Hollywood writers' strike nears 100-day mark: WGA, studios meet; Los Angeles Mayor calls for ‘immediate resolution’

Hollywood writers' strike reaches 100-day mark, negotiators meet to discuss resuming talks

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Major studios meet with WGA negotiators as Hollywood writers' strike nears 100-day mark (AFP)

 05 Aug 2023, 

Edited By Fareha Naaz

Representatives of the major studios and Writers Guild of America (WGA) negotiators met for the first time in three months on August 4 to discuss whether contract talks can resume, as the Hollywood writers' strike approaches the 100-day mark.

The strike, which began on May 2, involves 11,500 members of the guild and centres around issues such as pay, streaming residuals, and limitations on the use of artificial intelligence in the entertainment industry.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass expressed encouragement over the reopening of communication, as the ongoing strikes by writers and actors have had a negative impact on the economy. “It is critical that this gets resolved immediately so that Los Angeles gets back on track," she said in a statement, reported Reuters.

Also read: Hollywood strike may hit Indian box office

Neither the WGA nor the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), representing studios like Walt Disney and Netflix, provided updates on the talks at that point.

Prior to the meeting, both parties exchanged pointed statements. The WGA's negotiating committee called on the studios to abandon tactics used during the previous writers' strike in 2007-08, accusing them of spreading misinformation about the real impact of the current strike. The WGA urged the studios to come to the meeting with a new approach, willing to make a fair deal and address the issues affecting industry workers. “We challenge the studios and AMPTP to come to the meeting they called for this Friday with a new playbook," WGA stated in an email.

Also read: Hollywood strike: Why writers, actors protesting in the US. EXPLAINER

The AMPTP responded by calling the WGA's rhetoric "unfortunate" and stated that the discussion with the WGA was aimed at determining if they have a willing bargaining partner. "Our only playbook is getting people back to work," AMPTP said in a statement.

The strike is not only affecting writers but is also having a broader impact on the entertainment industry, including florists, caterers, and costume suppliers who support film and TV production. On July 14, members of the Screen Actors Guild also went on strike after failing to reach an agreement with the studios on a new three-year contract.

The combined impact of the writers' and actors' strikes is halting most work on scripted series for the fall TV season and film production. The uncertainty caused by the strikes led Warner Bros Discovery to warn investors that film releases could be delayed, and there might be an impact on the production and delivery of content.

The strike's consequences are reaching various aspects of the industry, and even television's Emmy Awards are expected to be rescheduled to air in January due to the ongoing strikes.

(With inputs from agencies)

Striking Hollywood writers, studios meet to discuss resuming talks

Sag-Aftra actors and Writers Guild of America (WGA) writers walk the picket line during their ongoing strike outside Paramount Studios in Los Angeles, California, US, on Aug 2, 2023.

PUBLISHED ON  AUGUST 04, 2023 

LOS ANGELES - As the Hollywood writers' strike approaches the 100-day mark, Writers Guild of America (WGA) negotiators met on Friday (Aug 4) with representatives of the major studios for the first time in three months to discuss whether contract talks can resume.

The 11,500 members of the guild walked out May 2, citing an impasse over pay, streaming residuals and other issues such as setting curbs on the use of artificial intelligence. Next Wednesday marks the 100th day of the strike.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said she was encouraged by the reopening of communication, as the Hollywood writers' and actors' dual strikes negatively impact the economy.

"It is critical that this gets resolved immediately so that Los Angeles gets back on track and I stand ready to personally engage with all the stakeholders in any way possible to help get this done," Bass said in a statement.

Neither the WGA nor the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which negotiates on behalf of Walt Disney, Netflix, had given any updates on the talks by mid-afternoon.

But ahead of Friday's meeting, they traded pointed statements.

The WGA's negotiating committee said it was time for the studios to abandon the tactics they used during the previous writers' strike in 2007-08, including allegedly spreading misinformation about the real impact of the strike.

"We challenge the studios and AMPTP to come to the meeting they called for this Friday with a new playbook," the WGA said in an email. "Be willing to make a fair deal and begin to repair the damage your strikes and your business practices have caused the workers in this industry."

The AMPTP called the WGA rhetoric "unfortunate."

"Tomorrow's discussion with the WGA is to determine whether we have a willing bargaining partner," the AMPTP said in a statement, adding "Our only playbook is getting people back to work."

Previously, the group said it had offered writers generous increases in compensation, and put forward improvements in the residuals paid to writers for making their movies and TV shows available on streaming services.

The work stoppage is taking a toll on florists, caterers, costume suppliers and other small businesses that support the entertainment industry. Those impacts were magnified, on July 14, when members of the Screen Actors Guild went on strike, after being unable to reach an agreement with the studios on a new three-year contract.

The AMPTP issued a statement, saying the actors had walked away from more than US$1 billion (S$1.3 billion) in wage increases, pension and health contributions and residual increases.

The twin job actions are rippling broadly through the entertainment industry, halting most work on scripted series for the fall TV season as well as film production.

Fox is expected to announce that television's Emmy Awards will be rescheduled to air in January due to the strikes, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing a person familiar with the plans.

Meanwhile, Warner Bros Discovery warned investors Thursday that uncertainty over the dual strikes could delay film releases and impact its ability to produce and deliver content.

Source: Reuters

The East African

In punishing Zuma and Trump we indict ourselves, but it must be done

SATURDAY AUGUST 05 2023

By JENERALI ULIMWENGU

There is hardly anything elegant in the spectre of a former head of state being pursued criminally, and what is happening to Donald Trump and Jacob Zuma is particularly shabby.

Two jurisdictions' worlds apart have found that their former chiefs were worth investigating for infractions committed either in or out of office, and in the case of one of them it has been decided that he go to jail while the other’s fate still has to be decided.

The want of elegance I mean here flows from the fact that these two individuals once occupied exalted positions, were looked up to by whole nations and should be considered role models by large portions of the societies wherein they evolved.

To now turn around and say they ought to go to jail kind of demeans the governance systems that they served, and which are now looking to lock them up as thugs.

Read: Trump to appear in court, accused of endangering US democracy

When we accept individuals as being worthy of our trust and able to guide our national affairs, we are in effect creating a filial relationship; we are family and, as such, are bound to feel hurt alongside them.

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Part of us is invested in their persons, and their moral death does kill something in us too.

Of course, there will always be the schadenfreude— “I’m happy because you’re miserable” — section, but that is the proverbial exception that proves the rule: Joe Biden wouldn’t shed a tear, nor would Thabo Mbeki.

What I am saying is that when we choose people who govern us, we are supposed to skim the top crust of the pot and distil la crème de la crème, and not scrape the bottom of the pond to scoop up the dredges that we then enthrone and crown and hail as royalty.

Now, if this sounds idealistic it is because it is, and we have to be guided by lofty ideals to which we aspire, even if, like in many other aspects, the pleasure lies in the pursuit rather than the capture.

Still, there must be parameters, yardsticks by which we can appreciate those in office for us. Consensus may be hard to come by, but by my reckoning, all the philandering of a Bill Clinton, in terms of aggravated villainy, Donald Trump's him hands down.

Thabo Mbeki, critiqued for perceived aloofness and misguided notions on HIV/Aids, cannot be equated to Zuma and his runaway corruption and state capture.

Read: Burglary scandal: Ramaphosa denies offence

So, the reckoning for Zuma has taken place, and in his advanced age he unfortunately has to pay for his crimes, while Trump’s comeuppance may yet catch up with him before next year’s election.

The fact that he is the (by far) leading candidate in his party’s early sifting process may not save him from a possible jail term. Already, he has scored a few firsts and he may chalk up some more.

Recently, Zuma was allowed out of jail on medical parole, and the issue being discussed now is whether those days he spent temporarily outside jail should be added onto his remaining days to be served.

These two men have both demonstrated what the ancient Grecian concept of hubris and nemesis actually, and literally, means in our time and age. Trump held himself as totally untouchable, capable of doing murder on the high street and walking away without a thought about it — so what is a little attack on the Capitol on January 6?

Zuma’s defence before his colleagues is that they couldn’t say that he had done anything that they themselves had not done.

While Thabo was being humiliated at Polokwane 16 years ago, Zuma went on record to tell his supporters that they need not continue hitting a snake whose head they had already crushed. That is hubris, and it has come back to bite him.

But what is all this in aid of? As I have said above, in a way we are likely to engage in self-flagellation by pillorying people we ourselves put on a pedestal. That is true, to some extent, and yet we have to consider what the alternative might be.

By avoiding the embarrassment inherent in the humiliation of our leaders, would we not be encouraging notions of impunity and entitlement? How could we then offer to posterity examples of good that must be lauded, and bad that must be castigated: The quintessential bonus-malus situation?

It is by rewarding good behaviour and punishing bad behaviour that we establish standards of behaviour and precedents and yardsticks by which all must abide.

We have had the misfortune of having an individual propelled to the highest echelons of national governance structures with the only claim to fame being that he was not corrupt. How painful is it when such an individual becomes a notable thief while in office? That he was not called out and chastised by his people is one of the saddest realities in our recent history.

On the strength of this fact, I fear we will not be able to hold our future rulers to any strict standard of ethical behaviour. In such a rudderless polity we open ourselves to accidents of all manner of rogue politicians, such as Trump and his soulmate, Zuma.

Ronald Sanders | Kenyan intervention in Haiti? More work needed

The Gleaner
Published:Saturday | August 5, 2023 

AP
People march to demand the freedom of New Hampshire nurse Alix Dorsainvil and her daughter, who have been reported kidnapped, in the Cite Soleil neighbourhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, July 31.

No one should yet be pouring champagne to celebrate the announcement by the US government that Kenya has agreed to lead a multinational police force to help subdue gangs and improve security in Haiti. This announcement is rightly far from a done deal.

The US exerted a great deal of diplomatic effort in trying to persuade many countries to lead a multinational force into Haiti – a principal request of Haiti’s unelected Prime Minister, Dr Ariel Henry. Among the countries that declined was Canada, which opted to provide direct support to Haitian forces.

Many nations are cautious about leading or even participating in such a force in Haiti, not least because they recognise that, within Haiti, while the people want an end to the kidnappings, violence, rapes, and other atrocities associated with the rise of gangs, a significant number are concerned about further foreign intervention in their country.

These nations also know that the underlying reasons for Haiti’s condition are the economic actions by France, which crippled the country’s economic prospects for over a century; a US invasion and its economic consequences; the convenient maintaining by foreign governments of avaricious Haitian leaders; and the general impoverishment of the country.

Haitian civil society groups have widely opposed the deployment of any foreign force, referencing bitter experiences with previous interventions and fears that intervening forces would be propping up the present unelected regime, which they regard as partially responsible for the country’s crises.

Further, all governments are keenly aware that a multinational force in Haiti’s present circumstances would not be a traditional United Nations (UN) peacekeeping force. What Dr Henry has requested is a force that will help the Haitian police confront and conquer the more than 60 gangs that now dominate the safety and security space in Haiti, leading to potential bloodshed.

For its part, the Kenyan government has said that it is ready to deploy 1,000 police officers to help train and assist Haiti’s police to “restore normalcy in the country and protect strategic installations”. The form of assistance was not clarified, and the government also made it clear that its “proposed deployment will crystallize” once it gets a mandate from the UN Security Council “and other Kenyan constitutional processes are undertaken”.

MANDATE

The Kenyan need for a UN Security mandate explains why the US, which is the chair of the Security Council for the month of August, has announced that it will propose a UN Security Council resolution authorising Kenya to lead a multinational police into Haiti. Getting a Security Council mandate will not be easy. Already, the US has been unable to obtain endorsement of the work plan for its chairmanship because of Russia’s objections primarily the result of the inclusion of Ukraine.

Interestingly, while UN Secretary-General António Guterres has welcomed Kenya’s announcement, he has described it as “a non-UN multinational operation in Haiti”. Where such a development places Kenya’s offer is left to be seen, particularly as the government has publicly stated that it wants “a mandate from the UN Security Council”.

What is troubling about this development is that it is not awaiting the outcome of several initiatives seeking “a Haitian-led solution”. Among these initiatives is the CARICOM Eminent Persons Group of three former Caribbean prime ministers, working to bridge division among stakeholders in Haiti and to arrive at an agreed plan to take the country forward. Their work is not concluded, nor have they pronounced on whether their mission has any chance of success.

Another initiative was the UN Security Council’s unanimous resolution on July 14, asking the secretary-general to produce options to help combat Haiti’s armed gangs. The time for the submission of the secretary-general’s report has not yet elapsed.

ENDORSEMENT

The US ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, disclosed that the US will be seeking Security Council endorsement for Kenya to lead a multinational force into Haiti, saying, “This is not a traditional peacekeeping force, this is not a traditional security situation [...] We have gangs that have overtaken the country, ... that are terrorizing civilians every single day.” She admitted that the situation is “unusual”.

What is being proposed is not a traditional UN peacekeeping force, but a military exercise designed to eliminate heavily armed gangs, which were created by elements of the political and business classes of Haiti and which are now out of their control.

While no one would disagree with the US that Haiti desperately needs stabilisation, not everyone will be convinced that a foreign multinational force, especially one that is not fully endorsed by the UN Security Council, is the answer.

Equally concerning is that any intervention in Haiti should be at the expressed wish of the majority of stakeholders in Haiti, including political parties, civil rights groups, the business community, and the influential Haitian diaspora.

Foreign intervention in Haiti is unlikely to secure the desired broad consensus among Haitians, unless the terms are agreed by them, including oversight, agreement on its purpose, and the expiry of its stay.

Moreover, the essential question of who is in charge of the country while it endures these events still remains. Will it continue to be an unelected group or a transitional government comprised of representatives of political parties, civil society, the business community, and qualified Haitians in the diaspora?

Achieving a Haitian consensus on a multinational force and the terms and objectives of its operations should be the first effort on which energies should be exerted.

Sir Ronald Sanders is Antigua and Barbuda’s ambassador to the US and the OAS. The views expressed are entirely his own. For responses and previous commentaries, visit www.sirronaldsanders.com.

Cyberattack disrupts hospital computer systems across US

Aug. 05 (MNA)– Hospitals and clinics in several states on Friday began the time-consuming process of recovering from a cyberattack that disrupted their computer systems, forcing some emergency rooms to shut down and ambulances to be diverted.

The latest “data security incident” began Thursday at facilities operated by Prospect, which is based in California and has hospitals and clinics there and in Texas, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Pennsylvania, AP reported.

“Upon learning of this, we took our systems offline to protect them and launched an investigation with the help of third-party cybersecurity specialists,” the company said in a statement Friday.

“While our investigation continues, we are focused on addressing the pressing needs of our patients as we work diligently to return to normal operations as quickly as possible.”

In Connecticut, the emergency departments at Manchester Memorial and Rockville General Hospital were closed for much of Thursday and patients were diverted to other nearby medical centers.

Similar disruptions also were reported at other facilities system-wide.

The FBI in Connecticut issued a statement saying it is working with “law enforcement partners and the victim entities” but could not comment further on an ongoing investigation.

“Waterbury Hospital is following downtime procedures, including the use of paper records, until the situation is resolved,” spokeswoman Lauresha Xhihani, said in a statement. “We are working closely with IT security experts to resolve it as quickly as possible.”

In California, the company has seven hospitals in Los Angeles and Orange counties including two behavioral health facilities and a 130-bed acute care hospital in Los Angeles, according to Prospect's website. Messages sent to representatives for these hospitals were not immediately returned.

AMK/PR

ROMANIA

Huawei Is the Wrong Way, Lenovo Is Accepted by the USA

by Valahia.news

August 5, 2023

Huawei is the wrong way. Do you remember the word game the US Embassy made to show Romania the right path regarding the 5G tender? Yes, at that moment, Huawei had a major ‘flaw.’ It was Chinese. Following the American way, Romania adopted legislation to ban Chinese companies from participating in the 5G tender.

The law gives the Supreme Council of Defense of the Country (CSAT) the last word regarding the authorization of projects. It excludes the Chinese company Huawei from the 5G equipment manufacturing and operating on Romanian soil. CSAT is led by the leaders who signed the strategic partnership with the USA and are very pro-American.

To be able to participate in the construction of 5G telecommunications networks in Romania, a company must meet several conditions, among which it should not be under the control of a foreign government, in the absence of an independent legal system, it has a transparent shareholder structure and no history of unethical corporate conduct, and it is subject to a legal system that imposes transparent corporate practices.

The law states that the CSAT’s compliant opinion “refers to the obligations assumed by the Romanian state within the framework of cooperation at the level of international organizations of which Romania is a part, of the European Union and bilateral strategic partnerships.” Of course, the Romanian – American is the one that stands out among these strategic partnerships the rule mentions. This is why everybody thought Chinese companies would never be able to implement their 5G technology in Romania, at least as long as the partnership with the USA is in force.

The surprise came out just recently when Romania authorized Lenovo to use the very 5G equipment Huawei is forbidden to utilize. The Government’s decision says that:

LENOVO GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY HK LIMITED is granted authorization for the use of 5G infrastructure equipment, provided that the technologies, equipment or software products sold under its name or brand come from economic operators approved under Law no. 163/2021 regarding the adoption of measures related to IT and communications infrastructures of national interest and the conditions for the implementation of 5G networks.Romanian Government’s decision of accepting Lenovo as 5G operator

Let us get this straight: Lenovo is a Chinese company, right? So, where is the explanation for all these decisions? It’s just one thing: the Americans have never said that China is the wrong way, only that Huawei is the wrong way. The Romanian journalists interpreted it as the USA forbidding Chinese companies to operate 5G networks and equipment in Romania. But they have never said that.

What was Huawei’s fault for not being accepted to participate in the 5G tender in Romania? The thing is, Lenovo, a Chinese company, is allowed to do what Huawei wasn’t. An explanation might be that Lenovo had been connected to Hong Kong, a former UK territory, which probably offered more transparency in their technological and commercial practices than Huawei, which is pure Chinese.

The reality is that, for one reason or another, the Chinese equipment is again agreed upon in Romania. The USA works in mysterious ways.

Vermont’s flood-wracked capital city ponders a rebuild with one eye on climate change


1/17

Flooding debris is stacked along State Street, near the state capital building, as a vehicle drives past with a load of lumber tied to the roof in downtown, Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023, in Montpelier, Vt. The mostly gutted shops, restaurants and businesses that lend downtown Montpelier its charm are considering where and how to rebuild in an era when extreme weather is occurring more often. Vermont’s flooding was just one of several major flood events around the globe this summer that scientists have said are becoming more likely due to climate change. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — A beloved bookstore in Vermont’s small capital city moved across the street to a new spot farther from the Winooski River after an ice jam sent river water into the store in 1992. A nearby office supply and gift store did the same in 2011 because it liked a different space that came with a bonus: it was higher and farther from the river.

But their moves to higher ground weren’t enough to save them from flooding after torrential rains in July caused what some saw as the state’s worst natural disaster since a 1927 flood that killed dozens of people and caused widespread destruction. Some communities suffered more severe flood damage this year than when Tropical Storm Irene ravaged the small, mountainous state in 2011.

“I think most people in this area were very concerned about climate change, but we also were a little pretty much thought we were a little safer here because we had not really suffered the drastic events that some other parts of the country have,” said Rob Kasow, co-owner of Bear Pond Books. “But I think now we’ve been a little disabused of the notion that Vermont is safe from climate change.”

Now the mostly gutted shops, restaurants and businesses that lend downtown Montpelier its charm are considering where and how to rebuild in an era when extreme weather is occurring more often. Vermont’s flooding was just one of several major flood events around the globe this summer that scientists have said are becoming more likely due to climate change.

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“It’s definitely going to happen again,” said Lauren Oates of the Nature Conservancy of Vermont. “It’s not a question of if, but when and how bad next time.”

Two people died in the flooding. More than 4,000 homes and 800 businesses reported damage, though officials expect those numbers to rise as the damage is tallied.

Many communities in Vermont — small, rural and mountainous — grew up in valleys where the rivers were needed to move goods. Hundreds of years later, that means roads and waterways that often lie close to each other, State Climatologist Lesley-Ann Dupigny-Giroux said.

“That’s a piece that’s not going to change soon,” Dupigny-Giroux said. “But I think in terms of development, in terms of settlement, in terms of what do we do in relation to those roads and rivers is something we need to start thinking about really really closely so that we can be a little bit more proactive.”

After Irene, Vermont spent heavily in rebuilding roads, bridges and other infrastructure to better withstand future floods. But much of July’s rains fell elsewhere, and officials say more such work is needed around the state.

Oates, of the Nature Conservancy, said thoughtful planning is needed to simply give rivers more room to flood, too.

“A lot more still needs to be done if we’re going to continue to have our towns and villages alongside our rivers to make sure we’re all better prepared, to make sure our rivers have more space to move and release all of their potential energy as well as their volume,” Oates said.

The storms dumped up to two months of rain in two days in Vermont, causing the river to overflow into basements and first floors of Montpelier businesses and homes, and covered the historic downtown in waist-high water. The rains ripped out blacktop and washed out dirt roads to cut off some areas while inundating communities in southern Vermont.

After the water receded in Montpelier, a city of 8,000, those in its creative and vibrant downtown found themselves taking stock after many had only recently started to rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic. Some are still paying off loans that got them through that. Most did not have flood insurance.

At Bear Pond Books, scores of soaked books lay in mud, silt and debris on the floor after the flood. Volunteers and staff helped to pull the damaged books into a large pile and shovel out the mud. As at other businesses, the wall boards and flooring were removed to prevent mold.

After being hit by Irene and COVID-19, Kasow described the latest disaster as “sort of like a dull exhaustion.” Retirement just keeps getting farther away, he said.

“It does sap your energy to constantly have to rebuild every couple of years or reinvent or reinvest,” Kasow said.

A woman, wearing a protective mask due to the airborne dust from dried floodwaters, walks past Bear Pond Books, which is rebuilding following the July floods, Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023, in Montpelier, Vt. The mostly gutted shops, restaurants and businesses that lend downtown Montpelier its charm are considering where and how to rebuild in an era when extreme weather is occurring more often. Vermont’s flooding was just one of several major flood events around the globe this summer that scientists have said are becoming more likely due to climate change. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Bear Pond Books owners Claire Benedict, left, and Rob Kasow, pose in their shop, which is being rebuilt following the July flooding, Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023, in Montpelier, Vt. Vermont’s flooding was just one of several major flood events around the globe this summer that scientists have said are becoming more likely due to climate change. “I think now we’ve been a little disabused of the notion that Vermont is safe from climate change,” Kasow said. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Bookstore manager Cora Kelly holds up a flood damaged book and shirt while inventory of undamaged books are stacked at Bear Pond Books, Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023, in Montpelier, Vt. The mostly gutted shops, restaurants and businesses that lend downtown Montpelier its charm are considering where and how to rebuild in an era when extreme weather is occurring more often. Vermont’s flooding was just one of several major flood events around the globe this summer that scientists have said are becoming more likely due to climate change. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Many businesses said they planned to reduce their vulnerability to future floods by moving utilities upstairs and no longer using their basements for storage. Some may move to other spaces altogether.

That includes Jenny Sebold, owner of Rebel Heart clothing and gift store and Pink Shutter Flowers, who called it “devastating” to see her businesses gutted. Last week, she pulled out a last bit of insulation already bearing the black marks of mold and peered through a hole in the wall. She could see the river through another hole in the floor.

Glenn Sturgis, owner of Capitol Copy, lost about $150,000 in equipment that he says would cost almost twice that to replace. At age 67, he had planned to sell the business next year. Now he’s simply going to walk away.

He said he hopes funding is used to prevent or accommodate flooding rather than just to rebuild.

“I don’t know how you do that with a city that’s this age, and these buildings and it’s right on the river,” he said.

He and his wife shopped downtown all the time, loved having an independent bookstore and want the businesses to come back, he said. “And they’ll be back but it’s got to be getting hard for people that have had to go through this a number of times,” he said.

The state has made $20 million in grants available to businesses looking to rebuild, capped at $20,000 each. Republican Gov. Scott said he knows that’s not enough money to help everyone. The businesses aren’t eligible for Federal Emergency Management Agency funding but several fundraising events are planned and GoFundMe sites have appeared.

Experts warn that the recovery — filing paperwork and pursuing insurance, finding contractors — can be more stressful than the immediate response to the disaster.

Sebold is already feeling that stress as she tries to keep her floral design business going without a space.

“I’m doing like twenty times the amount of work to make a fraction of the money but I have to do all of it,” she said. “And I need to fill out paperwork and I need to go to this meeting and I need to do insurance claims and I need to be ready when they say that that’s happening. So it’s like being a triage nurse but everyone’s missing a limb and everyone is bleeding out at the same time.”
___

AP reporter Brittany Peterson contributed to this report from Montpelier, Vt.
___

Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about AP’s climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Smithsonian museum plans to show photos of A-bomb aftermath in Japan

August 5, 2023 (Mainichi Japan)

This photo taken on Aug. 5 2021, shows Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima.(Mainichi)

WASHINGTON (Kyodo) -- A Smithsonian museum is planning to display photographs of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the wake of the U.S. atomic bombings in the closing days of World War II as part of a forthcoming exhibition.

"World War II in the Air," an exhibition covering developments in military aviation during the era, is expected to open in 2025 at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, a curator told Kyodo News earlier this month.

The plan is under way almost three decades after the museum was forced to scrap a proposal to display the fuselage of the Enola Gay, the aircraft that dropped the Little Boy atomic bomb on Hiroshima, alongside graphic photos and other historical materials on the damage caused by the two bombings.

At the time, the exhibit, planned for the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II in 1995, sparked a huge controversy in the United States over the historical context of the atomic bombings and drew protests from veterans' and other organizations.

The aircraft is now on display at the museum's annex in Virginia on the outskirts of the U.S. capital, but historical narratives about the decision to use the weapons remain delicate in the country.

In addition to photos of the devastated Japanese cities, the forthcoming exhibition is expected to include a "Little Boy-type bomb casing," said Jeremy Kinney, the museum's associate director for research and curatorial affairs.

But he added, "The museum does not currently plan to present photos or personal belongs of the (bomb) victims."

"This is not an atomic bomb exhibit," Kinney said, pointing out it will "examine how the wartime revolution in technology and tactics redefined the promise and peril of military aviation and will explore the dramatic changes to flight and America's role in world affairs."

"The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are part of that story," he said.

The museum, one of the Smithsonian Institution's facilities, houses the world's largest collection of aviation and space artifacts.

The section of the exhibition covering the world's first atomic bomb attack on Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, and then another three days later on Nagasaki, will be supported with "artifacts, images and other historical material from the museum's collection," he said.

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WSJ: Senators Urge White House to Disclose Efforts on N. Korea Crypto Heists

Written: 2023-08-05

Photo : YONHAP News

U.S. Democratic lawmakers are pressing President Biden to disclose efforts to crack down on North Korea's cryptocurrency theft, highlighting its threat to national security, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The report said Friday that three Democratic senators - Chris Van Hollen, Elizabeth Warren and Tim Kaine - are leaning on the Biden administration to disclose more information about its efforts to counteract North Korea’s dependence on stolen cryptocurrency to fund its nuclear program 

They also dubbed Pyongyang’s growing reliance on digital assets to evade sanctions a severe national security threat.

The Journal said the senators made the request in letters sent to national security advisor Jake Sullivan and Treasury under secretary for terrorism Brian Nelson on Thursday. They asked the administration to detail their efforts to address the problem including updated estimates on the scale and scope of revenue being generated by the regime's ill gotten gains. 

They also requested information on actors who have assisted the exchange of such currency into other types of assets such as materials that go into producing ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons.

Senator Warren said that North Korea has methodically accumulated knowledge on digital assets over the years and the Treasury department must act swiftly in clampdown efforts to safeguard national security.

The Wall Street Journal reported in June that North Korean hackers stole three billion dollars worth of cryptocurrency in the past five years since 2018 and that the money is now used to fund about 50 percent of the regime's ballistic missile program.

Advocates rush to help those living with homelessness in record heat

Every year advocates for those experiencing homelessness in Arizona offer food and water, but this year's record heat offers a more urgent challenge.




By Scripps News Phoenix
Jul 28, 2023

Each year, the Phoenix Rescue Mission hands out more than 600,000 bottles of water to people living on the streets.

Every day, case managers with PRM, like Sergio Armendariz, load up a PRM Hope Coach with lifesaving essentials to hit the city's streets. Those essentials include water, snacks, and some basic necessities, like deodorant and a toothbrush.

"Especially in Phoenix, you could go down any area, and I can go through pretty much all or most of my hygiene and water just because of the amount of people who are living on the street," Armendariz said.

"This is typically a spot where there's always a lot of people," he said.

One man he came across, David, said he'd been experiencing homelessness for about two years.

"It's just tough out here," David said. "I can barely walk, or get out of bed."

He told Armendariz that he wanted to get out of the hot Phoenix sun that day. Armendariz called some of his contacts at PRM and other local non-profit organizations to see what was available.

A lot of times, that's not a quick or easy task for him because of the number of people experiencing homelessness looking to get off the streets.

"I think, with this job, that's the toughest part about it is being able to find bed space," Armendariz said. "Sometimes, it's just not enough. That's why I'm huge on more shelter space."

How much heat is too much for the human body?

Heat-related injuries or deaths are preventable when proper measures are taken.

David ended up not wanting to start a year-long recovery program, which would have gotten him a space at a shelter that had room that week.

Armendariz understands why making the decision to make a change can be difficult for some people. Five years ago, he was in the same place as the people he now serves.

"Every day, I get to wake up and I give thanks to God for having a place to sleep, a shelter, restoration with my family, restoration with my kids, with my extended family," he said.

"It's just been amazing, really. Freedom - the freedom to just live my life, go to work every day, and do something that I really enjoy doing, and it has its difficulties, but, ultimately, I'm here to help."

Phoenix Rescue Mission is currently doing its "Code:Red Summer Heat Relief" campaign through the end of August.

If you'd like to help or donate, visit their website.

This story was originally published by Amelia Fabiano at Scripps New Phoenix.

'Witch' — Ukraine's fearless mortar commander — orders walls of fire

Ukraine's 'Witch,' a lawyer turned mortar commander, shows Scripps News inside her command bunker, where she uses drone footage to direct her teams.


Scripps News
Jason Bellini

Jul 20, 2023

The commander of a Ukrainian mortar platoon, whose callsign is "Witch," barks orders to her drone operator, whose callsign is "User," on the southern edge of Bakhmut.

"User, don't zoom in so much," Witch states.

She needs User to give her eyes on the target so she can tell Pidsumky, one of her mortar operators, that it’s time.

"Pidsumky Fire!" Witch orders.

In rare footage from inside her command bunker, where she uses drone footage to direct her mortar teams, we see her eyes focused on the monitor, watching and waiting for impact.

"It's coming down on the edge of the forest," Witch says.

She recalibrates for the next volley from her battlefield bunker, in a rare view of how Ukrainians on the ground and below it fight the counteroffensive.

"Our main occupation is to defend our infantry, to make the fire in front of our front line of infantry," said Witch.

Scripps News met up with Witch, a Ukrainian lawyer-turned-warrior, in Chasiv Yar, a battle-scarred village six miles from Bakhmut, jolted 24-7 by the sound of outgoing Ukrainian artillery.

Jason Bellini: We were just hearing a howitzer right there.

Witch: That's a big howitzer.

Witch directs fire at the Russians from much closer; that’s the marvel of mortars.

Their boom may be smaller than artillery, but their impact is especially large.

That portability is especially important in a war in which Ukraine’s infantry is forced to move by foot.

Since tanks and other heavy armor would be caught in Russian minefields and artillery traps.

Ukraine's front line deminers: 'Always first, always forward'

De-mining equipment is sidelined due to massive Russian entrenchments. For now, human hands must perform the death-defying duty of clearing mines.

"We can move very fast with mortar, and we can change our position and we can give a fire from different places," said Witch.

Sometimes she plays defense.

"With our drones, we can see the corpses of our enemies, and we can count them, and we can estimate the success of our combat operations," said Witch.

But how successful has she been?

"If 30% of our enemy in the unit which was attacked us is dead or injured, that means this unit cannot go forward. That means our work was successful," she explains.

Now in Ukraine’s counteroffensive, infantry units count on Witch to provide them with their only cover since there is no air support.

Witch: The work on attack is harder.

Bellini: Harder? Why?

Witch: It's more complicated because we are moving forward and we have to be closer to our infantry units. And there is not a lot of firing positions.

Bellini: Not a lot of firing positions?

Witch: This is not so easy because our ammo is very heavy.

Bellini: And of course, the Russians are targeting you.

Witch: Of course, we are the main target for Russians. It's my job. I like it.

Bellini: What do you like about it?

Witch: Now for me, it's a time of revenge.

Bellini: Time for revenge?

Witch: Exactly.

Bellini: Have you been getting revenge?

Witch: Yes. Step by step, but we're moving forward.

Bellini: I have to ask, your callsign, "Witch"?

Witch: I promise I will tell about the story of all of this after the war because it is dangerous to talk about it now.

Bellini: You've got me really intrigued.

Witch: All will be uncovered when the war will stop. I promise.