Bill to promote Mahatma Gandhi's legacy introduced in US House of Representatives
The bill seeks a budgetary allocation of USD 30 million every year for the next five years to the USAID for this foundation.
Published: 21st December 2019 10:34 AM | Last Updated: 21st December 2019 10:34 AM | A+A A-
Mahatma Gandhi. (File Photo)
By PTI
WASHINGTON: America's legendary civil rights leader Congressman John Lewis has introduced a bill in the House of Representatives to promote the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr and sought a budgetary allocation of USD 150 million for the next five years.
Introduced to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Gandhi, the House Bill (HR 5517) affirms the friendship between the two largest democracies of the world and honours the legacy and contributions of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr Martin Luther King.
Among other things, the Bill proposes establishing a Gandhi-King Development Foundation, which will be created by the USAID under the Indian laws. The bill seeks a budgetary allocation of USD 30 million every year for the next five years to the USAID for this foundation.
This foundation would have a governing council convened by governments of the United States and India and would oversee grants to NGOs in the areas of health, pollution and climate change, education and women empowerment, the bill says.
It is being co-sponsored by six other Democratic lawmakers, three of whom are Indian Americans -- Dr Ami Bera, Ro Khanna and Pramila Jayapal. Three other Congressmen are Brenda Lawrence, Brad Sherman and James McGovern.
The bill proposes the establishment of a Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange Initiative with an allocation of USD 2 million for the next five years till 2025. It will comprise an annual educational forum for scholars from India and the US held alternately in the two countries.
The conference will focus on the study of the works and philosophies of Gandhi and King and visits to historical sites. It also seeks to establish a Gandhi-King global academy, which would be a professional development training initiative on conflict resolution.
The bill proposes an allocation of USD 2 million for each fiscal year from 2020 through 2025, implemented through the United States Institute of Peace (USIP). Welcoming the introduction of the bill, India's Ambassador to the US Harsh Vardhan Shringla said it "reinforces the close cultural and ideological bonds" between India and the US.
Noting that Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr were dedicated leaders fighting for social justice and social change, peace, and civil rights, the bill says that the use of non-violent civil disobedience is a shared tactic that has played a key role in defeating social injustice in India, the United States and other parts of the world.
Observing that Dr King's effective use of Gandhi's principles was instrumental to the American civil rights movement, the bill says that there is a long history of civil and social rights movements in the United States and in India.
This bill, which has the support of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, is being considered as a significant landmark initiative by the United States Congress to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
There are two other resolutions on Gandhi pending in the Congress -- one by Senators Bob Menendez and Ted Cruz in the Senate and other by several other lawmakers led by Congressman Raja Kishnamoorthi in the House of Representatives.
Sent to the House Foreign Affairs Committee for necessary action, the bill christened "Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange Initiative Act'" says the people of the United States and India have a long history of friendship and the world will benefit from a stronger United States-India partnership.
Mahatma Gandhi never visited the US. But Martin Luther King travelled to India, which he described as a pilgrimage. In February 1959, Dr King and his wife Coretta Scott King travelled throughout India.
By the end of his month-long visit, Dr King said, "I am more convinced than ever before that the method of non-violent resistance is the most potent weapon available to oppressed people in their struggle for justice and human dignity."
Fifty years after Dr King's visit, All India Radio discovered a taped message by Dr King that emphasised the intellectual harmony between messages of Dr King and Gandhi on non-violent social action.
"Mohandas Gandhi, who employed the principle of satyagraha or fighting with peace, has come to represent the moral force inspiring many civil and social rights movement around the world," the bill says.
House of Representatives USAID Mahatma Gandhi Martin Luther King Jr John Lewis


U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson meets with the Emir of Qatar, His Highness Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, at the Sea Palace in Doha, Qatar on July 11, 2017. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]
1 Social Issues World News
Only 27% Of Americans See Qatar As ‘US Friend Or Ally’ – Survey
August 6, 2017 Arab News 0 Comments
By Arab News
By Ben Flanagan
Just 27 percent of Americans consider Qatar a friend or ally to the US, while many associate Doha with accusations of terror financing, an Arab News/YouGov poll has found.
The survey of 2,263 US citizens, conducted in July, also found that 31 percent of Americans consider Qatar to be unfriendly toward or an enemy of their country, while 43 percent either do not know or are unsure about how to classify the relationship with Doha.
The Arab News/YouGov poll on how the US views the Qatar crisis was carried out to mark the 60 days since the start of the diplomatic rift between Doha and its Arab neighbors Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain.
It found that 71 percent of Americans are aware, to various extents, of the diplomatic row. It also found that those who are aware have a good understanding of the reasons behind the crisis, with 67 percent correctly identifying that Qatar had been accused of supporting terror groups and meddling with the internal affairs of regional countries.
“Two months into the crisis, and given the US government’s keenness to mediate, it was important to gauge the sentiment of the American people with regard to this issue,” said Faisal J. Abbas, editor in chief of Arab News.
Stephan Shakespeare, CEO of YouGov — the globally renowned online polling company — noted that the American public “is not usually characterized by its high interest in foreign affairs, rather the opposite. However, this latest poll shows the current tensions between Qatar and its neighbors is gaining some significant attention.”
The poll also sought to measure public opinion regarding the US military base in Qatar. The Al-Udeid air base currently hosts more than 11,000 American soldiers. However, 49 percent of Americans say they are unsure if it is best for the base to remain there, while 20 percent thought that it should be moved somewhere else. Only 31 percent said the base should remain in Qatar.
The study also revealed several findings regarding the Qatar-owned Al Jazeera news network. At one point during the crisis the Anti-Terror Quartet (ATQ) — Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt — called for a shutdown of the network over its editorial guidelines, which allegedly permitted terror-related content.
According to the Arab News/YouGov poll, more than six in 10 Americans are aware of Al Jazeera — but many of those have negative perceptions of it. Half believe that Al Jazeera has a negative influence on the US image abroad. A majority of those with an opinion on the matter also believe the network gives a platform to terror groups linked to Osama bin Laden — with 44 percent agreeing with that statement, and only 18 percent saying the opposite. The rest of the US respondents — 38 percent — were unsure.
When asked about their general perceptions of Qatar, the poll found that 50 percent did not have enough information.
Of those who did, the greatest proportion of US citizens — 34 percent — associate Qatar with accusations of terror financing, compared to just 16 percent who cited the Gulf state’s controversial hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
• For full report and related articles please visit : YouGov Qatar Poll
← Possible Explanation For Dominance Of Matter Over Antimatter In Universe
The Hard Truth About Qatar’s ‘Soft Power’ Failure – OpEd →
Arab News is Saudi Arabia's first English-language newspaper. It was founded in 1975 by Hisham and Mohammed Ali Hafiz. Today, it is one of 29 publications produced by Saudi Research & Publishing Company (SRPC), a subsidiary of Saudi Research & Marketing Group (SRMG).


Florida Man Enters a High School with a Weapon to 'Test School Security'
A Florida man was arrested after he entered into a high school with a pocket knife attempting to test the school's security measures.
By Sherelle Black
Derek Marlowe, 51, entered Spruce Creek High School in Port Orange, Florida with a pocket knife on his waist to see how far he could go without being stopped by security officials.
Marlowe made his way through the faculty entrance and into a classroom where he sat down.
It was then that a teacher alerted authorities through an emergency button in the classroom, reported CBS Miami.
“It’s shocking to know that someone could just walk on your campus without permission or consent,” said Laron Killins, a student at the school, told CBS Miami.
“I can’t believe that someone like that got on to campus and even got into a classroom, that’s not very safe, so I’m concerned now cause it’s the first I’ve heard of it,” said Robert Chalker, a parent, to the outlet.
Police did report that Marlowe was intoxicated and that he said, “He did the deputy a favor and tested the school’s security.”
“I think they should have more security. I think there should be security at each side of every door, just for the safety of our children,” said Chalker.
Marlowe is facing several charges following the incident.
Sherelle Black is a Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.


Kia Sportage Sale Hit 5 Million Globally
Milestone figure achieved during Sportage’s 25th anniversary
Sportage first introduced the idea of the ‘urban SUV’ to consumers in 1991
Kia’s bestselling model for two consecutive years in 2016 and 2017
Current-generation Sportage reaches a million sales 29 months after launch
Launched in 1993, and spanning four generations since, the Kia Sportage has achieved this milestone on the year of its 25th anniversary. The latest model, launched in 2016, is more popular than ever, with average global sales of 38,000 units per month in 2017.
“We are extremely proud to have achieved this milestone production figure for our global best-seller. The continued and accelerating popularity of the Sportage demonstrates the breadth of the car’s abilities and the strength of its appeal to buyers in markets all around the world,” said Ho Sung Song, Executive Vice President of Global Operations Divison, “Since 1993, the Sportage has become a benchmark car in the compact SUV segment, and its success has also led to the creation of a diverse and comprehensive range of SUVs and crossovers from Kia – with other new models to follow in future.”
In 2016 and 2017, the Sportage surpassed the B-segment Rio as the brand’s global best-selling model. Strong sales of the Sportage in January and February 2018 – 36,632 and 32,930 units respectively – contributed to the model’s production landmark.
The Sportage made its first appearance at the 1991 Tokyo Motor Show, introducing the concept of the ‘Urban SUV’ to consumers for the first time – it set the blueprint for a compact, practical SUV, suitable for use in a variety of environments. This first generation Sportage was an instant hit, recording total lifetime sales of over 500,000 units.
Sales of the second-generation Sportage totalled 1,223,776 units globally after seven years of production. The third-generation model surpassed one million sales in just four years, helping the Sportage reach two million cumulative sales during its sixth year in production.
The fourth and current generation Sportage features a bold, progressive design, while offering greater practicality and an array of comfort, convenience and safety technologies. Its engine and transmission line-up also provides enhanced efficiency and performance to address a broad range of customer needs.
The Kia Sportage has historically been acknowledged for the strength of its design, having been awarded ‘iF Design’ and ‘red dot’ design prizes in both its third and fourth generations. Furthermore, the vehicle achieved the highest safety rating from the USA’s Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in 2017.
More popular than ever, the one-millionth fourth-generation Sportage was sold in January, after just 29 months on-sale.
Book a Test Drive Enquire Now


Category Archives: Tigerair
Tigerair’s quarterly loss widens to $143.3 million, Singapore Airlines jumps in and takes a majority 55% stake, will sublease 12 A320s to IndiGo
Tiger Airways Holdings Limited (Tigerair) (Singapore) has reported an operating loss of S$25.3 million ($19.8 million US) for the quarter ended September 30, 2014 (Fiscal Second Quarter), compared to an operating loss of S$12.8 million ($10.0 million US) recorded in the previous corresponding quarter last year
Tigerair Singapore recorded an operating loss of S$31.3 million ($24.5 million US) for the quarter compared to S$18.1 million $14.2 million US) a year ago. Revenue decreased by 4.9% to S$143.9 million ($113 million US) on the back of a rationalization of Tigerair Singapore’s network. The resulting improvement in load factor (+4 percentage point), was nevertheless offset by lower yields (-10.4%). Expenses increased by 3.4% to $175.2 million on higher unit cost (+3.1%).
The Group recorded loss after tax of S$182.4 million ($143.3 million US) in the Fiscal Second Quarter, compared to profit after tax of S$23.8 million $18.7 million US) a year ago. In total, the Group recorded one-off accounting provisions aggregating S$161.1 million in 2QFY15, mainly comprising S$99.3 million $126.6 million US) relating to the sublease of surplus aircraft and S$59.8 million ($46.9 million) for the divestment of Tigerair Australia.
According to the airline, “Tigerair’s largest shareholder, Singapore Airlines Limited (Singapore), has undertaken to subscribe for its pro rata entitlement, and also subscribe for excess Rights Shares, up to a total of S$140 million. Prior to the Rights Issue, SIA will convert its perpetual convertible capital securities (PCCS) holdings into Shares. The conversion will raise SIA’s stake in Tigerair from 40% to approximately 55% before the Rights Issue, effectively making Tigerair a subsidiary of SIA. SIA will not be making a general offer as Tigerair’s minority shareholders had approved a whitewash resolution in March 2013 to waive their rights to receive a general offer as a result of the PCCS conversion.”
In other news, Tiger Airways Holdings group (Tigerair) has reached an agreement with InterGlobe Aviation Limited (IndiGo) relating to the subleasing of 12 of Tigerair’s surplus aircraft by the Indian budget carrier. This sublease arrangement enables the Group to reduce excess capacity significantly and hence lower related leasing cost.
Most of these aircraft were previously operated by Tigerair Philippines and Tigerair Mandala, and had been returned to the Group upon its divestment of Tigerair Philippines in March 2014 and Tigerair Mandala’s cessation of operations in July 2014.
These 12 aircraft will be progressively delivered to IndiGo over a period of six months commencing in October 2014. Each aircraft will be subleased for between three and four years. With the lease of one of the 12 aircraft expiring in 2018, only 11 of the aircraft will be returned to the Group at the end of their respective sublease periods. Following their return, seven of the 11 aircraft are expected to re-join the operating fleet, while the remaining four may be progressively re-introduced back to the service network within two years.
Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A320-232 9V-TRI (msn 5596) of Tigerair (Singapore) arrives in Bangkok.
Tigerair (Singapore):
Tigerair (Singapore) Aircraft Slide Show:
This entry was posted in Singapore Airlines, Tigerair, Tigerair (Singapore) and tagged 5596, 9V-TRI, A320, A320-200, A320-232, Airbus, Airbus A320, Airbus A320-200, Bangkok, BKK, Singapore Airlines, Singapore Airlines Limited, Tiger Airways, Tigerair, Tigerair (Singapore) on October 17, 2014 by Bruce Drum.


Why the Mystics Didn’t Host a Championship Parade
WNBA players often have to play overseas during their league’s off-season in order to make an adequate living.
by Kelyn Soong October 17th, 2019 August 28th, 2020
Natasha Cloud Credit: Darrow Montgomery
One day after winning the WNBA championship, a bleary-eyed Emma Meesseman stood on the court at the Entertainment and Sports Arena in Ward 8 and thought about how she needed to pack.
Meesseman, the WNBA Finals MVP, had to board a flight back to her native Belgium the next day. She would then have a week or two to catch up with family and friends before going off to Russia where she competes for UMMC Ekaterinburg, a professional women’s basketball team she has played on since 2016.
“I’m used to it,” Meesseman says. “I’ve been doing it for a couple of years already. We’ve had several championships in Russia we just don’t celebrate because everybody goes home ’cause we have a flight in the night. It’s kinda sad, but I’m used to it.”
This is the life of a WNBA player. The Mystics won their first championship in franchise history on Oct. 10, rallying from a halftime deficit to beat the Connecticut Sun, 89-78, in front of a sold-out crowd at home during a decisive Game 5. But instead of sticking around D.C. to have a parade in front of adoring fans, the Mystics returned to their home court on Oct. 11 for a mid-afternoon rally.
They didn’t really have a choice. Unlike many male professional athletes, WNBA players often have to play overseas during their league’s off-season in order to make an adequate living. In addition to Meesseman, six other Mystics players on the active roster will be flying to different countries to play for their respective foreign teams in the coming weeks. Natasha Cloud and Aerial Powers are headed to China, Ariel Atkins is playing in Australia, Kim Mestdagh will go to France, Myisha Hines-Allen is competing in South Korea, and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough will fly to Hungary.
“It’s really hard, and I think a lot of people don’t understand our world,” says Cloud. “We play here for three or four months, possibly pushing that four-and-a-half mark. Then we got to go overseas right away. Their season has already started. When you’re talking about bringing in American players and paying them an amount that you do, teams want you immediately … So a [fall] parade in any sense is not even possible. A parade isn’t [the city] not doing it for us, it’s us not being able to do it for the city. So it sucks.”
The Mystics plan to have a parade in the spring before next season and have been engaged in other activities this week. The team traveled up to New York City for an appearance on Good Morning America on Monday and Elena Delle Donne threw out the first pitch at Nationals Park on Tuesday night before the Washington Nationals beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 7-4, in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series to reach the World Series.
Cloud, who took a financial hit last season by staying in D.C. to do promotional work for the team’s Monumental Sports & Entertainment ownership group, doesn’t put any blame on the city, her team, or organizers for the quick celebration turnaround, but calls the situation “disappointing.”
According to the Washington Post, players made a base salary of between $39,000 and $115,000 for the season in 2018, before potential bonuses. Players can make more than 10 times the maximum amount while playing overseas. In 2015, three-time WNBA champion Diana Taurasi accepted a $1.5 million offer from UMMC Ekaterinburg to sit out the WNBA season.
Last fall, the league’s Players Association voted to opt out of its collective bargaining agreement with the WNBA following the end of this season. The league named Cathy Engelbert as its commissioner in May, and the former Deloitte chief executive will play a pivotal role during labor negotiations. “My team and I are working very hard to bring in potential sponsors who share the same commitment as we do in growing women’s sports and lifting up women more broadly in society,” Engelbert told reporters last month before the WNBA Finals.
The league reportedly pays about 20 percent of its total revenue to players, while NBA players get about half of their league’s revenue. WNBA players like Las Vegas Aces guard Kelsey Plum have clarified that players aren’t asking for the same kind of pay as NBA players, but that they want a bigger cut of the league’s revenue, especially because players often need to compete year-round to make ends meet.
“It’s a toll,” Cloud says. “My body, it just went through a WNBA season in a Game 5 series, Game 4 semis. So I’m a little beat up right now. I’m fighting for two weeks with my [Chinese] team just to kinda sit down and allow my body to reset. But it’s tough. When you’re talking about why we’re fighting for equality and equal pay and opting out of our CBA, this is why, because we put ourselves in a situation that injuries are welcome in a sense. We try to take care of our bodies the best we can, but in order to be financially stable we need to go overseas and play.”
Kristi Toliver is expected to return to her role as an assistant coach with the Wizards this season. Toliver, who has won championships at the University of Maryland and with the Los Angeles Sparks, made only $10,000 last year for her work with the Wizards due to the team’s ownership structure, according to the New York Times. The WNBA had determined that Toliver’s pay needed to come out of the $50,000 WNBA teams are given to pay players for offseason work.
Details of her salary this year have not been released.
“It wasn’t an easy decision,” Toliver told the Times in December. “For me, I looked at the pros and the cons, the pros obviously being I get to rest my body, it being my first time in 10 years of not playing year-round, not going overseas. Obviously there are financial burdens that come with that, but this is also a very exciting opportunity that I want to take advantage of, being home, still being around the game, around the best players in the world, around the best coaches in the world.”
Powers, a Mystics forward, calls the quick turnaround after the WNBA season “very difficult” and believes WNBA players go overseas purely for financial reasons. She will travel back to Detroit, where she grew up, to see family for a few days before heading off to China to play for the Guangdong Vermilion Birds.
“All of the reasons are definitely financial,” Powers says. “I don’t think anyone just goes because we like it. It’s all financially, because it’s more beneficial for us.”
She envisions a different future for WNBA players—one in which the athletes have more power over their offseason schedules.
And maybe then they’d have time for a championship parade.
“Hopefully things turn around soon ’cause honestly, I feel like I can speak for everyone when I say if we had a chance to make more money like we make overseas here, most of us would not return overseas,” Powers says. “And if we did, it would be more of our choice. Right now it’s not our choice … It’s something we have to do.”
Like what you’re reading? Support our journalism and help us make more like it!
Read more Sports stories
Nicklas Bäckström Is Starting to Find His Rhythm With the Capitals
The Wizards Are Having an Identity Crisis
Sidwell Friends Girls’ Basketball Is the Latest Local Team to be Ranked No. 1 in the Nation


Do I Need Third-Party Phishing Protection for Office 365?
by Brad | Aug 11, 2018 | Cybersecurity, Office 365, Phishing
Office 365’s security features won’t protect users from all cyber security threats.
Microsoft’s cloud-based Office 365 user base is growing at a steady rate. Since the office platform first outperformed Google Apps in 2015, it’s seen a constant uptick in activity.
Now, Microsoft reports it counts its Office 365 users in the hundreds of millions. However, enterprise usage does not always equal enterprise value – particularly when it comes to cybersecurity as it misses out providing office 365 advanced threat protection for users.
Cloud-based technology like Office 365 is more secure than most on-premises solutions within the reach of small to mid-sized businesses. While the cloud platform adds security, there is a gap between the level of security Office 365 users need and the level of security that the natively provides on its own.
This is particularly evident when it comes to advanced phishing protection. Cybersecurity professionals know that 91% of cyberattacks use email as a primary threat vector. A small attachment in an otherwise harmless email can be the opening that cybercriminals use to force their way into your entire organization.
While Office 365 offers useful services through its Advanced Threat Protection add-on, users need a comprehensive third-party solution that compensates for some of the structural issues that Microsoft Office 365 faces in the cybersecurity field.
Improving the Office 365 Security Platform Model
One of the main issues with Office 365 is the fact that while it is an all-inclusive office productivity suite, the vast majority of its users don’t use it that way. Fragmented environments where multiple services compete for user time and attention generate disjointed security profiles that cybercriminals are quickly learning how to defeat.
Unlike other cloud-based productivity services, Microsoft adopts a shared responsibility model. That means that while Microsoft owns the platform and maintains its security framework, the customer is ultimately responsible for the data itself and for using the platform safely.
This is a very different approach than, for instance, Google’s cloud services. Whereas a Microsoft Office 365 administrator can turn off security activity logs, Google maintains logs on its customers’ behalf and makes them available through an API. This makes it much easier for cybercriminals to falsify records in Office 365.
The fact that Microsoft Office 365 administrator has complete and unchallenged power over the security of the network means that the administrator also has unprecedented responsibilities. If a privileged account falls into the wrong hands, it’s very easy for the infiltrator to cover his or her tracks by deleting those activity logs.
Why Office 365 needs additional phishing protection
Having established that Office 365 environments tend to be fragmented and that Microsoft doesn’t accept responsibility for security compatibility beyond the Microsoft environment, it’s easy to see where potential vulnerabilities can appear.
Even though you may have purchased licenses for the entire Office 365 Suite and installed them on every workstation, there is usually a substantial fall-off when it comes to employees using specific processes and applications. According to a Computer World report, many Office enterprise users are only obtaining value from their use of Outlook and the Office mainstays – Word, Excel, and Powerpoint.
Beyond that, SharePoint accounts for 74% of usage, while Teams scored 49%. Yammer, Planner, Delve, and OneNote also featured usage figures on the lower end of the scale.
Under these conditions, it’s easy for email spear-phishing attacks to target the supplemental applications that Microsoft cannot cover. An example of this is reporting to an employee that their password to a competing service needs to be renewed. The link in the email would point to a compromised website and use this lateral opening as a vector for taking over the entire network.
Third-party phishing protection can do much more than Microsoft Advanced Threat Protection is capable of. Since third-party software can be customized to fit the specific needs of an organization’s productivity platform, additional protections can be built in. These include multi-factor authentication and threat detection algorithms looking for specific weaknesses in the enterprise productivity portfolio.
Other areas for Office 365 security improvement
Microsoft’s built-in cybersecurity tools are admirable, but not perfect. While the company does a good job of protecting against advanced spam and known malware threats, it is markedly less capable of defending against exploits cybersecurity experts call zero-day vulnerabilities.
In fact, one of the latest and most damaging malware variants to make waves recently is an Office 365-based zero-day exploit called baseStriker. Cybercriminals took advantage of a flaw in the way Office 365 servers qualify incoming emails to send malicious code through a rarely-used HTML tag that Office 365 doesn’t support or recognize – but that a more secure email server would.
A zero-day vulnerability is a cyberattack that uses a previously unknown exploit. It is one that the tech industry has had no time to accommodate for by creating patches or implementing safeguards for key programs. Whenever a previously-unknown security vulnerability is exploited, the time between the discovery of the vulnerability and the first attack is zero days.
The fragmented security environment that Office 365 offers is not enough to protect against these types of attacks. Microsoft can’t protect you from vulnerabilities it doesn’t know about, and hasn’t established a solid-enough security infrastructure to protect against suspicious behavior.
This is true both for zero-day vulnerabilities and for spear phishing emails. The truth is that spear phishing emails still comprise the main strategy of more than 70% of organized cybercrime attack groups as of 2017.
This means that the biggest obstacle for most businesses remains social engineering and email phishing. Creating an identity perimeter against initial remote access attempts using multi-factor authentication is just one way that third-party security software can help businesses fight the threat of advanced phishing.
Join the thousands of organizations that use Phish Protection
Find out how easy and effective it is for your organization today.
How to Send a Follow-Up Email After No Response?
Is COVID-19 Germinating More Cyber Attacks?
Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 1 of 2020
Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 52


UK Public is Invited to Build Sand Mountains with Katie Paterson
Bioplastic buckets in the shape of mountains will be distributed across 25 UK beaches this summer as part of a participatory art project by artist Katie Paterson. First There is a Mountain is a nationwide project by the Fife-based visual artist, centred around the creation of multiple "sand mountains" across the UK coastline.
Image: Sand Mountains, image courtesy to Aberdeen Art Gallery and Museums
Bioplastic buckets in the shape of mountains will be distributed across 25 UK beaches this summer as part of a participatory art project by artist Katie Paterson.
First There is a Mountain is a nationwide project by the Fife-based visual artist, centred around the creation of multiple "sand mountains" across the UK coastline.
The mountains of sand will be created by the public using five compostable pails that double as scale models of five mountains around the world: Mount Kilimanjaro (Africa), Mount Shasta (USA), Mount Fuji (Asia), Stromboli (Europe), and Uluru (Oceania).
Sand Mountains Project with Katie Paterson
Made from white bioplastic, the five buckets nest together.
The participatory artwork will tour twenty-five high-profile coastal art venues around the UK, which will each stage a sand-pail-building event on their local beach.
"The ways in which the public interacts with the artwork at each location is integral to the evolution of the project and its overall experience," said the artist.
"Participants will sculpt beaches into thousands of mountains of sand to form micro-geologies – serving as a poetic vehicle that connects diverse world mountains."
At the end of the project, the plastic pails, which are made from fermented plant starch, will be composted back into the ground.
The public will be able to track the project's progress through a dedicated website and social media channels.
The website will also showcase 25 commissioned texts by contributors such as Brian Dillon (writer and critic), Sophia Kingshill (author and folklorist) and Paul Graham Raven (researcher and futurist theorist).
Each text has been paired with, and responds to the artwork in each locality, relating to the place, its people, its history and the wider geological context. The texts will be read out at the start of each public event and participants will be encouraged to share their images in real time across Instagram. Images will then be shared on the website.
The project is a product of years of planning – matching tide timetables and looking at every single mountain range on earth," said Paterson, who carefully selected each mountain through exacting research, using data from NASA's Shuttle Radar Topography Mission and the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency.
As well as connecting communities, Paterson hopes that the project will raise awareness of the erosion that is happening along the UK's coastline, which is being accelerated due to climate change.
"The artwork invites the public to slow down," she said. "To consider the interconnectedness of the world, its immensity conveyed in miniature."
"By gathering the public to contribute to a land artwork on their own coastline, the project intends to deepen public knowledge of our relationship to the physical world as well as the importance of acting together," she added.
At a symposium during Dutch Design Week in 2017, sand was highlighted as resource that is currently under threat.
British geologist Michael Welland who was among the speakers, discussed how the rapid depletion of the world's sand reserves could leave supplies of the high-quality sand used in the glass industry exhausted within 20 years.
First There is a Mountain launched on 31 March at Leysdown Beach, Isle of Sheppey and tours the UK until 27 October 2019.


Analysis: Thaw in U.S.-Cuba relations won’t affect baseball right away
There will be no immediate flow of top Cuban players into Major League Baseball, at least not freely, despite the major U.S. policy shift toward the communist-run island, experts on baseball in Cuba said on Wednesday. Baseball in Cuba is “unique” because of its strong base of homegrown players, and it’s the only strong domestic league outside of Japan and MLB in the U.S., said author Pete Bjarkman, who has written extensively about Cuban baseball. Alan Nero, managing director of Octagon Baseball, which represents about 200 MLB players, said he did not expect a free flow of players into MLB. “The government controls everything,” he said. “Cuba will not let simply let their players go free. They’ve been selling their talent to other leagues, namely Japan.”
It’s a major institution historically and it’s used to build strong national teams to play in big tournaments overseas…it’s important to them and that’s about all they have for entertainment in this poor, Third World country.
Pete Bjarkman, expert on Cuban baseball
MLB said it “is closely monitoring the White House’s announcement” and added “there are not sufficient details to make a realistic evaluation.” The top Cuban prospects MLB clubs would like to sign are switch-hitting middle infielder Yoan Moncada, 19, and right-handed pitcher Yoan Lopez, 21. Current Cuban stars in Major League Baseball include sluggers Yasiel Puig of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Yoenis Cespedes of the Detroit Tigers and Cincinnati Reds pitcher Aroldis Chapman.
Sports cuba baseball


Fred N. Wood obituary
Native Of This Place Crushed Under Hay Load
Fred Wood of Voorheesville, Found In Field
The Middleburgh News
A load of hay without a driver observed by Mrs. Fred N. Wood on Friday at her farm home near Voorheesville, caused her to go in search of her husband who had left the house to work in the fields. She found him on the ground, unconscious and dying. He lived less than fifteen minutes after being discovered.
Subject to heart attacks, it is believed he fell from the load of hay and that the wheels of the heavy wagon passed over him, crushing his chest. The horses were entering the barn when Mrs. Wood noticed her husband's absence.
Mr. Wood was fifty-six, and a native of Middleburgh. He was widely known in the section as an agent for a fire insurance company. About six years ago he took over the small farm near Voorheesville, but continued his insurance work.
He is survived by his wife, a daughter, Marion, a member of this year's graduating class at Delmar High School, his aged mother, Mrs. Ruth Wood and a sister, Mrs. George Rivenburgh, who live in Middleburgh, also a brother, Velmore D. Wood of Scnenectady.
This page established February 11, 2006


Home The Latest Republicans’ False Outrage Won't Distract from War on Women
Republicans’ False Outrage Won't Distract from War on Women
by Ruth Conniff
Ann Romney "loved it," when Democratic adviser Hilary Rosin said she hadn't worked a day in her life, Mrs. Romney said in comments at a fundraiser overheard by NBC.
Despite a week spent pumping up false outrage over Ann Romney's injured dignity as a mother of five, maligned by the heartless Rosin's impolitic remark (that Ann Romney never worked a day in her life), the Romney campaign and Republicans viewed the whole thing as a huge political gift.
Stirring up a cat fight between stay-at-home moms and working women is just what Republicans wanted, to try to deflect attention from policies that are so damaging and outright insulting to women they have opened up huge gender gaps between Democratic and Republican candidates all over the country.
But the Republicans' phony battle over stay-at-home motherhood is hopelessly outdated, just like their opposition to equal pay protections for women, their push to close down Planned Parenthood clinics across the country, their failed federal effort to let women's bosses decide whether or not to allow birth control coverage, and their infamous state laws that make women seeking abortions submit to intrusive and paternalistic screenings and barriers.
Women are not so distracted by the "mom wars" that we don't notice who supports policies that make our lives better, and who would like to take away both equal pay and birth control coverage--leaving us completely stuck.
Apparently, the Republicans still haven't noticed that it's not 1963.
Women now make up nearly half of the workforce, and 75 percent of women are employed. Like birth control, women in the workplace is a completely normal, culturally accepted part of modern life.
The Ann Romneys of the world--women whose husbands are so rich they can drive two Cadillacs, hire multiple nannies, live in multiple homes, all while not having to get a paying job--are a tiny, tiny elite.
Ann Romney's life is not a reality for the vast majority of mothers. And we know it.
The ladies’ lunch vote is just not big enough to make up for the Republicans' massive gender gap.
Most parents today scramble to cobble together full- or part-time work, and a patchwork of parental leave and child care options in a country that doesn't provide much of either. (Only half of employers offer paid parental leave, and there is still no regulated system of high quality child care in this country).
That's why the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, signed by President Obama, and the Family and Medical Leave Act, signed by President Clinton, were such good politics. Although they don't put us anywhere near the rest of the industrialized world in terms of allowing people to hold down their jobs and still do right by their families, they at least gave stressed-out parents some measure of relief.
The Republicans, in contrast, continue to argue that the pay gap is entirely a matter of women's "choice" to take time out of the workforce to care for children.
But that "choice" isn't voluntary for most of us.
Women pay a hefty price for becoming mothers. Studies, including comprehensive research by the American Academy of University Women, show that, while young, single men and women have relatively equal pay, older women, particularly those who have children, suffer major setbacks to their careers. The fact that family life is privatized in this country--compared with, say, Norway or France, where you can take a year off to care for a child and count on great, full-time child care when you go back to work--hits women the hardest.
But Republicans don't care about that.
There is no more graphic illustration than Mitt Romney's comments about women on welfare, whom he pushed to get jobs when he was governor of Massachusetts, unearthed this week by Chris Hayes of MSNBC: "I said for instance that even if you have a child two years of age, you need to go to work . . . I want the individuals to have the dignity of work."
The double standard could not be clearer. Work is a matter of "dignity" for poor women. After all, they are just the help. But not for rich women, whose husbands, like Mitt, can afford to keep them at home.
This is not a winning attitude for women as a group.
The Republicans don't sympathize with the vast majority of women who work caring for their small children and also have to struggle to support their families at the same time.
Women make up slightly less than half the labor force overall, by the way, but are the large majority of workers earning less than $8 an hour.
If it's a matter of "dignity" for maids and nannies and landscapers to leave their own kids behind as they get up early to come clean and cook and take care of the kids for Ann Romney, the least the Republicans could do is give their employees a fair day's pay, adequate health care, and good child care for their kids.
Don’t hold your breath.
If you liked this article by Ruth Conniff, the political editor of The Progressive, check out her story "Wisconsinites Start Turning Back School Privatization."
Follow Ruth Conniff
Follow Ruth Conniff @rconniff on Twitter
Dispatches Labor Republicans Gender Equity
Ruth Conniff
Editor-at-large for The Progressive magazine, and editor in chief of the Wisconsin Examiner.
Read more by Ruth Conniff


Gavin Jacobson
Gavin Jacobson lives in Yangon and writes mainly about intellectual history.
There is no more Vendée: The Terror
Gavin Jacobson, 16 March 2017
Helen Maria Williams travelled to France in July 1790 to take part in the Fête de la Fédération that marked the first anniversary of the fall of the Bastille. She described the pageantry at the Champ de Mars as the ‘triumph of humankind; it was man asserting the noblest privilege of his nature; and it required but the common feelings of humanity, to become in that...
The Coming of the Terror in the French Revolution
by Timothy Tackett.
Helen Maria Williams travelled to France in July 1790 to take part in the Fête de la Fédération that marked the first anniversary of the fall of the Bastille. She described...
She says nothing: Rohingyas
Gavin Jacobson, 1 December 2016
Aung San Suu Kyi’s civilian-led government is facing its most serious crisis since coming to office in March 2015. In the small hours of 9 October, as many as five hundred people, armed with knives, slingshots and pistols, launched a series of co-ordinated attacks on police outposts in Rakhine State in the north-west of Myanmar, close to the border with Bangladesh. Nine police...
The Rohingyas: Inside Myanmar’s Hidden Genocide
by Azeem Ibrahim.
The Lady and the Generals: Aung San Suu Kyi and Burma’s Struggle for Freedom
by Peter Popham.
Aung San Suu Kyi’s civilian-led government is facing its most serious crisis since coming to office in March 2015. In the small hours of 9 October, as many as five hundred people, armed...


15 49.0138 8.38624 both 0 arrow 0 4000 1 0 horizontal https://www.activeprod.net 300 0 1
Reach Out To Me
Off the Beaten Path in Russia: The Hidden Gems
Russia is infamous for its freezing winters and its expansive towns. Its massive size ensures that it has lots of scenic views and activities for the average traveler. Russia is home to majestic lakes, iconic cities, mammoth mountains, unique culture, and much more. Beyond the usual trails, the country is dotted with hidden gems waiting... Read More
What To Bring on an Outdoors Adventure
Some Of The Most Remote Places in the World
Russia is infamous for its freezing winters and its expansive towns. Its massive size ensures that it has lots of scenic views and activities for the average traveler. Russia is home to majestic lakes, iconic cities, mammoth mountains, unique culture, and much more. Beyond the usual trails, the country is dotted with hidden gems waiting to be discovered.
Here are Russia’s less-known destinations that are worth exploring.
Valley of Geysers
I was apprehensive about the Valley of Geyser, but it turned out to be a worthwhile visit. This marvelous valley is located in the Kamchatka Peninsula, but surprisingly it was discovered about 100 years ago. The key attractions are spouting water sources, colorful hot springs, and mud pots. The scenery is fabulous, while bears can be spotted in the valley.
Unknown to many people, when it comes to the concentration of geysers, the Valley of Geysers is second to Yellowstone Park. The valley can be accessed via a helicopter ride.
Lake Baskunchak
Located in Astrakhan Oblast, Lake Baskunchak is often depicted as Russia’s Dead Sea. The lake has a large concentration of salt and is considered as the largest saltwater in the country. The main activities are bathing in the medicinal mud, swimming in saline water, and enjoying the spectacular views.
The lake is relatively shallow and even dries out during dry months. It’s also odd that there are no birds, plants, or seaweed in the vicinity of this salt lake.
The City of Dead
Outside Dargavs village lies a gothic necropolis referred to as the City of Dead. This name correctly depicts what this creepy place offers. Inside the over 90 chivalric curved-roof crypts lie well-conserved corpses.
Besides the historic cemeteries, the scenery is outstanding. The hilly gravel road made driving an epic adventure.
A must-visit destination in Russia is the city of Volgograd. It’s the site where the most horrific World War 2 battle took place. With each step and each look here, you relive every struggle during this war. However, it’s not an abandoned city, as I had thought. Volgograd has a modern touch since it was re-built from scratch.
The top attraction is Mamayev Kurgan, a massive memorial complex. Here the heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad are commemorated. Other attractions in this city are the Central Station, Pavlov’s House, and Lake Elton.
Among Russia’s cities, Irkutsk is perhaps the most underrated. Many visitors by-pass this destination while traveling on the Trans-Siberian line. The city offers a lot to holiday lovers both in terms of culture and nature. At the heart of Irkutsk is the iconic Spasskaya Church. It houses religious paintings and Siberian iconography.
Irkutsk is also home to the deepest lake in the world, Lake Baikal. I enjoyed unforgettable fishing experiences in this grandiose lake. More fun can be found in Sandy Bay, Olkhon Island, and the Small Sea.
One way of learning Russia’s past is by paying homage to the Mask of Sorrow. This significant Russian monument rests in Magadan, an unforgiving city with permafrost and a harsh climate. The monument is a large concrete face statue with tears oozing from the left eye in the form of little masks.
The 15-meter statue commemorates the many prisoners who were tortured and died in Gulag prison camps between 1930 to1950.
Contrary to belief, Russia isn’t a scary destination and is open to vacationers. Like many other countries, Russia too has a vast culture with plenty of fascinating stories and things to learn about.
When you do visit Russia, you might have the urge to carry something back as a way to say to the Russians, “We would really like to have something symbolic to help us preserve your culture in our memories!” It is very likely that you have heard of their famous Matryoshka dolls; when you’re there, you can learn much more about it, and so that can be the thing that you bring back with you as a reminder of your wonderful journey through the country. Of course, there are many, many other wonderful souvenirs as well.
A trip to Russia can turn into memories that last a lifetime. However, most of the residents advise against engaging in political conversations. I experienced difficulties in communicating since English is not a major language. Russians are also strict about visas and dress codes.
5 Things You Need To Think About Before Starting A Backpack Adventure
Breath-taking Skydiving Locations
10 Bucket-List Worthy Beaches of California
Welcome to my blog, where I spend my time talking about travel tips and advice I’ve learned through years of rough and tumble adventure. I’m Glyn Blower, born in the UK, raised all across the world. I’ve made this blog to share what I’ve learned from a lifetime of adventuring, be it in the city or out in the wild.
Why You May Consider Renting Your Home on AirBnB
How to Get Money Back When Your Flight Is Delayed or Cancelled
7 Essential Tips for Flying Budget Airlines
How To Make a Carry-on Packing List


Hi everyone, thank you for reading my translations. Support me on patreon https://www.patreon.com/TOTV
Kalis’s voice didn’t reach her ears. Because… It was because a strange force was felt from his hand, which Seria had held unintentionally for a long time. It was similar to the divine power in her body, but there was a strange discomfort, as if facing the same pole of a magnet…Come to think of it, how was Kalis alive? At the wedding hall, she foreshadowed a sure death. And she had learned that Stern and Stern’s spouse would have the same ending. Come to think of it, her wedding was a tragedy. She was on the verge of death, and he should have faced the same result. Although Lesche Berg saved her life, it was just only her. Kalis should have died in return for failing to keep the covenant. Or it should cause him to hurt as bad as she did, but no matter where she looked, Kalis seemed unhurt.
In deep thought, she slowly realized, “….Kalis”. The place, the time. Everything’s already in place. Kalis was the one who shared the sacred power with Stern, and there was no other Stern in this estate besides Lina. Since she was a God-sent holy woman, she could omit the holy water and the sacred water that was essential for the wedding.
“Are you married to Lina?”
Before Kalis married her, they held a covenant ceremony officiated by the high priest.
As a preliminary ritual for Stern’s wedding, he had to immerse both hands in specially prepared holy water to become Stern’s man. The covenant ceremony was like the bathing ritual. They were ready to get married, but that didn’t mean they were tied up to each other right away. The step in which one truly connected with the other person was the official wedding. That was why Lesche was able to marry her immediately after a brief covenant ceremony. Same went for Kalis…He, who had already made a covenant, was also theoretically capable of marrying any Stern. Although usually there were just one or two Sterns on the continent, Lina was also a Stern.
“You chose to marry Lina… I guess that’s why you were alive. And in much better shape than I am.”
She didn’t know what expression she had while looking at Kalis. However, since she was trembling with a sense of betrayal, she might have an awful look on her face.
“I was vomiting blood and didn’t even think about anyone else but you until I was about to die. But you already had a temporary marriage with Lina to live.”
What has she been waiting for? Who was she waiting for? Seria slowly swept her face with both hands. She slowly swept her hands across her face. Along with the sensation of her frail and fatigued areas being firmly pressed down by the flesh of her hands, she felt a flickering of white. Then it was complete darkness. Immediately after, Kalis’s wavering eyes came clearly into focus.
“Seria.”
“I don’t want to waste the time I have already spent liking you, Kalis.”
Kalis’ face was shocked, then he spoke in a pleading tone.
“Seria, you can be mad at me. But my marriage was a temporary marriage, and you married the Grand Duke temporarily too. Am I wrong?”
“Let’s divorce—both of us will get divorce and get married again.”
“I’ll prepare the grandest wedding ever. We can start from the beginning. We have time, so…..”
“Time?”
She glared into Kalis’ swaying eyes.
“All you need is time?” Even if she has time now, what’s the point of that? Seria wondered.
“I’ve lost my heart to you, but you need time?”
She shook off Kalis’ hand that was still holding her tightly, and left the bedroom barefoot with only slippers. It was something she would never do normally. Seria was a villain, but she was a perfect aristocrat, and she didn’t want to change at once and get suspicious. But at this moment she felt it was useless to keep up with such things. She almost died even though she had been trying to live nicely.
‘What have I been looking for?’
Kalis chased after her and grabbed her by the wrist. His grasp was too strong to resist.
“Let go!”
Then the knights, who were still watching the situation with serious faces at the door, grabbed his arms and clasped them. Kalis, who was caught in an instant, exclaimed in anger.
“What are you doing right now? Don’t you know who I am? Let go of me right now!”
“I’m sorry, Marquis.”
Kalis looked at her with both of his arms being held. However, Seria turned and ran down the hall without looking back at him, who was once her fiance.
Chapter 13 Part 1
Tragedy 71


Lightfoot becomes first out lesbian, black woman elected Chicago mayor
Mayor-elect claims more than 70 percent of the vote
Chicago Mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot (Photo courtesy of the Lightfoot Campaign)
The run-off election Tuesday night in Chicago resulted in a historic victory for Lori Lightfoot, who became the first openly lesbian and black woman elected mayor of the city.
The Associated Press called the race for Lightfoot, who was running against Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, at 8 p.m. local time.
According to early results, Lightfoot claimed 74.2 percent of the vote compared to the 25.8 percent won by Preckwinkle.
Lightfoot’s victory will make Chicago the largest city in the United States with an openly gay mayor. Previously, that distinction was held by Houston, where Annise Parker served as mayor from 2010 to 2016.
Parker, who’s now executive director of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, was on the ground in Chicago and commended Lightfood in a statement.
“A Black lesbian taking power in the nation’s third-largest city is a historic moment for so many communities that are too often ignored in American politics,” Parker said. “Chicago’s enormous influence on the national dialogue provides a platform for Lori to promote more inclusive solutions to the challenges facing our cities and nation – and to be a credible messenger as well. Lori will certainly remain focused on the issues facing Chicago. But as the highest-ranking LGBTQ person ever elected mayor of an American city – a title she takes from me – she is also now a key leader in the movement to build LGBTQ political power nationwide.”
Also commending Lightfoot was Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez, who said her victory extends the treads of milestone victories after the 2018 election.
“As the first openly LGBTQ woman of color to be elected mayor in any of America’s 100 largest cities and the first black woman to serve as mayor of Chicago, Lightfoot is an inspiration to thousands of LGBTQ people of color who have a new role model in elected office,” Perez said.
Two other lesbian candidates — Satya Rhodes-Conway in Madison, Wisconsin, and Jolie Justus in Kansas City — were running for the offices of mayor elsewhere in the country. Both won their races. Justus will now face Quinton Lucas in the June general election. Rhodes-Conway ousted longtime Mayor Paul Soglin in another landslide to become Madison’s first openly gay mayor.
Bill to ensure US foreign policy promotes LGBTI rights reintroduced
State Department: Brunei penal code ‘runs counter to’ international human rights obligations
Top 10 Blade news stories by web traffic
COVID breakthroughs, Equality Act, and anti-trans attacks
Elliot Page created excitement by posting his first photo in swim trunks back in May.
Each year our staff gathers in late December to review the highest trafficked stories of the year and there’s more than a little bit of competitive spirit as we review the results. Here are the top 10 stories by web traffic at HYPERLINK “http://washingtonblade.com”washingtonblade.com for 2021.
#10: Mark Glaze, gun reform advocate, dies at 51
The sad, tragic story of Glaze’s death captivated readers in November.
#9: COVID breakthrough infections strike summer tourists visiting Provincetown
This one went viral in July after a COVID outbreak was blamed on gay tourists.
#8: Thank you, Kordell Stewart, for thoughtful response to ‘the rumor’
This opinion piece thanked the former NFL quarterback for writing a personal essay addressing gay rumors.
#7: Elliot Page tweets; trans bb’s first swim trunks #transjoy #transisbeautiful
The actor created excitement by posting his first photo in swim trunks back in May.
#6: Romney declares opposition to LGBTQ Equality Act
Mitt Romney disappointed activists with his announcement; the Equality Act passed the House but never saw a vote in the Senate.
#5: White House warns state legislatures that passing anti-trans bills is illegal
The year 2021 saw a disturbing trend of GOP-led legislatures attacking trans people.
#4: Lincoln Project’s avowed ignorance of Weaver texts undercut by leaked communications
The Lincoln Project’s leaders, amid a scandal of co-founder John Weaver soliciting sexual favors from young men, have asserted they were unaware of his indiscretions until the Blade obtained electronic communications that called that claim into question.
#3: FOX 5’s McCoy suspended over offensive Tweet
Blake McCoy tweeted that obese people shouldn’t get priority for the COVID vaccine.
#2: Transgender USAF veteran trapped in Taliban takeover of Kabul
Among the Americans trapped in the suburban areas of Kabul under Taliban control was a transgender government contractor for the U.S. State Department and former U.S. Air Force Sergeant. She was later safely evacuated.
#1: Amid coup chaos, Trump quietly erases LGBTQ protections in adoption, health services
And our most popular story of 2021 was about the Trump administration nixing regulations barring federal grantees in the Department of Health & Human Services from discriminating against LGBTQ people, including in adoption services.
CDC still falling short on LGBTQ data collection for COVID patients: expert
The CDC is still not issuing guidance to states on LGBTQ data collection among COVID patients.
Despite requests since the start of the COVID pandemic for the U.S. government to enhance data collection for patients who are LGBTQ, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention is still falling short on issuing nationwide guidance to states on the issue, a leading expert health on the issue told the Blade.
With a renewed focus on COVID infections reaching new heights just before the start of the holidays amid the emergence of Omicron, the absence of any LGBTQ data collection — now across both the Trump and Biden administrations — remains a sore point for health experts who say that information could be used for public outreach.
Sean Cahill, director of Health Policy Research at the Boston-based Fenway Institute, said Wednesday major federal entities and hospitals have been collecting data on whether patients identify as LGBTQ for years — such as the National Health & Nutrition Examination Survey, which has been collecting sexual orientation data since the 1990s — but the CDC hasn’t duplicated that effort for COVID even though the pandemic has been underway for two years.
“It’s not like this is a new idea,” Cahill said. “But for some reason, the pandemic hit, and all of a sudden, we realize how little systematic data we were collecting in our health system. And it’s a real problem because we’re two years into the pandemic almost, and we still don’t know how it’s affecting this vulnerable population that experiences health disparities in other areas.”
The Blade was among the first outlets to report on the lack of efforts by the states to collect data on whether a COVID patient identifies as LGBTQ, reporting in April 2020 on the absence of data even in places with influential LGBTQ communities. The CDC hasn’t responded to the Blade’s requests for nearly two years on why it doesn’t instruct states to collect this data, nor did it respond this week to a request for comment on this article.
Cahill, who has published articles in the American Journal of Public Health on the importance of LGBTQ data collection and reporting in COVID-19 testing, care, and vaccination — said he’s been making the case to the CDC to issue guidance to states on whether COVID patients identify as LGBTQ since June 2020.
Among those efforts, he said, were to include two comments he delivered to the Biden COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force in spring 2021, a letter a coalition of groups sent to the Association of State & Territorial Health Officers asking for states to collect and report SOGI in COVID in December 2020 as well as letters to HHS leadership and congressional leadership in spring and summer 2020 asking for them to take steps to encourage or require SOGI data collection in COVID.
Asked what CDC officials had to say in response when he brought this issue to their attention, Cahill said, “They listen, but they don’t really tell me anything.”
“We’ve been making that case, and to date, as of December 22, 2021, they have not issued guidance, they have not changed the case report form. I hope that they’re in the process of doing that, and maybe we’ll be pleasantly surprised in January, and they’ll come up with something…I really hope that’s true, but right now they’re not doing anything to promote SOGI data collection and reporting in surveillance data.”
Cahill, in an email to the Blade after the initial publication of this article, clarified CDC has indicated guidance on LGBTQ data collection for COVID patients may come in the near future.
“HHS leaders told us this fall that CDC is working on an initiative to expand SOGI data collection,” Cahill said. “We are hopeful that we will see guidance early in 2022. Key people at CDC, including Director Walensky, understand the importance of SOGI data collection given their long history of working on HIV prevention.”
In other issues related to LGBTQ data collection, there has been a history of states resisting federal mandates. The Trump administration, for example, rescinded guidance calling on states to collect information on whether foster youth identified as LGBTQ after complaints from states on the Obama-era process, much to the consternation of LGBTQ advocates who said the data was helpful.
The White House COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force has at least recognized the potential for enhancing LGBTQ data collection efforts. Last month, it published an implementation plan, calling for “an equity-centered approach to data collection, including sufficient funding to collect data for groups that are often left out of data collection (e.g….LGBTQIA+ people).”
The plan also calls for “fund[ing] activities to improve data collection…including tracking COVID-19 related outcomes for people of color and other underserved populations,” and specifically calls for the collection of LGBTQ data.
The importance of collecting LGBTQ data, Cahill said, is based on its potential use in public outreach, including efforts to recognize disparities in health population and to create messaging for outreach, including for populations that may be reluctant to take the vaccine.
“If we see a disparity, we can say: Why is that?” Cahill said. “We could do focus groups of the population — try to understand and then what kind of messages would reassure you and make you feel comfortable getting a vaccine, and we could push those messages out through public education campaigns led by state local health departments led by the federal government.”
The LGBTQ data, Cahill said, could be broken down further to determine if racial and ethnic disparities exist within the LGBTQ population, or whether LGBTQ people are likely to suffer from the disease in certain regions, such as the South.
“We have data showing that lesbian or bisexual women, and transgender people are less likely to be in preventive regular routine care for their health,” Cahill said. “And so if that’s true, there’s a good chance that they’re less likely to know where to get a vaccine, to have a medical professional they trust to talk to about it today.”
Among the leaders who are supportive, Cahill said, is Rachel Levine, assistant secretary for health and the first openly transgender person confirmed by the U.S. Senate for a presidential appointment. Cahill said he raised the issue with her along with other officials at the Department of Health & Human Services three times in the last year.
In her previous role as Pennsylvania secretary of health, Levine led the way and made her state the first in the nation to set up an LGBTQ data collection system for COVID patients.
“So she definitely gets it, and I know she’s supportive of it, but we really need the CDC to act,” Cahill said.
Although the federal government has remained intransigent in taking action, Cahill said the situation has improved among states and counted five states — California, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Nevada and Oregon — in addition to D.C. as among those that have elected to collect data on sexual orientation and gender identity of COVID patients.
However, Cahill said even those data collection efforts are falling short because those jurisdictions have merely been public about collecting the data, but haven’t reported back anything yet.
“Only California has reported data publicly, and the data that they’re reporting is really just the completeness of the data,” Cahill said. “They’re not reporting the data itself…And they’re also just asking people who tests positive. So, if somebody says positive COVID in California, a contact tracer follows up with that individual and asks them a battery of questions, and among the questions that are asked are SOGI questions.”
As a result of these efforts, Cahill said, California has data on the LGBTQ status of COVID patients, but the data is overwhelmingly more complete for the gender identity of these patients rather than their sexual orientation. As of May 2021, California reported that they had sexual orientation data for 9.5 percent of individuals who had died from COVID and 16 percent of people who tested positive, but for gender identity, the data were 99.5 percent.
Equality Act, contorted as a danger by anti-LGBTQ forces, is all but dead
No political willpower to force vote or reach a compromise
Despite having President Biden in the White House and Democratic majorities in both chambers of Congress, efforts to update federal civil rights laws to strengthen the prohibition on discrimination against LGBTQ people by passing the Equality Act are all but dead as opponents of the measure have contorted it beyond recognition.
Political willpower is lacking to find a compromise that would be acceptable to enough Republican senators to end a filibuster on the bill — a tall order in any event — nor is there the willpower to force a vote on the Equality Act as opponents stoke fears about transgender kids in sports and not even unanimity in the Democratic caucus in favor of the bill is present, stakeholders who spoke to the Blade on condition of anonymity said.
In fact, there are no imminent plans to hold a vote on the legislation even though Pride month is days away, which would be an opportune time for Congress to demonstrate solidarity with the LGBTQ community by holding a vote on the legislation.
If the Equality Act were to come up for a Senate vote in the next month, it would not have the support to pass. Continued assurances that bipartisan talks are continuing on the legislation have yielded no evidence of additional support, let alone the 10 Republicans needed to end a filibuster.
“I haven’t really heard an update either way, which is usually not good,” one Democratic insider said. “My understanding is that our side was entrenched in a no-compromise mindset and with [Sen. Joe] Manchin saying he didn’t like the bill, it doomed it this Congress. And the bullying of hundreds of trans athletes derailed our message and our arguments of why it was broadly needed.”
The only thing keeping the final nail from being hammered into the Equality Act’s coffin is the unwillingness of its supporters to admit defeat. Other stakeholders who spoke to the Blade continued to assert bipartisan talks are ongoing, strongly pushing back on any conclusion the legislation is dead.
Alphonso David, president of the Human Rights Campaign, said the Equality Act is “alive and well,” citing widespread public support he said includes “the majority of Democrats, Republicans and independents and a growing number of communities across the country engaging and mobilizing every day in support of the legislation.”
“They understand the urgent need to pass this bill and stand up for LGBTQ people across our country,” David added. “As we engage with elected officials, we have confidence that Congress will listen to the voices of their constituents and continue fighting for the Equality Act through the lengthy legislative process. We will also continue our unprecedented campaign to grow the already-high public support for a popular bill that will save lives and make our country fairer and more equal for all. We will not stop until the Equality Act is passed.”
Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), chief sponsor of the Equality Act in the Senate, also signaled through a spokesperson work continues on the legislation, refusing to give up on expectations the legislation would soon become law.
“Sen. Merkley and his staff are in active discussions with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to try to get this done,” McLennan said. “We definitely see it as a key priority that we expect to become law.”
A spokesperson Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), who had promised to force a vote on the Equality Act in the Senate on the day the U.S. House approved it earlier this year, pointed to a March 25 “Dear Colleague” letter in which he identified the Equality Act as one of several bills he’d bring up for a vote.
Despite any assurances, the hold up on the bill is apparent. Although the U.S. House approved the legislation earlier this year, the Senate Judiciary Committee hasn’t even reported out the bill yet to the floor in the aftermath of the first-ever Senate hearing on the bill in March. A Senate Judiciary Committee Democratic aide, however, disputed that inaction as evidence the Equality Act is dead in its tracks: “Bipartisan efforts on a path forward are ongoing.”
Democrats are quick to blame Republicans for inaction on the Equality Act, but with Manchin withholding his support for the legislation they can’t even count on the entirety of their caucus to vote “yes” if it came to the floor. Progressives continue to advocate an end to the filibuster to advance legislation Biden has promised as part of his agenda, but even if they were to overcome headwinds and dismantle the institution needing 60 votes to advance legislation, the Equality Act would likely not have majority support to win approval in the Senate with a 50-50 party split.
The office of Manchin, who has previously said he couldn’t support the Equality Act over concerns about public schools having to implement the transgender protections applying to sports and bathrooms, hasn’t responded to multiple requests this year from the Blade on the legislation and didn’t respond to a request to comment for this article.
Meanwhile, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), who declined to co-sponsor the Equality Act this year after having signed onto the legislation in the previous Congress, insisted through a spokesperson talks are still happening across the aisle despite the appearances the legislation is dead.
“There continues to be bipartisan support for passing a law that protects the civil rights of Americans, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity,” said Annie Clark, a Collins spokesperson. “The Equality Act was a starting point for negotiations, and in its current form, it cannot pass. That’s why there are ongoing discussions among senators and stakeholders about a path forward.”
Let’s face it: Anti-LGBTQ forces have railroaded the debate by making the Equality Act about an end to women’s sports by allowing transgender athletes and danger to women in sex-segregated places like bathrooms and prisons. That doesn’t even get into resolving the issue on drawing the line between civil rights for LGBTQ people and religious freedom, which continues to be litigated in the courts as the U.S. Supreme Court is expected any day now to issue a ruling in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia to determine if foster care agencies can reject same-sex couples over religious objections.
For transgender Americans, who continue to report discrimination and violence at high rates, the absence of the Equality Act may be most keenly felt.
Mara Keisling, outgoing executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, disputed any notion the Equality Act is dead and insisted the legislation is “very much alive.”
“We remain optimistic despite misinformation from the opposition,” Keisling said. “NCTE and our movement partners are still working fruitfully on the Equality Act with senators. In fact, we are gaining momentum with all the field organizing we’re doing, like phone banking constituents to call their senators. Legislating takes time. Nothing ever gets through Congress quickly. We expect to see a vote during this Congress, and we are hopeful we can win.”
But one Democratic source said calls to members of Congress against the Equality Act, apparently coordinated by groups like the Heritage Foundation, have has outnumbered calls in favor of it by a substantial margin, with a particular emphasis on Manchin.
No stories are present in the media about same-sex couples being kicked out of a restaurant for holding hands or transgender people for using the restroom consistent with their gender identity, which would be perfectly legal in 25 states thanks to the patchwork of civil rights laws throughout the United States and inadequate protections under federal law.
Tyler Deaton, senior adviser for the American Unity Fund, which has bolstered the Republican-led Fairness for All Act as an alternative to the Equality Act, said he continues to believe the votes are present for a compromise form of the bill.
“I know for a fact there is a supermajority level of support in the Senate for a version of the Equality Act that is fully protective of both LGBTQ civil rights and religious freedom,” Deaton said. “There is interest on both sides of the aisle in getting something done this Congress.”
Deaton, however, didn’t respond to a follow-up inquiry on what evidence exists of agreeing on this compromise.
Biden has already missed the goal he campaigned on in the 2020 election to sign the Equality Act into law within his first 100 days in office. Although Biden renewed his call to pass the legislation in his speech to Congress last month, as things stand now that appears to be a goal he won’t realize for the remainder of this Congress.
Nor has the Biden administration made the Equality Act an issue for top officials within the administration as it pushes for an infrastructure package as a top priority. One Democratic insider said Louisa Terrell, legislative affairs director for the White House, delegated work on the Equality Act to a deputy as opposed to handling it herself.
To be sure, Biden has demonstrated support for the LGBTQ community through executive action at an unprecedented rate, signing an executive order on day one ordering federal agencies to implement the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision last year in Bostock v. Clayton County to the fullest extent possible and dismantling former President Trump’s transgender military ban. Biden also made historic LGBTQ appointments with the confirmation of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Rachel Levine as assistant secretary of health.
A White House spokesperson insisted Biden’s team across the board remains committed to the Equality Act, pointing to his remarks to Congress.
“President Biden has urged Congress to get the Equality Act to his desk so he can sign it into law and provide long overdue civil rights protections to LGBTQ+ Americans, and he remains committed to seeing this legislation passed as quickly as possible,” the spokesperson said. “The White House and its entire legislative team remains in ongoing and close coordination with organizations, leaders, members of Congress, including the Equality Caucus, and staff to ensure we are working across the aisle to push the Equality Act forward.”
But at least in the near-term, that progress will fall short of fulfilling the promise of updating federal civil rights law with the Equality Act, which will mean LGBTQ people won’t be able to rely on those protections when faced with discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.


5:05 PM PT6:05 PM MT7:05 PM CT8:05 PM ET1:05 AM GMT9:05 AM 北京时间6:05 PM MST8:05 PM EST, Nov. 20, 2021
Alex G. Spanos Stadium, San Luis Obispo, California Attendance: 6,371
Daniels runs for 280 yards, 5 TDs; NAU beats Cal Poly 45-21
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (AP) Kevin Daniels 280 yards rushing and five touchdowns - both career highs - to help Northern Arizona beat Cal Poly 45-21 on Saturday night in the season finale for both teams.
Daniels, a 6-foot-2, 225 pound freshman, finished the season with 1,146 yards rushing and became just the 17th player in program history to run for at least 1,000 yards - the first since Casey Jahn had 1,035 yards rushing in 2015.
Lepi Lataimua scored on a 1-yard run to cap a nine-play, 61-yard drive and give Cal Poly (2-8, 1-6 Big Sky Conference) a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter but two plays from scrimmage later RJ Martinez hit Coleman Owen for a 62-yard touchdown to make it 7-7 and NAU outscored the Mustangs 31-7 in second quarter to take control.
Daniels scored on runs of 3, 13, and 23 yards before taking a handoff, exploding up the middle and cutting left before winning a race down the left sideline for a 90-yard touchdown give Northern Arizona (4-6, 3-4) a 38-14 halftime lead.
Cal Poly committed four of its five turnovers in the second quarter.


Accumulation of COGEMA-La Hague-derived reprocessing wastes in French salt marsh sediments
Cundy, A., Croudace, I. W., Warwick, P. E., Oh, J. S. & Haslett, S. K., Dec 2002, In: Environmental Science & Technology. 36, 23, p. 4990-4997 8 p.
Acculturation is a two-way street: Majority–minority perspectives of outgroup acculturation preferences and the mediating role of multiculturalism and threat
Celeste, L., Brown, R., Tip, L. & Matera, C., 31 Oct 2014, In: International Journal of Intercultural Relations. 43, Part B, p. 304-320 17 p.
Acculturation in the United Kingdom
Brown, R., Zagefka, H. & Tip, L., 1 Apr 2016, The Cambridge Handbook of Acculturation Psychology. Sam, D. & Berry, J. (eds.). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press
Accruals quality and the cost of debt: The European evidence
Gregoriou, A., Eliwa, Y. & Patterson, A., 7 May 2019, In: International Journal of Accounting and Information Management. 27, 2, p. 333-351 19 p.
Accrediting clinical educators
Caladine, L., Dec 2002, In: Physiotherapy Frontline. Clinical education supplement, p. 8-9 2 p.
Accreditation in Physical Education? Meeting the Needs and Interests of Pupils at Key Stage Four
Stidder, G. & Wallis, J., Sep 2003, Equity and Inclusion in Physical Education: Contemporary Issues for Teachers, Trainees and Practitioners. Hayes, G. & Stidder, G. (eds.). London: Routledge, p. 185-209 25 p.
Accounting in a business context
Berry, A. & Jarvis, R., 2011, Andover, UK: Cengage Learning EMEA. 512 p.
Accounting for the life-cycle carbon emissions of new dwellings in the U.K.
Probert, A. J., Miller, A., Ip, K., Beckett, K. P. & Schofield, R., 21 Sep 2010, 12th International Conference on Non-conventional Materials and Technologies. Egypt, p. 1-13 13 p.
Accounting for the Customers? A Tale of Public Transport in 1930s Coventry
Whitworth, L., 2003, Suburbanizing the Masses: Public Transport and Urban Development in Historical Perspective. Ashgate, p. 211-230 20 p.
Accounting for orgasmic absence: exploring heterosex using the story completion method
Frith, H., 1 Jan 2013, In: Psychology & Sexuality. 4, 3, p. 310-322 13 p.
Accounting For Ground Motion Duration in the Nonlinear Soil-Pile-Structure Interaction Analysis of Extended Pile-Shaft-Supported Bridges
Tombari, A., Dezi, F. & El Naggar, M. H., 9 Sep 2019.
Accounting conservatism and banking expertise on board of directors
Nguyen, T., Duong, C., Nguyen, N. & Bui, H., 3 Nov 2019, In: Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting. 55, p. 501–539
Accountable Care? An analysis of national reporting on local health and social care service integration
Tunney, S. & Thomas, J., 27 Nov 2018, In: Social Theory and Health. 17, 3, p. 331-347
Accountability - what do we mean? Nurses' perceptions of professional accountability
King, L., Nov 2006, Interdisciplinary Research Conference.
Accountabilities of a reflective mentor
Roffey-Barentsen, J. & Malthouse, R., 14 Dec 2020, Mentoring Science Teachers in the Secondary School: A Practical Guide. Salehjee, S. (ed.). Routledge, p. 47-
Accommodating Diversity in Northern Ireland: Elected Representatives and Minority Ethnic Communities
Hainsworth, P., Gilligan, C. & McGarry, A., 2009, Challenges of peace: research as a contribution to peace-building in Northern Ireland. Bell, J. (ed.). Belfast: Community Relations Council, p. 207-222 16 p.
Acclimatizing nuclear? Climate change, nuclear power and the reframing of risk in the UK news media
Doyle, J., Feb 2011, In: International Communication Gazette. 73, 1-2, p. 107-125 19 p.
Access to Justice for People with Disability in Nigeria: Therapeutic Day Care Centre (TDCC) as a Case Study.
Umegbolu, C., 1 Feb 2021, In: Athens Journal of Law. 7 , 2, p. 265-278
Access to Justice for People with Disability in Nigeria: Therapeutic Day Care Centre as a Case Study (TDCC)
Umegbolu, C., 9 Jan 2021, In: Social and Legal Studies. 6, 2, p. 1-29 29 p.
Access to finance for innovative SMEs since the financial crisis
Lee, N., Sameen, H. & Cowling, M., 7 Nov 2014, In: Research Policy. 44, 2, p. 370-380 11 p.
Access to Databases (Pilot Definition: Pilot 7)
Lux, Z., Mezei, J., Alföldi, I., Anderson, D. & Anderson, J., 12 Feb 2018
Access to Databases (Full Scale Pilot 7)
Access to counselling briefing: Key findings on the relationship between YIACS and CAMHS commissioners
Lynott Wilson, C. A., 2005, Youth Access national infrastructure organization for Youth Information, Advice and Counselling Services. 4 p.
Access to bank finance for UK SMEs in the wake of the recent financial crisis
Cowling, M., Liu, W. & Zhang, N., 1 Jan 2016, In: International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour and Research. 22, 6, p. 903-932 30 p.
Access to Art: From Day Centre to Tate Modern
Ridley, P. & Fox, A., 2007, Community-University Partnerships in Practice. Hart, A., Maddison, E. & Wolff, D. (eds.). Leicester, UK: NIACE (National Institute of Adult Continuing Education), p. 137-149 13 p.
Access to Art
Fox, A., 1 Jan 2007, Brighton, UK : InQbate.
Accessing Hominin Cognition: Language and Social Signaling in the Lower to Middle Palaeolithic
Cole, J., 17 Dec 2016, Cognitive Models in Palaeolithic Archeology. New York.: Oxford University Press, p. 157-195 39 p.
Accessible Reasoning with Diagrams: from Cognition to Automation
Shams, Z., Sato, Y., Jamnik, M. & Stapleton, G., 17 May 2018, 10th International Conference on the Theory and Application of Diagrams. Chapman, P., Stapleton, G., Moktefi, A., Perez-Kriz, S. & Bellucci, F. (eds.). Edinburgh: Springer, Vol. 10871. p. 247-263 (Lecture Notes in Computer Science).
Accessible Digitisation and Visualisation of Open Cultural Heritage Assets
Medeiros e Sá, A., Ibañez Vila, A. B., Rodriguez Echavarria, K., Marroquim, R. & Luiz Fonseca, V., 2019, Eurographics Workshop on Graphics and Cultural Heritage. Rizvic, S. & Rodriguez Echavarria, K. (eds.). The Eurographics Association, (Eurographics Workshop on Graphics and Cultural Heritage ).
Acceptance Requirements and Their Gamification Solutions
Piras, L., Giorgini, P. & Mylopoulos, J., 5 Dec 2016, Proceedings - 2016 IEEE 24th International Requirements Engineering Conference, RE 2016. IEEE, p. 365-370 6 p. 7765545. (Proceedings - 2016 IEEE 24th International Requirements Engineering Conference, RE 2016).
Acceptability and feasibility of using digital vending machines to deliver HIV self-tests to men who have sex with men
Vera, J. H., Soni, S., Pollard, A., Lewellin, C., Peralta, C., Rodriguez, L. & Dean, G., 17 May 2019, In: Sexually Transmitted Infections. 95, 8, p. 557-561 5 p.
Acceptability, Use, and Safety of a Mobile Phone App (BlueIce) for Young People Who Self-Harm: Qualitative Study of Service Users’ Experience
Grist, R., Porter, J. & Stallard, P., 23 Feb 2018, In: JMIR Mental Health. 5, 1, e16.
Accelerating Taylor bubbles within circular capillary channels: Break-up mechanisms and regimes
Andredaki, M., Georgoulas, A., Miche, N. & Marengo, M., 9 Oct 2020, In: International Journal of Multiphase Flow. 134, p. 1-16 103488.
Accelerated Optimal Topology Search for Two-hidden-layer Neural Networks
Thomas, A., Walters, S., Petridis, M., Malekshahi Gheytassi, M. & Morgan, R., 19 Aug 2016, Engineering Applications of Neural Networks. EANN 2016. Switzerland: Springer International Publishing, p. 253-266 14 p. (Communications in Computer and Information Sciences).
Accelerated modernity: What are the social media stories undergraduate students engage with?
Rospigliosi, A. & Raza-Mejia, S., 31 Aug 2021, Advances in global services and retail management. Cobanoglu, C. & Della Corte, V. (eds.). USA: USF M3 Publishing, Vol. 2. p. 1-11 11 p.
Accelerated low water corrosion: the microbial sulfur cycle in microcosm
Smith, M., Bardiau, M., Brennan, R., Burgess, H., Caplin, J., Ray, S. & Urios, T., 25 Oct 2019, In: npj Materials Degradation. 3, p. 1-11 37.
Accelerated Alluviation, Legacy Sediments the Anthropocene
Brown, A. G., Toms, P. & Carey, C., 7 Apr 2013, p. 7-8.
A CASE tool to support automated modelling and analysis of security requirements, based on secure tropos
Pavlidis, M., Islam, S. & Mouratidis, H., 1 Jan 2012, IS Olympics: Information Systems in a Diverse World - CAiSE Forum 2011, Selected Extended Papers. Springer-Verlag, p. 95-109 15 p. (Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing; vol. 107 LNBIP).
A case study on the usability of NXT-G programming language
Nguyen, K. A., Sep 2011.
A case study of uncertainty: Applying GLUE to EUROSEM
Quinton, J. N., Krueger, T., Freer, J., Bilotta, G. & Brazier, R. E., 2011, The Handbook of Erosion Modelling. Morgan, R. P. C. & Nearing, M. A. (eds.). Chichester, UK: Blackwell Publishing UK, p. 80-97 18 p.
A case study of safety performance variations among a general contractor’s regional branches
Chen, Q. & Jin, R., 6 Aug 2011, Prevention: Means to the End of Safety and Health Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities CIB W099. Washington, D.C., USA, p. 0-0 1 p.
A case study of a paralympic cerebral palsy cyclist using torque analysis
Brickley, G. & Gregson, H. C., 29 Jun 2011, In: International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching. 6, 2, p. 269-272 4 p.
A case study for innovation in contemporary tweed
McDougall, K., 2011, IFFTI conference. Fashion and luxury: between heritage and innovation.
A case of counseling with a person diagnosed with dementia
Greenwood, D., 1 Jan 2008, In: Philosophical Practice: Journal of the APPA. 3, 3, p. 333-342 10 p.
A Case-Based Reasoning Method for Remanufacturing Process Planning
Zhou, F., Zhigang, J., Zhang, H. & Wang, Y., 11 Nov 2014, In: Discrete Dynamics in Nature and Society. 2014, p. 1-9 9 p.
A case based reasoning approach for the monitoring of business workflows
Kapetanakis, S., Petridis, M., Knight, B., Ma, J. & Bacon, L., 1 Jan 2010, Proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Case-Based Reasoning Research and Development. Berlin Heidelberg: Springer, Vol. 6176. p. 390-405 16 p. (Lecture Notes in Computer Science).
A career satisfaction cross-sectional survey of London pre-registration and registered pharmacists
Barrett, R. & Upadhyay, D., 4 Dec 2017, p. 24-25.
A calcium-dependent interaction between calmodulin and the calponin homology domain of human IQGAP1
Andrews, W. J., Bradley, C. A., Hamilton, E., Daly, C., Mallon, T. & Timson, D. J., 1 Dec 2012, In: Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry. 371, 1-2, p. 217-223 7 p.
Academic use of commercial network simulation tools
Jones, G. B., Stipidis, E. & Powner, E. T., 1 Dec 2000, In: International Journal of Electrical Engineering Education. 37, 2, p. 144-145 2 p.
Academics' professionalism and quality mechanisms: challenges and tensions
Cheng, M., Nov 2009, In: Quality in Higher Education. 15, 3, p. 193-205 13 p.


Middle East: Agonizing Choices - Syrian refugees in need of health care in Lebanon
Source: Amnesty
Syrian refugees in Lebanon desperate for health care amid international apathy
A severe shortfall in international support has left many Syrian refugees in Lebanon unable to access crucial medical care, according to a new report by Amnesty International. The situation is so desperate that in some cases refugees have resorted to returning to Syria to receive the treatment they need.
The report, Agonizing Choices: Syrian refugees in need of health care in Lebanon, identifies some serious gaps in the level of medical services available to refugees. In some cases Syrian refugees, including those requiring emergency treatment, have been turned away from hospitals.
“Hospital treatment and more specialized care for Syrian refugees in Lebanon is woefully insufficient, with the situation exacerbated by a massive shortage of international funding. Syrian refugees in Lebanon are suffering as a direct result of the international community’s shameful failure to fully fund the UN relief programme in Lebanon,” said Audrey Gaughran, Director of Global Thematic Issues at Amnesty International.
The UN has appealed for US$1.7 billion for Lebanon in 2014, as part of a US$4.2 billion UN appeal for Syrian refugees, yet only a pitiful 17 per cent of the funds have so far been secured.
The health system in Lebanon is highly privatized and expensive, leaving many refugees reliant on care subsidized by the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR. However, due to a shortage of funds it has been forced to introduce a restrictive set of eligibility criteria for people in need of hospital treatment. Even when refugees meet the tight criteria, most must pay 25 per cent of the costs themselves.
Syrian refugees suffering from serious health conditions requiring hospital care or more complicated treatments often go untreated. Arif, a 12-year-old boy, who had suffered severe burns on his legs, is among those who were denied hospital treatment, causing his condition to deteriorate. His burns turned septic and his legs swelled and became infected. Under UNHCR’s current guidelines he does not qualify for subsidized care, so the agency was only able to cover the cost of his treatment for five days.
“Arif’s story is a heart-breaking example of the impact that restrictions on provision of medical care can have on the lives of Syrian refugees in Lebanon,” said Audrey Gaughran.
Eventually, a local charitable network found a volunteer doctor to operate on Arif but he still reportedly requires 13 more operations which cannot be carried out in Lebanon due to the lack of more specialized equipment.
“Both the UN and refugees are facing agonizing choices,” said Audrey Gaughran.
“UNHCR and its partners are prioritizing primary health care and treatment for life-threatening emergencies. Such prioritization is vital, but humanitarian health professionals on the ground speaking to Amnesty International were clear that the current limitations on support for hospital care for refugees could be lessened if the relief funding improved.”
Many Syrian refugees living with cancer and other long-term illnesses are also unable to afford expensive treatments they require in Lebanon. An increasing number of families face crippling debts due to mounting medical costs. One Syrian refugee, Amal, has to make the journey back to Syria twice a week for kidney dialysis, which she cannot afford in Lebanon. “I feel afraid to go to Syria, but I have no choice,” she told Amnesty International.
Some cases that are initially relatively straightforward to treat have become life threatening due to complications caused by lack of treatment.
“Illness is driving whole families into debt. There is very little work available for Syrian refugees, most of whom arrived in Lebanon with little or nothing. People have faced a choice between paying for medical care or rent or food,” said Audrey Gaughran.
“It’s time for the international community to recognize the consequences of its failure to provide adequate assistance to refugees from the conflict in Syria. There is a desperate need for countries to fulfil the humanitarian appeal for Syria and step up efforts to offer resettlement places for the most vulnerable of refugees, including those in dire need of medical treatment,” said Audrey Gaughran.
Amnesty International recognizes that the influx of refugees has placed an overwhelming strain on Lebanon’s resources, including health services. However, it is also calling on the government to adopt a long- term strategy for coping with health care needs for the Syrian refugee population.
“Lebanon must develop a national health strategy that makes provisions for everyone in Lebanon, including poor and disadvantaged Lebanese and the refugee population,” said Audrey Gaughran. “Lebanon faces difficult choices in coping with the needs of its own population and its obligations towards refugees. It cannot be left alone to deal with one of the most acute refugee crises in history. This is a shared international responsibility and countries that have the economic means must step up to it.”
Lebanon is overburdened and under- resourced to sufficiently deal with the ever-growing Syrian refugee crisis. There are currently more than one million registered refugees from Syria in Lebanon. The number is expected to reach 1.5 million by the end of 2014 - which would be equivalent to a third of the country’s pre-Syria war population.
Registered Syrian refugees can seek access to health care in Lebanon through a UNHCR-run programme. Due to limited financial resources available, UNHCR has adopted an approach which prioritizes primary health and emergency care over more costly and complex treatments and hospital care.
This briefing focuses on Syrian refugees in Lebanon, rather than other refugees, which include more than 50,000 Palestinian refugees who have fled from Syria and the established Palestinian refugee population in Lebanon. Palestinian refugees in Lebanon access services and health care through United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) rather than UNHCR.
Labels: Lebanon, Middle East, Refugees, Syria