Surfing gator seen relaxing at Alabama beach amid the waves

Surfing gator seen relaxing 

There are plenty of alligators in Alabama. But how many enjoy a day at the beach?

One such unlikely critter was spotted riding the waves recently on Dauphin Island, bobbing calmly near the human beachgoers sunbathing and wading.

Matt Harvill, a 27-year-old Mobile resident, came across the lengthy gator on May 7 while at the beach taking pregnancy announcement photos with his girlfriend.

He said the reptile seemed to be enjoying the sun and gently breaking waves, attracting several beachgoers to get a closer look — but not too close.

“It didn’t hiss, charge or open its mouth at all,” Harvill said. “It seemed like it was kind of spectating and seeing what was going on.”

Harvill snapped photos and videos of the gator to show family and friends. His post on Facebook garnered 3,000 shares.

“The things you never think you’ll see,” he wrote in the caption. “First time seeing a gator on Dauphin Island. Heading towards the west end be careful y’all.”

Alligators are found throughout Alabama in saltwater bayous and estuaries, said Marianne Gauldin, outreach coordinator for the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

“It is not unusual to see them in the Gulf of Mexico as they can tolerate a variety of salinity levels,” she said in an email. “They are aquatic and cover long distances as they forage for prey items.”

Harvill said he’s seen things like jellyfish or a dark fin slicing through the Gulf waters, but never an alligator.

“I didn’t want to step foot in the water after that!” he said.

Beatrice Dupuy, The Associated Press

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

THE REASON WHY THE GATOR WAS BASKING

Gators hit the beaches in the Gulf Coast during breeding season

 

WWLTV   May 16, 2023

This time of year, beaches along the Mississippi Gulf Coast are filled with people enjoying the sun, sand and surf. 

Saturday, visitors in Waveland shared the beach with an unusual visitor: a six-to-seven-foot alligator. 

Chef Kevin Belton from WWL-TV spotted the gator while walking his dogs along the water.

“Saturday morning, we were walking on the beach in Waveland and all of a sudden, I’m like, wait is that a trash bag, is that a log,” Belton said. “As we got a little closer, I realized it was an alligator, sunning itself.” 

Just last week, a picture of a large alligator on the west end of Dauphin Island beach in Alabama went viral. 

SOCIALISM FOR THE RICH

Arizona Coyotes' bid for new arena appears to be rejected by voters

Story by The Canadian Press • Tuesday


The Arizona Coyotes' bid for a new arena appears to be dead.

In the first release of results from Tuesday's referendum, voters in the Phoenix suburb of Tempe were strongly against three propositions to build a $2.3 billion entertainment district that would include a new arena for the Coyotes.

Opposition to the three propositions had a double-digit lead over those in favor, with only ballots dropped off Tuesday left to count.

“The National Hockey League is terribly disappointed by the results of the public referendum regarding the Coyotes' arena project in Tempe,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “We are going to review with the Coyotes what the options might be going forward.”

The vote took place after the city of Phoenix and Sky Harbor International Airport expressed concerns about residences that were part of the project in a high-noise area under the airport’s flight path.

The Coyotes had hoped a new arena in Tempe would finally allow the franchise to settle down after playing in three different venues since moving to Arizona.

Now it appears the franchise has to search for a new home — again.

“We are very disappointed Tempe voters did not approve Propositions 301, 302, and 303,” the Coyotes said. “As Tempe Mayor Corey Woods said, it was the best sports deal in Arizona history. The Coyotes wish to thank everyone who supported our efforts and voted yes.”

Related video: Coyotes possible move to Tempe has been decades in the making (ABC15 Phoenix, AZ)  Duration 2:36  View on Watch

The team shared a downtown Phoenix arena with the NBA’s Phoenix Suns after relocating from Winnipeg in 1996, then moved to Glendale’s Gila River Arena in 2003. But the Coyotes had a troubled tenure in the Phoenix suburb.

Then-owner Jerry Moyes took the Coyotes into bankruptcy in 2009 and Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie put in a bid to purchase the team with the intention of moving it to Hamilton, Ontario.

The NHL, wanting to keep the team in Arizona, put in a counter bid and a Phoenix judge ruled the team could not be sold to Balsillie to circumvent the NHL’s relocation rules.

The league ran the Coyotes for four seasons and the financial constraints took a toll, leading in part to a seven-year playoff drought.

A new ownership group brought new hope in 2013 but turmoil surfaced again in 2015, when the city of Glendale backed out of a long-term, multimillion-dollar lease agreement. The Coyotes leased the arena on an annual basis until Glendale announced it was terminating the contract after the 2021-22 season.

The franchise found a temporary solution, working out a deal to share Arizona State’s Mullett Arena for three seasons. The Mullett has a capacity of 5,000 and is by far the smallest home arena in the NHL.

The Coyotes submitted a bid to buy a tract of land in Tempe, and the Tempe City Council voted to begin negotiating on a new entertainment district. The City Council later voted to send the project to a public vote.

The Coyotes thought they were in good standing with the city of Phoenix and Sky Harbor before a legal filing in March sought to rescind Tempe’s recent zoning and land-use changes. It also asked to prohibit future residential considerations in an area the FAA says is incompatible with residential development due to its positioning under Sky Harbor flight paths.

The Coyotes countered by filing a $2.3 billion notice of claim against the city of Phoenix for alleged breach of contract.

John Marshall, The Associated Press

SEE

SKYDOME

THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF SPORTS

LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment: SKYDOME 

Stunning 3D images of Titanic give unprecedented glimpse of doomed ship

Story by Michelle Butterfield • Yesterday 

The scan of the Titanic was carried out last year by Magellan Ltd., a deep-sea mapping company, in partnership with Atlantic Productions.

© Magellan / Atlantic Producitons

It was created using more than 700,000 images 

Global News

1st 3D scan of Titanic shipwreck unveiled

Duration 0:38

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DailymotionTitanic as never seen before

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cbc.ca3D scan of Titanic reveals never-before-seen details

2:21

Sky NewsFirst full-size scan of Titanic

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New images of the world's most famous shipwreck are showing the Titanic like it's never been seen before.

Remarkable 3D visualization, achieved by deep-sea mapping technology, shows what the RMS Titanic would look like resting on the ocean floor if the water around it were removed.

The hope with these images, according to researchers, is that the unprecedented views will shed new light on how the ill-fated ocean liner sank more than a century ago.

The scan was conducted last year by deep-sea mapping company Magellan Ltd., in partnership with Atlantic Productions, a company that is currently making a film about the project.

"I felt there was something much bigger here that we could get from the Titanic," Anthony Geffen, the CEO of Atlantic Production, told CBS News. "If we could scan it, if we could capture in all its detail … we could find out how it sank and how the different parts of the boat fell apart and we can find a lot of personal stories down there as well."

The daunting task was a huge success, despite the ship lying 3,800 metres below sea level off the coast of Newfoundland.

The photos show intricate details that are nothing short of astonishing.

It's the first full-sized scan of the wreck, which lies in two parts. The bow and stern are approximately 800 meters apart and surrounded by a huge field of debris.

The scan is detailed enough to show the serial number of one of the propellers. The images also show the bow still recognizable, while the stern was crushed due to its rapid descent and crashing into the sea floor.

Since the wreck was discovered in 1985, it's been examined in detail but only through fragmentary snapshots. The quickly-deteriorating materials, too, have made examination of the boat tricky.

"What we now have for the historical record is, before it falls apart, literally a record of everything to do with the wreck of the Titanic, which will be around forever," Geffen told CBS.

The images were achieved by remotely operated submersibles that dedicated more than 200 hours to meticulously surveying the wreckage. The team was able to collect more than 700,000 images from various angles, which allowed the detailed 3D reconstruction.

"Mapping every square centimetre, including seemingly unremarkable areas like the debris field and mud, was essential to create a cohesive representation of this significant site," Gerhard Seiffert, Magellan's lead planner of the excursion, told the BBC.

The Titanic, thought to be unsinkable at the time, hit an iceberg on its maiden voyage from Southampton in the U.K. to New York on April 15, 1912. The tragedy claimed the lives of more than 1,500 people.

Video: Rare footage released from 1986 dive that found sunken ship Titanic

Lula's coalition roiled by decision to block Petrobras' Amazon project

A logo of Brazil's state-run Petrobras oil company is seen at its headquarters in Rio de Janeiro© Thomson Reuters

By Lisandra Paraguassu and Marta Nogueira

Story by Reuters • Yesterday

BRASILIA (Reuters) -A decision by Brazil's environmental regulator to block state-owned oil company Petrobras' Amazon oil project has exposed tensions in President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's coalition between green advocates and those prioritizing economic development.

Ibama, late on Wednesday, said it would block a request by state-run oil giant Petrobras to drill at the Amazon mouth near Amapá, in a much-awaited decision that followed a technical recommendation by Ibama experts to reject the project.

In a filing, Petrobras said it planned to file an appeal for Ibama to reconsider its ruling, saying it "strictly complied with all the requirements of the licensing process."

The decision by Ibama, which is overseen by Lula's environment minister, the globally recognized environmentalist Marina Silva, has riled some within the governing coalition.

Lula, who hails from the poor northeast, has staked his international reputation on reversing environmental back-sliding under his far-right predecessor former President Jair Bolsonaro. But he is also under pressure to deliver much-needed growth to poor, under-developed regions in the north and northeast, and wants state-owned Petrobras to be an engine of that growth.


Brazil's Environment Minister Marina Silva attends an interview with Reuters in Brasilia

© Thomson Reuters

Senator Randolfe Rodrigues, who represents the state of Amapa, said Ibama had taken a decision with major economic impact for the state without taking into account the views of the people of Amapa or its state government. Rodrigues is a senior Lula ally who ran his presidential campaign last year.

"We'll fight against this decision," Rodrigues wrote on Twitter, adding that "the people of Amapa want to have the right to be heard". He later announced he was departing his party, the center-left Sustainability Network, in light of the decision.

The Sustainability Network was founded in the early 2010s by Silva, the environment minister, who appointed Ibama head Rodrigo Agostinho.

Agostinho told GloboNews TV on Thursday that Petrobras would be allowed to file a new request to drill in the region, but noted that studies presented by the firm to date were not enough for the move to be cleared.

Petrobras' said in its filing that it was not giving up hope on its plans to develop an oil-rich region with potential reserves of up to 14 billion barrels of oil.

"The company remains committed to the development of the Brazilian Equatorial Margin," it said, adding it would "ensure the country's energy security."

'THE DECISION IS FINAL'

Despite Petrobras' stated intentions, the ruling effectively ends all future development of the unexplored oil prospects at the mouth of the Amazon river, former Ibama boss Suely Araujo told Reuters.

Araujo said that even if Petrobras undertakes the deeper studies requested by Ibama, the final say would still rest with the regulator. "The decision is final," she said, adding she expected Lula to support Ibama's ruling.

Shares in Petrobras were down around 0.5% on Thursday.

Exploration rights in the area were auctioned in 2013, but oil majors BP and TotalEnergies pulled out due to the cost of the off-shore studies and difficulties in obtaining licenses for drilling, while Petrobras kept going.

Neither Lula's office, nor the environment ministry responded to requests for comment.

Environmental groups celebrated Ibama's decision.

In a statement, Greenpeace said Ibama had emphasized the need for "a fair energy transition, instead of insisting on yet another oil exploration frontier in the context of the climate crisis."

Ibama has "postponed the end of the world," environmental group Observatorio do Clima proclaimed.

(Reporting by Lisandra Paraguasu in Brasilia, Eduardo Simoes in Sao Paulo and Marta Nogueira in Rio de Janeiro; Editing by Steven Grattan and Aurora Ellis)

US Supreme Court leaves protections for internet companies unscathed

Story by By Andrew Chung • 

(Reuters) -The U.S. Supreme Court handed internet and social media companies a pair of victories on Thursday, leaving legal protections for them unscathed and refusing to clear a path for victims of attacks by militant groups to sue these businesses under an anti-terrorism law.

The justices in a case involving Google LLC's video-sharing platform YouTube, both part of Alphabet Inc, sidestepped making a ruling on a bid to weaken a federal law called Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act that safeguards internet companies from lawsuits for content posted by users.

They also shielded Twitter Inc in a separate case from litigation seeking to apply a federal law called the Anti-Terrorism Act that enables Americans to recover damages related to "an act of international terrorism."

In both cases, families of people killed by Islamist gunmen overseas had sued to try to hold internet companies liable because of the presence of militant groups on their platforms or for recommending their content.

The justices in a 9-0 decision reversed a lower court's ruling that had revived a lawsuit against Twitter by the American relatives of Nawras Alassaf, a Jordanian man killed in a 2017 attack during New Year's celebration in a Istanbul nightclub claimed by the Islamic State militant group.

In the case involving YouTube, the justices returned to a lower court a lawsuit by the family of Nohemi Gonzalez, a college student from California who was fatally shot in an Islamic State attack in Paris in 2015. The justices declined to address the scope of Section 230, concluding they did not need to take that step because the family's claims appeared likely to fail given the Twitter case decision.

Section 230 provides safeguards for "interactive computer services" by ensuring they cannot be treated for legal purposes as the "publisher or speaker" of information provided by users.

Calls have come from across the ideological and political spectrum - including Democratic President Joe Biden and his Republican predecessor Donald Trump - for a rethink of Section 230 to ensure that companies can be held accountable for content on their platforms. This case marked the first time the Supreme Court had examined Section 230's reach.

'SAFEGUARD FREE EXPRESSION'

Related vide: Supreme Court Keeps Social Media Protections in Place (Bloomberg)

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"Countless companies, scholars, content creators and civil society organizations who joined with us in this case will be reassured by this result," said Google General Counsel Halimah DeLaine Prado. "We'll continue our work to safeguard free expression online, combat harmful content and support businesses and creators who benefit from the internet."

Critics have said Section 230 too often prevents platforms from being held accountable for real-world harms. Many liberals have condemned misinformation and hate speech on social media. Many conservatives have said voices on the right are censored by social media companies under the guise of content moderation.

Flowers are placed near the entrance of Reina nightclub by the Bosphorus, which was attacked by a gunman, in Istanbul© Thomson Reuters

The massacre at Istanbul's Reina nightclub killed Alassaf and 38 others. His relatives accused Twitter of aiding and abetting the Islamic State by failing to police the platform for the group's accounts or posts in violation of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

Gonzalez's family argued that YouTube provided unlawful assistance to the Islamic State by recommending the group's content to users. In their brief ruling, the justices wrote that they "decline to address the application of (Section 230) to a complaint that appears to state little, if any, plausible claim for relief."

"Even with the best moderation systems available, a service like Twitter alone cannot screen every single piece of user-generated content with 100% accuracy. Imposing liability on such services for harmful content that unintentionally falls through the crack would have disincentivized them from hosting any user-generated content," said Chris Marchese, an attorney with NetChoice, a technology industry group that counts Twitter, Meta Platforms Inc and Google as members.

The Twitter case hinged on whether the family's claims sufficiently alleged that the company knowingly provided "substantial assistance" to an "act of international terrorism" that would allow the relatives to maintain their suit and seek damages under the anti-terrorism law.


Turkish police stand guard outisde the Reina nightclub by the Bosphorus, which was attacked by a gunman, in Istanbul© Thomson Reuters

After a judge dismissed the lawsuit, the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals allowed it to proceed, concluding that Twitter had refused to take "meaningful steps" to prevent Islamic State's use of the platform.

Conservative Justice Clarence Thomas, who authored the Supreme Court's ruling, said the allegations made by the plaintiffs were insufficient because they "point to no act of encouraging, soliciting or advising the commission" of the attack.

"These allegations are thus a far cry from the type of pervasive, systemic and culpable assistance to a series of terrorist activities that could be described as aiding and abetting each terrorist act," Thomas added.

In the Twitter case, the 9th Circuit did not consider whether Section 230 barred the family's lawsuit. Google and Facebook, also defendants, did not formally join Twitter's appeal.

(Reporting by Andrew Chung in New York; Editing by Will Dunham)

Heat wave challenges firefighters in B.C. as new wildfires prompt evacuations

Story by Akshay Kulkarni • Sunday -May 14,2023

The Stoddart Creek fire, burning northwest of Fort St. John, is pictured on May 13. 

The fire, which was discovered at 3 p.m. on Saturday, led to hundreds of homes being placed on evacuation order.© B.C. Wildfire Service

Northeastern B.C. continues to see large wildfires burn out of control, as unusually hot weather challenges firefighters.

Dozens of people remained out of their homes Sunday in areas around Fort St. John, B.C., due to evacuation orders and alerts associated with the Red Creek fire, which has now been burning for more than a week.

A newly-discovered blaze called the Stoddart Creek fire, just north of Red Creek, has prompted a door-to-door evacuation operation due to the safety risks associated with that fire, while other properties are on an evacuation alert.

The Stoddart Creek wildfire was discovered around 3 p.m. PT Saturday, and is burning over an area of 12.31 square kilometres. The Peace River Regional District says 136 homes have been placed on evacuation order as of Sunday afternoon.

The wildfires come as a heat wave continues across the province, with little overnight reprieve for emergency responders from the B.C. Wildfire Service.

"It's May and so it feels early, but we're seeing July conditions out there," said Hannah Swift, a fire information officer.

Daytime temperatures are forecast to be 10 C to 15 C above the seasonal average until at least Tuesday, according to Environment Canada.

The hot conditions are adding to extreme drought in the Peace region of northeastern B.C., where the biggest fires are burning. Additional firefighting resources are being dedicated to what is being called the North Peace Fire Complex, consisting of four large fires.

Swift says the high spring temperatures — which have already accelerated snowmelt in much of the province — have meant that the Peace region has had little time to recover from the drought, which started last fall.

Related video: Alberta not the only province where wildfires are burning (cbc.ca)

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B.C.'s fires of note as of 12 p.m. on May 14

"Coming out of winter and heading into spring, we had the snowmelt and we went directly back into summer [conditions]," she said. "We are seeing very high temperatures, very low relative humidities very early in the day. So, that burning window — where we see kind of that peak fire behaviour — is getting longer and longer."

Swift says, however, that crews continue to make good progress on the Boundary Lake fire burning on the B.C.-Alberta border, after conducting planned ignitions to limit the fire's growth. Three homes were destroyed by the fire last week.

As of Sunday afternoon, 56 fires are burning across B.C. and 15 of them are considered out of control.

An evacuation alert means residents should prepare to evacuate their homes, possibly with little to no notice. An evacuation order means a resident should leave immediately.

Smaller fire discovered in Metro Vancouver

The Peace River Regional District also issued evacuation orders for a "remote area" north of Fort St. John due to the Donnie Creek and Tommy Lake fires. The Donnie Creek wildfire covers an area of 263 square kilometres.

In a statement, the district says the area is "used primarily by the forestry and oil and gas industry," with B.C.'s energy regulator saying that some fossil fuel operations have been halted already due to fire activity.

"Most of the fires that we're seeing in this area are suspected [to be] human caused," Swift said.

"We really do ask the public just to help us out in that regard, to ensure they're doing the best they can when they're recreating," she continued. "So that we can focus on the fires that we already have and make progress on those ones, because the new ones will just divert our resources even further."

While many of B.C.'s most concerning fires are burning well away from the coast, a much smaller fire was reported at around 9 p.m. in Farrer Cove, adjacent to Belcarra Regional Park in Metro Vancouver.

Jay Sharpe, from the Sasamat Volunteer Fire Department, said the fire was contained after firefighters worked overnight, adding it was likely caused by a power line malfunction and that the incident showed the need for extra vigilance in the heat.

A Category 2 and Category 3 fire ban — which include open fires that burn material in piles, as well as burning stubble or grass and fireworks — is in place across the Central Interior and northern B.C.

London Public Library refuses to rent space to event featuring author of How Woke Won

Story by Rebecca Zandbergen 

CBC

The London Public Library in southwestern Ontario is standing by its decision to block The Society for Academic Freedom from holding an event featuring controversial British author and commentator Joanna Williams.

Williams's books include Academic Freedom in an Age of Conformity and How Woke Won. Her views on being woke — which has come to refer to being aware of prejudice, discrimination and social inequalities — are divisive. She questions, for instance, the impact of inclusivity and diversity on politics, academia, the media and big business, and the role they play in cancel culture.

The Society for Academic Freedom (SAFS) — which says on its website that it is opposed to "speech codes ... and so-called anti-hate legislation" — had hoped to host Williams at the library's annual general meeting this week, but its request to rent space was denied in April.

The event is now set for Friday at a London hotel and Saturday at Western University.

"There were multiple policy concerns, all of which were considered together by our senior leadership team and board in making this decision," said Michael Ciccone, the library's chief executive officer.

Ciccone wouldn't list the specific policies the team considered. He also acknowledged not everyone would agree with the library's decision.

"We exist in the public space and our decisions are sometimes subject to a wide range of public opinion which we welcome and we value," he said.

All rental applications are evaluated and can be denied according to library policy, although very few are, he said.

"I think it's a decision that we never come to lightly," said Ciccone. "But in this particular case, the library is committed to supporting Londoners and the community of London, and we are guided by the values in our strategic plan, which include exceptional service and anti-racism and anti-oppression."


A progress Pride flag with the words Library Space Is Community Place greets patrons at the London Public Library.© Rebecca Zandbergen/CBC News

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Kingston, Ont., library workers advocating against unstaffed library program

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'They won't wish my ideas away'

"I think these debates should be heard in the public square," said Williams, who regularly touts the importance of single-sex spaces and the "biological reality" of the female sex.

"Libraries should be the site of public debate," she told CBC London. "Libraries are about advancing knowledge and they should be the ideal place for airing contentious views.

"Unfortunately for the people who disagree with me, they won't wish my ideas away," said Williams.

"I actually think for people who disagree with me, it's even more important that the debate be had out in public because then they can challenge me, they can ask me questions."

"I find it disturbing and frightening that the public library would refuse to rent us space," said SAFS president, Mark Mercer. "It's frightening, because the library is saying to all individuals and groups that they must satisfy the tastes and aspirations of the library's managers before they can rent space.

This means that all individuals and groups are vulnerable," said Mercer..

Libraries should be safe spaces, advocate says

Syrus Marcus Ware, a Toronto-based artist and social justice advocate, sides with the London library's decision not to allow the event at its branch.

"It's essential to keep libraries as a safe and free space for communities to engage. It's one of the only spaces that doesn't cost money to enter/stay."

Syrus Marcus Ware, a social justice advocate, artist and Vanier scholar based in Toronto, says, 'It's essential to keep libraries as a safe and free space.'© CBC's The Big Sex Talk

Organizations such as SAFS often use the free speech mantra to push harmful and violent language against diverse communities, said Ware.

In the fall of 2019, hundreds of people protested outside a Toronto library over an appearance by a controversial speaker whose remarks about transgender women have sparked anger in the LGBTQ community.

"I never thought I'd see a moment where we would be protesting libraries, but this was essential to keep them safe for trans and non-binary communities," said Ware.

L.A. Dodgers pull Pride night invite for prominent LGBTQ group, prompting backlash

Story by Nick Logan • Today


The Los Angeles Dodgers say they want to "highlight the diversity and resilience" of its LGBTQ fans at the baseball team's upcoming Pride Night, even though they disinvited a beloved group known for its fundraising work and decades-long support for the LGBTQ community.

After outcry from Catholic groups and some Republicans, the Major League Baseball team backed away its plan to honour the local chapter of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a network of volunteers known for carrying out charity work and activism while dressed in eccentric drag as nuns.

On Wednesday — which was also the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia — the Dodgers announced on Twitter they had rescinded its invite for the group to receive a Community Hero Award on its June 16 event "in an effort not to distract from the great benefits that we have seen over the years of Pride Night."

The Dodgers' move follows a season of controversy in major league hockey, which saw a number of NHL teams either cancel plans for players to wear rainbow Pride jerseys during Pride Night warm ups or allowing players to sit out the events based on religious beliefs or perceived concerns from some Russian players about running afoul of anti-LGBTQ laws in their home country.

The Dodgers' decision to back away from honouring the Sisters' work is also happening as legislatures across the U.S. enact laws affecting the rights of LGBTQ and gender-diverse people, including access to gender-affirming care for transgender people, restrictions on drag performances and limiting LGBTQ-inclusive materials in schools.

The Los Angeles Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence said it was saddened by the announcement.

"We are disappointed they have chosen to un-ally themselves with us in our ongoing service to the public," the group said on its website.


A woman takes photo with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence at the Washington National Cathedral on Oct. 26, 2018, in Washington, D.C.© Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images
Dodgers strike out with LGBTQ groups

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence formed in San Francisco in 1979 and has grown to include chapters across the U.S and around the world, including in Canada.

Often referred to as "drag nuns," the Sisters have been stalwarts in LGBTQ communities, promoting human rights, challenging sexual intolerance, and raising money for various causes including to support people living with HIV/AIDS.

Two weeks ago, the Dodgers hailed the L.A. chapter's work in its Pride Night news release, saying the organization would be honoured at the event by the team and its owners, including tennis legend Billie Jean King and her spouse Ilana Kloss, who are among the team's minority owners.

The 10th annual event is being held in partnership with the organizers of LA Pride. CBC News is awaiting a response from LA Pride on the Dodgers' announcement.


Members of the international activist group Sisters of Perpetual Indulgenceare seen at RuPaul's DragCon at the Los Angeles Convention Center, May 7, 2016.© David McNews/AFP/Getty Images

Other LGBTQ organizations are fiercely condemning the team.

"At a moment in time when drag performers are under attack across the country — including in state legislatures and in some cases needing armed escorts to protect them from far-right extremists — the Dodgers' actions are disappointing and let down thousands of LGBTQ+ fans that have supported them throughout the years," Equality California Executive Director Tony Hoang said in a statement.

"Let me be clear. This is NOT inclusion. LGBTQ rights and inclusion are rooted in protest and education. If you claim to stand for queer rights and joy yet fear [and] controversy, get out of the way for others to do it right," read a tweet from Tony Morrison, the Senior Director of Communications for GLAAD, a leading LGBTQ rights organization in the U.S.


Members of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence lead people on a march around Los Angeles City Hall, on June 13, 2016, at a memorial honouring the LGBTQ victims of a mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida.© David McNew/Getty Images

Well-known drag performers have also chimed in.

"The Dodgers really made the wrong move by caving to the bigots," RuPaul's Drag Race star BenDeLaCreme said in an Instagram post.

"The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence are community leaders and activists and were responsible for helping to save lives and care for the dying at the height of the AIDS Crisis," the post read, along with a call to donate money to the group.

'The 'sisters' are men': Senator

The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights declared "victory," with its president, Bill Donohue, celebrating the pressure his organization's followers put on the baseball team. He had previously accused the Dodgers of "rewarding anti-Catholicism."

"Justice was done in the end. There is no room for anti-Catholic bigotry in any gay or trans celebratory event," Donahue said on the group's website.

Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, who voted against codifying same-sex marriage earlier this year and introduced a bill to reinstate a ban on transgender people in the military, was among the leading voices criticizing the Dodgers' intention to celebrate the Sisters, in a letter to Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred earlier this week.

"The 'sisters' are men who dress in lewd imitation of Roman Catholic nuns. The group's motto, 'go and sin some more,' is a perversion of Jesus's command to 'go, and sin no more,'" he wrote.

The Sisters describes its membership as including all genders, religions and romantic affiliations that is committed to "serving our people just as nuns of other cultures serve theirs."

In response to the Dodgers' announcement and the criticism, the Sisters have vowed to soldier on with its work in the LGBTQ community, under its mantra.

"If being true to oneself with love, joy and pride is a sin, then we … will do what we always do. We will go out and sin some more," the group said.

Florida teacher under investigation for showing Disney movie speaks out

Story by Chris Knight • Monday, May 15,2023

A screenshot from Grade 5 teacher Jenna Barbee in which she talks about the investigation she's facing.© Provided by National Post

A Florida teacher, under investigation for showing the animated Disney movie Strange World in her class of Grade 5 students, has taken to TikTok to tell her side of the story.

The incident began this month when Jenna Barbee, a teacher at Winding Waters school in Hernando County, Fla., received a letter indicating that the State Board of Education was “investigating alleged misconduct” after one of the students’ parents complained about the content of the film.

Strange World, released last year and featuring the voices of Jake Gyllenhaal, Gabrielle Union and others, is an adventure tale about a family of explorers who explore a weird underground world. It’s rated PG in America for “action/peril and some thematic elements.”

A review in the National Post notes: “It features a three-legged dog, an adorable blue amoeboid character named Splat, and a casually open gay character to annoy the sort of people who get annoyed by that sort of thing.”

Things grew more heated after a Twitter user posted the letter and added: “Florida is not safe for teachers, DO NOT MOVE HERE.”

Barbee has now released a six-and-a-half-minute TikTok video in which she begins: “I am the teacher that is under investigation with the Florida Department of Education for indoctrination for showing a Disney movie. I just wanted to come here and tell you my truth.”

In the video, Barbee explains that, after a morning of standardized testing for her students, she decided it would be “a great time to give them a brain break by showing them a movie that related to what we were learning about in school.”

She continues: “Our unit at the time was earth science and ecosystems and how they interact.” She adds that the film also includes “huge lessons of overcoming differences, spreading kindness, communication and chasing your dreams.”

She further notes that all her students’ parents had signed permission slips allowing their children to watch PG-rated movies in class, with no objections to specific content.

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“Is a character in the movie LGBTQ?” she says. “Absolutely. Is that why I showed it? No!”

Barbee says that one of the students was a daughter of a school board member, and “that school board member is currently on a rampage to get rid of every form of representation out of our schools.”

She adds that after meeting with the parent (as a parent and not a school board official) she understood the parent’s concerns. “Seeing how upset she was I told her I understand my lessons … but she had already reported me and there was nothing she could do about it.”

The issue is Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Act, dubbed the “don’t say gay” law, which was introduced last year by Florida’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis. It forbids teaching students in Florida schools about gender and sexual identity.



Jaboukie Young-White provides the voice of 16-year-old Ethan in Strange World.

© Disney

DeSantis has spoken recently about “Woke indoctrination in our schools,” while his press secretary Christina Pushaw has referred to the act as an “anti-grooming bill,” adding on Twitter: “If you’re against the Anti-Grooming bill, you are probably a groomer or at least you don’t denounce the grooming of 4-8 year old children.”

The Florida governor is also in a protracted battle with Disney after the entertainment company opposed the new legislation. He responded by trying to strip Disney World of its self-governing status in Florida, and appointed a new board to run the region. Both the old and new boards are now suing one another.

Barbee notes in her video that none of her students seemed to notice or care that a character was gay, and then when students had previously come out to her, her response has been a non-committal: “OK that’s awesome, do you.”

“Their teacher showed a movie to help them connect to our curriculum and learn some valuable life lessons, but the minor representations that have nothing to do with the movie are such a big deal that now admin in in their room, pulling their teacher out, calling the students one by one down to the office to interrogate them in the middle of my lesson … Do you know the trauma that that is going to cause to some of my students?”

She concludes: “If you haven’t seen the Disney movie Strange World, I highly recommend it … you may learn a thing or two.”

70-year-old Ontario biker makes it her mission to protect people at drag queen storytimes

Story by Rebecca Zandbergen • May 8, 2023

Ginn rides a 2023 Indian Dark Horse. She recently moved from Toronto to Strathroy to be closer to family.© Submitted by Patricia Ginn


If public libraries have become the battleground for LGBTQ rights, Patricia Ginn of Strathroy, Ont., is on the front line.

At 70, Ginn, who regularly sports a black leather vest, says she doesn't scare easily. She rides a 2023 Indian Dark Horse motorcycle and makes it her mission to support drag queen storytime events across southern Ontario.

Last month, amid dozens of protesters, Ginn, along with three other members of the motorcycle group WindSisters, stood outside the Parkhill, Ont., branch of the Middlesex County Library to support performers at a drag queen storytime, and escort participating families and supporters into the building.

About 100 people from the town, which has a population of fewer than 2,000, were in attendance.

While some of the protesters prayed, others were more aggressive, said Ginn, who came out in her 20s and describes herself as a masculine-presenting lesbian.

She recently moved from Toronto to Strathroy to be closer to family.

"It was brutal for two hours," she said about last month's protest.

"They were in our face, pushing and shoving, screaming, calling us everything they could think of.

"They actually went up to several members who were walking in with their children and called them pedophiles."


One of the protesters outside a drag queen storytime event at the 

Middlesex County Library branch in Parkhill.

© Submitted by Patricia Ginn

Lindsay Brock, Middlesex County's director of library services, also expressed concerns about potential reaction to the storytime event.

"My biggest fear going in was that children would be targeted, and that their experience would be ruined and it would be kind of a scary experience. Some families unfortunately did experience that because it was not a peaceful protest outside."


Ontario Provincial Police were at the event, and leading up to it, had worked closely with the county. Brock said police will meet with her this week for a post-mortem on how it all played out.

Protests building in small-town Ontario

The Parkhill event was the first drag queen storytime since 2019 and the first with so many protesters gathered outside, said Brock.

"I think that it's in the news," she said. "We're hearing things that are happening south of the border, and it's kind of mingling with concerns and feelings that people are having here locally."



Ginn stands with other members of the motorcycle group, WindSisters, along with with drag queens, Von Panico, left, and Miss Lita, right.

© Submitted by Patricia Ginn

In the seven years since Michelle Tea launched Drag Queen Story Hour in San Francisco, similar performances have popped up in libraries and other venues across North America, growing in popularity until they got pulled into the U.S. culture wars after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot in Washington.

Despite the protest in Parkhill, Middlesex is undeterred and has plans to hold two more drag queen storytimes in the weeks to come. The Komoka branch will host its own event May 27. Another one is planned in Strathroy on June 24.

The OPP are working alongside the county again this time, said Brock.

"We need our libraries to reflect our communities and the wide range of people that live in our communities, but also recognize that there are underrepresented and underserved groups across Middlesex County."

"The harm protesters do is multi-layered," said Strathroy Pride director Frank Emanuele, who also attended the Parkhill event with his family. "For protesters to behave in such verbally aggressive ways not only deters people from attending our events, but it reaffirms many of the fears our community already feels about being safe in public spaces."

Emanuele said protesters also yelled insults at him.

"My own children had to hear those words being yelled at me which lead to much needed debriefing and explanations about irrational human behaviour."

So far, Ginn plans to attend two more drag queen storytimes next month at library branches in neighbouring Oxford County: in Ingersoll and in Tillsonburg.

"I want our children to be able to safely walk into a library for storytime on Saturday morning in small-town Ontario without harassment," said Ginn.

"I don't think it's any accident that there are more protests targeting our small local communities," she said. "They show up openly, display their hatred of anyone different and stir the pot of homophobia."

A pride flag was set on fire at a N.S. high school. The community is speaking out

Story by Sam Farley 

GLOBAL NEWS

A pride flag is shown in this file photo.© Global News

The community at Bay View High School in Upper Tantallon, N.S., has come together after the school’s pride flag was burned on Friday afternoon.

Cpl. Chris Marshall, a spokesperson for the Nova Scotia RCMP, said in an interview that police were called about 2:45 Friday afternoon after a pride flag had been taken down inside the school, brought outside and lit on fire.

The school is situated in a suburb roughly 30 kilometres west of Halifax at the start of Nova Scotia’s South Shore. In addition to Tantallon, the school also serves Beechville, Lakeside, Timberlea and a number of communities along Peggy's Cove Road.

Ella McKinnon and Kate Ross are two students at Bay View.

“It was a surprise, because we know that our school is really accepting,” McKinnon said.

Both students spoke to Global News about how the school has come together following the incident.

“I feel like the school is being really good with it… There’s people with pride flags everywhere now,” Ross said.

On Monday, a sign along Hammonds Plains Road in front of the school had the message "Love Wins." The same was written in chalk in front of the school's entrance.

Community showing support

McKinnon said that she also saw many students wearing rainbow colours to school on Monday.

“It’s good that everyone’s talking about it and being aware that it’s not okay,” McKinnon said.

It’s not just students that are supporting the community. Otis Daye is the student equity consultant for HRCE and was present at Bay View on Monday.

Related video: Chroma N.B. raises Pride flag at Saint John city hall (cbc.ca)

Duration 0:53  View on Watch

“There’s a number of staff here that are showing support, they’ve got different pieces of clothing on just to show and say their support. There’s a lot of work happening with small groups of students to make sure that they feel really comfortable,” Daye said.

Daye said he has been working with staff, student council, and the gender sexuality alliance club to plan how the school will move forward. Safety is the number one concern, but that also includes the “social and emotional” safety of students, Daye said.

He said that all students should both see themselves reflected at school, being able to come into the building and know that they can express themselves in the way they’d like without fear of harm. He said that unfortunately issues of discrimination are not limited to any one school.

“This isn’t a Bay View issue, this is an issue that’s impacting our society across the globe,” Daye said.

Next steps

Marshall said that the RCMP investigation is ongoing and called the incident “hate-motivated mischief.” He said that the RCMP will likely determine the direction of the investigation and if charges will be filed “within a few days.”

Lindsey Bunin, a spokesperson for HRCE said in an email statement to Global News that those involved with the incident have “received appropriate consequences” but that HRCE does not share these consequences publicly due to privacy concerns.

“Anyone who endangers the well-being of others, damages property or significantly disrupts the learning environment receives immediate and appropriate consequences for their actions,” Bunin said.

Under the Provincial School Code of Conduct Policy, discipline around suspension of students is determined by the school’s principal.

Bay View Principal Dunovan Kalberlah sent an email to the school on Friday, calling the incident an “act of discrimination against members of our school community,” saying it was unacceptable and that he is “deeply troubled” by what happened.

Kalberlah mentioned the RCMP investigation and spoke to steps the school will take this week for consultation with students, staff, and community groups.

“Right now, our focus is on ensuring that we repair the harm that has been caused to our students and community,” Kalberlah said in the email.

'Where are the role models?'

Pam Lovelace, councillor for District 13, which includes Upper Tantallon, said that homophobic and transphobic actions and behaviours have no place in society.

“My first response was where are the role models for the children who are doing this act?” Lovelace said in an interview with Global News.

Lovelace said that while school officials should look into why this incident took place, she also questions: “How is it that kids these days don’t understand we live in an inclusive society where everyone needs to feel welcome and safe?”

Calling this an “isolated incident,” Lovelace said this does not reflect the wider community in her district or Halifax.

She was happy to hear about students wearing supportive shirts on Monday, “ensuring that everyone understands that what was done is completely unacceptable and we will not tolerate violence against trans or queer kids at all.”

Apr 24, 2023

3 youths face charges after Pride flag burned at Nova Scotia high school
Story by Alex Cooke • May 5, 2023

Bay View High School in Upper Tantallon, NS. RCMP are investigating after a pride flag was torn down and burned at the school on Friday.© Sam Farley/Global News

Three youths are facing charges after a Pride flag was set on fire at Bay View High School in Upper Tantallon last month.

Police responded to mischief at the school on April 21 at 2:45 p.m. They learned that a youth, assisted by two others, had taken down a Pride flag, brought it outside, and set it on fire. One of the youths captured a video of the incident.

In a release Friday, the RCMP said information gathered by investigators "indicates the criminal offence was motivated by hate based on sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression."

The RCMP said the three youths were individually asked to go to the Tantallon RCMP detachment with their parents this week, and were arrested on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Two of them are facing a charge of mischief, and the third is facing charges of mischief and abetting. They were released on conditions and are scheduled to appear in Halifax Youth Court on May 25.

Video: It’s not OK’: Students speak out after Pride flag burned at N.S. high school

The incident was widely condemned by many members of the school community. Shortly after it happened, a sign along Hammonds Plains Road in front of the school was put up with the message: “Love Wins.” The same was written in chalk in front of the school’s entrance.

Lindsey Bunin, a spokesperson for the Halifax Regional Centre for Education, said in a statement Friday that those involved with the incident have “received appropriate consequences” in accordance with the Provincial School Code of Conduct Policy. HRCE does not share these consequences publicly due to privacy concerns.

“We are dedicated to providing safe schools, where students are always welcome to express themselves in ways that maintain safety, dignity and respect for themselves and others," said Bunin.

"Anyone who endangers the well-being of others, damages property or significantly disrupts the learning environment receives immediate and appropriate consequences for their actions."

She said when an incident of discrimination takes place, the school's student equity consultant and diversity team works with the school community to "address and help repair the harm that was caused."

"The team’s work has been ongoing since the incident at Bay View and will continue as long as the school community desires additional support," the statement said.

Candidate wouldn't be welcome in UCP caucus over 'vile' trans-feces comparison: Smith



EDMONTON — United Conservative Leader Danielle Smith says a party candidate who compared transgender students in schools to feces in food wouldn't sit in her caucus if elected on May 29.

"The UCP candidate for Lacombe-Ponoka, Jennifer Johnson, used offensive language and a vile analogy when speaking about the 2SLGBTQIA+ community for which she has apologized," Smith said in a statement Thursday.

"I have informed Ms. Johnson that should she win a seat as the UCP candidate for Lacombe-Ponoka, she will not sit as a member of the United Conservative caucus in the legislature."

But how much impact the move would have on Johnson — if elected — or a possible UCP government is open to question.

Earlier this week, audio surfaced from Sept. 1, before Johnson won the UCP nomination. She is heard telling a group that Alberta’s high-ranking education system counts for little set against the issue of transgender students, comparing their presence to a batch of cookies laced with feces.

“That little bit of poop is what wrecks it,” says Johnson on the audio. “It does not matter that we’re in the top three per cent in the world."

She repeated a long-denied assertion that public schools allow students to identify as cats and set out litter boxes for them. She said girls are getting double mastectomies and being chemically sterilized at age 14.

She said hard-core pornography is available in elementary schools and advocated for the total elimination of sex education.

University of Calgary political scientist Lisa Young said Smith could do little other than promise to bar her from caucus, if elected. Once the nomination papers are signed and ballots printed, the die is cast.


"(Smith) can't get the UCP label taken off and she can't run another UCP candidate," Young said. "The nominations are closed."

The federal Liberals ran into a similar situation in 2021 when they were forced to disavow Toronto candidate Kevin Vuong after it emerged he had once faced a sexual assault charge, which was dropped. Vuong won re-election and sits as an independent.

It's not clear how sitting as an independent would affect Johnson, should she win.

She'd be ineligible for cabinet and committee assignments, reducing both her influence and her paycheque. She'd be barred from caucus meetings, which could reduce her ability to advocate on behalf of her constituents, said Young. She'd sit apart from any potential UCP government in the legislature.

If, however, the UCP and NDP each come away with 43 seats in Alberta's 87-seat legislature after the election, Johnson's importance goes way up, Young said.

"(The UCP) might need her support. She could demand to be readmitted to caucus."

On Thursday, Smith did not sound welcoming.

"Elected officials have a responsibility to represent all communities. Although there are certainly legitimate policy discussions to be had on youth transgender issues, the language used by Ms. Johnson regarding children identifying as transgender is simply unacceptable and does not reflect the values of our party or province."

Johnson has apologized for the remarks.

"I apologize for the way I discussed these issues in September of 2022," Johnson said in a statement Wednesday.

"I have nothing but love and compassion for everyone equally and am embarrassed that I have caused hurt in this way."

She said, if elected, she would seek advice on how to communicate her views.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 18, 2023.

Bob Weber, The Canadian Press

Liberal gun-control bill headed to Senate following passage by House of Commons

Story by The Canadian Press • 

Liberal gun-control bill headed to Senate following passage by House of Commons© Provided by The Canadian Press

OTTAWA — Almost a year after its introduction, MPs have passed a gun-control bill that would cement restrictions on handguns, increase penalties for firearm trafficking and try to curb homemade ghost guns.

The legislation, which now heads to the Senate, also includes a ban on assault-style firearms that would apply once the bill comes into force.

The government bill passed 207 to 113 with the support of Liberal, NDP, Bloc Québécois and Green members of Parliament.

The Conservatives oppose the legislation, saying it penalizes law-abiding firearm owners instead of targeting criminal gun violence.

Objections from the Tories and some gun owners over the initial scope of the assault-style gun ban sparked an uproar that sidelined the bill for weeks.

Under a revamped approach, the government would make regulations through the Firearms Act to ensure that guns are classified correctly before entering the Canadian market.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 18, 2023.

The importance of social media in corporate social responsibility

Peer-Reviewed Publication

PEERJ

 

IMAGE: IMAGE VIA MIDJOURNEY view more 

CREDIT: IMAGE VIA MIDJOURNEY

A new study by Dr. Lucie Kvasničková Stanislavská from Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague published in PeerJ Computer Science titled ‘Global analysis of Twitter communication in corporate social responsibility area: sustainability, climate change, and waste management’ has found that social media is an increasingly important tool for companies to communicate their corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts. The study analyzed over half a million tweets from 2017 to 2022 and identified the key topics and trends communicated in connection with CSR on Twitter. 

 

“Our results aid enterprises in developing communication strategies that support the company's existence as a socially responsible subject and promote the management of the company's reputation in accordance with the CSR philosophy,” write the authors. “The study also opens up possibilities for further research for other social media, such as Instagram or LinkedIn.”

 

The study found that the most commonly mentioned topics on Twitter in connection with CSR were sustainability, climate change, and waste management, highlighting the growing importance of environmental issues to companies and their stakeholders. However, the study also found that charity remained the largest single topic, indicating that social impact is still a key area of focus for companies. 

The analysis also identified areas of growth and decline in CSR communication on Twitter. The areas of ESG (environmental, social, and governance), social impact, and charity were identified as growth areas, while green and philanthropy were identified as decreasing in importance. The findings of the study have important implications for companies looking to improve their CSR efforts and engage with their stakeholders. The study is published in PeerJ Computer Science.

---

JOURNAL

PeerJ Computer Science

DOI

10.7717/peerj-cs.1390 

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Global analysis of Twitter communication in corporate social responsibility area: sustainability, climate change, and waste management

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

18-May-2023