'Disaster for Millions of Kids' Looms as GOP Obstruction Threatens School Meal Programs

"There is no reason that children should go hungry in the world's wealthiest nation," said Rep. Jamaal Bowman. "Congress needs to renew the federal school lunch waivers."


A child puts her mask back on after finishing lunch in the cafeteria of Medora Elementary School on March 17, 2021 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo: Jon Cherry/Getty Images)

JAKE JOHNSON

June 2, 2022

In fewer than 30 days, a slew of federal waivers that have enabled schools across the United States to provide free breakfast and lunch to students during the coronavirus pandemic are set to expire, potentially leaving millions of children without easy access to critical meals.

And to the dismay of advocates, Congress—which is currently on recess—doesn't appear poised to act.

"Summer—already the hungriest time of year—will be particularly hard for kids when many summer sites will be unable to open."

"There is no urgency and political appetite to even have this conversation," Jillien Meier, director of the No Kid Hungry campaign, told Vox's Rachel Cohen on Wednesday. "Frankly this is not a priority for Congress and the White House. People are really focused on having a 'return to normal'... folks aren't talking about it and they have no clue that this crisis is looming."

In March, obstruction by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and much of his Republican caucus tanked an effort to include a temporary extension of the waivers in an omnibus spending package.

First approved in 2020, the waivers have given the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) authority to lift regulatory obstacles to universal school meals such as income-based eligibility requirements, which entailed paperwork and other onerous red tape.

Because of the flexibilities offered by the waivers, an estimated 10 million additional children nationwide were able to access school meals—progress that advocates fear will be lost if Congress allows the waivers to lapse. Some states are rushing to enact their own universal free school meal programs in anticipation of losing the waivers.

"The consequences of not extending waivers are severe," Lisa Davis, senior vice president of the advocacy organization Share Our Strength, warned in March after the Senate unveiled an omnibus spending package that omitted waiver extensions.

"Without them, schools will face financial penalties for not meeting federal nutrition requirements, even though they have no choice," said Davis. "They will have fewer financial resources to meet higher prices for food and other goods, staffing, and transportation. Summer—already the hungriest time of year—will be particularly hard for kids when many summer sites will be unable to open."

"Children in rural communities," Davis added, "will face more barriers to accessing summer meals when important flexibilities like multiple meal pickup and delivery options disappear."

Related Content

'This Is Evil': McConnell Blocking Extension of Free School Lunch Waivers

As Vox reported Wednesday, "hundreds of advocacy groups, school districts, and elected officials have urged Congress to reauthorize the waivers for the next school year, at a price tag of roughly $11 billion," but Republican lawmakers are still standing in the way.

"Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) told Politico that the last-minute opposition to including school meal waivers in their March spending bill came from... McConnell," Vox noted. "A few weeks following this surprise, Stabenow introduced the Support Kids Not Red Tape Act to extend the waivers, but so far, it has formal backing only from Democrats, plus Republicans Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins."

"Even moderate Democrats Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema support the extension," the outlet added.



Last-minute pressure on Congress to preserve the school meal waivers comes amid growing evidence that child hunger is rising across the U.S. thanks to lawmakers' failure to extend the boosted Child Tax Credit (CTC), a program that Manchin opposed.

"Expiration of the advance CTC was associated with a 12% increase in food insufficiency in households with children relative to households without children by February—and rates of food insufficiency continued to climb since February," researchers Julia Raifman and Allison Bovell-Ammon wrote in a blog post for the Economic Policy Institute last month.

"Even brief disruptions in access to food can have lasting consequences," they noted. "Not having enough to eat often disrupts children's cognitive and emotional development and education. This was the case for a child who disclosed that the reason she was fidgeting and not paying attention in class was that she did not have enough food to eat."

Last year, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) led the introduction of a bill that would enact a permanent, universal, and nationwide free school meals program, guaranteeing free breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a snack to all school children no matter their family income.

The legislation, which would also eliminate school meal debt, has not received a vote in the House or the Senate.

Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.), a former educator and co-sponsor of the measure, tweeted Thursday that "there is no reason that children should go hungry in the world's wealthiest nation."

"Congress needs to renew the federal school lunch waivers," Bowman added, "and guarantee meals to children in need."

House Dems Say Amazon 'Obstructing' Probe of Warehouse Collapse That Killed Six

A congressional review of last year's tragedy "seeks to determine whether Amazon's corporate practices put employee safety first, or… is merely paying lip service to this principle."


Workers remove debris from an Amazon Fulfillment Center in Edwardsville, Illinois, on December 11, 2021, after it was hit by a tornado. (Photo: Tim Vizer/AFP via Getty Images)

JESSICA CORBETT

June 2, 2022

A trio of Democrats from the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform on Thursday accused Amazon of "obstructing" its investigation into the December 2021 collapse of a warehouse in Illinois that killed six employees.

"The committee's investigation is of crucial importance to the American people."

The collapse resulting from tornado damage at the Amazon fulfillment center in Edwardsville has heightened scrutiny of the e-commerce giant's labor practices. In late March, the House committee requested documents from the company related to the event, internal reviews of it, and broader extreme weather policies.

The panel's chair, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), joined with Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Cori Bush (D-Mo.) for a Thursday letter to Amazon president and CEO Andy Jassy highlighting that the company "has failed to meaningfully comply with the committee's requests."

"These documents were due on April 14, 2022," the letter states. "Amazon still has not produced any of the key categories of documents identified by committee staff, let alone the full set of materials the committee requested."

"On May 17, 2022, counsel to Amazon claimed that Amazon is withholding these documents based on work-product and attorney-client privileges," the document continues. "As committee staff previously informed your counsel, the committee, under chairs of both parties, does not recognize common-law privileges as valid reasons to withhold documents from Congress."

"Amazon's inability to produce even this limited set of materials in a timely manner is troubling," the letter adds, "given that the company represented to members of Congress more than four months ago that it was 'conducting a thorough internal investigation' into the Edwardsville events, and 'cooperating' with an inquiry by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)."

Since the March request for records, the letter points out, "OSHA revealed that an inspection of the Edwardsville facility 'raised concerns about the potential risk to employees during severe weather emergencies,' and recommended that Amazon 'voluntarily take the necessary steps to eliminate or materially reduce your employees' exposure' to the risk factors OSHA identified."

The document also cast doubt on Amazon's willingness to address issues internally, noting that last month, "shareholders—following the company's recommendation—defeated a proposal for an independent audit of working conditions at the company's warehouses," a vote that came the same day that they approved Jassy's compensation package worth over $212 million.

According to the Democratic lawmakers:


The committee's investigation is of crucial importance to the American people. Employers like Amazon must prioritize worker safety over the corporate bottom line. Our investigation into Amazon's response to the events in Edwardsville and other extreme weather events seeks to determine whether Amazon's corporate practices put employee safety first, or whether your company, which now employs nearly one million people in the United States, is merely paying lip service to this principle. As we noted back in March, "This investigation will inform legislative efforts to curb unfair labor practices, strengthen protections for workers, and address the effects of climate change on worker safety."

"The committee will grant an extension until June 8, 2022, for Amazon to complete its document production," the letter concludes. "If Amazon fails to do so, the committee will have no choice but to consider alternative measures to obtain full compliance."

The warning came a day after Jassy received another letter from members of Congress related to other labor concerns—specifically, plans reported by The Intercept in April to ban certain terms like union, living wage, and slave labor from an internal messaging application.


Bush and Ocasio-Cortez partnered with Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Cory Booker (D-N.Y.) for that letter, which says that the plan could be illegal and "Amazon's compliance with federal labor laws is an important matter of public concern especially given the company's status as one of the largest retailers in the country."

"This disturbing report is part of a pattern of worker exploitation, retaliation, and union-busting on the part of Amazon," the app-related letter adds, requesting documents and responses to a series of questions by June 16.

IT IS MISOGYNY

Toxic Masculinity, A Root Cause for Mass Shootings

If a mass shooter doesn't have an assault rifle, he can't kill a mass number of people. This is crucial. However, if we want to eliminate this problem altogether, we also need to focus on the deeper reasons of how these killers are created.

Tirza Clarke listens as the names of victims of recent mass shootings are read aloud during a vigil at the Sunrise Amphitheater on May 28, 2022 in Sunrise, Florida. Moms Demand Action, a national organization that works to prevent gun violence, held the vigil to mourn the victims of the mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas. (Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

REAGAN ROSS

June 2, 2022

In 2009, I wrote a short op-ed for The Oregonian on why men—and it is almost always men—become mass shooters. Re-reading the piece, I think it still holds up fairly well, though what is distressing is how 13 years later, we still find ourselves with this disturbing phenomenon. Considering the massacre of little children at Robb Elementary School and the Buffalo massacre, I felt compelled to re-visit my thoughts, amplify some key points. Most pointedly, like so many others, I am especially tormented by this recent atrocity, the killing of children aged 9 thru 11. Like how I felt about the Sandy Hook tragedy, I cannot fathom how such horrors can be inflicted on our children. And like so many others, I am with those who stress guns as the simplest way to ameliorate these mass shootings. Gun regulation is absolutely essential to at least cutting down on the number of mass shootings, legislation like background checks and assault rifle bans especially—obviously—key to keep weapons of war out of the hands of potential deranged killers.

Monsters Are Not Born, They Are Created

But, to my mind, as I touched on in that earlier piece—titled "Young mena and violence"—to truly end these horrors and to just create a safer society in general, we need to get at the root causes of what turns these people/kids into killers. After all, as I've said so many times to whomever will listen, monsters are not born, they are created. And if we want to stop them from being created, just subjecting them to our hate and/or punishing them is not enough. We must get at the root causes of what creates them and stop them from being created.

While there are many root causes to this complex issue, to my mind, the most crucial element are toxic masculinity ideologies that create toxic masculinity men. I've been researching masculinity for over twenty years, and it has become clear to me that toxic masculinity ideologies (compounded by other toxic ideologies—I'll come back to this in a moment) are a crucial root cause for what is to my mind a deeply unhealthy (toxic) masculinity in our culture.

Defining Toxic Masculinity

By toxic masculinity ideologies I'm referring to patriarchy, phallocentrism, and hypermasculinity. Patriarchy is a way of being that entails normalizing such toxic attributes as dominance, power, control, and authority/hierarchizing. Patriarchy is associated with paternalism or what psychoanalyst/theorist Jacques Lacan called "the law of the father," the belief that men—and it usually is men though not always (think Margaret Thatcher!)—are the inexorable authority figure, determining the choices and ways of being of Others. Patriarchal/toxic masculinity men believe that this is their entitled position in the world and when they don't get it, they feel aggrieved. Phallocentrism is defined by how we center and encourage phallic (masculine) power, the phallus being a symbol for masculine power and that which is used to reinforce and prove one's masculinity. Guns of course are the prototypical phallic symbol of masculine power. Hypermasculinity is defined as the suppression of attributes ideologically associated with the "feminine" and the accentuation of those attributes ideologically defined as "masculine," e.g., the suppression of emotion and other "feminine" attributes (empathy, sympathy, compassion, etc.), dominating Others (people of color, people of different nationalities/ethnicities, women, LGBTQ+ people, those deemed un-masculine or "weak," etc.), violence as a natural and necessary outlet and response, stressing "manly" (phallic) characteristics and behavior (showy displays of one's power and dominance, etc.) and so on. All the above are the ingredients for creating sociopaths; all told, toxic masculinity ideologies turn men into unempathetic sociopaths.

Of course, only a tiny percentage of such toxic masculinity sociopaths become mass killers, but the point is not that this is the singular root cause but rather that it is a crucial base ingredient. I would argue that all toxic masculinity men are sociopaths, they just exhibit that sociopathy in different ways. In short, the combination of a striving for power, dominance, control, and authority—the constant need to reinforce one's sense of a phallic masculine self—combined with a low degree or even zero degree of empathy and compassion for Others creates the conditions for sociopathy. We see this not only with these (mostly white) male mass shooters (and other destructive males) but also with the men who create the conditions for these mass shooters to exist, phallic men both keeping in place this unhealthy and dangerous hypermasculinity in men (be "manly," don't show emotions, exert your authority, don't seek help for mental health issues, etc.) and giving such men an outlet to constantly reinforce their never ending need to reinforce their masculinity, whether that be in the form of phallic guns or seeing other people as Others. In terms of latter, toxic masculinity men have always needed an Other to differentiate the self, people of color, women, LGBTQ+ people, Jewish people, etc. existing for them to constantly give them an Other that distinguishes their self as superior, the feeling and expression of "superiority" itself registering for them their sense of their own phallic (masculine) power. (I'm not specifically focusing on this element here but when toxic masculinity and white supremacy/xenophobia/LGBTQphobia/misogyny/anti-Semitism are combined we get yet another root cause for many of these mass shootings, the Buffalo mass shooting being the latest example.)

Compounding Toxic Ideologies

I should just touch on here a compounding element in this toxic stew, other toxic ideologies. Capitalism especially exacerbates toxic masculinity ideologies. In short, capitalism is a mercenary, predatory, survival of the fittest economic system/ideology and it breeds this way of being in people. Indeed, I would argue that capitalism is a patriarchy ideology, which is in part why it became the economic system/ideology of choice, since it too informs in so many ways toxic masculinity ways of being. One could even make the case that our most successful capitalists are successful because they must be sociopaths, their entire way of being living for constant and relentless—albeit unsustainable—profit increases and growth, which can only happen at the expense of Others and the planet, which are constantly dominated, controlled, and exploited. As I suggest above, other toxic ideologies also compound toxic masculinity ideologies, such as religious belief systems, white supremacy, and heteronormativity, all of which are Othering ideologies that potentially feed that need for toxic masculinity men to reinforce their sense of (superior) phallic power.

Of course, more pointedly, capitalism is also behind the drive by the NRA to keep assault rifles on the market, a key source of much of their profit and power. That, in turn, is why the NRA pours so much money into the coffers of politicians, mostly Republicans but some Democrats as well. Both the NRA and NRA owned politicians can't come out and say that, so they use toxic masculinity ideologies for their own self-interest, exploiting toxic masculinity ideologies in ways that feed toxic masculinity men's need for their phallic power, guns again being a key reinforcer but also just doing what right wingers have learned to do so well, create alternative realities (disinformation, conspiracy theories) that also feed into phallic drives that reinforce masculinity. We see this with the NRA's disinformation campaigns that Democrats wanting to ban assault rifles is just the first step to "taking your guns away." The many conspiracy theories on the dangers of our government all are based on the tried and true tactics of using fear, hatred, and rage to create a threat that needs to be engaged, the source of (white nationalist) militias and assault rifle ownership.

The Essential Need for Gun Safety

Bringing this back to mass shooters, the easiest response (or one would think!) to addressing this horrifying "new normal" we seem to have come to disturbingly accept is to just create stringent gun regulations, like so many other countries have done with success, especially in terms of banning these weapons of war (assault guns) and installing rigorous background checks. The common sense of this is incontrovertible: If a mass shooter doesn't have an assault rifle, he can't kill a mass number of people. For certain, that would cut way down on mass shooters, as it did during the time period that assault guns were actually banned in this country, from 1995 to 2004.

Making the Explicit Link to Mass Shooters

However, if we want to eliminate this problem altogether (and ameliorate other issues, such as the ever present threat of authoritarianism and fascism, which are direct toxic masculinity ideologies), we also need to focus on the root causes of these killers and that means understanding and addressing how these killers are created. The shooter who slaughtered our children at Robb Elementary purportedly had a speech impediment and was cruelly bullied when he was young, bullying also a symptom of our unhealthy toxic masculinity culture. He also apparently had a terrible home environment. Such an upbringing couldn't have but led to a thoroughly dysfunctional individual and untreated mental health issues. That doesn't mean of course that every such young person with mental illnesses will become a killer, but it does mean that many if not most toxic masculinity young men will have issues that left untreated could potentially lead to (self) destructive choices. That is, when young toxic masculinity men with mental illnesses grow up in a society permeated with toxic masculinity ideological indoctrination and messaging, that influence—that combination—can potentially lead to the most disturbing of (self) destructive choices.

More pointedly, like so many other young toxic masculinity males who are filled with a sense of victimization or lack of control—all of which for toxic masculinity males can only induce a feeling of emasculation—the Robb Elementary shooter chose to express that rage and hate in the only way that toxic masculinity men can, through acts of phallic violence. Most if not all shooters feel wronged or persecuted in some way and thus need to fight back in a way that gives them back a feeling of power and dominance and control—gives them back their sense of phallic power—mass shootings becoming one avenue to that end. Even the suicide aspect of this act could be seen as empowering, since this final act is part of their need to reassert control, not to mention that in their twisted minds, they can only see their heinous act as some glorious act of (phallic) retribution or pay back against a society that has caused them so much pain and suffering.

The Struggle for Fundamental Change Continues

In some ways, talking just about guns is an easy way out for well-intentioned (Democratic) politicians and pundits, since focusing on the real root causes—yes, toxic masculinity ideologies but also capitalism, consumerism, white supremacy/xenophobia, heteronormativity, misogyny—is challenging to say the least especially in terms of forcing us to confront aspects of ourselves that would necessitate real radical (progressive) change. But since the very politicians, pundits, and general populace who we need to enact such change are also deeply entwined in the very (toxic) ideological norms that we need to change, I'm afraid such changes mean a very long struggle indeed for those of us doing the heavy lifting of enacting such changes. Still, we have seen the beginnings of this radical change, both here in this country and around the world (for one thing, masculinity is getting healthier, especially with younger generations). And so even though this struggle to progress humanity to a more humanitarian way of being is long and hard and ongoing, it is happening and that becomes the impetus for all of us to never end the struggle for a better, healthier masculinity/humanity.

Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.



REAGAN ROSS is an assistant professor at Montana State University. He teaches film and media studies, with a focus on gender studies and masculinity studies.

Codify Arctic Refuge Protections, Say Campaigners Amid Big Oil Exodus

"We support Congress and the Biden administration taking long-overdue action to... reestablish protections for this crown jewel of our national wildlife refuge system," said one activist.

Gwich'in Arctic defenders pose outside the U.S. Capitol on May 20, 2022 in Washington, D.C., where the Indigenous activists met with members of Congress and the Biden administration.

 (Photo: Sierra Club/Twitter)


BRETT WILKINS

June 2, 2022

Conservationists and climate campaigners on Thursday welcomed the news that another fossil fuel company has canceled a controversial Trump-era lease to drill for oil in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, while calling on policymakers to permanently protect the pristine wilderness from future threats.

"As oil companies terminate and cancel leases, it's time for Congress to stop the leasing program for good."

According to the Anchorage Daily News, Regenerate Alaska, a subsidiary of Australia-based 88 Energy, joined Hilcorp and Chevron—which earlier this week terminated pre-existing leases inside the ANWR—in canceling its lease. Major banks and insurers have also stopped financing and covering Arctic fossil fuel projects.

"These exits clearly demonstrate that international companies recognize what we have known all along," said the Gwich'in Steering Committee, a group of Arctic defenders from the country's northernmost Indigenous people.

"Drilling in the Arctic Refuge is not worth the economic risk and liability that results from development on sacred lands without the consent of Indigenous peoples," the committee added.

Regenerate Alaska, the only company to directly acquire land in the 19.3 million-acre refuge, bid about $800,000 to lease 23,000 acres along the reserve's western boundary during the January 2021 lease sale.

However, the Biden administration last year blocked new exploration inside ANWR, while subsequently ordering a review of its predecessor's controversial move to open up the previously protected refuge to fossil fuel extraction as part of its national energy independence policy.

"This is positive news for the climate and the human rights of Indigenous people whose survival depends on a healthy, thriving calving ground for the Porcupine caribou herd, and further proves that the oil industry recognizes drilling on sacred lands is bad business," Karlin Itchoak, the Alaska state director at the Wilderness Society, said in a statement.


Peter Winsor, executive director of the Alaska Wilderness League, said in a statement that "88 Energy canceling its lease interest on the heels of Chevron and Hilcorp divesting themselves of their own Arctic Refuge holdings is the clearest sign yet that there is zero interest out there in industrializing the wildest place left in America. We have long known that the American people don't want drilling in the Arctic Refuge."

The Gwich'in call the area "Iizhik Gwats'an Gwandaii Goodlit"—or "the sacred place where life begins"—and rely on the region's rich biodiversity, especially its 200,000-strong Porcupine caribou herd, for their survival.

Around 270 species call the refuge home, including all of the world's remaining South Beaufort Sea polar bears, 250 musk oxen, Arctic foxes, and hundreds of thousands of snow geese and other birds which fly there from all 50 states and around the world.

The Republican-controlled Congress approved drilling in the massive, pristine ANWR in 2017. In what was called a parting gift to the fossil fuel industry, the Trump administration in its final weeks held the lease auction that raised only $14.4 million and drew no bids from major fossil fuel corporations.

"The 2021 oil and gas lease sale for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge was an epic failure, generating less than 1% of the revenue outlined in the 2017 Tax Act," Winsor noted.

Referring to ANWR drilling, he added that "the Gwich'in people don't want it, and we now have further proof that the oil industry doesn't want it either."

"Companies are already pulling out of their leases—let's permanently protect this land."

"Congress opened the Arctic Refuge to oil drilling in 2017 backed by the ridiculous promise of industry enthusiasm leading to billions in federal revenue from lease sales," Winsor added. "That promise continues to be exposed for the lie that was and we support Congress and the Biden administration taking long-overdue action to restore fiscal common sense and reestablish protections for this crown jewel of our national wildlife refuge system."

Ellen Montgomery, public lands campaign director at Environment America, said in a statement that "oil companies, including 88 Energy, Chevron, and Hilcorp, have recognized that there is no future for fossil fuel extraction in this sensitive environment. As oil companies terminate and cancel leases, it's time for Congress to stop the leasing program for good."

Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) joined the conservationists' calls to codify ANWR protections.

"Drilling in the Arctic Refuge poses huge risks to the Gwich'in, to threatened Arctic ecosystems, and to our climate. It's all risk, no reward," he tweeted Thursday. "Companies are already pulling out of their leases—let's permanently protect this land."

CRIMINAL CAPITALI$M

Cocaine Trafficking Case of Erdoğan Associate Appears to Be a Tactic to Deflect Pressure

by Abdullah Bozkurt
Nordic Monitor
June 2, 2022

Abdullah Bozkurt, a Middle East Forum Writing Fellow, is a Swedish-based investigative journalist and analyst who runs the Nordic Research and Monitoring Network and is chairman of the Stockholm Center for Freedom.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (L) with Ali Osman Akat (R), who was arrested and released on drug trafficking charges.

The arrest and release of a Turkish businessman close to the government on drug trafficking charges, only after an alert from German authorities, appears to follow classic stalling tactics often used by the government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to deflect international criticism.

Time and again the Erdoğan government has "sandbagged" efforts to effectively investigate criminal conduct when the investigation incriminated or implicated senior government officials, members of the ruling Islamist elite or their associates.

At times, it allowed investigations and judicial proceedings to move forward only in a very controlled environment to paint a false picture that the government is cracking down on criminal or terrorist elements when in fact it is doing nothing but whitewashing wrongdoings or helping criminals go free with a slap on the wrist.

This case looks to be one of those the Erdoğan government is keen to contain. Ali Osman Akat, the owner of companies selling cosmetic products under the name Lactone Holding A.Ş. and Lactone Kozmetik A.Ş., was identified as a suspect in a drug trafficking network after German federal customs service Bundeszollverwaltung officers searched the contents of a Turkey-bound shipment. The cargo left Bogota, Colombia, and arrived in Istanbul after going through Customs while in transit in Panama, the US and Germany.

The inspection at Leipzig/Halle Airport on November 20, 2021 of three pieces of cargo revealed 116 kilograms of cocaine mixed in with iron dust particles. German police alerted Turkey and provided a copy of their inspection. At the request of Turkey, German authorities agreed to let the shipment proceed with mutual consent that the bust would be made in Turkey at the final destination where the suspects would receive the cargo.

The recipient of the cargo was listed as Süleyman Yekenkunrul, owner of trading firm Prufier İç ve Dış Ticaret Ltd. Şirketi and an associate of Akat. It was sent from a man named Carlos Aguilar Call from Colombia. The contact phone for the delivery belonged to Tevfik Akan Atak, an employee of Akat and the general coordinator at Lactone for foreign trade.

The cargo was taken from Germany by Turkish Customs officials and brought back to Istanbul on December 7, 2021. The findings of the German authorities were verified in a separate inspection done at a lab in Ankara on December 13, 2021.

Under orders from the Turkish prosecutor, gendarmes replaced the cocaine with sand of the same color — which was odd and against standard operating procedure in such planned busts — delivered the cargo posing as couriers to the listed address in Istanbul's Maslak district and detained six people on December 15, 2021.

In the arraignment on December 17, Akat was quickly released by the investigating judge and Atak and Yekenkunrul were formally arrested. The same judge who ordered Akat's release decided to arrest him on January 6, 2022 after a challenge filed by the prosecutor, which means a political directive was conveyed to the court that Akat was to remain in pretrial detention for a while. Other suspects Ali Karataş, Sarra Chouıekh and Mustafa Güldiken were all released pending trial.

Akat was again released at the first hearing on May 20, 2022.

Among the red flags in the case that make it appear to be a hush-up operation rather than a real crackdown on cocaine traffickers is that the bust was never publicized by the government, which is unusual. In most cases the Interior Ministry and the police invite the press to take photos and videos of the seized drugs and the suspects, and an official statement is issued describing how successful law enforcement was in the operation.

This never happened. The public knew about it only four months later when the Sabah daily, owned by President Erdoğan's family, decided to run a story, on April 13, 2022. The paper had footage from the bust, which means the government leaked it at a time that would best serve its interests. More likely, the Erdoğan government wanted to make the case public to ease the pressure amid serious allegations that Turkey had turned into a cocaine trafficking route amid seizures of drugs in Spain, Colombia and other places that were destined for Turkey.

But it appears the Erdoğan government did not intend to seriously pursue the case after an initial splash in the media, and judges controlled by the Erdoğan government quietly let Akat go at the first hearing, during which he blamed one of his employees and said the employee ordered the shipment containing the cocaine.

Although Akat and five other suspects were indicted on drug trafficking charges with a recommended 135 years in prison in total for the suspects, his quick release from prison at the first hearing in the case further confirmed suspicions that the government is keen to derail the case at the end. The opposition parties in Parliament criticized the government and asked under whose orders the key suspect was released despite serious charges against him.

In his defense, Akat denied having any knowledge of the drugs and blamed Atak, the general coordinator of the company. Phone records and chat messages, however, showed that Akat had frequently given orders to Atak in Customs matters, prompting the prosecutor to believe that such a high value cargo could not have been shipped without prior authorization of the owner.

In August 2017 Akat became president of the Turkish American Business Association (TABA), a business interest group that was established in 1987 to promote business relations between the US and Turkey, to encourage American investment in Turkey and to assist its members in networking. It is also a representative of American Chamber of Commerce in Turkey. He served there for five years.

His membership in TABA was terminated after the news of his arrest over the cocaine bust was made public.

Photos shared by Akat on social media show he is close to senior government officials. He has pictures with President Erdoğan, Parliament Speaker Mustafa Şentop and a number of Cabinet ministers including Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu, in charge of cracking down on drug trafficking. He had a contract to supply cleaning products to parliament and made 348,000 Turkish lira from the sale.

In one picture he also appeared next to Egemen Bağış, a disgraced former minister who was in the past charged with taking bribes from an Iranian operative. Bağış is currently serving as Turkish ambassador to Czechia and has allegedly been facilitating drug trafficking in Europe using his diplomatic privileges.

Lactone does not have a long track record in business but quickly expanded to increase its capital to 12 million Turkish lira in 2020 from 200,000 Turkish lira in 2017.

Akat's lawyer claimed the innocence of his client and his hope that he will be exonerated of all charges.

Nordic Monitor previously reported that Turkey has become an emerging route for large-scale cocaine trafficking, an unprecedented development, and it is alleged that a politically connected, powerful new player may have appeared on the scene to move large quantities of the drug through Turkish seaports.

The spotlight turned on Turkey in June 2020 when Colombia's narcotics police seized almost five tons of cocaine. The drug was in two containers that were to travel by sea from the port of Buenaventura to Turkey and had a street value of $265 million in the illegal market.

Sedat Peker, a convicted mob boss and former ally of the Turkish president, also claimed senior government officials were involved in the cocaine trade. Peker named Interior Minister Soylu and his associates as influential people who were involved in facilitating the cocaine trafficking through Turkey. Peker had partnered with Soylu for years in running criminal syndicates.

AND THAT SAYS IT ALL ABOUT INFLATION

Credit card borrowing hits 16-year high as mortgage approvals crash, says BofE

31May2022


Credit card borrowing hits 16-year high as mortgage approvals crash, says BofE

Mortgage borrowing dropped by over a third in April, while credit card borrowing rose to a 16-year high as the cost of living crisis begins to hit consumers, according to recent data.

According to the Bank of England, net mortgage borrowing in April fell to £4.1 billion. This represents a stark 36% month-on-month drop, down from a total of £6.4 billion borrowed in March.

At the same time, Brits used credit cards to borrow around £700 million in April, an 11.6% rise compared to April 2021 - the highest annual jump in credit card spending since 2005.

When including overdrafts, personal loans, and car finance with these figures, a total of £1.4 billion was borrowed in the UK last month. This is the third month in a row that consumer borrowing has topped £1 billion, according to the BofE.

Both of these figures represent ominous signs that the British public is beginning to feel the impact of the cost of living crisis. Rising energy prices and record inflation has led to the biggest reduction in domestic disposable income in decades.

Speaking on the decline of mortgage borrowing, Hina Bhudia, partner at Knight Frank Finance, said: “Activity among purchasers is ebbing as the cost of living squeeze shrinks the pool of buyers. Rates on certain products have doubled in the past twelve months and there is a real sense of urgency among many borrowers who sense they must act soon or reassess what they can afford.”

The increase in personal borrowing, including credit cards and car finance, was also attributed to the cost of living crisis, with the head of personal finance at investment firm AJ Bell, Laura Suter, saying:

“As a nation we’ve now put more than £3billion on credit cards in the past three months, and another £1.6billion on other forms of credit, including personal loans and car finance.

“What the figures show is a divided nation, with many households still managing to save cash despite prices rising around them. Although it’s a far cry from the bumper savings the nation was making during lockdown, with the prospect of tougher timers ahead lots of households have tightened their belts and saved some cash in their emergency funds.”

ATTENTION; WE ARE IN A PANDEMIC

Older Americans bore brunt of COVID-19 deaths during the omicron wave

More than 300 Americans are still dying of COVID-19 each day.

ByArielle Mitropoulos
June 01, 2022

A registered nurse administers a dose of COVID-19 vaccine to an 85 year-old woman at a state run vaccine hub inside the Allen Senior Citizens Housing Complex in Queens, New York, Feb. 20, 2021.
Anthony Behar/Sipa USA via AP

From the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the elderly have borne the brunt of the virus’ deadly wrath.

Now, newly updated federal data shows that despite widespread vaccination among seniors, virus death rates among older Americans surged to near-record levels during the first omicron wave.

Over 90% of seniors have been fully vaccinated, but about 30% of those fully vaccinated have yet to receive their first booster shot. To date, just under 10 million Americans 65 and older have received their second booster — representing about 28.5% of those who had already received their first shot.

Even with overall high vaccination rates in older populations, nearly three-quarters of the COVID-19 deaths reported in the U.S. have been among people over the age of 65.

Experts say the reason for the renewed surge may be due to a number of factors, including waning immunity, relatively low booster uptake compared to primary vaccination series and general vulnerability to the virus among the group. In addition, the sheer scale of the spread of the virus during the omicron wave was significantly higher compared to prior waves of the virus.

Although the number of virus-related deaths in Americans over 75 has consistently been higher than all other age groups, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were some lulls.

As the virus receded in late June 2021, and the group's vacci​nation rate increased, the death rates for those older age groups approached levels comparable to younger people.

However, during the delta wave, in late 2021 and 2022, the disparities in death rates began to increase again with the more transmissible variant, which was better at evading vaccines. They further widened when the omicron wave hit the U.S. in the winter of 2021, a variant that was even more transmissible than delta.

A Covid-19 patient on the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) floor at Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut, Jan. 31, 2022.
Allison Dinner/Bloomberg via Getty Images, FILE

In early January 2022, CDC death data -- broken down by age group per 100,000 people -- shows that people over 75 had a COVID-19 death rate that was 136 times higher than that of people between the ages of 18 and 29. Similarly, people between 65 and 74 had a COVID-19 death rate that was 45 times higher than that of people between the ages of 18 and 29.

MORE: Reported COVID-19 infection levels nearly 6 times higher than last Memorial Day

Throughout the spring, overall death rates took a downturn again, as the first omicron wave receded, but as of mid-April, older Americans continue to see more deaths than younger populations.

In recent months, Hispanic Americans 75 and older have had a death rate per capita that was notably higher than other demographic groups of the same age.

During the omicron surge in January, Hispanic Americans over 75 were 2.7 times more likely to die from COVID-19, compared to white Americans and Asian Americans of the same age. They were also 1.7 times more likely to die from COVID-19, compared to their Black counterparts, and 3.7 times more likely to die compared to their American Indian/Alaska Natives.

Last month, the CDC announced that it is "strengthening" its recommendation for Americans over the age of 12 who are immunocompromised and those over the age of 50 receive their second booster shot.

"Only 38% of those 50 to 64 and 43% of those 65 and older have received a vaccine dose in the past six months. This leaves about 60% of older Americans without the protection they may need to prevent severe disease, hospitalization, and death," CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said during a meeting of the agency's independent advisors in May. "We know immunity wanes over time, and we need to do all we can now to protect those most vulnerable."

Monkeypox caseload rises over 550 from 30 countries: WHO

IANS

JUN 2, 2022, 12:26 IST

The monkeypox virus may be spreading 'undetected', said the World Health Organisation even as the global confirmed cases rise to more than 550 from 30 countries that are not endemic to the virus.

While, so far, most cases have been reported among men who have sex with men presenting with symptoms at sexual health clinics, "the sudden appearance of monkeypox in many countries at the same time suggests there may have been undetected transmission for some time," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in a statement.

The virus may have been transmitted for months or years undetected though investigations are ongoing and there are clear no answers yet, added Dr. Rosamund Lewis, the WHO's monkeypox technical lead, during a news conference in Geneva.


"We don't really know whether it's too late to contain. What WHO and all member states are trying to do is prevent onward spread," Lewis said. Contact tracing and isolating patients who have monkeypox are crucial to stopping the spread, she said.

Earlier the WHO had refuted the need to avoid LGBTQ+ parades, as the virus itself is not a sexually transmitted infection, which are generally spread through semen and vaginal fluids.

"These communities are working hard to inform their members about the risks of monkeypox, and prevent transmission," Ghebreyesus said, adding the need to "work hard to fight stigma".

He noted that stigma against the LGBTQ+ community could "prevent infected individuals from seeking care, making it harder to stop transmission".

The global health body has also urged affected countries to widen their surveillance, to look for cases in the broader community.

Monkeypox has not previously been described as a sexually transmitted infection, but it can be passed on by direct contact during sex.

Anyone can be infected with monkeypox if they have close physical contact with someone else who is infected.

"The situation is evolving, and we expect that more cases will continue to be found," the WHO chief said.

While monkeypox symptoms resolve on their own, it "can also be severe in some cases".

Ghebreyesus said that the WHO is working to provide accurate information to those groups most at risk of monkeypox; to prevent further spread among at-risk groups; to protect frontline health workers; as well as to advance understanding of this disease.

Meanwhile, even as some countries are racing to stockpile smallpox vaccines against monkeypox, the WHO has not recommended mass vaccination.

But, the WHO is working with companies to increase access to those new vaccines and treatments, Lewis said.

Monkeypox: Young men in London make up majority of UK cases, new data reveals

LILY WAKEFIELD 

JUNE 2, 2022
PINK NEWS

Monkeypox lesions. (UKHSA)

Young men living in London are making up the majority of UK monkeypox cases, new data has revealed.

The total number of confirmed monkeypox cases in the UK has now passed 200, with 199 cases in England, five in Scotland, two in Northern Ireland and one in Wales, as of Thursday (2 June)

On Wednesday (1 June), the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) released more information about the populations affected by monkeypox.

Although monkeypox can affect anyone, of the 190 UK cases confirmed from 6 to 30 May, more than half (111) were among men who have sex with men. Just two of those infected were women.

In England, 86 per cent of cases were detected in London, and almost all of those infected (87 per cent) were young, from 20 to 49 years old. Travel to other European countries within the three weeks before diagnosis was only reported in 18 per cent of cases.

So far, UKHSA investigations have “identified links to gay bars, saunas and the use of dating apps in the UK and abroad”, the agency said.

It said it was working with LGBTQ+ organisations like the Terrence Higgins Trust, Stonewall and Grindr, as well as with the British Association of Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) and the British HIV Association, to provide queer communities with public health information about monkeypox. The LGBT Consortium and Pride organisers have also been asked to share this information.

However it said the UKHSA would continued to investigate, as “currently no single factor or exposure that links the cases has been identified”.

Last month, the UK purchased 20,000 doses of the Imvanex vaccine, a smallpox vaccine that has has proved to be about 85 per cent effective in preventing monkeypox, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The vaccine is being offered to people who have had contact with a confirmed case of monkeypox, as well as to healthcare workers.

Dr Meera Chand, director of clinical and emerging infections at UKHSA, said: “We are working to break chains of transmission, including by contact tracing and vaccination.

“We are grateful to everyone who has come forward for testing and it is extremely important that everyone continues to be aware of the symptoms and to seek advice if they have concerns.

“We are reminding people to look out for new spots, ulcers or blisters on any part of their body. If anyone suspects they might have monkeypox, particularly if they have recently had a new sexual partner, they should limit their contact with others and contact NHS 111 or their local sexual health service as soon as possible, though please phone ahead before attending in person.”

JAMES CONNELLY IS ROLLING IN HIS GRAVE

Even separatists Sinn Fein praise 'dedicated' Queen as she celebrates her Platinum Jubilee: 

Republican leader Michelle O'Neill praises monarch for her 'significant' contribution to peace in Northern Ireland

Michelle O'Neill thanked the Queen for her 'warmth and unfailing courtesy'

Wrote of 'value and respect' she had for monarch's contribution to reconciliation

Significant moment for the party, whose ultimate aim is reunification of Ireland

ABOLISH THE MONARCHY

By DAVID WILCOCK, DEPUTY POLITICAL EDITOR FOR MAILONLINE

PUBLISHED:  2 June 2022

Irish republicans Sinn Fein have congratulated the Queen on her Platinum Jubilee, hailing her 'dedicated' service and 'significant' contribution to the peace process in Northern Ireland.

In a letter to the monarch, the party's vice president and leader in Ulster Michelle O'Neill thanked the Queen for her 'warmth and unfailing courtesy' when they had met.

She also wrote of the 'value and respect' she had for the monarch's contribution to reconciliation.

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The letter is a significant moment for the party, whose ultimate aim is the reunification of Ireland, and shows how serious it is about political power.

It also has historically close ties to the IRA, among whose victims during the decades of the Troubles was Lord Mountbatten of Burma.

Mountbatten was the Duke of Edinburgh's uncle and was close to Prince Charles before he was murdered in a bomb attack on his boat in Northern Ireland in 1979.

Former DUP leader Dame Arlene praised Ms O'Neill's gesture, telling BBC Radio Ulster the Jubilee celebrated three things - the Queen's public service and dedication; the institution of the monarchy; and the concept of Britishness.

'I think for republicans, like Michelle O'Neill, like Nicola Sturgeon, they have recognised in Her Majesty the Queen the first of those, the fact that she has given so much service to the country,' Dame Arlene said.

'They're recognising that and I think that that is something that is to be welcomed.'

In a letter to the monarch, the party's vice president and leader in Ulster Michelle O'Neill thanked the Queen for her 'warmth and unfailing courtesy' when they had met.


She also wrote of the 'value and respect' she had for the monarch's contribution to reconciliation. The Queen is pictured meeting former Sinn Fein deputy first minister Martin McGuinness in Belfast in 2012.


The letter is a significant moment for the party, whose ultimate aim is the reunification of Ireland. It also has historically close ties to the IRA, among whose victims during the decades of the Troubles was Lord Mountbatten of Burma (left), the Duke of Edinburgh's uncle

Former DUP leader Dame Arlene praised Ms O'Neill's gesture, telling BBC Radio Ulster the Jubilee celebrated three things - the Queen's public service and dedication; the institution of the monarchy; and the concept of Britishness

Ms O'Neill's letter to the Queen, which was sent last month and reported by the Belfast Telegraph on Thursday, read: 'I thought it best to write to you personally as you mark 70 years of dedicated public service to the British people as Monarch.

'Your Platinum Jubilee is an historic moment, especially for all those from the unionist and British tradition on the island of Ireland, and across these islands whom with great pride and devotion hold you very dear.

'Personally, I wish to thank you for your warmth and unfailing courtesy on the occasions in which both I and my late colleague, Martin McGuinness, met with you in Belfast in 2012 during your Diamond Jubilee, and thereafter at Windsor Castle during the State Visit of President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins to the UK in 2014.

'I wish to record the value and respect I place on the significant contribution you have made to the advancement of peace and reconciliation between the different traditions on our island, and between our two islands during those years of the peace process.

'As incoming First Minister of the Northern Ireland Executive I, like you, will take every opportunity to strengthen the bonds of friendship and renew the spirit of co-operation between those of us in the world of politics and public life from different traditions, and also the people and communities we proudly represent.'

Beacons will be lit at Northern Ireland's highest peak and most westerly town later to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.

The official four-day celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Queen's coronation will include street parties, exhibitions, church services and lunch events.

Thursday will mark the start of a long bank holiday weekend which will also include a visit from the Earl and Countess of Wessex.

The Royal couple are expected to carry out two engagements in the region on Saturday.

A gun salute will take place at Hillsborough Castle, the Royal family's official residence in Northern Ireland, while in Belfast the HMS Pembroke will be alongside for the weekend and open to visitors with pre-booked tickets.

The UK's most westerly town, Enniskillen in Co Fermanagh, will enjoy one of the busiest celebrations.

Visitors can enjoy a special exhibition at Enniskillen Castle which will include a maid of honour gown and page outfit worn by local people who played key roles at the coronation.

It will also host a special church service at St Macartin's Cathedral on Thursday evening where the Queen visited in 2012 during her Diamond Jubilee, before beacons are lit.

As part of 1,500 beacons being lit across the UK between 9.15-9.45pm, many locations in Northern Ireland will host a lighting including Titanic Belfast in the capital city and St Columb's Cathedral in Londonderry as well as the region's highest peak.

The Walking With The Wounded charity will hike a beacon up Slieve Donard in Co Down, while their colleagues do the same at the other UK peaks, Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Mount Snowdon.

On Sunday, big lunch events will be taking place across the region, including on the Shankill Road and in the town of Bangor, Co Down which was made a city as part of the Jubilee celebrations.