Canadian preacher arrested for breaking coronavirus ban after which he and dozens of his followers became infected

Published on May 20, 2020 By Agence France-Presse

Myanmar police arrested a Canadian pastor Wednesday for allegedly holding a service in defiance of a coronavirus ban on mass gatherings — after which he and dozens of his followers and their families became infected.

The Southeast Asian nation has so far only confirmed 193 cases and six deaths from the disease, although experts fear low numbers tested mean the true figures could be far higher.

Myanmar-born preacher David Lah, 43, is based out of Toronto, Canada but often visits his motherland to give sermon tours.

Myanmar introduced a ban on mass gatherings in mid-March.

Footage emerged early April showing Lah leading services in which he claimed Christians would be spared from the pandemic.

“If people hold the Bible and Jesus in their hearts, the disease will not come in,” he proclaimed in one video to a roomful of faithful followers.

“The only person who can cure and give peace in this pandemic is Jesus.”

Shortly afterwards Lah tested positive with coronavirus and figures released by the government show dozens of confirmed cases could be traced back to his followers.

Myo Gyi, lead singer of Myanmar’s most famous rock band Iron Cross, was among those infected.

After emerging from quarantine, Lah was arrested Wednesday morning and taken to a Yangon court where he was charged with violating the Natural Disaster and Management Law.

He could face three years behind bars if convicted.

“The police procedure was delayed because he was recovering from the disease,” a police officer told AFP, declining to be named.

Three others will also face charges in connection with the same events when they recuperate, he added.

The scandal even touched Myanmar’s Christian vice president Henry Van Thio and his family, who had attended an earlier service with Lah in February, although they later tested negative.

About six percent of Buddhist-majority Myanmar’s population identifies as one of the various Christian denominations in the country.

Lah is being held in Yangon’s notorious Insein Prison and is due to appear in court again June 3.

© 2020 AFP

BAM! 

Steve Schmidt: ‘Abject idiocy’ of Trump is ‘what matters the most’ during coronavirus pandemic

Published May 19, 2020


Former Republican strategist Steve Schmidt harshly criticized President Donald Trump during a Tuesday appearance on MSNBC.

“Look, President Trump is many things. He’s dishonest, He’s lied to the American people more than 17,000 times. He completely is corrupt,” Schmidt said. “He’s indecent, he’s vile, he’s divisive, but in this moment, the thing that matters the most — and I don’t say this to name call — but he’s an imbecile.

“That’s the precise word we use in the English language to describe his comportment, to describe his behavior.”

“Every day has been the achievement of a new stratosphere of just abject idiocy flowing out from the White House. So it’s the mismanagement of the crisis, we see the continual assault on our democratic institutions, the undermining of the rule of law, the institutionalization of the corruption of this administration, through the attorney general, the firing of the inspector generals, and on and on it goes,” he warned.

“Chris, the most powerful country in the world, supposedly — economically, militarily — we are a basket case,” he added. “You have more likelihood of catching it in the United States than anyplace else. You have more likelihood of not being able to get a test for it than anyplace else.”

“And so when we look at the totality of it, the mismanagement, the incompetence is so epically bad, there’s no comparison to it in the whole of American history,” Schmidt concluded.

VIDEO

https://www.rawstory.com/2020/05/steve-schmidt-abject-idiocy-of-trump-is-what-matters-the-most-during-coronavirus-pandemic/

Trump’s biggest fans are so bent on taking hydroxychloroquine they’re making their own

May 20, 2020


President Donald Trump’s staunchest fans are so bent on taking hydroxychloroquine they’re sharing recipes for making their own.

The president has been hyping the anti-malarial drug as a preventative and treatment for the coronavirus, and claimed this week he’s been taking it himself, and his right-wing allies have promoting it and also taking the drug themselves, reported The Daily Beast.

“Tell everyone you’re taking it,” tweeted Lionel Lebron, a QAnon conspiracy theorist and conservative social media personality who visited Trump at the White House in 2018. “Even if you’re not. Say you’re taking it via enema. A high colonic with a twist of lime.”

#HCQ. Tell everyone you’re taking it. Even if you’re not. Say you’re taking it via enema. A high colonic with a twist of lime. You’re bathing in it. Say you’re having clothes made with fibers soaked in HCQ. Name your dog HCQ. Tattoo it on your forehead. Drive these idiots nuts.

—

Lionel (@LionelMedia) May 19, 2020 

The Food and Drug Administration does not recommend hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 outside of hospitals or clinical trials, warning the drug can produce “abnormal heart rhythms” in some patients, and a Veterans Affairs study found the drug had no effect on the virus and may lead to death for some patients.

But other QAnon conspiracy theorists are so sure that Trump’s right about hydroxychloroquine they’re sharing recipes for the drug that consists of steeping various fruit rinds so followers can avoid “big pharmas fillers.”

Others, such as Missouri chiropractor Eric Nepute, are urging their online followers to drink Schweppes Tonic Water for the quinine, falsely claiming its effects “similar-ish” to hydroxychloroquine, but the Snopes website says a person would need to drink 25 liters a day to ingest enough quinine for medicinal purposes.

Talk radio host and former White House adviser Sebastian Gorka claims he’s been taking hydroxychloroquine for a month to prevent COVID-19 infection, and Rep. Roger Marshall (R-KS), a doctor and Kansas Senate candidate, says he and several family members are taking hydroxychloroquine as a prevenative.

“I’m relieved President Trump is taking it,” Marshall said.

Fringe right-wing figure Michael Coudrey, who’s been retweeted by the president in the past, claimed the drug has pleasant side effects.

“My face is also very plush and vibrant,” Coudrey tweeted.

DEFENSE NEWS

Fisher Sand & Gravel awarded $1.28B for border wall construction

A section of border fence on the U.S. - Mexico border is seen in Tecate, California on June 10, 2019. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo 

IT IS NOT AND NEVER WAS A WALL

May 19 (UPI) -- A North Dakota construction company that drew scrutiny for a previous contract won a $1.28 billion border wall construction contract earlier in May.

Fisher Sand & Gravel's new contract was not announced by the Department of Defense, which has awarded several border wall contracts, or by Customs & Border Patrol, but was reported by the Arizona Daily Star.

It's set to fund about 42 miles of border wall in Arizona, from Nogales to the eastern boundary of the Tohono O'odham Nation.

In December Fisher Sand & Gravel was awarded $400 million to build a wall near Yuma County, Ariz.

The company's CEO, Tommy Fisher, publicly campaigned for wall contracts and paid $145,000 to discuss the border wall with lawmakers and the Army Corps of Engineers.

Fisher's campaign has provoked public admiration from President Donald Trump, but also accusations of undue influence from Democrats -- and an audit from the Pentagon's inspector general, which officials say is still ongoing.

That audit is still ongoing.

Fisher has said he can build a wall more cheaply than other contractors, but the new award to Fisher costs about $30 million per mile of wall, making it more expensive than other contracts for the wall -- and making the wall one of the largest federal infrastructure projects in American history.

About 180 miles have been built since January 2017, and acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said last week that he expects to see as many as 400 miles of completed wall this year.

Congressional Democrats called for a halt to border construction projects this spring due to the coronavirus pandemic, but the DoD has awarded numerous contracts for wall construction, including others that have drawn criticism due to high costs and possible undue influence.

RELATED Officials at Tyndall AFB complete environmental assessment for rebuild effort

In April Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) asked the acting Inspector General of the Department of Defense to review a $569 million border wall contract awarded earlier that month to BFBC, a Montana-based company whose CEO has a history of donations to Trump's campaign as well as other Republican races.

Their letter also points to the high per-mile cost of BFBC's proposed project -- in that case $33 million per mile.

Poll: Americans more liberal socially than economically


Activists demonstrate outside the U.S. Supreme Court on October 8, 2019, as the court hears arguments in three cases that influence lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender protections. File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo

May 20 (UPI) -- The gap between Americans who view themselves economically conservative and fiscally liberal is narrower than it's ever been -- but a Gallup survey Wednesday showed that social issues are still where more citizens have a liberal viewpoint.

The poll shows a gap of just 18 points separate the two positions, the closes point in the history of the survey.

Thirty-nine percent of U.S. adults said they are conservative on economic issues while 21 percent said they're liberal. Thirty-eight percent answered they're moderate fiscally.

Over the years, the gap had been as wide as 36 points (2010) and as close as 20, at various times.

The survey showed Americans are closer on social issues. Thirty-five percent said they're socially conservative and 29 percent said they're liberal.

The social gap was also widest in 2010, Gallup said, when conservatives held a 17-point majority.

More than 60 percent of Republicans said they are socially and fiscally conservative -- while about four or five in 10 Democrats said they're liberal in both areas.

Gallup said the figures continue a trend of Americans being more liberal socially than they are economically.

Gallup polled more than 1,000 U.S. adults for the survey, which has a margin of error of 4 points

POT CALLING KETTLE BLACK
Hobby Lobby accuses Christie's of selling ancient artifact fraudulently



The cuneiform tablet in question tells the Epic of Gilgamesh. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of New York

May 19 (UPI) -- Hobby Lobby sued Christie's on Tuesday, accusing the auction house of selling it an ancient artifact that had been looted.

The lawsuit comes one day after U.S. Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of New York seized the cuneiform tablet from where it was housed at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C.

Hobby Lobby said Christie's told the company the sale of the cuneiform tablet, which features the Epic of Gilgamesh, was legal. The auction house allegedly said the tablet had been sold by San Francisco firm Butterfield & Butterfield in 1981, meaning it had ownership in the United States prior to a federal ban on cultural imports from Iraq in the 1990s.

The U.S. Attorney's Office said a provenance letter proving the tablet was sold in 1981 was false.

RELATED UPI Archives: Museum of the Bible's Dead Sea Scrolls are fake, analysis shows

"In this case, a major auction house failed to meet its obligations by minimizing its concerns that the provenance of an important Iraqi artifact was fabricated, and withheld from the buyer information that undermined the provenance's reliability," said Richard Donoghue, U.S. attorney for the eastern district of New York.

Christie's denied having knowledge that the item's sale was illegal.

"This filing is linked to new information that has come to light regarding an unidentified dealer's admission to government authorities that he illegally imported this item then falsified documents over a decade ago, in order to perpetrate an illegal sale and exploit the legitimate market for ancient art," a spokesperson said in an email to UPI. 

RELATED UPI Archives: Hobby Lobby-smuggled artifacts return to Iraq

"Now that we are informed of this illicit activity pre-dating Christie's involvement, we are reviewing all representations made to us by prior owners and will reserve our rights in this matter. Any suggestion that Christie's had knowledge of the original fraud or illegal importation is unsubstantiated."

Hobby Lobby purchased the cuneiform tablet with plans for it to go on display at the Museum of the Bible, partly funded by the Green family, which owns Hobby Lobby. The museum opened in 2017 under the shadow of a separate case in which Hobby Lobby agreed to return more than 100 historic artifacts from modern-day Iraq that company President Steve Green purchased in Dubai.

In the lawsuit, Hobby Lobby said it wants the $1.6 million it spent on the tablet back as well as interest on the money since 2014 and attorney's fees.

In addition to Christie's, the lawsuit names the anonymous seller of the cuneiform tablet -- identified as "John Doe" -- as a defendant. 

PDF READER ON THE SITEhttps://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2020/05/20/Hobby-Lobby-accuses-Christies-of-selling-ancient-artifact-fraudulently/3451589923702/?sl=11

A demonstration of ultraviolet disinfecting technology takes place at the Corona Maintenance Facility in New York City on May 19. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced an ultraviolet light pilot program proven to kill COVID-19, with the first phase set to launch on subways, buses and other New York City Transit facilities early next week. Photo by Marc A. Hermann/MTA New York City Transit | License Photo

Israeli dig finds 2,000-year-old underground complex near Western Wall

Archaeologist Tehila Sadiel cleans a mosaic floor unearthed by the Israel Antiquities Authority on Tuesday in the Old City of Jerusalem. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI | License Photo

May 19 (UPI) -- Archaeologists have uncovered a 2,000-year-old underground compound near Jerusalem's Western Wall that hasn't been seen in generations, officials said Tuesday.

The Israeli Antiquities Authorities said the compound -- which has an open courtyard, two rooms and several household objects -- had been sealed during the Byzantine period some 1,400 years ago.

Experts said it's the first time such a system has been uncovered near the Western Wall and could reveal what life was like in Jerusalem before the Second Temple was destroyed in 70 AD.

Researchers say the complex was likely used by Jerusalem residents during the early Roman period. The system was sealed beneath the floor of a large and impressive structure from the Byzantine period, "waiting for some 2,000 years to be discovered," the Western Wall Heritage Foundation said.

RELATED Artifacts at cemetery reveal early multicultural community in Europe

"This is a unique finding," said excavation directors Barak Monnickendam-Givon and Tehila Sadiel. "This is the first time a subterranean system has been uncovered adjacent to the Western Wall."

"You must understand that 2,000 years ago in Jerusalem, like today, it was customary to build out of stone. The question is, why were such efforts and resources invested in hewing rooms underground in the hard bedrock?"

Students from a pre-military preparatory program in Jerusalem working in cooperation with the IAA assisted in uncovering the location under the Beit Strauss complex.

RELATED Ancient cave carving depicts six-legged mantis-man

Mordechai Eliav, director of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, said the finding should add to what researchers now know about Jerusalem.

"I am excited, on the eve of Jerusalem Day, to reveal to the Jewish nation a new treasure trove of impressive and fascinating findings that shed light on life in Jerusalem throughout the generations," Eliav said.

"This finding epitomizes the deep connection of Jews with Jerusalem, their capital. Even when there were physical limitations, prayer at the foot of the remnant of our Temple never ceased, and this is tangible evidence of this."

Mahmoud Abbas ends Palestinian security deal with U.S., Israel


Israeli opposition leader Benny Gantz looks at the Jordan Valley in the Israeli settlement of Vered Jericho in the West Bank on January 21. Gantz had promised to annex the valley if he was elected prime minister. File Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI | License Photo

BENNY GANTZ IS NOW JOINT PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL SHARING POST 

WITH BIBI NETENAHU 

May 20 (UPI) -- Palestinian authorities will end a security agreement with Israel and the United States as a result of plans to annex parts of the West Bank by the new unity government in Jerusalem.

Palestinian authorities voted in 2018 end the security agreement but allowed President Mahmoud Abbas the option of when to end cooperation. Abbas on several prior occasions has threatened to end the agreement.

Abbas said Tuesday the cooperation is over effective immediately.

"The Palestine Liberation Organization and the State of Palestine are absolved, as of today, of all the agreements and understandings with the American and Israeli governments and of all the obligations based on these understandings and agreements, including the security ones," Abbas said in a speech.

Abbas said security in certain zones of the West Bank is now Israel's responsibility.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition leader Benny Gantz have both supported plans to annex parts of the West Bank. Their formation of a new unity government on Sunday ended political deadlock in Jerusalem that lasted for more than a year.

Jordan's King Abdullah II warned last weekend that annexing the West Bank could bring "a massive conflict" between Jordan and Israel and suspend their 1994 peace treaty.

It's not yet clear exactly how Palestinian officials will practically end the security agreement or what logistical steps they might take as a result of its suspension.

Read 
MorePalestinian leaders warn Israel's new gov't against more annexation 

Netanyahu to approve 3,500 Jewish homes on disputed 'E1' land

The U.S., North Korea, and Nuclear Diplomacy

Author: Daniel Wertz

Last Updated October 2018 (Previous Edition: November 2015) 

President Donald Trump meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore. Photo via White House.

Introduction

For three decades, North Korea’s pursuit of a nuclear arsenal has been the predominant U.S. foreign policy concern on the Korean Peninsula, threatening both regional stability and the global nonproliferation regime. Although multiple countries have a major stake in the issue, the U.S. has been both the most important interlocutor in attempts to resolve it diplomatically and the leader in global efforts to pressure and isolate North Korea. Efforts to address North Korea’s nuclear weapons program through various combinations of diplomacy and pressure have at times slowed or temporarily halted Pyongyang’s progress, but have failed to roll it back or to fundamentally change the dynamics of conflict on the Peninsula.

As North Korea has dramatically accelerated the pace of progress in building its nuclear program in recent years, and as the Trump administration has alternately leveled threats of military action and engaged in high-profile summitry with Kim Jong-un, this issue has risen to the top of the U.S. foreign policy agenda. The current round of U.S. diplomatic engagement with North Korea may hold enormous consequences for the future of the Korean Peninsula, perhaps leading to the denouement of this long saga – or, despite the high stakes, perhaps simply to another round of all sides “muddling through” with no ultimate resolution in sight. The Trump administration has framed negotiations with North Korea in stark binary terms – either leading to North Korea’s denuclearization and prosperity, or to a more intensified confrontation and conflict – but few experts expect North Korea to give up its nuclear arsenal any time soon.

This Issue Brief will review the history of U.S. nuclear negotiations with North Korea, taking a close look at past efforts to realize the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. It will also examine the persistent questions and themes surrounding how the U.S. has approached the issue of negotiating with Pyongyang, and how foreign analysts have perceived the motivations behind North Korea’s nuclear program.

DOWNLOAD PDF, 

https://www.ncnk.org/sites/default/files/issue-briefs/US_DPRK_Relations.pdf

OR READ ONLINE HERE

https://www.ncnk.org/resources/briefing-papers/all-briefing-papers/history-u.s.-dprk-relations

NCNK

THE NATIONAL COMMITTEE ON NORTH KOREA

ABOUT

The National Committee on North Korea (NCNK) is a non-governmental organization of persons with significant and diverse expertise related to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. NCNK and its members support principled engagement with North Korea as a means to promote peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and to improve the lives of the people of North Korea. NCNK also works to provide policymakers, the academic and think tank community, and the general public with substantive and balanced information about developments in North Korea. NCNK was founded by Mercy Corps, a global aid and development organization, in 2004.

South Korea ruling party prepared to eradicate 'fake news' 

AKA RIGHT WING HISTORICAL REVISIONISM
Lee Hae-chan (R), leader of South Korea's ruling Democratic Party, condemned politicians who "distort history," in reference to the 1980 Gwangju Uprising. File Photo by Yonhap/EPA-EFE
May 20 (UPI) -- South Korea's ruling party is supporting new laws that could punish people for disseminating "fake news," according to multiple press reports.

South Korea's Democratic Party leader Lee Hae-chan said Wednesday a new law designed to verify the truths of the 1980 Gwangju Uprising should also consider bringing to justice people who have conflicting interpretations of the events of 40 years ago, when the South Korean military quelled a pro-democracy movement, Yonhap and News 1 reported Wednesday.

Lee, a former prime minister under progressive President Roh Moo-hyun, told politicians at a meeting of the Democratic Party Supreme Council he takes issue specifically with Jee Man-won, a far-right politician who has said the uprising of May 18, 1980 included the participation of North Korean military personnel.

Jee has been the target of lawsuits from activists, who allege he created falsified documents to connect the Gwangju Uprising with the North Korean regime in Pyongyang.

On Wednesday, Lee said Jee was promoting "fake news," and engaging in "unscrupulous acts aimed in advancing his self-interest."

"Only with the consensus of the [South Korean people] can the spread of fake news be stopped," Lee said.

"It is truly deplorable. To distort the history of the Gwangju Uprising is to also violate the spirit of the [South Korean] Constitution."

RELATED Professor experimented with cats illegally, South Korea animal activists say

Park Kwang-on, a member of the DP Supreme Council, said the May 18 Special Law to "reveal the truth" must be passed, in order to lead the country down a path of reconciliation, News 1 reported.

Park also said it is necessary to investigate the facts, and "expand the authority" of inspectors.

"Tragic history repeats itself, unless people are duly punished for a systematic and widespread massacre of citizens."

RELATED South Korea police probe reports of vandalized Maseratis, Bentleys

Former President Chun Doo-hwan, who came to power after staging a military coup in 1979, has been blamed for ordering the crackdown against Gwangju protesters.

Chun is facing a libel lawsuit in connection to the events of Gwangju.

South Korea conservatives clash with Gwangju Uprising activists

A man pays his respects before a tomb at a national cemetery honoring those killed in the 1980 Gwangju democracy uprising in Gwangju, South Korea. File Photo by Yonhap/EPA


Feb. 8, 2019

 (UPI) -- A group of lawmakers from South Korea's main conservative opposition invited a controversial politician to speak at a public hearing on the Gwangju Uprising -- a decision that angered activists who defend the pro-democracy movement.

The public hearing on Friday took place as a left-wing lawyers group called for the repatriation of the 12 North Korean waitresses and their manager brought to the South in 2016.

South Korean television network MBC reported a group of far-right lawmakers affiliated with the Liberty Korea Party hosted the "Public Hearing on the Investigation into the Truth of May 18," where politician Jee Man-won was the guest speaker.

Jee has been the target of lawsuits from activists, who allege he created falsified documents to connect the Gwangju Uprising with the North Korean regime in Pyongyang. Jee has claimed the uprising of May 18, 1980, included the participation of North Korean military personnel.

Right-wing politicians condemned the pro-democracy movement on Friday, including Kim Soon-rye of the Liberty Korea Party.

"Right now the pro-North Korea leftists are dominating, and creating an abominable group called the May 18 Figures of Merit that is draining taxpayer money," Kim said, referring to civic groups in South Korea that seek restitution for protesters wrongfully imprisoned or detained.

Other politicians said the pro-democracy protesters were rioters, and Jee praised former President Chun Doo-hwan as a hero; Chun was president when the government ordered a military crackdown against protesters.

\

Gwangju activists disrupted the hearing and voiced their indignation during the event, according to MBC.

The dispute comes at a time of increased polarization in South Korea, where engagement with North Korea has been followed by debate on issues ranging from defectors to political allegiances.

Seoul Pyongyang News reported Friday the progressive Lawyers for a Democratic Society, or Minbyun, held a rally outside the presidential Blue House, calling on the government to repatriate a group of North Korean waitresses, and other defectors, including Kim Ryen-hi.

Kim is a North Korean woman in the South who has claimed she was abducted to the South.

Jet engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce to cut 9,000 jobs 

A worker walks beneath one of four large Rolls Royce Trent 900 engines on an Airbus A380 at Vancouver International Airport in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. File Photo by Heinz Ruckemann/UPI | License Photo

May 20 (UPI) -- British jet engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce said Wednesday it will cut 9,000 jobs as it tries to weather the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the air travel industry.

Rolls-Royce said 8,000 of the cuts will be made in its civil aerospace sector. The losses represent nearly one-fifth of the company's worldwide workforce of 52,000.

"Our airline customers and airframe partners are having to adapt and so must we," Rolls-Royce CEO Warren East said in a statement. "We must take difficult decisions to see our business through these unprecedented times."

Rolls-Royce said the reorganization should save the company about $1.6 billion annually and $858 million immediately.

"We have to do this right, which means we will work closely with our employee and trade union representatives as appropriate, look at any viable alternatives to mitigate the impact, consult with everyone affected and treat our people with dignity and respect," West added.

A number of aircraft use Rolls Royce engines, including Airbus' A330, A340, A350 and A380 jetliners, as well as Boeing's 777 and 787.

The International Air Transport Association said last week it doesn't expect air travel to return to 2019 levels until 2023. Rolls-Royce said it plans to produce just 250 plane engines this year, down from its previous estimate of 450.

Ryanair to cut pay, as many as 3,000 jobs due to travel slowdown

A Ryanair Boeing 737 lands at Dublin Airport in Dublin, Ireland. The carrier said Monday it may ultimately cut 3,000 jobs due to fallout from the coronavirus crisis. File Photo by Aidan Crawley/EPA-EFE

May 18 (UPI) -- Ireland-based Ryanair says it may end up cutting thousands of jobs due to economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.

The discount airline said in an earnings report Monday that most of its fleet has been grounded since mid-March, which reduced full-year traffic by five million travelers.


Ryanair said it anticipates operating less than 1 percent of its scheduled flights in the quarter from April to June and hopes to fly more than 50 percent of its flights in the following quarter.

The company said it won't take government aid and it has already begun to make labor cutbacks.

"Unlike many flag carrier competitors, Ryanair will not request or receive state aid," the company said. "Consultations about base closures, pay cuts of up to 20 percent, unpaid leave and up to 3,000 job cuts (mainly pilots and cabin crew) are underway with our people and our unions."

The airline said profits had increased by 13 percent for the last fiscal year, which ended in March before the full impact of the coronavirus crisis arrived.

Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary criticized European restrictions that called for a 14-day quarantine for some passengers on inbound flights. Some have since been eased.

"They removed this idiotic 14-day isolation that is both unimplementable and unmanageable, in favor of using masks and temperature checks," O'Leary told CNBC, calling the proposed quarantine "a joke."

O'Leary said he's hoping to dissuade British officials from imposing their own 14-day quarantine.

"The government has no idea what they are talking about," he said. "They say it is based on science but then [they] can't explain why you're exempting the Irish and the French."

IEA: New renewable energy to decline for the first time in 20 years

Renewable energy installations will decrease in 2020 for the first time in two decades, the IEA report said. File Photo by Pat Benic/UPI | License Photo

May 20 (UPI) -- Due to delays in construction caused by lockdown measures, the number of new renewable power installations worldwide will decline in 2020 for first time in 20 years, the International Energy Agency said Wednesday.

The IEA made the projection in its Renewable Market Update report.

Disruptions caused by the COVID-19 crisis will result in a 13 percent decline in new renewable power capacity coming online this year -- some 167 gigawatts, the report said, although even the lower number represents a 6 percent growth in global capacity.

The growth pattern is forecast to quickly resume in 2021 and rebound to the level set in 2019, mainly due to two new hydropower projects in China and a rush to build new renewable installations in the United States before tax credits expire.

RELATED Satellites help solar power plants anticipate cloud cover, sunlight availability

"The resilience of renewable electricity to the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis is good news but cannot be taken for granted," said IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol. "Countries are continuing to build new wind turbines and solar plants, but at a much slower pace."

Despite the demand for renewable energy, Birol urged governments to keep sight of the "essential task of stepping up clean energy transitions to enable us to emerge from the crisis on a secure and sustainable path."

Recovery will be slower in more mature markets such as Europe, however, as global growth for 2020 and 2021 combined is expected to be 10 percent under the IEA's previous forecast.

RELATED Ethanol production plummets as people drive less during pandemic

Wednesday's outlook said solar installations will decline from 110 gigawatts in 2019 to 90 gigawatts this year, followed by a modest rebound in 2021, while decreases in onshore wind power will be "mostly compensated for" next year.

An analysis by the U.S. solar industry says it will employ 114,000 fewer workers by June than previously anticipated, a reduction to 2014 levels.

RELATED JPMorgan pledges to aid with $200B in environmental, economic efforts

McDonald's workers striking Wednesday over COVID-19 conditions

McDonald's says the strike is a "publicity stunt" by labor organizers and that the company has provided an "ample supply" of personal protective equipment.

McDonald's disputes accusations from striking workers and a lawsuit, saying the health of its workers is a top priority. File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo

MAY 20, 2020 / 6:46 AM

May 20 (UPI) -- Hundreds of McDonald's workers plan to strike on Wednesday, saying the fast-food chain has provided inadequate protection during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Workers in a number of cities are set to take part in the strike organized by the minimum-wage labor campaign "Fight for $15" and supported by the Service Employees International Union ahead of the company's annual shareholders meeting

"This is about choices," union President Mary Kay Henry said. "McDonald's can do the right thing and protect its workers. It is choosing not to."

Organizers say McDonald's workers in at least 16 states have contracted COVID-19. They cite a survey in which 42 percent of a sample of 800 workers said they were told by management not to wear gloves or face coverings and 46 percent said they reported to work despite feeling ill out of fear of discipline.

"We are aware of scores of cases of COVID-19-positive workers in at least 16 states across the country. Time and time again, McDonald's has failed to swiftly close and disinfect stores following confirmed reports of COVID-19 employees," an open letter to McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski states. "To make matters worse, your restaurants have also failed to promptly inform workers of exposure to the virus and to provide pay during quarantine."

Five McDonald's workers in Chicago and four of their family members have also filed a lawsuit seeking class-action status, alleging that McDonald's hasn't provided enough masks, gloves and hand sanitizer to protect them from the outbreak.

McDonald's says the strike is a strategically timed "publicity stunt" by labor organizers and denies the accusations made by the suit and strike organizers, saying it's provided an "ample supply" of personal protective equipment.

RELATED MTA testing UV lamps to disinfect COVID-19

"We are grateful for the 850,000 individuals who are the heart and soul of every McDonald's restaurant across the U.S. As a people business, providing a safe environment in the restaurants is a top priority," the company said in a statement Tuesday.

"And we're doing our part while keeping employees and customers safe. Since the start of the pandemic, we have made nearly 50 process changes in our restaurants in accordance with guidance from the CDC and state and local health experts.

"These include providing wellness and temperature checks, masks and gloves, social distancing guidelines, increased cleanings and installing protective barriers."

The strike Wednesday comes as McDonald's prepares to reopen in-restaurant dining at locations nationwide.

"As reopening begins in states across the country, we are implementing a 59-page 'playbook' that outlines the precautions we are requiring before restaurants reopen dining rooms. And we are confident that employees impacted by the virus are receiving sick pay to tend to their healthcare needs."

Workers at Amazon and its Whole Foods subsidiary conducted a worldwide "sick-out" in March to protest conditions and pay provided by the company and were similarly followed by workers at Target, Instacart, FedEx, Walmart and Shipt earlier this month.

DECONSTRUCTING GOVERNMENT
Trump signs executive order to cut regulations hampering economic recovery
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday directing federal agencies to review regulations that have been suspended in response to the coronavirus pandemic and cut any that would hinder economic recovery.
 Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo

REGULATIONS PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT, WORKERS, HEALTH AND SAFETY, POLLUTION, LGBTQ RIGHTS, WOMEN'S RIGHTS, CIVIL RIGHTS LAWS, ETC ETC.

May 19 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday seeking to cut regulations that hamper economic recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

During a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Trump said the order directs federal agencies to review hundreds of regulations that have been suspended in response to the pandemic and make those suspensions permanent where possible.

"With millions of Americans forced out of work by the virus, it's more important than ever to remove burdens that destroy American jobs," Trump said.

He also said he instructed agencies to use emergency authorities to speed up regulation cuts or "new rules that will create jobs and prosperity and get rid of unnecessary rules and regulations."

The administration has taken steps to loosen some regulations amid the pandemic, including a March memo by the Environmental Protection Agency announcing it suspended enforcement of environmental laws requiring companies to monitor their pollution.

MORE GOOD NEWS
Hurricanes are increasing in intensity, long-term data indicate
By Ed Adamczyk MAY 18, 2020

Damage to homes and property from Hurricane Dorian is seen at Treasure Cay in the Bahamas on Sept. 9, 2019. File Photo by Joe Marino/UPI
| License Photo

May 18 (UPI) -- The maximum sustained winds of hurricanes are increasing around the world, according to an analysis of 40 years of satellite imagery published on Monday.

The maximum sustained winds in hurricanes have increased by about 8 percent per decade in the period under study, according to the study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

A warming planet, researchers say, could be the cause.

The data was studied by scientists of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Center for Environmental Information and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies

"Through modeling and our understanding of atmospheric physics, the study agrees with what we would expect to see in a warming climate like ours," lead study author James Kossin, a NOAA scientist based at UW-Madison, said in a press release. "Our results show that these storms have become stronger on global and regional levels, which is consistent with expectations of how hurricanes respond to a warming world."

The study builds on a Kossin's 2013 study analyzing hurricanes over a 28-year time span. That study demonstrated that hurricanes are moving farther northward and southward, exposing coastlines to greater risk, and moving more slowly when traveling over land, resulting in greater risk of floods.

The research, Kossin said, increases confidence that global warming is making for stronger hurricanes, "but our results don't tell us precisely how much of the trends are caused by human activities and how much may just be natural variability."

RELATED First storm of the Atlantic hurricane season sets records in Florida

The meteorology service AccuWeather predicted last week that the 2020 hurricane season for the Atlantic Ocean will be intense.

Based on the newest forecasting models, the forecasters extended the upper range of hurricanes to 14 to 20 tropical storms with seven to 11 growing to hurricane strength and four to six becoming Category 3 or higher, indicating sustained winds of 111 mph or higher. It also warned that four to six named tropical systems could make direct impacts on the U.S mainland, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

RELATED Ambo makes 6th landfall as torrential rain, damaging winds batter Philippines
THEY SHOULD REALLY MOVE THE PHILIPPINES OUT OF TYPHOON ALLEY

upi.com/7008072

MICHIGAN FLOOD UPDATES

‘Unlike anything we’ve seen’: Gov Whitmer declares emergency

 as Michigan dam breach sends thousands scrambling for shelter

PRIVATELY OWNED DAMS  

NOT REPAIRED OR MAINTAINED AS ORDERED AND REQUIRED

ANOTHER OF THOSE PIECES OF RED TAPE 

WE CALL REGULATIONS

WHICH FAILS BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT ENFORCED. 

NATIONALISE ALL DAMS IN THE USA UNDER DPA 

PUT THEM UNDER THE ARMY CORP OF ENGINEERS TO MAINTAIN AND FUND THEM

Thousands evacuated as river dams break in central Michigan

1 of 18/MAP/INFOGRAM

Mark Musselman brings a chair to the front of his house from the back yard, wading through floodwater, Tuesday, May 19, 2020 in Edenville, Mich. People living along two mid-Michigan lakes and parts of a river have been evacuated following several days of heavy rain that produced flooding and put pressure on dams in the area. (Katy Kildee/Midland Daily News via AP)

VIDEO AT THE END
\

EDENVILLE, Mich. (AP) — Rapidly rising water overtook dams and forced the evacuation of about 10,000 people in central Michigan, where the governor said one downtown could be “under approximately 9 feet of water” by Wednesday.

For the second time in less than 24 hours, families living along the Tittabawassee River and connected lakes in Midland County were ordered to leave home.

The National Weather Service on Tuesday evening urged anyone near the river to seek higher ground following “castastrophic dam failures” at the Edenville Dam, about 140 miles (225.31 kilometers) north of Detroit, and the Sanford Dam, about seven miles (11.26 kilometers) downriver.


Michigan Gov. Gretchen said downtown Midland, a city of 42,000 about 8 miles (12.87 kilometers) downstream from the Sanford Dam, faced an especially serious flooding threat. Dow Chemical Co.’s main plant sits on the city’s riverbank.

“In the next 12 to 15 hours, downtown Midland could be under approximately 9 feet of water,” the governor said. “We are anticipating an historic high water level.”

Whitmer declared a state of emergency for Midland County and urged residents threatened by the flooding to find a place to stay with friends or relatives or to seek out one of several shelters that opened across the county. She encouraged people to do their best to take precautions to prevent the spread of coronavirus, such as wearing a face covering and observing social distancing “to the best of your ability.”

“This is unlike anything we’ve seen in Midland County,” she said. ”If you have a family member or loved one who lives in another part of the state, go there now.”

Emergency responders went door-to-door early Tuesday morning warning residents living near the Edenville Dam of the rising water. Some residents were able to return home, only to be told to leave again following the dam’s breach several hours later. The evacuations include the towns of Edenville, Sanford and parts of Midland, according to Selina Tisdale, spokeswoman for Midland County.



“We were back at home and starting to feel comfortable that things were calming down,” said Catherine Sias, who lives about 1 mile (1.61 kilometers) from the Edenville Dam and first left home early Tuesday morning. “All of a sudden we heard the fire truck sirens going north toward the dam.”

Sias, 45, said emergency alerts then began coming on her cellphone and people started calling to make sure she was safe.

“While packing, there were tons of police and fire trucks going up and down the roads,” she added. “As far as I know, all of our neighbors got out.”

While driving along a jammed M-30, the state highway that’s the main road through Edenville and that crosses the river north of town, Sias saw the rushing Tittabawassee River. “It was very dramatic, very fast and full of debris,” she said.




THE PROBLEM IS PRIVATIZED DAMS NOT BEING MAINTAINED

Dow Chemical has activated its emergency operations center and will be adjusting operations as a result of current flood stage conditions, spokeswoman Rachelle Schikorra said in an email.

“Dow Michigan Operations is working with its tenants and Midland County officials and will continue to closely monitor the water levels on the Tittabawassee River,” Schikorra said.

In 2018, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission revoked the license of the company that operated the Edenville Dam due to non-compliance issues that included spillway capacity and the inability to pass the most severe flood reasonably possible in the area.

The Edenville Dam, which was built in 1924, was rated in unsatisfactory condition in 2018 by the state. The Sanford Dam, which was built in 1925, received a fair condition rating.

Both dams are in the process of being sold.

There were 19 high hazard dams in unsatisfactory or poor condition in Michigan in 2018, ranking 20th among the 45 states and Puerto Rico for which The Associated Press obtained condition assessments.

Flood warnings in Michigan were issued following widespread rainfall of 4 to 7 inches (10.2 to 17.8 centimeters) since Sunday, according to the National Weather Service. Heavy runoff pushed rivers higher.

The Tittabawassee River was at 30.5 feet (9.3 meters) and rising Tuesday night - flood stage is 24 feet (7.3 meters). It was expected to crest Wednesday morning at a record of about 38 feet (11.6 meters).

The heavy rains early in the week also caused flooding elsewhere in the region. In Chicago, water that flooded some areas downtown was receding Tuesday, but Larry Langford, a fire department spokesman, said that he did not expect power to be restored at the iconic Willis Tower for days because the rains caused the building’s subbasements to fill with as much as 25 feet (7.6 meters) of water. The building was closed to tenants and visitors.


Michigan river rises to highest level ever after dam break

Flooding is seen in Midland, Mich., after a dam failed on Tuesday and forced thousands to evacuate. Photo courtesy City of Midland/Facebook

 MAY 20, 2020 / 10:34 AM

May 20 (UPI) -- A dam breach in central Michigan that forced thousands to evacuate has swelled the Tittabawasse River to its highest level in history, forecasters said Wednesday.

The earthen Edenville Dam held back the river, which reached the record high of 34 feet in Midland, the National Weather Service said. Forecasters expect the water level to rise further before it crests at about 38 feet Wednesday night.

The Edenville Dam ruptured Tuesday after swelling with several inches of rain, and was followed by the failure of Sanford Dam in Midland County. The failures forced thousands to evacuate Midland and surrounding areas and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency.

"This is unlike anything we've seen in Midland County," Whitmer said at a news conference Tuesday. "If you have a family member or loved one who lives in another part of the state, go there now."

Downtown Midland, the site of a major Dow Chemical plant, is projected to be under as many as 9 feet of water by late Wednesday, Whitmer said.

According to records, the company that owns the dam had a federal license revoked in 2018.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission revoked the license for Boyce Hydro Power to generate power at the Edenville Dam, citing the company's failure over a years-long span to correct safety problems, including its ability to withstand a major flood.

FERC regulators said they were revoking the license because of the company's "longstanding failure to increase the project's spillway capacity to safely pass flood flows, as well as its failure to comply with its license" and commission regulations.

Midland County and neighboring Gladwin Country agreed to buy the dams from Boyce Hydro in January.

Michigan town could be under 9 feet of water 
by Wednesday, governor says

2020/5/19 ©Detroit Free Press

DETROIT — Urging residents to evacuate and saying downtown Midland could be under nine feet of water by Wednesday afternoon, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer late Tuesday declared a state of emergency for Midland County after the Edenville and Sanford dams breached.

Speaking during a press conference late Tuesday, Whitmer said parts of the city of Midland, the village of Sanford and Edenville and Dow Chemical had been evacuated.

“This is unlike anything we’ve seen before … but this is truly a historic event that’s playing out in the midst of another historic event,” Whitmer said, referring to the coronavirus pandemic which has led to stay-at-home orders throughout the state.

She said that despite those orders generally telling people to stay home, it was important that anyone living in the affected areas evacuate as quickly as possible to safer areas, or go to the homes of relatives and friends. She also said shelters have opened at area schools.

The dams were breached earlier Tuesday following several days of rainfall, forcing the evacuation of thousands of people in mid-Michigan.

Emergency responders were going door-to-door early Tuesday morning warning residents living near the Edenville Dam of the rising water, the Associated Press reported. Some residents were able to return home, only to be told to leave again following the dam’s breach.

The Sanford Dam was breached later in the day Tuesday.

Whitmer said she had activated the National Guard and Guardsmen were on the scene already. Helicopters were being used to try to find the best way to evacuate people as well. She also said she would turn to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for help as quickly as she could.

For now, however, she said it was urgent that people get out of harm’s way.

“Please do not hesitate. Go to stay with a friend or relative or go to one of these shelters now,” she said, adding that even at a shelter, people should try to do the best they can to practice social distancing and wear a face covering to protect themselves and others from coronavirus.

Thousands evacuated following Michigan dam failures

By UPI Staff & Chaffin Mitchell Accuweather.com

MAY 19, 2020 / 8:15 PM / UPDATED AT 2:40 AM

VIDEO AT THE END

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued an emergency declaration after two dams failed in Midland County, forcing thousands of residents to immediately evacuate their homes on Tuesday.

Downtown Midland could be under 9 feet of water by Wednesday morning, Gov. Whitmer said during a Livestream on Tuesday night following the two collapses. A flash flood emergency is in effect for the areas downstream, which includes Midland City and Freeland.

Whitmer told residents if they haven't evacuated the area yet, do so now.

"This is unlike anything we've seen in Midland County," she said. "If you have a family member or loved one who lives in another part of the state, go there now. If you don't, go to one of the shelters that have opened across the county."

Midland County emergency management told people in Midland City who are located west of Eastman and south of US 10, to evacuate immediately on Tuesday afternoon, NBC25 reported.

A slow-moving storm doused Michigan with heavy rains over the period of several days, triggering fear of imminent dam failure and flood warnings across the state.

At least two rivers in mid-Michigan, the Tittabawassee River in Midland and the Rifle River near Sterling, reached their major flood stage on Tuesday afternoon, sending dams past their limits.

Flooding from Pine River in Arenac County. Photo courtesy of the Arenac County Sheriff's Department.

Areas around Midland reported 3 inches to 4 inches of rain since Sunday, which produced a "tremendous" amount of runoff and is causing significant rises on the river system, the National Weather Service said.

The Tittabawassee Fire and Rescue rescued the driver of a pickup truck after the vehicle was swept away while trying to drive on a flooded roadway on Tuesday, WNEM reported.

"A very slowly moving storm system and cold front pushing through the Midwest has produced anywhere from 100 to 200 mm [3 inches to 8 inches] of rainfall in just the past week from the western Great Lakes through northern Indiana and into southern Missouri," AccuWeather senior meteorologist Jack Boston said.

Edenville Township residents along Sanford and Wixom lakes northwest of Midland were urged to evacuate their homes and advised to make arrangements to stay elsewhere through Wednesday. Shelters have been set up at schools in the area.

Officials in Arenac and Gladwin counties also urged residents to evacuate due to the possible dam breach from flash flooding along the Tittabawassee and Cedar rivers.

As floodwaters continued rising, threatening to cut off road access, emergency personnel warned citizens about the potential dangers of flooding and to find alternative routes if met with road closures. If drivers are caught going around a barricade, it can result in a traffic violation with a substantial fine, according to road commission official

Officials with Bay County Road Commission said the county is experiencing water over roads in some areas and water issues with draining. The commission is in the process of working on a map of roads closed and water over the road, according to the commission's Facebook post.

"With all the rain we are getting, the river is rising and roads may be underwater. If you see water over the road, please do not attempt to drive thru it. Find an alternate route. Also, We are also aware there are water issues with draining. We just received a very large amount of rain and it has no where to go. Please be patient over the next couple days," the post reads, MLive reports.

Around 1 a.m. Tuesday, the Saginaw County Emergency Management Team reported that an Edenville Dam failure in Midland could impact residents along the Tittabawassee River in Tittabawassee and Saginaw townships.

Midland County Emergency Management stated that the Edenville and Sanford dams are "structurally sound but spilling floodwaters" as of around 3 a.m. Tuesday, according to MLive.

Later on Tuesday, Midland County Emergency Management said that the Edenville and Sanford dams "are structurally sound but can no longer control or contain the amount of water flowing through the spill gates." The county is working with the hydroelectric power plant Boyce Hydro to assess the dams.

"At this point, the water is still rising from all of the rainfall we received over the last couple of days and it will continue to do so throughout the day," the Midland County Central Dispatch Authority said Tuesday.

The Tittabawassee River in Midland entered major flood stage Tuesday morning when the river was observed at 28.46 feet, according to a Midland County news release. The flood stage is 24 feet, and the river is expected to crest at 30.6 feet early Wednesday before levels start to subside over the next couple of days.

A flood warning remains in effect for the Tittabawassee, from Midland downstream to Saginaw, and the forecast does not show relief for Midland.

Severe thunderstorms are possible tomorrow afternoon and evening for the highlighted areas. Hazards include damaging winds, large hail and frequent lightning, the National Weather Service said on Tuesday late afternoon.

Severe thunderstorms are possible tomorrow afternoon and evening for the highlighted areas. Hazards include damaging winds, large hail, and frequent lightning. Check back for updates! #txwx #nmwx pic.twitter.com/ZkfJgzgr9x— NWS Midland (@NWSMidland) May 19, 2020

The heavy rain that stretched from Michigan to the Ohio River Valley will shift to the southern Appalachians, Carolinas and western Virginia on Tuesday and Wednesday, the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center said. The threat of flash flooding is likely, especially in the western Carolinas and Virginia.