‘Flagship species’ was devastated by deforestation. Now PA experts may bring it back

Robert F. Bukaty/AP

Brendan Rascius
Fri, January 27, 2023

One hundred years ago, a native species of the Keystone State disappeared. Now, state officials, backed by an overwhelming majority of Pennsylvanians, are pushing to bring the animal back.

The state’s game commission is evaluating the potential reintroduction of the American marten, a small weasel with reddish fur and a bushy tail.

Prior to the Industrial Revolution, the marten flourished in the hardwood forests in the northern region of the state, according to the game commission.

However, deforestation in the 18th and 19th centuries and unrestrained farming led to the animal’s destruction. The last martens in Pennsylvania were likely snuffed out in the 1920s, officials said.

Its absence did not go without consequences. The creature is a “missing ecological community member” within the state’s wooded areas, game officials said in a Jan. 27 video.

The fleet-footed tree climber, which weighs only a few pounds, carries out crucial functions, including managing rodent populations and dispersing seeds.

The marten has also been referred to as a “flagship” or “umbrella” species because it brings “benefits to many other species that require a healthy and diverse forest,” officials said.

The game commission authorized an assessment of the feasibility of reintroducing the animal in 2022, which included a statewide survey. It found 92% of respondents supported the repopulation effort, and the assessment concluded that “American marten reintroduction to Pennsylvania is likely to succeed.”

The commission’s board is scheduled to meet on Jan. 27 and 28 and may have updates regarding the repopulation effort.

A spokesperson for the game commission did not immediately respond to a McClatchy News request for comment on Jan. 27.

Many formerly extirpated species have been successfully reintroduced in Pennsylvania over the past several decades, including river otters, bald eagles and white-tailed deer, officials said.

PHOTO ESSAY
Nigeria floods: Songs and testimonies from a drowning world
Sun, January 29, 2023
Communities hit by Nigeria's worst recorded floods are at the centre of an exhibition by photographer Gideon Mendel. He took portraits of people standing amid their drowned homes in the southern state of Bayelsa:


In late November last year I travelled to Nigeria, more than a month after the floodwater had arrived and I found many houses were still inundated.

With the water slowly receding, my subjects were able to take me to their homes, often travelling by canoe.

Gift Ikuru standing in flood water in her home in Ogbia Municipality, Bayelsa State, Nigeria - November 2022

"This is the third time I have experienced a flood, but this is by far the worst," said Gift Ikuru (pictured above) from Ogbia municipality.

"All of my belongings are destroyed. There is no shelter for us, so we have been sleeping on the roadside."

I was repeatedly moved by the welcome I received in this community - from people dealing with such difficult circumstances. So many people wanted to have their experience documented that I often had a queue of people waiting to be photographed.

My subjects embraced this moment of witnessing, facing the camera with such dignity, like Shiphrah Timbiri Otuoke (above).

She broke into spontaneous song as she stood outside her home, expressing sorrow but also a resilience shown by so many in Ogbia where many own small plots of land to grow crops.

"On our farm the water was above our heads so we had to take the risk of diving to harvest our cassava," she said.

"It brought so much destruction and hunger to our community. I am a sociology student and the flood was a disaster to me academically. I lost so many learning hours. My textbooks, handouts and notebooks are all damaged. I don't know where to start from now because I support myself with farming as a student."

Floodwater at Dorca Executive Apartments (student accommodation) in Ogbia Municipality, Bayelsa State, Nigeria - November 2022

The residents living on the lower level of Dorcas Apartments, accommodation for university students, have been all flooded.

"None of us have had any assistance in this terrible situation," said Joy Christian, whose husband is a caretaker of the building.

Eruabai Ase standing in flood water in her home in Ogbia Municipality, Bayelsa State, Nigeria - November 2022

"We have seen huge rains this year, more than ever, but we know that this flood came from a dam being opened in Cameroon," said Eruabai Ase Otuaba (above).

"We thought the 2012 floods were the worst but the level is much higher this time. There is nowhere to sleep and the water came with sickness. With so many mosquitoes malaria is here.

"I am living with my family on the top level of the incomplete building. We have to use this contaminated water for washing and drinking."

Satellite dishes at Dorca Executive Apartments (student accommodation) in Ogbia Municipality, Bayelsa State, Nigeria - November 2022

Ms Otuaba said the displaced families had received no help from the government.

"The floodwater destroyed our store of food supplies from our family farm so we have nothing to feed on. The foundation of our house is also damaged. We do not know if it still will be standing after having so much water inside.

"But in our community we support each other. When there is food we share it. I have a degree in business studies, but I am not employed at present. I work on our family farm."

Prince Ogiasa Lume standing in flood water in his home in Ogbia Municipality, Bayelsa State, Nigeria - November 2022

"We were told that a flood is coming but we did not prepare for something of this magnitude, particularly because in this community flooding is rare," said farmer Prince Ogiasa Lume Otuoke (above).

"The flood came suddenly. There was no time for preparation as the water was overflowing with extreme force. I did not have the chance to dive into the water and save my crops.

"Our main crop here is plantain, and for the planting we need the suckers. But they will have all rotted away under the floodwater."

People playing in flood water flood waters outside Dorca Executive Apartments (student accommodation) in Ogbia Municipality, Bayelsa State, Nigeria - November 2022

According to the UN's disaster relief agency (Ocha), the flooding in Nigeria affected more than three million people.

More than 600 people lost their lives and another 1.5 million people were forced to flee their homes. It extensively damaged houses, farms and basic infrastructure and decimated livelihoods across the country.

"The damage to staple foods such as cassava, rice, and plantain, among other crops, risks aggravating the already alarming food and nutrition crisis across Nigeria," said Ocha's Matthias Schmale.

Edigiraru Donald and Iruaro Robert standing in flood water in their home in Ogbia Municipality, Bayelsa State, Nigeria - November 2022

"The experience was not easy. We have been moving from one place to another for shelter. We are now living in the upstairs of an incomplete building," said Iruaro Robert Otuaba, a school student (above right).

"We lost our personal belongings but I was most upset to see all my children's schoolbooks in the water," said his mother Edigiraru Donald (above left).

"All the crops from our farm are destroyed. We are seriously suffering now because I can't do any business to survive."

Greater Evangelical World Crusade Church in Ogbia Municipality, Bayelsa State, Nigeria - November 2022

This is the outside of a church in Ogbia, showing how slow it was taking for the waters to recede.

"I remember the flood when 2012 when I was a boy, but that was not nearly as bad as this. Nobody in our community expected it to be this huge," said Mr Otuaba.

Orubo Oro standing in flood water in her home in Yenagoa Municipality, Bayelsa State, Nigeria - November 2022

For farmer Orubo Oro Tombia (above), from neighbouring Yenagoa municipality, the worst aspect has been the loss of cassava stems: "It is a disaster to me in so many ways and the cause of so much stress.

"The farmland is submerged so all the stems are dead. That means there will be no crop in the coming year."

"We know that many things caused this flood. A dam over the border in Cameroon released water, and our government has failed to prepare for this by building a dam to curtail it," she said.

"I also believe that climate change caused the unusual rains and the overflow of the dam. I have a canoe, so at least I am able to move around and return to my home."

Fidelia Shedrack standing in flood water in her home in Yenagoa Municipality, Bayelsa State, Nigeria - November 2022

Fidelia Shedrack Igbogene (above), also in Yenagoa, said her family were the only ones left on her street as they had an upper floor: "Where we are here there is no comfort because the building is unfinished. Mosquitos feast on us. The situation is terrible and bad.

"I make a living farming fish and we had two fishponds. They were washed away and I have lost all my fish."

Winner Odums standing in flood water outside her home in Ogbia Municipality, Bayelsa State, Nigeria - November 2022

"I am a university student. Many of my academic books are damaged, and how can I study when I am living like this?" said Winner Odums (above) in Ogbia.

"It's hard for my family to survive with food prices so high and all of our farm produce destroyed. With all the water still here it makes life unbearable."

Rain and flood waters outside Dorca Executive Apartments (student accommodation) in Ogbia Municipality, Bayelsa State, Nigeria - November 2022

Many people have been struggling to find refuge - this is Dorcas Apartments where only the upper levels were accessible.

"Someone gave us his place to stay but now he has just asked us to leave so we are now staying by the roadside," said Aruaman Ase in Ogbia.

Alawei Christian standing in flood water in his home in Ogbia Municipality, Bayelsa State, Nigeria - November 2022

"I work in a student building and most of their belongings under my watch as the apartment caretaker are gone, submerged under floodwaters," said Alawei Christian (above).

"This is my fourth experience of flooding, but it is much worse this time, the biggest of all of them. It has really affected my family. We have lost so much, including 25 chickens."

"There has been some help offered, but not nearly enough," said Mr Christian.

"Imagine a bag of rice and beans for hundreds of people in the community. We received just a single cup measure of rice and beans."

Janet Eke standing in flood water at her home in Ogbia Municipality, Bayelsa State, Nigeria - November 2022

Farmer Janet Eke Otuoke is sleeping at her brother's home in Ogbia: "We are seven people in that small room with our children, living and managing together.

"I also lost all my cassava stems, so for us to plant next year it means we would need to buy them. But each stem goes for more than a 1,000 naira [$2.20, £1.75], which is far beyond our means.

"My appeal to government is that they should help us to continue farming and also help with the properties that have been so damaged."

Interviews by Tife Owalabi and Stanley Boroh.

Gideon Mendel's exhibition Fire / Flood is showing in London at the Soho Photography Quarter, part of The Photographers' Gallery, until May 2023.

Images subject to copyright.

Iran protests: Woman, Life, Freedom inspires dance music album

Megan Lawton & Tom Richardson - BBC Newsbeat reporters
Sat, January 28, 202

Woman, Life, Freedom has become a protest slogan in Iran - and it's also the name of a dance compilation made by Iranian DJs

You're at an underground rave. The location's a secret to everyone except the hundreds of people crammed inside.

All around you, people are dancing. The music is loud and the vibes are good.

But in Iran, raves aren't just a night out. They're an act of defiance.

A wave of protests has swept the country since September, when 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in police custody.

Demonstrators - many of them women - want to get rid of Iran's strict religious leaders and rules that limit what they can wear or do in public.

In response, the government has been cracking down on protests. Hundreds have been jailed. Some say they've been tortured for confessions and others have been sentenced to death.


The penalties for speaking out can be harsh, but Iranians are still finding ways to oppose the current system.

And one of those is dance music.

'A huge risk'

"You would basically think that you are in a warehouse in Europe or in the US somewhere when you go into these underground parties," says Aida.

"Because nothing really looks different.

"But it's a huge risk for the people who attend, the people who organise and the DJs."

DJ Aida says music and dancing are a sign of freedom

Aida, 30, is a DJ and music producer who was born in Iran and relocated to Canada aged 12.

She still has relatives and friends in the country, and watching from afar made her want to do something to help.

So Aida has teamed up with fellow DJ Nesa Azadikhah to produce Woman, Life, Freedom - an electronic compilation by a group of female Iranian women, producers and musicians.

They hope the album will raise awareness of the protest movement back home, and plan to donate the money it makes to organisations helping women in Iran.

Iran country profile

Nesa left Iran, where she was born and raised, five months ago to tour Europe.

She has organised public events back home, but they couldn't be too lively as dancing is regarded as an illegal, indecent act.

Nesa and Aida explain that smaller-scale shows involving ambient music and visuals are permitted as a "cultural experience".

But both say dancing is a symbol of freedom for them.

Nesa Azadikhah used to be based in Tehran until recently

Nesa's first experience of going into a club was a feeling of being "without stress, with peace and freely listening".

"It's a really emotional experience because it's something we really don't have in Iran," says Nesa.

"But at parties I feel that way all the time.

"I wish that this could be possible and that this could happen over there."

Aida agrees: "When I go to clubs, and when I'm playing in clubs, and I'm thinking about Iran, it's also a similar feeling."
'A better future'

Both Aida and Nesa expect their compilation will be heard in Iran and might even soundtrack an underground event.

"It will be listened to back home.

"There is dancing and there is life as we know it happening underground in Iran. And so maybe not publicly, but these things do happen," says Aida.

15 minutes to defend yourself against the death penalty


Why reporting on Iran comes at a heavy price


'I use Call of Duty to speak to my family in Iran'

But they also want it to make others feel the same way Nesa did on that first visit to a club.

"It's also this sense of hope for a better future and hoping that this can change over there," says Aida.

"That the sheer amount of talented people in Iran can freely really show their talent and explore their passion.

"The same as we can out here and not have to run into these issues, not have to risk their lives, not have to sacrifice their performances because of these restrictions and rules that exist."

Follow Newsbeat on Twitter and YouTube.

Listen to Newsbeat here.

New Footage of Paul Pelosi Attack Should Put Right-Wing Conspiracy Theorists to Shame

Kylie Cheung
Fri, January 27, 2023


Screenshot: @AP/Twitter

A judge has released police body camera footage capturing the moment Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Ca.) husband, Paul, was attacked by a hammer-wielding home intruder last October. The clip, first shown in court last month, captures officers arriving at the Pelosis’ San Francisco home and the moment the suspect, identified as David DePape, bludgeons the 87-year-old man with a hammer. As police restrain and arrest DePape, he details his plans to kidnap the congresswoman and break her bones.


Judge Stephen M. Murphy of San Francisco Superior Court ordered the public release of the video on Friday following requests from news organizations including the New York Times and Washington Post, as the footage will continue to be played in the courtroom during the trial.

Paul was hospitalized shortly after the attack, suffering a fractured skull and injuries to his arm and hands. Nonetheless, as he healed from his wounds and his family grieved, conservative politicians and media outlets immediately peddled baseless, homophobic conspiracy theories—namely, that Paul and DePape were lovers—and claimed the attack was unrelated to Pelosi’s politics. Republican leaders like former President Trump, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.), Donald Trump, Jr., and others have openly mocked Paul for being victimized and alluded that he and the feds were lying about what happened. And of course, Elon Musk shared the homophobic conspiracy theory about the attack on Twitter just days after buying the company.



DePape himself told police in his interview that Pelosi is “the ‘leader of the pack’ of lies told by the Democratic Party,” a narrative pushed by the far-right and even ostensibly “moderate” wings of the Republican Party for years. DePape told police he has other targets, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter. His internet history leaves a paper trail of alarming, racist and antisemitic rants.

The newly released footage should put to bed the misinformation and twisted right-wing “jokes” about the attack, which were often accompanied by paranoid calls to “release the footage.” Instead, there are now concerns that the newly public footage could be edited and manipulated by right-wing media to further push their agenda. This was one concern outlined by the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office, the Washington Post reports.

The footage shows Paul, who was awakened in the middle of the night in his home by an intruder, in a state of undress. There’s nothing even remotely odd about this, and yet, the conspiracy theory that DePape is Paul’s lover emerged in because after a local Fox affiliate misreported and retracted a claim that DePape had been in his underwear when he was arrested, which spread like wildfire. Needless to say, people will believe what they want to believe. Even despite actual video footage making it extremely clear what went down on the night of the attack and why, the Pelosis should probably not expect to receive any of the apologies they are due.

Jezebel

FORDISM IS THE ORIGIN OF GLOBALIZATION

Chinese carmakers line up for 'phenomenal opportunity' in the UK

Howard Mustoe
Sat, January 28, 2023

HELLO KITTY KAR

ORA Good Car GT electric vehicle displayed during the 43rd Bangkok International Motor Show - NurPhoto

Few cars manage to attain the name recognition of the Fiesta, Ford’s cheap, reliable runabout in which millions of Britons learned to drive.

But after sales of 4.8 million in the UK alone, the American car maker has called time on the model. Production is to end this year after almost 50 years after its debut.

The withdrawal creates a gap at the bottom of the market as more and more car makers ditch cheaper models in favour of pricer – and more profitable – SUVs. Yet nature abhors a vacuum and there are already new manufacturers lining up to take the place of the old guard. The vast majority are from the same country: China.


Up to 30 new electric vehicle brands are eyeing up the UK car market, according to an industry report seen by The Telegraph, with most of them Chinese.

Challengers have designs on the cheaper end of the market, preparing to sell mass market battery-powered cars to Britain.

Companies like BYD and Ora, which already have agreements in place with UK dealers, will be joined by a raft of other car makers including Chery, Dongfeng and Haval. They are big brands in China but virtually unknown to British buyers.

Ford Fiesta - John Keeble/Getty Images Europe

“My read of the Chinese is they are very, very excited about the UK market,” says Mark Raban, the boss of Lookers, one of the top UK car dealers.

Lookers will soon begin selling cars from BYD, which is backed by billionaire US investor Warren Buffett. The company only started making cars in 2003 but already has a 17pc market share of electric vehicle sales in China.

As well as the cars themselves, BYD also manufactures the batteries that go in them. This will be of growing importance as rising demand for batteries across the world puts pressure on supply.

“I think we're going to see some very, very competitive pricing,” says Raban.

China’s car market is the biggest in the world but sales growth is slowing, in-line with the broader economy. As a result, domestic automakers are now looking to export.

Britain is an obvious target: the UK recently reclaimed its place as the second-biggest European market, behind Germany, and the Chinese car industry already has well established links here.

MG, for instance, is now one of the fastest-growing car brands in the UK, passing Citroen, Honda, Renault and Skoda. While a British marque, MG has been Chinese owned since 2005.

As The Telegraph revealed last month, MG plans to expand electric car sales further in the UK, seeing “a significant opportunity” in the country.

MG - Chiradech Chotchuang/Alamy Stock Photo

China's Geely is also preparing to pump more investment into London Electric Vehicle Company, which makes electrified London black cabs and battery-powered vans. Geely hopes to turn the company into a “high volume” manufacturer of electric vehicles, Reuters reported.

Sales of electric vans have already proved popular with customers, according to recently filed accounts from the Warwickshire company.

Promised investment such as this raises the hopes that the Chinese push into the car market could help Britain reach its target of producing 2 million cars a year.

To do so, it will need new factories, probably owned by companies not yet producing here, the industry’s lobby group says.

If China wants to sell here, could it also bring jobs and production lines, returning affordable car production to Britain?

Prof David Bailey, a car industry expert at Birmingham University, is sceptical.

“I think they may go to Central Europe, where labour costs are low. You know, what is the UK doing to be an attractive place to set up operations?”

The US has laid out a tax bonanza worth hundreds of billions of dollars that is currently hoovering up investment in green vehicles and has already lured away startups such as electric van maker Arrival. The EU is considering a similar scheme.

“We're squeezed between these two really big blocs that are putting in a big amount of effort to make this happen,” says Bailey.

For Lookers’ Raban, though, the arrival of a wave of affordable Chinese cars is a “phenomenal opportunity” for his business.

New brands could take 10pc of the UK EV market by 2025 and 18pc of it by 2030, industry researchers estimate.

Playing into Chinese manufacturers’ hands is the fact that others are retrenching as they look to expand.

Jim Farley - Rebecca Cook/Reuters

Last week it emerged that Ford is to cut 3,200 jobs across Europe as it shifts its focus from cheaper petrol cars to more lucrative electric ones.

Familiar carmakers are abandoning cheaper models to sell larger SUV-style motors and higher-spec cars in order to make best use of restricted parts supplies.

Ford is focusing on models like its £50,000 electric Mustang. It joins brands like BMW and Mercedes which have both openly said that cheaper cars are no longer for them.

Not all have abandoned the entry-level car: Nissan has increased production of its Qashqai by 16.5pc, helping it displace the Vauxhall Corsa as Britain’s best-selling car last year.

However, Nissan’s Qashqai starts at £26,000, a far cry from the £16,000 a Fiesta could be bought for just before the pandemic.

In starting at the bottom of the market, Chinese manufacturers are taking a leaf out of Nissan’s book. When the Japanese company entered the UK, it did so first under the guise of its mass market Datsun, which undercut the competition. Over time, it moved up the ladder to introduce pricer, higher-specification models.

For companies like Ford, moving into the crowded, more expensive end of the market, jostled by cost-cutting Chinese brands, may not end well for them, says Prof David Bailey, a car industry expert at Birmingham University.

“There’s no guarantee any will survive,” he says. “And it's those that make the shift to electric vehicles, quickly, efficiently, and are able to get their costs down; they will be the ones that survive.”

Whatever the outcome, Chinese challengers will be arriving alongside European, US and Japanese models in sales lots soon. And for buyers looking for an affordable everyday run-around, they may increasingly be the only options.

Ford is focusing on models like its £50,000 electric Mustang. It joins brands like BMW and Mercedes which have both openly said that cheaper cars are no longer for them, though Ford points out that despite the Fiesta's sales decline it was still a top-10 car last year and is joined by the Puma and Kuga in the best-seller list.

Anti-Abortion Protesters Hid in Closet for 9 Hours Before Storming Walgreens Shareholder Meeting

Kylie Cheung
Fri, January 27, 2023 

Protesters, including “Pro-Life Spiderman” (pictured on the left,) hid inside

 the closet before sneaking out behind the podium.

About 50 anti-abortion protesters crashed Walgreens’ annual shareholder meeting in Newport Coast, California, on Thursday over the chain’s recent announcement that they’ll sell abortion pills in states where abortion isn’t banned. The protesters, hailing from various anti-abortion organizations—one of which is known for comparing abortion to the Holocaust—went to some pretty eyebrow-raising lengths to get into the meeting.

Two of the protesters claim they hid in a closet at a nearby resort for nine hours “in order to crash the meeting and let them know blood will be on their hands.” Other protesters reportedly chanted, “Walgreens, stop selling abortions,” while a truck outside the venue read, “Walgreens, stop dispensing death with the abortion pill.” One of these protesters, mind you, was Mr. Pro-Life Spiderman—a man who climbs skyscrapers to protest abortion.

“Today, directly after the close of official business of our annual shareholders meeting, a small group of protesters entered the meeting room without authorization,” Fraser Engerman, Walgreens’ senior director for external relations, said in a statement to Reuters. One of the attendees described the meeting as “wild” and that “the protesters knew what they were doing because they found a way to enter the room from behind the podium.”



The protesters who, I repeat, camped out in a closet for nearly half a day to berate a pharmaceutical company for selling FDA-approved medication appear to be organizers from Live Action and a group called Survivors Los Angeles, who claim to be survivors of the abortion “Holocaust.”

On January 3, the FDA ruled that it will allow retail pharmacies to offer abortion pills, or mifepristone, for the first time—a crucial step to increase access to this safe and necessary medication. However, health experts have pointed out that despite the safety of abortion pills, the FDA’s policy change doesn’t go far enough to make the medication accessible. As Garnet Henderson details in Truthout, the agency “left in place a requirement that physicians be certified to prescribe the drug” and also “created an onerous new pharmacy certification process” that will discourage many pharmacies from actually offering it. And if all of this weren’t daunting enough, there’s the looming threat of continued protests from anti-abortion activists, who have an entire lineup of pre-planned protests at Walgreens and other pharmacies, like CVS, in the coming month.

Quartz compiled a list of the upcoming protest dates, including a nationwide protest of Walgreens and CVS locations led by the Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising on Feb. 4; a Students for Life protest of Walgreens’ corporate office on Feb. 14; and an ongoing 40-day protest of the pharmacies by 40 Days for Life, from Feb. 22 to April 2.

In his statement, Engerman added that Walgreens is “grateful that none of our shareholders, team members and event staff were harmed during this incident.” Given anti-abortion protesters’ long, storied history and very ongoing tendency toward extreme acts of physical violence targeting abortion providers, I’d be relieved too.

Jezebel

RIGHT WING WAR ON LGBTQ+ RIGHTS
'An unaccepting home is very taxing': Chico mom sues over alleged 'secrecy law' regarding trans students

107
Michaela Harris, Appeal-Democrat, Marysville, Calif.
Fri, January 27, 2023 

Jan. 27—A lawsuit filed recently by a parent against Chico Unified School District has sparked discussion surrounding schools' approaches to notifying parents if a student discloses their preferred gender identity or sexual orientation to them.

On Jan. 13, a lawsuit listing Aurora Regino as the plaintiff claimed that the school her oldest child attends socially transitioned them by referring to the student with a male name and pronouns while hiding this change from Regino for months.

According to the lawsuit, Regino claims that her child, referred to as A.S., disclosed to a school counselor that they "felt like a boy." A.S., a fifth grader at the time, was then asked if they would prefer to be referred to with a male name and pronouns, and A.S. claimed that they felt pressured to say yes.

As the plaintiff, Regino claims that an alleged "parental secrecy policy" upheld by the district and other public schools in California violated Regino's 14th Amendment due-process rights. She also claims that the alleged policy in question encourages faculty members to socially transition transgender students without notifying parents unless expressed permission is given by the students.

The lawsuit further claims that under this policy, "schools in the district are prompting students to question their sexuality and gender, facilitating their social transition to a new gender identity, and integrating this new person into the school ecosystem, all without informing or receiving consent from (the child's) parents."

It claims that Regino was supportive of her child's change in gender identity, and by withholding this information from parents, the alleged policy excludes parents from being a part of a formative event in their children's lives.

Regino's attorney is Harmeet K. Dhillon. Dhillon is the founder and CEO of the Center for American Liberty.

"Founded by Harmeet K. Dhillon in 2018, the Center for American Liberty leverages its nationwide network of attorneys to zealously advocate for individual liberty and to combat illegal discrimination," according to the group's website. "The Constitution guarantees individual liberty rights, but as we've observed, there is a coordinated assault on our civil liberties from corporations, politicians, socialist revolutionaries, and inept or biased government officials. The Center for American Liberty is leading the fight against this assault on liberty by holding those who destroy our civil liberties accountable through the courts."

Last year, the "Dhillon Law Group and LiMandri & Jonna LLP, in conjunction with the Center for American Liberty, sent a letter of intent to sue the Permanente Medical Group, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan & Kaiser Foundation Hospitals who performed, supervised, and/or advised transgender hormone therapy and surgical intervention for Chloe Cole when she was between 13-17 years old," the Orange County Breeze reported in November 2022.

Dhillon, on behalf of the Center for American Liberty, also previously filed a complaint against a Salinas Valley school district, claiming that two "radical activist" teachers "tricked a 12-year-old girl into believing she was transgender and bisexual," the Los Angeles Times reported. Dhillon also claimed the school created a "gender support plan" and "instructed the faculty to use her new male name and pronouns — all without her mother's knowledge."

The Chico Unified School District Board of Trustees responded to the allegations presented in Regino's lawsuit shortly after its release. Superintendent Kelly Staley wrote in an email to parents that there is no parental secrecy policy in place when addressing a transgender student's social transition. She also denied that the district has ever tried to change a student's identity.

"Our goal is to ensure that every student — every student, every day — has as much support as possible from as many sources as possible, including their families. Whenever possible, and as permitted by law, we seek to ensure that the student has the full support of their family," Staley said during a board meeting on Jan. 18.

Regino claimed in the lawsuit that the alleged parental secrecy policy is upheld by state law. While not directly named in the lawsuit, Regino confirmed in an interview with Action News Now that the state law is in reference to Assembly Bill 1266, the state legislation which is based on participation rights for transgender students and deals in part with student privacy as it pertains to self-identification. This legislation has been in place since January 2014.

Student safety

Under a frequently asked questions section of Assembly Bill 1266, the California Department of Education said that a transgender or gender nonconforming student may not express their gender identity openly in all contexts, including at home. Revealing a student's identity to others, or "outing" them, could compromise the student's safety, officials said.

For this reason, preserving a student's privacy is prioritized under this legislation as well as many school districts in the state.

Doreen Osumi, superintendent for Yuba City Unified School District, said that the district must observe specific guidelines established by state legislation. She said that in the case of students coming out to faculty members, the student's well-being is prioritized in accordance with state law.

"We do not have a parent secrecy policy, which implies that we would actively work to keep information from parents about their child. We strive to build strong, open and collaborative relationships with our parent partners. There are specific laws governing pupil privacy and antidiscrimination that we must observe," Osumi said in an email. "In such a situation we work with the student to support them consistent with the privacy laws previously referenced. Our primary goal is the well-being of our students and any parental notification will depend on the specific situation. Our practices are consistent with the laws, which apply to all school districts. They are not unique to our district."

Marysville Unified School District follows similar guidelines when addressing a student's coming-out process.

Director of Student Welfare and Attendance Zachary Pless said that students are entitled to privacy in all areas of their lives, both in and out of school. He said that any guidelines pertaining to privacy are followed to suit the student's best interests, and parent involvement is a priority for the district.

"I recognize that, with parents, we do discuss a lot of information. They are a part of that team in terms of supporting a student. I have never heard of a 'secrecy policy' in terms of with parents," Pless said.

Should a student come out to a faculty member about their gender or sexuality, faculty members are encouraged to start an open dialogue with the student and ensure that school remains a safe place for them. Pless said that a conversation with a trusted adult is a good starting place for students opening up about their identity to understand the level of support they need.

School counselors or psychologists may also outline a gender support plan should the student need additional changes to the way they interact with their school. Pless said that the district works to include parents in this discussion in order to move forward with any changes made for the student.

"That's a team that meets with the parent, the kid. We talk through any concerns they have, questions they have. We talk about P.E., we talk about going to the bathroom, we talk about how teachers approach them at school, and we try to navigate who needs to know. There's that right of privacy, so who needs to know this? ... There's lots of people that a kid interacts with, and we want to make sure that we're supporting them in that while also respecting that privacy," Pless said.

Transparency and parent involvement is always the district's goal, but students may be reluctant to involve their parents in these transitions, he said.

"I have found that even with families that, on the surface, I think would be really resistant, when your child comes out to you and tells you those things, you love that kid. You want them to be happy and you want that support. Most families may not know how to act, and that's where school can support as well," Pless said.

In the event that a student would feel unsafe at home upon coming out, Pless said that ensuring that their school remains a safe haven for them and protecting their safety is prioritized.

"Ultimately, it's the kid who is disclosing it. It shouldn't be coming directly from the school. It should be coming from the kid because that's who (the parents) love. That's who they care about," he said.

'I'm scared'

Oftentimes, when students do not grant their schools permission to disclose their gender identity or sexuality with their parents, they anticipate rejection or some form of violence should they be outed in their home or among their other community groups.

In the case of Kelly Rickert, a homeless liaison for the Sutter-Yuba Homeless Consortium and volunteer member for Tri-County Diversity, she became homeless at the age of 14 after she was outed as a lesbian to her family.

Having already left their mother's home in San Diego to escape an abusive situation, Rickert and her sister tracked down their biological father and began living with him in Sacramento. Rickert would only stay with her father for around 10 months before she was forced out of her home.

While on the phone with her first girlfriend, Rickert's stepsister recorded their conversation on the answering machine.

"I even remember saying in this conversation, 'God, I really wish I could just tell my dad I'm gay. That'd be great, but I'm scared to.' Well, I got home that night, walked in and immediately knew something was wrong," Rickert said.

Her parents confronted her about her sexuality and gave her a week to leave their house.

"I didn't last a week. It was a horrible environment, so I chose to live on the streets after that. I couldn't go back to my mom's, and I didn't want to be in that situation at my dad's house, so at 14 years old, I was out on the streets," she said.

Rickert transferred to different receiving homes or group homes between the ages of 14 and 18. While living in a group home on the San Luis Rey Mission in Oceanside, Rickert became heavily isolated from her peers and was threatened at one point after being outed to her fellow community members.

"I knew that they were segregating me because of my sexuality. ... On the mission, I ran away because a group of girls found out that I was gay. I didn't tell them. I was still in the closet. I was not open. I was terrified," Rickert said.

According to Rickert, a group of counselors on the mission outed her to a group of girls who were also living on the mission. These girls began threatening Rickert with physical harm and even tried to push her down a flight of stairs, she said.

Rickert was dismissed when she sought the help of adults on staff, and ran away from the mission.

In a separate incident after Rickert had been living in a receiving home in Sacramento, she was told to return to her father's home after a family court proceeding.

"We walk into this courtroom, and I see my dad and stepmom sitting there. We all sit on this table in front of a judge. ... I remember his words. He points at me and says, 'You're going back home to your dad and you're going to stop this gay s**t out now.' And I went back home with them because I was told to, legally. They made me. I ran away. That's how I kept winding up on the streets," she said.

According to Tri-County Diversity's 2022 demographics regarding homelessness in the Yuba-Sutter area, 38 people belonging to the LGBT community were reported homeless. Rickert also said that 14 direct referrals were also made to Sutter-Yuba Behavioral Health and the Sutter-Yuba Homeless Consortium. There were also six youths seeking assistance due to sudden homelessness, she said.

"Not being accepted, outed, facing emotional or possibly physical abuse that occurs after being outed or found out in an unaccepting home is very taxing, especially to a child. Imagine being in a parent's home and a child making that decision: 'I'd rather be on the street than not sleep in a bed tonight in this situation.' That's a profound statement," Rickert said.

According to the Trevor Project's 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health, 45% of LGBTQ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in 2022.

"LGBTQ youth who felt high social support from their family reported attempting suicide at less than half the rate of those who felt low or moderate social support," the survey found. "... LGBTQ youth who found their school to be LGBTQ-affirming reported lower rates of attempting suicide."

According to a study published by the National Library of Medicine, "82% of transgender individuals have considered killing themselves and 40% have attempted suicide, with suicidality highest among transgender youth."

Local resources for LGBT youth are available for those in need of additional support. Tri-County Diversity hosts a support and crisis hotline at 530-763-2116. Those experiencing homelessness can find resources online through the Sutter-Yuba Homeless Consortium website at www.syhomelessconsortium.org.

Mexican president set to meet Citigroup CEO, spokesperson says

Fri, January 27, 2023 
By Kylie Madry and Isabel Woodford

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -Citigroup Chief Executive Jane Fraser is planning to meet with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, a government spokesperson told Reuters on Friday, amid the bank's attempt to finalize the sale of its local unit.

Fraser will be in Mexico in the "first week of February" during a planned visit with her leadership team, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.

A spokesperson for Lopez Obrador, Jesus Ramirez, said he did not have further details on the meeting, and said it was subject to final confirmation.

Citi declined to comment.

The planned meeting comes as Citi aims to sell its Mexican unit, Banamex, as part of the company's planned withdrawal of its retail services in the country after 20 years, first announced last January.

Two bidders, which sources told Reuters were Mexican conglomerate Grupo Mexico and Banca Mifel, are vying for Citi's local unit, Lopez Obrador said in December.

In an earnings call earlier this month, Fraser said she was bullish about institutional interest in Mexico.

"As you can imagine, in today's environment, Mexico is key for many of our corporate clients around the world for their supply chains. And we play a very important role there," she said.

Regarding the planned sale of Citi's retail unit, Fraser said she was "extremely pleased" with the progress being made, and reiterated that the company was still pursuing the "dual tracks" of an initial public offering if no sale was agreed upon.

Citi executives previously circled January 2023 as the proposed date for finalizing the deal.

Fraser has moved to simplify the Wall Street giant, announcing plans to shrink Citi's overseas footprint and exit non-core consumer markets, including Bahrain, China and India over the past 12 months.

(Reporting by Kylie Madry and Isabel Woodford; Editing by Stephen Eisenhammer, Cassandra Garrison and Leslie Adler)

Progressives blast Supreme Court over secret payments of at least $1 million to the ex-Bush official who reviewed the leak investigation

Oma Seddiq
Fri, January 27, 2023

Supreme Court building on January 20, 2023.

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

The Supreme Court failed to disclose its past relationship with Michael Chertoff, CNN reported.

Chertoff, a security consultant, recently reviewed the court's internal leak investigation.

Progressive groups slammed the court over what they view as a lack of transparency.

The Supreme Court on Friday came under fire following reports that it failed to disclose its past relationship with a former Homeland Security secretary who reviewed the court's investigation into who leaked the draft ruling that revealed the court was about to overturn abortion rights.

Michael Chertoff, who served under President George W. Bush and now runs a security risk management firm, had provided services to the Supreme Court before he was tasked with independently reviewing the leak investigation, which ultimately did not find who the leaker was, CNN reported.

The Supreme Court privately paid at least around $1 million to the Chertoff Group for security assessments related to the justices' safety, involving reviews of their homes and months-long consultations, according to CNN. The firm also assessed COVID-19 practices at the court, CNN reported.

Yet these financial contracts and the court's connection to Chertoff were excluded from the Supreme Court's investigative report released last week, which he signed off on, raising concerns about transparency and the thoroughness of his independent review.

"It feels like every day brings a new story about the Roberts Court's nonexistent relationship with transparency and ethics," Sarah Lipton-Lubet, president of the progressive-leaning Take Back the Court Action Fund, said in a statement on Friday, referring to Chief Justice John Roberts.

Chertoff, in a statement accompanied with the Supreme Court's report, wrote that he was responsible for reviewing the court's probe and identifying "additional useful investigative measures." Though Chertoff, after his assessment, concluded that he couldn't find any.

"Chertoff claims that he couldn't find 'any additional useful investigative measures' to identify the Dobbs leaker. We identified more than a dozen questions worth asking — but then again, we don't have secret contracts with the Court," Lipton-Lubet said. "I guess Chertoff had at least a million reasons not to ask any of those questions. This kind of rot is at the core of this Court, and yet they wonder why the public no longer trusts them."

The hidden payments come as progressive groups, congressional lawmakers, court observers, and ethics advocates demand greater financial transparency at the Supreme Court, which is not required by law to disclose its contracts.

It also comes as the Supreme Court is already under scrutiny for failing to figure out the source last spring's unprecedented leak of the draft ruling in the major case, Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization.



A spokesperson for Chertoff declined to comment and referred Insider to the Supreme Court's public information office for questions. The office did not immediately return Insider's request for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider

IT'S CALLED A WINDFALL TAX
White House blasts Big Oil stock buybacks again as Chevron profits double



Fri, January 27, 2023 
By Nandita Bose and Jarrett Renshaw

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House on Friday launched a fresh attack against U.S. oil companies, accusing them of using profits to pay shareholders instead of boosting supply, after Chevron Corp said its annual profit doubled for 2022.

Chevron posted a record $36.5 billion profit for 2022 that was more than double year-earlier earnings, kicking off what analysts expect to be a bumper earnings season for global energy suppliers.

Earlier this week, Chevron said it would triple its spending on share repurchases to $75 billion over five years at current guidance. Other oil companies are expected to follow suit.

"Companies clearly have everything they need – record profits and thousands of approved permits – to increase production," White House spokesperson Abdullah Hasan said in a statement.

"The only thing getting in the way is their own decision to keep plowing windfall profits into the pockets of executives and shareholders instead of using them to boost supply."

Under former President Donald Trump, Congress passed big, retroactive tax breaks for Big Oil, as fuel demand dropped during COVID lockdowns. After oil prices soared following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, European governments imposed windfall taxes on their oil industries, but U.S. lawmakers are unlikely to do the same.

Chevron and Exxon Mobil - the nation's two largest oil producers - are poised to post record annual profits for 2022 of nearly $100 billion combined, analysts forecast.

Chevron did not immediately respond to a request from comment, Exxon declined to comment.

Hasan's comments mark the latest set of attacks from the White House lambasting oil companies for funneling a windfall of profits to investors. President Joe Biden's administration tried several times last year without success to convince oil companies to boost output as gasoline prices rose, and Biden ultimately decided to tap the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR).

Last week, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said Biden will veto a bill by U.S. House of Representatives Republicans that limits the president's authority to tap the oil reserves if it passes Congress.

U.S. oil producers overall are increasing their budgets for new energy projects this year, but the expenditures will be dwarfed by the amounts paid to shareholders.

The energy industry last year was one of the top sectors in the S&P 500 index after trailing the broader market for years.

(Reporting by Nandita Bose and Jarrett Renshaw in Washington; Editing by Heather Timmons and David Gregorio)