Video: Should Israel be investigated for possible war crimes? (Al Jazeera)
Thursday, February 18, 2021
Colombia to study remains of 416 possible internal war victims
AFP
A special team of investigators on Wednesday said they will attempt to identify 416 human remains found in a northwestern Colombian town to determine if they were victims of the country's lengthy internal war
AFP
A special team of investigators on Wednesday said they will attempt to identify 416 human remains found in a northwestern Colombian town to determine if they were victims of the country's lengthy internal war
.
© Luis ROBAYO Some 120,000 people have gone missing in five decades of violent unrest in Colombia
The remains, found in a cemetery in Puerto Berrio, in Antioquia department, were in "bags and buckets" and were at risk of "getting mixed up and prone to deterioration," a team official told AFP.
The team, known as the Search Unit for People Given Up as Disappeared (UBPD), was formed as a humanitarian government agency as part of the 2016 peace agreement with the FARC, the country's largest leftist guerrilla group.
They estimate that some 120,000 people have gone missing in the five decades of violent unrest in Colombia.
The investigators moved the remains to a safe location and will soon try to identify them, the official said.
"Among the bodies that were moved at least 104 showed lesions that could correspond to a violent death," team director Marina Monzon said in a statement.
Residents of riverside towns like Puerto Berrio in years past would pick up bodies found in the river and bury them as unidentified people.
Aside from the 416 bodies, "there are other bodies in the La Dolorosa cemetery in ossuaries and burial plots that may also be of missing people," the statement read.
Colombian forces continue to battle with a smaller rebel group, the ELN, as well as violent drug gangs and leftover paramilitary fighters.
lv/ch/bfm
The remains, found in a cemetery in Puerto Berrio, in Antioquia department, were in "bags and buckets" and were at risk of "getting mixed up and prone to deterioration," a team official told AFP.
The team, known as the Search Unit for People Given Up as Disappeared (UBPD), was formed as a humanitarian government agency as part of the 2016 peace agreement with the FARC, the country's largest leftist guerrilla group.
They estimate that some 120,000 people have gone missing in the five decades of violent unrest in Colombia.
The investigators moved the remains to a safe location and will soon try to identify them, the official said.
"Among the bodies that were moved at least 104 showed lesions that could correspond to a violent death," team director Marina Monzon said in a statement.
Residents of riverside towns like Puerto Berrio in years past would pick up bodies found in the river and bury them as unidentified people.
Aside from the 416 bodies, "there are other bodies in the La Dolorosa cemetery in ossuaries and burial plots that may also be of missing people," the statement read.
Colombian forces continue to battle with a smaller rebel group, the ELN, as well as violent drug gangs and leftover paramilitary fighters.
lv/ch/bfm
HAIL HAIL THE GANG'S ALL HERE
Chiquita Brooks-LaSure to be Biden's pick to run Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, sources say
By Arlette Saenz and Tami Luhby, CNN
President Joe Biden is expected to nominate Chiquita Brooks-LaSure to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, two sources familiar with the decision told CNN
Chiquita Brooks-LaSure to be Biden's pick to run Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, sources say
By Arlette Saenz and Tami Luhby, CNN
President Joe Biden is expected to nominate Chiquita Brooks-LaSure to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, two sources familiar with the decision told CNN
.
© From Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP Chiquita Brooks-LaSure is President Joe Biden's pick to run the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, sources say.
Brooks-LaSure, whose nomination to be CMS administrator would need Senate confirmation, was a top official at the agency during the Obama administration and worked to implement the 2010 Affordable Care Act. Prior to joining the Obama administration, she was part of the Democratic staff for the House Ways and Means Committee, where she also worked on the landmark health reform law.
Currently a managing director at Manatt Health, a professional services firm, Brooks-LaSure also served as a co-lead of the Department of Health and Human Services agency review team during the Biden-Harris transition period.
Brooks-LaSure would be a key player in executing Biden's promises to rebuild the Affordable Care Act and strengthen Medicaid -- as well as institute a government-run public option and lower Medicare's eligibility age to 60, from 65. The $1 trillion agency, the largest within HHS, oversees much of Obamacare and the federal exchange, Healthcare.gov. In total, more than 145 million Americans receive their health coverage through programs the agency administers, including Medicare, Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and the Affordable Care Act.
In recent years, Brooks-LaSure has co-authored reports on expanding coverage through state Medicaid buy-in proposals and on advancing health equity. Last month, she and her colleagues at Manatt published a report on two potential public option models in Nevada.
The Washington Post was first to report her expected nomination.
Brooks-LaSure would be tasked with reversing many of the policies put in place by her predecessor, Seema Verma, who served as the agency's administrator for nearly four years. Under Verma's tenure, CMS slashed funding for Obamacare marketing and outreach, cut the open enrollment period in half and promoted the use of private insurance brokers over non-profit navigators to help people find coverage.
Also, Verma took some historic and controversial steps in Medicaid, in particular permitting states to require low-income participants to work in order to receive benefits. The Biden administration has already started walking back the approvals. The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments about the issue next month.
The Supreme Court is also considering the fate of the Affordable Care Act itself.
Brooks-LaSure's nomination comes more than two months after Biden selected California Attorney General Xavier Becerra as his Health and Human Services secretary, though he has yet to be confirmed. Two Senate committees will hold hearings on his nomination next week.
Becerra sat on the House Ways & Means Committee while Brooks-LaSure was a staffer.
The delays in confirming an HHS secretary and naming a CMS administrator have already had an impact on Biden's early efforts to bolster the Affordable Care Act. CMS launched a special enrollment period on Monday to allow the uninsured to sign up for 2021 coverage. But the agency has not provided more funding for enrollment assistance, which some policy experts say stems from the lack of top officials.
This story has been updated with additional details.
Brooks-LaSure, whose nomination to be CMS administrator would need Senate confirmation, was a top official at the agency during the Obama administration and worked to implement the 2010 Affordable Care Act. Prior to joining the Obama administration, she was part of the Democratic staff for the House Ways and Means Committee, where she also worked on the landmark health reform law.
Currently a managing director at Manatt Health, a professional services firm, Brooks-LaSure also served as a co-lead of the Department of Health and Human Services agency review team during the Biden-Harris transition period.
Brooks-LaSure would be a key player in executing Biden's promises to rebuild the Affordable Care Act and strengthen Medicaid -- as well as institute a government-run public option and lower Medicare's eligibility age to 60, from 65. The $1 trillion agency, the largest within HHS, oversees much of Obamacare and the federal exchange, Healthcare.gov. In total, more than 145 million Americans receive their health coverage through programs the agency administers, including Medicare, Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and the Affordable Care Act.
In recent years, Brooks-LaSure has co-authored reports on expanding coverage through state Medicaid buy-in proposals and on advancing health equity. Last month, she and her colleagues at Manatt published a report on two potential public option models in Nevada.
The Washington Post was first to report her expected nomination.
Brooks-LaSure would be tasked with reversing many of the policies put in place by her predecessor, Seema Verma, who served as the agency's administrator for nearly four years. Under Verma's tenure, CMS slashed funding for Obamacare marketing and outreach, cut the open enrollment period in half and promoted the use of private insurance brokers over non-profit navigators to help people find coverage.
Also, Verma took some historic and controversial steps in Medicaid, in particular permitting states to require low-income participants to work in order to receive benefits. The Biden administration has already started walking back the approvals. The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments about the issue next month.
The Supreme Court is also considering the fate of the Affordable Care Act itself.
Brooks-LaSure's nomination comes more than two months after Biden selected California Attorney General Xavier Becerra as his Health and Human Services secretary, though he has yet to be confirmed. Two Senate committees will hold hearings on his nomination next week.
Becerra sat on the House Ways & Means Committee while Brooks-LaSure was a staffer.
The delays in confirming an HHS secretary and naming a CMS administrator have already had an impact on Biden's early efforts to bolster the Affordable Care Act. CMS launched a special enrollment period on Monday to allow the uninsured to sign up for 2021 coverage. But the agency has not provided more funding for enrollment assistance, which some policy experts say stems from the lack of top officials.
This story has been updated with additional details.
California bill would decriminalize psychedelics, paving the way for medical treatment
Vivian Ho
A California lawmaker has introduced legislation that would decriminalize psychedelics in the state, the latest bold step in a movement to end America’s war on drugs.
Scott Wiener, the state senator who authored the bill, hopes that in following the lead of places such as Oakland, Santa Cruz and the District of Columbia – all cities which have decriminalized psychedelics – California will move one step closer to decriminalizing the use and possession of all drugs, something that Oregon passed by voter initiative in November.
“People should not be going to jail for possessing or using drugs,” Wiener told the Guardian. “It’s a health issue, not a criminal issue, and I hope that we get all the way there.”
Related: 'The war on drugs failed': California lawmaker will push to decriminalize psychedelics
This bill, unveiled on Thursday, would decriminalize possession and personal use of psilocybin, psilocyn, MDMA, LSD, ketamine, DMT, mescaline and ibogaine – all drugs that can be used for medical treatment. While the decriminalization would apply for any kind of possession or use, not just medical, the bill makes a point to tout the medical benefits of psychedelics, a strategy familiar to drug policy reform advocates.
“That’s how it worked with cannabis,” said Anthony Johnson, a longtime advocate and chief petitioner for Oregon’s Measure 110, the initiative that decriminalized personal possession of small amounts of all illicit drugs. “It’s definitely a way to help people that need it first and foremost, but also then to educate the public about these substances of how the drug war has been a failed policy and how there is a better approach.”
Breaking down stereotypes
In his advocacy, Johnson found that the biggest opponent of decriminalization have been law enforcement, who cite public safety concerns, and those in the private rehabilitation industry. Wiener hopes that testimony from veterans – the bill is sponsored by two groups who help them with PTSD – and therapists who support the therapeutic use of psychedelics will break down prejudices about psychedelics users.
“There’s a stereotype of who’s using psychedelics, but it’s much broader than that and when you have veterans coming into the Capitol talking about how psychedelics help them with PTSD and help them get their lives back, that’s incredibly powerful for legislators,” he said.
Juliana Mercer, 38, is one of those veterans. She graduated boot camp one week before September 11. In her 16 years as a Marine, 10 of which she was active duty, she served two tours: one in Iraq and one in Afghanistan
A California lawmaker has introduced legislation that would decriminalize psychedelics in the state, the latest bold step in a movement to end America’s war on drugs.
Scott Wiener, the state senator who authored the bill, hopes that in following the lead of places such as Oakland, Santa Cruz and the District of Columbia – all cities which have decriminalized psychedelics – California will move one step closer to decriminalizing the use and possession of all drugs, something that Oregon passed by voter initiative in November.
“People should not be going to jail for possessing or using drugs,” Wiener told the Guardian. “It’s a health issue, not a criminal issue, and I hope that we get all the way there.”
Related: 'The war on drugs failed': California lawmaker will push to decriminalize psychedelics
This bill, unveiled on Thursday, would decriminalize possession and personal use of psilocybin, psilocyn, MDMA, LSD, ketamine, DMT, mescaline and ibogaine – all drugs that can be used for medical treatment. While the decriminalization would apply for any kind of possession or use, not just medical, the bill makes a point to tout the medical benefits of psychedelics, a strategy familiar to drug policy reform advocates.
“That’s how it worked with cannabis,” said Anthony Johnson, a longtime advocate and chief petitioner for Oregon’s Measure 110, the initiative that decriminalized personal possession of small amounts of all illicit drugs. “It’s definitely a way to help people that need it first and foremost, but also then to educate the public about these substances of how the drug war has been a failed policy and how there is a better approach.”
© Photograph: Richard Vogel/AP A vendor packages psilocybin mushrooms at a cannabis market in Los Angeles.
The bill would also expunge criminal records for people convicted of possession or personal use of these substances. It would create a taskforce to recommend which regulatory body would oversee personal and therapeutic use of these substances for mental health treatment.
Wiener did not include peyote as one of the substances because of a shortage of the drug among indigenous practitioners, he said. Peyote is a sacred plant for many indigenous tribes, and at the behest of the native community, the bill will not decriminalize peyote, or mescaline when it is sourced from peyote.
The bill would also expunge criminal records for people convicted of possession or personal use of these substances. It would create a taskforce to recommend which regulatory body would oversee personal and therapeutic use of these substances for mental health treatment.
Wiener did not include peyote as one of the substances because of a shortage of the drug among indigenous practitioners, he said. Peyote is a sacred plant for many indigenous tribes, and at the behest of the native community, the bill will not decriminalize peyote, or mescaline when it is sourced from peyote.
Breaking down stereotypes
In his advocacy, Johnson found that the biggest opponent of decriminalization have been law enforcement, who cite public safety concerns, and those in the private rehabilitation industry. Wiener hopes that testimony from veterans – the bill is sponsored by two groups who help them with PTSD – and therapists who support the therapeutic use of psychedelics will break down prejudices about psychedelics users.
“There’s a stereotype of who’s using psychedelics, but it’s much broader than that and when you have veterans coming into the Capitol talking about how psychedelics help them with PTSD and help them get their lives back, that’s incredibly powerful for legislators,” he said.
Juliana Mercer, 38, is one of those veterans. She graduated boot camp one week before September 11. In her 16 years as a Marine, 10 of which she was active duty, she served two tours: one in Iraq and one in Afghanistan
.
© Provided by The Guardian A bill unveiled in California on Thursday would decriminalize psychedelic drugs, such as LSD. Photograph: RapidEye/Getty Images
Most of her time involved civil affairs, working with local communities and learning of the devastation of war first-hand. For four years, she was in the wounded warriors unit, providing support and services to injured Marines and their families.
“I lost quite a few friends and just saw a lot of a lot of damage and destruction along the way,” said Mercer, who described the experience as leaving her with lingering, unaddressed trauma. “I put all of that stuff away and kind of forgot about it for a while, and once I slowed down it was all just sitting there and I didn’t know what to do with it.”
Mercer’s first foray into psychedelics was recreational. But her experience gave her a feeling of connectedness that she had not felt for a long time, spurring her to reach out to the Heroic Hearts Project, a group that specializes in ayahuasca therapy with military veterans, about a year and a half ago.
Her first session exceeded anything she had expected, releasing “years of grief”.
“I kept hearing that when you do some of these plant medicines, you’ll be able to do 10 years worth of work in one session,” Mercer said. “Just one of my sessions really brought out all of that pain and the grief that I didn’t even know was in there and allowed me to just completely release it and expel it, things that I had no idea were there.”
With the help of her coach and therapist, Mercer was able to “unpack why I was so stuck”.
“It had nothing to do with not knowing who I was or what direction to go, it had to do with just being bogged down with all of these things,” she said.
Lauren Taus, a licensed clinical social worker who facilitates ketamine therapy, is adamant that plant medicine therapy is only a potent tool, not a solution, in mental health work – but one that should be decriminalized as soon as possible.
“We are in a mental health crisis and Covid-19 has exacerbated what was already a crisis,” Taus said. “And the causes of trauma are multiplying way faster than the solutions. Current treatment is generally not very effective. Psychedelic medicine has been engaged with globally for eons. This stuff works and we deserve to have access to solutions that will be sustainable.”
Most of her time involved civil affairs, working with local communities and learning of the devastation of war first-hand. For four years, she was in the wounded warriors unit, providing support and services to injured Marines and their families.
“I lost quite a few friends and just saw a lot of a lot of damage and destruction along the way,” said Mercer, who described the experience as leaving her with lingering, unaddressed trauma. “I put all of that stuff away and kind of forgot about it for a while, and once I slowed down it was all just sitting there and I didn’t know what to do with it.”
Mercer’s first foray into psychedelics was recreational. But her experience gave her a feeling of connectedness that she had not felt for a long time, spurring her to reach out to the Heroic Hearts Project, a group that specializes in ayahuasca therapy with military veterans, about a year and a half ago.
Her first session exceeded anything she had expected, releasing “years of grief”.
“I kept hearing that when you do some of these plant medicines, you’ll be able to do 10 years worth of work in one session,” Mercer said. “Just one of my sessions really brought out all of that pain and the grief that I didn’t even know was in there and allowed me to just completely release it and expel it, things that I had no idea were there.”
With the help of her coach and therapist, Mercer was able to “unpack why I was so stuck”.
“It had nothing to do with not knowing who I was or what direction to go, it had to do with just being bogged down with all of these things,” she said.
Lauren Taus, a licensed clinical social worker who facilitates ketamine therapy, is adamant that plant medicine therapy is only a potent tool, not a solution, in mental health work – but one that should be decriminalized as soon as possible.
“We are in a mental health crisis and Covid-19 has exacerbated what was already a crisis,” Taus said. “And the causes of trauma are multiplying way faster than the solutions. Current treatment is generally not very effective. Psychedelic medicine has been engaged with globally for eons. This stuff works and we deserve to have access to solutions that will be sustainable.”
Bars and Covid-19 safety rules don't mix, study found
By Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN
Is it possible to make bars safe in a pandemic? One experiment in Scotland last summer went flat, according to new research published Monday in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.
By Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN
Is it possible to make bars safe in a pandemic? One experiment in Scotland last summer went flat, according to new research published Monday in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.
A sign outlining social distancing is displayed near customers in Jackson's Bar in the city centre of Glasgow on October 8, 2020, on the eve of a two-week closure of pubs due to an increase in the number of cases of the novel coronavirus COVID-19. - Scotland, on October 7, 2020, ordered a two-week closure of pubs in the central part of the country including the main cities Glasgow and Edinburgh. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the measures, to last for 16 days from October 9, were designed as "short, sharp action to arrest the worrying increase in infection"
(Photo by Andy Buchanan / AFP)
Despite guidance from the government and efforts on the part of bar owners to implement safety measures, customers and staff alike failed to stick to even the simplest measures aimed at preventing spread -- especially when customers were intoxicated, researchers found.
With some venues back in business for indoor dining in places like New York and Portland, many US business owners are working to make the experience as safe as possible -- something the Scottish researchers found may not be so easy.
After a lockdown in the UK, bars in Scotland were allowed to reopen in July under new guidelines, including keeping groups of customers at least one meter, (a little over three feet), apart, keeping all customers seated and requiring staff to wear face coverings.
Niamh Fitzgerald, a professor with the University of Stirling in Scotland, and colleagues visited 29 bars to observe how these safety measures worked in actual practice.
"It was essentially about understanding, what are the risks and how successful are our bars and pubs in controlling those risks?" said Fitzgerald.
Safety measures fizzled out
The team found that staff did not consistently wear face coverings, with some lowering their masks to speak to customers -- perhaps defeating the purpose.
While most facilities were able to restructure their layout to accommodate a one-meter distance between tables, many still had issues with overcrowding.
"It was very difficult for them to completely eliminate what we call 'pinch points,' so there were narrow areas in most of the venues, either at the entrances, or in corridors or in toilets, where it was difficult for customers to avoid coming close together," said Fitzgerald.
One facility covered the bar counter with black and yellow tape and a warning to stay distanced, but patrons still crowded around the counter.
"None of the patrons acknowledged that the tape was there," the researchers wrote.
Much of the risk the team observed was in the evenings, when customers were drinking. The researchers note that alcohol consumption can impact a person's hearing, vision and judgment, making it physically more difficult for them to comply with safety measures. It can also lower inhibitions, resulting in people simply caring less about complying.
The team saw people jumping from table to table, touching each other and singing or shouting.
Some customers made new friends in unexpected places.
"Two women from different groups . . . bumped into each other outside the toilet and started screaming and hugging and jumping about together," the team wrote. "They then entered the toilets and went into a cubicle together, they were then observed washing their hands for about two seconds when they left, despite signs being everywhere recommending a 20-second hand wash."
The team described a heavily inebriated woman asking a handsome waiter to take a picture with her. He obliged, after which she kissed him on the cheek and thanked him.
In all but one instance, staff were unable to stop such behavior, Fitzgerald noted. "We found that mostly, they didn't even try."
In an industry where the customer is always right, it can be hard for staff to lay down the law when it comes to coronavirus precautions.
In interviews with business owners, many told the researchers that they are used to managing intoxicated people.
"I think that level of intervention is probably -- at least in Scotland -- when people are very drunk and they're disorderly," said Fitzgerald. "Whereas, the kind of level of drunkenness that these sorts of behaviors happen at are at a stage where people are overly friendly; they're just having fun. It's not the kinds of situations that staff would have previously had to intervene with."
"There's this kind of new expectation of behavior that neither the customers nor the staff have really adjusted to," she added.
Mitigating risk
Fitzgerald believes that bars may be able to mitigate some level of risk by communicating clearly about expectations and trying to create an atmosphere of "self-policing" among customers. Though unlike places like grocery stores or retail shops, bars are inherently social spaces, and efforts to make them less so may result in fewer customers.
Governments can help eliminate risk by implementing mitigation measures, like curfews, Fitzgerald noted. After a large outbreak in August linked to more than 20 bars and restaurants in the Scottish city of Aberdeen, the researchers noted that Scotland tightened its guidelines. The country mandated the collection of customer information for contract tracing and banned background music in venues, to prevent people from having to shout or lean in close to hear one another.
Of course, there's no way to eliminate risk completely.
"It's really looking at, at this point in time, are transmission rates low enough that we can tolerate this level of risk and be confident that if there is any transmission, that we can track and trace it, and that we can deal with it without it becoming a bigger issue?" said Fitzgerald.
Many business owners know all too well that staying closed during the pandemic can be financially devastating.
"I suppose governments maybe need to think about what support is available for those premises, so they don't feel obliged to open if they really don't think that they can operate safely," she added.
Despite guidance from the government and efforts on the part of bar owners to implement safety measures, customers and staff alike failed to stick to even the simplest measures aimed at preventing spread -- especially when customers were intoxicated, researchers found.
With some venues back in business for indoor dining in places like New York and Portland, many US business owners are working to make the experience as safe as possible -- something the Scottish researchers found may not be so easy.
After a lockdown in the UK, bars in Scotland were allowed to reopen in July under new guidelines, including keeping groups of customers at least one meter, (a little over three feet), apart, keeping all customers seated and requiring staff to wear face coverings.
Niamh Fitzgerald, a professor with the University of Stirling in Scotland, and colleagues visited 29 bars to observe how these safety measures worked in actual practice.
"It was essentially about understanding, what are the risks and how successful are our bars and pubs in controlling those risks?" said Fitzgerald.
Safety measures fizzled out
The team found that staff did not consistently wear face coverings, with some lowering their masks to speak to customers -- perhaps defeating the purpose.
While most facilities were able to restructure their layout to accommodate a one-meter distance between tables, many still had issues with overcrowding.
"It was very difficult for them to completely eliminate what we call 'pinch points,' so there were narrow areas in most of the venues, either at the entrances, or in corridors or in toilets, where it was difficult for customers to avoid coming close together," said Fitzgerald.
One facility covered the bar counter with black and yellow tape and a warning to stay distanced, but patrons still crowded around the counter.
"None of the patrons acknowledged that the tape was there," the researchers wrote.
Much of the risk the team observed was in the evenings, when customers were drinking. The researchers note that alcohol consumption can impact a person's hearing, vision and judgment, making it physically more difficult for them to comply with safety measures. It can also lower inhibitions, resulting in people simply caring less about complying.
The team saw people jumping from table to table, touching each other and singing or shouting.
Some customers made new friends in unexpected places.
"Two women from different groups . . . bumped into each other outside the toilet and started screaming and hugging and jumping about together," the team wrote. "They then entered the toilets and went into a cubicle together, they were then observed washing their hands for about two seconds when they left, despite signs being everywhere recommending a 20-second hand wash."
The team described a heavily inebriated woman asking a handsome waiter to take a picture with her. He obliged, after which she kissed him on the cheek and thanked him.
In all but one instance, staff were unable to stop such behavior, Fitzgerald noted. "We found that mostly, they didn't even try."
In an industry where the customer is always right, it can be hard for staff to lay down the law when it comes to coronavirus precautions.
In interviews with business owners, many told the researchers that they are used to managing intoxicated people.
"I think that level of intervention is probably -- at least in Scotland -- when people are very drunk and they're disorderly," said Fitzgerald. "Whereas, the kind of level of drunkenness that these sorts of behaviors happen at are at a stage where people are overly friendly; they're just having fun. It's not the kinds of situations that staff would have previously had to intervene with."
"There's this kind of new expectation of behavior that neither the customers nor the staff have really adjusted to," she added.
Mitigating risk
Fitzgerald believes that bars may be able to mitigate some level of risk by communicating clearly about expectations and trying to create an atmosphere of "self-policing" among customers. Though unlike places like grocery stores or retail shops, bars are inherently social spaces, and efforts to make them less so may result in fewer customers.
Governments can help eliminate risk by implementing mitigation measures, like curfews, Fitzgerald noted. After a large outbreak in August linked to more than 20 bars and restaurants in the Scottish city of Aberdeen, the researchers noted that Scotland tightened its guidelines. The country mandated the collection of customer information for contract tracing and banned background music in venues, to prevent people from having to shout or lean in close to hear one another.
Of course, there's no way to eliminate risk completely.
"It's really looking at, at this point in time, are transmission rates low enough that we can tolerate this level of risk and be confident that if there is any transmission, that we can track and trace it, and that we can deal with it without it becoming a bigger issue?" said Fitzgerald.
Many business owners know all too well that staying closed during the pandemic can be financially devastating.
"I suppose governments maybe need to think about what support is available for those premises, so they don't feel obliged to open if they really don't think that they can operate safely," she added.
Capitol Police officers give vote of no confidence in leaders
Kathryn Watson
Capitol Police officers voiced their displeasure with the department's top leaders with an overwhelming vote of no confidence, after scores of officers were injured, one officer died and two committed suicide following the January 6 assault on the Capitol by crowds of President Trump's supporters.
Capitol Police officers voiced their displeasure with the department's top leaders with an overwhelming vote of no confidence, after scores of officers were injured, one officer died and two committed suicide following the January 6 assault on the Capitol by crowds of President Trump's supporters.
The U.S. Capitol Police Labor Committee, the union that represents thousands of U.S. Capitol Police officers, announced that 92% of Capitol Police officers voted that they had no confidence in Acting Chief Yogananda Pittman, and substantial majorities also voted no confidence in six other top leaders in the department.
The previous chief, Steven Sund, resigned under pressure as officials cast blame on him for the massive security failures of January 6 on him.
"Capitol Police offers have delivered an overwhelming vote of No Confidence in the senior leadership of the U.S. Capitol Police," the union said in a news release. "The Executive Board of the Capitol Police Union called for rank-and-file members to consider a vote of no confidence late last week following the senior leadership's mishandling of the insurrection at the Capitol on January 6th. The board took this unprecedented step after reviewing details of the events on, and leading up to, January 6th and the subsequent deaths of 6 people, and injuries to approximately 140 Capitol and Metropolitan Police officers."
"[O]ur leadership clearly failed us. We know because we were there," union chairman Gus Papathanasiou said, according to the statement.
In late January, Pittman told members of Congress that the department had known by January 4 that the demonstration on January 6 "would not be like any of the previous protests held in 2020."
"We knew that militia groups and white supremacist organizations would be attending. We also knew that some of these participants were intending to bring firearms and other weapons to the event. We knew that there was a strong potential for violence and that Congress was the target," Pittman said.
That the leadership team "knew what was coming but did not better prepare us for potential violence, including the possible use of firearms against us, is unconscionable," union chairman Gus Papathanasiou said in a statement after Pittman's testimony.
On Monday night, Pittman released a conciliatory statement in response to the no-confidence vote. "It's been just over one month since one of our nation's darkest days, and the trauma is still incredibly raw and difficult for the many officers who fought heroically on the 6th. Since being sworn in on January 8th, my executive team and I have made the well-being of our officers our top priority," she said. "While progress has been made, more work remains. And I am committed to ensuring every officer gets what they need and deserve."
Meanwhile, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said it's time to pass more funding for Capitol security and for the security of individual members. She's calling for an independent, 9/11-style commission to review the security failures on January 6.
NO PELOSI YOU NEED TO DEFUND THE CAPITOL POLICE A TOTALLY AUTONOMOUS STATE ANSWERABLE TO NO ONE!!!
— CBS News' Rebecca Kaplan and Nikole Killion contributed to this report.
— CBS News' Rebecca Kaplan and Nikole Killion contributed to this report.
In newly surfaced video, daughter of Dubai’s ruler accuses him of holding her hostage
TUE, FEB 16 • SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
A daughter of Dubai's powerful ruler who tried to flee the country in 2018 only to be detained by commandos in a boat off India has re-emerged in new videos published today, saying she doesn't know if she's “going to survive this situation.”
A new video from Princess Latifa has surfaced more than two years after she was last seen. Source: BBC
The videos released by the BBC show Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed Al Maktoum at a “jail villa,” apparently located in the skyscraper-studded city-state in the United Arab Emirates. Her father, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, also serves as the prime minister and vice president in the hereditarily ruled UAE.
“I'm a hostage,” the sheikha says in one video. "This villa has been converted into jail.
“I can't even go outside to get any fresh air,” she also said.
The government's Dubai Media Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.
In 2018, the AP reported how a friend and an ex-French spy helped Sheikha Latifa escape by boat, only to be captured off India.
The BBC said Sheikha Latifa recorded the videos in a bathroom at the villa over months on a phone she secretly received about a year after her capture.
“I don't know when I'll be released and what the conditions will be like when I'm released,” she says in a video. “Every day I am worried about my safety and my life.”
The videos, part of an episode of BBC's “Panorama” investigative series being broadcast today, also include an interview with Mary Robinson, a former president of Ireland and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Robinson appeared in photos with Latifa published by Emirati officials after the sheikha's return to Dubai in 2018.
Robinson told the BBC that she had been misled by Emirati authorities who told her Latifa was a troubled young woman safe in the care of her family.
“I was particularly tricked when the photographs went public,” Robinson told the BBC. "That was a total surprise.... I was absolutely stunned.”
The dramatic would-be sea escape and its aftermath intruded into the carefully controlled image maintained by the family of Sheikh Mohammed, who is believed to have several dozen children from multiple wives.
Some of his sons and daughters figure prominently in local media and online, but others are rarely seen. Sheikha Latifa was widely known for her love of skydiving prior to 2018.
Sheikh Mohammed's family life again became a public matter in 2020. Then, a British judge ruled the sheikh had conducted a campaign of fear and intimidation against his estranged wife and ordered the abduction of two of his daughters, one of them Sheikha Latifa.
The ruling came in a custody battle between Sheikh Mohammed and estranged wife Princess Haya, daughter of the late King Hussein of Jordan.
Sheikh Mohammed is the founder of the successful Godolphin horse-racing stable and on friendly terms with Britain's Queen Elizabeth II. In 2019, he received a trophy from the queen after one of his horses won a race at Royal Ascot.
TAX THE RICH! 1 day left to participate in the 2021 Federal Budget! There is one day left to fill out the federal government’s pre-budget consultation questionnaire. This year’s budget will probably be one of the most significant ones in recent history, as the government plans to spend about $100 billion in its COVID-19 economic recovery plan. We urge you to fill it out, as it’s a democratic opportunity for all of us to share our ideas about what we want taxpayers’ money to be invested in. Deadline is February 19. The questionnaire doesn’t ask specific questions about the wealth tax, but you can include it in the comments. Our submission, for example, will urge the government to include tax reforms with three key measures from our #TaxtheRich campaign:
Young Canadians, women, racialized and Indigenous people are currently bearing the brunt of the health and economic crisis, and we must ensure that they are not left behind in the recovery process. Join the movement to #TaxtheRich and Take action, build momentum. Hungry to do more? Here are three things you can do in less than 10 minutes that can help build the call to tax the rich:
In other wealth tax related news:
Share this and build a movement:
Together, let’s forge a future for the many, not just the few. We’ll keep you updated. Be well, Tax the Rich Campaign Team  |
BRAVO!
New Zealand's Ardern announces free sanitary products in all schools to beat period poverty
By Praveen Menon
New Zealand's Ardern announces free sanitary products in all schools to beat period poverty
By Praveen Menon
© Reuters/PRAVEEN MENON Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern addresses
her supporters at a Labour Party event in Wellington
WELLINGTON (Reuters) - All New Zealand schools will have free access to sanitary products from June, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced on Thursday, an initiative aimed at stamping out period poverty in the country.
The announcement follows a successful pilot programme launched around the middle of last year, which provided free period products to about 3,200 young people in 15 schools.
“Providing free period products at school is one way the Government can directly address poverty, help increase school attendance, and make a positive impact on children’s well-being,” Jacinda Ardern said in a statement.
"We want to see improved engagement, learning and behaviour, fewer young people missing school because of their period, and reduced financial hardship amongst families of participating students.”
Speaking to reporters later in the day, Ardern said research had shown one in 12 young people were missing school due to this issue. She said the programme will cost NZ$25 million ($17.96 million)through to 2024.
Minister of Women, Jan Tinetti said the issues with periods at school included embarrassment, stigma, missing classes, being ‘caught out’ without product, cost, lack of knowledge and discomfort.
"Students wanted information about periods, period products, and other practical elements of managing their period such as tracking and knowing when and who to reach out to for assistance," she said.
The government will work with suppliers to manage a phased roll-out of the scheme, she said.
The youngest female prime minister when she came to power in 2017, Ardern is seen as a global icon and a champion for women's rights. She swept the polls in October, securing a second term in office on the back of her government's success in containing the spread of the coronavirus.
Her pregnancy and maternity leave while in office in 2018 was hailed as symbolising progress for women leaders. She made headlines around the world when she took her three-month old daughter with her while attending the U.N. General Assembly in New York.
($1 = 1.3918 New Zealand dollars)
(Reporting by Praveen Menon; Editing by Ana Nicolaci da Costa)
WELLINGTON (Reuters) - All New Zealand schools will have free access to sanitary products from June, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced on Thursday, an initiative aimed at stamping out period poverty in the country.
The announcement follows a successful pilot programme launched around the middle of last year, which provided free period products to about 3,200 young people in 15 schools.
“Providing free period products at school is one way the Government can directly address poverty, help increase school attendance, and make a positive impact on children’s well-being,” Jacinda Ardern said in a statement.
"We want to see improved engagement, learning and behaviour, fewer young people missing school because of their period, and reduced financial hardship amongst families of participating students.”
Speaking to reporters later in the day, Ardern said research had shown one in 12 young people were missing school due to this issue. She said the programme will cost NZ$25 million ($17.96 million)through to 2024.
Minister of Women, Jan Tinetti said the issues with periods at school included embarrassment, stigma, missing classes, being ‘caught out’ without product, cost, lack of knowledge and discomfort.
"Students wanted information about periods, period products, and other practical elements of managing their period such as tracking and knowing when and who to reach out to for assistance," she said.
The government will work with suppliers to manage a phased roll-out of the scheme, she said.
The youngest female prime minister when she came to power in 2017, Ardern is seen as a global icon and a champion for women's rights. She swept the polls in October, securing a second term in office on the back of her government's success in containing the spread of the coronavirus.
Her pregnancy and maternity leave while in office in 2018 was hailed as symbolising progress for women leaders. She made headlines around the world when she took her three-month old daughter with her while attending the U.N. General Assembly in New York.
($1 = 1.3918 New Zealand dollars)
(Reporting by Praveen Menon; Editing by Ana Nicolaci da Costa)
AS THE HEAD CUSTODIAN IN A HIGH SCHOOL I MAINTAINED THE KOTEX MACHINES.25 A PACK.
WHEREEVER WOMEN ARE THER SHOULD BE FREE PERIOD SUPPLIES.
A WOMAN WILL BE DOING THE SPEAKING NOW
Japan Olympics Minister Hashimoto to accept job as head of Tokyo 2020
WILL SHE SAY NO TO TOKYO 2021
By Sakura Murakami
By Sakura Murakami
© Reuters/Issei Kato FILE PHOTO: FILE PHOTO: Japan's Olympics Minister Hashimoto attends a news conference at PM Abe's official residence in Tokyo
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Olympics Minister Seiko Hashimoto, a woman who has competed in seven Olympic Games, said on Thursday she had resigned from cabinet in preparation for becoming the next Tokyo 2020 president, after the previous chief quit due to sexist comments.
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Olympics Minister Seiko Hashimoto, a woman who has competed in seven Olympic Games, said on Thursday she had resigned from cabinet in preparation for becoming the next Tokyo 2020 president, after the previous chief quit due to sexist comments.
© Reuters/KIM KYUNG-HOON Japan's Olympic and Paralympic Games Minister Seiko Hashimoto attends a news conference in Tokyo
Yoshiro Mori resigned as president of the Tokyo 2020 organising committee last week after saying women talk too much, a fresh blow to the Games, already marred by an unprecedented delay of a year due to the coronavirus pandemic and strong public opposition.
"I submitted my resignation as Olympics minister to the prime minister as I was chosen as candidate for Tokyo Olympics committee chief," Hashimoto told reporters after a meeting with Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.
She added that Suga had encouraged her to make the Games successful but declined to say anything further until after a Tokyo 2020 executive board meeting later in the day, when an official announcement on the post was likely to be made.
Suga is likely to name Tamayo Marukawa, a former television announcer and ruling party lawmaker, to Hashimoto's post, NHK public television said. Marukawa, 50, previously held the job for about a year.
Mori, 83 and a former prime minister, resigned last Friday after causing an outcry by saying during a committee meeting that women talk too much. He initially defied calls to step down.
At the start of a Tokyo 2020 board meeting earlier on Thursday, Vice President Toshiaki Endo said Mori's remarks had been inappropriate.
"With only five months to go, his resignation inflicted indescribable damage to the preparation process for the Olympic Games," Endo said.
"I hope that we can form a consensus on a good candidate to become the next president at this meeting."
Criteria for a new leader included a deep understanding of gender equality and diversity, and the ability to attain those values during the Games, organisers have said.
The Games are set to begin on July 23 despite repeated opinion polls showing that most citizens are opposed to holding them this year due to the pandemic.
(Reporting by Sakura Murakami, Tetsushi Kajimoto and Makiko Yamazaki, writing by Elaine Lies; Editing by Christian Schmollinger, Lincoln Feast and Kim Coghill)
Yoshiro Mori resigned as president of the Tokyo 2020 organising committee last week after saying women talk too much, a fresh blow to the Games, already marred by an unprecedented delay of a year due to the coronavirus pandemic and strong public opposition.
"I submitted my resignation as Olympics minister to the prime minister as I was chosen as candidate for Tokyo Olympics committee chief," Hashimoto told reporters after a meeting with Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.
She added that Suga had encouraged her to make the Games successful but declined to say anything further until after a Tokyo 2020 executive board meeting later in the day, when an official announcement on the post was likely to be made.
Suga is likely to name Tamayo Marukawa, a former television announcer and ruling party lawmaker, to Hashimoto's post, NHK public television said. Marukawa, 50, previously held the job for about a year.
Mori, 83 and a former prime minister, resigned last Friday after causing an outcry by saying during a committee meeting that women talk too much. He initially defied calls to step down.
At the start of a Tokyo 2020 board meeting earlier on Thursday, Vice President Toshiaki Endo said Mori's remarks had been inappropriate.
"With only five months to go, his resignation inflicted indescribable damage to the preparation process for the Olympic Games," Endo said.
"I hope that we can form a consensus on a good candidate to become the next president at this meeting."
Criteria for a new leader included a deep understanding of gender equality and diversity, and the ability to attain those values during the Games, organisers have said.
The Games are set to begin on July 23 despite repeated opinion polls showing that most citizens are opposed to holding them this year due to the pandemic.
(Reporting by Sakura Murakami, Tetsushi Kajimoto and Makiko Yamazaki, writing by Elaine Lies; Editing by Christian Schmollinger, Lincoln Feast and Kim Coghill)
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