Opinion: It's time ditch to Alberta's 'Frankenstein' draft curriculum

Angela Grace 

It has now been nearly a year since the 2021 draft curriculum was released. The initial public outcry resulted in the immediate development of the 39,000-plus strong Albertans Reject Curriculum Draft Facebook group and the Alberta Curriculum Analysis website , where educational experts submitted their initial reviews of the draft curriculum from educational best practice standards.

© Provided by Edmonton Journal 

FORMER SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER Education Minister Adriana LaGrange.

The initial outcry clearly outlined significant problems with the draft: issues of plagiarism , whitewashed content that would contribute to systemic racism , Indigenous leaders felt tokenized and used , the draft was filled with rote memorization and lack of critical thinking , mental health experts and dieticians said it would contribute to eating disorders and poor mental health , and parents are concerned it will not prepare children adequately for their future .

Following the initial outcry, other significant issues emerged. First, there was a 99-per-cent non-confidence vote in the minister of education . A freedom of information and protection of privacy process revealed possible political interference in the curriculum development process . The same people who wrote the elementary draft were re-hired to write the junior and senior high drafts . Fifty-six out of 61 school boards refused to pilot the draft curriculum , meaning that less than one per cent of schools will have piloted parts of the draft for a few weeks. This is insufficient prior to implementing any program, let alone a curriculum that will impact hundreds of thousands of children’s lives for the next 30-plus years.

When the draft was leaked in October, 2020 , the minister of education scrambled to appoint 100 teachers to provide feedback under a non-disclosure agreement. This last-minute scramble indicated there was no prior intention to include teacher input in the draft curriculum. Over a year later when the non-disclosure agreement was lifted, the same teachers reported that they only had 1.5 days to review the entire draft and their feedback was ignored .

Instead of listening to the educational experts, teacher, and parent outcries, the minister of education proceeded with online “Have your Say” surveys, where anyone could anonymously submit feedback. The draft curriculum then became a moving target with wording changes happening daily. This has resulted in a Frankenstein, cut-and-paste draft based on random and anonymous input, most of which will not be grounded in educational best practices. Simple wording changes cannot repair the fundamental flaws of this draft.

In December 2021, significant public pressure led to the “pause” in the implementation of parts of the draft, with the minister of education announcing “significant steps to address feedback from parents, teachers and subject matter experts.” These include an online survey completed by February 2022, piloting by a handful of schools, and the “curriculum engagement sessions” facilitated by the hired Argyle PR firm in February 2022. The report from Argyle is being sent to the minister of education this spring. Will the public have the opportunity to review the results of the online survey, the reports written by the schools that piloted the draft for a few weeks, and the Argyle PR report? These reports need to be made public.

Budget 2022 included $191 million to implement the contentious draft curriculum over the next three years. This is over and above the $64.4-million 2018 draft curriculum that was “ practical, well supported from partners, stakeholders, and Albertans .” The truth is, we don’t actually know how much taxpayer money has been spent on this contentious draft to date.

All of this is very problematic. We now have a Frankenstein draft elementary curriculum that teachers, parents, and subject matter experts declared an epic fail. It is an “ inadequate, cobbled-together draft ” written behind closed doors by a few hand-selected individuals, rather than being a collaborative, nonpartisan effort with our children’s best interests in mind.

In short, this curriculum is absurd. The premier and minister of education are bound and determined to implement it in September 2022. No matter what political party is in power, Albertans need to ask themselves, “Is this really the elementary education we want for our children?” I know for this Albertan, along with every other parent, teacher, and educational expert who has spoken out loud and clear, it’s time to ditch the draft.

Angela Grace is a registered psychologist, former elementary teacher, and steering committee member of the Alberta Curriculum Analysis Website.

CLASS WAR

Alberta government seeking 11 per cent wage cuts for some health-care workers

Janet French 
   

© Chris Beauchamp for Alberta Health Services Huan Zhang, a respiratory therapist at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Grande Prairie, Alta., receives the COVID-19 vaccine during the pandemic. Respiratory therapists are among Health Sciences Association of…

Alberta Health Services is seeking "insulting" wage cuts from front-line workers who were most pivotal in responding to COVID-19, the Health Sciences Association of Alberta says.

"Given all that our members have worked through in the last two years in particular, through the pandemic — [it's] very insulting and discouraging," said Leanne Alfaro, HSAA vice-president.

The union, which represents respiratory therapists, social workers, speech language pathologists and other health-care workers, says there is a huge gap between its and the government's opening bargaining positions.

About 20,000 union members have been without a contract since March 31, 2020. Bargaining was delayed by the pandemic and began last October.

HSAA wants four years of wage increases, to help account for inflation: 2.6 per cent the first year, 4.2 per cent the second year, 4.7 per cent in the third year and around 3.7 per cent in the fourth year, Alfaro said.

Members haven't had new wage increases since 2016.

The union says AHS is proposing three years of a frozen wage grid and a one per cent increase across the board in 2023.

But they're also seeking job-specific cuts for 57 per cent of the workers, including nearly 11 per cent rollbacks for social workers and pharmacy technicians. HSAA said the proposal includes an 8.7 per cent cut for speech language pathologists and 8.1 per cent slash for respiratory therapists.

Proposed Alberta Health Services rollbacks

Neither the government nor AHS would confirm the numbers. The finance minister's office won't say how much money such rollbacks would save.

"AHS respects the bargaining process and will not bargain in public or share details of bargaining while it is underway," AHS spokesperson Kerry Williamson said in an email.

In the legislature during question period, Health Minister Jason Copping said the parties' positions are only a starting point. He pointed to an agreement struck last year with the United Nurses of Alberta, in which the government initially sought pay cuts. Nurses wound up with wage increases.

Copping said the United Conservative Party government is investing in the health-care system.

"We are focused on increasing our staff," he said. "We are focused on increasing our investment in health care, and we'll deliver."

Alfaro said the government's rationale for wage cuts is to bring salaries for some professionals in line with colleagues in some other provinces.

She said Alberta is competing globally for some of these professionals and reducing their salaries could exacerbate staff shortages.

NDP mental health and addictions critic Lori Sigurdson said it's foolhardy to cut social workers' pay in the midst of a deadly opioid poisoning crisis, while homelessness grows and workers are handling higher case loads due to program cuts.

"It's demoralizing for front-line staff, so certainly, many are stepping away," she said.

NDP health critic David Shepherd said the proposed wage cuts are counterintuitive for a government that has promised to expand the capacity of the health-care system.

"This is a brutal insult to all Albertans who have put themselves in harm's way throughout this pandemic and who have been working to protect Albertans throughout their entire careers," Shepherd said.

AHS proposing significant pay cuts for social workers as part of contract negotiations

Ashley Joannou 

© Provided by Edmonton Journal The Alberta Health Services building located on Southport Rd. S.W. in Calgary on Feb. 24, 2021.

Alberta Health Services is proposing wage cuts to a dozen professions, including a more than 10 per cent rollback for social workers and pharmacy technicians, as part of its opening bid in contract negotiations with the Health Sciences Association of Alberta.

The health authority is suggesting wage cuts for about 57 per cent of the union’s members covering jobs that also include occupational therapists, respiratory therapists, speech language pathologists and pharmacists.

The chairwoman of the union’s bargaining committee, Leanne Alfaro, said members are feeling disappointed and disrespected by the offer and it won’t be accepted.

“Our members’ mandate has not changed. That was no rollbacks, no concessions, job security, and also to increase workplace health and safety and wellness for our members,” she told Postmedia Monday.

AHS’s collective agreement with HSAA expired at the end of March 2020 and the two sides began collective bargaining in October 2021 after agreeing to hit pause as a result of the pandemic.

Union seeking wage increases

While AHS is proposing rollbacks targeting specific professions, HSAA’s opening offer calls for increases for all members across the board.

Along with cost of living increases, the union is asking for a 1.5 per cent wage increase for members in 2020 followed by a one per cent increase for the three years after that, Alfaro said.

In the legislature Monday, Health Minister Jason Copping said HSAA’s proposal amounts to a 15 per cent increase over four years.

“These are opening positions. I am hopeful that the parties will be able to negotiate through this and reach a fair agreement,” he said.

Alfaro said AHS is arguing that Alberta wages need to be brought in line with pay found in Ontario. But she says almost all jobs across the province have higher wages than in other jurisdictions.

“So we’re not sure why health care would need to be targeted specifically. Particularly after we’re still not out of the pandemic and we’ve been providing vital care for Albertans for over the last two years,” she said.
‘A brutal insult:’ NDP

The Official Opposition took a swing at the government Monday for proposing wage cuts for health-care workers at a time when Finance Minister Travis Toews has approved potential wage increases of between three and 39 per cent for employees of the Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo).

“This is a brutal insult to all Albertans who have put themselves in harm’s way throughout this pandemic and who’ve been working to protect their fellow Albertans for their entire career. Respiratory therapists, paramedics, lab technicians, so many others, they are heroes and their work isn’t done,” NDP health critic David Shepherd said Monday.

“They continue to step up under significant pressure to support the health and save the lives of Albertans as we recover from the COVID 19 pandemic but the UCP wants to slash their wages at the same time as they want to hand massive raises to executives at AIMCo. I don’t think that’s going to pass the smell test for any Albertans.”

© File photo NDP Health Critic David Shepherd during a news conference in Edmonton on Dec. 13, 2021.

Lori Sigurdson, NDP critic for mental health and addictions, said she was particularly concerned about the proposed cuts to social workers’ wages.

“We’re in the midst of a substance use and mental health crisis in Alberta. The UCP claims to be concerned about this and yet they want to roll back the wages and the pay of Albertans struggling on the frontlines in this crisis,” she said.

HSAA and AHS are set to return to the bargaining table at the end of March.

The full list of proposed wage rollbacks is:
Pharmacy technician — 10.93 per cent
Social worker — 10.90 per cent
Diagnostic sonographer — 1.87 per cent
Dietician — 0.88 per cent
Advanced care paramedic — 0.28 per cent
Health information management professional — 7.49 per cent
Occupational therapist — 5.39 per cent
Pharmacist — 5.10 per cent
Physiotherapist — 2.33 per cent
Respiratory therapist — 8.05 per cent
Speech language pathologist — 8.69 per cent
Therapy assistant — 2.35 per cent

KURDS/TURKEY

KCK Health Committee expresses solidarity with health workers

“The work is yours; the word is yours; this country is yours. Those who are supposed to leave this country are those who look down on your work. Those who are supposed to leave are the fascist AKP-MHP government.”

ANF
NEWS DESK
Tuesday, 15 Mar 2022, 

In a written statement on Tuesday, the KCK Health Committee praised the resistance of health workers and doctors who have been raising their voices for months, and celebrated March 14, Medicine’s Day in Turkey.

“The fascist AKP-MHP government should go, not the physicians,” the KCK Health Committee said in a written statement in a reference to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's remark “If doctors want to go abroad, just let them go.”

Addressed to the medical professionals and healthcare workers that have been raising their voices, the statement of the KCK Health Committee includes the following:

“We support your actions that have been going on for months to have your voices heard. You have expressed your own demands and goals with the most persistent and revolutionary enthusiasm. The work is yours; the word is yours; this country is yours. Those who are supposed to leave this country are those who look down on your work. Those who are supposed to leave are the fascist AKP-MHP government.

You are honoured members of a profession dedicated to society and have worked to serve citizens based on your hard work, knowledge and years-long professional experience. You are the leading members of this society. Your actions and stance will lead a social revolution.

The struggle you have carried out for a long time is just and meaningful. A public health service based on preventive health care, abolition of privatizations, pay rise and introduction of legal amendments that will eliminate the violence experienced in the health sector are among the most important demands.

Violence against health workers and doctors has become an ordinary thing now. There is no legal mechanism to stop this violence. On the contrary, violence is encouraged by the authorities through social media.

Furthermore, pandemic conditions and the ongoing economic crisis continue to hit health workers and doctors. The government ignores the rights of health workers and doctors and favours capital owners. Like all social segments, you can no longer make a living as health workers. Your struggle is the concrete expression of putting an end to all these injustices.

Access to health services is getting harder and harder. The entire burden of the health system that does not function properly has been on your shoulders. Health workers are overwhelmed by the heavy workload. They are subjected to anti-democratic practices such as governmental decrees (KHK) and investigations, as well as economic problems. You are protesting against all these injustices and violence to protect your rights to freedom and the health rights of citizens.

Your protests are an objection to the fascist attacks of the Erdogan government. The government uses public expenditures over military spending against the Kurdish freedom struggle. Your struggle is also the step to say stop to this brutal war.

This system, which makes you unable to provide health services, has shown that it is not sustainable. Now is the time to enjoy your rights. You have all kinds of mental capacity and work experience to resolve the issues. We support your actions and celebrate your 14 March Medicine Day.”

Canadians sharply and evenly divided over Trudeau's pandemic performance, poll suggests

Nick Boisvert 

© Justin Tang/The Canadian Press 

The survey respondents were sharply divided on the performance of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during the pandemic, although Canadians were much more likely to say he's done a 'very bad job ' than a 'very good job.'

A new poll says public opinion on the political response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada is deeply divided, with those polled split evenly on the question of how Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has handled the emergency.

The poll, conducted by the Angus Reid Institute in partnership with CBC, found that 48 per cent of Canadians say Trudeau has done a "good" or "very good" job during the pandemic so far.

Another 48 per cent said Trudeau has done a "bad" or "very bad" job.


Shachi Kurl, president of the Angus Reid Institute, said the findings appear to confirm what many Canadians have already learned about the political divide exposed by the pandemic.

"Sometimes it's a confirmation of a trend ... it just tells us where we are as a country," she told CBC News.

Trudeau's pandemic performance

Among those who said Trudeau has performed poorly, 31 per cent said he's handled the pandemic very badly — twice the number of respondents who said he's done a very good job.

Four per cent of respondents said they didn't or couldn't say how well Trudeau has performed.

The responses were collected through an online survey conducted from March 1 to 4 on a representative randomized sample of 2,550 Canadians 18 and older who are members of the Angus Reid Forum. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of plus or minus two percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

Fifty-six per cent of respondents said Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam has done a good job during the pandemic, while 34 per cent said she has done poorly.
Responses split sharply along party lines

Opinions about Trudeau's performance were most sharply divided on party lines, with Conservative voters voicing overwhelming dissatisfaction and Liberal supporters offering overwhelmingly positive impressions.

Among Conservatives, 84 per cent said Trudeau has done a bad or very bad job, while 88 per cent of Liberals said the prime minister has done a good or very good job.

Among NDP voters, 67 per cent said Trudeau has done well. Bloc Québécois supporters offered a more negative assessment — 62 per cent of them said Trudeau has done badly.

Do you think Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has done a good job or bad job of handling the COVID-19 pandemic?

Trudeau's performance was rated most negatively in Alberta and Saskatchewan, where 45 per cent of respondents said he has done a "very bad job." Canadians in the Atlantic provinces and British Columbia were most satisfied with Trudeau's performance.

Trudeau and the Liberal government have implemented numerous measures meant to slow the pandemic over the past two years, including the closure of international borders and the enforcement of vaccine mandates for some travellers and federal workers. The federal government was also responsible for procuring vaccines.

Canadians in the Prairies least satisfied with their premiers

Provincial governments and premiers were responsible for most of the restrictions introduced during the pandemic, including the closure of schools and businesses, the enforcement of indoor gathering limits and vaccine mandates, and the distribution of vaccines.

Atlantic Canadians were the most satisfied with their premiers, with seven out of 10 saying their premiers have done well during the pandemic.

The Atlantic provinces have experienced consistently lower case numbers than anywhere else in Canada, something attributed to precautions implemented in that region — including the Atlantic Bubble, which restricted interprovincial travel.

Outside of the Atlantic provinces, B.C. has recorded the fewest number of cases and deaths per 100,000 residents in Canada. Six out of 10 B.C. residents said they were satisfied with Premier John Horgan.

Do you think your provincial premier has done a good job or bad job of handling the COVID-19 pandemic?

Manitoba and Alberta residents were the least satisfied with their premiers.

Nearly eight out of 10 in Manitobans said Premiers Brian Pallister and Heather Stefanson have done badly.

Seven out of 10 Albertans gave Premier Jason Kenney a failing grade. Kurl said in an interview that Kenney consistently angered "a really significant constituency of Albertans" by repeatedly adjusting his approach to the pandemic.

"For Kenney in particular, what we saw is he had almost the reverse Midas touch," Kurl said of the results. "Almost every other premier struck a little bit of grace or found a little bit of extra understanding."

Respondents in Ontario and Quebec were more evenly divided, with a slim majority of Ontarians saying Premier Doug Ford has done a bad job and a majority of Quebecers (57 per cent) saying Premier François Legault has done well.

AP-NORC poll: Many Black Americans doubtful on police reform

By AARON MORRISON and HANNAH FINGERHUT

1 of 5

In this image from Louisiana State Police Trooper Dakota DeMoss' body camera video obtained by The Associated Press, fellow troopers hold up Ronald Greene before paramedics arrive on May 10, 2019, outside of Monroe, La. The video obtained by The Associated Press shows Louisiana state troopers stunning, punching and dragging the Black man as he apologizes for leading them on a high-speed chase. Few Americans believe there has been significant progress over the last 50 years in achieving equal treatment for Black people in dealings with police and the criminal justice system. That's according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. (Dakota DeMoss/Louisiana State Police via AP)


NEW YORK (AP) — Few Americans believe there has been significant progress over the last 50 years in achieving equal treatment for Black people in dealings with police and the criminal justice system.

Most Americans across racial and ethnic groups say more progress is necessary, according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. But Black Americans, many whom may have held hope in Democrats’ promises on racial justice initiatives in 2020, are especially pessimistic that any more progress will be made in the coming years.

Overall, only about a quarter of Americans say there has been a great deal or a lot of progress in achieving racial equality in policing and criminal justice. Roughly another third say there’s been “some” progress. An overwhelming majority of adults say more progress is needed for racial equality, including about half who say “a lot” more.

“There’s more attention around certain issues and there’s a realization — more people are waking up to a lot of corruption in the system,” said Derek Sims, a 35-year-old bus driver in Austin, Texas, who is Black. He considers himself more optimistic than pessimistic that change will happen.

However, Sims said: “People don’t really want to come together and hash out ideas. There’s just too much tribalism.”

Among those who think more progress is needed on achieving fair treatment for Black Americans by police, 31% say they are optimistic about that happening in the next few years, while 38% are pessimistic. Roughly another third say they hold neither opinion.

Only 20% of Black Americans who think more needs to be done are optimistic; 49% are pessimistic.

The AP-NORC poll results reflect what some criminal justice advocates have warned elected leaders about for more than a year: that unless something definitive is done soon to begin transforming police and the criminal justice system, it could become more difficult to mobilize dissatisfied Black voters in the midterm elections.

And already, Democrats’ pivot to the center on racial justice issues has given advocates pause. During his first State of the Union address earlier this month, President Joe Biden said the answer to reported rises in violent crime “is not to defund the police.”

“The answer is to fund the police with the resources and training they need to protect our communities,” Biden said in remarks that have been seen as a clear disavowal of some Black Lives Matter activists’ rhetoric.

In 2020, following the murder of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis, many Americans across racial and ethnic backgrounds called for criminal justice reforms in nationwide protests. On Capitol Hill, consensus on reforms, via the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, has not been reached nearly two years later.


“What we saw from the George Floyd case, we in the Black community know that those officers were found guilty because of the outcry,” DeAnna Hoskins, president and CEO of JustLeadershipUSA, a New York-based nonprofit criminal justice reform advocacy group, told the AP.

“The only reason why you get results is because there was an outcry that included Black and white people. You’ve got a much larger voter base saying something has to be done,” she said.

Due to vastly different lived experiences, it’s been harder to get Americans across racial and ethnic groups to sustain their outcries and demand an end to systemic racism, Hoskins added.

The poll shows there is common ground on the issue across racial and ethnic groups, but also suggests there is urgency felt among Black Americans more than white Americans. More white Americans than Black Americans say there has already been significant progress toward racial equality in policing, 30% vs. 10%. Among Black Americans, 40% say there has been no progress at all.

And while at least three-quarters of white and Black Americans say more progress is needed, Black Americans are much more likely than white Americans to say a lot more needs to be done, 70% vs. 47%.

Last year marked 50 years since a war on drugs was declared in America. The bipartisan public policy at the federal and state levels saw the nation’s incarceration rate skyrocket to the highest in the industrialized world. Black Americans, in particular, bore the brunt of police militarization and laws that imposed mandatory minimum prison terms.

There were also post-incarceration consequences, such as losing the right to vote, being barred from public housing and certain college financial aid programs, and struggling to find employment with a felony record.

Compared with views on policing and criminal justice, Americans are more likely to think there has been significant progress over the last 50 years in achieving equal treatment for Black Americans in political representation, access to good education, access to good health care and access to good jobs. And there’s more pessimism about progress over the next few years in policing and criminal justice than in the other areas.

Heydy Maldonado, 30, blames how crime is covered by TV and print news outlets — which she said often frame violence in a way that suggests it is only endemic to Black and Hispanic communities — for the lack of hope in reforms.

“We get targeted,” said Maldonado, whose family is Honduran and Salvadoran. “I’m sure there’s more crime out there, and it’s not just our race, it’s not just people of color. It’s an ongoing battle.”

“I do feel like we need to be united and speak to each other and keep fighting for change,” she added. “Eventually, hopefully, this could all be a thing of the past.”

___

The AP-NORC poll of 1,289 adults was conducted Feb. 18-21 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 3.7 percentage points.

___

Fingerhut reported from Washington.

___

Aaron Morrison writes about race and justice for the AP’s Race and Ethnicity team. Follow him on Twitter at: https://www.twitter.com/aaronlmorrison.

Gallup: 90% OF Americans rate Canada, Britain, France, Japan most highly


Canadian supporters cheer on Team Canada during the men's curling bronze medal game against the United States at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics on February 18. File Photo by Paul Hanna/UPI | License Photo

March 14 (UPI) -- Americans rated Canada, Britain, France and Japan most favorably when queried about a group of 19 countries in a new Gallup Poll conducted before Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

In contrast, North Korea, Afghanistan, Iran, Russia and Iraq were at the bottom of the list in Gallup's annual World Affairs poll, released Monday.

The survey was conducted Feb. 1 to 17, just before Russian forces began their invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24.

More than eight in 10 Americans gave favorable ratings to each of Canada, Britain, France and Japan, (MORE THAN 8 IS 90%) while Germany (78%), India (77%) and Israel (71%) also scored highly in the poll.

Meanwhile, China (20%) and the Palestinian Authority (27%) joined North Korea, Afghanistan, Iran, Russia and Iraq in scoring lower than 30%.

Russia's favorability dropped 7 points to a new low of 15% even before its invasion of Ukraine began, while Afghanistan saw the biggest year-over-year drop of 9 percentage points to a record low of 12%. The decline came after the Taliban's quick reconquest of the country and United States' hurried military withdrawal.

In fact, none of the 19 countries saw a significant increase in favorability since last year, including such U.S. allies Germany (down 6 points), Canada (down 5 points) and Britain (down 5 points), although each remained strongly favorable.

The biggest difference between Democrats and Republicans was evident with Mexico, which has a 77% favorable rating among Democrats and only 49% among Republicans.

Read More

CRIMINAL CAPITALI$M

Russian oligarch linked to CAPO Giuliani associates indicted in donation probe


Rudy Giuliani, President Donald Trump's then-campaign legal advisor, speaks at the Republican National Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C., on November 19, 2020. File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo

March 14 (UPI) -- A Russian oligarch linked to ex-associates of President Donald Trump's former lawyer Rudy Giuliani has been indicted in connection with illegal political donations, federal prosecutors announced Monday.

Andrey Muraviev, a Russian citizen, is charged with making illegal political contributions as a foreign national and conspiring to make illegal political contributions as a foreign national in the names of straw donors, according to an indictment first returned in 2020 and unsealed Monday in U.S. District Court in New York.

Muraviev "attempted to influence the 2018 elections by conspiring to push a million dollars of his foreign funds to candidates and campaigns," U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement.

"He attempted to corrupt our political system to advance his business interests. The Southern District of New York is committed to rooting out efforts by foreigners to interfere with our elections," Williams added.

RELATED Impeachment: House managers say Trump sought to cheat in 2020 election

Muraviev's name figured prominently last year in the government's cases against Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, two former associates of Trump's ex-lawyer Giuliani. He was named as the source of campaign donations given to them for the purposes of obtaining licenses for retail cannabis and marijuana businesses.

Prosecutors said funds were sent to several Republican campaigns, including those of former Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt for his unsuccessful 2018 campaign for governor and $325,000 for Trump's Super PAC.

It wasn't known until Monday that Muraviev was named as part of the original September 2020 indictment against the others. He is believed to be in Russia and remains at large as U.S. officials attempt to crack down on Russian oligarchs in response to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

RELATED Jury finds Lev Parnas guilty of campaign finance criminal charges

The Ukraine-born Parnas and another of his associates, Andrey Kukushkin, were convicted last year on the same campaign-finance-related charges after Fruman pleaded guilty to one count of soliciting foreign campaign contributions.

Prosecutors said Parnas gained access to elected officials and candidates through illegal fundraising efforts, showing photos of himself with Trump and Giuliani.

Giuliani has not been charged in the case, but his New York apartment and office were raided by the FBI last year in connection with the ongoing probe.

RELATED Giuliani associates plead not guilty to campaign finance charges

Parnas also is connected to events that led to Trump's first impeachment. He provided information to House investigators about his involvement in an effort by Giuliani, Trump's personal attorney at the time, to pressure Ukrainian officials to investigate Joe Biden.

CUTENESS OVERLOAD

Newborn white rhino named Queenie in honor of Queen Elizabeth II



March 14 (UPI) -- Cotswold Wildlife Park in Burford, England, has named a newborn white rhino Queenie in honor of Queen Elizabeth II.

The name was given to the white rhino in celebration of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee year, which marks her 70th year on the British throne.

Queenie was born to parents Monty and Nancy, who have also given birth to four other baby rhinos. She is also the ninth white rhino calf to be born at the park.

"We feel very lucky to have another baby female Rhino, which is our fifth female baby in a row. All the rhinos here are named after very special people and I think everyone agrees that 2022 will always be special because of Queen Elizabeth's platinum jubilee," managing director of Cotswold Wildlife Park, Reggie Heyworth said.

"I thought it might be a bit presumptuous to call our new baby Elizabeth so I have christened her Queenie instead. I think it is a perfect name for a young lady Rhino!" he continued.

The park also released video of Queenie after she was freed from an enclosure for the first time.

BUG ARMAGEDON

Insects could kill 1.4 million trees in U.S. cities by 2050, study says

Workers using chainsaws and heavy equipment removed nearly 800 ash trees on the Gateway Arch grounds in St. Louis in November 2014 in advance of the arrival of the emerald ash borer beetle. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo

March 14 (UPI) -- Invasive insects could kill 1.4 million trees by 2050 in cities across the United States, which could cost more than $900 million to replace, according to a new study.

The study, published in the British Ecological Society's Journal of Applied Ecology, used data from around 30,000 urban areas across the country to create the forecast and recommend that cities take steps to plant a variety of trees rather than trees from a single species.

The study was conducted by researchers from McGill University and North Carolina State University with the U.S. Forest Service's Southern Research Station.

"These results can hopefully provide a cautionary tale against planting a single species of tree throughout entire cities, as has been done with ash trees in North America," Emma Hudgins, the study's lead author, said in a press release.

"Increasing urban tree diversity provides resilience against pest infestations. While we know this more intuitively for monocultures of crops, many cities continue to plant what are essentially monoculture urban forests."

The emerald ash borer, a green jewel beetle native to northeast Asia, is projected to kill nearly all ash trees in more than 6,000 urban areas. The beetle, which lays eggs and feeds under the bark of the ash trees, is expected to cause 90% of the 1.4 million urban tree deaths projected in the study.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture and state agencies have long struggled to fight the invasive species, which has already killed millions of ash trees across North America. Last year, the Montana Department of Agriculture issued an emergency quarantine order in an attempt to quell their spread into the state.

The new study found that the death of urban trees will be concentrated into "hot spot" cities that include New York, Chicago and Milwaukee, which have high numbers of ash trees and have been introduced to the emerald ash borer or are in its path.

Researchers also examined the potential impacts of other insect species that have not arrived in the United States. The study found that wood-boring insects from Asia, such as the citrus long-horned beetle, could cost the United States as much as $4.9 billion by 2050 if they are introduced in the country.

"This paper shows that unless we plant a variety of tree species in our cities, urban trees are seriously at risk from invasive pests," said Jane Memmott, an ecologist and entomologist at the University of Bristol, who was not a part of the study.

"The take-home message to urban planners is to plant multiple species in cities rather than focus on just a few familiar species. It'll keep trees wonderful, and it will keep them in our cities."

Hudgins noted that the study specifically researched street trees in the United States because of the availability and accuracy of the data used in the modeling, but that the findings also apply to neighboring countries like Canada.

"We can see a similar situation in Canada, since emerald ash borer arrived here by spreading across the border with the United States, and cities like Montréal are in the process of losing all of their ash trees," she said.

"Colder cities like Winnipeg appear to be seeing delayed impacts of emerald ash borer due to its need to complete a longer life cycle at low temperatures."

SPIDERS ARE NOT INSECTS THEY ARE ARACHINDS

THEY ARE STILL BUGS

'Zillions' of large Joro spiders could invade U.S. East Coast, experts say
By Allison Finch, Accuweather.com


The Joro, which can grow to a size that can span a human palm, is one of only a few spiders that will catch and eat brown marmorated stink bugs, which are serious pests to many crops, and help suppress mosquito and biting fly populations. 

File Photo by Christina Butler/Wikimedia Commons

March 14 -- After rapidly reproducing in Georgia last year, the Joro spider, native to East Asia, could spread to much of the East Coast in the coming year, according to new research from the University of Georgia, which also suggests the insects' ability to survive certain weather conditions will influence just how far north they move.

The Joro spider is a part of the Trichonephila clavata species and is part of a group of spiders known for highly organized, wheel-shaped webs. The females have colorful yellow, red and blue markings on their bodies and can measure up to 3 to 4 inches when their legs are fully extended. The males have a brown body and are much smaller compared to the females.

The Joro spider was first identified in the U.S. almost 10 years ago in 2014 when Rick Hoebeke, a collections manager at the Georgia Museum of Natural History, received a call about an unusual spider. From that first encounter with the unique spider, Hoebeke led an effort to identify the East Asia native spider and has since tracked the species throughout Georgia.

"Our best guess is that it came in a shipping container and dropped off here somewhere on I-85 [near Atlanta] in the Braselton area," Hoebeke said in a statement. "They are great little hitchhikers."

Since 2014, the Joro spider has been found in about 25 different counties across Georgia. The spiders have been spotted suspending themselves in three-dimensional webs on porches, power lines and mailboxes, rattling many residents.

They use a ballooning technique, in which the spider uses its web to catch a current of air, to fly for 50-100 miles before latching onto a tree.

But their ability to launch themselves into the air and fly isn't the only reason they have spread. Humans also factor into the spread of these spiders.

"The potential for these spiders to be spread through people's movements is very high. Anecdotally, right before we published this study, we got a report from a grad student at [the University of Georgia] who had accidentally transported one of these to Oklahoma," undergraduate researcher Benjamin Frick said in a statement.

Residents will have to get comfortable because this new arachnid isn't going anywhere. The spider has been found in nearby states, including Tennessee, South Carolina and North Carolina, and entomologists expect that it will continue to spread throughout the Southeast.

In fact, the new research from the University of Georgia found that this spider has a 77% higher heart rate, double the metabolism and can survive a brief freeze that would typically kill off its relatives. The new data reveals that this spider could potentially survive not just in nearby states but up and down the East Coast and possibly even into Canada.

"It looks like the Joros could probably survive throughout most of the Eastern Seaboard here, which is pretty sobering," study co-author Andy Davis said in a statement.

Joro spiders are native to Japan, which shares a similar climate to the eastern U.S.

Researchers have not noticed any adverse effects from the Joro spider on native species, which is often a significant concern with invasive species.

University of Georgia entomologist Nancy Hinkle said that these "beautiful creatures" offer "free pest control."

"Joro spiders present us with excellent opportunities to suppress pests naturally, without chemicals, so I'm trying to convince people that having zillions of large spiders and their webs around is a good thing," Hinkle said.

The Joro is one of only a few spiders that will catch and eat brown marmorated stink bugs, which are serious pests to many crops. They also will likely help suppress the mosquito and biting fly populations.

For those concerned or perhaps not a fan of the new spider, their lifespan is short, lasting only a year, as they all die off around late November. They leave behind a sac full of eggs that will emerge in the spring.

But experts say Joro spiders are quite harmless to humans and are generally large enough for people to avoid. Almost all spiders are venomous, but the venom from the Joro spider isn't believed to be a threat to humans. In fact, the spiders have such small fangs that a defensive bite from a Joro spider likely wouldn't even break a person's skin.

While running into a spider the size of the palm of your hand could freak you out, it's important to remember that one encounter with a spider could save you dozens of meetings with other insects.

Tour guide photographs rare wolverine in Yellowstone National Park

March 14 (UPI) -- A rare wolverine was photographed walking across a snowy road in Yellowstone National Park by a tour guide that came across its path.

MacNeil Lyons, a former park ranger who owns the tour company Yellowstone Insight, photographed the wolverine from the window of his vehicle while leading a tour group on March 5.

"We felt beyond elated at this chance encounter with this elusive creature," Lyons wrote in a Facebook post.

"We rounded the corner heading westbound and in the oncoming lane was a low-to-the-ground, dark animal loping away from us."

Lyons said his guest initially thought the animal was a young black bear until the group realized it was a wolverine.

"We were able to spend three full minutes in the presence of this unique and rare animal. By its size, I assume that it is a healthy male," Lyons said.

"The wolverine was curious for a bit. It jumped onto the snow berm adjacent our lane twice and returned to the road to size us up as our vehicle was stopped, idle."

He said that the wolverine eventually bounded up a hill when another car approached but when the car passed, Lyons was able to take the prized photographs.

The images are significant because wolverines themselves are rarely seen and only seven have been documented as living in Yellowstone and adjoining national parks, according to the National Parks Service.

The number of wolverines dwindled substantially in the 1930s because of commercial trapping and predator control efforts. Plans to list them as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act are on hold as researchers determine the effects of climate change on their habitats.

Most images of wolverines in Yellowstone National Park come from researchers using remote cameras to record their activity.

Because of their rarity, conservation groups like Wolverine Watch encourage people who come across them to photograph them and report details of the sighting such as GPS coordinates and descriptions of the animal's behavior.

•