for the patient’s high school graduation and prom.

“She was having her senior prom a year and a quarter to the date of when she lost her function, and she told me she was not going to go to the prom with her tracheostomy in place,” says Hartnick. “We decided to intervene so that she could graduate high school and go to her prom tracheostomy-free, which she did.”

Post-viral neuropathy is a known cause of vocal cord paralysis, and there have been several reports of paralysis in one or both vocal cords of adults as a complication of SARS-CoV-2 infection, but this is the first report of the complication in an adolescent. This is important, the authors say, because these types of complications are not usually expected in young, healthy individuals and there have been more than 15 million reported cases of pediatric SARS-CoV-2 infection.

“To have a young, healthy, vibrant high schooler all of a sudden lose one of their important cranial nerves such that they can't breathe is highly unusual and took some parsing,” says senior author Christopher Hartnick, M.D., director of the Division of Pediatric Otolaryngology and Pediatric Airway, Voice, and Swallowing Center at Mass Eye and Ear. “The fact that kids can actually have long term neurotrophic effects from COVID-19 is something that it's important for the broader pediatric community to be aware of in order to be able to treat our kids well.”

Disclosures: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Funding: No funding or support was secured for this study.

Paper cited: Reny Larrow, D et al. “Bilateral Vocal Cord Paralysis Requiring Long-Term Tracheostomy After SARS-CoV-2 Infection” Pediatrics DOI: 10.1542/2020-00012310.1542/2020-000123

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About Mass Eye and Ear

Massachusetts Eye and Ear, founded in 1824, is an international center for treatment and research and a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. A member of Mass General Brigham, Mass Eye and Ear specializes in ophthalmology (eye care) and otolaryngology–head and neck surgery (ear, nose and throat care). Mass Eye and Ear clinicians provide care ranging from the routine to the very complex. Also home to the world's largest community of hearing and vision researchers, Mass Eye and Ear scientists are driven by a mission to discover the basic biology underlying conditions affecting the eyes, ears, nose, throat, head and neck and to develop new treatments and cures. In the 2023–2024 “Best Hospitals Survey,” U.S. News & World Report ranked Mass Eye and Ear #4 in the nation for eye care and #7 for ear, nose and throat care. For more information about life-changing care and research at Mass Eye and Ear, visit our blog, Focus, and follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. 

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JOURNAL

PEDIATRICS

DOI

10.1542/2020-000123 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Case study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Bilateral Vocal Cord Paralysis Requiring Long-Term Tracheostomy After SARS-CoV-2 Infection

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

19-Dec-2023

COI STATEMENT

The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

 

Schar school researchers to receive funding for nonprofit employment data project

Grant and Award Announcement

GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY

Schar School Researchers To Receive Funding For Nonprofit Employment Data Project 

Alan Abramson, Professor, Government and Politics; Mirae Kim, Associate Professor, Nonprofit Studies; and Stefan Toepler, Professor, Nonprofit Studies, are set to receive funding for: "Nonprofit Employment Data Project." 

The researchers will produce a comprehensive report on nonprofit employment in the United States, based on new data that is expected to be released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) early in 2024. The researchers will also arrange for the transfer of the Nonprofit Works interactive database application, which is currently hosted by Johns Hopkins University, to Mason, with the needed updating and redesign of the platform and its website. Additionally, the researchers will collaborate with a coalition of nonprofit leaders seeking to improve and make more accessible information about nonprofits in a variety of federal databases, including those maintained by BLS, the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), and others.  

The researchers will receive $150,000 from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation for this project. Funding will begin in Jan. 2024 and will end in late Dec. 2025. 

Project staff will also seek to raise additional project funding of at least $40,000 to complement the Mott Foundation’s significant investment. 

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From interests to employment (or not): New study explores gender gaps in career paths

Peer-Reviewed Publication

MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY

EAST LANSING, Mich. – A recent study out of Michigan State University found significant variations in career interests between men and women. Surprisingly, even with these interest differences, gender gaps in career opportunities are more substantial than anticipated.

The study also noted that these gender differences are more pronounced at lower education levels. This suggests a pressing need for gender diversity efforts to concentrate on professions that do not require a college degree.

The study, published in the Journal of Vocational Behavior examined similarities and differences in men’s and women’s career interests using a national sample of 1.28 million participants. Gender differences in interests were then compared to gender disparities in career choices using national employment data. The researchers also examined gender differences within intersecting social groups, like age, ethnicity and educational attainment, which have not been previously assessed.

“There’s been a big push to get women in STEM, which has been great, but we also need to focus more on getting men into prosocial careers, such as teaching, as well as getting women into the trades,” said Kevin Hoff, lead author of the study and assistant professor in MSU’s Department of Psychology. “The trades are growing in demand and aren’t going to be replaced by automation anytime soon, and if more men enter teaching and helping careers, it will help reduce the rigidity of other career stereotypes.”

Despite being interested in prosocial occupations like teaching, counseling and health care services, men were underemployed in these careers. Additionally, women were underemployed in many high-status occupations including management, engineering and computer science, and in jobs that involve working with tools and machinery, relative to their interest in these careers.

“We know that people’s interests are shaped by gender roles and stereotypes, so we need educational programs to help combat this when it comes to job interests and employment,” said Hoff. “However, equal gender representation in all career fields doesn’t have to be the goal. We still want people working in jobs that interest them.”

The researchers recognize that their study focused on men and women as categories. They advocate for additional research exploring gender identity and intersectionality in the workforce.

By Shelly DeJong

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Michigan State University has been advancing the common good with uncommon will for more than 165 years. One of the world's leading research universities, MSU pushes the boundaries of discovery to make a better, safer, healthier world for all while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 400 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.

For MSU news on the web, go to MSUToday or twitter.com/MSUnews.

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JOURNAL

Journal of Vocational Behavior

DOI

10.1016/j.jvb.2023.103942 

ARTICLE TITLE

Interested and employed? A national study of gender differences in basic interests and employment☆

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

1-Feb-2024

How do financial incentives for CEOs affect business outcomes? Bonuses have minimal effect, stock options have none

Peer-Reviewed Publication

CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY

Financial incentives for chief executive officers (CEOs) are thought to motivate them to lead their company toward achieving important business objectives. In the first systematic review of all research on CEO incentives, researchers assessed the predictive effects of CEO financial incentives on certain business outcomes. Their analysis found a small effect of CEO bonuses and no effect of stock options on firms’ return on assets the following year.

The analysis, by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and Seoul National University, is published in Campbell Systematic Reviews.

“No systematic review has been done on the effects of financial incentives to CEOs, so firm compensation committees and policymakers have had no evidence to inform their decisions,” says Denise Rousseau, professor of organizational behavior and public policy at Carnegie Mellon’s Heinz College, who led the analysis.

Researchers reviewed 20 empirical studies on the effects of financial incentives on thousands of publicly traded firms’ performance that were conducted from 1980 to 2023. This was the era of deregulation and increased competition under the Reagan Administration in the United States and the Thatcher government in the United Kingdom. They also examined three studies on the relation between CEO financial incentives and subsequent financial restatements of business outcomes. Firms studied were located worldwide, with most in the United States, Europe, and Australia.

The financial incentives examined included bonuses for achieving business targets and stock options on favorable terms, increasingly a major source of CEO wealth. Researchers sought to determine the effects of CEO financial incentives on three business outcomes: firm accounting, market performance, and financial restatement (revising previous financial statements to correct errors or inaccuracies).

Bonuses for CEOs had a small predictive effect on the following year’s return on assets but did not affect other performance metrics such as next year’s market-to-book value or stock return. Stock options for CEOs had no effect on the following year’s return on assets or on any market-related metrics. In contrast, neither bonuses nor stock options predicted firms’ market-related metrics. Moreover, CEO financial incentives had no effect on subsequent financial restatements.

Among the analysis’s limitations, the authors point out that several studies they examined focused not on the predictive effect of CEO incentives but the reverse. In addition, some of the studies paid limited attention to shareholder returns as indicated by stock returns, and only a few focused on financial restatement as an outcome. Finally, some studies’ reliance on archival data meant that the authors had little to no information about the actual terms of CEOs’ incentive contracts.

“Despite the widespread use of financial incentives for CEOs as drivers of firms’ performance, our findings suggest it may be problematic to justify current CEO compensation arrangements based on anticipated market results,” explains Byeong Jo Kim, associate professor of public management at Seoul National University’s School of Public Administration, who coauthored the analysis. “We recommend caution regarding current practices and more consideration of alternative arrangements to enhance firms’ performance.”

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JOURNAL

Campbell Systematic Reviews

DOI

10.1002/cl2.1370 

ARTICLE TITLE

Does chief executive compensation predict financial performance or inaccurate financial reporting in listed companies: A systematic review

 

Giving video games this Christmas? New research underlines need to be aware of loot box risks

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF PLYMOUTH

Recent controversy has surrounded the concept of loot boxes – the purchasable video game features that offer randomised rewards but are not governed by gambling laws.  

Now research led by the University of Plymouth has shown that at-risk individuals, such as those with known gaming and gambling problems, are more likely to engage with loot boxes than those without.

The study is one of the largest, most complex and robustly designed surveys yet conducted on loot boxes, and has prompted experts to reiterate the call for stricter enforcement around them.  

Existing studies have shown that the items are structurally and psychologically akin to gambling but, despite the evidence, they still remain accessible to children.

The new findings, which add to the evidence base linking loot boxes to gambling, are published in the journal Royal Society Open Science.

The surveys captured the thoughts of 1,495 loot box purchasing gamers, and 1,223 gamers who purchase other, non-randomised game content.

They highlighted that taking the risk of opening a loot box was associated with people who had experienced problem gambling, problem gaming, impulsivity and gambling cognitions – including the perceived inability to stop buying them.

It also showed that any financial or psychological impacts from loot box purchasing are liable to disproportionately affect various at-risk cohorts, such as those who have previously had issues with gambling.

Lead author Dr James Close, Lecturer in Clinical Education at the University of Plymouth, said: “Loot boxes are paid-for rewards in video games, but the gamer does not know what’s inside. With the risk/reward mindset and behaviours associated with accessing loot boxes, we know there are similarities with gambling, and these new papers provide a longer, more robust description exploring the complexities of the issue.

“Among the findings, the work shows that loot box use is driven by beliefs such as ‘I’ll win in a minute’ – which really echoes the psychology we see in gambling. The studies contribute to a substantial body of evidence establishing that, for some, loot boxes can lead to financial and psychological harm. However, it’s not about making loot boxes illegal, but ensuring that their impact is understood as akin to gambling, and that policies are in place to ensure consumers are protected from these harms.”

The research was funded by GambleAware, supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration South West Peninsula (PenARC), and conducted alongside the University of Wolverhampton and other collaborators.   

An earlier paper from this study also found evidence that under-18s who engaged with loot boxes progressed onto other forms of gambling. The overall findings remain consistent with narratives that policy action on loot boxes will take steps to minimise harm in future.

Co-lead Dr Stuart Spicer, PenARC Research Fellow in the University of Plymouth’s Peninsula Medical School, added: “We know loot boxes have attracted a lot of controversy and the UK government has adopted an approach of industry self-regulation. However, industry compliance to safety features is currently unsatisfactory, and there is a pressing need to see tangible results. Our research adds to the evidence base that they pose a problem for at-risk groups, such as people with dysfunctional thoughts about gambling, lower income, and problematic levels of video gaming. We really hope that these findings will add to the evidence base showing the link between loot boxes, gambling, and other risky behaviours, and that there will be more of a push to take action and minimise harm.”

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JOURNAL

Royal Society Open Science

DOI

10.1098/rsos.231045 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Meta-analysis

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Exploring the relationships between psychological variables and loot box engagement, part 1: pre-registered hypotheses

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

20-Dec-2023

Information sharing and cooperation

Peer-Reviewed Publication

PNAS NEXUS

 

IMAGE: 

CONTRIBUTION PATTERNS IN STUDY 1.

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CREDIT: HARRELL & WOLFF

How is cooperation affected when people can receive secondhand information about what others are contributing? Ashley Harrell and Tom Wolff investigated this question through an online cooperation game. Participants were recruited from a large subject pool of university students and other adults, maintained by the Interdisciplinary Behavioral Research Center at Duke University. Over 200 participants were placed in groups of 6–10; however, each participant was only linked to some of the other participants. In the control condition, players could only see the contributions of their direct network ties, but in the experimental condition, each player could choose to send information about their ties’ contributions to their other ties. Overall, groups that could share information contributed more than control groups. Participants commonly chose to share information and, when they did, were most likely to share information about contributions that were significantly lower than average. When a participant’s contribution information was shared, the exposed participants were aware of the sharing, and tended to contribute more on the next round. A second study with 165 participants replicated the main finding that information sharing increases contributions. The second study also found that a fully transparent game with all contributions visible to all players did not significantly increase contributions above the information sharing condition. According to the authors, information-sharing prevents selfishness from becoming contagious by reminding participants of the possible reputational consequences of low contributions.

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JOURNAL

PNAS Nexus

ARTICLE TITLE

Information-sharing and cooperation in networked collective action groups

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

19-Dec-2023