Copa chaos raises concerns for 2026 World Cup

Miami (AFP) – The chaotic scenes at the Copa America final have raised serious questions for the organizers of the 2026 World Cup which will be held in North America.

Issued on: 15/07/2024 -

Fans are caught in a crush during chaotic scenes before the Copa America final on Sunday which have raised concerns over planning for the 2026 World Cup in North America 

© Maddie Meyer / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP

The start of Sunday's final between Colombia and Argentina at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium was delayed by 82 minutes as overwhelmed security struggled to process the safe entry fans into the stadium.

Organisers blamed ticketless fans for rushing the entry points into the venue for their decision to keep the gates closed for almost three hours after the planned opening time.

But, while there was plenty of evidence of ticketless fans entering, it was also clear that the security system was unable to cope.

Some fans needed medical attention for heat exhaustion after being stuck in the crush around the fencing at the entrance to the 65,000 capacity venue amid alarming scenes.

Hard Rock Stadium will host seven games at the 2026 World Cup which the USA is co-hosting with Mexico and Canada.

The Copa America was organised by South American confederation CONMEBOL while the World Cup will be controlled by global governing body FIFA and it's local organisation.

"This is not a good look," said former USA international Alexi Lalas, now a leading television pundit for Fox Sports.

"I understand this is not a good look for CONMEBOL and this is also, because it is happening on our watch, in our country, not a good look for the US less than two years out from the World Cup," he said.

FIFA, who had no role in the running of the Copa, did not immediately comment on the incidents but sources indicated they would now intensify discussions with stadiums over their security plans.
'An embarrassment'

Ticketed fans were forced to watch Sunday's Copa America final from stadium walkways after supporters without tickets stormed into the venue 

© Megan Briggs / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP

A former stadium employee, who spoke to AFP on the condition of anonymity, said that the incident at Hard Rock was down to bad organisation.

"I know this facility like the back of my hand, this should never happen," he said after spending over two hours in the crush outside the ground.

"If you're worried about weapons, if you're worried about guns, if you're worried about knives, you set up a perimeter, you check them and check tickets outside, not in a gate where you funnel in 10,000 people when you have women and children, you have women and children passing out at the gate trying to get into the stadium with people paying $2,000 a ticket," he said.

"This is an embarrassment, for CONMEBOL, for the Hard Rock Stadium, an embarrassment that should never happen," he added.

FIFA's World Cup stadiums tend to use such a perimeter control, as the initial check on fans, before they enter a zone closer to the venue.

"I have no doubt that FIFA and the USA and Canada and Mexico will sort this out and make sure that this doesn't happen going forward," said Lalas during the match broadcast.

But the Miami debacle was not the only incident to raise concerns during the Copa America.

Wednesday's semi-final between Colombia and Uruguay in Charlotte ended in ugly scenes as Uruguayan players climbed into the stands and clashed with Colombian fans, claiming family members had been threatened in the unsegregated stands.

As in Miami, local stadium security and police appeared to be caught by surprise by the very different behaviour of soccer fans compared to the far less rowdy NFL spectators they are used to.

All the World Cup stadiums for the 2026 World Cup are NFL venues. The USA hosted the World Cup in 1994 which was viewed as a successful tournament, setting a new attendance record.

The placing of grass surfaces over or in place of American football's artificial turf fields caused plenty of issues during Copa America, with several coaches including Argentina's Lionel Scaloni complaining about the poor quality.

FIFA sources said they intend to have all stadiums install grass in good time, rather than the very late switches that occurred for the Copa America.

But the bigger issue appears to be in training and preparing stadium security to deal with soccer crowds and having an effective system in place.

Canada's American coach Jesse Marsch believes that the Copa's issues were mainly due to CONMEBOL's inexperience in the US market and that FIFA will do a better job in 2026.

"They made the mistake of thinking that they were just going to bring all their people from South America and be able to run a tournament in a new country and they were going to be able to do it seamlessly. And they made a massive mistake in that," he told Canadian Press.

"(FIFA's) overall experience for running tournaments, I think, is at a much different level," he said.

© 2024 AFP

Women, gender rights resist pushback at UN, for now


By AFP
July 13, 2024

Women, gender and sexuality issues were heavily in focus in a large number of the resolutions debated - Copyright AFP/File FABRICE COFFRINI
Nina LARSON

The UN rights council adopted several resolutions this week dealing with women and gender rights, despite a mounting bid by Russia and others to remove “controversial concepts” around things like reproductive rights.

Diplomats and others have been warning of growing efforts to remove references to women’s rights or to sexual orientation and gender identity that had long gone uncontested in texts across the United Nations system.

The tensions, which have especially pitted mainly Western countries against conservative, largely Muslim states, were on full display during the latest session of the UN Human Rights Council, which concluded Friday.

As always with the June-July session of the council, women, gender and sexuality issues were heavily in focus in a large number of the resolutions debated.

The resolutions discussed included one on eliminating all forms of discrimination against women and girls, and one on human rights in the context of HIV and AIDS.

They were finally adopted, but only after numerous attempts to change “controversial” wording in the texts failed to garner enough support.

– ‘Controversial’ –

The council had to first debate and vote on a total of 15 proposed amendments, put forward mainly by Russia, before adopting those two resolutions.

Russian representative Ilia Barmin lamented to the council that the resolutions were “promoting controversial concepts”.

Among the proposed changes: “delete gender”, “delete sexuality”, delete the reference to women’s and girls’ “right to bodily autonomy”.

One proposed amendment also questioned the long-established focus for HIV and AIDS prevention on “key populations”, including men who have sex with men and gender diverse people.

“Each country should define the specific populations that are key to their epidemic and response,” it said.

Such efforts drew harsh rebukes from representatives of mainly Western countries.

“We believe that efforts to change this definition (of key populations), are driven not by sound epidemiological evidence, but in fact by prejudices,” US ambassador Michele Taylor told the council.

German ambassador Katharina Stasch meanwhile slammed the proposal to remove references to women’s “bodily autonomy”, insisting this “should not be something we have to debate about in this council”.

“Free and informed decisions over one’s own body is about protecting the very foundation of human rights.”

– Undermining progress –

The proposed amendments were all rejected, with most garnering support from fewer than a dozen of the council’s 47 members.

The proposed amendment with the most traction came from Kuwait, asking to remove references to “universal access to evidence-based comprehensive sexuality education” — a “controversial and non-consensual” concept, according to Kuwaiti ambassador Naser Abdullah Al Hayen.

It should be replaced with “universal access to scientifically accurate and age-appropriate education that is relevant to cultural contexts”, the amendment said.

Sex education must be “culturally sensitive”, Ghana’s ambassador Emmanuel Kwame Asiedu Antwi told the council.

French ambassador Jerome Bonnafont slammed attempts “to undermine progress obtained by the international community in guaranteeing sexual and reproductive rights”.

The rights council is not the only UN forum where words are being hotly debated.

The World Health Organization’s decision-making assembly last month was for instance forced for the first time to take a resolution to a vote instead of adopting it by consensus due to opposition over gender-related terminology.

A conservative alliance of countries, including Egypt, Russia and Saudi Arabia, balked at the term “gender-responsive” in the text, although they ultimately failed in their bid to change it.

‘Degraded profession’: Serbia teachers rattled by attacks


By AFP
July 13, 2024

Protesters rallied against violence in 2023 after two back-to-back deadly shootings including at a school in Belgrade -

 Copyright AFP/File ANDREJ ISAKOVIC

Mina PEJAKOVIC

Teacher Snezana Djurickovic was bidding goodbye to students after their school trip when one child’s parents mauled her in a ferocious attack that unions say is on the rise in Serbia.

Djurickovic was helping students exit the bus in Belgrade one minute and the next the child’s mother was screaming, punching and ultimately ripping out a chunk of the teacher’s hair.

“While I was on the ground, her husband hit my head and spat on me,” 61-year-old Djurickovic told AFP of the June assault. “I don’t know if I will ever feel safe again in school.”

Hundreds of attacks on educators have been reported to police since 2022, unions say, and teachers are now demanding urgent action from the government to protect them.

Worries over violence against educators in Serbia have been building for years, but a 2022 video of students pulling a chair out from under a teacher cast a harsh new spotlight on the issue.

“This case led to daily attacks coming to the surface,” said Snjezana Pavlovic, president of the Belgrade committee of the Union of Education Workers of Serbia.

In addition to the hundreds of reported cases, many others go unreported because teachers fear retribution, according to the Independent Union of Education Workers of Serbia (NSPRS).

Serbian police did not respond to an AFP request for information on the violence.



– ‘Expansion of violence’ –



A series of factors seem to be contributing to the attacks on teachers, including clashes with parents and broader problems in Serbia.

Djurickovic, the attacked teacher, said the violence happened after the mother accused her of pushing her child — a claim the educator denies.

In the video of the attack, seen by AFP, parents and students try to get the attackers to stop, telling them the teacher had not been violent.

“We are living in a moment where the expansion of violence is very significant. Everyone is exposed to it, including children and teachers,” psychologist Ana Mirkovic to AFP.

Mirkovic said many factors appear to be contributing to the teacher attacks, such as aggressive behaviour within families and parents interfering in teachers’ work.

On the same day Djurickovic was attacked, the mother of student assaulted a teacher at another school in Belgrade because she was unhappy with the child’s grade.

The unions say teachers had long faced daily confrontations with students, but in the last year, parents have become the primary attackers, mostly over grades.

“Violence against teachers by children has always existed, but we can say that they (children) are not aware of their actions,” Pavlovic told AFP.

“But what terrifies me is that now parents are attacking teachers… that’s a new, higher level of violence,” the union representative added.

Over the years, one of the measures to prevent violence has been the introduction of a school police officer.

However, as the NSPRS union president Dusan Kokot warned, teachers are now being attacked not only in schools but also on the streets.



– Urgent action demanded –



In May, unions and teachers protested in Belgrade over escalating school violence, with more than 700 schools across Serbia suspending work for a day.

The main demand from teachers — who make 86,681 Serbian dinars ($805) per month, which is below the national average of $895 — was to amend the country’s penal code.

They urged the government to make attacks on teachers an offence that carries up to eight years in prison, drawing a pledge from authorities to get the amendments before parliament this year.

Unions and teachers have criticised the official response as too slow, and have threatened to strike until meaningful action is taken.

For the next school year, they plan a “white strike” aimed at curbing violence, during which they would withhold grades until new protective measures are in place.

“The profession has been completely degraded in every aspect,” said Pavlovic, calling the violence a “burning issue” that needs urgent action.

‘Stop the bickering’: Sanders voices support for Biden’s candidacy

By AFP
July 13, 2024

US President Joe Biden gestures as Senator Bernie Sanders, Independent from Vermont, looks on at the White House in April 2024 - Copyright AFP Jim WATSON

Senator Bernie Sanders, a prominent figure of the US political left, on Saturday threw his support behind Joe Biden’s White House campaign, dismissing calls for the president to withdraw from the race over health concerns.

“Enough! Mr. Biden may not be the ideal candidate, but he will be the candidate and should be the candidate,” independent senator Sanders wrote in a New York Times column, adding that “it’s time for Democrats to stop the bickering and nit-picking.”

Sanders’ column comes amid steadily growing calls from Democratic officials and donors for the 81-year-old Biden to step aside following a disastrous performance in his June 27 debate with former president Donald Trump. So far, some 20 members of Congress have called for him to leave the race.

Most polls taken since the debate show Trump with a national lead over Biden, though within the margin of error. They also show some key battleground states, including Georgia, Arizona and Nevada, shifting in the Republican’s favor.

And a majority of Americans — including Democrats — believe Biden is too old to serve again, according to a recent poll.

Nor did the president help his own cause when, at a summit in Washington earlier this week, he mistakenly introduced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as his foe Vladimir Putin, before quickly correcting himself.

Biden, however, insisted during an appearance Friday that he is, and will remain, his party’s flagbearer.

“I am running and we’re going to win,” he told an enthusiastic audience in Detroit, amid chants of “Don’t you quit.”

– ‘Circular firing squad’ –

Sanders noted in his op-ed that he had some strong disagreements with Biden. Like many of his youthful supporters, Sanders fervently opposes what he called “US support for Israel’s horrific war against the Palestinian people” in Gaza.

Sanders, who at 82 is himself seeking reelection to the Senate in November, did acknowledge the signs of the president’s aging.

But given Biden’s achievements — and the record of Trump, “who has 34 felony convictions and… has told thousands of documented lies” — the senator brushed Biden’s shortcomings aside.

“Yes, I know,” he wrote. “Mr. Biden is old, is prone to gaffes, walks stiffly and had a disastrous debate with Mr. Trump. But this I also know: A presidential election is not an entertainment contest. It does not begin or end with a 90-minute debate.”

He blamed the eruption of anti-Biden rhetoric partly on “the corporate media (which) has obsessively focused on the June presidential debate and the cognitive capabilities of a man who has, perhaps, the most difficult and stressful job in the world.”

Sanders also blamed those Democrats who he said had “joined that circular firing squad.”

He challenged the president to do more — to “propose and fight for a bold agenda” that would help lift working families “who have been left behind for far too long.”

But Biden, he concluded, was “a good and decent Democratic president with a record of real accomplishment,” including helping rebuild the US economy and shoring up the country’s crumbling infrastructure.

“For the sake of our kids and future generations, he must win.”

rle-md/bbk/md

9,000 evacuated in northeast Canada due to wildfires


By AFP
July 13, 2024

File photo: Canada wildfires have brought an economic toll, including hitting tourism in its top wine region in the Okanagan Valley — © AFP SHAUN CURRY

Around 9,000 people have been evacuated in northeastern Canada because of raging wildfires, officials said Saturday.

Residents of the towns of Labrador City and Wabush in Newfoundland and Labrador province were ordered to leave their homes, said provincial fire duty officer Jeff Motty.

“We are seeing extreme fire behaviour out there. The fire is moving about 50 meters per minute,” Motty said.

Images shared on social media showed lines of cars waiting to fill up at gas stations as the sky was obscured by enormous clouds of smoke.

“It was quite a shock to see that much smoke,” Labrador City resident Stacy Hunt told public broadcaster CBC. “And it’s been in pretty much the same place for hours now.”

In this remote region residents must evacuate more than 500 kilometres (310 miles) east via the only road available.

Motty said that the intensity of the fire made it impossible to use water bombers.

On Saturday morning, Labrador City’s mayor, Belinda Adams, again urged residents to evacuate.

“The fire is still active,” she said in a video posted on social media.

Federal authorities said Friday that the weather had been favourable for limiting fires since the start of summer, but that the country was entering the peak wildfire season.

Last year, the country recorded the worst fire season in its history.

Drier and hotter conditions in many parts of the country caused by climate change have increased the risk of major fires in recent years, according to experts.

Canada is currently battling 575 active fires with more than 400 considered out of control. Many fires have broken out in recent days, particularly in the west of the country that has experienced a heat wave.

Relatives to mark MH17 downing a decade on, but arrest hopes fade

Boeing 777 jet was shot down by a Russian-made BUK surface-to-air missile over eastern Ukraine

By AFP
July 15, 2024

The memorial for the victims of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 at a park in Vijfhuizen, southwest of Amsterdam 

- Copyright AFP ANGELA WEISS

Jan HENNOP

Ten years after Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was blasted from the sky over war-torn Ukraine, families of the victims will gather Wednesday to remember the tragedy as hopes fade that those responsible will soon be behind bars.

Hundreds of relatives as well as government representatives and dignitaries are expected to attend the event at a memorial park near Schiphol airport where the doomed flight took off on a bright summer’s day on July 17, 2014.

Hours later the Boeing 777 jet was shot down by a Russian-made BUK surface-to-air missile over eastern Ukraine, as it passed on a flight line toward Kuala Lumpur. All 298 people on board died.

A Dutch court has sentenced in absentia three men to life imprisonment for their roles in bringing down the plane over separatist-held pro-Russian territory, during the early stages of a war that saw Moscow seize the Crimean peninsula.

On Wednesday the names of all the victims — 196 of them Dutch — will be read during the commemoration, its organisers said.

Forty-three Malaysians and 38 Australians were also among the victims from 10 countries.

Memorial ceremonies are also planned elsewhere, including a service in the Australian parliament.

“This remains a dark day. For all of us,” said Evert van Zijtveld, who lost his daughter Frederique, 19, his son Robert-Jan, 18, as well as his parents-in-law.

“Once again we gather to commemorate our loved ones. It’s incredibly sad,” van Zijtveld told AFP ahead of the gathering.

– ‘Not behind bars’ –

Dutch judges in November 2022 found Russians Igor Girkin and Sergei Dubinsky and Ukrainian Leonid Kharchenko guilty for their roles in bringing down the jet.

The three suspects refused to take part in the legal proceedings or acknowledge their roles in the incident.

A fourth man, Oleg Pulatov, was acquitted.

Judges ruled that Girkin, Dubinsky and Kharchenko could all be held responsible for the transport of the BUK missile from a military base in Russia and deploying it to the launch site — even if they did not launch the missile themselves.

Last year international investigators suspended their work, saying there was not enough evidence to prosecute more suspects.

But the investigators concluded there were “strong indications” that Russian President Vladimir Putin approved the supply of the missile that downed the plane.

Australia and the Netherlands have an ongoing case against Russia with the International Civil Aviation Organization, a United Nations agency with limited enforcement powers.

Russia has denied any involvement and dismissed the 2022 court verdict as “scandalous” and politically motivated.

“I don’t think those responsible will serve their sentences,” Van Zijtveld said.

“The invasion of Ukraine and the escalation of the war has made that really difficult to believe that any of them will be arrested soon,” he said, referring to the war against Ukraine launched by Russia in February 2022.

“In the end, we were unable to put anyone behind bars,” Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof acknowledged.

“That sense of justice is there, but ultimately not as it should have been,” he told public broadcaster NOS.

– ‘First victims’ –

Van Zijtveld — who now runs a foundation in the name of his two children to help other children including refugees from Ukraine — said “in many ways those on the plane were some of the first victims of this ongoing war”.

When the verdict was handed down, a spokesman for the victims’ families told AFP he hoped it would help families move on.

“I don’t believe in terms of closure — ask relatives who lost their children, you will never find closure for that,” said Piet Ploeg, who lost his brother, sister-in-law and nephew.

“But I really hope that this day will give families some space to try to get on with their lives,” he said at the time.

Van Zijtveld said that for relatives, including several of his own who will be attending on Wednesday, July 17 remains a hard day.

“On that day my children were murdered,” he said. “You will see, we will all be attending wearing black clothing,”

FGM IS FEMICIDE

Gambia MPs uphold ban on female genital mutilation


By AFP
July 15, 2024

The highly controversial bill had been making its way through parliament since March - Copyright AFP/File Rebecca DROKE
Alice CHANCELLOR

Gambian lawmakers voted on Monday to uphold a 2015 ban on female genital mutilation, rejecting a controversial bill seeking to overturn the law after months of heated debate and international pressure.

Legislators killed the bill by voting against all the proposed amendments to the 2015 text that would have decriminalised the practice.

Rights groups and the United Nations had urged MPs to reject the bill, saying it threatened years of progress and would have seen The Gambia become the first country to overturn a ban on female genital mutilation (FGM).

Table banging could be heard in the packed parliamentary chamber as MPs rejected each of the four clauses.

“The Women’s (Amendment) Bill 2024, having gone through the consideration stage with all the clauses voted down, is hereby deemed rejected,” said Fabakary Tombong Jatta, the speaker of the National Assembly.

“I rule that the bill is rejected and the legislative process exhausted,” he added.

The bill had been making its way through parliament since March, deeply dividing public opinion in the Muslim-majority West African country.

The text, introduced by MP Almameh Gibba, says that “female circumcision” is a deep-rooted cultural and religious practice, but anti-FGM campaigners and international rights groups say it is a harmful violation against women and girls.

FGM involves the partial or total removal of the female external genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs, and can lead to serious health problems including infections, bleeding, infertility and complications in childbirth.

The Gambia is among the 10 countries with the highest rates of FGM, with 73 percent of women and girls aged 15 to 49 having undergone the procedure, according to 2024 figures from UNICEF.

A UN report from March said that more than 230 million girls and women worldwide are survivors of the practice.

– ‘Sets an example’ –

“This vote is a significant victory for women and girls in The Gambia,” Divya Srinivasan, from women’s rights NGO Equality Now, told AFP after the decision, adding that it reflected the country’s dedication to upholding gender equality.

“We hope this sets an example in the immediate region as well as in the whole continent,” she added.

Amnesty International also welcomed the decision to uphold the 2015 ban.

“In 2015, the adoption of the Women’s (Amendment) Act, which criminalizes and sets out punishments for performing, aiding and abetting the practice of FGM, represented a significant milestone in the country’s efforts to safeguard girls’ and women’s rights,” said Samira Daoud, Amnesty International Regional Director for West and Central Africa, in a statement.

“It was essential that this progress was protected,” she added.

But the rights organisation also said the government must do more to uphold the law and address the “root causes of the issue to change attitudes and norms in order to empower women and girls”.

Former Gambian dictator Yahya Jammeh, now in exile, banned FGM in 2015, branding it outdated and not a requirement of Islam.

Parliament later that year adopted the first law specifically banning the practice, which is now punishable by up to three years in prison.

But in reality, FGM has not been eradicated in The Gambia, with the first convictions for performing the procedure only taking place last year.

It was those convictions which caused the issue to flare up in the tiny West African country.

After referring the Women’s (Amendment) Bill 2024 to a parliamentary committee in March, Gambian legislators last week backed the committee’s conclusions calling for the ban to be maintained.

The report from the joint committee on health and gender said that repealing the ban “would expose women and girls to severe health risks and violate their right to physical and mental well-being”.

It also said it had consulted Islamic scholars who confirmed the practice was not a requirement of Islam, an argument commonly used by FGM advocates.

FOR PROFIT HEALTHCARE

 

Healthcare quality and safety: States in the US with the worse surgery records


By Dr. Tim Sandle
July 15, 2024

A team of surgeons transplanting a pig kidney into a brain dead patient, part of a growing field of research aimed at advancing cross-species transplants and closing the organ donor gap - Copyright NYU Langone Health/AFP Joe Carrotta

A recent study reveals the most dangerous states in the U.S. for undergoing surgery, based on an assessment of medical data. This assessment reveals that California is the most dangerous state for surgery, with severe systemic issues in healthcare quality and patient safety.

Florida ranks second, driven by the highest rate of surgical complications and deaths.

New York has the highest medical malpractice payment reports, totalling 1,459.

This research, undertaken by Burger Law, analysed US states based on key factors to identify the most dangerous states for surgery. Drawing on data from governmental sources such as CMS Provider Data and the National Practitioner Data Bank, the study examined surgical complications and deaths from 2019 to 2022, the number of surgeons per 100,000 population, access to healthcare, quality of hospital care, adverse action reports, and medical malpractice payments.

Each factor was normalised per 100,000 population for an accurate comparison, and a composite score was calculated to provide a clear assessment of surgical risks across the states.

The data makes for concerning reading and highlights the inequalities built into the US’s free-market driven healthcare system. As The Lancet reported, poor Americans have worse access to care than do wealthy Americans, partly because many remain uninsured despite coverage expansions.
US States Population Number of surgical complications and deaths (2019 – 2022) Number of Surgeons per 100K (active MD and DO physicians) Access for Healthcare Quality of Hospital Care Score Adverse Action reports for the past year Medical Malpractice Payment Report Composite Score

US States	Population	Number of surgical complications and deaths (2019 – 2022)	Number of Surgeons per 100K (active MD and DO physicians)	Access for Healthcare	Quality of Hospital Care Score	Adverse Action reports for the past year	Medical Malpractice Payment Report	Composite Score
California	38,889,770	21	13.73	66.84	78.98	4,354	1,261	100
Florida	22,975,931	22	13.77	60.64	82.45	2,712	1,374	84.37
Texas	30,976,754	15	12.45	85.6	34.89	4,648	648	83.74
Arkansas	3,089,060	14	12.62	59.9	44.85	604	64	73.19
Colorado	5,914,181	2	11.73	71.86	16.59	1,777	150	70.27
Georgia	11,145,304	13	13.93	80.87	76.42	889	412	69.56
New York	19,469,232	14	23.25	36.48	94.37	961	1,459	69
North Carolina	10,975,017	20	15.77	60.49	54.4	1,115	159	68.38
Illinois	12,516,863	9	16.98	40.1	54.4	1,687	549	63.93
Pennsylvania	12,951,275	5	25.27	22.45	59.13	953	1,045	63.21

Read more: https://www.digitaljournal.com/life/healthcare-quality-and-safety-states-in-the-us-with-the-worse-surgery-records/article#ixzz8g5jIivRa

From the above table, California ranks top as the most dangerous state to get surgery. California’s healthcare system is severely impacted by the highest number of adverse action reports, totalling 4,354. The state also struggles with high rates of surgical complications and 21 in 100,000 people die or have surgical complications, which highlights the severe systemic issues of California.

Florida is the second state where one should think twice before getting surgery. The state faces the highest rate of surgical complications and deaths, at 22 per 100,000 population. The state’s high adverse action reports, totalling 2,712, and medical malpractice payments also contribute significantly to its ranking, indicating pervasive issues in healthcare delivery and patient safety.

Texas comes third on the list. The state has the highest number of adverse action reports, totalling 4,648, coupled with substantial medical malpractice payments. Despite good access to healthcare at 85.6%, these adverse factors significantly impact its safety for surgeries.

Arkansas is the fourth most dangerous state for surgeries. It shows significant challenges with high surgical complications and deaths, totalling 14 per 100,000 population, and a low quality of hospital care score of 44.85. The state’s adverse action reports total 604, and medical malpractice payments further impact its bad reputation.

Colorado ranks fifth on the list of worst states to get surgery. This state is characterized by a high number of adverse action reports, totalling 1,777, and medical malpractice payments at 150. Relatively good access to healthcare at 71.86 per 100,000 population is overshadowed by the quality of hospital care, which is the lowest with a score of 16.59, significantly impacting its safety for surgery.

 

 

Evolve Bank suffers ransomware attack


By Dr. Tim Sandle
July 15, 2024

DIGITAL JOURNAL

On the so-called dark web, providers of ransomware services and support pitch their products openly - Copyright AFP Stefano Rellandini

Evolve Bank has disclosed a ransomware attack from infamous ransomware gang, LockBit, where the bad actors stole customer information and began encrypting company data. The data stolen included names, social security numbers, bank account numbers, contact information, and employee information.

LockBit is a cybercriminal group proposing ransomware as a service (RaaS). This enables malicious actors who are willing to pay for using it to carry out attacks in two tactics where they not only encrypt the victim’s data and demand payment of a ransom, but also threaten to leak it publicly if their demands are not met.

The breach happened on February 9 but was not discovered until May 29. Initially Evolve Bank thought it was a hardware issue but soon discovered it was malicious activity caused by an employee accidentally clicking on a malicious link.

In response to this incident, Evolve Bank has stated they will further strengthen their security response protocols, policies and procedures, and their ability to detect and respond to suspected incidents.

Weighing up the implications of this major cybersecurity incident impacting on the finance sector is Tim Eades, co-founder and CEO at Anetac.

Eades explains to Digital Journal why this incident is significant not only for customers but for the financial industry overall.

Eades puts the cyber-incident into context: “Despite recent crackdowns, the surge of ransomware attacks continues unabated in 2024. Oftentimes, these threat actors will “live within an organization’s environment to prep and successfully exfiltrate and encrypt sensitive data.”

Moving on to the most recent case – with Evolve Bank – Eades explains what has taken place: “In the recent Evolve Bank attack, it took around 45 days before the encryption event happened. During this time, threat actors reset the password of a service account, escalated privileges for that domain administrator, created multiple local admin accounts, disabled and implemented tools, and committed other acts of mayhem leading to the main, catastrophic event.”

It is always important to learn from these types of incidents and to built firmer foundations for the future. Eades recommends: “Organizations need a modern identity vulnerability and security solution that monitors all access points in real-time, including service accounts, APIs, tokens, access keys, and user accounts.”

Eades further advises: “Then, understanding the chains of access throughout these complex systems can help ensure that the least privileges are enforced. Add ongoing identity behavior analysis to detect and alert unusual activity so organizations can better defend against the evolving ransomware threat and protect their critical data from future attacks.”

 

LA/Long Beach Rail Union Reaches Labor Agreement Far in Advance

TraPac rail terminal, Port of Los Angeles (File image courtesy Port of LA)

PUBLISHED JUL 14, 2024 2:16 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

 

In an era of contentious labor relations in the ports sector, news of an amicable and timely contract negotiation is a rarity - but the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) and the rail line for the vital San Pedro Bay port complex have achieved it. The two sides have announced that they have ratified a three-year extension of their current collective bargaining agreement, far ahead of deadline. 

The extension is retroactive to May 1 and extends through September 2027. It includes a "fair" 13 percent raise over three years to offset inflation, and a continuation of the current employee contribution levels for health benefits.  The 145 employees of the Pacific Harbor Line (PHL) approved it by a margin of nine to one on Friday. The cooperative tone of the joint announcement was a departure from the combative note sounded by other port unions and employer bargaining associations, and it focused on the need to ensure the success of the twin ports of LA and Long Beach - collectively, the biggest container-freight gateway in the United States.

"This is a great win for the organization and our members," BLET General Chairman Brian Carr  said. "The contract contains no changes to our health and medical plan and provides 13 percent wage increases over two years. PHL and the organization have worked well together through this process to ensure no disruptions."

PHL provides carrier-neutral transportation, maintenance, and dispatching services to the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, including dispatching for all BNSF and Union Pacific trains on the 100 miles of rail line in the port complex. The high-capacity trains are essential for the success of LA/Long Beach: they transport millions of containers a year from San Pedro Bay to inland markets, particularly in the Midwest. 

While BLET has had a contentious relationship with national Class 1 railroads, including a near-strike in 2022, PHL is a subsidiary of an independent regional/local rail holding company and has not been affected by previous disagreements. 

"Our employees are the backbone of our operations. This CBA extension ensures that they are fairly compensated and that we maintain a safe and reliable rail network," PHL President, Otis Cliatt II. "It also prevents any potential disruption to the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach operations, which are critical links to our economy."

In January, PHL agreed to a bonus program that will pay its union employees up to $18,000 in retention bonuses if they stay with the rail line for the next two years - and if PHL is picked to carry on as the switching company for the Ports of LA and Long Beach from 2026 onward.