Taal volcano news – live: Cracks spotted in earth and more quakes spark fear of huge explosion as police extend blockade

Follow the latest updates as people return to their homes despite warnings

Samuel Osborne @SamuelOsborne93
3 minutes ago

A volcano in the Philippines has been shuddering continuously with earthquakes and opening cracks in nearby roads as police blockaded at-risk towns over fears of a bigger eruption.

More than 53,000 residents have fled their homes in the vicinity of the Taal volcano to take shelter in evacuation centres, though thousands more have refused to leave or have returned to check on their animals and possessions.


Many houses and farms have been damaged by volcanic ash since Taal, one of the country’s most active and deadliest volcanoes, began spewing lava and ash on Sunday.


Follow the latest updates

KEY POINTS

Volcano shudders continuously with earthquakes and opens cracks in nearby roads

More than 100 tremors recorded since Wednesday

'We've lost everything,' local resident says

Elderly woman dies of heart attack while being evacuated


Evacuees are wondering how long they will have to wait before finding out whether Taal volcano will devastate the region or fall back into a slumber.

"It's all in God's hands now. We are not sure if we will have a home to return to," Leonita Gonzales, 52, who fled with the rest of her household from the danger zone around Taal, told Reuters.

Her banana palms were destroyed by the ash that fell after the volcano started to gush smoke on Sunday. She is uncertain whether her home's tin roof will be able to bear the weight either.

Samuel Osborne
16 January 2020 14:58
26 minutes ago
A 61-year-old seamstress has been sewing dozens of colourful masks and giving them to her neighbours in Lipa city for free.

Rosalina Mantuano, a seamstress for 45 years, began sewing the masks using scrap fabric after the Taal volcano began spewing giant clouds of ash into the air on Sunday.

"As a seamstress, I thought what if I made my own masks and give it away for free to those affected. That is what I did," Ms Mantuano, who makes 100 face masks a day, told Reuters.

Shortly after the eruption, supply of face masks dropped and prices increased to as much as five times the usual price. The Philippine trade ministry has threatened to sue businessmen and shutter their shops for raising prices to unreasonable levels.

Cloth donations poured in when people heard of Ms Manuano's efforts, she said.

She has since received cloth donations, allowing her to produce around 400 more checkered, flowery and striped face masks.

Samuel Osborne
16 January 2020 14:35
1 hour ago
In a firsthand account of escaping from the Taal volcano, John Dan Ramos describes the ground shaking "every 20 to 30 minutes" and says "the air was thick with ashes" that "smelt like a mix of sulfur and gunpowder".


Opinion: I was trapped by ash from the Taal volcano – this is how I escapedThe roads were blocked by thick volcanic ash and the air was filled with the choking smell of gunpowder. Earthquakes shook every 30 minutes and we spent the night fearing for our lives

Samuel Osborne
16 January 2020 13:56
1 hour ago
One horse owner urged authorities to allow the rescue of as many animals as possible, taking advantage of what appeared to be a lull in volcano activity, but was rebuffed by the coast guard patrolling the lake.

Horses were among the more than 70 animals brought to safety since Wednesday by another group of rescuers, led by a police maritime unit, but it has since been told to halt its activities, because of the eruption threat.

Many of the horses that had made it out looked exhausted and hungry, with at least one barely able to stand.

Samuel Osborne
16 January 2020 13:29
1 hour ago
Many islanders depend on the survival of their animals, which often form the sole means of their livelihood.

"We won't have food on our tables if not for them," Jun Despededa, 21, who used water from the lake to scrub volcanic ash from his horse's white coat, told Reuters. "I don't know what I would do now after what happened."

About 1,000 horses, as well as cows, goats and pigs were among the animals left behind by residents scurrying to safer areas for fear of a bigger eruption.

Samuel Osborne
16 January 2020 12:16
2 hours ago
Several local residents have returned to the danger zone around the Taal volcano to rescue the animals they had left behind.

Manolito Malaluan set out on a motorboat with a band of rescuers to ferry to safety two horses to safety on Tuesday.

"Both of them were neighing when they saw me," Mr Malaluan, 23, told Reuters, after reaching safer ground with his horses, named Cristina and Bakasan. "They were happy because I came back."

The horses were among 3,000 living on the island, most earning money for their owners by carrying tourists to the rim of the volcano crater.

Samuel Osborne
16 January 2020 12:14
Advertisement
2 hours ago
There is an "urgent need" for clean water, latrines and access to basic healthcare among the hundreds of thousands of people who have fled the volcano, said Jerome Balinton, humanitarian manager for Save the Children Philippines.

Mr Balinton said: “At least 300,000 people have been evacuated or displaced by the Taal volcano since Sunday, nearly half of them children, and we expect that number to rise. Entire towns and villages within the ‘danger zone’ have been abandoned and covered in hazardous volcanic ash. With the volcano island now declared a ‘no-man’s land’ by president Rodrigo Duterte, some 1,000 people who call it home may never be able to return.

“The sudden displacement of so many people is putting enormous strain on host communities. Many families are staying with friends or relatives while others are seeking refuge in cramped and unsanitary evacuation centres where the risk of disease is high, especially among children. There is urgent need for clean water, latrines and access to basic healthcare.

“Meanwhile, the volcano continues to erupt with scientists warning that the biggest eruption may be yet to come. Entire communities, many of whom rely on tourism, have already been devastated, forced from their homes and now robbed of their livelihoods.

“The children we’ve spoken to tell us that missing out on school is one of their biggest concerns. Save the Children is setting up two Child-Friendly Spaces in the affected areas staffed by childcare professionals, where children can learn and play while receiving emotional support to help them cope with their distress. We will also begin distributing sleeping mats, blankets, mosquito nets and other vital household items to displaced families.”

Samuel Osborne
16 January 2020 12:12
3 hours ago
A farmer has described the scene of devastation after ash from the Taal volcano blanketed his pineapple field.

"We just have to accept that we will incur a loss," Jack Imperial, 49, who had never seen such a sight in 17 years of farming, told Reuters. "Even if we are able to harvest some pineapples, if customers are scared to come because of the eruption, the pineapples would just end up rotting."


Pineapple farm covered in volcanic ash in PhilippinesFarmer Jack Imperial says eruption's impacts go beyond anything he has ever seen

Samuel Osborne
16 January 2020 11:41
3 hours ago
Although Taal is one of the world's smallest active volcanoes at only 311m high, its eruptions have been deadly.

One eruption killed more than 1,300 people in 1911.

Taal has erupted more than 30 times in the past five centuries, with the most recent in 1977.

Samuel Osborne
16 January 2020 11:12
4 hours ago
"Activity in the past 24 hours has generally waned to weak emission of steam-laden plumes," the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology has said.

But the region remained just a notch down from the highest level of alert the agency could issue if the volcano erupts more violently.

Samuel Osborne
16 January 2020 10:48
4 hours ago
Among those displaced were about 5,000 people who live on the island where the Taal volcano lies.

Some villagers have slipped past checkpoints to retrieve some of the hundreds of cows and horses they left behind, prompting the coast guard and police to intensify a security cordon.

Samuel Osborne
16 January 2020 10:30
4 hours ago
The aftermath of the Taal volcano eruption could have a devastating effect on its victims' mental health, Talya Meyers writes:


Opinion: The Taal volcano eruption could leave victims with anxiety and depression for years to comeAid groups and NGOs should be prepared to screen for signs of trauma and other mental health concerns, which can have long-term effects on physical health as well

Samuel Osborne
16 January 2020 10:11
5 hours ago
A 65-year-old woman has died of a heart attack while being moved out of Taal town in Batangas province.

Officials said she had been ill and may have been stressed by the calamity.

Samuel Osborne
16 January 2020 09:51
5 hours ago
"We've lost everything, our house got damaged, but I need to retrieve my pots and cooking wares and other things. They should not be very, very strict," 59-year-old Erlinda Landicho told the Associated Press.

Ms Landicho, who fled with her son from Lemery municipality as the volcano erupted, was among a throng of villagers stopped by police from reentering the ash-blanketed town after a firetruck blocked a key access road and police set up checkpoints.

Samuel Osborne
16 January 2020 09:34
5 hours ago
More than 121,000 people have fled their homes just in Batangas province, which has declared a state of calamity to allow faster releases of emergency funds.

At least 373 evacuation sites were crammed with displaced villagers and needed more ash masks, portable toilets, bottled water and sleeping mats, according to a provincial disaster-response office.

The government's main-disaster agency reported a little more than 65,000 people were displaced by the eruption in Batangas and Cavite province. The reason for the discrepancy was not immediately clear.


Samuel Osborne
16 January 2020 09:14
6 hours ago
A couple got married under a gigantic cloud of ash and smoke from the Taal volcano on Sunday, which made for some dramatic photos, Sabrina Barr reports:


Couple marry in the Philippines as volcano erupts behind them‘We kept on checking social media for updates on the volcanic eruption,’ says wedding photographer

Samuel Osborne
16 January 2020 08:55
6 hours ago
"We are analysing what this seeming calm of the volcano means," Maria Antonia Bornas, chief science research specialist at the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), said.

The lake inside Taal has dried up, Ms Bornas said, which was to be expected since it began spewing lava fountains a day after it shot giant clouds of ash miles into the air on Sunday.

Phivolcs said volcanic activity had "generally waned to weak emission of steam-laden plumes".

Even so, it had recorded more than 100 tremors since Wednesday, meaning magma was still rising.

Samuel Osborne
16 January 2020 08:34
6 hours ago
Many houses and farms have been damaged by volcanic ash since Taal started erupting on Sunday.

At least 53,000 people have been evacuated and are taking shelter in evacuation centres. No deaths or major injuries have been reported so far.

Samuel Osborne
16 January 2020 08:15
Advertisement
7 hours ago
A crater lake and nearby river have dried up amid warnings of an imminent eruption.

Soldiers and police have blocked villagers from sneaking back by boats to the volcanic island and nearby towns to check on their animals and possessions.

Samuel Osborne
16 January 2020 08:01
7 hours ago
A volcano in the Philippines has been shuddering continuously with earthquakes and opening cracks in nearby roads, with seismologists warning the danger of an eruption remains high.

Police have blockaded at least four at-risk towns over fears of a bigger eruption and warned evacuees not to return to their homes.

Samuel Osborne
16 January 2020 07:51

SEE  https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/search?q=PHILIPPINES

SEE  https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/search?q=TAAL

SEE  https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/search?q=NATURAL+DISASTERS 

SEE  https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/search?q=VOLCANO

Someone who's definitely "not anti vax" just accidentally invented the concept of vaccines, meaning we've finally come full circle. 


TO ENLARGE CLICK RIGHT BUTTON OPEN IN NEW TAB

ROFLMAO

In a post that genuinely defies comprehension (is it satire? is it sincere? what level of irony are we on?), a Facebook user suggested we start injecting people with exactly... What we're already injecting them with. 

While we want to believe no one would be this oblivious to their own irony, they do write in a way typical of anti-vaxxers. 

Hardcore sceptics say that the government deliberately infects children with toxic chemicals through injections. Platforms like Facebook have allowed misinformation to spread to a wide audience. 

Polls suggest that between 30-40 per cent of Americans are dubious about vaccinations, whilst a measles outbreak in the UK last year was linked by some to dangerous myths about immunisation.

People are humouring the anti-vaxxer's idea. After all, they're not wrong... If more anti-vaxxers could get behind this person's idea maybe the issue would go away.

---30---

Cows talk to each about how they feel, study finds

Academic dubs research similar to ‘Google translate’ for cattle

Zoe Tidman

Animals in study communicated in emotionally-charged situations ( iStock )

Cows tell each other how they feel through their moos, according to a new study.

The animals have individual vocal characteristics and change their pitch depending on their emotions, according to research by the University of Sydney.

Alexandra Green, the study’s lead author, said: “Cows are gregarious, social animals. In one sense it isn’t surprising they assert their individual identity throughout their life.”

“This is the first time we have been able to analyse voice to have conclusive evidence of this trait.”



The study found that cows use their distinctive voice to help them maintain contact with the herd and express excitement, arousal, engagement or distress.

Previous research has found cattle mothers and offspring communicate through individuality in their lowing.

However, this new study has detailed how cows keep their individual moo throughout their lives, even when talking among themselves.

It found the animals studied would speak to each other during their sexually active period, while waiting for or denied food and when kept separate from the group.

 

Cows sexually abused and hit at farm owned by NFU deputy chief

The University of Sydney research, which has been published in Scientific Reports, recorded and analysed 333 samples of cow vocalisations.

“Ali’s research is truly inspired. It is like she is building a Google translate for cows,” said Cameron Clark, an associate professor at the university.

Ms Green said she hoped her research would help farmers “tune into the emotional state of their cattle, improving animal welfare”.

A 2018 study found that animals communicate with each other in a similar way to humans.

Taking turns in conversations had previously been considered something that distinguished the human language from the way animals talk to each other — but this research found the characteristic exists throughout the animal kingdom.

Additional reporting by agencies

‘GIDDYUP!’: US AIRPORT SECURITY AGENT PULLS NATIVE AMERICAN WOMAN’S BRAIDS LIKE REINS

‘I am angry, humiliated,’ says Tara Houska

A Native American woman claims she was told to “giddyup!” and had her braids “snapped like reins” by a US airport security agent.

Tara Houska, an attorney and activist for indigenous rights, was travelling through Minneapolis-St.Paul International Airport to return home to Bemidji, Minnesota, on 13 January when a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agent said she needed to pat down Ms Houska’s hair.

Ms Houska said the agent pulled her braids behind her shoulders, “laughed and said ‘giddyup!’ as she snapped my braids like reins”.

The experience left her “angry, humiliated".

“My hair is part of my spirit,” she tweeted. “Your ‘fun’ hurt.”

Ms Houska said the agent “casually used her authority to dehumanize and disrespect me”.

When confronted, the agent allegedly said: “It was just in fun, I’m sorry. Your hair is lovely.”

The federal security director of TSA in Minnesota, Cliff Van Leuven, has since apologised to Ms Houska for the incident, sending an email to employees saying that the agency will “learn from this”.

“TSA holds its employees to the highest standards of professional conduct and any type of improper behaviour is taken seriously,” the agency said in a statement.

‘

Racist’ flight attendant threatens to kick Muslim woman off flight

The Independent has contacted TSA for further comment.

It’s not the first time the agency has been accused of offensive behaviour.

In July 2019, two TSA employees were placed on leave for creating a racist display in a major US airport that agency officials described as “reprehensible”.

The display was found at a TSA workstation in Miami International Airport, and showed toy gorillas hanging from nooses.

“We choose not to describe the display under investigation. This reprehensible act runs absolutely counter to the values of the agency, and therefore we do not want to provide it any credence,” a TSA official told The Independent.

“The display was immediately removed and an investigation was launched into who was responsible for the unacceptable behaviour. TSA does not tolerate racist or offensive behaviour and those found responsible will be held accountable for their actions. Two TSA officers have been placed on administrative leave while the investigation is ongoing.”

Trump literally unable to read US Constitution while filming HBO documentary: New book

TRUMP IS ILLITERATE NOT A LITERATI 

By Travis Gettys January 15, 2020

Many have questioned President Donald Trump’s understanding of the U.S. Constitution, but a new book suggests he might be incapable of reading it.

Washington Post reporters Philip Rucker and Carol Leonnig have a new book about the Trump presidency, “A Very Stable Genius,” based on hundreds of hours of interviews with more than 200 sources, and much of it backed by documentary evidence.

In one episode from the book, Trump agreed early in his presidency to take part in an HBO documentary featuring judges, lawmakers and all the living presidents reading aloud from the Constitution

But Trump struggles and stumbles over the words, according to the book, and blames others in the room for his bungling.

“It’s like a foreign language,” he complained, according to the book.

---30---

‘Dangerously uninformed’ Trump faces fresh humiliation from new book
Trump didn't understand Pearl Harbor, book says: 'What's this about?'

China believes new virus behind mystery pneumonia outbreak

By Agence France-Presse on January 16, 2020

China believes a mysterious pneumonia outbreak that struck 59 people is caused by a new strain of virus from the same family as SARS, which killed hundreds of people more than a decade ago.

Lead scientist Xu Jianguo told the official Xinhua news agency that experts had “preliminarily determined” a new type of coronavirus was behind the outbreak, first confirmed on December 31 in Wuhan, a central Chinese city with a population of more than 11 million.

It initially sparked fears of a resurgence of highly contagious Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, and prompted authorities in Hong Kong — badly hit by SARS in 2002-2003 — to take precautions, including stepping up the disinfection of trains and airplanes, and checks of passengers.

China has since ruled out a fresh outbreak of SARS, which killed 349 people in mainland China and another 299 in Hong Kong.

“A total of 15 positive results of the new type of coronavirus had been detected” in the lab, through tests on infected blood samples and throat swabs, Xu said.

The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed the preliminary discovery of a new coronavirus in a statement.

“Further investigations are also required to determine the source, modes of transmission, extent of infection and countermeasures implemented,” said Gauden Galea, the WHO Representative to China.

Wuhan’s health commission said on Sunday seven of the 59 patients were seriously ill, but none had died. All received treatment in quarantine.

Eight patients have recovered and were discharged from hospital on Wednesday, according to Xinhua.

The commission said the infection broke out between December 12 and 29, with some of the patients employed at a city seafood market since closed for disinfection.

No obvious evidence of human-to-human transmission has been reported so far.

Footage from January 1 by state broadcaster CCTV showed an official notice at the market saying it had been closed in light of the “current pneumonia situation in our city”, without providing a date for reopening.

The outbreak comes just a few weeks before China’s busiest annual travel period, when millions of people take buses, trains and planes for Lunar New Year.

A Chinese transport ministry official said at a briefing that arrangements were made for “disinfection, monitoring and prevention” focusing on areas with large numbers of passengers, including stations and cargo hubs.

Civil aviation and national railway authorities said they had not received any reports of affected patients taking flights or trains, and that they were closely watching the situation.

Wan Xiangdong, chief flight officer of China’s Civil Aviation Administration, said all planes were equipped with emergency medical kits.

WHO representative Galea said “people with symptoms of pneumonia and reported travel history to Wuhan have been identified at international airports”.

The organisation has not recommended any travel restrictions on China.

– Hong Kong, Taiwan fears –

In Hong Kong, hospitals have raised their alert level to “serious” and stepped up detection measures — including temperature checkpoints for inbound travellers.

Authorities in the financial hub say 48 people have been hospitalised in recent days after returning from Wuhan and displaying flu-like illnesses, but none were confirmed to have contracted the mystery virus.

Twenty-five of the patients have been discharged, Hong Kong authorities said Thursday.

City residents worried about the outbreak have rushed to buy face masks from local pharmacies, with many selling out earlier this week.

Inbound trains and flights from the mainland are undergoing extra cleaning and disinfection, authorities said.

Additional thermal imaging systems have been set up at the city’s airport, while inbound high-speed rail passengers from the mainland face checks by hand-held infrared thermometers.

The coming holiday has prompted concerns in Taiwan, where top officials urged the island’s health and welfare ministry to strengthen quarantine controls at airports.

On Monday, the country’s centre for disease control also advised residents planning to travel to or near Wuhan to wear masks and avoid contact with wild animals.

The US embassy in China warned on Tuesday that Americans travelling in the country should avoid animals and contact with sick people.

SEE https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/search?q=WUTAN

SEE https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/search?q=CHINA

SEE  https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/search?q=SARS 

SEE  https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/search?q=PANDEMIC

‘Dangerously uninformed’ Trump ‘toyed with’ awarding himself the Medal of Freedom: report

By Alex Henderson, AlterNet

January 15, 2020


One of President Donald Trump’s most widely ridiculed assertions is that he is a “very stable genius,” and that line is used in an ironic way in the title of the forthcoming Philip Rucker/Carol D. Leonnig book, “A Very Stable Genius: Donald J. Trump’s Testing of America” — ironic because the book depicts Trump as being the opposite of stable during his time in the White House.

The Washington Post has obtained a copy of the 417-page book, which has a Tuesday, January 21 release date on Amazon — and according to the Post’s Ashley Parker, “A Very Stable Genius” is full of “vivid details from Trump’s tumultuous first three years as president, from his chaotic transition before the taking office to Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s Russia investigation and final report.”

Rucker and Leonnig reveal in their book that Trump toyed with the idea of awarding himself the Medal of Freedom. Yet when it came to foreign policy, Trump was “at times, dangerously uninformed,” according to the long-time Washington Post reporters.

For example, Rucker and Leonnig report, Trump didn’t appear to fully understand the importance of Pearl Harbor when the president and former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly were getting ready to privately tour the USS Arizona Memorial. Trump, according to Rucker and Leonnig, “had heard the phrase ‘Pearl Harbor’ and appeared to understand that he was visiting the scene of an historic battle, but he did not seem to know much else.”

When Trump met with Indian President Narendra Modi, according to Rucker and Leonnig, he told him, “It’s not like you’ve got China on your border.” But in fact, China is one of the countries India shares a border with.

Trump’s fondness for Russian President Vladimir Putin is discussed in the book, and at one point, Trump declared himself to be more of an expert on Russia than former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson — who had extensive dealings with Putin during his years at Exxon.

Rucker and Leonnig write, “Tillerson’s years of negotiating with Putin and studying his moves on the chessboard were suddenly irrelevant. ‘I have had a two-hour meeting with Putin,’ Trump told Tillerson. ‘That’s all I need to know … I’ve sized it all up. I’ve got it.’”

“A Very Stable Genius,” Parker notes, is “based on hundreds of hours of interviews with more than 200 sources, corroborated, when possible, by calendars, diary entries, internal memos and even private video recordings. Trump himself had initially committed to an interview for the book, the authors write, but ultimately declined, amid an escalating war with the media.”

Some of the anecdotes in the book, according to Parker, are more amusing than disturbing. In 2018, for example, Trump met with former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to discuss the possibility of Christie becoming the next White House chief of staff; Christie declined — and when Axios reported that the meeting had taken place, Christie wanted to know how the meeting had been leaked to the media. Only three people were present during the meeting: President Trump, Christie and First Lady Melania Trump.

“Oh, I did it,” President Trump revealed.

Trump was just undercut by the Pentagon on his shocking claim of a Saudi Arabia quid pro quo

Published on January 15, 2020
By Cody Fenwick, AlterNet- Commentary

Donald Trump is the most explicitly transactional of modern presidents, and it’s gotten him into trouble. His offering of support from the U.S. government to Ukraine in exchange for a personal favor — an announcement of investigations into his political rivals — wound up making him the third American president to be impeached.

And in an interview with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham last Friday, Trump revealed he was engaging in another explicit quid pro quo — not, apparently, for a personal favor, but corrupting nonetheless — with Saudi Arabia.

“We’re sending more [troops] to Saudi Arabia, and Saudi Arabia is paying us for it,” Trump said. “I said ‘Listen, you’re a very rich country. You want more troops? I’m going to send them to you. But you’ve got to pay us.’”

This is pretty much as direct a quid pro quo as you can get — an offer to do something on the condition of getting paid. And since what is supposedly being paid for is U.S. military personnel, critics argued that Trump was turning American forces into a de facto mercenary army.

“He sells troops,” said Rep. Justin Amash (I-MI) on Twitter.

Trump even went further with his claim, saying the payment was already sent to “the bank,” though he didn’t specify which bank, and Ingraham didn’t press him.

“They’re paying us,” Trump said. “They’ve already deposited $1 billion in the bank.”

According to a statement from the Pentagon to Vox, however, none of this is right.

It said the Defense Department “has engaged Saudi Arabia on contributing to US activities that support regional security and dissuade hostility and aggression,” and that the country had agreed. However, it doesn’t look like any money has actually changed hands, as the Pentagon said that “discussions are ongoing to formalize these contributions.”

The Pentagon also pushed back on the quid pro quo Trump laid out, without calling him out directly.

“Contributions of this nature do not lead to the deployment of additional US forces, and they do not drive DoD to take on new missions or responsibilities,” it said.

What’s left unknown is who is really telling the truth. Trump lies all the time, of course, but sometimes he has accidental bouts of candor. And administration officials often shade the truth, or contradict the known facts entirely, in an effort to avoid the horrifying implications of Trump’s claims. Regardless, Trump seems to want people to think the U.S. military is up for sale, which is terrifying enough on its own.

INGRAHAM: Don't the American people have a right to know what specifically was targeted by Soleimani?
TRUMP: "I don't think so." pic.twitter.com/Dsi3Ow8Nhs
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 11, 2020

Ontario education minister announces $25 to $60 a day for child care funding during strike action
BY SHAWN JEFFORDS THE CANADIAN PRESS
Posted January 15, 2020 

WATCH ABOVE: During a Jan. 15 press conference, Ontario Minister of Education Stephen Lecce announced a childcare credit, funded by the provincial government, for families affected by teacher and education worker job action, which he said could cost up to $48 million per day.

TORONTO – The government will compensate parents affected by rotating teachers’ strikes, Ontario’s education minister said Wednesday as one union leader called the plan a “bribe” to win support during tense labour negotiations.

Parents whose kids aren’t yet enrolled in school but attend school-based child-care centres affected by the strikes will get the most money, Education Minister Stephen Lecce said, while those whose children are in grades 1 through 7 will get the least. Parents of secondary school students won’t get any funding, but those with children with special needs up to age 21 will get $40 per day.

Lecce said the funding is intended to “ensure students remain cared for” during the multiple labour actions being staged by the province’s four major teacher unions.

“It is a recognition of the costs that are being imposed on families by teacher unions,” he said. “It is, I believe, an incremental step to put some relief back in their pockets. For some parents, they’ve already faced those fiscal costs. There could be more given what has been intimated by some of … the teacher unions.”

READ MORE: Elementary teachers to hold 1-day strike Monday, includes Toronto, York and Ottawa boards

The government said it spends approximately $60 million per day in teacher compensation across the entire education system. Lecce estimates the program to compensate parents could cost as much as $48 million per day if a full labour disruption across all systems were to occur.

Lecce defended the plan and its costs, saying parents need the assistance.

“I think it pales in comparison to people who don’t have vacation days and don’t have child-care options and are in a pretty difficult place today, let alone if this continues to escalate,” he said.


Parents react to elementary teachers’ 1-day strike to take place on Monday


Union claims Ford government’s child care benefit is a ‘bribe’ ahead of school strikes


DDSB implements anti-black racism training


Toronto, York and Ottawa elementary teachers to hold 1-day strike Monday

The measure comes as the union representing Ontario’s elementary teachers said it will hold a one-day strike at three school boards on Monday unless contract talks with the government progress.

The Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario said Wednesday it’s given five days notice to the provincial government that workers in Toronto, York Region and Ottawa-Carleton boards will walk off the job.

It said the strike will go ahead unless government representatives “get serious” about reaching a deal by Friday.

ETFO president Sam Hammond slammed the government plan and said Lecce’s energy would be better spent getting his negotiator back to the bargaining table.


Ontario education minister announces childcare credit for families affected by education strikes Ontario education minister announces childcare credit for families affected by education strikes

“How insulting to parents in this province, that he’s trying to transparently bribe them for support,” he said.

NDP education critic Marit Stiles called the government plan disappointing.

“I wish this government would devote as much time and energy to actually doing what needs to be done to reverse the cuts that they’ve … put in place already as they have to this scheme,” she said.

Green party Leader Mike Schreiner said the government’s “cash-back program” is an attempt to distract parents from the ongoing labour disputes with teachers, who have been without contracts since August.

“What’s most important to parents is the quality of their kids’ education, and I think they will see through this ploy to pit them against teachers,” Schreiner said in a statement.


READ MORE: Ontario’s public high school teachers hold 5th 1-day strike as contract talks stall

Meanwhile, the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation held its fifth rotating strike at schools in 16 boards on Wednesday.

OSSTF, which represents 60,000 teachers and education workers, began one-day walkouts on Dec. 4 with a job action that closed schools across the province.

It has followed up with weekly rotating strikes that have closed all secondary schools and some elementary schools at the affected boards. In addition to representing high school teachers, OSSTF represents education workers at some elementary schools.

Teachers were angered when the government announced that average high school class sizes would increase and four e-learning courses would be mandatory for graduation. The government has since scaled back those proposals, but OSSTF president Harvey Bischof has said it’s not enough.

Lecce has repeatedly said the key sticking point in talks is compensation, with the union demanding a roughly two per cent wage increase and the government offering one per cent.

© 2020 The Canadian Press

SEE  https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/search?q=UNION

SEE  https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/search?q=STRIKE

SEE  https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/search?q=EDUCATION

SEE  https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/search?q=ONTARIO

SEE  https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/search?q=TEACHER

SEE  https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/search?q=TEACHERS 

SEE  https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/search?q=LABOUR

Baby its cold outside beautifully sung by Johnny Mercer and Margaret Whiting. Contrary to the mass of information and downloadable music displayed on the internet, which is all totally incorrect!! This video portrays the true artists who both sang and recorded this song. Yes it is John Mercer and Margaret Whiting and NOT Doris Day and Bing Crosby. After extensive research this is 100% confirmed and the information, LP and origonal song sheet have been picture copied and included in this video.. Please link to this video if possible and let the world know who the true artists are, for this very famous song.

• Category

  • Music

• Song

  • Baby It's Cold Outside

• Artist

  • Johnny Mercer, Margaret Whiting

• Album

  • All the Best Family Christmas Songs and Carols (100 Classic Original Xmas Hits)

• Writers

  • Frank Loesser

• Licensed to YouTube by

  • UMG (on behalf of Backtracks Records); ASCAP, AMRA, LatinAutor, Kobalt Music Publishing, PEDL, CMRRA, and 9 Music Rights Societies

Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga - Baby it's Cold Outside

Idina Menzel & Michael Bublé - Baby It's Cold Outside

The Simpsons Season 31 Episode 10 Bobby It's Cold Outside

All of Alberta under extreme cold warning, wind chills of -40 expected all week

BY KAREN BARTKO GLOBAL NEWS
Posted January 12, 2020 12:33 pm
Updated January 16, 2020 6:12 am


WATCH ABOVE: Global meteorologist Jesse Beyer's weather forecast for Edmonton and surrounding areas from 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2020.

There’s no other way to say it — it’s very, very, very cold outside. Blowing snow and frigid temperatures have descended upon the entire province of Alberta, and it isn’t getting better anytime soon.

In fact, at -28 C (or -39 with the wind chill), Edmonton was colder late Sunday morning than Iqaluit, located some 2,700 kilometres north in the Arctic, where Environment Canada said it was -22 C, or -33 with the wind chill.

How Calgarians are keeping warm amid the frigid cold How 

Calgarians are keeping warm amid the frigid cold

As a multi-day stretch of frigid wind chills continues, Environment Canada expanded extreme cold warnings to all of Alberta as of 3:30 p.m. on Monday.


READ MORE: What to do if you see someone sleeping out in the cold in Calgary

In Calgary, temperatures were expected to reach a high of -25 C on Monday, or -36 with the wind chill. Overnight, the low could reach -32 C and the wind chill feeling like -38 C, Environment Canada said, adding there was a risk of frostbite.

Monday was such a cold day, the Calgary Zoo cancelled the penguin walk for the day due to the extreme conditions.

Please note the Penguin Walk has been cancelled for today, January 13, 2020, due to extreme cold weather conditions.

We are hopeful to resume the walk tomorrow. We apologize for the inconvenience. pic.twitter.com/FJEuGk1flq

— Calgary Zoo (@calgaryzoo) January 13, 2020

In Lethbridge, Monday’s high was expected to reach -23 C with the wind chill making it feel more like -35.

Cold warning could be expanded

And as the Arctic airmass descends southward across Alberta this weekend, the national weather agency said the warning would continue to be expanded.

Wind chill values of minus 40 or colder will continue through the coming week and into next weekend.

READ MORE: Maintenance tips so your vehicle starts in a deep freeze: plug it in, tune it up, pack a roadside kit

Environment Canada meteorologist Danny Brown said on Sunday that the wind will be the bigger factor earlier in the week — and while that will taper off after a few days, it coincides with the temperature dropping even further.
“[Sunday] and [Monday], we’ll have to watch the wind more than the temperature. The temperature will be minus twenty eightish, minus 30 maybe, but the winds will be stronger,” Brown explained.

“But as we get to Tuesday and Wednesday, the temperatures are going to get much colder but the winds won’t be as strong. I think Wednesday night will be the worst night.”TWEET THIS

Brown explained the temperature in Edmonton’s core will be a few degrees warmer than neighbourhoods along Anthony Henday Drive and on the outskirts due to the insulation effect.

“There’s so many buildings and they’re emitting heat and there’s heat reflecting between the buildings, so it stays in the core of the city.”

In some cases, Brown said there can a difference of 10 degrees on very cold nights — however he said as the winds pick up, that discrepancy disappears.

” If you noticed last night, there was actually no difference at all because it was really windy and it just blows the urban heat island away.”

Under clear skies in central AB, you can see the urban ‘heat’ island effect on display. Slightly warmer temperatures in #Calgary and #Edmonton show up darker than frigid rural regions of central AB. Satellite imagery from 12 am MST Tues. #abstorm #yegwx #yycwx #icefog pic.twitter.com/nNSughtDZH

— ECCC Weather Alberta (@ECCCWeatherAB) January 14, 2020

Global Edmonton meteorologist Jesse Beyer said an upper trough in the jet stream has allowed Arctic air to migrate south into the Canadian west.

“The trough will dig in and it looks like we’ll be engulfed by the polar front and remain in the cold for weeks.”TWEET THIS

Some brief improvement may occur during the afternoon hours, but it will still be bitterly cold.

Daytime highs of -25 C to -27 C are expected for Sunday through to Thursday, according to weather specialist Mike Sobel. Wind chills will likely make that feel even colder.

Seasonal highs for this time of year are around -8 C, Sobel said.

The Edmonton International Airport said while some flights are arriving late and they are doing de-icing, that’s normal Canadian winter airport conditions and operations are normal.

Christopher Chodan with EIA said extra shifts are added during winter so the airport is prepared for the upcoming weather.
Impact on schools

On Monday, Elk Island Public Schools announced busing service for the school division east of Edmonton would be suspended for the entire day on Tuesday because of the extremely cold conditions.

The school board said all scheduled field trips would also be suspended but noted that all of its schools will remain open.

On Wednesday, several Alberta school divisions announced school bus service would be cancelled on Thursday because of “extreme wind chill conditions.” The cancellations affect all St. Paul Education schools, Wolf Creek Public Schools and Elk Island Public Schools. Wolf Creek Public Schools will also be closed on Thursday, however, St. Paul Education schools and Elk Island Public Schools will remain open.

All buses for Sturgeon Public School Division, Aspen View Public Schools and Greater St. Albert Catholic schools were cancelled for Thursday.

In Cold Lake, Bonnyville, St. Paul, Lac La Biche and Plamondon, all school buses for Conseil scolaire Centre-Est were cancelled for Thursday.

School but cancellations were also in effect for the following districts Thursday:

School Bus Cancellations for Thursday January 16th as of 5:45a.m. #abed Page 1 of 2 pic.twitter.com/SpoWE5tQYM
— Daintre Christensen (@Daintre_) January 16, 2020

School Bus Cancellations for Thursday January 16th as of 5:45a.m. #abed Page 2 of 2 pic.twitter.com/mWCQbu08Ef
— Daintre Christensen (@Daintre_) January 16, 2020

Calgary Catholic School District said in a news release that all of its 116 schools, including ones in Airdrie, Chestermere and Cochrane, will remain open this week. The district added that schools in the Rocky View School Division were closed Wednesday, and its buses were not running.

Ski hill closures

Several ski hills in the Edmonton area have closed due to the temperature.

Snow Valley Ski Hill said it would be closed Sunday through Tuesday.

Sunridge said it was closed from Sunday through at least Wednesday, but that could be extended depending on how the weather is later this week.

The Edmonton Ski Club said it would be closed Sunday, Monday and Wednesday with regular programs and lessons rescheduled. The ski hill said it is anticipating closure of the hill up until Saturday, depending on the duration of the deep freeze.

Rabbit Hill was open Sunday, however, the ski hill said the chairlift wasn’t running due to the cold. The Rabbit Hill Bus was also not running, as per their cold weather policy.

Rabbit Hill said the entire hill would be closed Monday and Tuesday.

The Ice Castle in Hawrelak Park was also closed Sunday.

Stopped by the Ice Castles. They are closed because of the cold. We just spoke to a family who came from Calgary to see them. pic.twitter.com/29AS6d6zdP

— Sarah Komadina (@SKomadinaGlobal) January 12, 2020

The Nakiska Ski area also sent an advisory to potential skiers and snowboarders on Sunday, saying the hill would be closed on both Monday and Tuesday because of the frigid temperatures.

Shelters for the homeless

Because of the extremely cold temperatures, the City of Edmonton has opened a portion of Commonwealth Recreation Centre to be used as an emergency overnight shelter.

Change rooms next to the Commonwealth Fieldhouse will have space for 36 people between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., with additional space available in the fieldhouse if needed.

READ MORE: Extreme cold prompts Edmonton to open Commonwealth rec centre as shelter

The city said the space will be made available as long as it is needed, and there will be three-days notice before it’s deactivated.

Most Edmonton shelters full overnight at cold snap hits 

On Wednesday, Coun. Aaron Paquette tweeted that if someone needs to warm up but doesn’t have money to pay their Edmonton Transit fare, ETS will still allow them on and may even provide additional support.

If you are cold and in need, Edmonton Transit is there for you in this extreme weather.

If you are in a position of having no means to pay a fare this will not be held against you – in fact you may be offered supports.
If you are cold, get on, get warm, stay safe.#yeg
— Aaron Paquette (@Ward4Aaron) January 15, 2020

Extreme cold warnings are issued when very cold temperatures or wind chill creates an elevated risk to health such as frostbite and hypothermia.

Symptoms of cold-weather-related problems include shortness of breath, chest pain, muscle pain and weakness, numbness and colour change in fingers and toes.

If you see someone in the cold who needs help, there are several phone numbers you can call:

311 — This will connect you with the City of Edmonton and should be used for any concerns about homelessness on public land citywide
211, press 3 — This will connect you with 24/7 crisis diversion and should be used when non-emergency support is needed for people in distress, such as with mental health issues, shelter and intoxication
780-860-6146 — This will connect you with the Boyle Street Community Services Street Outreach program and should be used when someone living rough outside is in need of assistance
911 — The emergency number should only be used in cases of someone in serious distress or in case of an emergency

READ MORE: What to do if you see someone sleeping in the cold in Edmonton

Watch below: (From Jan. 15, 2020) Vinesh Pratap looks at how some Edmontonians are coping with extremely cold conditions.
 

A look at how some Edmontonians are coping with extremely cold conditions

And if it’s too cold for you to stay outside, it’s too cold for your pet to stay outside.

It’s very cold out there with the windchill, #yeg. Long johns aren’t even working! 🤣

Seriously, though, watch for others. Call 211 if needed and dress properly, please… #yegwx pic.twitter.com/UjdCLspFIY
— vinesh pratap (@vineshpratap) January 12, 2020

There is a silver lining to the miserable weather — if you have a sweet tooth, Sweet Convenience in west Edmonton is offering a cold-weather discount on all bulk candy. The colder it is, the larger the discount.

Edmonton candy store cashes in on bitter cold by offering discount 

OPINION
The time for Trudeau to draw a line with TrumpTom Parkin: Canada has quietly tolerated trade attacks, tariffs and border trouble. But rising Middle East tensions present a more immediate threat

Jan 15, 2020


Trump talks with Trudeau during the plenary session of the NATO summit in Watford, northeast of London, on Dec. 4, 2019 (NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images)

Again, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has shown his message discipline and empathic abilities when responding to events.

Last week, Trudeau told Canadians that trusted intelligence reports showed Flight 752 had been shot down by Iranian anti-aircraft missiles. He stuck close to his script. He gave no words to those demanding Canada join Donald Trump’s sanctions on Iran. He offered nothing to those asking if Trump’s escalations bore any responsibility for 57 Canadian deaths. Trudeau’s reactions focused on the loss of loved ones, Iran’s act and investigation involvement.

This week came a shift. “Tensions” and “escalation” were necessary conditions of the tragedy, he argued. But still, there was no mention of Trump or any specific, attributable escalations.

The Liberals have, from Trump’s early days, held to a communications policy of no criticism of the U.S. president.

That may soon become unsustainable. A moment of public divergence with Trump may be on the horizon. And the Prime Minister might be wise to prepare for events now—not simply respond to them later.

Some may comfort themselves about Trump, believing he’s an irrational and ignorant fool, sure to self-destruct. But there is a pattern. To Trump, deals like NAFTA, the World Trade Organization or the Iran nuclear deal aren’t crafted by the anonymous laws of economics or international diplomacy. They are deals cut by negotiators, carved out by power.

And so, Trump leverages power to near-explosive levels—breaking norms, hitting with illegal tariffs, breaking international law, lying, making fact-less accusations—to focus power onto an adversary and extract the deal he wants. And everybody is an adversary, including Canada. And we’ve not been prepared for that.

Trump broached NAFTA with soothing words about minor tweaks. Then, just before the bell rang to start NAFTA talks, he thumped us with illegal tariffs on steel and aluminum, labelling Canada a national security threat.

Trudeau and company had a plan, deploying warm diplomacy to Washington insiders. But as the notorious Mike Tyson once said, “Everybody has a plan until I punch them in the face.” And in the result, Trump got his concessions from Canada.

Trump inflicted more face-punching over the treatment of refugees. Trudeau’s plan was to welcome Syrian refugees. But shortly after his election, Trump put limitations on asylum eligibility, removed due process and spoke of the “very fine people” at a fascist rally in Charlottesville, Va., that resulted in murder.

Roxton Road border crossings grew. And Trudeau’s daily political beating lead to policy reversal—now Liberals want to expand the Safe Third Country Agreement, aligning Canadian and Trump’s asylum laws along our southern border.

Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou was another blow. The extradition request combined with China’s arrest of Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig gave Trump considerable leverage over Canada’s China policy. Now Trudeau hopes Trump will negotiate the freedom of Spavor and Kovrig. If successful, no doubt that, too, will come at a price to be paid to Trump.

Canadian agriculture is getting hit. U.S. negotiators’ emerging China deal guarantees $40-50 billion in new U.S. agricultural sales. Nice for Republican rural constituencies and farm corporations. But it’s a good bet U.S. gains mean Canadian losses.

Through it all, the strategy of silence has been maintained. Trade and diplomatic power can quietly erode without much notice.

But Trump’s focus on Iran may bring something different—not a quiet erosion, but a sharp and noisy choice between either going along to get along, or diverging. Trump has now suggested NATO forces become more involved in the Middle East. He’s called for more sanctions against Iran—a call Canadian Conservatives quickly echoed.

If Canada wants the option to diverge in the event these new Trump threats become real, Trudeau’s response can’t wait for the bell to ring. A leader who may need to diverge paths later needs to start finding the ground now.

He doesn’t have to say the T-word. But a leader of an aggrieved nation has every right and reason to talk about the safety of its people. To warn about tensions that lead to the deaths of innocents. About de-escalation. About peace.

That ground is worth standing on simply to recommit to Canadian values and honour flight 752’s victims. But it can also prepare ground for a sharp choice away from a president who–under impeachment and facing the electorate–may soon drag us deeper into his hellish vortex.

MORE ABOUT IRAN:
Michael McCain takes the era of the outspoken CEO to the next level
Donald Trump gets impeached—57 Canadians die
To those who have perished since the Iranian Revolution
Trudeau confirms missile strike as likely cause of plane crash: Full transcript

BEHIND PAYWALL 

Enough is enough: Collateral damage from Trump 

is costing Canada too much

LAWRENCE MARTINPUBLIC AFFAIRS COLUMNIST

WASHINGTON

SPECIAL TO THE GLOBE AND MAIL

PUBLISHED 2 DAYS AGOUPDATED 2 DAYS AGO

Driving through Pennsylvania, I was tuned in to an oldies station that was playing At the Hop, the dance sensation that swept the nation in the 1950s, when on came the Rush Limbaugh show.