Pakistan floods caused by 'monsoon on steroids,' says UN chief in urgent appeal

Sophia Saifi - Yesterday 



UN Secretary General António Guterres on Tuesday launched a flash $160 million appeal for flood-ravaged Pakistan, where more than 1,100 people have been killed and 33 million others impacted in one of the worst monsoon seasons in over a decade.

See volunteers use bed frame to rescue people from deadly floods

View on Watch

The appeal comes as Pakistani officials said the floods had already caused more than $10 billion in damages and urged more international assistance.

“The Pakistani people are facing a monsoon on steroids – the relentless impact of epochal levels of rain and flooding,” Guterres said during the appeal’s launch.

“As we continue to see more and more extreme weather events around the world, it is outrageous that climate action is being put on the back burner as global emissions of greenhouse gases are still rising, putting all of us – everywhere – in growing danger,” he said.

“Let’s stop sleepwalking towards the destruction of our planet by climate change,” he said. “Today, it’s Pakistan. Tomorrow, it could be your country.

Images of water gushing down streets, swallowing villages and destroying bridges serve as a stark reminder of the inequities of the climate crisis, which impacts the developing world disproportionately. Richer countries also bear a much larger historical responsibility for the crisis in the first place.

Pakistan last year ranked as the eighth most affected nation by climate change from 2000 to 2019, in the Global Climate Risk Index by non-profit group Germanwatch. People living in hotspots like South Asia are 15 times more likely to die from climate crisis impacts.

“This is a climate crisis,” Abdullah Fadil, UNICEF’s representative in Pakistan told CNN. “A climate that has been mostly done by richer countries, contributing to the crisis, and I think it is time that the world responded to support Pakistan in this time of need.”

The deadly floods are threatening to engulf up to a third of the nation by the end of the monsoon season, taking a high toll on lives but also infrastructure, and wreaking havoc on crops across farmland in the middle of a food crisis.

Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal revealed the estimated $10 billion cost to the country on Monday, telling CNN: “The world needs to come to Pakistan’s assistance to deal with the effects of climate change.”

In a statement Monday, IRC’s Pakistan country director Shabnam Baloch said that Pakistan produced less than 1% of the world’s carbon footprint.

A lack of hygiene facilities and clean drinking water has exacerbated the risk of diseases spreading in flooded areas, with nearly 20,000 people in need of critical food supplies and medical support, Baloch added.

“Our needs assessment showed that we are already seeing a major increase in cases of diarrhea, skin infections, malaria and other illnesses,” she said. “We are urgently requesting donors to step up their support and help us save lives.”
One-third of Pakistan could be under water soon

In a statement Tuesday, Pakistan’s military said rescue missions were ongoing and international aid was beginning to arrive in the country, including seven military aircraft from Turkey and three from the United Arab Emirates.

Helicopters had evacuated more than 300 stranded people and distributed over 23 metric tons of relief items, while more than 50 medical camps have been established with over 33,000 patients being treated, the statement said.

Also on Tuesday, China will send two aircraft carrying 3,000 tents and Japan will send tarpaulins and shelters, the statement said, adding that the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Azerbaijan have announced financial assistance.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) provided another lifeline Monday, releasing $1.17 billion in bailout funds to avert a default on the South Asian nation’s debt obligations as it grapples with political and economic turmoil worsened by the unprecedented floods.

Peter Ophoff, head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in Pakistan told CNN he had not seen anything on the scale of the floods in nearly three decades working for the aid agency. The country was, however, hit with similarly devastating floods in 2010.

“Pakistan is in dire need and the damages are here and we will be in this a very long time,” Ophoff said. “It’s not months but years we are talking about.”

The 33 million people impacted by the floods and rain represent 15% of the population.

Among 1,136 people killed since mid-June were 386 children, the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) said Monday, as the unrelenting rain raised fears of more fatalities to come. Nearly half a million homes have been destroyed, according to NDMA.

“By the time this is over, we could well have one quarter or one third of Pakistan under water,” Pakistan’s climate change minister Sherry Rehman told Turkish news outlet TRT World last week.

‘Water gushed in’

Dramatic scenes of disaster have unfolded in Pakistan as floods inundated the country.

It was raining but not heavily, Ali Jan told Reuters Monday, as he stood surrounded by water in Chadsadda in northern Pakistan. But that quickly changed.

“Suddenly the outer wall of the compound collapsed and water gushed in,” Jan said. “We barely managed to save ourselves. By the time the women were leaving the house, the water had become almost waist-deep. We evacuated the women and the cattle. The rest is there for you to see. Crops have also been destroyed.”


Families sit near their belongings inundated by flood waters in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province on August 28, 2022. - Zahid Hussain/AP

In videos shared by the Alkhidmat Foundation Pakistan, its volunteers used a bed frame and makeshift pulley system to help a child and elderly man cross rushing floodwaters, according to the NGO’s digital media manager Ihtisham Khaliq Waseer.

More than 3,000 volunteers from the NGO are distributing aid across the country, he said.

“We are getting aid but it’s not enough with what we need on the ground, because the damages are very much higher than expected,” he said, adding that volunteer teams have been stretched thin delivering supplies to hard-to-reach areas for weeks.

Waseer said he hopes that as rains weaken and flood waters recede in the coming week based on weather forecasts, his team would be able to deliver food rations and set up medical centers in remote areas.

Additional reporting by Reuters.

Ford planning all-new EV truck, electric Explorer made in Ontario

MobileSyrup - Yesterday 

Ford has plans to make a new electric truck with the aim for it to go on sale starting in 2025, although it remains unclear what the new truck will be.


Ford planning all-new EV truck, electric Explorer made in Ontario

© Provided by MobileSyrup

The report comes from Automotive News (via The Verge) and notes that the new electric truck will exist alongside an electric Ford Explorer, due in 2024, and the automaker’s other EVs — the Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning. Ford CEO Jim Farley teased the new truck back in April, indicating the company would build it at the upcoming Blue Oval City campus in Tennessee.

The electric truck will feature an “all-new” nameplate and won’t be a redesigned F-150, Farley said. Automotive News expanded on speculation around the truck, writing that it could be a “distinctly styled full-size pickup under the F-Series umbrella” aimed at retail buyers, while the F-150 Lightning would be focused on commercial sales.

That Ford wants to introduce a new nameplate rather than electrifying an existing product suggests the company is optimistic about its EV plans.

As for the electric Explorer, the Automotive News report reiterated Ford’s plan to launch production by the end of 2024 at the company’s Oakville, Ontario factory. Ford scrapped a previous plan to build the Explorer in Cuautitlan, Mexico, alongside the Mach-E. The Oakville factory built the gas-powered Ford Edge and Lincoln Nautilus but will be converted to an EV-only plant, per Automotive News.

The electric Explorer is expected to go on sale starting in 2025, although supply chain issues and battery material shortages could cause delays, as they have in the past.

Finally, it’s worth noting that Farley has previously hinted at making all-electric versions of the Bronco SUV and Maverick compact pickup. However, Automotive News reports that we’ll likely only see a hybrid Bronco by 2024 to compete with the Jeep Wrangler 4xe.

Photo of Biden quietly talking to homeless man resurfaces: ‘Character is what you do when no one is watching’

Abe Asher - Yesterday 

A photograph of President Joe Biden speaking to a homeless man has resurfaced, thanks to a popular Reddit post.

The post, captioned “After seeing a movie with his family, Biden takes a moment to speak with a homeless man”, shows Mr Biden leaning down on a public street speaking with a man in a gray sweatshirt and black jacket. The post already has more than 76,000 engagements since it was published on Monday.

The photo of Mr Biden is indeed authentic, but it is not new. Politico reported that the photograph was taken in March of 2018 outside of a movie theater on K Street in Washington DC, where Mr Biden had seen a movie with his granddaughter.

The photograph was taken outside the Georgetown AMC movie theater by Caleb Baca, who told local television station FOX 5 that Mr Biden appeared to write something down on a piece of paper and hand it to the man before departing. A public affairs consultant and businessman named Paul Equale posted the photo on Facebook, praising Mr Biden in his caption.


Joe Biden speaking with a man in Washington, DC in 2018 

(Reddit)© Provided by The Independent

“Joe Biden took his granddaughter to the movies in Georgetown last night.....on his way out he stopped to speak w/ a homeless man,” Mr Equale wrote. “A bystander took this candid shot. Character is about what you do when no one is watching.”

The post and photograph went viral. Mr Biden was praised by a range of citizens and public figures like Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, who wrote that the then-former Vice President “shows us what a leader is”.

At the time, Mr Biden was weighing a third bid for the presidency after serving two terms as Barack Obama’s vice president. Mr Biden ultimately launched his campaign in late April, more than a month later, saying that he decided to make his bid in part out of a “sense of duty” to the nation.

Mr Biden was considered a strong contender for the nomination, but his campaign sputtered for much of the rest of 2019 — with questions about Mr Biden’s viability mounting as other candidates like Sen Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Sen Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, and former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg all surged.

Both Mr Sanders and Mr Buttigieg claimed victory in the Iowa caucus that began the nominating contests in 2020, after which consecutive victories in New Hampshire and Nevada made Mr Sanders the favourite to secure the nomination. But after a sizable victory in South Carolina, moderates in the Democratic Party rallied around Mr Biden to stop Mr Sanders ahead of Super Tuesday. Mr Biden wrapped up the nomination shortly thereafter.

Mr Biden, 79, is now enjoying the most successful period of his presidency. Congress passed Mr Biden’s signature spending and climate bill earlier this summer, after which Mr Biden announced a much-anticipated plan to cancel a portion of Americans’ student debt.

Mr Biden’s poll numbers have begun to climb, as have Democratic hopes about maintaining control of at least one chamber of Congress during the November midterms.

Indepaz reports four killed in massacre in Colombia

Daniel Stewart - Yesterday 

The Institute for Development and Peace Studies (Indepaz) reported Tuesday the death of four people in a new massacre that this time took place in the town of Valle del Guamuez, in the south of the country.

Archive - Protests in Colombia against recent spike in massacres - 

DANIEL GARZON HERAZO / ZUMA PRESS / CONTACTOPHOTO

Of the total number of people killed, two of them were indigenous community members belonging to the Awá people and who had been reported missing since August 14 by Colombian authorities.

The other two were killed near the site of the first of the two attacks, Indepaz said in a statement.

The organization recalled that the First Carolina Ramirez Front, the Bolivarian Border Commandos, as well as other local gangs are active in the area. The Sixth Division of the Colombian Army is responsible for maintaining security in this jurisdiction.

This is the 73rd massacre so far in 2022, according to Indepaz.

Final UCP leadership debate focuses on same issues that ended Kenney's term: Alberta autonomy (FIREWALL ALBERTA)

and COVID-19 (2021 BEST SUMMER EVER)

Tyler Dawson -

EDMONTON — On a stage in a theatre at the heart of downtown Edmonton, the seven men and women running for the leadership of Alberta’s United Conservatives pitched their visions of the future.


From left, candidates Rajan Sawhney, Travis Toews and Danielle Smith take part in the United Conservative Party of Alberta’s final leadership debate, in Edmonton on Tuesday, August 30, 2022.© Provided by National Post

It was a discussion largely without sides — an at-times rollicking debate on politics and principle — but certainly both torn between and focused on the questions of autonomy that, along with COVID-19 public health measures, have dominated the UCP leadership race.

Yet, over the course of two hours, candidates were also put on the spot on a variety of issues, such as arts and culture, supporting the agriculture sector and the future of the oil and gas industry in the province.

While each fielded these questions — with Travis Toews, the former finance minister, making a quip about how a rancher, accountant and finance minister somehow ended up with the question about arts and culture — hanging over the debate were the big issues.

Autonomy and COVID-19 are the same issues that, just months ago, helped end Premier Jason Kenney’s time as leader of the province, so, unsurprisingly, they’re the exact issues that party faithful want to see their prospective party leaders discuss.

“We’re in a leadership race because we made these decisions … (the government) allowed themselves to be bullied and pushed around by the NDP. They didn’t stand up for the little guy,” said Danielle Smith, a former host of the now-defunct Wildrose Party.

While all candidates have views on these issues, it has been a particular boon for Smith, who has since done a stint as a talk radio host and newspaper columnist, and who has emerged as a widely perceived frontrunner in the race, and the person from whom the other six candidates have had to work to differentiate themselves.

Indeed, most notably, Rajan Sawhney, the former transportation minister and Rebecca Schulz, the former children’s services minister, both pressed Smith on the proposal. “Distracting constitutional turmoil is not a top priority for Albertans,” said Sawhney. And, Toews joined in, saying “we can’t wave a magic wand and get rid of federal law, that’s simply a fallacy.” Smith, for her part, hit back at Toews, saying his own proposal for tariffs to fight back against policies that punish Alberta, was perhaps also unconstitutional.

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney resigns as UCP leader after getting 51.4% support in leadership review

'Very effective': Why Alberta is talking about autonomy — again

While there’s little doubt the dominant issue of the night was autonomy — indeed, Smith took every possible opportunity to pivot back to her Alberta Sovereignty Act — the candidates were pressed on issues from education, both primary and secondary, to rural policing and what to do with an expected $13.2 billion budget surplus.

Leela Aheer, a former Kenney cabinet minister, who was ejected after a photograph circulated of Kenney and his confidants drinking on the balcony of the so-called Sky Palace, talked about the necessity of protecting the vulnerable. A balanced budget, she argued, could never come on the “backs of children, their education or our most vulnerable.”

Others, too, feuded over the potential for a new, provincial police force that would replace the RCMP. It’s a proposal Smith and Toews back, with tacit support, maybe, from Jean. Sawhney, though, took Smith to task on it, saying many rural municipalities don’t support the idea. “You are not listening when you are enforcing the idea of an Alberta Provincial Police force,” Sawhney said.

“I think you’ve just said you don’t accept the wisdom of our UCP members,” Smith hit back.

For Albertans, who haven’t had a premier finish a term other than Rachel Notley, the NDP leader, for more than a decade, it’s been a winding road for the leadership race, which will wrap up in roughly six weeks, as candidates attempt to differentiate themselves.

“I may not be the flashiest person, I may not be the best speaker, but I can form great teams,” said Jean, pitching voters on his leadership abilities.

Related video: Alberta’s UCP leadership candidates prepare for final debate

Duration 2:06

View on Watch

The race kicked off back in May when Kenney, having narrowly won a review of his leadership after a tumultuous couple years of pandemic governance, announced he would step aside. The new party leader — the new premier — will be announced Oct. 6 in Calgary, roughly six months before the next provincial election.

“It’s clear that so far, this race has seen Danielle Smith dominate the discussion about policy, about where the party should go,” said Matt Solberg, a partner with New West Public Affairs. “That doesn’t mean though, that in any real sense, she’s a frontrunner. Votes are still available to candidates.”

That said, it’s tough to say who actually might be in the lead.

There has been very little polling in recent weeks, although a Leger poll from late July showed Smith with 22 per cent support, compared to Jean, another former Wildrose leader, with 20 per cent and Toews with 15 per cent.

The premier’s bombastic strategy to fight back against Ottawa and perceived enemies of the oil and gas sector, and the deep unpopularity in parts of the province of COVID-19 public health measures, not only fuelled Kenney’s ouster, but are proving to be critical in the race to replace him.

“Kenney’s approach, his whole ‘fight back strategy’ now looks moderate in comparison to what’s being promised by the other candidates,” said Duane Bratt, a political science professor at Calgary’s Mount Royal University.

In particular, Solberg said, Smith has got out ahead of the pack, and has tapped into a still-simmering resentment over Alberta’s perceived shabby treatment by the Justin Trudeau Liberals in Ottawa.

“That seems to be the most unifying issue so far,” Solberg said.

Three candidates — Todd Loewen, Smith and Jean — attended a forum last week hosted by a pro-independence group. And last week, Chrystia Freeland, the deputy prime minister, was verbally harassed on a visit to Grande Prairie, a city in northwestern Alberta. This in fact earned a comment from Sawhney, who thanked those who condemned the attack. “We cannot let the politics of anger win,” she said.

Early in the campaign, Smith made a provocative promise: to introduce legislation, the Alberta Sovereignty Act, that purports to allow Alberta to simply ignore federal laws, court rulings and regulatory decisions the legislature believe runs contrary to Alberta’s interests.

It led to an immediate backlash: constitutional scholars condemned it as flagrantly unconstitutional, and fellow candidates have joined in, as they did again Tuesday night.

But the Alberta Sovereignty Act, combined with lingering anger over COVID-19 public-health measures, has proved a potent mix for Smith. Prior to entering the race, Smith was still weighed down by her decision in December 2014 to cross the floor from the Wildrose Party to the Progressive Conservatives under then-premier Jim Prentice; the party would lose to the New Democrats just months later, ending a four-decade stretch of conservative rule in the province.

This once-unforgivable sin seems all but forgotten now, as her particular brand of red-meat conservatism has found willing recipients among the UCP faithful.

“It appears that both candidates and members seem to be ready to bury that hatchet,” said Solberg.

The leadership race has also marked a remarkable period of growth for the party. At the time of Kenney’s resignation, the party numbered perhaps 60,000 members; it has roughly doubled, to 123,915 members.

Membership sales have closed, and the available votes are locked in, but there’s still ample room for competition in the race. While Smith appears to be the frontrunner, it’s not clear who second and third choice candidates might be, which could be critical, Bratt said, given the party’s ranked ballot system of selecting a leader.

When it comes to the hot issues, several candidates have been bullish on COVID-19 measures, in particular. Health care is also clearly an important issue, but candidates are going to need to figure out how to talk about the system itself — which laboured heavily under an influx of COVID patients — can be improved, rather than just railing against public-health measures, Solberg said.

That applies, too, to the economy — which gets very little attention on the candidates’ websites, even though it was the conversation that not only dominated Alberta politics for the past seven years, but was the primary issue that catapulted the UCP to power in the first place in 2019. And, said Solberg, what they’re going to do with the fiscal windfall the next premier will inherit; spend, save, cut spending? All are questions to hash out in advance of the next election.

“Candidates for leadership are going to find the best success finding solutions to the issues with the most complaints,” said Solberg.

And that is the issue looming over the party and its potential leader. During the Kenney years, Rachel Notley’s New Democrats polled ahead of the United Conservatives. But, after his resignation, the UCP began to creep back up in the polling. The next leader — and the party writ large — will need to think about how they can win the next election.

“A lot of the vote switchers who were more than willing to vote for the NDP, even if they came back to the UCP in 2019, we can’t take those votes for granted, and so far this leadership race, I think we kind of have,” said Solberg.

• Email: tdawson@postmedia.com | Twitter: tylerrdawson

Danielle Smith faces renewed attacks in final Alberta UCP leadership debate

EDMONTON — Danielle Smith, the perceived front-runner candidate in the race to replace Jason Kenney as Alberta’s United Conservative Party leader and premier, faced renewed attacks on multiple fronts Tuesday in the campaign’s final debate.


Danielle Smith faces renewed attacks in final Alberta UCP leadership debate© Provided by The Canadian Press

Smith was criticized for her proposed Alberta sovereignty act and for leading a mass floor crossing to the Progressive Conservatives in late 2014 that nearly decimated her Wildrose party.

Former Kenney finance minister Travis Toews said the floor crossing tarnished both parties with drastic consequences in the 2015 election when they lost to Rachel Notley’s NDP.

“Leadership and unity matter,” Toews told about 700 members watching the debate at the downtown Citadel Theatre.

“Mere months before the 2015 election, (Smith) walked the floor. I believe it was (the floor crossing and the resulting fractured conservative movement) that ultimately contributed to an NDP government."

Smith was also attacked by multiple candidates for her centrepiece policy plan to pass her proposed Alberta sovereignty act this fall, if she were elected.

The act would grant the province the right to ignore federal laws and court rulings deemed harmful to its interests.

Critics, including legal scholars, say such a bill is not only illegal but will create a constitutional crisis.

Smith has in recent weeks downplayed the act, labelling it a symbolic document to seek rights that provinces such as Quebec are employing. But she has stressed her Alberta will refuse to enforce federal rules particularly in areas such as COVID-19 health restrictions.

Former Kenney cabinet minister Leela Aheer bluntly labelled the act “crap.”

“The sovereignty act is an attack on our Canadian and Albertan values. It’s an excuse to leave Canada when we should be looking for ways to lead Canada,” Aheer said.

Former Kenney cabinet minister Rajan Sawhney urged Smith to wait for the scheduled general election next spring to seek a mandate for such a radical piece of legislation.

“These are the kinds of things that require a mandate from Albertans,” Sawhney said.

Smith said she feels she has a mandate from Albertans through public consultations.

Rebecca Schulz, a former Kenney cabinet minister, questioned passing such a controversial bill so soon.

“I think we can't go into the very first legislative session with a bill that other candidates on this stage don’t support,” Schulz said.

“I don’t think that’s good for unity.”

Smith acknowledged she has taken “bold” positions, but said that is what leaders do.

“Too long conservatives have been leading and governing by opinion poll,” Smith said.

She noted other candidates have adopted versions of her sovereignty act in their platforms along with polices on preventing future health restrictions tied to COVID-19.

“Every other candidate on stage has followed my lead,” said Smith.

“That’s what leadership looks like: you take a bold position, you bring people around, you consult, you get feedback and you modify and then you allow people to disagree."

The other candidates are UCP backbencher Brian Jean and former UCP caucus member Todd Loewen.

Jean stressed that inflation is the biggest issue to be addressed, promising to end royalties on gasoline and reduce transmission and distribution fees on power bills.

Loewen stressed that Alberta needs to ratchet back the spending that has seen debt levels grow by the billions in recent years.

The leadership race is in the home stretch.

There are close to 124,000 party members signed up and eligible to vote. Smith is seen as the front-runner based on how she has been the focus of opposition attacks throughout the campaign.

The deadline to sign up for a party membership to vote was two weeks ago and candidates are now focused on winning support from members as their first or second choice as leader.

The winner will be announced Oct. 6 using a preferential ballot, which means lower-tier choices may come into play if the first-place finisher doesn’t capture a majority in the first round of voting.

Ballots are to be mailed out starting Friday and members can vote by mail or in person.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 30, 2022.

Dean Bennett, The Canadian Press

Poll: Black Americans see racism as a persistent challenge, and few say the country's racial reckoning has brought change

Jennifer Agiesta - Yesterday 

Two-thirds of Black Americans say that recent increased focus on race and racial inequality in the US has not led to changes that are improving the lives of Black people, according to a new report from the Pew Research Center.

The finding marks a pessimistic turn: In September of 2020, a majority of Black adults (56%) felt the added attention to issues of race and equality following a summer of protests sparked by the murder of George Floyd would lead to changes that improved the lives of Black people.

In the new survey, however, 65% of Black adults say that such changes haven’t materialized. Just 13% see it as extremely or very likely that Black people in the US will achieve equality, with little variation in that figure by age, gender, region or education level.

The survey – which included interviews with more than 3,000 Black Americans nationwide conducted last fall – finds 82% consider racism a major problem for Black people in the US. About 8 in 10 Black Americans report having personally experienced discrimination because of their race or ethnicity (79%) – including 15% who say they experience such discrimination regularly. And roughly 7 in 10 (68%) say racial discrimination is the main reason why many Black people can’t get ahead these days.

“Overall, Black Americans are clear on what they think the problems are facing the country and how to remedy them,” write Kiana Cox and Khadijah Edwards, the report’s authors. “However, they are skeptical that meaningful changes will take place in their lifetime.”

A broad majority (85%) of Black adults say Black people in the US today are significantly affected by the legacy of slavery, and 77% say descendants of people enslaved in the US should be repaid in some way. But just 7% of Black adults see the payment of reparations as very or extremely likely in their own lifetimes. Among the overall US adult population, just 30% favor such reparations.

Racism ranks as the most pressing problem for Black people living in the US out of six issues tested in the survey. Almost two-thirds of Black adults, 63%, say it is an extremely big problem for Black Americans, while 60% say the same of police brutality, 54% of economic inequality, 47% affordability of health care, 46% efforts to limit voting and 40% the quality of K-12 schools.

Related video: Factoring in racial demographic information in election predictions, as the U.S. becomes a minority-majority nation       Duration 3:46  View on Watch

A narrow majority of Black adults say that racism in the law is a bigger problem than racism by individual people (52%), while 43% feel individual racism is a bigger issue than that built into the law. Opinions are polarized, with 56% of Black Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents saying racism in the law is the bigger issue, while 59% of Black Republicans and Republican-leaning independents say racism by individuals is a bigger problem.

Most Black Americans say that major changes are needed in American institutions to enable Black people to be treated fairly. That sentiment is strongest when it comes to the criminal justice system, where about half or more say the prison system (54%), policing (49%) or courts and the judicial process (48%) need to be completely rebuilt for Black people to receive fair treatment. Fewer feel a complete rebuild is in order for the political system (42%), the economic system (37%) or the health care system (34%), even though most say those systems merit major changes or more. Across each of these areas, few who think changes are needed expect to see them happen in their own lifetime.

Black Democrats and Democratic-leaners are more likely to say that the policing system needs to be rebuilt than Black Republicans and GOP-leaners are to say the same, 52% to 29%. But there’s less of a partisan divide over police funding. A modest 39% plurality of Black adults say funding for police departments in their area should stay about the same, with 35% wanting to see the funding increased, and 23% wanting it to be decreased. Those numbers are close to identical across party lines.

Black Americans see heading to the ballot box as the most effective strategy for helping Black people in the United States move toward equality. All told, 63% call voting an extremely or very effective tactic in the effort to achieve equality for Black Americans, including 43% who say it is extremely effective. Supporting Black businesses is the only other tactic rated as deeply effective by most Black Americans (58% call that extremely or very effective). About half (48%) say it is effective to volunteer with organizations dedicated to Black equality, 42% say the same about protesting and 40% about contacting elected officials.

But the survey finds broad differences by age when it comes to views on voting. Overall, only about half of Black adults younger than 30 say that voting is an extremely or very effective path toward equality, compared with 77% of Black adults age 65 or older. There is also a sharp drop-off between older and younger Black adults in the level of concern they express about efforts to limit voting. While 61% of Black Americans age 65 or older say those efforts are an extremely big problem, that drops to just 32% among those younger than 30. Age differences are less pronounced across the other issues and political actions tested in the survey.

A plurality (39%) of Black Americans overall choose Black Lives Matter as the organization they feel has done the most to help Black people recently, topping the NAACP (17%), Black churches or other religious organizations (13%), the Congressional Black Caucus (6%) and the National Urban League (3%). Another 14% named another organization not included in the question.

About three in 10 Black Americans say that establishing a national Black political party would be an effective strategy for helping Black people move toward equality in the US, while slightly fewer see it as effective to have all Black officials governing Black neighborhoods. About 4 in 10 say all businesses in Black neighborhoods being Black-owned would be an effective way to improve equality for Black Americans.

The Pew Research Center surveyed a random national sample of 3,912 Black Americans online from Oct. 4-17, 2021. The sample was drawn from probability-based panels, and the results for the full sample of Black adults have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points. It is larger for subgroups.

Governments let 'once-in-a-generation opportunity’ to protect high seas sail by, Greenpeace says

Two weeks of United Nations negotiations for a high seas treaty have ended in failure, with wealthy countries slowing down the process and Russia acting as "a key blocker" in the discussions, says Greenpeace.

This will jeopardize ambitions to protect 30 per cent of the world’s oceans by 2030, according to a press release from the environmental non-profit.

Roughly two-thirds of the world’s oceans fall outside the jurisdiction of any nation and are largely unprotected from pressures like overfishing, pollution and resource extraction. A UN high seas treaty has been in the works for more than a decade and would be the first legally binding framework to protect these waters.

This latest round of negotiations showed countries like Canada, the United States, Australia, the U.K. and the European Union let a “once-in-a-generation opportunity to protect half the planet” pass them by, Sarah King, Greenpeace Canada’s head of oceans and plastics, said in a press release. The negotiations concluded on Friday.

A coalition of more than 50 countries — including Canada — pledged to push to finalize a strong high seas treaty this year, but unless ministers call an emergency meeting to finish the negotiations, the talks will likely drag into 2023.

“Apparently, two decades of talks alongside catastrophic losses across marine food chains, ecosystems and to front-line communities aren’t enough motivation for governments to agree [on] a blueprint for ocean recovery,” said King.

While the Pacific islands and Caribbean groups pushed hard to finalize the treaty from the get-go, Global North countries waited until the 11th hour to work towards compromises, Laura Meller of Greenpeace’s Protect the Oceans campaign said in the press release.

The Pacific islands region is threatened by myriad climate impacts, from dangerous sea-level rise to coral reef degradation. Fisheries are a key source of food, employment and economic development for the region, and climate change’s lesser-known threats like ocean acidification can, and will, hurt the health of marine species. At the same time, these small island states are responsible for only a tiny fraction of climate-warming greenhouse gas emissions.

“Failure to deliver a treaty at these talks jeopardizes the livelihoods and food security of billions of people around the world,” said Meller. “While countries continue to talk, the oceans and all those who rely on them will suffer.”

Natasha Bulowski, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada's National Observer

Last chance to offer input on caribou recovery proposal



There is still time to provide your feedback toward Parks Canada’s caribou conservation proposal, but you have to act fast. The deadline is Friday, Sept. 2.

Jean-François Bisaillon, project manager for the Jasper Caribou Recovery Program, said that there have been more than 200 comments, questions and feedback submissions that have been received from members of the public as of Monday morning.

“That’s pretty good actually,” he said.

Those comments were submitted via the online portal found at www.letstalkmountainparks.ca as well as by email and during the virtual and in-person public input sessions that were held in June.

“We’re really pleased with the level of comments and engagement so far,” Bisaillon said.

The proposal considers the very precarious status of Jasper National Park’s two remaining caribou herds: the Tonquin and Brazeau herds. Combined, they have barely more than a dozen breeding females.

“Without intervention, the Tonquin and Brazeau herds will eventually disappear from Jasper National Park,” reads a statement found on the online portal.

The Maligne herd was considered to be extirpated two years ago after several years of aerial surveys returned with zero sightings.

The proposal comes with a $24-million commitment from the federal government. That funding would go toward the construction and management of an enclosed and fully staffed breeding facility close to the Tonquin Valley.

Female caribou would be relocated there for breeding by 2025. Their first young would ideally be ready for release into the wild the following year.

The proposal is open to all Canadians to contribute feedback on.

Along with those comments from the general public (as well as comments from its Indigenous and stakeholder partners), Parks Canada’s decision will also consider scientific research, the results of a Detailed Impact Assessment and discussions with provincial jurisdictions including both the Government of Alberta and British Columbia, as well as Environment and Climate Change Canada.

“Lots of discussion, lots of engagement about this project. This is pretty exciting,” Bisaillon said, adding that he still hopes that more people will inform themselves about the project and why it is necessary before offering their own comments on both their level of support for it and whether it can be improved.

“The more, the better,” he said. “It’s important to say that these comments will be carefully analyzed. It is really important that we get comments from anyone interested.”

Bisaillon added that a decision would likely be expected later in the autumn.

Scott Hayes, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Jasper Fitzhugh

Scientists in China created the first-ever mammal with fully reprogrammed genes

Joshua Hawkins - 

testing age reversing therapy on mice© Provided by BGR

Scientists have been messing around with genetics for years now. One of the most powerful gene-editing tools, CRISPR, has even allowed them to create genetically modified mosquitos and could let us make hypoallergenic cats sometime in the future, too. Now, scientists in China have made a massive breakthrough, creating the first genetically modified mammal to sport fully reprogrammed genes.

Breaking chromosomes


A simulated strand of DNA© Provided by BGR

The researchers published a paper in the journal Science detailing the process by which they made the first genetically modified mammal with fully reprogrammed genes. The team took each chromosome from a mouse and then broke them down. They reorganized them into a new combination, creating what they call Xiao Zhu, or “Little Bamboo.”

The new genetically modified mouse is a first for science, as the mammal is made up of completely reprogrammed genes. This is the first time that the modification of mammalian genes has been carried out on a scale of this magnitude, the scientists note in their paper.

Chromosomes are essentially the building blocks of evolution. It is these threads that hold DNA in a cell’s nuclei. Normally, chromosomes break apart and recombine naturally. That’s what helps drive organic evolution. It’s an extremely delicate and complicated process, and we’ve struggled to pull it off for years. That’s why this genetically modified mammal with fully reprogrammed genes is such a big piece of news.


scientists edited chromosomes to create a genetically modified mammal© Provided by BGR

Not only is this a huge milestone for genetic modification, but it also proves that humans can genetically modify animals at a chromosome level and still create living creatures. It’s also scary to think about the possibilities this could unlock. Mammalian genes are very complex, too, which makes this success even sweeter.

Of course, mistakes can happen during these processes, too. The scientists even encountered some errors when recombining chromosomes, which led to some of the genetically modified mammals dying shortly after modification (via South China Morning Post). However, Xiao Zhu’s existence proves that a little trial and error paid off in the long run. All of this research will further how humans study genetics, too.

Proving that we can create a genetically modified mammal with fully reprogrammed genes could also help spurn other research using CRISPR and genetic modification. And it could allow for new breakthroughs in synthetic biology as a whole.

Edmonton may be known for winter chill, but heat islands on the rise, researchers say

EDMONTON — Researchers at the University of Alberta say a city known for its bone-chilling winter temperatures also has potentially dangerous heat islands that have been getting hotter for the last two decades.

© Provided by The Canadian Press

The heat-island effect measures the difference in surface temperature between urban and rural areas, said Sandeep Agrawal, a professor in the university's Faculty of Science.

It has been closely investigated in eastern cities such as Montreal and Toronto, he added.

"A winter city like Edmonton has not been studied for this phenomenon and we did not know if it was occurring here," Agrawal said in a recent interview.

"The big takeaway is Edmonton also experiences urban heat-island effect. This could be deadly for people during summer months, from headaches, to heatstroke, to even heat-related mortality like what we saw in B.C. last year where hundreds of people died.

"The deaths are attributed to heat islands."

The research, co-authored by post-doctoral researcher Nilusha Welegedara, is under review for publication.

Agrawal said Edmonton has numerous areas where the temperature of the ground has jumped by between 6 C and 12 C overall compared to rural areas over the past 20 years — and it's due to global warming and a loss of vegetation.

"Cities are getting more and more paved over with concrete and surfaces that absorb heat at the expense of vegetation," he said.

Agrawal and his team analyzed satellite images between 1999 and 2021 and examined 402 neighbourhoods, including industrial areas, residential areas and the North Saskatchewan River Valley, which stretches through the city and is one of largest urban parks in North America.

The study found the north side of the city and some downtown areas with low vegetation had higher temperatures than the south side, which was cooler because of the river valley and older neighbourhoods with features such as boulevard trees.

"Literature does say that heat exposure is much more pronounced among people who are marginalized and vulnerable, " he said.

"What we saw was that the neighbourhoods along the River Valley are cooler, and they're also occupied by people of a higher socio-economic status. So you can say that … it's the lower-economic status people who are a lot more affected by it."

Agrawal said the city's urban planning needs to take into account the hot summers that are becoming common along with cold winter weather.

“Cities like Edmonton have long focused on their identities as winter cities. I believe Edmonton’s identity is changing as the temperature rises over the years,” Agrawal said.

"When we are building new neighbourhoods, there needs to be some way of preserving vegetation and trees so that we can mitigate this effect as much as we can," he said.

The study also discourages the use of materials such as concrete and asphalt because it absorbs more heat.

"There are alternate material pavers available that can help," he said.

Agrawal said his team is now researching a similar trend in Calgary and Vancouver.

"Canada is supposedly a winter country. Edmonton especially is considered a winter city, but that's not the case anymore when you're talking about the urban heat-island effect."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 31, 2022.

---

This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.

Fakiha Baig, The Canadian Press