CBC ‘pausing’ Twitter after ‘government-funded media’ label

A sign at Twitter headquarters is shown in San Francisco, on Dec. 8, 2022

(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

By ROB GILLIES

today

TORONTO (AP) — The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation paused its use of Twitter on Monday after the social media platform owned by Elon Musk stamped CBC’s account with a label the public broadcaster says is intended to undermine its credibility.

Twitter labelled CBC/Radio-Canada “government-funded media” — the same label that prompted National Public Radio in the U.S. to similarly quit Twitter last Wednesday.

“Twitter can be a powerful tool for our journalists to communicate with Canadians, but it undermines the accuracy and professionalism of the work they do to allow our independence to be falsely described in this way,” CBC spokesman Leon Mar said in a statement announcing the change Monday afternoon.

“Consequently, we will be pausing our activity on our corporate Twitter account and all CBC and Radio-Canada news-related accounts,” the statement said.

CBC has sent a letter to Twitter asking the company to re-examine the designation. Musk later tweeted about it and changed it to “69 percent Government-funded media.”

CBC does not meet those criteria, Mar argued, because it is publicly funded through a parliamentary appropriation that is voted upon by all members of Parliament, and its editorial independence is protected in law in the Broadcasting Act.

The CBC’s board of directors determines how the funding it receives is spent. In 2021-22, the CBC received more than $1.2 billion Canadian (US$900 million) in government funding.

Opposition Conservative Party of Canada Pierre Poilievre had urged Twitter to label CBC. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau criticized Poilievre for what he called an “attack on a foundational Canadian institution.”

Twitter initially had labelled NPR’s main account as “state-affiliated media, ” a term also used to identify media outlets controlled or heavily influenced by authoritarian governments, such as Russia and China. Twitter later changed the label to “government-funded media,” but to NPR — which relies on the government for a tiny fraction of its funding — it’s still misleading.

Twitter earlier responded to a request for comment about why the label was applied and whether it would be removed or changed with an auto-generated email bearing a poop emoji.

Twitter, more than any of its rivals, has said its users come to it to keep track of current events. That made it an attractive place for news outlets to share their stories and reinforced Twitter’s moves to combat the spread of misinformation. But Musk has long expressed disdain for professional journalists and said he wants to elevate the views and expertise of the “average citizen.”

Musk has also abruptly suspended the accounts of individual journalists who wrote about Twitter late last year, claiming some were trying to reveal his location.

Twitter earlier in April removed the verification check mark on the main account of The New York Times, singling out the newspaper and disparaging its reporting after it said it would not pay Twitter for verification of its institutional accounts.

Twitter also used to tag journalists and other high-profile accounts with blue check marks to verify their identity and distinguish them from impostors. But Musk has derided the marks as an undeserved status symbol and plans to take them away from anyone not buying a premium subscription.

Sweden public radio exits Twitter, says audience already has

Sweden’s public radio said Tuesday April 18, 2023 that it would stop being active on Twitter, but it did not blame new labels that Elon Musk’s social media platform has slapped on public broadcasters and led major North American outlets to quit tweeting.

HELSINKI (AP) — Sweden’s public radio said Tuesday that it would stop being active on Twitter, but it did not blame new labels that Elon Musk ’s social media platform has slapped on public broadcasters, leading some major North American outlets to quit tweeting.

Sveriges Radio said on its blog that Twitter has lost its relevance to Swedish audiences. National Public Radio and Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, meanwhile, have pointed to Twitter’s new policy of labeling them as government-funded instititutions, saying it undermines their credibility.

“For a long time, Sveriges Radio has de-prioritised its presence on Twitter and has now made the decision to completely stop being active on the platform, at the same time that we are shutting down a number of accounts,” said Christian Gillinger, head of the broadcaster’s social media activities.

He cited a recent study showing only some 7% of Swedes are on Twitter daily and said the platform “has simply changed over the years and become less important for us.”

“The audience has simply chosen other places to be. And therefore Sveriges Radio now chooses to deactivate or delete the last remaining accounts,” Gillinger said.

The broadcaster’s news service, SR Ekot, which has been labeled “publicly funded media,” will remain on Twitter but has been marked inactive.

Sveriges Radio, which has been active on Twitter since 2009, also noted the “recent turbulence” around Twitter’s operations and said it was worrying that the social media platform has reduced its workforce “dramatically.”

“We believe that it may in the long run affect the company’s capacity to handle, for example, fake accounts, bots and disinformation but also hate messages and threats,” Gillinger said.

The labels for public broadcasters have unleashed a new battle between reporters and Musk, who has long expressed disdain for professional journalists and said he wants to elevate the views and expertise of the “average citizen.”

Canada’s CBC said Monday that it would pause its activities on Twitter after it was labeled as “government-funded” because it “undermines the accuracy and professionalism” of its journalists’ work “to allow our independence to be falsely described in this way.”

U.S. broadcasters NPR and Public Broadcasting Service made similar decisions earlier this month for related reasons.

'Mangrove Man' in India fights to salvage sinking shores

 

PHOTO ESSAY HERE

By GAURAV SAINI, 

Press Trust of India

April 18, 2023

VYPIN ISLAND, India (AP) — On the receding shorelines of low-lying Vypin Island off India’s western coast, T. P. Murukesan fixed his eyes on the white paint peeling off the damp walls of his raised home and recounted the most recent floods.

“The floods are occurring more frequently and lasting longer,” he said. The last flood was chest-height for his young grandson. “Every flood brings waters this high, we just deal with it.”

Sea level rise and severe tidal floods have forced many families in Murukesan’s neighborhood to relocate to higher grounds over the years. But the retired fisherman has almost singlehandedly been buffering the impacts of the rising waters on his home and in his community.

Known locally as “Mangrove Man,” Murukesan has turned to planting the trees along the shores of Vypin and the surrounding areas in the Kochi region of Kerala state to counter the impacts of rising waters on his home.

Tidal flooding occurs when sea level rise combines with local factors to push water levels above the normal levels. Mangroves can provide natural coastal defenses against sea level rise, tides and storm surges, but over the course of his life forest cover in the state has dwindled.

Murukesan said he grew up surrounded by beautiful, abundant mangroves that separated islands from the sea. Now, only fragmented patches of mangroves can be seen in Kochi, the state’s financial capital.

“They protected our houses against floods, sea erosion, and storms, used to be an inseparable part of our life, our ecosystem,” he said. “Only these can save us.”


Murukesan said he has planted over 100,000 mangroves. He plants saplings on alternate days and does most of the work himself. Some help comes in the form of saplings from the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation, a non-government organization based in Chennai, India.

His efforts come up against a strong trend in the opposite direction.

Ernakulam district, which includes Kochi, has lost nearly 42% of its mangrove ecosystems, including major decreases in the southern Puthuvypeen area in Vypin, according to a study released last year by the Indian Space Research Organization and the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies.

Mangrove cover in the state has reduced from 700 square kilometers (435 square miles) to just 24 square kilometers (15 square miles) since 1975, according to the Kerala Forest department.

“The construction of coastal roads and highways has severely damaged mangrove ecosystems in the state,” said K K Ramachandran, former member secretary of the Kerala Coastal Zone Management Authority, a government body mandated to protect the coastal environment. “There should be an incentive for people who are making efforts to protect them.”

Murukesan’s dedication to the cause has won him praise, awards and the audience of senior politicians but not incentives beyond the immediate benefits to his home.

He said the mangroves he planted in and around the area in 2014 have grown into a dense thicket and are helping reduce the intensity of tidal flooding, but he’s nevertheless continuing his efforts.

Despite the thousands of new mangrove trees, other factors like climate change mean tidal floods have become more frequent and severe, sometimes keeping children from going to school and people from getting to work. It’s all mentally exhausting, Murukesan and his wife, Geetha, said.

“I have to travel a lot to collect seeds. My wife helps me in the nursery as much as she can. I am tired but I cannot stop,” he said.

Geetha said they do the tough work “for our children,” preserving the forest for decades to come.

“It keeps us going,” she said.

Vypin is at high-risk for tidal flooding, said Abhilash S, director of the Advanced Centre for Atmospheric Radar Research at the Cochin University of Science and Technology.

“The sea level has risen and has damaged freshwater supplies. Sea erosion and spring tides have worsened. Coastal flooding is a common occurrence now,” he said. “The carrying capacity of the backwaters has reduced due to sediment deposition and encroachment, and the rainwater enters residential areas during the monsoon season.”

Backwaters in the state of Kerala are networks of canals, lagoons and lakes parallel to coastal areas, unique ecosystems that help provide a buffer to rising sea levels.

According to the World Meteorological Organization, global mean sea level rose by 4.5 millimeters per year between 2013 and 2022. It’s a major threat for countries like India, China, the Netherlands and Bangladesh, which comprise large coastal populations.

NASA projections show that Kochi might experience a sea level rise of 0.22 meters (8.7 inches) by 2050, and over half a meter (nearly 20 inches) by 2100 in a middle-of-the-road climate warming scenario.

“Many families have left,” Murukesan said.

Fishing families living within 50 meters (55 yards) of the shore get a financial assistance of 10 lakh rupees ($12,000) through a rehabilitation scheme run by the Kerala government. Only few of those not covered under it have means to relocate to safer places.

Some fishing families shift to government shelters in the monsoon season and return after it ends. A few have built stilt houses that stand on columns to fight tidal floods.

Murukesan knows the sea is rising, but it’s the backwaters that make him more anxious. The backwaters have become shallow due to the silt deposited by heavy floods. During heavy rain events, the water inundates the island.

“We are caught between the sea and the backwaters. They are likely to swallow the island in some years, but I am not going anywhere,” he said. “I was born here, and I will die here.”

Report: Climate change, disease imperil North American bats

By JOHN FLESHER
Monday, April 17, 2023

This undated photo provided by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources shows a northern long-eared bat. More than half of North America's bat species are likely to diminish significantly as climate change, disease and habitat loss take their toll, scientists warned Monday, April 17, 2023.

 (Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources via AP, File)


TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) —

More than half of North America’s bat species are likely to diminish significantly as climate change, disease and habitat loss take their toll, scientists warned Monday.

A report by experts from the U.S., Canada and Mexico said 81 of the continent’s 154 known bat types “are at risk of severe population decline” in the next 15 years.

The “state of the bats” report was published by the North American Bat Conservation Alliance, a consortium of government agencies and private organizations.

“They need our help to survive,” said Winifred Frick, chief scientist at Bat Conservation International, one of the participating groups. “We face a biodiversity crisis globally and bats play a very important role in healthy ecosystems needed to protect our planet.”

Bats give U.S. agriculture a $3.7 billion annual boost by gobbling crop-destroying insects, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Some are plant pollinators. Bats also serve as prey for other animals, including hawks, owls and weasels.

Millions have died since 2006 from a fungal disease called white-nose syndrome, which attacks bats when hibernating and creates fuzzy spots on their muzzles and wings. It causes them to wake early from hibernation and sometimes fly outside. They can burn up winter fat stores and eventually starve.

Eight U.S. bat species are listed as endangered, or on the brink of extinction.

The federal Fish and Wildlife Service designated the northern long-eared bat as endangered last year and has proposed listing for the tricolored bat. The little brown bat is being evaluated for potential listing. White-nose syndrome is the primary killer for each of the species.

More than 150 agencies, nonprofits and universities are collaborating in the fight against the disease, said Jeremy Coleman, a wildlife biologist who coordinates the service’s participation and a co-author of the report.

Among methods under development are vaccines, anti-fungal sprays and ultraviolet light treatments for hibernation spots.

“We have a number of tools that are showing great promise,” Coleman said. “There are very few precedents for managing a wildlife disease, particularly one so devastating and pervasive.”

The report said the bats also are imperiled by forest fragmentation — logging and urban sprawl in Canada, wildfire suppression in the U.S. and livestock ranching in Mexico. Many bats live in older trees during summer.

People sometimes disturb hibernating bats in winter by exploring caves and abandoned mines.

Climate change is expected to intensify the challenges, causing more extreme storms and temperature swings. The report said 82% of the continent’s species are at risk from global warming’s effects.

More than 1,500 bats were rescued in December after going into hypothermic shock during a sudden freeze in Houston, where they lost their grip and fell from roosting spots beneath bridges.

Drought and increasingly arid conditions will leave bats with less drinking water, killing some and preventing others from reproducing, the report said. As surface waters dry up, there are fewer places to fly over in search of aquatic insects.

Ironically, wind turbines — a leading source of renewable energy that can help slow climate change — pose another problem for bats. An estimated 500,000, representing 45 species, die each year in collisions with the structures, the report said.

But those figures were based on 2021 calculations, said Frick, an associate research professor in ecology at the University of California at Santa Cruz in addition to her position with Bat Conservation International. So many turbines have been constructed since then that the latest estimate is 880,000 deaths.

Her organization is collaborating with manufacturers and others in searching for solutions, including acoustic devices that would cause bats to steer clear of turbines. Reducing blade rotation speeds — particularly during fall mating season, when bats are particularly active — would help, Frick said.

Cori Lausen, director of bat conservation with Wildlife Conservation Society Canada, who did not participate in compiling the report, said it provided a solid overview of North American bats’ plight. But some types it described as “apparently secure” based on their current status have grim prospects, she said.

“The government process is a slow one, deciding when to list a species and when not to. If anything, this report is a little conservative,” Lausen said. “Many of these bats should not be listed as OK.”

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Follow John Flesher on Twitter: www.twitter.com/JohnFlesher.

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

German climate activists pledge new wave of blockades
today

Activists of the "Last Generation" stick themselves on a street during snowfall in Dresden, Germany, and want to draw attention to the compliance with the climate targets, Friday, Jan. 20, 2023. Climate activists say that they will stage further protests in the German capital in an effort to force the government into doing more to curb global warming. Tuesday April 18, 2023's announcement came as courts are taking a tougher line against members of the group Last Generation who have repeatedly blocked roads across the country in the past year. 

(Daniel Schaefer/dpa via AP, File)

BERLIN (AP) — Climate activists said Tuesday that they will stage further protests in Berlin in an effort to force the German government into doing more to curb global warming.

The announcement came as courts are taking a tougher stance against members of the group Last Generation who have repeatedly blocked roads across Germany in the past year.

The group said at a news conference in Berlin that it would begin to stage open-ended protests Wednesday in the government district. From Monday onward, members will try to “peacefully bring the city to a standstill,” it said.

Last Generation accuses the German government of breaching the country’s constitution, citing a supreme court verdict two years ago that found too much of the burden for climate change was being placed on younger generations. The government under then Chancellor Angela Merkel subsequently raised its targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions, but activists say the measures aren’t consistent with the Paris climate accord.


 Police officers carry a Last Generation activist off the roadway of Jahnallee in Leipzig, where she had previously been stuck in Leipzig, Germany, Wednesday, March 8, 2023. Climate activists say that they will stage further protests in the German capital in an effort to force the government into doing more to curb global warming. Tuesday April 18, 2023's announcement came as courts are taking a tougher line against members of the group Last Generation who have repeatedly blocked roads across the country in the past year.

 (Hendrik Schmidt/dpa via AP, File)

“As long as there’s no plan we can trust to protect our lives and future, and that’s based on the constitution, we are obliged to demand such a plan with all peaceful means,” said Carla Hinrichs, a spokesperson for Last Generation.

The group wants Germany to end the use of all fossil fuels by 2030, a step that would be extremely ambitious to achieve. The country switched off its last three nuclear plants over the weekend, increasing its reliance on coal and gas-fired power plants until sufficient renewable energy capacity is available.

Last Generation’s protests have drawn sharp criticism from across much of the political spectrum, though there has also been support for their underlying aims.

Three activists were sentenced to between three and five months imprisonment by a court in the southwestern city of Heilbronn on Monday. The judge noted that they had joined a blockade in March hours after being sentenced in a previous case.

One of the protesters, Daniel Eckert, defended his actions after the verdict, saying: “As long as the true criminals aren’t brought before a court but instead continue to destroy the basis of our existence and profit from it, I can’t do anything other than stand in the way of this destruction.”

- An activist is held by police on the street as members of the climate group Last Generation block a busy street at Hamburg's Dammtor train station, in Hamburg, Germany, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023

(Jonas Walzberg/dpa via AP, File)

Protestors force play to be stopped at world snooker champs

By STEVE DOUGLAS

yesterday

A 'Just Stop Oil' protester jumps on the table and throws orange powder during the match between Robert Milkins against Joe Perry as part of day three of the Cazoo World Snooker Championship at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, Britain, Monday, April 17, 2023. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)

The Crucible Theatre’s famous green baize turned orange at the world snooker championship on Monday when a protestor interrupted a match by jumping on the table and releasing a packet of powder, causing play to be suspended.

Two “Just Stop Oil” protesters invaded snooker’s most famous arena shortly after play began in two matches in the evening session.

On one table, where Robert Milkins and Joe Perry were playing, a man leapt onto the table — scattering the balls — and threw orange dye over one half of the baize as boos and jeers came from the audience.

On the other table, featuring a match between Mark Allen and Fan Zhengyi, a woman was stopped from getting onto the table by the quick-thinking response of referee Olivier Marteel.

Both protestors were taken away by security, but the incident forced a stoppage in play while the mess was cleaned up.

Play resumed in the Allen-Zhengyi match about 45 minutes later but the affected table in the Milkins-Perry match was covered and will be re-clothed overnight. A decision was to be made later Monday regarding whether the Milkins-Perry match would resume following the conclusion of Allen-Zhengyi.

Former world champion Stephen Hendry, who was on commentary duties for the BBC, said it was a “scary” incident and feared the cloth on the table might not be able to be used again.

“For me,” Hendry said, “straight away as a snooker player I am thinking, ‘Is the table recoverable?’ We don’t know what that is on the table.”

Just Stop Oil issued a statement saying the protestors were removed from the Crucible and arrested.

“They are demanding that the government immediately stop all new UK fossil fuel projects and are calling on UK sporting institutions to step into civil resistance against the government’s genocidal policies,” the group said.

US Supreme Court to deliver answer in religious mailman’s case

ITS CALLED DUTY TO ACCOMODATE IN

CANADA

By JESSICA GRESKO

yesterday

Gerald Groff, a former postal worker whose case will be argued before the Supreme Court, speaks during a television interview with the Associated Press at a chapel at the Hilton DoubleTree Resort in Lancaster, Pa., Wednesday, March 8, 2023.

 (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

LANCASTER, Pa. (AP) — Gerald Groff liked his work as a postal employee in Pennsylvania’s Amish Country. For years, he delivered mail and all manner of packages: a car bumper, a mini refrigerator, a 70-pound box of horseshoes for a blacksmith. But when an Amazon.com contract with the United States Postal Service required carriers to start delivering packages on Sundays, Groff balked. A Christian, he told his employers that he couldn’t deliver packages on the Lord’s Day.

Now Groff’s dispute with the Postal Service has reached the U.S. Supreme Court, which will consider his case Tuesday. Lower courts have sided with the Postal Service, which says Groff’s demand for Sundays off meant extra work for other employees and caused tension. Groff, for his part, argues employers can too easily reject employees’ requests for religious accommodations, and if he wins, that could change.

“We really can’t go back and change what happened to me,” said Groff, who ultimately quit his job over the Sunday shifts. But he says that other people “shouldn’t have to choose between their job and their faith.”

Groff’s case involves Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits religious discrimination in employment. The law requires employers to accommodate employees’ religious practices unless doing so would be an “undue hardship” for the business.

Groff grew up in Lancaster County, where he attended Mennonite schools and lived in a home across the street from his grandparents’ farm. His grandfather’s death around the time he graduated from high school was a turning point for him, he said, and helped motivate him to work as a missionary. While he has a college degree in biology, over the years he has gone on eight mission trips lasting anywhere from two months to two years that took him to Asia, Africa and Latin America.

He did different jobs in between but in 2012 he found a job at the Postal Service, regularly filling in as a mail carrier when other carriers were off or sick.

“I just really enjoyed the job from the very beginning. You get to be out in the countryside, in the fresh air ... It’s a beautiful place to live and work and I just really enjoyed it and planned to make a career of it unless God called me back to the mission field somewhere,” said Groff of his job as a rural carrier associate.

As a fill-in mail carrier he ultimately learned 22 different routes, which he would drive in his Honda CR-V, hitting 500 to 800 mailboxes a day. Eventually, he hoped to become a regular mail carrier, with a set route of his own.

Soon after Groff joined the Postal Service, however, it signed a contract with Amazon to deliver packages on Sundays. And about four years into the job Groff was told he’d have to start working his share of Sunday shifts. Groff said no. Sunday, he says, is “a day we come together as Christian believers and we honor the Lord’s Day.”

“And so to give that up, to deliver Amazon packages would be to give up everything that we believe in,” Groff said.

To avoid Sunday work, Groff gave up his seniority at the post office in rural Quarryville, Pennsylvania, where the parking lot includes two spaces labeled “HORSE AND CARRIAGE ONLY.” He transferred to a smaller office in nearby Holtwood, which was not yet doing Sunday deliveries. Eventually, however, Sunday deliveries were required there too.

Groff told his supervisor he’d work extra shifts and holidays to avoid Sundays. The supervisor tried to find other carriers for Groff’s Sunday shifts, even though finding substitutes was time consuming and not always possible. Groff’s absences, meanwhile, created a tense environment, led to resentment toward management and contributed to morale problems, officials said. It also meant other carriers had to work more Sundays or sometimes deliver more Sunday mail than they otherwise would. One carrier transferred and another resigned in part because of the situation, Groff’s supervisor said.

Eventually, however, Groff missed enough Sundays that he was disciplined. He resigned in 2019 rather than wait to be fired, he said, and then filed a religious discrimination lawsuit.

Groff says that under a 1977 Supreme Court case, Trans World Airlines v. Hardison, employers don’t have to show much to prove an undue hardship and can deny religious accommodations to employees when they impose “more than a de minimis cost” on the business. The case was 7-2 in favor of TWA with both liberals and conservatives in the majority.

But Groff’s lawyer Hiram Sasser of the First Liberty Institute says the Hardison case “sort of stacked the deck against employees and the common folk.” “They’ve got to climb Mount Kilimanjaro to try to win one of their cases, and, I mean, that’s not right,” he said.

Groff wants the Supreme Court to say that employers must show “significant difficulty or expense” if they want to reject a religious accommodation.

Biden administration lawyers representing the Postal Service say Hardison should be clarified to make clear it gives substantial protection for religious observance. But the administration also says that when accommodating the religious practices of one employee negatively impacts other employees, that can be an undue hardship on a business.

Groff would seem to have the upper hand. Three current justices — Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch — have said the court should reconsider Hardison. And in recent years the court’s conservative majority has been particularly sympathetic to the concerns of religious plaintiffs.

Last year, for example, the court sided with another one of First Liberty’s clients, a football coach at a public high school who wanted to be able to kneel and pray on the field after games.

Groff, for his part, has found other work since leaving the Postal Service. These days, he’s essentially the postmaster for a retirement community with several thousand residents. He oversees a staff of volunteer residents that sorts mail and puts it in mailboxes every day except Sunday.

There are no Sunday deliveries to Groff’s home either. He says he went in and disabled them on Amazon.

“I can wait for that stuff,” he said. “And if I need it that bad, I’ll go to the store and get it.”

Rail CEO to testify in Ohio Senate about fiery derailment

By SAMANTHA HENDRICKSON

TODAY

A black plume rises over East Palestine, Ohio, as a result of a controlled detonation of a portion of the derailed Norfolk Southern trains, on Feb. 6, 2023. Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw is set to testify before an Ohio Senate rail safety panel on Tuesday, April 18, more than two months after the fiery train derailment rocked the village of East Palestine.

 (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Norfolk Southern’s CEO is set to testify before an Ohio Senate rail safety panel Tuesday, more than two months after a fiery train derailment including hazardous materials rocked the village of East Palestine.

Alan Shaw has promised millions of dollars to help the Ohio-Pennsylvania border community recover, but also faces a lawsuit from Ohio’s Attorney General Dave Yost over costs for the toxic chemical spill cleanup and environmental damage. The federal government has also sued the railroad.

Shaw previously testified before the Pennsylvania legislature as well as Congress over the derailment, but now faces Ohio lawmakers, who recently passed a state transportation budget that would impose new rail safety measures on Norfolk Southern and other railroads traveling through their state.

Whether they’re allowed to do so, however, remains a point of debate. The Ohio Railroad Association, a trade group, has argued that several of the measures are preempted by federal law. Legislators say the General Assembly can put statewide safeguards in place to help protect constituents.

No one was injured during the Feb. 3 derailment, but half of the nearly 5,000 East Palestine residents were evacuated for days. Many say they continue to suffer from health problems because of an intentional toxic chemical release and burn, which was conducted to prevent uncontrolled explosions after the derailment.

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Samantha Hendrickson is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

MORAL MONDAY PROTEST

Gun safety demonstrators carry caskets to Tennessee Capitol

By GEORGE WALKER IV

TODAY

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Rep. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, carries a casket through the halls of the state Capitol with Rev. William J. Barber, right, Monday, April 17, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Protesters calling for gun safety legislation were blocked from bringing caskets inside Tennessee’s Capitol, but a recently reinstated legislator escorted an infant-sized casket inside before he was barred from carrying it onto the House floor.

Protesters led by Bishop William Barber II marched in Nashville, demanding that lawmakers pass the legislation and stop using their authority to trample democracy. They carried several caskets symbolizing those lost to gun violence on Monday.

“The legislators are back, but returning duly elected lawmakers to their seat does not solve the problem,” Barber said, demanding that lawmakers “stop committing policy murder.”

The fatal shooting of six people at a Nashville private school last month kicked off a stream of calls for changes to Tennessee’s gun laws, including a ban on assault weapons, tougher background checks and a “red flag” law. Republican Gov. Bill Lee has urged lawmakers to pass legislation that would keep firearms away from people who could harm themselves or others. So far, the Republican supermajority has refused.

Reps. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, both Democrats, returned to the GOP-dominated General Assembly last week after being ousted for their role in a pro-gun control demonstration from the House floor. The episode has turned Tennessee into a new front in the battle for the future of American democracy and pressured lawmakers to address gun control in a state known for its lax firearm regulations.

On Monday, when protesters were blocked from bringing caskets inside, Jones carried an infant-sized casket past troopers and security, but the sergeant-at-arms stopped him from bringing it onto the floor. As Jones entered the chamber after the session and tried unsuccessfully to get the attention of Republican House Speaker Cameron Sexton, Pearson held the casket at the door. As Sexton left, he stopped for a moment to speak to a few protesters.

TV and film writers authorize strike over pay, other issues

today

Striking film and television writers picket outside Paramount Studios on Jan. 23, 2008, in Los Angeles. In an email to members Monday, April 17, 2023, leaders of the Writers Guild of America said nearly 98% of voters said yes to a strike authorization if a new contract agreement is not reached with producers. The guild last went on strike in 2007. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian, File)


LOS ANGELES (AP) — Unionized film and television writers have voted overwhelmingly to give their leaders the authority to call a strike if they’re unable to reach an agreement on a new contract.

In an email to members Monday, the negotiating committee of the Writers Guild of America said nearly 98% of the 9,218 votes were cast to authorize the strike, with nearly 79% of guild members voting. The guild is currently negotiating with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers on a deal aimed at addressing pay and other changes brought on by the dominance of streaming services.

“Our membership has spoken,” the email said. “You have expressed your collective strength, solidarity, and the demand for meaningful change in overwhelming numbers.”

The writers’ three-year contract expires May 1, and leaders could call for a walkout the following day, but could extend the deadline if the two sides are close to a deal.

Issues in negotiations include pay, writers’ ability to work for different shows during downtime from other projects, and, according to Variety, the use of artificial intelligence in the script process.

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which negotiates for studios, streaming services and production companies, said in a statement Monday that a “strike authorization vote has always been part of the WGA’s plan, announced before the parties even exchanged proposals. Its inevitable ratification should come as no surprise to anyone.”

“Our goal is, and continues to be, to reach a fair and reasonable agreement,” the statement said.

The writers’ voted for a similar strike authorization in nearly the same numbers in 2017, but a deal was reached before a strike was called. The guild last went on strike in 2007.

‘The Phantom of the Opera’ closes on Broadway after 35 years

By MARK KENNEDY

yesterday

1 of 15
"The Phantom of the Opera" cast appear at the curtain call following the final Broadway performance at the Majestic Theatre on Sunday, April 16, 2023, in New York. 

(Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

NEW YORK (AP) — The final curtain came down Sunday on New York’s production of “The Phantom of the Opera,” ending Broadway’s longest-running show with thunderous standing ovations, champagne toasts and gold and silver confetti bursting from its famous chandelier.

It was show No. 13,981 at the Majestic Theatre and it ended with a reprise of “The Music of the Night” performed by the current cast, previous actors in the show — including original star Sarah Brightman — and crew members in street clothes.

Andrew Lloyd Webber took to the stage last in a black suit and black tie and dedicated the final show to his son, Nick, who died last month after a protracted battle with gastric cancer and pneumonia. He was 43.

Andrew Lloyd Webber and the cast of "The Phantom of the Opera" (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

“When he was a little boy, he heard some of this music,” Lloyd Webber said. Brightman, holding his hand, agreed: “When Andrew was writing it, he was right there. So his son is with us. Nick, we love you very much.”

Producer Cameron Mackintosh gave some in the crowd hope they would see the Phantom again, and perhaps sooner than they think.

“The one question I keep getting asked again and again — will the Phantom return? Having been a producer for over 55 years, I’ve seen all the great musicals return, and ‘Phantom’ is one of the greatest,” he said. “So it’s only a matter of time.”

The musical — a fixture on Broadway since opening on Jan. 26, 1988 — has weathered recessions, war, terrorism and cultural shifts. But the prolonged pandemic may have been the last straw: It’s a costly musical to sustain, with elaborate sets and costumes as well as a large cast and orchestra. The curtain call Sunday showed how out of step “Phantom” is with the rest of Broadway but also how glorious a big, splashy musical can be.

“If there ever was a bang, we’re going out with a bang. It’s going to be a great night,” said John Riddle just before dashing inside to play Raoul for the final time.

A fan dressed as the Phantom (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

Based on a novel by Gaston Leroux, “Phantom” tells the story of a deformed composer who haunts the Paris Opera House and falls madly in love with an innocent young soprano, Christine. Webber’s lavish songs include “Masquerade,” ″Angel of Music” and ″All I Ask of You.”

In addition to Riddle, the New York production said goodbye with Emilie Kouatchou as Christine and Laird Mackintosh stepping in for Ben Crawford as the Phantom. Crawford was unable to sing because of a bacterial infection but was cheered at the curtain call, stepping to the side of the stage. The Phantom waved him over to stand beside him, Riddle and Kouatchou.

There was a video presentation of many of the actors who had played key roles in the show over the years, and the orchestra seats were crowded with Christines, Raouls and Phantoms. The late director Hal Prince, choreographer Gillian Lynne and set and costume designer Maria Björnson were also honored.

Lin-Manuel Miranda (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

Lin-Manuel Miranda attended, as did Glenn Close, who performed in two separate Broadway productions of Lloyd Webber’s “Sunset Boulevard.” Free champagne was offered at intermission and flutes of it were handed out onstage at the curtain call.

Riddle first saw “The Phantom of the Opera” in Toronto as a 4-year-old child. “It was the first musical I ever saw. I didn’t know what a musical was,” he said. “Now, 30-some odd years later, I’m closing the show on Broadway. So it’s incredible.”

Kouatchou, who became the first Black woman in the role in New York, didn’t think the show would ever stop. “I was like, ’OK, I’m going to do my run, ‘Phantom’ is going to continue on and they’ll be more Christines of color,′ ” she said. “But this is it.”

The first production opened in London in 1986 and since then the show has been seen by more than 145 million people in 183 cities and performed in 17 languages over 70,000 performances. On Broadway alone, it has grossed more than $1.3 billion.

When “Phantom” opened in New York, “Die Hard” was in movie theaters, Adele was born, and floppy discs were at the cutting edge of technology. A postage stamp cost 25 cents, and the year’s most popular songs were “Roll With It” by Steve Winwood, “Faith” by George Michael and Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up.”

Sarah Brightman (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

Critics were positive, with the New York Post calling it “a piece of impeccably crafted musical theater,” the Daily News describing it as “spectacular entertainment,” and The New York Times saying it “wants nothing more than to shower the audience with fantasy and fun.”

Lloyd Webber’s other musicals include “Cats,” “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Evita,” “Sunset Boulevard” and “School of Rock.” The closing of “Phantom” means the composer is left with one show on Broadway, the critically mauled “Bad Cinderella.”

The closing of “Phantom,” originally scheduled for February, was pushed to mid-April after a flood of revived interest and ticket sales that pushed weekly grosses past $3 million. The closing means the longest-running show crown now goes to “Chicago,” which started in 1996. “The Lion King” is next, having begun performances in 1997.

Broadway took a pounding during the pandemic, with all theaters closed for more than 18 months. Some of the most popular shows — “Hamilton,” “The Lion King” and “Wicked” — rebounded well, but other shows have struggled.

Breaking even usually requires a steady stream of tourists, especially for “Phantom,” and visitors to the city haven’t returned to pre-pandemic levels. The pandemic also pushed up expenses for all shows, including routine COVID-19 testing and safety officers on staff. The Phantom became a poster boy for Broadway’s return — after all, he is partially masked.

Andrew Lloyd Webber and the cast of "The Phantom of the Opera" (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

Fans can always catch the Phantom elsewhere. The flagship London production celebrated its 36th anniversary in October, and there are productions in Japan, Greece, Australia, Sweden, Italy, South Korea and the Czech Republic. One is about to open in Bucharest, and another will open in Vienna in 2024.

Kouatchou, who walked the red carpet before the final show in a hot pink clinging gown with a sweetheart neckline and a cut out, said the bitterness was undercut by the big send-off. Most Broadway shows that close slink into the darkness uncelebrated.

“It kind of sweetens it, right?” she said. “We get to celebrate at the end of this. We get to all come together and drink and laugh and talk about the show and all the highs and lows. It’s ending on a big note.”

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Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits

POSTMODERN FORDISM

China auto show highlights intense electric car competition

By JOE McDONALD

April 15, 2023

THE CAR SALESMAN LOOKS THE SAME ACROSS THE GLOBE

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Visitors look at the Arcfox a-S, an all electric car from Chinese automaker BAIC which claims to have a 708km range on a single charge, at a show room in Beijing, Thursday, April 13, 2023. Global and Chinese automakers plan to unveil more than a dozen new electric SUVs, sedans and muscle cars this week at the Shanghai auto show, their first full-scale sales event in four years in a market that has become a workshop for developing electrics, self-driving cars and other technology. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

SHANGHAI (AP) — Global and Chinese automakers plan to unveil more than a dozen new electric SUVs, sedans and muscle cars this week at the Shanghai auto show, their first full-scale sales event in four years in a market that has become a workshop for developing electrics, self-driving cars and other technology.

Automakers are competing to roll out faster, more luxurious, more feature-drenched electric vehicles in the technology’s biggest, most crowded market. The ruling Communist Party has invested billions of dollars in subsidies to buy an early lead in an emerging industry. Established global brands face intense competition from Chinese rivals.

For the first time since 2019, executives are flying in from the United States, Europe and Japan for the world’s biggest auto show after anti-virus curbs that blocked most travel into China were lifted in December. Auto shows in the industry’s biggest market went ahead during the pandemic, but on a smaller scale. Global brands were represented by employees of their China operations.


Drivers in the world’s biggest auto market bought 5.4 million pure-electric vehicles last year, or about two-thirds of the global total of 8 million, plus 1.5 million gasoline-electric hybrids. That was more than one-quarter of total auto sales of 23.6 million. This year’s EV sales are forecast to rise another 30%.

“Consumers lost interest in gasoline cars. That is the biggest challenge for foreign brands to compete in China,” said industry analyst John Zeng of LMC Automotive. “They are going to have to show their best EV products.”

Beijing is winding down government support and shifting the burden to automakers by requiring them to earn credits for EV sales. Manufacturers are pouring billions of dollars into developing models that can compete on price and features without subsidies. Many are forming partnerships to share soaring costs.

Auto Shanghai 2023 fills the cavernous Shanghai exhibition center, a 1.5 million-square-meter (16 million-square-foot) subcontinent of a building that is among the world’s biggest.

Volkswagen AG, the country’s top-selling brand, says it plans to display 28 models, half of them electrified. VW says it will debut its ID.7 limousine, which promises a 700-kilometer (435-mile) range on one charge.

China’s BYD Auto, which competes with Tesla Inc. for the title of world’s biggest-selling electric automaker, says it will display for the first time its U9 supercar from its luxury Yangwang brand. The automaker says the U9, with a 1 million yuan ($145,000) sticker price, can accelerate from zero to 100 kph (60 mph) in two neck-straining seconds.

China’s auto sales peaked in 2017 at 24.7 million but collapsed in 2020 to 20.2 million after dealerships closed as part of efforts to contain COVID-19. They are recovering but are yet to return to the pre-pandemic level.

The ruling party’s support for EV development is part of plans to gain wealth and global influence by transforming China into a creator of profitable technologies.

That campaign has strained relations with Washington and other trading partners, which are cutting off access to advanced processor chips used by makers of smartphones, electric cars and other high-tech products. China’s own foundries can supply low-end chips used in many cars but not processors for artificial intelligence and other advanced functions.

Sales of gasoline-electric hybrids and pure-electric vehicles rose 26.2% over a year ago in the first three months of 2023 to 1.6 million, according to the China Association of Auto Manufacturers. Sales of pure electrics rose 14.4% to 1.2 million while hybrids increased 75.1% to 433,000.

Tesla and some other brands cut prices by 5% to 15% starting in January after sales growth slowed, though to still-robust levels compared with the slack U.S. and European markets. That prompted warnings the squeeze on an industry with dozens of fledgling brands might force smaller automakers into mergers or out of business.

China also is, along with the United States, a leader in development of self-driving taxis and trucks.

Baidu Inc., best known as a search engine operator, is the most prominent among developers that also include Pony.ai. Geely Group, owner of Volvo Cars, Lotus and Polestar, has announced plans for satellite-linked autonomous vehicles. Network equipment maker Huawei Technologies Ltd. is working on self-driving mining and industrial vehicles.

Baidu and Pony.ai received China’s first licenses to offer autonomous ride-hailing services in Beijing with a safety driver aboard to take over in the event of an emergency in 2022. That came 18 months after Alphabet Inc.’s Waymo started driverless ride-hailing service in Phoenix, Arizona.

“We see very strong support from the government,” said Jason Low of Canalys.

At the auto show, Chinese brand Aito plans to display its new M5 SUV with autonomous technology developed in an alliance with Huawei Technologies Ltd. The telecom equipment maker is expanding into the auto and other industries after U.S. sanctions imposed in a feud with Beijing over technology crushed Huawei’s smartphone business.

China’s market is so huge that even brands whose strongest selling point is roaring, gasoline-powered engines are embracing electrics.

BMW AG says its whole vehicle lineup at Auto Shanghai will be electrified. The German sport luxury brand says it will unveil two new models, the i7 M70L and XM Red Label, and show its M760Le in China for the first time.

Italy’s Maserati, a Stellantis unit known for using high-performance Ferrari engines, plans to unveil its first electric SUV and says its electric sports car will get an Asia premiere.

Chinese luxury EV brand NIO Inc., which competes with Tesla at the premium end of the market, plans to display its latest SUV, the ES6. It promises a 610-kilometer (380-mile) range on one charge.

Mercedes Benz plans to unveil an electric SUV under its luxury Maybach brand and two SUVs. The company also has EV joint ventures with BYD Auto and Geely Group.

Toyota says it plans to unveil two new models in its bZ line of zero-emissions vehicles. Nissan plans to display its Max-Out electric convertible concept car. Honda is debuting a new prototype for its China-focused e:N electric brand.

Despite such investments, Western and Japanese brands need to be more aggressive about EV development to keep up with China’s rapid evolution, said LMC’s Zeng. He said many take too long to create models abroad without Chinese input.

“The model they bring to China lags behind Chinese models by three or four years in driving range and equipment,” Zeng said. “They have to learn to design and test cars in China for China.”

Volkswagen unveils electric luxury sedan at China auto show

By JOE McDONALD

TODAY

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Volkswagen's ID.7 Vizzion, its new electric flagship sedan, is unveiled in a world premiere on the eve of the Auto Shanghai 2023 show in Shanghai, China, Monday, April 17, 2023. Global and Chinese automakers plan to unveil more than a dozen new electric SUVs, sedans and muscle cars this week at the Shanghai auto show, their first full-scale sales event in four years in a market that has become a workshop for developing electrics, self-driving cars and other technology. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

SHANGHAI (AP) — Volkswagen unveiled an electric luxury sedan that promises a 700-kilometer (435-mile) battery range as global and Chinese automakers displayed their latest SUVs, sedans and muscle cars at the world’s biggest auto show Tuesday.

Auto Shanghai 2023 reflects the intense competition in China’s fast-growing electric vehicle market after the ruling Communist Party poured billions of dollars into promoting the technology. China accounted for two-thirds of global electrics sales last year.

Brands including General Motors, BMW and Nissan and Chinese rivals BYD Auto and NIO unveiled dozens of new EVs in the cavernous Shanghai exhibition center. Brands touted faster charging, satellite-linked navigation and entertainment, and the future possibility of self-driving technology.

Volkswagen’s ID.7 sedan, the new flagship model for its electric vehicles, was one of 28 models displayed by the German automaker, half of them electrified.

“We are turbo-charging our electric campaign,” said the CEO of VW’s passenger car brand, Thomas Schaefer, who rode onto the stage aboard an electric minibus. Schaefer said VW plans to release another 10 electric models in the next three years.

The show is the auto industry’s first full-scale sales event in its biggest market since 2019 following the end of anti-virus controls in December that blocked most travel into and out of China.

Automakers are looking to China to drive sales growth at a time of slack American and European demand, but that requires then to pour money into creating competitive models that can appeal to Chinese buyers in a crowded market.

Established global brands face pressure from ambitious Chinese newcomers and to meet government sales quotas for electrics. Many are forming partnerships to split soaring development costs.

China is “playing a leading role in the industry’s electric and digital transformation,” said Ford Motor Co. CEO Jim Farley in a recorded message played on a video screen.

Electrics accounted for just over a quarter of the 23.6 million SUVs, sedans and minivans sold last year in China while sales of traditional gasoline-powered vehicles declined.

GM debuted an electric SUV, the Buick Electra E5, ahead of the auto show. Toyota Motor Co. unveiled two new models for its bZ line of zero-emissions vehicles. Honda Motor Co. premiered a new prototype for its China-focused electric brand, e:N.

Toyota also displayed a prototype self-driving taxi developed with China’s Pony.ai, a leading competitor in the country’s fast-evolving autonomous vehicle industry.

Chinese luxury electric brand NIO Inc., which competes with Tesla Inc. at the premium end of the market, unveiled its latest SUV, the ES6, and an update of its flagship sedan, the ET7. Both have digital cockpits and an onboard computer with connections for tablet computers and other devices.

BMW AG showed an all-electric lineup including two new models, the i7 M70L and XM Label Red. The German sport luxury brand’s M760Le had its China debut.

Automakers also highlighted China’s growing role as a source of exports and innovation, especially EVs.

NIO and BYD Auto are among a growing group of Chinese EV brands that are starting to sell in foreign markets. BYD Auto exports to Europe and opened a dealership in Japan this year. NIO started selling in Europe in 2021 and says it plans to serve 25 countries by 2025.

Global brands all have design centers in China and increasingly are drawing on Chinese talent for engineering, software and other development.

VW is adding as many as 2,000 employees to a research and development center in the eastern city of Anhui to work on “intelligent connected vehicles,” Schaefer said. He said a separate software unit would add up to 1,200 employees this year.

“We are gaining innovative strength by taking on local R&D responsibility,” Schaefer said. “Our guiding principle: Developing in China for China.”

The organizers said automakers would debut 100 new models, 70 of them electric, according to Chinese media.

Drivers in China bought 5.4 million all-electric vehicles last year — about two-thirds of the global total of 8 million — plus 1.5 million gasoline-electric hybrids. This year’s EV sales are forecast to rise another 30%.

Beijing is winding down government support and shifting the burden to automakers by requiring them to earn credits for EV sales.

China’s BYD Auto, which competes with Tesla for the title of world’s biggest-selling EV brand, displayed the U9 supercar from its luxury Yangwang brand and an SUV, the U8. The automaker says the U9, with a 1-million-yuan ($145,000) sticker price, can accelerate from zero to 100 kph (60 mph) in two seconds.

Another Chinese EV brand, Aion, part of state-owned GAC, announced rapid charging technology it said needs as little as five minutes to power up a battery to go 200 kilometers (120 miles).

Aion also unveiled a system it said can remove a drained battery and install a fresh one in as little as two minutes. The company said that would be quicker than filling a gasoline tank, eliminating a drawback to EV ownership.

China’s auto sales peaked in 2017 at 24.7 million but collapsed in 2020 to 20.2 million after dealerships closed as part of efforts to contain COVID-19. They are recovering but have yet to return to the pre-pandemic level.

For drivers who aren’t ready to give up fossil fuels, state-owned BAIC unveiled a hulking, American-style pickup truck, the Mars, with a 6.8-liter diesel engine. The company boasted that with its flaring wheel wells, the Mars is 2.1 meters (6.9 feet) wide.

The ruling party’s support for EV development is part of plans to gain wealth and global influence by transforming China into a creator of profitable technologies.

That campaign has strained relations with Washington and other trading partners, which are cutting off access to advanced processor chips used by makers of smartphones, electric cars and other high-tech products. China’s own foundries can supply low-end chips used in many cars but not processors for artificial intelligence and other advanced functions.

Sales of gasoline-electric hybrids and all-electric vehicles rose 26.2% over a year ago in the first three months of 2023 to 1.6 million, according to the China Association of Auto Manufacturers. Sales of purely electric vehicles rose 14.4% to 1.2 million while hybrids increased 75.1% to 433,000.

Tesla and some other brands cut prices by 5% to 15% starting in January after sales growth slowed, though to still-robust levels compared with the U.S. and European markets. That prompted warnings that the squeeze on an industry with dozens of fledgling brands might force smaller automakers into mergers or out of business.