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eveningstandard--2019-02-02--Unhoused The online shop that helps homeless people battle the cold in London

eveningstandard

Unhoused: The online shop that helps homeless people battle the cold in London

An online shop selling winter supplies for Londoners during the freezing cold snap is donating matching items to homeless people in the capital with every purchase. "StreetWear", launched by social impact startup Unhoused in November, invites people to buy and donate items to the homeless, including warm jumpers, socks, gloves and beanie hats, and allows customers to see who has received their donation. The website, founded by London couple Varun Bhanot and Anisha Seth, operates on a "buy one, give one" model, meaning for every warm item a Londoner purchases for themselves an equivalent one will be donated to a rough sleeper in the capital. The organisers then send a photo, video or message to the customer to show them how their money has been spent. Snug items such as blankets are all available to buy through the shop in addition to donation-only items including sanitary kits, haircuts and mobile phone top-ups. The idea for the website came after Mr Bhanot, who works for tech firm Hubble in Shoreditch, realised that people were hesitant to give money to the homeless directly on the street near his office. StreetWear aims to bring transparency and feedback to the donation process, while allowing people to donate online, the organisation said. "If you see someone on the street you might give them £2 but you don't know where that's going," Mr Bhanot, 28, told the Standard. "On here people can see where that money is going." Since its launch in early November around 1500 orders have been placed via the website - meaning 1500 donations have been made around London. "Whenever someone buys something from the shop we show them where that money goes," Mr Bhanot said. "We've found that's been really popular with people on the site." And the average value of shopper's baskets has been around £20, Mr Bhanot said, suggesting "people are giving more without even realising it". Unhoused is partnered with three charities who work with the organisation to distribute items at their walk-in centres. These include the Spitalfields Crypt Trust, Salvation Army UK and Sewa UK. Mr Bhanot added: "We have basic clothes on offer because we want things that are easy to donate, so some five packs of socks right up to jackets, gloves and undergarments. "There are a few things that are donate-only such as coffees, haircuts and phone top-ups, which is something homeless people need but don't often realise." The organisation is focused on how tech and innovation can tackle the current homelessness crisis. For this project, Mr Bhanot said he and his recent fiancee were inspired to "apply the ASOS model" to charitable donations. He said: "We thought let's set up ASOS for the homeless in time for winter, so everyone can buy their winter clothes and donate." Looking forward, Mr Bhanot said he and Ms Seth have a "broader vision" for the startup with possible future innovations including a bank for the homeless. He said: "With Unhoused we don't just see it as a shop. Being in tech, I'm always seeing innovations. One idea is a digital bank but for the homeless. "One of the biggest problems is that they are financially excluded from banks because they don't have proof of address." In a statement, Ms Seth, 28, said: “Clothing and supplies that are donated to charity are often used and second-hand, which is absolutely fine. However, this allows an opportunity for brand new, quality clothing or items to be distributed, giving the homeless greater dignity and quality of life. It may even increase their employability.” Bali Bhalla, of Sewa Week UK, said: "We always hear of cool technology businesses in the news, but the problem is that charities tend to be the last to benefit from these innovations. Maybe as we are non-for-profit organisations. "Every time there's a new digital innovation, it's not usually for social good causes so this is a very welcome idea."

Ella Wills

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/unhoused-the-online-startup-shop-donating-warm-winter-clothes-to-homeless-people-in-london-a4054481.html

2019-02-02 07:50:00+00:00

society

welfare

eveningstandard--2019-12-19--NHS initiative helping homeless people see a local GP expands across London

eveningstandard

NHS initiative helping homeless people see a local GP expands across London

An NHS initiative helping homeless people to access a GP is expanding across London. In the coming months, NHS London will give out 20,000 “My Right to Healthcare” cards, produced with charity Groundswell, which detail how homeless people are entitled to healthcare even without ID, proof of address or confirmed immigration status. Cards can also be handed to an NHS staff member if a person struggles to communicate. The successful scheme, trialled in London since 2017, is to be rolled out nationally later in 2020. Around a third of all deaths of homeless people caused by easily treatable health conditions, according to the NHS. Seeing a GP early enough can prevent some illnesses from deteriorating and allows healthcare professionals to refer patients to other NHS services. Nearly 150 people are known to have died sleeping rough on the streets of London last year. Many lay dead for hours before they were found. Sir David Sloman, Regional Director for London’s NHS, said: “We know that 7 out of 10 homeless people experience a physical health problem and 80 per cent experience mental health problems. The cold weather can also cause serious complications for those who are already unwell. “No one’s health should suffer because of who they are or where they live and everyone should have equal access to healthcare. Initiatives like this will help us on the path to making London the healthiest city in the world.”

Naomi Ackerman

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/nhs-initiative-helping-homeless-people-see-a-local-gp-expands-across-london-a4316926.html

Thu, 19 Dec 2019 14:43:57 GMT

society

welfare

latimes--2019-12-06--Desperate to build more homeless housing, L.A. County seeks help from the private sector

latimes

Desperate to build more homeless housing, L.A. County seeks help from the private sector

In a move meant to speed up the development of homeless housing with help from the private sector, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors has approved a motion that directs county departments to identify sites for both short-term and long-term housing, along with cost estimates and timelines for completion. Introduced by Supervisor Kathryn Barger, the motion is an effort to involve the county more directly in housing construction after more than two years in which funds from the Measure H countywide sales tax have gone largely to homeless services, shelter operations and rental subsidies. During a meeting in October, Barger acknowledged that programs funded by Measure H probably stopped this year’s 12% countywide increase in homelessness from being even bigger. But she also said she was frustrated with the results — both Measure H and the city’s $1.2-billion Proposition HHH homeless housing bond. “It’s not working the way we are doing it,” Barger told The Times. “I’m going to finally say what I think needs to be done to move forward.” The motion, which was approved unanimously, directs county staff to seek funding for the development of homeless housing and to identify a private-sector housing expert to oversee the planning. Barger said the role of the housing expert has yet to be worked out, but she did not see the position as being independent from county administration. “Our partners in the private sector know how to get the job done and have the capacity to explore innovative housing models that are faster and more affordable to produce,” she said. A staff report is due Feb. 4, and progress reports are due every two months after that to hold county officials accountable. “We can no longer afford to spend years siting and building a single interim housing facility,” Barger said. “We cannot continue to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to create a single unit of permanent supportive housing.” “I know our homeless-services folks out there are doing their best, but I feel like we are losing ground and we need to look at this as a humanitarian crisis on the scale of a natural disaster,” Hahn said. “We need a Marshall Plan to address homelessness and build shelters and housing on every possible piece of land that we can think of.” The motion requires the county’s chief executive officer to work with departments, including public works, the development authority, regional planning and public health, as well as the fire chief and director of homeless initiatives to work together on the plan. It directs county officials to look for ways to speed up the permitting, zoning and approval processes, and to improve communication and outreach to communities that will be affected. “In a time where community opposition to interim and permanent housing projects has the capacity to stall development altogether, it is critical that we explore models that provide adequate resources for homeless services and housing, but do not alienate the community at large,” Barger said.

Doug Smith

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-12-06/homeless-housing-county-supervisors-private-sector-help

Fri, 6 Dec 2019 19:38:41 -0500

society

welfare

thedenverpost--2019-04-19--Denver to provide 157 million for shelter housing upgrades to help combat homelessness

thedenverpost

Denver to provide $15.7 million for shelter, housing upgrades to help combat homelessness

Mayor Michael Hancock on Friday announced an effort to provide new housing options and expand shelter services for people experiencing homelessness. Over the next few years, the city will put about $5 million to provide 400 “bridge housing vouchers” — funding for housing that people can use while they wait for a permanent home. The effort also will put $10.7 million toward expanding Denver’s “day shelter” options. The city will work with nonprofits and charities to “bring people indoors during the daytime,” according to a news release. Traditionally, shelters have focused on providing overnight places to stay. The push for daytime services is meant to connect people with services. Denver is providing about $11 million of the total $15.7 million plan. The Anschutz Foundation has committed another $1 million, and the city is looking for donors for the remaining $4.5 million. RELATED: Editorial: Vote “no” on Initiative 300 to keep Denver homeless camps safe and temporary Roughly half of Denver’s money will come from its affordable housing fund, and the rest will come from its capital improvement and general funds. The city’s overall operating budget is $2.4 billion per year. The administration also plans to create a new Department of Housing and Homelessness, uniting previously separate teams, and to draft a new strategic plan for homelessness. Hancock said in a statement that housing is “a core city service,” similar to emergency services and public works. The announcements come just after an auditor’s report that found Denver’s homelessness efforts are “fragmented and understaffed.” The administration claims the changes were set in motion in 2017, when the city created a new housing office. The city also hired a chief housing officer last May.

Andrew Kenney

https://www.denverpost.com/2019/04/19/denver-homeless-shelter-plan/

2019-04-19 22:56:25+00:00

society

welfare

theindependent--2019-02-01--Food for the homeless How startup projects are helping feed vulnerable people

theindependent

Food for the homeless: How startup projects are helping feed vulnerable people

For Dom Warren, it all began one day in 2015 on the school run. “I noticed in the playground that some of the children obviously had a fairly tough life. So I came up with the idea of taking surplus foods from people’s cupboards, to help feed people in my own town.” He birthed his award-winning charity, Dom’s Food Mission, on top of a demanding 40+ hour week working as an electrical fitter. But with the support of his wife Alexandria, a director at work and 50 people in a Facebook group, it took off quickly. “The first week, we filled our car and delivered food to a food bank and the Salvation Army. “My house started to look like a warehouse: our kids, then 3 and 6, were packing up the boxes, we had 1,000 people on Facebook and members of the public were ringing the doorbell every hour.” A major turning point came after five months. “A woman phoned from M&S, offering their surplus food – everything from fresh chickens to frozen food. "I explained that I didn’t have a team, no vans, just me and my wife, but the deal was signed. She urged us to become a registered charity, which we did, and M&S were soon followed by Morrisons. The people at these superstores are phenomenal. They all say, ‘Thank God you did this. We hated having to throw food away.’ They had nowhere to take it.” Donations from Dom’s company, help from local sponsors and fundraising campaigns have enabled the charity to grow its fleet to seven vehicles. “We collect a whole Transit van of food 365 days a year, wind, rain or snow, from superstores in Bexhill, Hastings and St Leonards, Costa, Sainsbury’s, KFC. But we couldn’t do it without our amazing volunteer team.” It’s not all been plain sailing. “I get a lot of emails that keep me awake at night, things like, ‘We can put the heating on but we can’t eat’. At first we had people saying they needed food, but they didn’t, so we now only supply our 4600 mouths a month via registered community and children’s centres, homeless shelters, hostels, women and children safe houses…ordinary people struggling to put food on the table for their families. Tuesdays and Sundays are particularly special. Hot meals cooked from donated food by local pubs and restaurants feed up to 75 homeless people – and their dogs – underneath a car park. Some of the donated surplus food is even cooked by children in local schools as part of the charity’s project, A Helping Hand, which encourages young people to help others. “My wife Alexandria helps them make meals for less fortunate people, which is key to what we do. There’s something very special about an eight-year-old cooking surplus food into something that will feed the homeless.” Dom’s dream – and he certainly has the charisma, energy and expertise to make it reality – is to roll his charity out across the country with government backing. “I’d love to see vans going up and down the motorways feeding people in Manchester and Liverpool. I constantly get calls from Inverness, Burnley, Newcastle, asking for advice. Imagine what we could do with serious funding.” And, with that, he’s off, giving up yet another Friday night to collect food from Tesco. Other homeless schemes around the UK As with Dom, it took just one small incident in 1989 for Icolyn "Ma" Smith to decide to set up a soup kitchen in Oxford, using her pension to buy ingredients. Now an 87-year-old great grandmother, she says, “I was appalled to see a teenage boy rummaging through bins for food. So that day I went home, got my pots and pans and started cooking. I knew I had to do something for him and others like him.” The Icolyn Smith Foundation is now a charity, feeding a three-course meal to around 50 homeless people twice a week. “My parents were farmers in Jamaica and it was hard work, but it was a small community and everyone looked after each other. I brought that with me when I came to Oxford in 1965.” Last year, her dedication saw her pick up a Pride of Britain award. In London, Refettorio Felix was set up by Massimo Bottura as part of his not-for-profit Food for Soul initiative. Volunteers cook and serve a daily hot lunch to homeless and vulnerable people – 1,100 a month – using surplus fresh ingredients sourced by The Felix Project. A typical menu, bringing waste produce back to life, may include spinach and courgette soup, slow-cooked chicken with capers and olive oil, with smashed roots and apple tart. Top London chefs even drop in to cook, such as Brett Graham of The Ledbury and Francesco Mazzei of Radici. Chef Carlo Scotto of Xier says: “Spending the day at Refettorio Felix with my team was an incredible experience. It’s important that we give back to people less fortunate and Refettorio is the perfect way to attach food to the soul.” Having volunteered at Refettorio Felix, I’d wholeheartedly agree. Serving a nutritious, restaurant-standard meal to someone who lives on the streets gives them respect and a chance to enjoy something many of us take for granted – the pleasure of good food (even if a few of them do grumble when they find kale on their plate). Like London, Manchester is another of Britain’s homeless hotspots, so it’s no surprise that the city has seen several initiatives take off. Not Just Soup sees some of the best local restaurants provide fresh food for the homeless. Co-founded by Sam Jones, Not Just Soup partners with a group called Coffee4Craig which provides coffee, clothes and other services to the homeless and vulnerable. He says, “We decided to add food. Not Just Soup costs nothing to run, yet we have provided 32,000 meals in two years. The support we’ve had from the restaurant community – more than 50 so far – has been incredible. It’s imperative in helping feed people who need it and there are many who do.” One homeless recipient of the scheme’s meals bears this out, saying, “If we didn’t have this, we wouldn’t eat.” That’s the stark reality. Other great schemes allow you to add £1 or more to your bill to help the homeless. These include StreetSmart with 578 participating restaurants (in 2017, they raised an impressive £662,000) and Share the Meal, an app set up by the United Nations World Food Programme: so far, they have shared over 31 million meals worldwide.

Jo Lamiri

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/food-homeless-schemes-try-to-help-feed-uk-homeless-people-a8717321.html

2019-02-01 10:51:04+00:00

society

welfare

activistpost--2019-08-21--WATCH Instead of Arresting Homeless Man Police Bought Him Shoes and Food

activistpost

WATCH: Instead of Arresting Homeless Man, Police Bought Him Shoes and Food

Chattanooga, TN — In case after horrifying case, TFTP has reported on countless instances of police officers showing up to a situation involving a homeless person only to kill them moments later. When it plays out differently, however, and police help that homeless person out, we feel that it deserves recognition as it can set an example for other departments to follow. Body camera footage was released on Tuesday showing officers responding to a 911 call about a homeless man refusing to leave the front of a store. In most instances we’ve reported on, this is where things turn violent. However, in this case, the opposite happened. Emma Baldwin is the district manager of Elliott’s Boots, where the incident took place. She told News Channel 9 that she was the one who called police after the homeless man had been sitting in front of her store for hours. When police showed up to Elliott’s Boots last Wednesday, instead of seeing a vile criminal, they saw a man in need. In a post on their Facebook page, the Chattanooga police department explained how the rest of the stop unfolded. A man down on his luck wearing shoes that were not fit for walking recently got some much needed assistance from a couple CPD Officers and employees at Elliott’s Boots in Hixson. On August 9, 2019, Sgt. Wood responded to a call regarding a Suspicious Person. Once the man was located, Sgt. Wood determined he just needed a helping hand. Seeing the man’s shredded shoes, Sgt. Wood went in to nearby Elliott’s Boots to purchase a new pair for him. The staff would not accept payment and gave the man a new pair of shoes and bottled water…it was 91 degrees at the time. CPD Inv. Collins who was also on scene bought the man some pizza. Sometimes it takes collaboration across a community to let people know they’re not alone. As the video shows, the scene was quite inspirational. “Oh just a little tired,” said the man, whose name is Pete. Pete explained that he’d been trying to make it to a place that is five miles away but had to stop after becoming too tired. Immediately, Wood knew at least one of the reasons this man was having a hard time finishing the walk. “His shoes are falling off his feet. I mean they’re barely holding together,” said Wood over his body cam video. “We went out and realized his shoes were probably the reason he was sitting here and not able to move on, so Sergeant Wood said we’d like to buy him a pair,” said Baldwin. Elliott’s employees and police then joined forces to help this man out. “I’d like to measure his feet,” the employee said. “That’s alright brother, I’ve seen a lot of filth in my day. Put all your weight on that right there.” The Elliott’s employee then measured his feet and went inside to find him a pair of shoes. “This is the shoe we chose. It’s not slick on the bottom and got a real cushy insole, laces up good and again, it comes in extra wide and he needed an extra wide so this was a perfect choice for him,” said Baldwin. When officer Wood attempted to pay for the shoes, the store refused and instead gave them to him.

Activist Post

https://www.activistpost.com/2019/08/watch-instead-of-arresting-homeless-man-police-bought-him-shoes-and-food.html

2019-08-21 13:48:08+00:00

society

welfare

birminghammail--2019-02-19--Instead of having a present for his 18th birthday this teenager donated money to buy food for homel

birminghammail

Instead of having a present for his 18th birthday, this teenager donated money to buy food for homeless people

Your 18th birthday is a big one. But when Brummie Armani Kidd turned 18, he didn't ask his parents for an expensive present or a lavish party. Instead, he donated the money they would have spent to provide food for Birmingham's homeless people. The big-hearted teenager told his story to city MP Liam Byrne (Lab Hodge Hill), who bumped into him at a Digbeth soup kitchen. Armani, from Erdington, said: "I feel like there's quite a bit of negativity in the world at the moment. "Also there's quite a few things going around like with young stabbings and stuff like that. "So I just wanted to show a positive way to give back to the community ... so it's just a bit more positive karma really to put in the world." Mr Byrne said it was lucky Armani chose to be so generous. He said: "Instead of having a birthday present for his 18th birthday, what he wanted to do is donate the money to pay for food for the homeless people. "And it was lucky that he did because we had a record queue tonight and cleared out everything in about 15/20 minutes." Mr Byrne has launched a campaign called Winter of Compassion, urging people to donate to foodbanks. More details are available at https://foodbank.winterofcompassion.co.uk/ . There were 4,677 people sleeping rough in England in autumn 2018, according to official estimates. Birmingham went from 57 rough sleepers in 2017 to 91.

Jonathan Walker

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/instead-having-present-18th-birthday-15850422

2019-02-19 11:16:56+00:00

society

welfare

thedailycaller--2019-04-23--Kid Cudi Spends 10000 On Food For Homeless Shelter

thedailycaller

Kid Cudi Spends $10,000 On Food For Homeless Shelter

Kid Cudi recently spent a ton of money to help feed the homeless. According to TMZ late Monday afternoon, the superstar rapper spent $10,000 on Postmates to get Popeyes for the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission last Friday. (RELATED: Superstar Musician Opens Up About His Battle With Depression. Here’s What He Said) You can watch a video of the food being delivered below. This is such a cool thing for Cudi to do. He’s widely known as one of the most legit guys in all of music, and dropping $10,000 to help feed the homeless is a perfect example of how cool of a guy he is. I can think of countless examples of people in Hollywood being idiots and only caring about themselves. You could even argue it’s the norm. Clearly, Cudi is cut from a different kind of cloth. He’s a man who looks out for other people. It’s also worth noting that Cudi has had some struggles of his own in life, and went to rehab for depression. Maybe it’s the fact he hasn’t had an easy road that makes him so willing to help others. Either way, the rapper is a star on stage and is a good dude. We need more guys like that out there. The world would certainly be a better place if that were the case.

David Hookstead

https://dailycaller.com/2019/04/23/kid-cudi-coachella-homeless-shelter-postmates/

2019-04-23 12:58:29+00:00

society

welfare

nationalreview--2019-04-09--Solving Social Problems Will Never Be Easy

nationalreview

Solving Social Problems Will Never Be Easy

Imagine that you are the czar of all building in San Francisco, and that you have been asked for your thoughts on the design of a new apartment building that is under consideration. What is your top concern? If you are a halfway competent and benevolent dictator — and, goodness knows, history has shown us few enough of those! — then you’d probably put “affordability” at the top of your list. The people of San Francisco and the surrounding areas are very much in need of new affordable housing: In the city itself, the median price of a house is now just over $1.6 million, more than 16 times the median household income. Affordable housing is a big issue not only for regular middle-class people but for the high-tech titans of Silicon Valley, who worry that some highly productive potential employees are looking elsewhere for their futures, not to mention that the housing market forces them to pay more for all their workers. There are other places that have faced such problems, notably resort communities such as Aspen, Colo., but it is unusual for a major city to become so comprehensively unaffordable. Even famously expensive New York City has its more affordable enclaves, without which many industries — from food-service to publishing — would have enormous human-capital problems. But if the czar of building in San Francisco were presented with a design for the most affordable apartment building that possibly could be built (for the purpose of our thought experiment, there is no building code), he almost certainly would reject it, because it would lack certain health and safety features that most of us regard as essential. It probably would not be very attractive or very energy-efficient. It probably would not be very comfortable to live in, either. A different building czar might believe instead that energy efficiency is the most important concern. But if he were presented with a design for the most energy-efficient building that possibly could be built, he almost certainly would reject it, because it would lack things that most of us regard as essential, like windows. What if we put safety and health first? We might say we want the maximum affordability consistent with safety and health. But even seemingly obvious concerns such as safety eventually put us in a bind: At some point, we will encounter a marginal improvement to safety that forces us to accept compromises in affordability, energy efficiency, or some other criterion that seems to us excessive or unreasonable. In fact, the building czar making up a list of things that are legitimately important in the design of such a project might, off the top of his head, jot down: affordability, health and safety (which might very well include concerns ranging from fire and earthquakes to crime and terrorism), energy efficiency, accessibility for disabled people, comfort, aesthetics, externalities such as traffic and parking, any likely effects on neighboring residents and businesses, utility loads (a big concern for New York, lately), and a few other things. Some of these concerns are complementary: A building that is more energy efficient will demand less of its utility providers; a building that is well integrated into the mass-transit network will need less parking and contribute less to traffic, etc. But other concerns will clash: Many beautiful buildings sacrifice energy efficiency to aesthetics; some safety and accessibility features consume both energy and money; the cost difference between making a building very durable in an earthquake and making it very, very durable in an earthquake may be very high. All of those tradeoffs will impose costs, some of which might not be obvious until you are faced with an unusual or extreme circumstance. There wasn’t anything defective about the design of the World Trade Center towers, which very likely would have stood up just fine in the event of an ordinary fire or many kinds of possible terrorist attack. But they were not designed to stand up to having jetliners flown into them, even though the question had, oddly enough, come up when the project was being conceived in the 1960s. So, you want your apartment building to be affordable, but you also want it to be safe — from what? Ordinary building fires? Terrorist attacks? Meteors? Earthquakes? Okay: How big an earthquake? You want it to be green, but you also want it to be attractive and comfortable. You want it to have few enough entrances to be secure but enough exits for people to get out quickly during a fire. That’s one building, and one building gets pretty complicated all by itself. When you move into the larger realm of the entire housing stock of a city such as San Francisco, the problem gets exponentially more complex. As the locals sometimes like to remind us, the Bay Area is home to an enormous concentration of intelligence, engineering expertise, human capital, and ordinary capital, too. But for all those resources, it has made zero progress toward its goal of making housing more affordable. And there isn’t anything nefarious behind that: It is a complex problem and would be even if everybody had exactly the same preferences and priorities — which, as it turns out, they don’t. Which is to say: The things that make people want to put czars in charge of complicated and intractable problems are also the things that make it a terrible idea to put czars in charge of complicated and intractable problems. If designing an apartment building is complex, then how much more complex is designing, say, a national system of regulating and subsidizing health-insurance companies, medical providers, employers, state governments, and — oh! — just about every one of the 327.2 million residents of this country from sea to shining sea, in a way that optimizes at least a few hundred major criteria that are in many cases either rivalrous or incompatible? How much more complicated than that is reorganizing more or less the entirety of human economic activity in simultaneous pursuit of environmental and social-justice goals involving competing factors so complex that the relationships among them are literally incomprehensible? The same bureaucracies and politician-dominated processes we expect to ensure substantial justice for the entirety of the human race while optimizing the sum of human material life in accord with certain slippery and vaguely defined environmental goals cannot figure out how to raise an apartment building in San Francisco — which in reality entails not figuring out how to develop the needed housing but how to let other people who want to use their own money and energy to develop that housing do so — or how to run a high school in Milwaukee, or how to ensure that all of the people on Death Row actually belong there. The federal government cannot even say with any confidence how many programs it currently administers. Don’t ask its auditors where the money went. All of the Instagram-ready chin-up posturing and declarations of moral urgency in the world will not change the facts of problems before us or render inoperative Immanuel Kant’s maxim that “ought implies can.” The adjectives “ambitious,” “inspiring,” “audacious,” and “sweeping” should be met with dread by those who value boring things like reason, responsibility — and reality.

Kevin D. Williamson

https://www.nationalreview.com/2019/04/government-solutions-societal-problems-political-bureaucracy/

2019-04-09 10:30:46+00:00

society

social problem

activistpost--2019-04-10--April is National Alcohol Awareness Month Time for Education and Action about Alcohol Abuse and Al

activistpost

April is National Alcohol Awareness Month — Time for Education and Action about Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

April is National Alcohol Awareness Month, and the first weekend in April is Alcohol Free Weekend. This is a campaign to inform and change social norms about drinking. Every day hundreds of Americans die because of alcohol abuse and alcoholism, and thousands more are admitted into hospitals, psychiatric facilities, or jails and prison. Alcohol places thousands more at risk for divorce, unemployment, bankruptcy, and physical and emotional problems such as depression. Because it affects so many people, alcoholism is considered the number one public health problem in America – even surpassing cancer and heart disease, and is the third leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. Alcohol Awareness Month (AAM) is a national grassroots effort that was started by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence in 1987, and it quickly spread throughout the country. AAM highlights the need to support education, prevention and treatment for alcoholism and alcohol-related problems. It is an opportunity for families and communities, together, to educate themselves about the critical issues of alcohol abuse and alcoholism, and reach out and educate their children on the reasons to stay alcohol free. Alcoholism is a disease that affects children, families and communities across the nation. In fact, most people know someone who has been affected by this disease as over half of all adults have a family history of alcoholism or alcohol problems. In this regard, alcoholism does not just affect the alcoholic but others around, and therefore it is also called a family disease. Alcohol is a toxic and addictive drug. Each year there are well over 88,000 deaths because of alcohol, and according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), there may be as many as 15.1 million individuals with an alcohol problem or alcoholism in the United States. Alcoholism was, is, and remains one of the most pervasive and tragic diseases affecting society. Alcohol Free Weekend is a special opportunity for parents to teach about alcohol in their homes. For at least one weekend each year people are saying that America does not need to rely on alcohol for pleasure or pastime. This also gives parents opportunity to further reflect upon the dangers and consequences of drinking with their children. Although it is among the nation’s most deadly diseases, alcoholism is preventable. Each year AAM offers an opportunity to work in a unified effort to raise awareness about the negative consequences of drinking and to do something about it. It also asks families to look at the level of emotional pain that alcohol has caused in their lives and encourages adults to talk about alcoholism with spouses, children, and friends. The best prevention is to help send the message to youth that one does not need to drink in order to enjoy leisure activities and have a fulfilling and healthy life. In fact, at least 34 percent of Americans do not drink at all. AAM also encourages individuals with an alcohol problem to seek treatment. Help is only a telephone call away. If a person believes that he or she or a family member may have an alcohol problem or if one is hurting or in emotional pain because of alcohol, it is best to contact a local treatment agency or call the national referral helpline operated by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) at 1-800-662-HELP.

Activist Post

https://www.activistpost.com/2019/04/april-is-national-alcohol-awareness-month-time-for-education-and-action-about-alcohol-abuse-and-alcoholism.html

2019-04-10 15:23:24+00:00

society

social problem

theindependent--2019-08-19--Treat alcoholism with MDMA study suggests

theindependent

Treat alcoholism with MDMA, study suggests

Alcoholism could be successfully treated by giving patients MDMA, new research suggests. The first study to analyse the use of the drug in tackling booze addiction has shown it is both safe and highly effective, it has been reported. In test cases where alcoholics have been given MDMA alongside psychotherapy, there has been only one relapse and no physical or psychological side effects, scientists say. That compares to an overall figure where 80 per cent of patients undergoing traditional treatments are known to be drinking again within three years. Dr Ben Sessa, the addiction psychiatrist leading the safety and tolerability at Imperial College London, said 11 people had so far completed the experimental treatment. “We have five people who are completely dry and we have four or five who have had one or two drinks but wouldn’t reach the diagnosis of alcohol use disorder,” he told The Guardian. Just one has completely relapsed, he confirmed. Because most addiction is based on underlying trauma, often from childhood, “MDMA selectively impairs the fear response,” Dr Sessa added. “It allows recall of painful memories without being overwhelmed.” He said: “MDMA psychotherapy gives you the opportunity to tackle rigidly held personal narratives that are based on early trauma. It’s the perfect drug for trauma-focused psychotherapy.” The treatment itself sees patients given an eight-week course of therapy with powerful doses of MDMA administered in week three and six. Discussing possible dangers associated with the drug, including the well-reported death of some recreational users, Dr Sessa said: “Scientists know it’s not dangerous. The Sun newspaper thinks it’s dangerous because the tiny number of fatalities that occur every year all get on their front page.” He added: “If there was a craze of people going around abusing cancer chemotherapy drugs, you wouldn’t then think, ‘Oh well, it’s not safe to take cancer chemotherapy when doctors give it to you’.” Further research, which compares the study’s results with a random control group who receive a placebo instead of MDMA, will now need to be carried out.

Colin Drury

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/alcoholism-treatment-mdma-ecstasy-study-research-imperial-college-london-a9069216.html

2019-08-19 12:40:00+00:00

society

social problem

windowoneurasiablog--2019-12-16--Alcoholism Remains Widespread in Russian North but Authorities Doing Little to Help

windowoneurasiablog

Alcoholism Remains Widespread in Russian North but Authorities Doing Little to Help

Staunton, December 13 – Moscow officials have trumpeted figures showing declining rates of alcohol consumption among Russians and have promised to open new-style sobering-up stations to help alcoholics. But alcoholism remains widespread in the impoverished cities of the Russian North, and only NGOs rather than the government doing much to help. In a 2800-word article, the portal’s journalists paint a dreary picture in which poverty and the absence of alternative forms of entertainment combined with long winters and the incompetence of officials drive people to drink excessively at the price of their health and the well-being of themselves and those around them. According to anti-alcohol activists in the North, the problem is far worse than official statistics acknowledge. Irina Frolova, head of the No to Alcoholism and Narcotics in Veliky Novgorod, for every alcoholic officials count, there are nine more than aren’t included in the government’s statistics. She says widespread poverty is the biggest explanation. Private groups like her own and like Alcoholics Anonymous have made a small dent in the problem, but they are overwhelmed by its size and by the failure of the authorities to take effective action. Most regional officials have limited their moves against alcoholism to limits on the hours alcohol can be sold. But that seldom works: people find ways around it for profit. Sultan Khamzayev, the leader of the Sober Russia movement, agrees. In fact, he suggests, limiting hours of the sale of alcohol has led to the rise of an entire network of illegal distribution which means that alcoholics can get what they want if anything even easier than they did before the restrictions were put in place. A month ago, the Duma passed on first reading a bill that would restore the Soviet-era system of sobering up stations. They were closed down to save money in 2011, but the result has been that when the police pick up someone drunk on the streets, they take him to already overburdened hospitals. In Pskov Oblast, SeverReal says, some 8,000 to 9,000 drunks are taken to hospitals each year. Most don’t need any treatment other than time to sober up, but they fill the hospital corridors and drive many who do need medical attention away. And doctors seldom check them for tuberculosis or other diseases. The lack of sobering up stations remains a subject of debate. Vologda anti-alcohol doctor Aleksey Starodubtsev says closing them was a mistake and that they should be reopened. But Valery Koltakov, a deputy in the Pskov district assembly, says he doesn’t want to see the old system come back because of how it would be abused. “This after all is Russia, not Europe,” he suggests, and a normal and helpful sobering up system won’t be put in place. People do need to be taken off the streets, “but in out state, it will be anti-people” and “be used as an instrument of repression.” Someone the authorities don’t approve of will be accused of alcoholism after taking a single drink of beer. “It is not a secret for anyone that people who take an active political position are being watched,” Koltakov says. Labelling them drunks and then imposing huge fines are the consequences of bringing back sobering up stations, at least as long as the Putin regime is in place. Khamzayev agrees that sobering up stations now should not be like those of the Soveit period, but people found drunk on the streets need places to sober up, get cleaned up, and “if necessary provided medical assistance and sent for further rehabilitation.” Unfortunately, few regions are doing that. He stresses that there is no single magic bullet to solve the problem of alcoholism. Propaganda or sobering up stations aren’t going to be enough. Limiting sales won’t work by itself. And unless the problem of surrogates is addressed in a far more serious way, more Russians are going to die from poisoning especially during the upcoming holidays. Other Northern countries like Finland and Canada, Khamzayev says, have come up with effective means of combatting excessive drinking and alcoholism. Russia should be copying them rather than drying to continue along its own “special path.” That isn’t leading anywhere except to disaster.

paul goble (noreply@blogger.com)

http://windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2019/12/alcoholism-remains-widespread-in.html

2019-12-16T03:02:00.001-08:00

society

social problem

fortune--2019-03-14--How Should Employers Handle Drug Addiction at Work

fortune

How Should Employers Handle Drug Addiction at Work?

You’ve probably heard the mind-blowing statistics: Every 13 minutes, someone in the U.S. dies of an opioid overdose. The total reached a record 72,000 deaths in 2017, the CDC reports, making prescription pain medications like Oxycontin, Vicodin, and the synthetic opioid fentanyl even bigger killers than diseases like diabetes. Addiction to pain pills is so widespread, across every U.S. age, race, and income group, that it’s nearly impossible to say how many Americans are quietly struggling with it. But the available research suggests that about two-thirds of opioid addicts have jobs. At least a few of them probably work for you. The cost of this crisis—in lost productivity, mistakes at work, absenteeism, and plain human misery—has become so high that many employers are now intent on fighting it. (Want an estimate of addiction’s price tag at your business? Check out the National Safety Council’s online cost calculator.) The U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams last year started urging employers to join the battle, and the Chamber of Commerce Foundation has launched a campaign against opioid abuse, with information and case studies employers can use in their own efforts to tackle the problem. Yet most companies clearly have a long way to go. A nationwide survey last November of more than 2,000 HR managers and employees, by insurer The Hartford, showed that only 24% of human-resources pros and 18% of employees felt “very confident” they could spot the signs of opioid addiction, let alone do anything about it. In companies with no formal policies and procedures about this, individual managers have to wing it, and the results are often not great. Consider: In a poll of 737 bosses by rehab-center operator American Addiction Centers, 70% of managers reported feeling “guilty” about how they have handled their direct reports’ addiction issues—more than half of them because they wish they had addressed the problem sooner, instead of just hoping it would go away. Experts in addiction and recovery say there are at least two ways that any employer could make a huge difference. First, although 90% of managers in the AAC survey said they’d approve time off for drug rehab (or have already done so for at least one employee), such a stigma attaches to addiction that most employees won’t admit they need help, and they certainly won’t request time off to go and get it. “Employees are worried about losing their jobs so, even in companies with really good EAPs [employee assistance programs], they won’t come forward,” notes Michael Cartwright, AAC’s cofounder, CEO, and chairman, who adds that only about 5% of people seeking treatment at his company’s centers were sent by their employers. “You need to create a culture of honest communication, where people aren’t afraid to speak up.” It helps to start by making information about opioid addiction, and how to prevent it, readily available to everyone. Most people don’t realize, for example, that it’s possible to get hooked on painkillers after taking them—for an injury, say, or after surgery— for just four days, especially at high doses. “People need to be educated about this, in the same way we as a society have done with smoking,” says Cartwright. “Employers are in an ideal position to help by simply spreading the facts about opioids, and making sure employees know the risks.” A second way employers can help: Keeping close tabs on prescriptions through their medical-benefits plans, and letting employees and health care providers know that more than a three-day supply of opioid painkillers won’t be approved without special scrutiny. The Surgeon General’s office reports that about 30% of large U.S. companies have already started doing this, but most employers are still “unwitting enablers” of opioid addiction, says Dave Chase, CEO of a Health Rosetta, a nonprofit aimed at making the U.S. health care system more cost-effective—and, not incidentally, less awash in addictive drugs. Chase wrote an illuminating book called The Opioid Crisis Wake-Up Call that is packed with case studies of companies, including GM and IBM, that have successfully overhauled their medical plans. Benefits managers, take note: He suggests three litmus tests for whether your company is inadvertently adding fuel to the opioid addiction fire. The first warning sign, Chase says, is if “payment for primary care in your system is based on volume,” which encourages health care providers to write quick-fix prescriptions. Second, take a close look at “whether it’s easier [for employees] to get an opioid prescription than access to physical therapy,” which is usually a far more effective, and less hazardous, treatment for injuries. And third, Chase says, “you should be getting regular reports on opioid prescriptions. Typically fewer than 10% of doctors are prescribing most of the opioids out there. You don’t want them in your system. Weed them out.” Anne Fisher is a career expert and advice columnist who writes “Work It Out,” Fortune’s guide to working and living in the 21st century. Each week, she’ll answer your most challenging career questions. Have one? Ask her on Twitter or email her at workitout@fortune.com.

Anne Fisher

http://fortune.com/2019/03/14/employee-drug-addiction-at-work/

2019-03-14 17:20:41+00:00

society

social problem

prepareforchange--2019-07-06--What is Drug Addiction

prepareforchange

What is Drug Addiction?

Addiction is classified as a chronic, relapsing, brain disorder, that affects one in ten Americans. By continually using a substance, whether it be a prescription drug or a street drug such as heroin, the body begins to become physically and psychologically dependent on that drug. Most drugs will provide the brain with a surge of dopamine, which creates a pleasurable, high sensation. As use continues, tolerance develops, and the brain becomes unable to develop its state of happiness without a hit from the drug. The changes drugs make to your body is what makes it difficult to stop using, creating uncomfortable, and dangerous withdrawal symptoms when you attempt to reduce drug use. Millions of Americans suffer from drug addiction, and many users of prescription drugs turn to illegal drugs as a cheaper option to maintain their habit. If you or someone you love is using a substance regularly and is unable or unwilling to stop, they are likely experiencing dependence or addiction. A treatment gap exists in the United States where over 22 million Americans suffer from a substance use disorder, yet only 10% of those people get the treatment they require. This is due to the stigma surrounding addiction, and the denial of many individuals that they are suffering from drug addiction. The opioid epidemic that is plaguing America is being fueled by both prescription opioids, as well as illicit opioids like heroin. As of 2018 over 115 Americans are dying every day due to opioid addiction, and overdose. In 2016 opioids killed more people than peak gun violence, peak AIDS crisis, and peak car crash years. Illicit drugs vary significantly in the effects that they cause, and the symptoms they produce in their users. What they share is their risk factor, as each one of these drugs has been deemed dangerous, and addictive to be allowed legally in the United States: Abusing illicit drugs causes unique symptoms depending on the drug and dosage. However, overdose remains a potential side effect for most of these drugs. If someone is exhibiting the following symptoms, call emergency services immediately: Remember when calling emergency services to disclose as much information as possible about the drugs that were taken, and the dosages. Even if they are illegal substances, most overdose calls are responded to by EMTs who are more interested in saving a life, than calling up criminal charges. You may also notice behavioral changes due to drug use, which could indicate an addiction: With long-term substance abuse, a person’s lifestyle stands to see considerable, ongoing decline as drugs take on greater importance in his or her daily life. Although drug side effects may vary, the same five stages of addiction are experienced by users, regardless of which substances they are abusing: When a user first tries a drug. Over half of all people will try a drug before they reach 18 years old. Certain drugs carry a risk of addiction from their first use, such as meth. The substance is used socially, with friends, and without cravings. The substance can be used casually, at parties, or now and again. When use starts to become a habit, instead of a casual experiment. Users may start to have the drug every weekend, or after work each day. They will also begin to use on their own; it will be less of a social event. Tolerance sets in, and requires the user to have more of a substance to achieve the same effects as before. The user is now physically dependent on the drug and will need to continue using to avoid withdrawal symptoms. Negative health consequences may start to set in, along with behavioral changes. The user is unable to stop using and is not deterred by negative consequences of their drug use. They prioritize getting high above all other obligations. Drug addicts may start to isolate themselves, may lose interest in regular activities, and may start to miss school or work. They may partake in drug-seeking behavior and will take on riskier activities to score their drug of choice. At this stage, most users will be in denial about their addiction, attempting to hide their use from friends and family. Users are now physically and psychologically dependent on this drug and will need treatment to stop their addiction. If you are unable to stop using or are experiencing withdrawal symptoms when you try to reduce the dosage, you should get help with your addiction. Withdrawal episodes result from growing brain chemical imbalances that ultimately disrupt the brain’s ability to maintain the body’s systems as normal. While withdrawal effects can vary between alcohol and drug use, as well as from drug-to-drug, some of the most common types of effects experienced include: The longer a person keeps abusing drugs and alcohol the more severe withdrawal effects become and the more often they occur. Also, if you have had any significant health problems arise from use, you should seek out help immediately. Detox treatment provides you with the supports needed to stop abusing drugs or alcohol. These supports typically take the form of: While not everyone who enters recovery will require an in-house detox program, those with long histories of substance abuse or chronic users will most definitely require some form of professional detox treatment help. Long-term drug and alcohol addictions often leave addicts in poor physical health, with many also struggling with severe psychological disorders. Both inpatient and residential treatment programs operate as live-in treatment environments, so a person lives at the treatment facility for the duration of the program. Inpatient care is highly recommended for most people, as it allowed therapists to work intensively on personal issues, knowing the patient isn’t going to return to their homes and relapse (as they might for outpatient care).  Inpatient programs provide ongoing medical, psychological and addiction treatment. Inpatient programs can run anywhere from two weeks to three months long depending on the severity of the addiction problem. Inpatient programs offer medication-assisted treatment, to help ween slowly you off of your drug, and reduce withdrawal symptoms. This is ideal for long-term drug users. If you’re at the early stages of drug and alcohol addiction and still have work and family obligations to meet, an outpatient treatment program offers the type of flexibility you’ll need. In effect, residential and outpatient programs offer the same types of services only you don’t have to live at the facility with outpatient treatment. However, they take longer to complete, as therapists work at a slower pace, only seeing patients a few times per week. These types of interventions help you replace the destructive thinking and behaviors that drive substance abuse with a mindset that can support a drug-free lifestyle. For people coming off the severe drug and alcohol addiction, going from a treatment program to regular, everyday life can be risky regarding the pressures and temptations that daily life brings. Sober living programs act as a bridge between the treatment program environment and going back home. It is essential to set up aftercare treatment, to help promote successful long-term recovery. Therapy programs can assist in treating underlying mental health issues, as well as identifying strategies for avoiding relapse. Disclaimer: We at Prepare for Change (PFC) bring you information that is not offered by the mainstream news, and therefore may seem controversial. The opinions, views, statements, and/or information we present are not necessarily promoted, endorsed, espoused, or agreed to by Prepare for Change, its leadership Council, members, those who work with PFC, or those who read its content. However, they are hopefully provocative. Please use discernment! Use logical thinking, your own intuition and your own connection with Source, Spirit and Natural Laws to help you determine what is true and what is not. By sharing information and seeding dialogue, it is our goal to raise consciousness and awareness of higher truths to free us from enslavement of the matrix in this material realm.

Edward Morgan

https://prepareforchange.net/2019/07/06/what-is-drug-addiction/

2019-07-06 21:06:30+00:00

society

social problem

thedailyrecord--2019-03-13--Drug addiction isnt a moral failing it is societys failing

thedailyrecord

Drug addiction isn't a moral failing, it is society's failing

Annual drug deaths in Scotland are set to break through the 1000 mark for the first time – but barely a collective eyebrow has been raised. Too often in Scotland, the response to the addicted is judgment and scorn, where compassion and empathy are needed. Addicts are too easily dehumanised as we step around them like human litter, glued to our phone screens. Just as drug addicts have become numbed to society, society has become numbed to them – and that is our shame, not theirs. A reason lies behind every addiction, some perhaps more obvious than others. In this country, the carnage inflicted on society through deindustrialisation and the erosion of community by city planners has created vacuums in the souls of thousands. Their lives have been impoverished and not simply financially. Poverty of hope, poverty of ambition, poverty of expectation, poverty of emotion and empathy have laid waste to many lives, carving emptiness into souls pushers know only too well how to fill. Not one addict in Scotland wants to be locked in addiction. It wasn’t a choice on careers day at high school. Scotland has the largest number of overdose deaths per capita in western Europe and more than double the number of England and Wales. Our country’s drug problem is a public health emergency, a critical illness we are treating with the urgency of a minor ailment. In the coming weeks this newspaper is running a series of articles posing the question: What should we do about Scotland’s drug deaths? If there is a solution, it lies in a national conversation we have yet to have. It’s a polarising topic but one which must be debated, with anger, with passion, with a dogged determination to thrash out a solution. Around 146 people died on Scotland’s roads in the last year and rightly we do everything in our power to stop that number climbing. But 1000 drug deaths is a statistic which raises a fraction of the alarm. I come from a small working class town where so many are devastated by drugs. Thatcherism took a wrecking ball to communities across Scotland and austerity is finishing the job. Disempowered people become disinvested in life and drugs fill the void. The middle classes and the rich are not excluded from addiction but drug abuse disproportionately affects the poor. Over the years, I have interviewed so many people whose lives have been destroyed by addiction. One father admitted moments of wishing his daughter dead rather than watch drugs rob a little more of her each day. But does an addict have to be family before we care? Treating knife crime as a health issue led to a dramatic drop in stabbings in 2005. Glasgow was branded the murder capital of Europe but 10 years later, admissions to hospital through stabbings had fallen by 65 per cent. The pioneering approach, including through the work of the Violence Reduction Unit, will now be used in England as a blueprint. In supporting the move, Theresa May ignored the inconvenient truth of a correlation between poverty and violence. It wasn’t just the work of the VRU which helped tackle Scotland’s knife crime but a co-ordinated effort in schools, communities, hospitals, prisons and workplaces. Drugs are as murderous as knives but the deaths are less dramatic – though the loss is just as devastating. The Scottish Government needs to start with a national public health inquiry if it is serious about reversing the trend. The rest of us need to look beyond the symptoms of addiction, and consider the causes. No one ever got clean through judgment. A sheriff's officer turned up at my house this week. Sweaty little chap, round glasses, looked like an owl but an owl who wants to seize your telly. The fine I got for parking in my street with an expired permit had climbed from £30 to £170. He stood at the top of my stairs, three floors up, hell mend him, and looked at me like I had burned a down an orphanage. The whole thing was my fault but, in mitigation, I am an idiot. However, it all felt disproportionately punitive, relative to the fines given in our courts for real crimes. Last week, a man was fined £350 for attacking singer Michelle McManus in the street in January 2017. Michelle, pictured, was left injured and an “absolute wreck” after Derek McArthur hit her with a guitar case. I am not suggesting jail but even a community payback order would have been more in keeping with the gravity of his actions. When a man assaults a woman in the street he shouldn’t be able to just pay his way out of it like it was an unpaid parking ticket. Asylum seekers in Glasgow could be allowed to work six months after their claim to stay in the UK has been submitted. The move is one of a series of changes which Glasgow City Council hopes to introduce in a UK pilot scheme. I have always felt proud our city has opened its door to more asylum seekers than any other UK local authority area. But ridiculous restrictions from the Home Office – led by Home Secretary Sajid Javid – mean asylum seekers are not allowed to work in the UK unless their claim has been outstanding for at least 12 months. Many of these asylum seekers have valuable skills Glasgow and Scotland could benefit from. And it makes sense to have people in the city who can afford to use our shops and facilities and boost the local economy. Giving asylum seekers the right to work restores dignity to them when they have already lost too much.

Annie Brown

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/drug-addiction-isnt-moral-failing-14125205

2019-03-13 04:30:00+00:00

society

social problem

thedailyrecord--2019-08-29--Dumbarton drugs support group help families affected by addiction

thedailyrecord

Dumbarton drugs support group help families affected by addiction

A Dumbarton drugs support worker has this week underlined the importance of helping family members suffering through addiction. Bobby Walker, who runs a family support group at Alternatives in the High Street, admitted he was sad but not surprised by recent statistics which showed that drug deaths increased by 25 percent in West Dunbartonshire over the past year. Drug addiction rates remain sky high in the area and workers at Alternatives are doing vital work to get people clean and save lives. However, Bobby this week insisted that the wellbeing of loved ones of addicts should not be forgotten. Bobby said: “I feel family support is something that is overlooked when it comes to addiction. “I believe that when the family member is in recovery then so is the family, and both parties have to take that path and hopefully meet at the other end.” Since launching at the beginning of this year, a group of families have been gathering every Monday night to have a chat and cup of tea in a relaxing environment with others going through the same problems. A few of the members also enjoyed a therapeutic day trip to Glencoe earlier this month, and have future trips planned. Bobby said: “The purpose of the trip was a therapeutic approach to tackle mental health within families of people in addiction. “Some of the comments made by the group were that it was relaxing, enjoyable, and just what they needed. “We have developed into a group of around eight families who have taken some ownership to help and support each other when needed. “The numbers I feel shows that this is a service that is needed, and anyone else in the same position is welcome to attend our meetings.” The Monday meetings start off with a chat about how each member’s week has been going, and group members offer a listening ear and support. This usually lasts around a hour, while the second hour is usually a topic-based chat. Bobby said: “Overall the night is about support and gaining knowledge on our family members’ addiction, and how we can not only help our family member heal but heal ourselves.” The comments in the group’s log book speak volumes of how valued the weekly meetings are. Police use science in bid to snare killer of Alexandria's Caroline Glachan One reads: “This is my second week, and I have been really looking forward to coming along as last week I realised I was not alone. Sharing and openness of the group is fantastic to help each other through the tough times.” Another reads: “As a parent I felt lost in a world I did not know much about, but already I feel more informed. So glad I came along.” Anyone interested in attending the support group is invited to the Alternatives base in High Street, Dumbarton, on Mondays from 6.30pm-8.30pm. For more local news, click here

reporters@dailyrecord.co.uk (Lennox Herald)

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/dumbarton-drugs-support-group-help-19031432

2019-08-29 14:46:50+00:00

society

social problem

theseattletimes--2019-06-28--Malaysia plans to decriminalize drug use to battle addiction

theseattletimes

Malaysia plans to decriminalize drug use to battle addiction

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia’s government plans to drop criminal penalties for the possession and use of drugs in small quantities to battle addiction, but stressed the move is not akin to legalizing narcotics. Malaysia has one of the world’s harshest penalties for drug possession. Anyone found with 200 grams (7.05 ounces) of cannabis, 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of opium, 40 grams (1.41 ounces) of cocaine, and 15 grams (0.53 ounces) of heroin or morphine face being charged with drug trafficking, which carries the death penalty. More than 1,200 prisoners are on death row, most of them convicted of drug crimes. Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said in a statement Thursday that the proposal for the decriminalization of drug addiction will be a significant game changer. He said drug addiction is a complex, relapsing medical condition and throwing an addict into jail will not cure them. “Drug decriminalization will indeed be a critical next step toward achieving a rational drug policy that puts science and public health before punishment and incarceration,” Dzulkefly said. “An addict shall be treated as a patient, not as a criminal, whose addiction is a disease we would like to cure.” He said the move mustn’t be mistaken as legalizing drugs as drug trafficking will remain a crime. More than 30 countries have adopted a drug decriminalization policy and research showed that it didn’t increase drug use or drug-related crimes but helped to cut legal cost and improved social outcomes, he said. Officials said the proposal is still in an initial stage and details have not been worked out. Earlier this week, Home Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said most of the 70,000 prisoners in Malaysia’s jails were drug addicts. With the proposed decriminalization, he said the addicts will be rehabilitated and given treatment, with strong support from family members and the community. His ministry will look into the repealing of drug laws that criminalize the use of narcotics, he said but didn’t give further details. More than two dozen medical and health groups have lauded the government’s plan. In a joint statement, the groups including the Malaysian Medical Association and the AIDS Council said the present approach of punitive actions has led to harmful consequences including severe overcrowding in prisons and the spread of infectious diseases. They said criminalization creates a cycle of imprisonment and poverty, with many drug users afraid to seek medical help for fear of punishment and a criminal record. In contrast, they said local evidence has shown that treatment of drug use reduces relapse and allows addicts to return to gainful employment, reconnect back with families and contribute meaningfully to societies.

The Associated Press

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/malaysia-plans-to-decriminalize-drug-use-to-battle-addiction/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all

2019-06-28 04:17:54+00:00

society

social problem

nationalinterest--2019-11-11--America Has A Poverty Problem, But Its Poor Are Better Off Today Than Ever

nationalinterest

America Has A Poverty Problem, But Its Poor Are Better Off Today Than Ever

The government says that America’s poverty rate is 11.8 percent. It also says that the poverty rate has hovered around 11 to 15 percent since 1970 suggesting little or no progress against poverty in decades. But the Census Bureau’s official poverty rate is biased upwards and kind of meaningless. In terms of material well-being, families near the bottom are much better off today than in past decades because of general economic growth and larger government hand-outs. In a Cato study, John Early recalculated the U.S. poverty rate using more complete data and found that it fell from 19.5 percent in 1963 to just 2.2 percent in 2017. (The study’s charts are updated here.) Early is a former Assistant Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Bruce Meyer and James Sullivan perform a similar exercise in this new study. They find that the poverty rate fell from 13.0 percent in 1980 to 2.8 percent in 2018. Meyer-Sullivan calculate their figure based on consumption rather than income, but the general idea is the same. Meyer is at the University of Chicago and Sullivan is at the University of Notre Dame. The Early and Meyer-Sullivan estimates are charted below. Both estimates reflect a large reduction in material deprivation for less fortunate Americans. Unfortunately, this great news about the American economy is usually ignored in media reports and political discussions. Both Early and Meyer-Sullivan use a more accurate inflation measure than the one used for adjusting the official poverty rate each year. And they both correct for the fact that the Census—in its main poverty series—excludes numerous government benefits including Medicaid, food stamps, and earned income tax credits. Both studies make a number of further adjustments. The charts below show the Early and Meyer-Sullivan poverty rates compared to the official Census series. Note that all poverty rate calculations stem from essentially arbitrary poverty thresholds measured in relation to a chosen base year. John Early anchors his series to the official rate in 1963. Meyer-Sullivan anchor their series to the official rate in 1980. The important thing is not the calculated poverty rate in any particular year but the trend over time. The official series shows no sustained improvement in poverty in recent decades, while the better estimates from Early and Meyer-Sullivan suggest large gains for households near the bottom. In sum, using somewhat different methods, Early and Meyer-Sullivan both show that the official poverty data is far too pessimistic. I interpolated the value for 1982 in Meyer-Sullivan. Chris Edwards is the director of tax policy studies at Cato and editor of www.DownsizingGovernment.org. This article first appeared at The Cato Institute.

Chris Edwards

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/america-has-poverty-problem-its-poor-are-better-today-ever-94311

Mon, 11 Nov 2019 02:30 EST

society

social problem

globalresearch--2019-04-29--Decadent Western Community of Values Human Trafficking and Sex Slavery

globalresearch

Decadent “Western Community of Values”. Human Trafficking and Sex Slavery

Actually I thought I was sufficiently informed by the books of my friend Manfred Paulus about the shameful excesses of human trafficking and sex slavery. But his meritorious lifelong research is mainly related to Germany and Europe. An article by the American constitutional attorney John W. Whitehead in “Global Research” of 24 April 2019 “The Essence of Evil: Sex with Children Has Become Big Bussiness in America” shows that the sex trade – especially the purchase and sale of young girls  – has become “Big Business” in America. This buying and selling has become the fastest growing organized crime business and the second most important good after drugs and weapons. This is America’s dirty little secret. This decadent “Western Value Society” will one day perish like the decadent Roman Empire. “Battlefield America. The war against the American people” I recommend to every reader of these lines – especially parents and educators – to read the shocking state report of American society here in order to form their own opinion. In the following I quote from the report. Whitehead portrays a frighteningly decadent nation. Already in 2015 he published a book entitled “Battlefield America. The War on the American People”. It is estimated that there are 100,000 to 150,000 under-aged child sex workers in the U.S. The average age of those being trafficked is 13. But the average means there are children younger than 13. That means 8-, 9-, 10-year-old. Every year, the girls being bought and sold gets younger and younger. Every two minutes, a child is exploited in the sex industry. According to USA Today, adults purchase children for sex at least 2.5 million times a year in the United States. They are ordinary people from all walks of life, including men in socially respected professions such as doctors and pastors. On average, a child might be raped by 6.000 men during a five-year period of servitude. It’s happening everywhere, right under our nose, in suburbs, cities and towns across the nation. For those trafficked, it’s a nightmare from beginning to the end. These girls aren’t volunteering to be sex slaves. Some of these children are forcefully abducted or lured by force. Many are runaways or throwaways, others are sold to the system by relatives and acquaintances. In most cases, they have no choice. Social media makes it all too easy for pimps to find girls. They look on MySpace, Facebook, and other social networks. They and their assistants cruise malls, high schools and middle schools. They pick them up at bus stops. Foster homes and youth shelters have also become prime targets for traffickers. It is a “trading of flesh”. For the victims of human trafficking, it’s a nightmare from beginning to the end. A living nightmare of endless rape, forced drugging, degradation, threats, disease, pregnancies, abortions, miscarriages, torture, pain, and always the constant fear of being killed. They were frequently beaten to keep them off-balance and obedient. Every night they would have to meet a certain quota. Sometimes they were videotaped while being forced to have sex with adults or one another. In a so-called “damage group”, the clients can hit them or do anything they want to. “The Essence of Evil“ is what Whitehead calls his article. In the text he asks the question: “Where did this appetite for young girls come from?” And he answers: Whitehead then quotes from a report in the U.S. magazine “Newsweek”. There, a certain Jessica Bennett writes: Because of the growing demand for sexual slavery and an endless supply of girls and women eligible for abduction, this problem will not go away in the near future, Whitehead thinks. So what can you do? Whitehead answers the self-imposed question: “So what can you do? with a series of detailed practical recommendations. I quote some that I have translated: “Educate yourselves and your children about this growing menace in our communities. Stop feeding the monster: Sex trafficking is part of a larger continuum in America that runs the gamut from homelessness, poverty, and self-esteem issues to sexualized television, the glorification of a pimp/ho culture—what is often referred to as the pornification of America—and a billion dollar sex industry built on the back of pornography, music, entertainment, etc. This epidemic is largely one of our own making, especially in a corporate age where the value placed on human life takes a backseat to profit. It is estimated that the porn industry brings in more money than Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Apple, and Yahoo. Call on your city councils, elected officials and police departments to make the battle against sex trafficking a top priority, more so even than the so-called war on terror and drugs and the militarization of law enforcement. (…)  That so many women and children continue to be victimized, brutalized and treated like human cargo is due to three things: one, a consumer demand that is increasingly lucrative for everyone involved—except the victims; two, a level of corruption so invasive on both a local and international scale that there is little hope of working through established channels for change; and three, an eerie silence from individuals who fail to speak out against such atrocities. But the truth is that we are all guilty of contributing to this human suffering. The traffickers are guilty. The consumers are guilty. The corrupt law enforcement officials are guilty. The women’s groups who do nothing are guilty. The foreign peacekeepers and aid workers who contribute to the demand for sex slaves are guilty. Most of all, every individual who does not raise a hue and cry over the atrocities being committed against women and children in almost every nation around the globe—including the United States—is guilty. Note to readers: please click the share buttons below. Forward this article to your email lists. Crosspost on your blog site, internet forums. etc.

Dr. Rudolf Hänsel

https://www.globalresearch.ca/decadent-western-community-of-values-human-trafficking-and-sex-slavery/5675948

2019-04-29 11:32:46+00:00

society

values

sottnet--2019-04-06--Supporting family values is not fascism its caring for the future of humanity

sottnet

Supporting family values is not fascism, it's caring for the future of humanity

Standing strong for traditional family values is not fascism, as the mainstream media often insinuates, but merely a concern for the future of humanity, Aleksey Komov, of the World Congress of Families (WCF), has told RT.Liberal media, spurred on by hate-mongering "watchdogs" like the Southern Poverty Law Center, have lost their collective mind over the 13th WCF meeting that took place in Verona, Italy in late March, labeling the attendees "far-right" and "neo-Nazis" who attack women and roll back the rights of sexual minorities.Komov, who represents the WCF at the UN and in Russia, dismissed these claims as "complete fake news," arguing that the World Congress of Families was being held simply becauseAs for the participants, they were "politicians, scientists, scholars and activists" from the US, Europe, Russia, Latin America and Australia. Italy's Deputy Prime Minister, Matteo Salvini, "gave a fiery speech" and two other Italian ministers attended, as did representatives from 60 countries, including leaders of US conservative groups and members of the Russian parliament and the Orthodox Church, the activist said.According to Komov, the media's bashing of the WCF has been so harsh because "those people, who wanted to demonize Russia, are very angry at us because, despite all the sanctions and all the massive disinformation - despite all the efforts to make us enemies of each other - the conservative friendship stands."And the attacks weren't restricted to the internet. More than 10,000 "LGBT and feminist" protesters descended on Verona during the event, with riot police even being forced to interfere and roadblocks being set up at various points around Verona's Piazza Bra, where the conference took place."through calling the hotels where the participants were staying andto make those hotels cancel their bookings. There were even. Can you imagine this happening in Europe in the 21st century?" Komov wondered.Komov pointed out that there was also a rally in support of the conference in Verona, which attracted twice as many people as the anti-WCF protest and took place without incident - or media attention.Despite their demonization in the media, the, Komov said. "We're very peaceful people. We are for freedom of expression and freedom of thought, religion and education."Komov also addressed media speculation that he was "Putin's agent" by saying that the level of connection between WCF and the Russian government has been "exaggerated." However, he acknowledged that the congress fully backed Moscow's stance of promoting family values and made no secret of the fact that WCF has received support from like-minded private Russian foundations, as well as from the Orthodox Church.

https://www.sott.net/article/410637-Supporting-family-values-is-not-fascism-its-caring-for-the-future-of-humanity

2019-04-06 18:30:17+00:00

society

values

sottnet--2019-10-04--Tribunal rules Christian values clash with UK values of human dignity and fundamental rights of o

sottnet

Tribunal rules Christian values clash with UK values of "human dignity" and "fundamental rights of others" - fired doctor speaks out

A British doctor has warned that a dangerous precedent has been set after a tribunal ruled that he was rightfully terminated for refusing to use transgender pronouns, and that his Christian values clash with those of UK society.Dr. David Mackereth was fired from his job at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)The case was brought before a Birmingham employment tribunal, which said in its ruling that the government department had every right to sack Mackereth, and that the doctor's biblical beliefs have no place in British society.Speaking to RT, Mackereth said that the ruling has profound and troubling implications for freedom of speech and conscience in the UK.He said that the judgment means that "you're not allowed not to believe the transgender movement's maxims," while "core" Christian beliefs have been labeled as unfit for modern life.Mackereth plans to appeal the ruling.

https://www.sott.net/article/421458-Tribunal-rules-Christian-values-clash-with-UK-values-of-human-dignity-and-fundamental-rights-of-others-fired-doctor-speaks-out

2019-10-04 17:30:16+00:00

society

values

mercurynews--2019-06-02--Letter Family values of those who are LGBTQ are no different

mercurynews

Letter: ‘Family values’ of those who are LGBTQ are no different

Re: “Walnut Creek is known for family values, not this” (Letter to the editor, May 22): With Dane Hansen’s letter, it was difficult to determine what his motivation was when he wrote it. For many years I will say I had no contact with LGBTQ people (that I was aware of) so, although I was raised without being biased, I did not have any strong position related to LGBTQ issues. As I became more experienced, I found for the most part that people who are LGBTQ have the same “family values” as do “straight” people. If you were not aware of their sexual orientation, there would be no way to distinguish what their orientation was. Letter: California’s voters are ‘less equal’ than other voters Letter: Trans woman deserved more, from onlookers and police Letter: Tax non-recyclable packaging in California to fix two issues My hope is that Dane Hansen will make an attempt to contact with someone who is LGBTQ. He may very well write another letter with a very different message. Submit your letter to the editor via this form Read more Letters to the Editor

Letters To The Editor

https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/06/02/letter-family-values-of-those-who-are-lgbtq-are-no-different/

2019-06-02 17:10:45+00:00

society

values

pinknewsuk--2019-03-20--Russian festival banned for promoting non-traditional family values

pinknewsuk

Russian festival banned for promoting ‘non-traditional family values’

Signup to receive a daily roundup of the top LGBT+ news stories from around the world A youth festival in Russia has been shut down by authorities for breaching the country’s notorious “gay propaganda” law. The theatre festival was banned because of a planned staging of a play called Blue and Pink, which was set to explore gender stereotypes. According to Hyperallergic and local Russian media, the festival was allegedly banned for “hatred against men and non-traditional family relations” and for “attempting to illegally hold an LGBT event.” The event, which was called Tsvet Shafrana (The Colour of Saffron), was due to take place in Komsomolsk-on-Amur before it was called off. Blue and Pink was one of just four youth theatre performances that was due to take place at the festival, where they were also set to explore issues around bullying in schools and war. The festival also experienced issues in finding a venue, with two separate locations initially agreeing to host them and later pulling out. Police allegedly received three different anonymous letters complaining about the festival and its organiser, Yulia Tsvetkova. Following on from the complaints, police questioned her as well as teenagers who were involved in the production of the play. Tsvetkova said that authorities had grown concerned over the use of the words “blue” and “pink” in the play’s title as they are seen to be related to the LGBT+ community. She also said that police presented her with printed out copies of posts she had made on social media about feminism, homosexuality and other issues. Russia’s “gay propaganda law” has been a source of repeated controversies since it was introduced in 2013. Last August, there was international uproar when a 16 year old boy was found guilty under the law for posting pictures online. His sentence was later overturned on review as it was decided that there was not enough evidence. Then, in December, police confiscated 17 drawings from a school in Yekaterinburg for “promoting homosexuality.” Meanwhile, the European Court of Human Rights ruled last year that the country’s ban on pride events was violating LGBT+ people’s human rights. Human Rights Watch released a report last year looking at the law in-depth and the impact it has had on young people in Russia. They found that the law was directly harming and endangering LGBT+ people. The human rights group found that the law has exacerbated hostility against LGBT+ people in Russia and that it has prevented them from accessing inclusive education and support services. They also interviewed young LGBT+ people living in Russia about their experiences – with many pointing to an intensification of stigma, harassment and violence since the law was introduced. One transgender person, who is 18 years old, told Human Rights Watch that LGBT+ people in Russia now fear getting beaten on the street. “We know that most people believe the mass media, and the stories there teach them that we are horrible creatures, so we are in danger all the time.”

Patrick Kelleher

https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2019/03/20/russia-gay-propaganda-law-festival/

2019-03-20 19:43:25+00:00

society

values

tass--2019-08-15--Lavrov says God-given traditional family values need to be protected by international law

tass

Lavrov says God-given traditional family values need to be protected by international law

SOLNECHNOGORSK /Moscow Region/, August 15. /TASS/. Russia views the preservation of the universally-established, time-honored recognition of the family in international law as one of its foreign policy priorities, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday at the all-Russia youth education forum Terra Scientia near Moscow. "We uphold traditional values, family values in both the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, in spite of all efforts to sabotage the traditional understanding of the family, the God-given interpretation of the family and impose neo-liberal approaches, which bankrupt the moral foundations of any civilization, even that of Europe. So, I believe our position should be aimed at being steadfast about protecting these values and prevent attempts to introduce notions into international legal documents that would be ambiguous in this regard," he stressed. Lavrov added that this is one of Russia’s priorities in the international arena.

https://tass.com/politics/1073567

2019-08-15 11:05:14+00:00

society

values

theguardianuk--2019-03-13--Orbans family values ads mocked for using distracted boyfriend models

theguardianuk

Orbán's family values ads mocked for using 'distracted boyfriend' models

It was meant to be a poster extolling the virtues of a strong family. But eagle-eyed Hungarians, or indeed anyone who has used social media over the past year, have noticed a small problem. The latest advert in the Hungarian government’s campaign to boost “traditional” families and increase birth rates features a photograph of a couple who achieved fame for memes depicting infidelity, or at least a distracted partner. “Young married couples are receiving support while they expect a baby,” says the government poster, illustrated by a smiling couple whom many will recognise from the viral “distracted boyfriend” photograph. The photograph used was one of a series of stock photos taken by a Barcelona-based photographer, Antonio Guillem, of three models in various situations for use in advertising and promotions. The picture that went viral was originally titled “disloyal man walking with his girlfriend and looking amazed at another seductive girl”. On Wednesday the Hungarian news website index.hu mocked the government for using the characters from the meme, and provided a number of options for further potential family values posters, including images of a grumpy cat and of the actor Nicholas Cage. Hungarians got busy creating sarcastic memes about Viktor Orbán’s ruling Fidesz party using the image. Orbán, whose party won a third consecutive term in government last year, has been keen to portray his government as a promoter of traditional Christian values, and has emphasised the child-bearing and rearing role of women and the importance of “traditional families” as a solution to population decline and emigration of Hungarians to western Europe. He has said his third term will focus mainly on fixing Hungary’s demographic problems. Last month he announced that women who have four or more children would benefit from a lifetime exemption from income tax. “In all of Europe there are fewer and fewer children, and the answer of the west to this is migration,” said Orbán in his annual state of the nation address on Sunday. “They want as many migrants to enter as there are missing kids, so that the numbers will add up. We Hungarians have a different way of thinking. Instead of just numbers, we want Hungarian children. Migration for us is surrender.” On Thursday the Hungarian ambassador to the US and the country’s minister for family affairs will hold an event at the Library of Congress in Washington entitled “Making Families Great Again” to promote the Hungarian families policy. A number of members of Congress have been announced as speakers.

Shaun Walker Central and eastern Europe correspondent

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/13/viktor-orban-family-values-ads-mocked-for-using-infidelity-image-distracted-boyfriend

2019-03-13 16:01:50+00:00

society

values

rferl--2019-08-01--Endless Hate Uzbekistan Bans Turkish Soap Opera For Not Upholding Countrys Values

rferl

Endless Hate: Uzbekistan Bans Turkish Soap Opera For Not Upholding Country's 'Values'

The Uzbek government has ordered a private television channel to stop showing the popular Turkish soap opera Endless Love amid criticism that the show contradicts Uzbek family values. Zo'r TV channel adhered to the state's demand and canceled Endless Love on July 31, just three days after the much-loved prime time series made a triumphant return to the airwaves after also being banned in 2018. A producer at Zo'r TV blamed the decision on a "small number" of religiously conservative viewers who consistently demanded that Uzbek authorities suspend Endless Love, whose plot is based on a complicated love triangle. "The so-called moral guardians...collected signatures through Telegram and other social media and sent a letter to the president's virtual office," the producer, who requested anonymity, told RFE/RL's Uzbek Service on July 31. "In the end they managed to have the show canceled...because their attack against it has been systematic," he added. Endless Love was initially removed from the air on February 16, 2018 after Prime Minister Abdullah Aripov backed calls for the soap opera to be banned. 'We Are Very Unhappy' A government employee in Tashkent told RFE/RL that the order to suspend Endless Love for a second time also came from Aripov. The state worker, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, told RFE/RL that during a cabinet meeting on July 30 at which he was present, Aripov strongly criticized Zo'r TV's decision to bring back the soap opera despite last year's ban. Zo'r TV was founded by Jahongir Ortiqkhojaev, the wealthy mayor of the capital, Tashkent. The government employee provided what he said was a photo from the cabinet meeting along with an audio recording of Aripov's speech condemning Endless Love. In the audio, Aripov can be heard saying: "We have some officials who ignore the prime minister's words and the government's decisions. They behave as they see fit." Without naming names, Aripov went on to say: "You know who I'm talking about. They again started airing the Turkish series. I demand them to take it off the air today." Aripov accused "them" of disregarding "the opinion of the people...who were very unhappy" with the Turkish melodrama being aired in Uzbekistan. The hard-line government in Tashkent exercises strict control over the content of all media enterprises, including private entities. There was no immediate official reaction from Ortiqkhojaev or the Zo'r TV administration. The TV station didn't explain to viewers why its broadcasts of Endless Love came to an abrupt end for a second time. Since it began airing in August 2017, the soap opera has come under attack from the Islamist website Azon.uz, which repeatedly criticized the show as contravening Uzbek people's religious and family values. An article published on Azon.uz in February 2018 said those who watch Endless Love "commit sins with their eyes." It described the Uzbeks dubbing the Turkish-language show as "traitors" and urged people to "fight against them." The article, Recognize The Enemies Of The Nation, generated many discussions on social media and garnered some support in the predominantly Muslim nation of some 32 million. Uzbek officials criticized the article, saying that it undermined the country's laws. At the same time, however, the state Agency for Press and Information instructed Zo'r TV to halt the show. Endless Love is a story of a wealthy woman who falls in love with a man from a humble background. But she eventually marries a rich businessman who blackmails the woman's family. The show touches on such issues as extramarital affairs, forced marriages, murder, and suicide. Endless Love has won an International Emmy award and has been aired in more than 70 countries, from Latin America to the Middle East. Uzbekistan previously banned Turkish soap operas in 2002 and again in 2012 saying they contain "inappropriate scenes that are not compatible with the Uzbek people's mentality." Uzbekistan ranks 182nd out of 194 countries rated on the Freedom in the World 2019 Index.

https://www.rferl.org/a/endless-hate-uzbekistan-bans-turkish-soap-opera-for-not-upholding-country-s-values-/30087813.html

2019-08-01 20:00:17+00:00

society

values

themoscowtimes--2019-11-22--Islam and Orthodox Christianity Have the Same Values, Putin Says

themoscowtimes

Islam and Orthodox Christianity Have the Same Values, Putin Says

The conference, titled "Orthodoxy and Islam — Religions of Peace," aimed to promote interethnic and interreligious dialogue between Russia and Kyrgyzstan. Orthodox Christianity and Islam are based on the same fundamental values, President Vladimir Putin said in an address to a religious conference in Kyrgyzstan. "Islam and Orthodox Christianity, just like other world religions, are based on fundamental humanistic values that are of enduring importance — on mercy and love for one’s near, justice and respect for human beings," the state-run TASS news agency quoted Putin as saying Thursday. The address, which was read out to the conference by Russian Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Nikolai Udovichenko, pushed for cooperation between government agencies and religious organizations to bolster "civil peace and accord" between the two countries. The Russian president added that it is "essential" to preserve these ties for future generations and to “[enhance] the role of religious organizations in protecting and promoting spiritual, moral and family values.” Islam is Russia’s second-largest religion behind Orthodox Christianity and its Muslim population is expected to more than double in the next 15 years. The majority of Kyrgyzstan's population is Muslim.

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2019/11/22/islam-and-orthodox-christianity-have-the-same-values-putin-says-a68279

Fri, 22 Nov 2019 13:45:16 +0100

society

values

bbcuk--2019-12-03--Trump 'not someone who shares our values' - Jo Swinson

bbcuk

Trump 'not someone who shares our values' - Jo Swinson

Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson has said she would work with Donald Trump in government as "you have to be able to work with people... you disagree with". However, she called out the US president for his comments about women and minorities, saying that Mr Trump is "not someone who shares our values". Mr Trump is in the UK for this week's Nato summit. Read more: Trump on UK election: 'I can work with any PM'

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2019-50651515

Tue, 03 Dec 2019 17:28:19 GMT

society

values

abcnews--2019-11-26--The Latest: Snowstorm north of Lake Tahoe closes highway

abcnews

The Latest: Snowstorm north of Lake Tahoe closes highway

The Latest on the wintry weather in the U.S. (all times local): A snowstorm in the Sierra Nevada has shut down a highway in the mountains west of the Nevada-California line. The California Highway Patrol said traffic on U.S. Interstate 80 was being held Tuesday on both sides of Donner Pass north of Lake Tahoe so crews could clear the highway of multiple spinouts and collisions. There was no immediate report of any serious injuries. Authorities didn’t have an estimated time for reopening the interstate. The Tahoe area is under a winter storm warning through Thursday afternoon. The National Weather Service says winds gusting up to 85 mph could create blizzard conditions Tuesday night into Wednesday morning with up to 2 feet (1 meter) of snow possible at elevations above 7,000 feet (2,130 meters). Authorities are reporting downed trees, power outages and heavy snow on mountain passes as a “bomb cyclone” approaches the Northern California and southern Oregon coast. The storm will make landfall in Oregon on Tuesday afternoon, then shift south toward California. Trees are down across U.S. Highway 101 just north of the California border in Oregon. Sporadic power outages are being reported across the region. Some coastal hotels say they’re prepared for big storms. Winds are gusting at 70 mph (113 kph) in coastal areas, and waves of up to 32 feet (10 meters) are expected. A bomb cyclone is a rapid drop in air pressure. The National Weather Service is urging people to wait to travel for Thanksgiving until the weather improves. It comes as a snowstorm snarled travel in Colorado and Wyoming and is expected to move into the Midwest. One person has been killed, and two others have been injured in a multi-vehicle crash during a powerful snowstorm that moved through Colorado. Colorado State Patrol Trooper Gary Cutler says a tractor-trailer jackknifed and was hit by two other semitrucks and a pickup on Interstate 70 near Vail early Tuesday. One of the truck’s fuel tanks burst. The Vail Daily reports a hazardous-materials team was called in to clean up the leaking fuel. Authorities say roads in the area were warm when the snow started falling, creating icy conditions as the storm strengthened. The storm moved east out of the mountains and dropped about 10 inches (25 centimeters) of snow at Denver’s airport, leading to hundreds of flight cancellations. It’s expected to move into the Midwest states overnight. Operations are getting back to normal at Denver’s airport as a snowstorm moves out of Colorado but it could take days for airlines to accommodate travelers whose flights were canceled. Officials say the storm dropped about 10 inches (25 centimeters) of snow at the airport. That led to the cancellation of about 30 percent of the airport’s average 1,600 daily flights, mostly for Southwest Airlines and United Airlines. Southwest spokesman Brad Hawkins said Tuesday it will take “a couple of days” to accommodate stranded passengers on other flights because there are few available empty seats available during the heavy Thanksgiving travel period. That makes it harder for airlines to rebook passengers whose flights have been canceled. The storm is expected to dump snow on the airport in Minneapolis but most snow is expected to fall overnight when few flights are scheduled. Northern California and southern Oregon residents are bracing for a “bomb cyclone” weather phenomenon that’s expected at one of the busiest travel times of the year. The National Weather Service says the storm expected Tuesday into Wednesday could be like nothing experienced in the area for 20 years. Wind gusts of 75 mph (120 kph) are expected in some areas and waves of 35 feet (10.6 meters) or more could slam the coast. Mountain passes in northern California and southern Oregon could get up to two feet (0.6 meters) of snow. The center of the low-pressure system is expected to make landfall late Tuesday afternoon between Crescent City, California, and Brookings, Oregon. A “bomb cyclone” forms when air pressure drops by 24 millibars in a 24-hour period. Forecasters say this storm’s air pressure has dropped even more quickly than that. Among those spending the night at Denver’s airport as a big snowstorm hit Colorado was Air Force Academy cadet Sadie Luhman, who was trying to get to Chicago for Thanksgiving. Luhman told KCNC-TV that she left the academy near Colorado Springs late Monday to drive to the airport in the hope of beating the storm but ended up traveling right in the middle of it. The trip took about three hours. That’s more than twice the normal driving time and she arrived at 1 a.m. Tuesday, 10 hours before her scheduled flight. The airport has received 9.5 inches (24 centimeters) of snow from the storm so far. About 30 percent of its average daily 1,600 flights were cancelled. An approaching storm forecast to dump heavy snow in the region has accelerated the seasonal closing of the highway to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon by a few days. The Arizona Department of Transportation on Tuesday announced the closure of State Route 67, a 43-mile (69-kilometer) paved route between U.S. 89A at Jacob Lake and the North Rim. The National Weather Service forecasts 27-35 inches (69-89 centimeters) of snow will fall on the North Rim from Wednesday night through Saturday morning. SR 67 normally closes Dec. 1 but it can close earlier when weather conditions warrant. It reopens in the spring, usually around mid-May. About 1,100 travelers stranded by heavy snow and high winds spent the night camped out at Denver’s airport. Hundreds of flights were canceled because of the storm that was still dumping snow on the city Tuesday. Airport spokeswoman Alex Renteria says the workers handed out blankets, diapers, formula and toothbrushes and toothpaste to people who missed flights, including Air Force Academy cadets trying to get home for Thanksgiving. About 30 percent of the airport’s daily average of 1,600 flights have been cancelled. Crews were working to keep the airports’ runways cleared and airport officials were hopeful operations could return to normal Tuesday afternoon. Forecasters are warning of “difficult to impossible travel conditions” across much of northern Arizona later this week as a storm dumps about 2 feet (0.6 meters) of snow along an area including Interstate 40. Elsewhere in Arizona’s high country, approximately 1 foot (0.3 meter) of snow is expected. The National Weather Service’ office in Flagstaff says travel conditions will start to deteriorate Wednesday night, followed by the heaviest snowfall Thursday through Friday morning. The weather service said snow showers will become scattered late Friday but that traffic conditions will remain dangerous until Saturday. A storm that has dumped heavy snow in Colorado and Wyoming has forced airlines to cancel hundreds of flights during the busy Thanksgiving week travel period and has made driving impossible in some areas. Some government offices in the Denver area and in Cheyenne, Wyoming are closed Tuesday and about 7 inches (18 centimeters) of snow had fallen at Denver International Airport by Tuesday morning. More snow was expected, forcing the cancellation of about a third of the airport’s average 1,600 daily flights. More than 2 feet (60 centimeters) of snow has fallen in northern Colorado and about a foot (30 centimeters) fell in southern parts of Wyoming. Heavy snow and gusty winds forced the closures of long stretches of Interstates 70 and 76 in Colorado and Interstate 80 in Wyoming. Officials say parts of Interstate 80 were buried under snow drifts of up to 4 feet (1.2) meters. — This version corrects that Denver’s airport averages 1,600 flights daily, not 1,500. Thanksgiving travel is an ordeal under the best of circumstances, and a one-two punch of bad weather threatens to make it even more exhausting. Airlines prepared to deal Tuesday with a forecast for heavy snow in Denver, canceling flights ahead of time and offering customers a chance to reschedule without racking up standard ticket-change fees. As that front moves through the Great Lakes and the Northeast later in the week, forecasters say another storm will crash into the West Coast, possibly fouling flights and making driving treacherous. The AAA auto club says more than 55 million people will travel at least 50 miles (81 kilometers) from home over Thanksgiving, and the Transportation Safety Administration is predicting record numbers at airports.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/latest-snow-travel-havoc-colorado-wyoming-67319582

Tue, 26 Nov 2019 18:50:43 -0500

weather

weather phenomena

bbc--2019-05-02--Cyclone Fani India begins evacuations as storm moves up coast

bbc

Cyclone Fani: India begins evacuations as storm moves up coast

Thousands of people are being evacuated from villages along India's eastern coastline ahead of a severe cyclone. Cyclone Fani is heading towards the state of Orissa with wind speeds in excess of 200 km/h (127 mph), and is expected to make landfall on Friday. Officials have now shut down operations at two major ports on the east coast, and thousands of rescuers are helping people evacuate from low-lying areas. Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu states are also on high alert. The cyclone is currently moving up the Bay of Bengal, east of Andhra Pradesh. HR Biswas, director of the meteorological centre in Orissa's state capital, Bhubaneshwar, said at least 11 districts would be hit - and that they have "suggested people stay indoors". India's National Disaster Management Authority has also warned people along the rest of India's east coast, especially fishermen, not to go out to sea because the conditions are "phenomenal". Once the cyclone has made landfall in north-eastern India, it is expected to move towards Chittagong in Bangladesh. Indian officials say they have set up more than 850 shelters, which are thought to be able to hold almost one million people. The navy, the coast guard and the National Disaster Response Force have all been prepared for deployment. Local media report that about 81 trains travelling to and from coastal cities have been cancelled. India's electoral commission has relaxed its rules about what the government can do during election periods so that the authorities can carry out relief work. The country is in the middle of a multi-phased election which started last month. Under normal circumstances the incumbent government has certain powers suspended, so that it can't announce new schemes or take new decisions during the voting period. Although the election will continue until the end of May, Orissa has already voted.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-48121606

2019-05-02 03:25:07+00:00

weather

weather phenomena

drudgereport--2019-10-17--New seismic phenomenon 'stormquakes' discovered...

drudgereport

New seismic phenomenon 'stormquakes' discovered...

Now, researchers have done just that, picking out a previously unknown seismic phenomenon that they have dubbed stormquakes. These events, described this week in Geophysical Research Letters, are pulses of seismic waves birthed from the ferocious energy in massive storms, and they can radiate thousands of miles across continents. (Learn about a different kind of strange seismic wave that rippled around the world.) “I was surprised by what they saw,” says Göran Ekström, a seismologist at Columbia University who specializes in unusual earthquakes. Big storms are thought to produce a lengthy jumble of rumbles that radiate from coastlines. But in the new study, the team identified a discrete “burst of wiggles” from each stormquake that they can trace back to its origin off shore. The find joins a number of recent studies that are applying new methods to sort through the noise recorded on the world’s growing network of seismometers. These signals can help scientists better understand the world around us, from deciphering our planet’s inner structure to tracking ocean or ice dynamics and even monitoring climate change. (Read about how a groundbreaking earthquake catalog may have solved a seismic mystery.) Similar to many scientific advances, stormquakes were discovered by accident. In summer 2018, Fan and his colleagues were developing a method to study what are known as very low frequency earthquakes. These are not the sudden, intense jolts we usually think of when a temblor unzips our planet’s surface. Instead these tremors shake the surface in a low-frequency side-to-side warble at intensities below what humans can detect without instrumentation. Geologists can identify these events by the seismic waves they generate, picked up on sensitive instruments known as seismometers. “Seismometers are basically like little ears pressed to the ground,” explains Wendy Bohon, an earthquake geologist at the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology who was not part of the study team. The devices can pick up all sorts of vibrations, from boisterous sports fans jumping up and down and airplanes passing overhead to distant earthquakes rattling the ground. Very low frequency earthquakes, however, are tough to trace over vast distances, since the wiggles from these events don’t always look the same from one seismometer to the next, Fan says. So he and his team devised a method to track them, piecing together the signals from smaller regions like a seismic puzzle. But during this process, an unusual set of events emerged that looked similar to, but not exactly like, the earthquakes Fan was chasing. Surprisingly, the events were seasonal, never occurring between May and August. Earthquakes that release energy from Earth’s shifting crust, however, are usually indifferent to the changing seasons. What’s more, the curious quakes radiated from both the east and west coasts of North America. Earthquakes are common out west, rumbling as the earth shifts along a spidery network of fractures in the surface, but the eastern coast largely lacks these quake-generating features. Baffled, Fan and his team turned to models to suss out what was going on—and that was when they realized the connection: Many of these tremors coincided with massive storms or even full-fledged hurricanes. By digging through data largely from EarthScope’s USArray, a series of hundreds of seismometers temporarily placed across the country, the team unearthed 14,077 of these stormquake events between 2006 and 2015. (Learn more about Earth’s hum.) Not every big storm, however fearsome, can produce a stormquake. For example, the signals were conspicuously absent during Hurricane Sandy, even with its wind gusts topping 90 miles an hour in some locales. Instead, it seems a particular underlying geology is required to spawn a stormquake. For one, the quakes came from regions with a broad continental shelf, an underwater section of a continent just off the coast that is relatively shallow. This likely allows the waves from stormquakes time to build up, Fan explains. Most wind-borne ocean waves generate signals at a frequency higher than the 20- to 50-second cycle of a stormquake. But a broad shelf gives the waves time to interact with each other, perhaps stretching into a longer, lower frequency wave. Tempestuous temblors also seem to turn up only around ocean banks. These flattened underwater hills can focus the energy so that the pressure from the waves transfers to the ground to create the uniform burst of wiggles—similar to a hammer striking in the ocean, Fan says. Looking beyond the wiggles Fan and his colleagues are hoping to continue the hunt for the mechanism behind the curious temblors. And now that the study is out in the world, Bohon is excited to see what scientists from other fields can add to the find. Low-frequency waves, like those found in stormquakes, won’t give the most clear signal from inside the planet, notes geophysicist Jonathan Berger of Scripps Institution of Oceanography. But the events might help fill some gaps in the record for areas like New England, where earthquakes are scarce. And there may be other applications yet to be imagined: “Scientists are inherently creative people,” Bohon says. “Who knows what some inspired young students are going to be able to use these for.”

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DrudgeReportFeed/~3/kEY4MfRiiDc/

Thu, 17 Oct 2019 12:34:36 GMT

weather

weather phenomena

latimes--2019-12-05--Atmospheric river storms are getting worse and causing billions in damage across California

latimes

Atmospheric river storms are getting worse and causing billions in damage across California

Atmospheric river storms like the one pounding California this week are becoming more intense and cost Western states roughly $1 billion in damage annually, according to a report on the weather phenomenon. The storms, which carry moisture from the tropics to the mid-latitude regions, have caused some of California’s biggest deluges. But when a storm passes, what’s left in its wake? In the study published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances, scientists found that from 1978 to 2017, atmospheric rivers caused $42.6 billion in flood damage in 11 Western states — 84% of the estimated total water-related damage of $50.8 billion. That’s roughly $1.1 billion in damage done by atmospheric rivers every year. “Research has shown that these storms are going to become more intense over the coming decades,” said Tom Corringham, one of the authors of the study by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Atmospheric rivers, such as the “Pineapple Express” storms that come from the direction of the Hawaiian Islands, have accounted for at least $19.2 billion in damage across California — more than any other state examined during the study period. Researchers found that Sonoma County was hit hardest by the weather phenomenon, racking up $5.2 billion in destruction. Two major atmospheric events in Northern California played a significant role in the state’s storm-related costs: the seven-day flooding of the Russian River at Guerneville in 1995 and a 2017 event that damaged the main and emergency spillways of the Oroville Dam in Northern California, prompting more than 180,000 residents to evacuate. Both events caused over $1 billion in damage. The study shows that relatively few “extreme” atmospheric rivers — just 13 in 40 years — were responsible for a significant amount of flood damage in the 11 states. California was at the mercy of an atmospheric river again Wednesday — though the effects were far less extreme. A weather system fed by a moisture-rich atmospheric river began dumping rain across Southern California, with cars spinning out on freeways and traffic slowing to a crawl across much of the region. Though rainfall rates were a bit weaker than the onslaught originally forecast by meteorologists, the storm still left a mark. Shortly after 4 a.m., a semitrailer truck skidded off the road heading from the northbound 710 Freeway to the 60 Freeway in East Los Angeles, dangling precariously off the transition bridge. The crash caused the California Highway Patrol to close the ramp. By daybreak, dozens of crashes had been reported across the region, snarling traffic along most major freeways in Los Angeles County. Atmospheric rivers like this one are a concentrated line of water vapor in the middle and lower atmospheric levels. The continuous stream of moisture pushes across the ocean until it encounters an obstacle, such as the coastal ranges of the Western U.S., which then causes the atmospheric river to unleash its load of moisture. Some atmospheric rivers are weak and produce beneficial rain, helping vanquish devastating droughts. In 2016, a series of larger atmospheric rivers helped ease California’s epic drought by producing record rain and snow in the northern part of the state. Just a few atmospheric river events can provide West Coast states such as California with a third to half of their annual precipitation, increasing snowpack levels and filling basins. A strong atmospheric river can carry 7 ½ to 15 times the average flow of liquid water at the mouth of the Mississippi River. In fact, Corringham says he’s working on a new study examining the benefits of the moisture-rich storms as they replenish water supplies. But larger, more destructive atmospheric rivers can cause extreme rainfall, floods and mudslides. Heavy rain in the Bay Area on Tuesday night caused a landslide that eroded about 30 feet of hillside in San Bruno. Though no property damage or injuries were reported, the landslide prompted officials to declare a local emergency. And Wednesday morning, steady rain prompted the National Weather Service to issue flash flood watches for burn areas across Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, including the scars created by the recent Cave, Maria and Easy fires. A flash flood watch also is in effect for the Saddleridge, Tick and Getty burn areas in Los Angeles County. The downpour sent rocks tumbling onto a stretch of Topanga Canyon Boulevard in Malibu, while flooding from the raging Escondido Creek closed a road in San Diego County. Soggy conditions also kept Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park and Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia closed for the day. The latest storm follows the wettest November in years in parts of L.A. County. And more showers are on the way, with rain forecast to hit the region over the weekend. Preliminary forecasts indicate the next storm will be significantly weaker in Southern California. On average, 30% to 50% of the West Coast’s annual precipitation comes from a few atmospheric rivers each year. And the new data conclude that 99% of all flood damage in the Western coastal states of California, Oregon and Washington was caused by atmospheric rivers. Last season’s unusually cold and wet winter brought heavy snow and serious flooding in Northern California, as dozens of atmospheric rivers pounded the state early in 2019. Infrastructure also factors into the cost of the damage inflicted by atmospheric rivers, research shows. Areas near coastlines and rivers proved most vulnerable to significant flooding. Yet most residents remain undeterred by the danger. “There isn’t much evidence that people are moving to safer areas after their homes are damaged,” Corringham said. “Generally people rebuild in a place which leaves them at risk in future flooding.” Heavy precipitation can cause extensive damage to roadways, often forcing closures as the asphalt gives way. After several moisture-packed atmospheric rivers pounded the San Jacinto and San Bernardino mountains in February road repairs in the area were estimated to cost at least $14 million. The Congressional Budget Office reports that damage from hurricane winds and storm-related flooding costs $54 billion a year. But, Corringham said, unlike the tallies associated with hurricanes and tornadoes, there is no systemic accounting of the damage caused by atmospheric rivers, although strides have been made in the last decade. As the climate warms, extreme atmospheric rivers will become more intense, researchers found. Modest increases in a storm’s intensity can result in significant monetary damage. Without stabilizing the global climate system, it’s not just the land that will be at risk, Corringham said: “It’s one of the many ways in which the economy will be affected by climate change.”

Colleen Shalby, Hannah Fry, Laura Newberry

https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2019-12-05/notorious-storms-getting-worse-cause-billions-in-damage-across-california

Thu, 5 Dec 2019 06:00:33 -0500

weather

weather phenomena

sottnet--2019-03-25--Cyclone Veronica Destructive winds and rain lash Australia - Second storm system within 48 hours to

sottnet

Cyclone Veronica: Destructive winds and rain lash Australia - Second storm system within 48 hours to hit country

A second cyclone within 48 hours has brought destructive winds and torrential rains to coastal regions of Australia.Cyclone Veronica lingered about 95km (60 miles) off the nation's north-west coast on Monday, officials said.Despite no longer being expected to make landfall, the category two system is moving slowly and has prompted warnings for locals to remain indoors.Cyclone Trevor, a category four, hit the Northern Territory on Saturday.Heavy rain and large waves whipped up by Cyclone Veronica threaten to cause widespread flooding in Western Australia, according to authorities.An area stretching from Karratha to Port Hedland was enduring gale-force winds of more than 125km/h, the Bureau of Meteorology said.Similar conditions affected the Northern Territory on Saturday when Cyclone Trevor made landfall between the remote communities of Numbulwar and Borroloola.In Western Australia, the strong winds snapped trees and caused minor power outages but there were no immediate reports of injuries.Many locals had reinforced their homes with sandbags and stocked up on food and water supplies. One woman who gave birth at a local hospital during the storm named the child Veronica, local network Nine reported.Cyclone Veronica was a category four before it was downgraded at the weekend.meteorologist Steph Bond told the BBC,She attributed the timing to a climate phenomenon known as the Madden-Julian Oscillation creating "favourable" conditions for summer storms. Cyclone Trevor also brought down trees and power lines after making landfall as a category four system.Authorities said it had caused no major injuries or significant damage to infrastructure, following the region's biggest evacuation effort in nearly 50 years.Thousands of people in remote communities relocated to regional centres ahead of the storm. Some began to return home on Monday.

https://www.sott.net/article/409790-Cyclone-Veronica-Destructive-winds-and-rain-lash-Australia-Second-storm-system-within-48-hours-to-hit-country

2019-03-25 07:55:56+00:00

weather

weather phenomena

sottnet--2019-05-14--Largest magnetic storm in two years may displace satellites from orbit disrupt GPS

sottnet

Largest magnetic storm in two years may displace satellites from orbit & disrupt GPS

The largest magnetic storm in two years, which hit Earth on Tuesday,, saying that increased solar activity threatens electronics and people's health.The phenomenon may divert spacecraft from their orbit and create problems for satellite communications and GPS navigation, the Laboratory of X-Ray Astronomy at the Lebedev Institute of the Russian Academy of Science said.The Northern Lights may be seen in the sky, starting from the latitudes of 60 degrees - where Russia's Saint Petersburg is located - and above."During such events, the voltage in electrical systems may require correction. False triggering of safety systems is also possible," the scientists warned.But it's not only hardware, but people as well, who will be affected.The storm began early on Tuesday and will last during the day, with normalization only expected on Wednesday night, the researcher said.The current event "is a large one compared to what was happening in recent years." It was ranked at level three, with the strongest - level five - storm occurring once every 10 or 20 years.

https://www.sott.net/article/413074-Largest-magnetic-storm-in-two-years-may-displace-satellites-from-orbit-disrupt-GPS

2019-05-14 22:09:14+00:00

weather

weather phenomena

sottnet--2019-08-28--Severe storms pummel Spain with hail and sheets of rain - Two tornadoes touch down near Malaga

sottnet

Severe storms pummel Spain with hail and sheets of rain - Two tornadoes touch down near Malaga

Dozens of videos have captured the moment a tornado ripped through Malaga.It comes after eight litres of rain fell in just one hour, while other areas of Spain have flooded this evening The phenomenon has dragged olive trees across roads, disrupting traffic while destroyed power lines have resulted in blackouts.The terrifying site was recorded in the town of Campillos, where the Town Hall has advised residents to 'stay in their homes'.A statement by local Mayor Francisco Guerrero said that 'the worst has happened' and that the public should 'limit' the use of their vehicles.The tornado was caused by colliding winds, a process also known as DANA (Depresión Aislada en Niveles Altos).This is similar to the famous gota fria - or cold drop - according to local meteorologist Jose Luis Escudero.AEMET does not have stations in Campillos to record wind speeds and the tornado is not large enough to be seen by satellite.There is currently a yellow weather warning in place in the north of Malaga Province where Campillos is located.Dusty #tornado in Campillos, Malaga, Spain yesterday, August 26th! Report: @MeteoIberiaEsTWO dusty #tornadoes in Campillos, Malaga, Spain yesterday, August 26th! Report: @joseluis_manjonAnother view of the dusty #tornado in Campillos, Malaga, Spain yesterday, August 26th! Report: @MeteoCampillosAnother view of one of at least two dusty #tornadoes in Campillos, Malaga, Spain yesterday, August 26th! Report: @VivaCampillos

https://www.sott.net/article/419378-Severe-storms-pummel-Spain-with-hail-and-sheets-of-rain-Two-tornadoes-touch-down-near-Malaga

2019-08-28 16:15:11+00:00

weather

weather phenomena

sottnet--2019-08-30--Latest storms in Spain severely damage summer fruits grapes and peppers

sottnet

Latest storms in Spain severely damage summer fruits, grapes and peppers

As reported by Agroseguro, the crops most affected by the recent rain and hail storms have been summer fruits, grapes and peppers, although it is still too early to know the actual extent of the damage. The most affected autonomous regions are Castile-La Mancha and Madrid.Agroseguro has highlighted the incidents in municipalities such as Arganda del Rey, in Madrid, Seseña and Borox, in Toledo, Villanueva de los Infantes, in Ciudad Real, or Las Pedroñeras, in Cuenca,Agroseguro has called on the insured to send their claims "as quickly as possible," as it is already working on the planning of appraisals, and recalled that the damages caused by this type of extreme phenomena are covered by the Combined Agricultural Insurance system.Source: EFEagro

https://www.sott.net/article/419534-Latest-storms-in-Spain-severely-damage-summer-fruits-grapes-and-peppers

2019-08-30 19:32:01+00:00

weather

weather phenomena

sottnet--2019-11-26--Storms in France, Greece and Italy leave 'biblical destruction'

sottnet

Storms in France, Greece and Italy leave 'biblical destruction'

Nine people die as weekend of heavy rain brings landslides, floods and collapsed overpassGreek media described the storms as leaving a trail of "biblical destruction" in some areas of the country while the overpass collapse in northern Italy brought back a chilling reminder of Genoa's Morandi bridge giving way during a thunderstorm in August 2018, killing 43 people.Flash floods in France's Côte d'Azur claimed the lives of four people, while two others are believed to still be missing. Three of the victims were found in cars that were swept away in floods in the Var region, and the fourth was among a group being rescued by the fire brigade when the dinghy carrying them to safety capsized.One of the worst affected towns was Roquebrune-sur-Argens in the Var, where the Argens River rose seven metres. The French meteorological office said three months' worth of rain had fallen in less than 48 hours.Members of the French civil defence took part in rescue operations in a number of flooded areas around Cannes and other coastal towns.The orange alert was lifted in the Var and Alpes-Maritimes regions on Monday as the water receded, leaving an estimated 4,500 homes without electricity. Two other French departments, the Puy-de-Dôme and the Gironde, were placed on high flooding alert.Jean-Luc Videlaine, the prefect for the Var region, said the rain had been of "historic" intensity and there was considerable damage.Jean-Pierre Hameau of Météo France said the storms and flooding should not be blamed on climate change. Hameau said the phenomena, known in France as cévenols, or Mediterraneans, were relatively frequent in the region."They occur three or six times a year. It often begins in September when the Mediterranean is warm and there is rising hot air in the south," Hameau said."This usually happens in September and October, but sometimes we find these conditions in November. It's not linked to global warming. We had these cévenols before and there hasn't been an increase since temperatures rose. However, we have noted an increase in the intensity of the rains."Meanwhile in Greece, two men in their 50s died when their sailing boat broke free of its moorings and capsized after being hit by gale-force winds in Antirio.At least one other person was reported missing in Kineta, a beach town west of Athens that was described as being the worst hit by the storms. Emergency services said it could take days to clear the extensive damage in Kineta, where uprooted trees and rockfalls from surrounding hills also disrupted the road network.Late on Monday Greece's public broadcaster said the extreme weather had claimed another two lives on the island of Rhodes. A disabled and elderly woman died when rainwater flooded her home, and a winter swimmer perished at sea.The fallout from heavy rainfall was such that authorities were forced to close the highway connecting the Greek capital with Corinth and the Peloponnese peninsula as services cleared the road network of tonnes of mud.The fire service reported widespread flooding of homes, saying hours after the downpours it was still trying to remove people trapped in buildings engulfed by water and debris. The country was bracing itself for more heavy rain later on Monday.In Italy, a woman died after her car was swept away by the flood of the Bormida River in the north of the country. There was flooding in Turin, landslides in the Liguria region and Lake Como overflowed on Sunday, while the River Ticino burst its banks overnight in the northern city of Pavia. Venice, which has suffered recurrent flooding in recent weeks, was again hit with acqua alta, or high water. The Emilia-Romagna region was on high alert for extreme weather on Monday.Italy's prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, said the government had earmarked €11bn of investments intended to accelerate projects to protect the country from extreme weather events.

https://www.sott.net/article/424719-Storms-in-France-Greece-and-Italy-leave-biblical-destruction

Tue, 26 Nov 2019 21:23:14 +0000

weather

weather phenomena

theindependent--2019-05-02--Cyclone Fani 800000 evacuated from homes in India as huge storm heads for coast

theindependent

Cyclone Fani: 800,000 evacuated from homes in India as huge storm heads for coast

India is evacuating around 800,000 people from coastal areas on the Bay of Bengal as a cyclone is forecast to bring flooding, heavy rainfall and winds gusting up to 200kph (125mph). The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said Cyclone Fani would make landfall in Odisha state on Friday afternoon, and recommended the “extensive evacuation of coastal areas”. Fishers were urged to return to coasts and it was predicted that the storm would bring widespread disruption to power supplies, rail and road traffic inland. The government said people living in 14 low-lying districts of Odisha would be moved to shelters and sturdier school and college buildings. Tourists were urged to leave coastal areas in both Odisha and neighbouring West Bengal. “We are maximising efforts at all levels for evacuation for the time being,” Odisha’s special relief commissioner Bishnupada Sethi told the Reuters news agency. Fani is the first major storm of India’s cyclone season, which generally runs from April to December. The tracking service Tropical Storm Risk rated it a mid-range category 3 storm. In its latest bulletin on Thursday morning, the IMD warned the worst-affected coastal districts would see a storm surge of about 1.5m above regular tidal levels, which was “very likely to inundate low lying areas”. Parts of Odisha, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh would experience “extremely heavy rainfall” of above 20cm, it warned. Sea conditions would be “phenomenally” rough, the bulletin said, adding that “large boats and ships may get torn from their moorings”. Cyclones coming in from the Bay of Bengal lead to many evacuations every year, and can cause widespread destruction to properties, damage to crops and deaths across both India and Bangladesh. Two decades ago a super-cyclone battered the coast of Odisha for 30 hours, killing 10,000 people, while in 2013 a mass evacuation of nearly a million people is likely to have saved thousands of lives.

Adam Withnall

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/cyclone-fani-india-evacuation-status-map-path-update-latest-a8896021.html

2019-05-02 08:45:00+00:00

weather

weather phenomena

activistpost--2019-12-20--Michigan County Threatens to Demolish Amish Homes Unless They Give Up Religious Beliefs and Upgrade

activistpost

Michigan County Threatens to Demolish Amish Homes Unless They Give Up Religious Beliefs and Upgrade

After harassing the Amish community for years regarding its water supply and disposal, the county health department posted signs on the Amish families’ homes earlier this year condemning them as “unfit for human habitation” and filed lawsuits against 14 Amish families in November. If successful, the lawsuits would result in the demolition of the Amish families’ homes and would effectively banish an entire religious community from Lenawee County. The ACLU and Wright & Schulte filed answers to those lawsuits Wednesday in Lenawee County Circuit Court, which include counterclaims against the county for religious discrimination in violation of the federal and state constitutions and the federal Fair Housing Act. “The county is persecuting this Amish community because of their deeply held religious beliefs that have safely guided their way of life for generations,” said Phil Mayor, senior staff attorney with the ACLU of Michigan. “Lenawee County residents should be outraged that their local officials, using taxpayer money and in the county’s name, have condemned their Amish neighbors’ homes and are threatening to demolish their houses, and leave them homeless. They should contact their county commissioners and other local officials and implore them to end this vicious attack on the Amish religion.” The Amish community in Lenawee County adheres to their “old order” religious way of life by hand-pumping water from wells, using outhouses instead of flush toilets, and not using electricity, cell phones, or automobiles. Despite the fact that the Amish community’s choice to live in traditional ways causes no harm to themselves or anyone else, the Lenawee County Health Department has condemned their homes and is now asking a court to authorize the demolition of their property, unless the Amish community abandons its religious beliefs. “This is not a question of public health — it’s Lenawee County officials using religious discrimination as a tactic to run this Amish community out of their homes and destroy their way of life,” said Richard Schulte, attorney with Wright & Schulte, LLC. “This community’s commitment to live according to their religion harms no one.” Sean Walton is a researcher and journalist for The Daily Sheeple, where this article first appeared. Send tips to [email protected] Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Become an Activist Post Patron for as little as $1 per month at Patreon. Follow us on SoMee, Flote, Minds, Twitter, and Steemit. Provide, Protect and Profit from what’s coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today.

Activist Post

https://www.activistpost.com/2019/12/michigan-county-threatens-to-demolish-amish-homes-unless-they-give-up-religious-beliefs-and-upgrade.html

Fri, 20 Dec 2019 18:10:31 +0000

religion and belief

religious belief

cbsnews--2019-05-02--HHS rule lets health care workers refuse care that violates religious beliefs

cbsnews

HHS rule lets health care workers refuse care that violates religious beliefs

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a finalized "Conscience Rule" protecting health care professionals who refuse to provide care that violates their religious beliefs, such as performing abortions. "The final rule fulfills President Trump's promise to promote and protect the fundamental and unalienable rights of conscience and religious liberty, a promise he made when he signed an executive order in May 2017 protecting religious liberty," HHS said in a statement announcing the finalized rule, which expands existing protections. In 2017, Mr. Trump signed executive orders to "defend freedom of religion and speech in America." One of the directives gave the IRS discretion in enforcing the Johnson Amendment, which prohibits nonprofits such as churches and charities from "directly or indirectly" engaging in a political campaign. Critics of the "Conscience Rule" argue it could limit medical access for women seeking abortions, as doctors who oppose to the practice on religious grounds could refuse a woman care. There are concerns about health care professionals discriminating against LGBT individuals, in violation of medical ethics. The rule will also help protect individuals who object to administering certain vaccines. The American Medical Association called on HHS to withdraw the proposed conscience rule in April 2018, saying the rule "would function as a shield for people asserting objections on religious or moral grounds and could permit them to withhold care from already vulnerable groups." Roger Severino, the director of HHS' Office for Civil Rights, said Thursday that "laws prohibiting government funded discrimination against conscience and religious freedom will be enforced like every other civil rights law." "This rule ensures that healthcare entities and professionals won't be bullied out of the health care field because they decline to participate in actions that violate their conscience, including the taking of human life. Protecting conscience and religious freedom not only fosters greater diversity in healthcare, it's the law," Severino continued. On Thursday, the president held the National Day of Prayer service, where he declared that "people are so proud to be using that beautiful word, 'God,' and they're using the word God again and they're not hiding from it."

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/conscience-rule-hhs-finalizes-rule-protecting-health-care-workers-who-refuse-care-over-religious-beliefs/

2019-05-02 19:04:38+00:00

religion and belief

religious belief

cnn--2019-01-24--South Carolina foster care providers can reject people who dont share their religious beliefs

cnn

South Carolina foster care providers can reject people who don't share their religious beliefs

(CNN) Federally funded child welfare agencies in South Carolina can refuse to perform services that conflict with their religious beliefs, the US Department of Health and Human Services said Wednesday. The announcement came in response to Gov. Henry McMaster's request for a waiver for faith-based groups that contract with the state for foster care services, such as child placements and screenings of prospective families. Citing the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, McMaster requested an exemption from federal regulations enacted by the Obama administration that forbid discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and religion -- among other identities -- in HHS programs and services. States and grantees must comply with federal regulations to receive HHS funding. McMaster said the requirements forced faith-based providers to choose between their religious beliefs or a license to contract with the state, potentially forcing agencies to close their doors. McMaster also objected to how the requirements were put in place, saying it conflicted with existing regulations. Civil rights organizations and child welfare advocacy groups decried the decision, calling it state-sponsored discrimination that would affect non-Christians, the LGBTQ community, or anyone who doesn't meet an agency's "religious litmus test." Above all, they said the waiver would harm children in foster care. "Allowing child placing agencies to turn away qualified adoptive and foster parents reduces the number of loving families available to the over 4,000 children in South Carolina's foster care system, and further demonstrates that the Trump administration values a narrow set of religious beliefs over the need to find loving, stable homes for children currently in state care," said Shelbi Day, senior policy counsel with Family Equality Council. Lynn Johnson, assistant secretary for the Administration for Children and Families within HHS, cited the need for more families in the foster care system as a reason ACF granted the state's request. "This decision preserves all of the foster care agencies currently available for children in South Carolina by ensuring faith-based organizations can continue to serve this vulnerable population. It protects minors who are in need of as many options as possible for being placed in loving foster families." Johnson said ACF consulted with department subject-matter experts, including the Office for Civil Rights, the agency that ensures HHS programs and grantees are in compliance with the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. As a condition of the waiver, Johnson said agencies must refer anyone they turn away to other placement agencies or the state. "By granting this request to South Carolina, HHS is putting foster care capacity needs ahead of burdensome regulations that are in conflict with the law," Johnson said. "We are deeply gratified by this decision, which allows Miracle Hill Foster Care to keep its license and continue serving nearly 200 foster children and more than 230 foster families," said Reid Lehman, president and CEO of Miracle Hill Ministries. "It's always been about the license, our right to exist." The waiver is the first such federal action of its kind, said Leslie Cooper, deputy director of the American Civil Liberties Union's LGBT & HIV Project. She said it sets a troubling precedent, as Texas has made a similar request to HHS. "Prospective foster and adoptive parents should be judged only on their capacity to provide love and support to a child — not their faith," Cooper said. "Our elected officials need to make clear that the interest of children -- not the religious views of taxpayer-funded agencies -- come first."

Emanuella Grinberg

http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/cnn_allpolitics/~3/rq6fcFi4joU/index.html

2019-01-24 03:48:48+00:00

religion and belief

religious belief

drudgereport--2019-10-31--Mankind's belief in evil 'caused by disease'...

drudgereport

Mankind's belief in evil 'caused by disease'...

Humanity’s belief in evil may be rooted in people’s need to cope with diseases. Researchers trying to uncover the origins of mankind’s belief in evil believe they have stumbled across a bizarre occurrence that could explain it. By looking at regions where high levels of disease happened, experts found people had stronger convictions about agents of evil, such as demons. In many cultures across the globe, the supernatural was used to explain the causes and responses to disease. The effect would be sufferers of an illness would be viewed as having been corrupted and would be isolated, shunned or even killed to protect other people in the tribe. Scientists at the University of Melbourne, Australia, believe that belief in evil was more common in these places where diseases were produced. The university’s associate professor at the School of Psychological Sciences Brock Bastian told Live Science: “It (the research) opens up new insights into the emergence of religion as a belief system that developed to explain natural threats or events.” To investigate the root of evil, experts examined historical data of infectious diseases and compared them with trends in spiritual beliefs about evil. Dr Bastian added: “We uncovered consistent evidence that historical pathogen prevalence is related to an increased tendency to believe that there are forces of evil at work in the world.” His team found the strongest correlations between belief in the devil and historic widespread disease was strongest in Nigeria, Bangladesh and the Philippines. It also found the weakest was in the Czech Republic, Germany and Sweden. Experts also believe belief systems with a strong sense of good and evil could prove beneficial for people living in high-risk areas. The research claims beliefs can become embedded in cultures for generations. Dr Bastian said: “Such thinking remains evident in many modern societies, wherein health complaints are sometimes attributed to the will of God or the work of the devil and spiritual remedies.”

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DrudgeReportFeed/~3/Pv7rV2cDUOU/scientists-discover-mankinds-belief-evil-20762415

Thu, 31 Oct 2019 17:04:37 GMT

religion and belief

religious belief

thewashingtonstandard--2019-12-20--Michigan: County Threatens To Demolish Amish Homes If They Don’t Give Up Their Religious Beliefs

thewashingtonstandard

Michigan: County Threatens To Demolish Amish Homes If They Don’t Give Up Their Religious Beliefs

Over a dozen Amish families are being threatened by Lenawee County Michigan regarding their water supply and disposal. The threats stem from the county health department condemning their homes, saying they are “unfit for human habitation” and filing lawsuits against 14 families in November. If the county is successful in its pursuit to demolish the homes, which apparently are fit for human habitation as the families are living there, it would result in the loss of these families’ homes, but it should be noted that it is also an attempt to bend their consciences against what they believe to be right, whether you agree or disagree with them or not. Of all people, the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan (ACLU) and the law firm Wright & Schulte, LLC had come to the aid of the families and filed a countersuit against the Lenawee County Health Department for violating the constitutional and civil rights of the families. “The county is persecuting this Amish community because of their deeply held religious beliefs that have safely guided their way of life for generations,” said Phil Mayor, senior staff attorney with the ACLU of Michigan. “Lenawee County residents should be outraged that their local officials, using taxpayer money and in the county’s name, have condemned their Amish neighbors’ homes and are threatening to demolish their houses, and leave them homeless. They should contact their county commissioners and other local officials and implore them to end this vicious attack on the Amish religion.” According to the ACLU: The Amish community in Lenawee County adheres to their “old order” religious way of life by hand-pumping water from wells, using outhouses instead of flush toilets, and not using electricity, cell phones, or automobiles. Despite the fact that the Amish community’s choice to live in traditional ways causes no harm to themselves or anyone else, the Lenawee County Health Department has condemned their homes, and is now asking a court to authorize the demolition of their property, unless the Amish community abandons its religious beliefs. After harassing the Amish community for years regarding its water supply and disposal, the county health department posted signs on the Amish families’ homes earlier this year condemning them as “unfit for human habitation” and filed lawsuits against 14 Amish families in November. If successful, the lawsuits would result in the demolition of the Amish families’ homes and would effectively banish an entire religious community from Lenawee County. The ACLU and Wright & Schulte filed answers to those lawsuits today in Lenawee County Circuit Court, which include counterclaims against the county for religious discrimination in violation of the federal and state constitutions and the federal Fair Housing Act. “This is not a question of public health — it’s Lenawee County officials using religious discrimination as a tactic to run this Amish community out of their homes and destroy their way of life,” said Richard Schulte, attorney with Wright & Schulte, LLC. “This community’s commitment to live according to their religion harms no one.” On this issue, I can get behind the Communist ACLU, but only because they actually are appealing to law and calling out the lawless in this matter, and I do hope the Amish families prevail. Article posted with permission from Sons Of Liberty Media

Tim Brown

https://thewashingtonstandard.com/michigan-county-threatens-to-demolish-amish-homes-if-they-dont-give-up-their-religious-beliefs/

Fri, 20 Dec 2019 20:19:44 +0000

religion and belief

religious belief

windowoneurasiablog--2019-12-25--More than 80 Percent of Russia’s Political Prisoners in Jail for Religious Beliefs, Memorial Says

windowoneurasiablog

More than 80 Percent of Russia’s Political Prisoners in Jail for Religious Beliefs, Memorial Says

Staunton, December 23 – According to the Memorial Human Rights Center, 250 of those it counts as political prisoners in Russia at the end of 2019 are behind bars for their religious beliefs, while only 64 are there for their political views, a dramatic change from earlier years and one that reflects the persecution of the Jehovah’s Witnesses and other Christians, not Muslims. During the last year, Russian courts behave to hand down the first real jail terms to Jehovah’s Witnesses for their religious activity. Such cases have now occurred in 52 of the federal subjects; and while this “anti-extremism” campaign began in the provinces out of sight of journalists and diplomats, in September, it reached Moscow. In not a single case have officials been able to provide evidence of a real crime, Chivchalov says; and what is especially worrisome is that increasingly the authorities don’t seem to see any need to conceal that they are going after people solely because of their religious beliefs rather than because of any specific acts. Prosecutors and some judges are even willing to find the Bible extremist. In Kirov, for example, “experts” claimed to see extremism in Psalm 29 and even in the Synodically approved version. And in Russia, Chivchalov points out, “in Russia and only in it as before is banned the site of the Jehovah’s Witnesses “on which are placed translations of the bible in the largest number of languages in the world.” Jehovah’s Witnesses now held as political prisoners have been subjected to horrific tortures, as in Surgut in February. Their jailors used electro-shocks on them as well as beating them with clubs. That led to an outcry but it remains unclear how many others are being victimized in the same way. Official charges against the Jehovah’s Witnesses and other Christian groups have become so hyperbolic and absurd, the Credo Press commentator says, that some judges are beginning to question what the prosecutors are doing and even rule against them, a trend that if it continues may provide some basis for greater optimism in the coming year. “Alas, despite these outbursts of good sense, over the past year, Russia has broken through to a new level in the return to medieval conditions: for the first time since the disintegration of the USSR have been handed out prison terms and torture inflicted not only on Jehovah’s Witnesses but other Christian believers as well.” Because of this trend, he says, “thousands of law-abiding, hard-working and tax-paying Russians have preferred emigration” to remaining in a country where they cannot practice their faiths. At least 5,000 have made that choice, and their number is likely to grow given that any hopes for serious improvement dissipated in the course of 2019. Russia is “confidently and willingly saying goodbye to its status as a secular state where one can confess any religion or not confess any. Russians won’t have that luxury in the future,” Chivchalov suggests.

paul goble (noreply@blogger.com)

http://windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2019/12/more-than-80-percent-of-russias.html

2019-12-25T03:21:00.001-08:00

religion and belief

religious belief

theindependent--2019-11-06--Teacher suspended for 'segregating students based on religion and mocking them for their belief

theindependent

Teacher suspended for 'segregating students based on religion and mocking them for their beliefs'

A teacher in North Carolina has been suspended for allegedly segregating her students based upon their religious beliefs, as well as their views on gay marriage and abortion. According to local media reports, Julia Lopp, a Spanish language teacher at South Johnston High School, first divvied up the students based on their religion. Then, she asked them about abortion. Finally, she asked them for their views on LGBT rights, according to the Johnston County Report. She’s been accused of ridiculing the religious students, and threatened them should they report her for her actions. She told the students she would “not recommend them for a job or even entrance to college,” according to WTVD. “I don't mind prayer in school and things like that because you pray to your own religion,” said Natasha Chancey, mother of a middle schooler in Johnston County, according to that news channel. The parent continued: “But for instance to be asking about God because there are so many different religions and everyone has their own beliefs, that might be saying one is better than the other. She has been suspended without pay, just months after being hired to the post in August. “This is an unfortunate incident and one I wish had not happened,” said superintendent Jim Causby in a statement. The statement continued: “It is never appropriate for a teacher to segregate students based on religious, political or personal beliefs. In fact, it is not appropriate for a teacher to even ask a student what their beliefs are.”

Clark Mindock

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/teacher-segregate-religion-suspend-north-carolina-julia-lopp-abortion-lgbt-rights-a9188191.html

Wed, 06 Nov 2019 18:44:07 GMT

religion and belief

religious belief

birminghammail--2019-10-18--Anderton Park School parents feared LGBT teaching would 'subdue religious beliefs'

birminghammail

Anderton Park School parents feared LGBT teaching would 'subdue religious beliefs'

Concerned Muslim parents and their children felt they were being "made to accept LGBT teaching" and "subdue their own beliefs" to show they were not extremist, a High Court hearing into the Anderton Park school protests heard. Protests at the gates of the Sparkhill school came about because the rights of parents were being infringed, a judge was told. Barrister Mr Ramby de Mello said: "Parents feel they are told: 'You have got to accept our teaching and keep your own beliefs under the bushell in a closet at home'...this conflict amounts to discriminatory treatment." “They hear: ‘We would like you to learn about equality at the expense of subduing your own religious belief because (doing so) demonstrates tolerance, inclusivity and stepping away from extremism.” He said this also indirectly discriminates against the 644 Muslim, mostly Pakistani heritage, pupils who attend the school. Citing from the witness statement of an imam, Mr de Mello said the parents feel they have a “moral obligation” to stand up against any teaching that impinges on the “heterosexual norm”. His comments came on the fifth and final day of an injunction hearing triggered by protests over LGBT teaching at the school. Judge Mr Justice Warby, who has to decide whether an exclusion zone should remain around the school to stop further protests, has now reserved judgement and will announce the outcome in writing "as soon as possible". He will weigh up five days of evidence and hundreds of pages of witness statements, videos and social media messages before announcing his ruling. In the meantime the existing temporary exclusion zone will stay in place. The case, brought by Birmingham City Council, is seeking an injunction that would permanently ban protests at the gates and in the streets surrounding the school. The council is also seeking to extend the zone to include two grassy areas on Yardley Wood Road, where protesters have continued to gather. The current temporary injunction prohibits three named defendants – Mr Afsar, his sister Rosina Afsar and Amir Ahmed - along with “persons unknown” from protesting or encouraging others to protest inside the exclusion zone. It also prohibits use of social media accounts to make abusive comments about any member of staff at the school in relation to teaching. The injunction application is being contested by Afsar, Afsar and Ahmed along with a fourth defendant, John Allman, from Okehampton in Devon, who sought to join the case to represent "persons unknown", claiming the injunction was too wide ranging and prohibited free speech online. Mr Ramby de Mello, representing the Afsars and Ahmed, said the protests came about because the rights of parents were being infringed. There was discrimination against families because of their religious and cultural beliefs, he told the judge. “This group are made to feel, because of their religious and cultural beliefs, in some way inferior to others – in this case over the teaching of LGBT,” he said. He said much had been made of the behaviour of a couple of outsiders who had joined protests, including an imam whose comments were condemned and disowned by Mr Afsar and Mr Ahmed. Earlier barrister Paul Diamond, representing Mr Allman, 66, a Christian campaigner, claimed a “politicised” Birmingham City Council was driving the injunction and claiming harassment and abuse against teachers at Anderton Park School, even though no criminal offences had been committed. There was often a difference in understanding and values that meant people “talked past each other” because of their beliefs. Someone telling another they risk “going to hell” is seen by some not as offensive but instead as “informing this person of their spiritual destiny and wanting to help them,” said Mr Diamond. He added that teachers had no "special privilege" not to face online comments as long as it does not reach a level of criminality. After the hearing concluded, teaching union chief Rob Kelsall, of the NAHT, said head teachers across the country were now "anxiously waiting" on the ruling outcome and watching events unfold in Birmingham "with fear". He said: "Whatever the outcome this is not the end. We have been supporting around 70 more schools across the country over pressure they have received over equality teaching. In our view it's completely unacceptable for public servants doing their job to be subject to this kind of torment." Describing Anderton Park head teacher Sarah Hewitt-Clarkson as "one of the strongest, most courageous people I've ever met", he said the pressure of the case has had "a very negative and wearing effect on her and her staff. That for me is extremely concerning." He reiterated calls on Education Secretary Gavin Williamson to "stop passing the buck to heads", and to be unequivocal that teachers should include all aspects of equality in relationships education, including LGBT. "We need to avoid this happening to any other school." Shakeel Afsar, representing the protesters, said after the hearing: "We parents should not have been here. We hope the judge will see that parents were within their rights and were forced to protest. "Whatever the outcome we would urge the school to start a fresh dialogue with parents...for the betterment of the community." Mr Justice Warby said he would deliver his judgement in writing "as soon as possible" and would begin work on it on Monday. "I can't at the moment given any reliable commitments as to when judgement will be but I assure I will reach a verdict as quickly as I can."

newsdesk@birminghamlive.co.uk (Jane Haynes)

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/anderton-park-school-parents-feared-17110330

Fri, 18 Oct 2019 19:00:17 +0000

religion and belief

religious belief

eveningstandard--2019-01-14--Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger aposrefused to live togetherapos until they were engage

eveningstandard

Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger 'refused to live together' until they were engaged due to 'religious beliefs'

Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger reportedly refused to live together until they got engaged due to their deeply held Christian principles. The loved-up pair today unveiled the news that they are set to tie the knot, one month after publicly confirming their romance. However reports have since emerged that the couple had no plans to live together until he popped the question because co-habiting would go against their religious beliefs as Christians. A source told the Sun: “They recently moved in together and that’s why the engagement was out of the bag – it’s not something Katherine would have done if they weren’t planning to get married. “They’re both very devout – that’s one of the reasons their relationship works so well – and are very committed to their faith. Some of their early dates were even at church – so Katherine would have refused to live with him until they made the commitment to getting married.” The insider added that Pratt, 39, supposedly prayed before asking the 29-year-old to marry him. Standard Online has contacted representatives of Pratt and Schwarzenegger for comment. The reports come after Pratt announced news of his engagement with a sweet post of him hugging his other half. The Parks and Recreations star captioned the post: “Sweet Katherine, so happy you said yes! I’m thrilled to be marrying you. “Proud to live boldly in faith with you. Here we go!” The pair are rumoured to have been dating since last summer but only confirmed their romance last month when Schwarzenegger turned 29.

Safeeyah Kazi

https://www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/celebrity-news/chris-pratt-and-katherine-schwarzenegger-refused-to-live-together-until-they-were-engaged-due-to-a4038676.html

2019-01-14 18:06:40+00:00

religion and belief

religious belief

thesun--2019-02-16--Girls aged 13 and 15 expelled from school after their mum refused to have them vaccinated due to re

thesun

Girls aged 13 and 15 expelled from school after their mum refused to have them vaccinated due to ‘religious beliefs’

TWO teenage girls were expelled from school after their mum refused to have them vaccinated due to “religious beliefs”. The New York teens, age 13 and 15, moved to the Orchard Park School District last year, and since then, their “religious exemption” had been denied, according to their mother Marina Williams. Their schooling stopped for months as a result, and they have now reportedly been expelled indefinitely by the district. The family now plan to take the school district to court. The District had told the children not to return until they'd had their injections. Williams said: “It's against our belief system for foreign substances such as vaccines to enter our bodies. Court papers show the Williams family belong to an evangelical congregation known as the Temple of the Inner Flames Church. The family sent the school a letter from the Reverend of the church Carol Ann Liaros to reaffirm their stance. “Based on our Christian biblical instructions from God, our beliefs include not taking any harmful or foreign substances into our bodies, which includes: excessive alcohol, recreational drugs, foreign substances (vaccines.)” But in rebuttal, the school district released a statement insisting protecting the health of its students outweighs an individual's right to religious immunity. That decision, according to New York state law, is justified, as current legislation leaves the decision of whether a parent's religious beliefs are a valid reason for exemption to the board. The school district said, via a statement from superintendent Matthew McGarrity: “A school district has no duty more important than protecting the health, safety, and welfare of its students and staff.” “Ensuring that the immunisation requirements under state law have been met is critical to carrying out this duty. "The New York State Commissioner of Education has denied a request to allow un-immunised students living in the District to attend school while they seek an exemption to the State Public Health Law requirements. Family attorney Frank Housh said the girls had even been threatened with trespass if they returned. He said: “This isn't a vaccination lawsuit and my client is not an anti-vaxxer.” Housh added the family had opted against immunisations for 'generations'. The case will be heard in the the state Supreme Court on the grounds of religious discrimination. Erie County's Health Commissioner, Dr. Gale Burstein, told WKBK that he urges all children to get vaccinated. She said: “Vaccines are safe, vaccines are effective, so let your doctor love your children like you love your children.” We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368 . You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.

Geraden Cann

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/8442338/girls-expelled-school-mum-refused-vaccinations/

2019-02-16 16:11:33+00:00

religion and belief

religious belief

bbc--2019-01-03--Storm Pabuk Tourists flee Thai islands after weather warnings

bbc

Storm Pabuk: Tourists flee Thai islands after weather warnings

Thousands of tourists and residents have reportedly fled islands off Thailand's south-east coast to escape an approaching tropical storm. Authorities have also been preparing shelters for those deciding to stay put. Thailand's Met Office says Tropical Storm Pabuk will bring strong winds and 7 metre (22 ft) waves but it is unlikely to become a typhoon. A weather warning has been issued but no evacuation order is in place. The storm is expected hit the country's southern coast from Thursday, causing heavy rainfall and possible flash flooding. Thailand's Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan said the military was on alert to assist people affected. Among those areas in the path of the storm is Surat Thani, home to the popular tourist islands of Koh Phangnan, Koh Samui and Koh Tao. Visitor numbers to the islands usually peak over the Christmas and New Year period. "I think the islands are almost empty," Krikkrai Songthanee, Koh Phangnan's district chief, told AFP. Images are circulating on social media of tourists and residents leaving various islands by boat for the Thai mainland. However, bans on boats have been enforced in several areas including Kho Phi Phi because of safety concerns. As a result, many tourists have been forced to stay put. Swimming has also been banned in Koh Samui. But videos of people still swimming in the island are circulating on social media. Bangkok Airways said it had cancelled some flights, whilst other airlines said they were monitoring the weather. Authorities on some islands have avoided enforcing bans or advising evacuations altogether. Chaiyan Thurasakul, mayor of the Koh Tao Subdistrict Municipality, told BBC Thai the island had prepared for possible floods, landslides and strong waves. "If the storm is severe for two to three days, we may have to ask for help from the mainland for shipment of necessary items," said Mr Thurasakul. Pabuk - which means giant catfish in Lao - is the first storm in nearly thirty years to hit the region outside monsoon season, which ends around November. In 2011, devastating floods in Thailand killed 600 people and displaced thousands of others in more than a third of the country's provinces.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-46747062

2019-01-03 13:31:50+00:00

weather

weather warning

bbcuk--2019-01-26--Police Scotland urge caution on the roads amid weather warnings

bbcuk

Police Scotland urge caution on the roads amid weather warnings

Motorists have been urged to exercise caution on the roads amid warnings of snow and ice in parts of Scotland. Ferry passengers are also being alerted to disruption to west coast services as forecasters predict strong winds. The Met Office has issued a series of yellow weather warnings for snow, ice and high winds. Up to 15cm (6in) of fresh snow is expected on higher ground in the north of Scotland while wind gusts could reach 55mph on the west coast. Police said the wintry weather could affect driving conditions right through until Monday morning's rush hour. Insp David Hynd said: "Police Scotland is advising all drivers to exercise extra caution throughout the Highland and Islands, Moray, Aberdeenshire and northern areas of Tayside as conditions may be hazardous due to snow and ice. "There is also the potential for high winds around coastal areas and exposed routes particularly in the north east of the country. "If you are travelling, you should ensure you and your vehicle are adequately prepared for the conditions making sure you have sufficient fuel and supplies such as warm clothing, food and water in the event you are delayed for several hours. "Charge your mobile phone and plan your route as well as alternative routes." Ferry operator CalMac cancelled a number of sailings on Sunday morning, ahead of the predicted high winds. Cancellations included the services between Ardrossan and Brodick, Skye on Sunday morning. They warned passengers that other services could be liable to disruption or cancellation. P&O also cancelled their sailings between Cairnryan and Larne on Saturday evening due to adverse weather. The Met Office's yellow warning for snow and ice in parts of the Highlands, Moray, Western Isles and Aberdeenshire is in force until 12:00 on Sunday. It said: "Strong northerly winds will lead to blizzard conditions and drifting over high ground, where 10-15cm (4-6in) of fresh snow may accumulate. "At lower levels, 2-5cm (1-2in) is possible, mainly inland and above 100m (330ft)." The forecaster's wind warning affects north-west England and northern Ireland but strong winds will also affect parts of Scotland. A separate warning for ice is in force from 01:00 to 11:00 on Sunday for parts of south-west Scotland, the Borders and Strathclyde. They said ice was likely to form on untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths, making for slower journeys and increasing the likliehood of accidents.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-47015567

2019-01-26 17:34:19+00:00

weather

weather warning

bbcuk--2019-03-11--Storm Gareth Yellow weather warning for the UK

bbcuk

Storm Gareth: Yellow weather warning for the UK

The Met Office has issued yellow weather warnings for Tuesday and Wednesday, as Storm Gareth hits the UK. Forecasters say strong winds will hit Northern Ireland before spreading eastwards to south-west Scotland, and much of England and Wales. The Met Office is also warning of localised flooding in Cumbria. It comes as cars were crushed by scaffolding and a supermarket roof was ripped off as strong winds battered southern England on Sunday. Gareth is the third storm to be named this year, after Erik in February and Freya earlier this month. The Met Office currently has three yellow "be aware" warnings in place for the next two days. The first warns strong north-westerly winds are expected to develop from 15:00 GMT on Tuesday in Northern Ireland, leading to some disruption. These will begin to reach the south-west and Lothian Borders areas of Scotland from about 2100 GMT, spreading to much of England and Wales through Wednesday. Storm Gareth will bring the risk of damage to buildings, flying debris, large waves, power cuts and travel disruption, the Met Office says. It says gusts could reach 80mph along northern coasts, while gusts of 50-55mph are likely inland and up to 65mph along western coasts. In addition, the Met Office is warning of heavy rain affecting north-west England and parts of Yorkshire overnight into Tuesday. Northern England is particularly at risk of travel disruption and localised flooding, with the possibility of 50mm to 60mm of rainfall over higher ground in Cumbria, says the Met Office.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-47526089

2019-03-11 19:57:01+00:00

weather

weather warning

bbcuk--2019-03-14--Flood and wind weather warnings in place across Wales

bbcuk

Flood and wind weather warnings in place across Wales

There are eight flood alerts in place across parts of Wales due to heavy rainfall this morning. Strong winds have also closed one lane of the M48 Severn Bridge in both directions between the A403 and the A466 at Chepstow. Natural Resources Wales has listed "be prepared" flood alerts in Powys, Denbighshire and Gwynedd. A yellow warning for wind also is in place across parts of east Wales until 13:00 GMT, according to the Met Office. The Natural Resources Wales flood warnings are for:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-47566202

2019-03-14 08:17:58+00:00

weather

weather warning

bbcuk--2019-12-21--Flood and weather warnings in place across England

bbcuk

Flood and weather warnings in place across England

More than 100 flood warnings are in place across England after days of heavy rain, and more downpours expected. The warnings are in place across southern and eastern England, the Midlands and Yorkshire. A severe weather warning of more heavy rain is in place across southern England until noon on Sunday. Motorists starting out for the Christmas getaway are being advised to check their routes in advance. There are warnings of potential travel delays and flooding as up to 30mm of rain is forecast during the warning period. It comes after roads were flooded and rail lines blocked following severe weather. The M23 was closed between junctions 10 and 11 in both directions in West Sussex, but has now reopened. Met Office meteorologist Alex Deakin said: "Because it's been so very wet across the South this extra rain falling on to saturated ground could cause some further problems, so there is a weather warning in force scooting along southern counties during Saturday evening." He said the rain was coming from a "fairly angry weather system" which would also bring some "very strong winds". Highways England has urged motorists to adapt their driving for wet weather by slowing down, keeping well back from the vehicle in front and easing off the accelerator if steering becomes unresponsive. Have you been affected by flooding? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: • Text an SMS or MMS to 61124 or +44 7624 800 100 • Please read our terms & conditions and privacy policy

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-50877501

Sat, 21 Dec 2019 09:49:58 GMT

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birminghammail--2019-01-17--Met Office forecasts snow in Birmingham after severe weather warning issued

birminghammail

Met Office forecasts snow in Birmingham after severe weather warning issued

Birmingham will be hit by snow next week, according to the latest weather forecast from the Met Office. Forecasters are predicting snow will fall in the city on Tuesday next week. The forecast from the agency comes a day after it issued a severe weather warning for the city and surrounding region. Birmingham and swathes of the Midlands were slapped with a yellow weather warning for ice on Wednesday and Thursday. The alert expired at 11am today (Thursday) as parts of the Midlands were hit by snow. Birmingham escaped the white stuff, but flurries were registered in Coventry and Leicestershire. Now, the Met Office reckons we're in store for snow on Tuesday next week, a day before temperatures hit lows of -2C. The agency has forecast snow between 6am and 9am on January 22. Overnight frosts are expected across the weekend as Saturday and Sunday is teeth-chatteringly cold across the city. Expect plunging temperatures as the mercury struggles around the freezing mark. The Met Office five-day forecast reads: "Cold with outbreaks of rain, sleet, hill snow at times over the weekend. "Some sunshine too, although drier and brighter on the whole on Monday." A medium-term forecast on the agency's website for January 22 onwards warns snow is possible. The Met Office say: "Outbreaks of rain, sleet and snow for many areas on Tuesday with a chance of snow to low levels but the details of this are currently uncertain. "Strong winds are also possible in the southwest. "Showery conditions will follow although some brighter weather is also possible later in the week. "Thereafter, remaining cold and possibly turning very cold, accentuated by brisk winds which will last through until the end of January." The agency add: "Frontal zones may arrive from the northwest at times bringing spells of rain, sleet and snow. "However, some drier and brighter interludes are still likely and these will bring overnight frosts, which will be widespread and locally severe, especially in any longer clear spells." Forecasters have urged drivers, pedestrians and cyclists to travel with care, saying untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths could be covered in ice. Temperatures dipped below freezing across Scotland and the far north of England overnight, with a low of -3.4C recorded at Great Dun Fell in Cumbria. Patchy rain and sleet was beginning to move eastwards over North Wales early on Thursday morning, bringing the risk of icy stretches on untreated surfaces for people heading out in the morning rush. Showers were starting to bring snow to parts of Scotland, with flakes falling on inland areas and higher ground, and snow fell as far south as counties around London. Met Office forecaster Simon Partridge said: "Be aware that there's the potential for some icy conditions out on the roads. "Make sure you give yourself a bit of extra time - you will probably need a little longer to scrape the car as well." The yellow warning for snow and ice for Scotland remained in place until midday on Thursday. The yellow ice warning for Northern Ireland, Wales and England - excluding the far South East and Cornwall - expired at 11am. However, a new yellow warning for snow and ice will be in place for the East Midlands, East of England, North East England and Yorkshire and Humber until 10am on Friday. Britain could be facing a lengthy cold spell with a continued risk of wintry showers as cold air from the Arctic spreads across Europe.

James Rodger

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/met-office-forecasts-snow-birmingham-15693057

2019-01-17 14:40:11+00:00

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eveningstandard--2019-01-16--UK weather forecast Weather warnings rolled out across the UK as Artic blast sweeps in

eveningstandard

UK weather forecast: Weather warnings rolled out across the UK as Artic blast sweeps in

Weather warnings have been rolled out across almost the entire of the UK as Brits brace themselves for a bitter cold snap. Arctic air is set to sweep across the country, bringing snow, ice and a widespread frost from Wednesday. Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for ice across nearly all of Britain between 10pm on Wednesday and 11am on Thursday. A further 24-hour weather warning for snow is in place across most of Scotland from midday on Wednesday. Wintry showers already falling on high ground are expected to become more widespread on Wednesday with several centimetres of snow expected in the Highlands. Forecasters warned there will also be wintry showers in parts, most likely in parts of Scotland and northern, eastern and central England. Met Office meteorologist Richard Miles told the Standard these showers could fall on lower ground but added that these will not be heavy and would not reach as far as London and the south east. "There will be rain this afternoon and this evening in London," he added. On Thursday, Brits should expect chilly conditions with a severe frost overnight, Mr Miles said. He said: "On Thursday temperatures could drop as low as -1C even in the daytime, or it will feel like that with wind chill. "And Thursday night is going to the the coldest. Overnight in the south east it could drop down to -5C." He added that anywhere in the UK could see the mercury drop below freezing. The icy blast comes after cold Arctic air moved southwards to the UK following a sudden stratospheric warming over the north pole. But while a similar weather pattern sparked last year's so-called "Beast from the East", Mr Miles said the conditions will not be the same as the air has come straight down from the north this year. Rain and showers in the jet stream are meeting the cold air from the north and mixing to become showers of snow. This will differ from last year's persistent heavy snow, Mr Miles explained. Looking ahead to the weekend, the forecaster said the cold weather is here to stay. The mercury could plunge as low as -7C in central England on Saturday night and it is likely to remain chilly into Monday.

Ella Wills, Katy Clifton

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/uk-weather-forecast-weather-warnings-rolled-out-across-the-uk-as-artic-blast-sweeps-in-a4040346.html

2019-01-16 11:43:00+00:00

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eveningstandard--2019-01-29--Weather and snow travel news Londoners braced for snow as weather warning brought forward with up t

eveningstandard

Weather and snow travel news: Londoners braced for snow as weather warning brought forward with up to 5cm hitting south tonight

Londoners are braced for an evening of travel chaos as a weather warning for heavy snow has been brought forward for the south east. Up to 10cm of snow is expected in parts of Britain on Tuesday night and forecasters have warned ice could bring major disruption on roads, rail and at airports. The Met Office has issued four separate yellow weather warnings across most of the country. The snow is forecast to cause widespread disruption on Britain's roads and railways on Tuesday night and into Wednesday. A warning across much of the country for snow and ice came into force at midday, while a separate warning for the south east for up to 5cm was brought forward four hours to 5pm. Londoners have been warned of 1-3cm of snowfall during peak travel times this evening. Heavy snow had already fallen in Cumbria by Tuesday lunchtime, with one unfortunate driver getting his van stuck in a ditch. Cumbria Roads Police urged motorists to "please slow down" as it shared an image of a car overturned between junctions 36 and 39 of the A6 near Shap. Drivers have been told not to travel in the worst conditions. Forecasters said a band of rain pushing east across parts of England is likely to turn to snow in the south east during Tuesday night with snow continuing into Wednesday. Higher ground in Surrey, Sussex and Kent could see up to 5cm of snow in places. As this clears, ice is likely to form on some surfaces tomorrow morning, the Met Office said. A warning for snow and ice across west and northwest Scotland and Northern Ireland also came into effect at 3pm on Tuesday and will remain in place until 11am Wednesday. While a further warning for much of England and Wales from 3pm on Thursday predicts more snowfall. RAC spokesman Simon Williams told the BBC: "The worst cold weather travel chaos since last winter's Beast from the East is expected. "If you must travel, pack a blanket, shovel and food in case you get stuck." RAC Breakdown spokesman Rod Dennis added: “Drivers face some treacherous conditions as some truly wintry weather finally descends on large parts of the UK. “We strongly recommend drivers reduce their speed and more than double the amount of space between themselves and the vehicle in front, giving them more time to react if they need to. “But the bigger problem for most drivers is likely to be the threat of ice overnight on Tuesday and into Wednesday morning’s commute. Roads and pavements will freeze overnight, leaving glass-like surfaces that will increase the risk of drivers, cyclists and pedestrians running into difficulties." Andy Thomas, managing director of strategic operations at Network Rail, warned trains may be forced to slow down in adverse conditions. “When conditions are very serious, trains might have to slow down – just as a car would on a road – this is so everyone can get where they need to go, safely,” he said. At Heathrow Airport, the busiest in the UK, passengers have been told to check with their airline as the weather worsens. A spokeswoman said: “Heathrow is closely monitoring and preparing for cold weather conditions forecast for the UK. “Those travelling via Heathrow are encouraged to contact their airline for up to date flight information.” During Tuesday morning, a band of rain will push from west to east which could fall as rain, sleet or snow, particularly at peaks in Wales and northern England and Scotland. As the day progresses the wintry weather will move across the Midlands and into the south east. Met Office forecaster Mark Wilson said: “We have this band of rain in the west falling as snow in places. “This band is going to push eastwards and hit London in the late afternoon and evening. “It will be a cold day with rain, sleet and snow for the UK as a whole. “Tuesday night will be very cold, with more wintry showers in the west. There will be lows of around -6 or -7C in northern England but could be even colder than that. “Wednesday will be very cold, drier and brighter for most of the UK but very cold.” Temperatures fell as low as -7C in the Highlands overnight, while London was at just about freezing as large parts of the country woke up to frost. Snow showers could return on Wednesday and there is a risk of further disruptive snow and ice to parts of the country towards the end of the week.

Patrick Grafton-Green

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/uk-weather-forecast-worst-travel-chaos-since-beast-from-the-east-expected-as-snow-hits-britain-a4051406.html

2019-01-29 09:35:00+00:00

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eveningstandard--2019-08-10--UK weather warnings for thunderstorms and high winds cause festivals to be cancelled

eveningstandard

UK weather warnings for thunderstorms and high winds cause festivals to be cancelled

Weather warnings have been issued for much of the UK, leading to the cancellation of large scale weekend events across England. The Met Office has put in place yellow warnings for thunderstorms in Scotland and Northern Ireland and for strong winds across Wales and most of England. Forecaster Craig Snell said wind gusts of up to 50 miles per hour were recorded on Saturday morning in coastal areas. Heavy rain was affecting the northern border areas of England and Scotland, with further showers expected in the north as heavy and slow-moving thunderstorms roll through. Mr Snell said: "No matter where you are in the UK you're at risk of seeing some kind of localised disruption from wind. "It's a case of staying in touch with weather forecasts and being prepared for extra travel time as there may be road closures due to localised flooding." Sunday was expected to be less windy across Britain but Mr Snell warned the weather would still be "unsettled" throughout the day. Thousands of people have been left disappointed after the severe weather cancelled and disrupted weekend events from high-profile music festivals and smaller events. Boardmasters, a surfing and music festival, was first to be cancelled, on Wednesday, when organisers blamed "severe weather conditions". Some disappointed punters, who were promised a refund, only learned it was scrapped after they arrived at the site, in Newquay, Cornwall, where Wu-Tang Clan were set to headline. A second music festival, Houghton, in Norfolk, was called off the following day after the weather "dramatically worsened" the already soggy site. Several weekend LGBT+ pride events, including in Chester, Milton Keynes and Plymouth, were postponed over safety concerns. Organisers for all three said they were working to rearrange the events. The first day of Blackpool Air Show, on Saturday, was cancelled when afternoon winds of 45mph were forecast. "The safety of the pilots and the watching public is paramount," a spokesman said, adding the Sunday event was still scheduled to go ahead. The nearby St Anne's International Kite Festival was also cancelled. The London Wildlife Festival, scheduled on Saturday and Sunday at Walthamstow Wetlands, was cancelled after winds of 40mph were forecast. Organisers said they were unable to "proceed safely" but promised refunds on tickets.

Asher Mcshane

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/uk-weather-warnings-for-thunderstorms-and-high-winds-cause-festivals-to-be-cancelled-a4210281.html

2019-08-10 06:30:00+00:00

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eveningstandard--2019-10-01--UK flooding Britons rescued from cars trapped in water as downpours hit amid threat-to-life weather

eveningstandard

UK flooding: Britons rescued from cars trapped in water as downpours hit amid threat-to-life weather warning

People have been rescued from their cars after becoming trapped in floodwater as heavy rain battered the UK and a threat-to-life warning was issued. Predictions of torrential rain across the UK triggered dozens of flood alerts and a "precautionary evacuation notice" was in place in one part of the country. The Met Office issued a yellow, threat-to-life warning of heavy rain until midnight on Monday covering southern and central Wales and the West Midlands. Firefighters rescued an adult and a child who were trapped in a vehicle caught in floodwater in in Bretby, near Burton upon Trent, at about 8pm. Crews from North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service also came to the aid of a woman in a car stuck in floodwater on Cattal Moor Lane, near York. A further Met Office yellow warning for heavy showers was in place from 6am to 8pm on Tuesday covering the south of England, South Wales, the Midlands and parts of East Anglia. Meteorologist Luke Miall said: "We could see some local quite torrential downpours and a risk of surface water flooding." He warned that slow moving clouds on Tuesday meant "we could see as much as 40 to 50mm maybe in a couple of hours in some spots". As of 8pm on Monday, the Environment Agency had issued 70 flood warnings advising immediate action and 184 flood alerts urging people to prepare for possible flooding, all covering the length and breadth of the country. In west Norfolk, a "precautionary evacuation notice" has been issued for the coastal areas of Hunstanton, Heacham and Snettisham. The Environment Agency said a combination of a high tide due at 8.40am on Tuesday and predicted force six north-westerly winds could result in flooding. People are being told to leave caravans and properties in the area between 7am and 10am on Tuesday and not to return until it is safe to do so. They are also urged to take with them any medication, pets and anything urgent they might need over the next 48 hours. The public are also being advised to take care along beaches, promenades, coastal footpaths and roads as large waves and sea spray could be dangerous. In the South West, the Environment Agency also told people to avoid the seafront and check on flood warnings due to forecast high tides and winds. Natural Resources Wales encouraged drivers to take care on the roads because of the likelihood of surface water flooding on Monday night. The Met Office warned that on Monday evening homes and businesses could be flooded, with the rainfall also possibly affecting buses, trains and road travel. On Tuesday it said predicted heavy showers could bring a "small chance of fast-flowing or deep floodwater causing danger to life". Earlier on Monday, Gloucestershire Police called off a search after a man, feared to have been swept away by the Severn Bore wave, was located safe and well. A second call from someone concerned they had seen a person or animal struggling in floodwater was also stood down. Rain and strong winds may also hit the UK later in the week as the remnants of ex-tropical storm Lorenzo arrive on Friday. Currently classed as a category 2 hurricane, Lorenzo is due to hit west of the Portuguese Azores islands on Tuesday. Mr Miall said the storm, becoming an "ex-hurricane", could track up to the west of the UK on Friday bringing heavy rain and winds of up to 60mph. He emphasised that there was still "some uncertainty" over the possible course of the storm.

Sean Morrison

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/uk-weather-britons-rescued-for-cars-trapped-in-floodwater-as-downpours-hit-amid-threattolife-warning-a4250476.html

2019-10-01 07:31:00+00:00

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thedailyrecord--2019-01-16--Met Office issue overnight yellow weather warning for ice cold conditions in East Kilbride

thedailyrecord

Met Office issue overnight yellow weather warning for ice cold conditions in East Kilbride

Here are your ‘need to knows’ about your commute home from work - with cold weather on the way. The Met Office have issued a weather warning for icy patches developing with wintry showers also affecting some areas. Road users have been advised to be wary of ice on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths. The yellow warning will run from 10pm tonight until 11am on January 17. Scotland Transerv have advised gritters will be on the roads treating routes. On the trains, ScotRail are reporting a clear service between East Kilbride and Glasgow Central with no delays at the moment. Motorists heading from the city using the M8, M77 and M74 can expect the usual flow of traffic, but as of yet no delays are being reported by Traffic Scotland. The A726 Eaglesham bypass, leading to the M77 is, also currently operating as normal. Redwood Drive and Queensway, leading onto the East Kilbride Expressway is also running as normal so far, with no delays or incidents reported as of yet. If you’re aware of any road incidents, contact the EK News team on 01698 205 200, tag us on Facebook or Tweet us @EKilbrideNews.

Mark Pirie

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/met-office-issue-overnight-yellow-13865545

2019-01-16 16:10:00+00:00

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aljazeera--2019-01-11--Oceans heating up faster than expected set record in 2018

aljazeera

Oceans heating up faster than expected, set record in 2018

The world's oceans are heating up at an accelerating pace and faster than previously estimated, setting a new temperature record in 2018 as global warming threatens a diverse range of marine life, scientists have warned. New measurements, aided by an international network of 3,900 floats deployed in the oceans since 2000, showed more warming since 1971 than calculated by the latest UN assessment of climate change in 2013, the researchers said. The findings published on Thursday in the US journal Science, led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, debunk previous reports that suggested a so-called pause in global warming in recent years. "Global warming is here, and has major consequences already. There is no doubt, none!" the authors wrote in a statement. Man-made greenhouse gas emissions are warming the atmosphere, according to the overwhelming majority of climate scientists, and a large part of the heat gets absorbed by the oceans. That in turn is forcing fish to flee to cooler waters. "Ocean heating is a very important indicator of climate change, and we have robust evidence that it is warming more rapidly than we thought," said co-author Zeke Hausfather, a graduate student in the Energy and Resources Group at the University of California, Berkeley. About 93 percent of excess heat - trapped around the Earth by greenhouse gases that come from the burning of fossil fuels - accumulates in the world's oceans. The latest report relied on four studies, published between 2014 and 2017, that gave more precise estimates of past trends in ocean heat, allowing scientists to update past research and hone predictions for the future. A key factor in the more accurate numbers is an ocean monitoring fleet called Argo, which includes nearly 4,000 floating robots that "drift throughout the world's oceans, every few days diving to a depth of 2,000 metres  and measuring the ocean's temperature, pH, salinity and other bits of information as they rise back up", said the report. Argo "has provided consistent and widespread data on ocean heat content since the mid-2000s", it said. The new analysis shows warming in the oceans is on pace with measurements of rising air temperature. And if nothing is done to reduce greenhouse gases, "models predict that the temperature of the top 2,000 metres of the world's oceans will rise 0.78 degrees Celsius by the end of the century", it said. The thermal expansion - water swelling as it warms - would raise sea level 30cm, above any sea level rise from melting glaciers and ice sheets. "While 2018 will be the fourth warmest year on record on the surface, it will most certainly be the warmest year on record in the oceans, as was 2017 and 2016 before that," Hausfather said. "The global warming signal is a lot easier to detect if it is changing in the oceans than on the surface." Lead author Lijing Cheng, of the Institute of Atmospheric Physics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said records for ocean warming had been broken almost yearly since 2000. Overall, temperatures in the ocean down to 2,000 metres rose about 0.1C from 1971-2010, he told Reuters news agency. The 2013 United Nations assessment estimated slower rates of heat uptake but did not give a single comparable number. Almost 200 nations plan to phase out fossil fuels this century under the 2015 Paris climate agreement to limit warming. President Donald Trump, who wants to promote US fossil fuels, plans to pull out of the pact in 2020. A separate study on Monday, by the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service, said 2018 was the fourth warmest year for global surface temperatures in records dating back to the 19th century. Ocean temperatures are less influenced by year-to-year variations in the weather. It can take more than 1,000 years for deep ocean temperatures to adjust to changes at the surface. Among effects, extra warmth can reduce oxygen in the oceans and damages coral reefs that are nurseries for fish, the scientists said. Warmer seas release more moisture that can stoke more powerful storms. Warmer ocean water also raises sea levels by melting ice, including around the edges of Antarctica and Greenland.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/01/oceans-heating-faster-expected-set-record-2018-190111004458769.html

2019-01-11 01:21:55+00:00

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aljazeera--2019-02-07--Back to back storms bring a wintry mix to most parts of US

aljazeera

Back to back storms bring a wintry mix to most parts of US

Two storms have brought a wintry mix of weather to most parts of the United States, with one storm now impacting many of the eastern states and another that is reorganising as it exits the Rocky Mountains. There will be hardly any pause between the two storms. The eastern storm is bringing heavy rain over the Ohio River Valley and is increasing the risk of widespread flooding all the way into the northeast. Temperatures are on the rise in the region, melting snow from the last storm and adding to the rising water. From Kansas to Iowa, about 3.5 million people are under an ice warning. Air temperature is just below freezing at the surface ensuring any falling rain will freeze on contact. Between 1cm and 1.5cm of ice is expected across the region, which will likely make for dangerous driving conditions and also weigh down power lines, possibly causing widespread outages. Three people have already died because of the icy road conditions in the states of Missouri and Kansas and dozens of accidents have been reported across the region. Just behind this system is the next storm that is reorganising in the Southern Plains after crossing the Rockies. The storm initially brought very heavy snow across the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountains as it made its way onshore at the beginning of the week. Snow was also seen in the higher suburbs of San Francisco, a rarity not experienced in eight years. In the Pacific Northwest, ice covered the streets of Seattle, Washington, making travel around the city nearly impossible. Now that the storm has crossed the Rockies, it is strengthening again. Across the southern states, it will be more of a spring-time scenario with strong thunderstorms developing later on Thursday, bringing with them the risk of tornadoes and damaging winds to the Mississippi Valley and lower Ohio River Valley. All the ingredients for dangerous icing will be in place again from Oklahoma to Wisconsin on Thursday. On Friday much of that threat will edge its way into southern Ontario, Quebec and northern New England. On the extreme northern side of the storm, it will be a truly winter scenario, with heavy snow and gusty winds across the Midwest and eastern Great Lakes Region. About 20cm of snow is expected across Minnesota and Wisconsin, while in southeastern Ontario it could be as high as 30cm. Strong, gusting winds could mean that the visibility drops to near white-out conditions making for dangerous driving conditions. Widespread downed tree limbs and power lines are also expected. By Friday evening, the storm is predicted to have moved into the Canadian Maritimes, but severer weather is forecast. By next Wednesday, an identical scenario is expected to develop and affect much of the eastern half of the country.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/02/storms-bring-wintry-mix-190207084521670.html

2019-02-07 11:30:04+00:00

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aljazeera--2019-02-07--Melting ice sheets may soon unleash climate chaos Study

aljazeera

Melting ice sheets may soon unleash 'climate chaos': Study

Billions of tonnes of meltwater flowing into the world's oceans from the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets could boost extreme weather and destabilise regional climate in a matter of decades, researchers said. The melting ice giants, especially the one atop Greenland, are poised to further weaken the ocean currents that move cold water south along the Atlantic Ocean's floor, while pushing tropical waters northward closer to the surface, scientists reported in the journal, Nature. Known as the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), this liquid conveyor belt plays a crucial role in Earth's climate system and helps ensure the relative warmth of the Northern Hemisphere. "According to our models, this meltwater will cause significant disruptions to ocean currents and change levels of warming around the world," said lead author Nicholas Golledge, an associate professor at the Antarctic Research Centre of New Zealand's Victoria University of Wellington. The Antarctic ice sheet's loss of mass, meanwhile, traps warmer water below the surface, eroding glaciers from underneath in a vicious circle of accelerated melting that contributes to sea level rise. Most studies on ice sheets have focused on how quickly they might shrink from climate change and how much global temperatures can rise before their disintegration becomes inevitable, a threshold known as a "tipping point". But far less research has been done on how the meltwater might affect the climate system itself. "The large-scale changes we see in our simulations are conducive to a more chaotic climate with more extreme weather events and more intense and frequent heat waves," said co-author Natalya Gomez, a researcher in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at McGill University in Canada. Researchers concluded that, by mid-century, meltwater from the Greenland ice sheet will noticeably disrupt AMOC, which has already shown signs of slowing down. This is a "much shorter timescale than expected", noted Helene Seroussi, a researcher in the Sea Level and Ice Group at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, who was not involved in the study. The findings were based on highly detailed simulations combined with satellite observations of changes to the ice sheets since 2010. One likely result of the weakened current in the Atlantic will be warmer air temperatures in the high Arctic, eastern Canada and Central America, and cooler temperatures over northwestern Europe. The Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets, up to 3km thick, contain more than two-thirds of the planet's fresh water, enough to raise global oceans 58 and 7 metres, respectively, were they to melt completely. Besides Greenland, the regions most vulnerable to global warming are West Antarctica and several huge glaciers in East Antarctica, which is far larger and more stable. In a second study published Wednesday in Nature, some of the same scientists offered new projections of how much Antarctica will contribute to sea level rise by 2100 - a hotly debated topic. A controversial 2016 study suggested the continent's ice cliffs - exposed by the disintegration of ice shelves that jut out from glaciers over ocean water - were highly vulnerable to collapse, and could lead to sea level rise of a metre by century's end. That would be enough to displace up to 187 million people around the world, especially in populous, low-lying river deltas in Asia and Africa, research has shown. But the new study challenges those findings. "Unstable ice-cliffs were proposed as a cause of unstoppable collapse of large parts of the ice sheet," said lead author Tamsin Edwards, a lecturer in geography at King's College London. "But we've re-analysed the data and found this isn't the case." Both of the new studies, Edwards said "predict a most likely Antarctic contribution of 15 centimetres" by 2100, with an upward limit of about 40cm. A special report on oceans by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), due out in September, will offer a much-anticipated estimate of sea level rise. The IPCC's last major assessment in 2013 did not take ice sheets, today seen as the major contributor, ahead of thermal expansion and glaciers, into account because of a lack of data.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/02/melting-ice-sheets-unleash-climate-chaos-study-190207120922558.html

2019-02-07 14:31:53+00:00

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bbc--2019-01-31--America colonisation cooled Earths climate

bbc

America colonisation ‘cooled Earth's climate’

Colonisation of the Americas at the end of the 15th Century killed so many people, it disturbed Earth's climate. That's the conclusion of scientists from University College London, UK. The team says the disruption that followed European settlement led to a huge swathe of abandoned agricultural land being reclaimed by fast-growing trees and other vegetation. This pulled down enough carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere to eventually chill the planet. It's a cooling period often referred to in the history books as the "Little Ice Age" - a time when winters in Europe would see the Thames in London regularly freeze over. "The Great Dying of the Indigenous Peoples of the Americas led to the abandonment of enough cleared land that the resulting terrestrial carbon uptake had a detectable impact on both atmospheric CO₂ and global surface air temperatures," Alexander Koch and colleagues write in their paper published in Quaternary Science Reviews. The team reviewed all the population data it could find on how many people were living in the Americas prior to first contact with Europeans in 1492. It then assessed how the numbers changed in following decades as the continents were ravaged by introduced disease (smallpox, measles, etc), warfare, slavery and societal collapse. It's the UCL group's estimate that 60 million people were living across the Americas at the end of the 15th Century (about 10% of the world's total population), and that this was reduced to just five or six million within a hundred years. The scientists calculated how much land previously cultivated by indigenous civilisations would have fallen into disuse, and what the impact would be if this ground was then repossessed by forest and savannah. The area is in the order of 56 million hectares, close in size to a modern country like France. This scale of regrowth is figured to have drawn down sufficient CO₂ that the concentration of the gas in the atmosphere eventually fell by 7-10ppm (that is 7-10 molecules of CO₂ in every one million molecules in the air). "To put that in the modern context - we basically burn (fossil fuels) and produce about 3ppm per year. So, we're talking a large amount of carbon that's being sucked out of the atmosphere," explained co-author Prof Mark Maslin. "There is a marked cooling around that time (1500s/1600s) which is called the Little Ice Age, and what's interesting is that we can see natural processes giving a little bit of cooling, but actually to get the full cooling - double the natural processes - you have to have this genocide-generated drop in CO₂." The drop in CO₂ at the time of the Great Dying is evident in the ice core records from Antarctica. Air bubbles trapped in these frozen samples show a fall in their concentration of carbon dioxide. The atomic composition of the gas also suggests strongly that the decline is being driven by land processes somewhere on Earth. In addition, the UCL team says the story fits with the records of charcoal and pollen deposits in the Americas. These show the sort of perturbation expected from a decline in the use of fire to manage land, and a big grow-back of natural vegetation. Ed Hawkins, professor of climate science at Reading University, was not involved in the study. He commented: "Scientists understand that the so-called Little Ice Age was caused by several factors - a drop in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, a series of large volcanic eruptions, changes in land use and a temporary decline in solar activity. "This new study demonstrates that the drop in CO₂ is itself partly due the settlement of the Americas and resulting collapse of the indigenous population, allowing regrowth of natural vegetation. It demonstrates that human activities affected the climate well before the industrial revolution began." Co-author Dr Chris Brierley believes there is. He said the fall-out from the terrible population crash and re-wilding of the Americas illustrated the challenge faced by some global warming solutions. "There is a lot of talk around 'negative emissions' approaches and using tree-planting to take CO₂ out of the atmosphere to mitigate climate change," he told BBC News. "And what we see from this study is the scale of what's required, because the Great Dying resulted in an area the size of France being reforested and that gave us only a few ppm. This is useful; it shows us what reforestation can do. But at the same, that kind of reduction is worth perhaps just two years of fossil fuel emissions at the present rate." The study also has a bearing on discussions about the creation of a new label to describe humanity's time - and impacts - on Earth. This epoch would be called the Anthropocene, and there is currently a lively debate over how it should be recognised in the geological record. Some researchers say it would be most obvious in deposits that record the great acceleration in industrial activity from the 1950s onwards. But the UCL team argues that the Great Dying in the Americas shows there are significant human interactions that left a deep and indelible mark on the planet long before the mid-20th Century. Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-47063973

2019-01-31 06:44:13+00:00

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bbc--2019-07-19--Five ways to heatproof a 120F city

bbc

Five ways to heatproof a 120F city

Much of the US is baking this weekend. As American cities continue getting hotter, the people who live in them have begun efforts to heatproof their homes and neighbourhoods in order to stave off the impending rise in global temperatures, writes Lucy Sherriff. The number of extreme heat days will rocket across the US, according to a new climate change report which predicts hundreds of cities experiencing month-long temperatures above 100F (38C) by 2050. Roughly 80% of Americans live in cities, equating to around 262 million people. Cities are almost always hotter than the surrounding rural areas, thanks to the urban heat island effect. These heat islands are caused by numerous factors, such as trapped waste heat, concrete structures and pavements absorbing the sun and tall buildings blocking the wind. All of these components contribute to air temperatures in cities that can be up to 22F hotter than neighbouring regions with less urban development. A warming planetary climate means temperatures in heat island areas will continue to rise, with desert states such as Texas, Nevada and Arizona particularly affected. In 2017, heat killed 172 people in Maricopa County, according to local health officials. The 9,000 square-mile region - which includes the city of Phoenix and miles of desert - contains 60% of Arizona's population. The region is one of the most heat-vulnerable areas in the US. To combat this, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) environmentalist group launched a programme to engage communities in tree planting in order to provide cooling shade to vulnerable residents. The programme aims to bring equality to the city. Affluent neighbourhoods can finance trees themselves, often have air conditioning units, and are less likely to use public transport. In low-income areas, residents are more likely to work outside, use public transport and generally are more vulnerable to the heat due to their lack of economic resources. "We are creating green corridors around the city," says Maggie Messerschmidt, urban conservation program manager at the TNC. TNC is starting by targeting low-income neighbourhoods where urban heat islands are more prevalent due to these areas having fewer open spaces, more concrete surfaces and less trees. Earlier this year, Austin saw temperatures of 111F, and the city has been working for a number of years to fight the heat. One city ordinance in place requires 50% canopy coverage in all car parks by 2030. Not only that, but 80% of the trees have to be large shade-producing varieties from a designated list of native shade trees, and be planted within 50ft (15m) of parking spaces. The idea behind providing a specific list of trees is to ensure a diversified and sustainable urban forest, as well as preserving native species. In Albuquerque, difference in temperature between rural and city areas can reach almost 10F at night. Climate campaigners have been advocating the use of white-coloured roofs in order to help mitigate the heat, as a traditional dark roof can reach temperatures of up to 150F, and can be up to 50F hotter than white roofs. Donna Griffin, a member of the Sierra Club's New Mexico chapter, changed her flat black roof to white and says the difference has been "amazing". There are several buildings in the city already with white roofs, but Griffin is hoping the tactic will be rolled out across the city to include residential homes, particularly those with low income tenants. Another tactic is implementing "green roofs" - plants and gardens on top of roofs that use vegetation to help trap heat in a process called evapotranspiration. Although this has been championed by local scientists and urban planners, it has yet to make it into city policy. "We don't have a citywide policy on using green roofs," says Kelsey Rader, sustainability officer for the city of Albuquerque, in an interview with BBC News. "But we have adopted adopted a roofing specification for all city government building roof contracts to require reflective roof." Las Vegas is among the fastest warming cities in the US, warming more than 5.76F degrees since 1970. A car-centred city, Vegas is implementing alternative transport options to try to break the cycle between heat and air pollution. Pollutants contribute to temperature rise, but are also made worse by heat which can make air pollutants more toxic and leads to smog. The city has developed new standards for planning to reduce urban sprawl, create more open spaces and increase bicycle routes by 450 miles. Almost all of the city's vehicle fleet run on alternative fuels, and electric charging stations have been installed at a number of garages and community centres for public use. As part of the city's "Master 2050 Plan" - which aims to overhaul planning and zoning - public transportation routes will be extended, renewable energy vehicles prioritised and bike and pedestrian facilities made more accessible. The concrete jungle of LA gets up to 6F hotter than the surrounding desert, with 2019 already setting records for hottest ever days, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. LA Mayor Eric Garcetti aims to cool the city down by 3F by 2035. One of the city's tactics is using a light-coloured material over one street in each of the 15 council districts, in order to test out the impact. The material, known as "cool pavement", reflects rather than absorbs the sun and so remains cooler than typical black roads. However, it is more expensive and doesn't yet meet safety standards for wider, busier streets in the city, hence the demo phase. One "cool street" in Canoga Park measured 70F shortly after being laid, as opposed to 93F found on a nearby intersection road. City officials also hope the cool pavements will help cool the insides of nearby buildings and lessen air pollution.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-49039095

2019-07-19 19:44:40+00:00

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eveningstandard--2019-01-22--At least six dead as bitter cold winds follows snow in eastern United States

eveningstandard

At least six dead as bitter cold winds follows snow in eastern United States

At least six people have died as bitter cold winds and freezing temperatures swept across parts of the United States after heavy snowfall during the weekend. The National Weather Service forecasted wind gusts up to 30mph and wind chills approaching -40C in northern New York state and Vermont. On the north east’s highest mountain, the temperature fell to minus 35C on Monday afternoon, according to Mount Washington Observatory in New Hampshire. It said wind chills were hovering at around minus 62C. In New York state, Coast Guard crews moved quickly to rescue a 21-year-old man who was left stranded on an island in the Navensink River after his small boat broke down. The Coast Guard said crews arrived just over half an hour after the call came in, and two members waded through 1C water to take the man to safety. The air temperature was -14C with 30mph wind. "Cold water and below freezing temperatures can complicate rescues like this and turn a bad situation to worse very fast," said Commander Rich Sansone, search and rescue co-ordinator for Coast Guard Sector New York. The weather contributed to multiple deaths over the long Martin Luther King Jr holiday weekend. In suburban Chicago, the temperature was about -10C on Sunday when a 12-year-old girl died after a snow fort collapsed on her. Police in Arlington Heights, Illinois, said Esther Jung had been playing with another girl outside Rothem Church. Their families began looking for them about an hour later and found them under the snow. The younger girl survived. In Connecticut, a utility company subcontractor died on Sunday after being struck by a falling tree while working on a power line in Middletown. More than 10,000 homes and businesses in the state remained without power on Monday afternoon, down from a high of more than 25,000 outages on Sunday as temperatures dropped below zero in some locations. "This is a reminder of the danger these men and women face on our behalf," Governor Ned Lamont said in a tweet. "While many are still out there working today, please join me in acknowledging them and sending our thoughts to this person's family." In Kansas, a snowplough driver was killed when the plough drove on to the shoulder of a road and rolled over, throwing him under the vehicle. It was not clear why the driver had moved to the shoulder from the roadway. In Wisconsin, the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office said a 59-year-old man and a 91-year-old man collapsed and died on Sunday in separate incidents after removing snow. A man in charge of transportation at a south-western Michigan school district also died while shovelling snow. Officials said Mike Westbrook died on Saturday from a heart attack. While FlightAware reported about 480 cancelled flights on Monday, that was a fraction of the more than 1,600 that were cancelled the previous day. After a few weather-related delays on Sunday, Amtrak restored all scheduled service on Monday. Another storm is already developing over the Rockies that could blanket the same region with more snow by the end of the week. The National Weather Service issued a blizzard warning for parts of Colorado for Monday night, and winter storm warnings for south-east Wyoming, western Nebraska and Utah.

Katy Clifton

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/at-least-six-dead-as-bitter-cold-winds-follows-snow-in-eastern-united-states-a4045186.html

2019-01-22 07:10:00+00:00

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eveningstandard--2019-06-29--Travel misery for Londoners as rail track temperatures rise to 50C

eveningstandard

Travel misery for Londoners as rail track temperatures rise to 50C

Londoners have faced travel misery today as the temperature of rail tracks rose to about 50C, on the hottest day of the year so far. Southern Rail warned customers that because of the “very hot weather” speed restrictions were being implemented on some routes to try and alieviate any disruption. The transport operator said services across the whole network would be disrupted until the end of the day. In a statement, Southern Rail said: “Very hot weather is being experienced today across Southern, Gatwick Express, Thameslink and Great Northern routes. “Air temperatures have reached up to 33 degrees Celsius across the network. This has heated some rails between 45 and 50 degrees. Please be aware that services are busier than normal, especially to and from London and Brighton, and also between Ashford and Hastings. “As a safety precaution, Network Rail has put in place some speed restrictions across the network during the hottest part of the day to try to alleviate any potential issues occurring.” The restrictions were being put on busy routes including London Victoria to Balham and London Bridge to East Croydon. Customers were also advised to carry water, as temperatures in the capital soared to 33C on the hottest day of the year. As the afternoon wore on, the Met Office tweeted: "Both Northolt and Heathrow have reached 34.0 0C today, not only making it the hottest day of the year but one of the warmest June days for the UK in around 40 years"

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/travel-misery-for-londoners-as-rail-track-temperatures-rise-to-50c-a4178716.html

2019-06-29 15:40:00+00:00

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birminghammail--2019-05-30--UK set for HOTTEST temperatures of the year amid 30C heatwave - the weather forecast for Birmingham

birminghammail

UK set for HOTTEST temperatures of the year amid 30C heatwave - the weather forecast for Birmingham

The UK will bask in scorching heat of up to 30C (86F) this weekend. Forecasters are expecting a balmy start to June, with UK temperatures set to be higher than holiday hot spots Barcelona, Ibiza and St Tropez. Summer weather will arrive, but not before a potential frost, according to a Met Office spokesman. In Birmingham, temperatures will hit highs of 23C across the two-day break, and Grahame Madge said there remains uncertainty on the range of temperatures as forecasters wait for the warm air to arrive. He said: "The indication is that we could see highs of 28C (82F), isolated highs of around 28C, on Saturday, and the most likely candidate places for those would be places like Norwich, north London, those sorts of areas away from the coast, but in the south-east corner of the UK. "And on Sunday we could see highs of 29C (84F), even possibly 30C. "So Sunday looks very much as though it's going to be a warmer day than Saturday. So we have got that warmth coming through. "Once this warm front, and the air behind it, starts to pull across the UK then we will see temperatures starting to rise." The Met Office spokesman said conditions have been quite cool and there is a possibility of sleet and even snow showers in the Scottish highlands. Parts of England could see a frost in isolated areas on Tuesday night and the next few days. There will be a "fundamental change" once the warm front, known as tropical maritime air, starts to draw the warmer air across the UK, Mr Madge said. "Tonight, for example, some parts of England could see a frost before this warm front starts to work its way across. "We're expecting its arrival overnight so probably getting into the western parts of Britain by just after midnight. "And then it will work its way across, reaching all parts of the UK by later in the week and the weekend," he said. According to the Met Office website, Barcelona and Ibiza will see highs of 24C (75F) on Sunday, while St Tropez is expected to reach 28C. Bookmaker Coral makes this June 2-1 to be the hottest since records began. In Birmingham, Thursday will be rather cloudy to begin, with fog on some of the hilltops. Turning brighter later with some sunny spells developing into the afternoon. Feeling warm and humid as maximum temperatures hit 20C, with cloudy and very mild weather for most, with some clear spells. Mist and fog is likely on some of the hilltops as minimum temperatures drop to 12C. Friday is set to be rather cloudy to begin, but the skies will begin to clear later, with some sunny spells. Feeling warm and humid as the mercury hits 22C, and Saturday is set to be "very warm with sunny spells". On Sunday, some thundery downpours are likely. Turning cooler and fresher into Monday, but brighter with scattered showers. The Met Office said: "Cooler fresher conditions already in the northwest will spread south-east to most, if not all parts by Monday." "During next week, cooler, changeable conditions are likely across the UK, especially the northwest. "However, periods of wet and sometimes windy weather are likely to affect many areas, with occasional heavy, thundery showers possible anywhere during this period." Temperatures for June will be "near normal or warm overall for the time of year, warmest conditions most likely in the south-east", the Met Office added. It's a bright start for many in central and eastern areas, but cloud and rain will arrive from the west through today. There will be some heavy bursts over western hills, and it will become breezier into the afternoon. Rain continuing for many in the north. In the south it will be a drier picture, with the rain mainly restricted to the western sides of hills. Rather cloudy with outbreaks of rain, heaviest on western hills, where extensive low cloud and hill fog is likely. Drier further east with some bright spells. Increasingly warm and humid and potentially hot in the southeast at the weekend. Rain at times in the north and west. Risk of thunderstorms in England and Wales on Sunday.

James Rodger

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/uk-set-hottest-temperatures-year-16351847

2019-05-30 08:14:33+00:00

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birminghammail--2019-07-21--Birmingham day by day weather forecast this week with temperatures hitting 30C as African plume hits

birminghammail

Birmingham day by day weather forecast this week with temperatures hitting 30C as African plume hits

Temperatures will hit 29C in Birmingham next week as "very hot summer weather" sweeps the city, according to the Met Office. Meteorologists expect the city to sizzle next week - but the warm and humid weather could bring thunderstorms. Tuesday is expected to be the warmest day in Brum, with temperatures due to reach 29C in the Midlands - much higher than the average July maximum of 19.2C. Weather forecaster Derek Brockway said: "Another brief burst of heat is expected next week." He added: "It will be hot and sunny for a while. " He said this is because a plume of hot and humid air over Spain is heading to the city. Weather presenter Liam Dutton said a "one-day burst" of "very hot summer weather" was likely next week. After a grey start, sunny spells will develop on Monday, the Met Office predicts. There will be plenty of blue skies by the afternoon and it will feel very warm, but it will be breezy as the maximum temperature hits 26C. Tuesday will be hot and sunny, but with the risk of thunder later which will last into Wednesday. Warm sunny spells will develop Wednesday, with the risk of thunder Thursday. Mr McGivern added: "The jet stream will start to push to the north of the UK and by the middle of next week it will draw increasingly hot air into much of Britain. "Temperatures in southern parts could reach the low to mid-30s by Wednesday, but there is some uncertainty at this stage about how long the heat will last and what the thundery breakdown, if it occurs, will look like." According to the Met Office forecast, there is "an increased risk of thunderstorms by Wednesday". The hot weather comes after the Met Office rubbished claims of a 'heat dome' that will cast   Britain into a three-month heatwave  . A spokesperson for the Met Office said: "The 'heat dome' isn't a meteorological term, for context it is talking about an area of high pressure - but it is quite an inept way of defining. "The three-month seasonal outlook isn't meant to be for the public, it is used to determine whether it will be dry or cooler and is mostly there to inform construction companies and health services." The spokesperson explained that just because temperatures are expected to be higher than average this summer, this doesn't mean that there's going to be a heatwave. The spokesman added: "It could be warmer than average, but that average may be just half a degree above the usual." Cloud will build tonight, perhaps with patchy rain and drizzle, especially in the north and west. The wind will also strengthen, particularly over higher ground. Minimum temperature 16 °C. After a grey start, sunny spells will develop. There will be plenty of blue skies by the afternoon and it will feel very warm, but it will be breezy. Maximum temperature 26 °C. Tuesday will be hot and sunny, but with the risk of thunder later which will last into Wednesday. Warm sunny spells will develop Wednesday, with the risk of thunder Thursday.

newsdesk@birminghamlive.co.uk (James Rodger)

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/birmingham-day-day-weather-forecast-16623474

2019-07-21 20:03:09+00:00

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eveningstandard--2019-01-18--UK weather forecast Temperatures plunge to -10C overnight but worst of cold weather is to come next

eveningstandard

UK weather forecast: Temperatures plunge to -10C overnight but worst of cold weather is to come next week

Temperatures plunged to almost -11C overnight but the worst of the cold weather is to hit the UK next week. The country was plunged into a deep freeze overnight as temperatures plummeted to -10.7C in Aboyne, Aberdeenshire. The Met Office said “disruptive snow” could hit the country on Monday and Wednesday. Snow and ice weather warnings remained in place on Friday morning, with sleet and snow showers expected in parts of the country. The weather is set to stay cold over the weekend, with rain and sleet in some parts. The Met Office said: “There was not a huge amount of snow, with showers at the start of night across eastern parts of England, turning into ice this morning. “Rain, sleet and hill snow are pushing in on Friday morning, with 2-4cm of snow falling over higher ground above 250 metres in Wales and a little bit possible in western Scotland and south-western England. “Through this afternoon, it pushes eastwards into higher grounds of central and northern England in the Pennines and the Peak District. “A little bit of snow is possible in the south but nothing causing disruption. “It will be cold with rain and sleet through the weekend, but next week is when there’s the potential for disruptive snow, particularly on Monday night into Tuesday and Wednesday night into Thursday.” Public Health England told vulnerable people to get their flu jab after rates increased over the last week. They said GP consultations with flu-like illness, hospital and intensive care admission rates have all increased from 14.8 to 19.2 per 100,000, from 3.54 to 4.75 and from 0.42 to 0.50 per 100,000 respectively.

Megan White

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/uk-weather-forecast-temperatures-plunge-to-11c-overnight-but-worst-of-cold-weather-is-to-come-next-a4042321.html

2019-01-18 07:40:57+00:00

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eveningstandard--2019-02-06--UK weather forecast Brits brace for four days of heavy rain and gales up to 70mph as forecasters wa

eveningstandard

UK weather forecast: Brits brace for four days of heavy rain and gales up to 70mph as forecasters warn of travel disruption, power outages and flooding

Brits are braced for four days of strong winds and heavy rain as gales up to 70mph are set to sweep across the UK. The Met Office has issued three separate severe yellow weather warnings covering much of Britain until Saturday evening. Forecasters have warned of travel disruption, power outages and flooding in parts. Gusty winds and downpours are due to start in southern and central parts of the UK on Wednesday night, Met Office forecaster Richard Miles told the Standard. A warning for wind is in place until 9am on Thursday with gusts of 70mph possible on coasts. Delays to road, rail, air and ferry transport are likely while short term loss of power is possible in parts, according to the Met Office. Following a "brief intermission" of patchy rain and sunny spells on Thursday, further gales are expected by Friday, Mr Miles said. A warning for wind will take effect for great swathes of Britain from midday on Friday until 6pm on Saturday as an area of low pressure tracks across northern Britain. While a warning for heavy rain in Scotland has been issued from 9am on Friday until 3pm on Saturday. Mr Miles said: "We have got some strong winds coming in for most of the south this evening [Wednesday] with some quite heavy rain. "Then after a brief intermission tomorrow with patchy rain and some sunny spells, we are expecting more wind Thursday, Friday and Saturday." The strongest winds on Wednesday will be across the south west and south and west Wales late in the evening, with gusts of 60 to 70mph possible on coasts and 50 to 60mph inland. Elsewhere winds will be strongest after midnight, with gusts of 60mph on coasts and 50mph inland before easing during Thursday morning. On Friday, gales will become widespread by the evening, persisting well into Saturday. And Mr Miles said winds of 60mph might be possible in London. Winds will gradually ease on Saturday, with the strongest winds becoming confined to Scotland on Saturday afternoon. In terms of temperatures, Brits should not expect particularly chilly weather this week. But looking ahead Mr Miles said that the UK could be facing the return of the cold snap after the coming weekend. He said: "Early next week the weather system will pass through and we should expect a few days of colder frostier weather."

Ella Wills

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/uk-weather-forecast-brits-brace-for-four-days-of-heavy-rain-and-gales-up-to-70mph-as-forecasters-a4059376.html

2019-02-06 15:54:39+00:00

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aljazeera--2019-09-17--World Cup 2022 A room with a view at Qatars Al Bayt Stadium

aljazeera

World Cup 2022: A room with a view at Qatar's Al Bayt Stadium

As more stadiums for the football World Cup 2022 in Qatar near completion, details are coming to light about some of the more luxurious elements in the stadiums being built. A video posted on Monday shows one of those details, a luxury hotel room in Al Bayt Stadium in the northern city of Al Khor. The video shows a large hotel suite with a balcony view of the football field below. The stadium, which should be completed in the coming weeks, is modelled after tents used in Qatar's deserts. Its surroundings will include a park and artificial lake, according to artist renders. The capacity of the stadium is about 60,000 people when it is finished. The Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, which is overseeing the organisation of the 2022 World Cup, earlier said the Al Bayt stadium would be completed in December. In total, eight stadiums will be used during the 2022 World Cup. Seven of those are being built from scratch. The eighth one, Khalifa International Stadium, was opened in May 2018 after undergoing renovations and upgrades. Last May, the Al Wakrah Stadium was officially inaugurated. In August, Qatar announced the Ras Abu Aboud stadium in Doha will be the first fully reusable FIFA stadium for the 2022 event. All of its components are recyclable and the container-sized building blocks are arriving in port filled with the materials used to make the stadium. The World Cup will kick off on November 21, becoming the first to take place in the Arab world. The final will be played on December 18 - Qatar's national day - in the Lusail Stadium, which will be able to hold 80,000 football fans.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/09/world-cup-2022-room-view-qatar-al-bayt-stadium-190917163941733.html

2019-09-17 17:25:48+00:00

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bbc--2019-01-09--Tottenham New stadium not ready until at least March confirms Daniel Levy

bbc

Tottenham: New stadium not ready until at least March, confirms Daniel Levy

Tottenham say their new stadium will not be ready to host matches until at least March. Spurs were originally scheduled to move into the new White Hart Lane stadium in September but the project has suffered construction delays. The club took their latest decision after an update from contractors. "I should like to apologise to our fans and thank you for your continued patience," said Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy. The new ground, which will also host NFL games, has a capacity of 62,062 and is located on the site of their old White Hart Lane home. In December, several thousand season ticket-holders were allowed to explore the South Stand during a fan familiarisation event. "The response from those who attended the familiarisation event was great to hear and reinforced our commitment to deliver an exceptional matchday experience for everyone," added Levy. "We shall now seek clarity in respect of building test schedules and test event dates and provide further information on these in the next two to three weeks." Tottenham, who host Manchester United at Wembley on Sunday in the Premier League, said in a statement that top-flight matches against Watford, Newcastle and Leicester would also be held at the national stadium. Additionally, the home leg of their last-16 Champions League tie with Borussia Dortmund and any FA Cup fifth-round fixture, if they reach that stage, will also take place at Wembley. Their next home game after that would be a Premier League game against north London rivals Arsenal on 2 March, but it is considered highly unlikely police or safety advisory groups would want that to be the first game at a new ground. That would mean the game against Crystal Palace on 16 March could be Tottenham's first at their new home. If Tottenham beat Dortmund to reach the last eight of the Champions League, the home leg of that tie would also take place in April. "Uefa will remain in close contact with Tottenham Hotspur to assess the possibility of the club hosting Uefa competition matches in their new stadium this season," said European football's governing body. Meanwhile, Brent Council will decide on 16 January on the request to increase the capacity from 51,000 to 62,000 for Spurs' matches at Wembley.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46807185

2019-01-09 11:57:22+00:00

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bbc--2019-03-18--Rio state takes over running of Brazils iconic Maracana stadium

bbc

Rio state takes over running of Brazil's iconic Maracanã stadium

Rio de Janeiro state says it is taking over the running of Brazil's Maracanã stadium, cancelling the contract of a private consortium. Governor Wilson Witzel said the decision would take effect on 17 April but would not disrupt football matches. Rio's state assembly earlier said it would investigate the contract of the Consorcio Maracanã, saying there were signs of mismanagement and corruption. The consortium said it was "surprised" by the state authorities' decision. Last year, former Rio Governor Sergio Cabral was sentenced to 12 years in prison, accused of manipulating bids and overinflating contracts for the Maracanã. The management of the Maracanã went into private hands in 2013 after a long and expensive refurbishment ahead of the 2014 Fifa World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games. The stadium has sat empty for months at a time after the Olympics. In 2017, looters broke into the stadium, smashing windows and stealing some items. The Maracanã - which also hosted the 1950 World Cup final - has been used by all of Rio's big four teams, Botafogo, Flamengo, Fluminense and Vasco da Gama.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-47619543

2019-03-18 22:34:38+00:00

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bbc--2019-12-07--Fifa forced to change stadium for Club World Cup final

bbc

Fifa forced to change stadium for Club World Cup final

Fifa has been forced to switch the venue for the final of the Club World Cup in Qatar because the stadium where it was scheduled to be held has not been signed off. The Education City Stadium in Doha was due to host Liverpool's semi-final on 18 December, plus the third-place play-off and the final on 21 December. The 40,000-capacity ground is built but yet to hold any test events. Matches will now be held at the city's Khalifa International Stadium. The venue, which has a capacity of 48,000, hosted the World Athletics Championships in September and October, and was already scheduled to host two games in the seven-team competition. Organisers believe the change will lead to minimum disruption. • BBC to show every Club World Cup game live as Liverpool bid for glory

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50697723

Sat, 07 Dec 2019 10:16:58 GMT

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bbc--2019-12-21--Usain Bolt: Tokyo Olympic Stadium opening sees brief return to track

bbc

Usain Bolt: Tokyo Olympic Stadium opening sees brief return to track

Multiple Olympic and World Champion Usain Bolt 'competes' on the track at the opening of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Stadium.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/athletics/50880935

Sat, 21 Dec 2019 19:46:24 GMT

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eveningstandard--2019-01-07--New Tottenham stadium guide Opening date pictures video capacity cost and more

eveningstandard

New Tottenham stadium guide: Opening date, pictures, video, capacity, cost and more

Tottenham will soon move back to N17 and into their new home after ending their 118-year residency at White Hart Lane. Tottenham have announced they will remain at Wembley until at least the end of February, raising the intriguing possibility that north London rivals Arsenal could be the first visitors to their new home. For the time being, Spurs remain in the national stadium but a move back home is edging closer. Here's everything you need to know about Tottenham's new stadium... In November 2007, Tottenham announced plans to expand White Hart Lane to a 52,000-seater capacity with Emirates Stadium mastermind Tony Winterbottom the man in charge. These plans would see Spurs vacate White Hart Lane for two years, with Wembley Stadium or even a ground share with West Ham at Upton Park suggested. However, less than a year later, in October 2008, the initial plans for what would become the new stadium currently being built were announced, as part of The Northumberland Project. Tottenham have always been focused on also improving the area around their new stadium, rather than just build a new home. The Northumberland Project would include a new stadium, originally planned to be 56,250-seater, club shop and museum. Originally 285 flats were planned but that figure was increased to 579, plus a 180-room hotel, and a sixth-form college—first University Technical College of Tottenham and then the London Academy of Excellence Tottenham - and other amenities. The building costs were estimated at £300m in 2007, rising to £400m in 2009 and then £450m. The most recent figures estimate the build has cost Spurs upwards of £850m, possibly reaching £1billion. A key reason behind the rising costs has been blamed on Brexit and subsequent higher costs of importing and the worsening of exchange rates. Planning permission was submitted in 2009 but ground was not broken until 2015. A number of hurdles and stumbling blocks had to be overcome before the go-ahead was approved. Most notably, severe rioting started in the surrounding Tottenham area in 2011. The club, with the approval of Haringey Council,  subsequently agreed to put the costs of community infrastructure payments, an estimated £8.5million, instead towards regeneration. New plans were submitted in 2013 which included a vast overhaul of the design and the inclusion, among other aspects, of a retractable pitch to host NFL games. The capacity was then increased to 61,000 along with the inclusion of England’s largest single-tier stand, more commonly known as a kop, for 17,500 people. The revised plans were approved in February 2016 by the then-Mayor of London, Boris Johnson. The opening date was delayed until the start of the 2018-19 season. Originally proposed at under 58,000, that figure was upped to over 61,559 during the early stages of construction. The final capacity was confirmed as 62,062 in March 2018. At the time of writing, Tottenham’s new stadium will be the second-biggest football club ground in England, behind Manchester United’s Old Trafford which holds 74,994. However, West Ham are in discussions to hold 66,000 people at the London Stadium in the near future. The Hammers were currently capped at 60,000. The stadium was long proposed to open in time for the start of the 2018-19 Premier League season but on August 13, 2018, it was postponed by six weeks due to issues with the “critical safety systems”. A few weeks later the move was again delayed, with all of Tottenham’s Champions League group games moved to Wembley along with their Premier League commitments for another six weeks. Just shy of two months later and Spurs announced that they will continue to host their ‘home’ games at Wembley for the remainder of 2018 with a new update promised before the turn of the year. Speaking in November ahead of their London derby with Chelsea, Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino said the club hope to have moved in by "January or February" only for, a couple of weeks later, Daniel Levy to confirm the home fixture against Manchester United on January 13 will be at Wembley. Daniel Levy met contractors on January 7 looking for an update on a possible move-in date but there remains no confirmed opening for the stadium. A small step forwards came in January as the club invited 200 fans to watch February's Super Bowl at the stadium in another test of the facilities. You can play in the new stadium on FIFA 19, though. Tottenham gave 6,000 fans tours of the South Stand and podium areas during a four-hour event on December 16. It was the first test event involving fans, coming a day after Spurs hosted Burnley at Wembley in the Premier League. The new stadium needs to pass two official test events to get the safety licence required to open, though the fan tours are not understood to count towards that quota. Of the news, Pochettino said: “It makes me feel very, very happy. It makes me feel we are close to compete there. It’s an important thing for the fans to show our new home and it makes me very, very happy.” Adult season ticket prices range from £795 to £2,200. For those under 18, tickets are priced between £397.50 to £562.50. A full breakdown of the prices can be found here. It will certainly be up there. Pochettino recently declared it as such, telling Sport Magazine: “We have amazing facilities at the training ground, we are building a massive stadium—it will be one of the best in the world.” One of the chief engineers working on the project, Nick Cooper, told BBC Sport it will be “the greatest that’s ever been built”. Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy hopes as much, telling supporters in 2015: “It will be our new home for generations to come and we want it to be exceptional.”

ALEX YOUNG

https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/tottenham/new-tottenham-stadium-guide-pictures-video-capacity-cost-opening-date-and-what-we-know-so-far-a4032246.html

2019-01-07 11:38:00+00:00

sport

sport venue

eveningstandard--2019-03-25--Tottenham bank on new fan experience at their glittering 1bn new stadium

eveningstandard

Tottenham bank on new fan experience at their glittering £1bn new stadium

A few minutes' walk from Seven Sisters station, the distant mass of glittering metal and glass comes into view. Even before reaching halfway on the journey up Tottenham High Road, the golden cockerel is clearly visible above the South Stand at Spurs's new stadium. Yesterday, it glowed in the sunshine. While the old White Hart Lane remained obscured from sight until nearly the last moment, the new version, which finally opened its doors on Sunday, dominates the skyline from afar. Up close, it looks like a spaceship has touched down in the heart of Haringey. Decision-makers at Spurs, including the project's visionary, chairman Daniel Levy, prefer to see the stadium as the centre of a ripple effect, which will gradually regenerate the surrounding area, as well as the club. Ultimately, Levy hopes the 62,062-seat stadium will be the first step to transforming the culture of English football. With that in mind, perhaps the most pleasing aspect of yesterday's test event for Levy was not a problem-free 3-1 win for Spurs's Under-18s over Southampton but the scenes after the final whistle. Thousands of the 28,987 supporters present stayed in the stadium, congregating in the South Stand, opposite the Goal Line Bar — at 65m, the longest in Europe. Shortly after full-time, former player Micky Hazard appeared on stage, leading supporters in a number of singalongs, before a DJ set began. Elsewhere, at the other bars — The Shelf, The White Hart and The Dispensary — live bands played throughout the day. Lager, competitively priced at around £4 a pint, flowed into the evening and the variety of food counters, from gourmet burgers to Asian street food, remained busy. The era of pie and chips is over at Spurs. The raucous sound of supporters filling the stadium long after full-time would have been music to Levy's ears. One of Tottenham's biggest aims in designing their new home was to make it a venue for an entire day, not just a match, and in doing so fundamentally change the habits of the average English football fan. "Arrive early and stay longer" advised the club website in a pre-match information pack. If Spurs kick-off at 12.30pm on a Saturday, for example, the club will screen the Premier League's later  kick-off around the stadium and there will be entertainment, including  live music, to keep the masses entertained. Unlike the old White Hart Lane — and most stadiums around the country — supporters are free to move through all public areas of the nine-level ground, giving it the feel an American sports venue or a day out at a Lord's Test match, where staying late and picking from a variety of menus is the norm. While bad news for the local pubs, the club's vision allows the stadium — the cost of which has climbed towards the £1billion mark — to immediately start paying for itself and it is little wonder the board were so determined to relocate from Wembley this season, even if it was just for one match. The club also hope the increased appeal of staying on in the stadium following the final whistle will ease pressure on local transport as supporters leave in dribs and drabs. How many can be persuaded to abandon their traditional watering holes or delay the journey home in the long run remains to be seen and once the novelty of the stadium has worn off most supporters' desire to hang around may be largely determined by results. Yesterday, at least, the jubilation at being back home was overwhelming and many fans were giddy long before the post-match festivities. If the first glimpse of the stadium's exterior is impressive, the view inside is breathtaking. Supporters who missed yesterday's game and cannot make the second test event — a Legends match against Inter Milan on Saturday — should not despair. No Spurs fan will forget walking into the bowl for the first time — and there is something to be said for saving that experience for a competitive match under lights, as it will be against Crystal Palace on April 3, and six days later, when Manchester City are the visitors in the Champions League. Particularly impressive is the 17,500-seat single-tier South Stand, the old Park Lane end, which is already being dubbed 'the White Wall'. It should quickly become iconic. For all the thoughtful nods to the club's heritage, the remarkable attention to detail and the sheer size and gleaming modernity of the place, it was the feel of the stadium that most impressed supporters. "It's new but it does feel like us. They've struck the balance really  well," said one fan afterwards. "It genuinely feels like the Lane," remarked another. Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino, whose son, Maurizio, was a 79th-minute substitute, was lost for words when interviewed on the pitch at half-time. "My feeling is unbelievable," said the Argentine after J'Neil Bennett had grabbed a slice of history with a brilliant first goal. "It's so difficult to explain with only a few words. We all feel the same, so excited. I think I got the same feeling when we left White Hart Lane: we were crying. Now, the first day here at the new stadium, we feel the same emotion: we are going to cry. Our dream became true." Pochettino then thanked Levy for delivering the stadium and such was the wow factor and strength of feeling, the chairman's name was greeted with raucous cheers from all sections around the ground. For supporters, frustration with  Levy during eight months of delays  has immediately turned to appreciation. If they continue to buy into their chairman's vision for the stadium, the feeling will be more than mutual.

Dan Kilpatrick

https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/tottenham/tottenham-bank-on-new-fan-experience-at-their-glittering-1bn-new-stadium-a4100176.html

2019-03-25 12:22:00+00:00

sport

sport venue

eveningstandard--2019-03-29--Manuel Pellegriniaposs aposbig club mentalityapos has helped West Ham fans realise move to Lon

eveningstandard

Manuel Pellegrini's 'big club mentality' has helped West Ham fans realise move to London Stadium was needed

West Ham fans are now realising the benefits of the London Stadium as West Ham look to win four games in a row at their Stratford home for the first time. It has been nearly three years since the Hammers played their final game at Upton Park before making the controversial move to the London Stadium. Trouble blighted their first two seasons in the new home, culminating in the chaos and violence during a 3-0 defeat at home to Burnley last season. Following the appointment of Manuel Pellegrini and a summer of big spending, fans have started to see the club moving in the right direction this season. The Chilean has been working to implement a ‘big club mentality’ in east London, and says the supporters may now have come to the realisation that Upton Park was not sufficient for where West Ham want to go. “Maybe they all realise this team needs a big stadium. The old stadium I know was a beautiful stadium but it was too small for this team,” Pellegrini said. “Just 32,000 people is not enough for West Ham - now we have 60,000 people at every game we play. Maybe they understand, also they are creating the atmosphere we see in every game.” Everton are the next visitors to the London Stadium. A win over Marco Silva’s side at Goodison Park put an end to a four game losing run which began Pellegrini’s tenure at West Ham. Having dramatically come from behind to beat Huddersfield before the international break, the Hammers are now eyeing up a run of four home wins on the bounce. “Most of those games we won at home the atmosphere was very good,” Pellegrini said. “Fans were enjoying the game, they were all involved, supporting the team. Not thinking or talking or acting like what happened last season. “That depends on the performance of the team, that's why it was so important to win those three games in a row, and now it's more important to win the fourth game.”

Jack Rosser

https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/westham/manuel-pellegrinis-big-club-mentality-has-helped-west-ham-fans-realise-move-to-london-stadium-was-a4104871.html

2019-03-29 22:30:17+00:00

sport

sport venue

eveningstandard--2019-04-19--West Ham will enhance London Stadium feeling with new claret pitch surround says Mark Noble

eveningstandard

West Ham will enhance London Stadium feeling with new claret pitch surround, says Mark Noble

West Ham captain Mark Noble believes the new claret pitch surround at the London Stadium will help the players. Following a lengthy dispute with their stadium landlords, West Ham have replaced the green track cover that has been in place since they moved to their new home in 2016. Former manager Slaven Bilic felt the green was detrimental to their performances and said players could not determine where the pitch ended and the carpet began. But the new claret track will be in place for Saturday’s home game against Leicester and Noble said: “On behalf of all the players, I am delighted that the new claret pitch surround will be in place. “London Stadium has certainly begun to feel more and more like home this season now that we are fully established, and this news will only enhance that feeling for both the players and our supporters, that this is the home of West Ham United.” West Ham have suffered three straight defeats but they played well at Manchester United last weekend and were unfortunate to lose 2-1. Noble said: “Sometimes you come away from games and you have lost but you feel like you have achieved a lot more. "That is what it felt like on Saturday because we played so well from start to finish. I thought we controlled the game and looked like a real good team. “We want to get back to winning ways at home, definitely. Leicester are a really good side though, so we need to play like we did on Saturday.”

GIUSEPPE MURO

https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/westham/west-ham-will-enhance-london-stadium-feeling-with-new-claret-pitch-surround-says-mark-noble-a4122061.html

2019-04-19 08:19:00+00:00

sport

sport venue

eveningstandard--2019-06-28--MLB London Series West Ham stadium transformation highlights commitment to baseball expansion in En

eveningstandard

MLB London Series: West Ham stadium transformation highlights commitment to baseball expansion in England

As far as makeovers go, this is a big one. On Thursday morning, journalists and broadcasters were given the first glimpse of the incredible transformation undergone at West Ham's London Stadium as three weeks of work to turn the football pitch into a Major League Baseball (MLB) ballpark finally came to an end. And just in time for MLB's first-ever regular-season game in Europe, which will be contested between current World Series champions Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees in the heart of east London. The old rivals will contest a two-game series on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 June as the MLB follows in the footsteps of NFL and begins the process of garnering interest in an American sport on these shores. And no stone has been left unturned in that aim, either. Indeed, after being shown the new MLB-approved pitch close-up on Thursday, reporters were given a taster - literally - of the food that will be served during the two-game series this weekend, including a two foot-long hot dog, otherwise known as the Boomstick. Designed by private hospitality company Delaware North to originally feed a family of four, this supersized hot dog has become so popular that it has become the subject of an eating contest - which was recently won by a fan who consumed it within just three minutes. The company anticipates that 3,000 Boomsticks will be eaten at London Stadium this weekend along with 1 tonne of peanuts, 25,000 hot dogs and sausages, 4,000 popcorn cups and 2,000 tonnes of Nacho cheese sauce. Such was Delaware North's aim of ensuring an authentic American experience in London that they even trained up more than 150 vendors to successfully "hawk" a variety of concession items to seated fans while the game is on. And this will, no doubt, play a part in MLB's wider aim of ensuring fans who attend this weekend are left hungry for next year's regular-season game between the Chicago Cubs and St Louis Cardinals. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred told Standard Sport back in May that he was "interested in a long-term relationship in London", saying: "London was a target for us regardless of either [American] football or basketball. "We’re really excited about it. We’ve been looking for the right opportunity to come somewhere in Europe. We think that London is the perfect place and we’re excited about bringing over one of the great rivalries." That could even mean a London-based franchise in the long term should this weekend and next year's games prove a hit. It's an idea that doesn't surprise baseball megastar Alex Rodriguez who told Standard Sport: "London is central to the growth of the game. "It’s here for decades. We’ve started with the biggest and best, in the Yankees and the Red Sox. We’re in one of the greatest cities in the world, with the two greatest franchises." Indeed, American baseball supporters are believed to have flown to London especially for this weekend's clash between Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, which demonstrates the sheer level of interest in the two-game series both here and abroad. And if the incredible transformation of the London Stadium over the past few weeks shows anything, it is that the MLB are committed to bringing an authentic baseball experience to the capital for at least two years and, if all goes smoothly, no doubt the long term too.

Vaishali Bhardwaj

https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/other-sports/mlb-london-series-west-ham-stadium-transformation-baseball-expansion-england-a4177521.html

2019-06-28 06:10:36+00:00

sport

sport venue

abcnews--2019-10-18--California unemployment rate falls to record low of 4%

abcnews

California unemployment rate falls to record low of 4%

California's economy kept humming in September, dropping the unemployment rate to a record low 4% statewide and under 2% in San Francisco and some of its neighboring counties, a level that economists once thought impossible. "That is almost unthinkable," said Sung Won Sohn, professor of economics at Loyola Marymount University. "It flies in the face of economic theory." However, the explosive job growth has done little to close the gap in wages, making California — and San Francisco in particular — one of the most unequal places in the country as high-wage earners push up prices for everyone else. From 1980 to 2015, the top earners in San Francisco saw their wages jump 120% while the lowest earners saw their wages increase just 20%, according to an analysis published last week by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Corey Cantu makes $16 an hour tending an artisanal cookie kiosk in downtown San Francisco and pays $850 a month for a bedroom "the size of a closet" in a condominium he shares with four others in the city. "I see a lot of people in designer clothing and can tell (the economy) is booming for them but it's not booming for me," Cantu said. "It feels like we're disposable as employees working (for) minimum wage." Across California, unemployment fell to 4% last month, the lowest on record under a methodology the state has been using since 1976. California's economic growth is now in its 115th consecutive month, breaking the previous record of 113 months set in the 1960s. The job growth is not limited to the diverse and complex economies of Silicon Valley. Fresno and Kern counties, located in the heart of California's agricultural region in the Central Valley, have historically had double-digit unemployment rates for most of the past 40 years. In September, Fresno's unemployment rate was 5.3% while Kern's was 6%. Meanwhile, homeless populations in California continue to grow in the strong economy. Over the past two years, homeless populations have jumped 17% in San Francisco. Last month, Los Angeles County reported a 12% year-to-year increase in its homeless population. "Why are there so many homeless people if this economy is booming? That's crazy!" said Ernest Lew, an estate planning attorney, when told about the report. Lew said he is doing well because a lot of his clients work at Google, Facebook and other tech companies. "This economy is booming for some people, but a lot more people are hurting," Lew said as he walked is dog in the financial district. While the economy is booming, trouble could be looming. The United States' ongoing trade war with China has slowed shipping activities in the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Plus, the inland communities of Riverside, San Bernardino and Ontario — which include warehouses and trucking companies — have lost jobs since their peak of December 2018, according to an analysis by Sohn at Loyola Marymount University. "At some point it's very simple: If you don't have bodies, you can't grow," Sohn said.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/california-unemployment-rate-falls-record-low-66371698

Fri, 18 Oct 2019 19:52:06 -0400

labour

unemployment

bonginoreport--2019-12-21--Georgia’s Unemployment Reaches Lowest Level Since Records Kept

bonginoreport

Georgia’s Unemployment Reaches Lowest Level Since Records Kept

ATLANTA, GA - Georgia's unemployment rate fell to 3.3 percent in November - the lowest in decades since record keeping began in 1976. The state also set a jobs record last month – 4.64 million jobs – while the number of employed Georgians also hit an all-time high of 4.96 million. "I can't recall us ever having a better month," Georgia Commissioner of Labor Mark Butler told Capital Beat News Service. "It's nice to see this at the end of the year. I think we are going to continue to see Georgia move in the right direction." Gov. Brian Kemp said the strong numbers are a sign the conservative agenda he and his Republican allies in the General Assembly have embraced is working. "To keep Georgia the best place to live, work and raise a family, we must support our small businesses, recruit projects of regional significance to our rural communities and dismantle criminal street gangs so our families are safe from harm," he told the Capital Beat News Service. Georgia added 6,500 jobs last month, up 69,000 from the same month last year. The most jobs were added in three areas - trade, transportation, utilities - with 3,200 jobs. Education and health services came close with was close with 3,100 jobs. The construction sector added 2,300 jobs. "We have seen the labor force start growing again, but it's still not where I want it to be," Butler told the Capital News Service. "We need more individuals in the workforce to take all the jobs we have open." Georgia's unemployment rate last month was slightly below the nation's, which fell 0.1 percent to 3.5 percent.

Matt Palumbo

https://patch.com/georgia/savannah/s/gyd1y/georgias-unemployment-rate-falls-all-time-low

Sat, 21 Dec 2019 01:32:51 +0000

labour

unemployment

breitbart--2019-09-06--Black Unemployment Hits Record Low Black-White Unemployment Gap Shrinks to Smallest Ever

breitbart

Black Unemployment Hits Record Low, Black-White Unemployment Gap Shrinks to Smallest Ever

One result: the persistent gap between white and black unemployment also narrowed to its smallest on record. The unemployment ratio has averaged around 2 to 1 or so for decades, meaning the black unemployment rate is typically twice the white unemployment rate.  In good times, the unemployment rate of whites and blacks falls but the gap remains. And in bad times, the unemployment rate for whites and black rises, but black unemployment typically remains around twice that of white employment. A year ago, the black unemployment rate stood at 6.6 percent while the white unemployment rate was 3.4 percent, meaning black unemployment was 185 percent of white unemployment. In August, the gap narrowed so that black unemployment was under 162 percent of white unemployment. That is the smallest gap ever in records going back to January 1972. This is particularly remarkable because it comes at a time of remarkably low unemployment. Prior to the Trump era, the last time the gap fell below 170 percent was in August of 2009, when the black unemployment rate was 14.8 percent and the white unemployment rate was 8.9 percent. Back then the gap declined because white unemployment was increasing at a faster clip than the already sky-high black unemployment. In other words, the decline in employment inequality now is undeniably the best on record because it comes in the context of falling unemployment.

John Carney

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/breitbart/~3/k9AAH0z2mFE/

2019-09-06 14:40:43+00:00

labour

unemployment

breitbart--2019-09-06--The US Economy Created 130000 Jobs in August Wage Growth Accelerated Unemployment 37

breitbart

The U.S. Economy Created 130,000 Jobs in August, Wage Growth Accelerated, Unemployment 3.7%

Economists had expected the economy to between 150,000 and 180,000 with the median consensus at 163,000, according to Econoday. Unemployment was expected to remain unchanged. Last month’s jobs figure was originally reported at 164,000, now revised down to 159,000, and unemployment was 3.7 percent. Although the headline number was weaker than expected, wage growth was strong in August. Average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls rose by 11 cents to $28.11, or 0.4 percent, following 9-cent gains in both June and July. Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings have increased by 3.2 percent. In August, average hourly earnings of private-sector production and nonsupervisory employees rose by 11 cents to $23.59. Unemployment among African Americans fell to 5.5 percent, the lowest level on record. The labor force participation rate edged up to 63.2 percent in August, indicating that the strong labor market has continued to draw Americans into the workforce. The largest job gains came from professional and business services, which added 37,000.  Census hiring boosted the federal government’s hiring to 28,000 workers. Health care added 24,000 to the total while financial services increased by 15,000. There were little to no gains in August for construction, manufacturing, transportation and warehousing, and leisure and hospitality. Holding the line on manufacturing jobs is a sign of strength given signs that manufacturing activity fell this summer. The retail sector shed 11,ooo jobs, with department stores losing 15,000 jobs (partially offset by gains in other retail venues). Over the year, so-called “general merchandise” retails jobs have fallen by 80,000. While the economy continued to grow in the second and third quarter, it has slowed from the rapid 3.1 percent rate of growth in the first three months of the year. Manufacturing appears to have contracted and business investment has been weak, with surveys indicating that uncertainty around trade policy and global economic weakness have become a drag on the U.S. Consumer spending and the labor market have been strong. Data released Thursday showed worker compensation rising strongly and well-above inflation. Rising labor costs can promote capital investment by businesses seeking to make workers more productive. With unemployment near 50-year lows, job growth has slowed and many businesses say they are having trouble hiring. Employment growth has averaged 158,000 per month thus far this year, compared with an average monthly gain of 223,000 in 2018.

John Carney

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/breitbart/~3/dcuZ7OofPWg/

2019-09-06 12:31:25+00:00

labour

unemployment

breitbart--2019-11-01--Italian Unemployment Rises to Nearly 10 Per Cent Under Leftist Coalition

breitbart

Italian Unemployment Rises to Nearly 10 Per Cent Under Leftist Coalition

The Italian unemployment rate is on the rise according to new statistics that put the rate up to 9.9 per cent under the leftist coalition of the Five Star Movement (M5S) and the Democratic Party (PD). The Italian National Institute of Statistics has reported that the unemployment rate grew by 0.3 per cent in September and that youth unemployment, those aged 15 top 24, is now at a staggering 28.7 per cent, Italian newspaper Il Giornale reports. “After the employment growth recorded in the first half of the year and the peak reached in June, starting from July the employment levels are in slight but constant decline, with the loss of 60,000 employed between July and September,” the report states. The vast majority of employment growth took place under the previous coalition government of the Five Star Movement with Matteo Salvini’s League (Lega) which ended in mid-August when Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte resigned as Prime Minister. Italy has one of the highest unemployment rates in the European Union, behind only Spain and Greece according to Eurostat figures released in early October. Italy has also seen a “brain drain” of medical professionals in recent years as over 10,000 doctors and around 8,000 nurses have travelled overseas, further impacting the Italian economy as a whole. During the previous coalition, Mr Salvini attempted to pass a flat tax in order to boost the economy and reduce unemployment but was unable to secure the legislation before the fall of the government in August. Italy is not the only country in the EU to see a rise in unemployment numbers, with Sweden having also seen increases in unemployment and migrants having a far higher rate than native-born Swedes. The Scandinavian country now rivals countries like France and Italy in terms of joblessness. Even Germany, the economic powerhouse of Europe, saw a rise in jobless numbers in July, with the German Federal Employment Agency noting a five per cent unemployment rate as some fear that Germany may have already entered a recession in September.

Chris Tomlinson

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/breitbart/~3/jbCylT5mb_k/

Fri, 01 Nov 2019 12:49:38 +0000

labour

unemployment

channel4uk--2019-04-16--UK unemployment at its lowest since 1974

channel4uk

UK unemployment at its lowest since 1974

New figures show unemployment is at its lowest since 1974, with more people either in work or looking for work. Ministers say it’s a sign of the “underlying resilience” of the British economy. And wage growth is rising too.

Helia Ebrahimi

https://www.channel4.com/news/uk-unemployment-at-its-lowest-since-1974

2019-04-16 19:06:09+00:00

labour

unemployment

chicagosuntimes--2019-02-14--US unemployment claims rise by 4000 to 239000

chicagosuntimes

US unemployment claims rise by 4,000 to 239,000

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose last week but remains at levels low enough to show that most workers enjoy job security. The Labor Department says claims for unemployment checks increased by 4,000 to 239,000. The four-week average, which does not bounce around as much, rose 6,750 to 231,750. That’s highest level since late January 2018. Jobless claims are a proxy for layoffs. They are at low levels consistent with a healthy job market. Employers last month added 304,000 jobs, the most in nearly a year. Unemployment is at 4 percent, near what economists consider full employment. The economy has stayed strong despite a 35-day partial shutdown of the federal government, higher interest rates, and trade disputes with China and other U.S. trading partners.

Paul Wiseman | Associated Press

https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/us-unemployment-claims-rise-by-4000-to-239000/

2019-02-14 14:48:32+00:00

labour

unemployment

cnsnews--2019-01-04--Hispanic Unemployment Rate Hits Record Low in December

cnsnews

Hispanic Unemployment Rate Hits Record Low in December

The national seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for Hispanics and Latinos in the U.S. labor force hit its lowest level on record in December of 2018, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data released Friday show. In December, the unemployment rate for Hispanics and Latinos, aged 16 and up, was 4.4%, down from 4.5% in November - tying its record low of 4.4% set in October of this year. BLS began tracking Hispanic-Latino employment data in 1973. The number of Hispanics employed, participating in the workplace, and civilian population all rose in December, as Hispanics' labor force participation rate increased from 66.8% to 67.0%, recording its fourth straight monthly increase. · Unemployment rate: 4.4%, down from 4.5% in November · Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population (16+ years old): 43,234,000 up from 43,146,000 in November · Number Participating in Labor Force: 29,963,000, up from 28,820,000 in November · Number Employed: 27,701,000, up from 27,524,000 in November · Number Unemployed: 1,261,000, down from 1,296,000 in November

Craig Bannister

https://www.cnsnews.com/blog/craig-bannister/hispanic-unemployment-rate-hits-record-low-december

2019-01-04 13:43:09+00:00

labour

unemployment

crikey--2019-08-02--For some in Australia unemployment is worse now than during the Great Depression

crikey

For some in Australia, unemployment is worse now than during the Great Depression

Can we really say Australia has "good" unemployment rate when 21% of Indigenous Australians can't find jobs? In 1932, at the peak of the Great Depression, Australia’s unemployment rate hit 20%. Today, that’s about the unemployment rate in Fairfield, where around one in five people who want a job can’t find one. When we hear about unemployment, the picture too often focuses on the national rate, currently 5.2%. This hasn’t changed much over recent years, so it’s easy to miss the fact that other countries are doing much better. When she visited Australia, Jacinda Ardern was polite enough not to mention that New Zealand’s country’s unemployment rate is around 4%. That’s also the rate in Britain and the United States. Countries that underperformed Australia during the Global Financial Crisis are now outperforming us -- and by a significant margin.

Andrew Leigh

https://www.crikey.com.au/2019/08/02/unemployment-rate-poor-indigenous-disabled-australians/

2019-08-02 01:18:49+00:00

labour

unemployment

jerusalempost--2019-11-25--Israel’s unemployment rate at 3.4%

jerusalempost

Israel’s unemployment rate at 3.4%

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By JERUSALEM POST STAFF

https://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Israels-unemployment-rate-at-34-percent-608961

Mon, 25 Nov 2019 11:50:00 GMT

labour

unemployment

abcnews--2019-10-16--Workers celebrate deal with GM, show union power in industry

abcnews

Workers celebrate deal with GM, show union power in industry

On the picket lines at a General Motors transmission plant in Toledo, Ohio, passing cars honked and striking workers celebrated a tentative contract deal by munching on 10 pizzas dropped off by a supporter. They had carried signs for 31 days and demonstrated the muscle the United Auto Workers union still has over Detroit's three manufacturers. Details of the four-year pact weren't released, but GM's latest offer to end the monthlong strike included wage increases and lump-sum payments, top-notch health insurance at little cost to workers, promises of new products for many U.S. factories and a path to full-time work for temporary workers. That's a big difference from what GM wanted going into the talks: to slash total labor costs at its factories, which are about $13 per hour higher than at foreign automakers in the U.S. Terry Dittes, the UAW's chief bargainer with GM, said the deal offers "major gains" for 49,000 union workers who have been walking picket lines since Sept. 16. They'll stay off work for at least a couple more days while union committees decide if they will bless the deal. Then workers will have to vote on it. The deal shows that the union, with less than one-third of the 1.5 million members it had at its peak in 1979, still has a lot of clout with GM, Ford and Fiat Chrysler. "I think economically the UAW will do just fine in this agreement," said Art Schwartz, a former GM negotiator who now is a labor consultant in Michigan. "The union certainly still has power in this industry." President Donald Trump called UAW President Gary Jones on Wednesday night, but union spokesman Brian Rothenberg said he did not know what the men discussed. The strike immediately brought GM's U.S. factories to a halt, and within a week, started to hamper production in Mexico and Canada. Analysts at KeyBanc investment services estimated the stoppage cut GM vehicle production by 250,000 to 300,000 vehicles. That's too much for the company to make up with overtime or increased assembly line speeds. Analysts say the costs to GM will hit around $2 billion. Workers, on the other hand, lost north of $3,000 each on average, the difference between their base wages and $250 per week in strike pay from the union. "It's nice to see there's a deal, but without knowing the details I'm a little skeptical because we don't know the highlights or the lowlights," said worker Nick Kuhlman, who was among the strikers huddled around a burn barrel on a blustery, gray Toledo afternoon. "I just hope it gets done," said Toledo worker Mark Nichols, who thought the strike would last only a week or two and was ready to get back to work because his savings are running low. GM apparently was able to close three of four factories that it wanted to shutter to get rid of excess capacity in slow-selling cars and components. The Detroit-Hamtramck plant will get a new electric pickup truck and stay open, but factories in Lordstown, Ohio; Warren, Michigan; and near Baltimore are to be closed. The Lordstown area will get an electric vehicle battery factory, but it won't have nearly as many workers as the assembly plant that for years made compact GM cars. The deal now will be used as a template for talks with GM's crosstown rivals, Ford and Fiat Chrysler. Normally the major provisions carry over to the other two companies and cover about 140,000 auto workers nationwide. It wasn't clear which company the union would bargain with next, or whether there would be another strike. Schwartz said depending on the contents, the GM contract could influence wages and benefits in other industries. But he said foreign automakers with U.S. factories, mainly in the South, will give modest pay raises regardless of the GM contract, and shouldn't be affected much. Clarence Trinity, a worker at GM's engine and transmission plant in the Detroit suburb of Romulus, Michigan, said the deal sounds good, "but I have to see it in writing or hear from the leaders." Trinity said he can't figure out why it took 31 days for the strike to end. "I don't understand what General Motors was expecting to get out of us. Maybe they didn't expect us to strike. Maybe they didn't expect us to strike this long." If all of the committees bless the deal, it's likely to take several days for GM to get its factories restarted. Matt Himes, a worker at the GM plant in Spring Hill, Tennessee, heard news of the deal in Ohio, where he's trying to help his wife sell their house after the Lordstown GM plant where he used to work was shuttered. He hopes good news keeps coming. If they can sell their house, his wife can finally move south with him. "I'm proud that we stuck our ground and everybody stuck together," Himes said of the union workers during a phone interview. "And I'm relieved that hopefully it worked out, got us a good contract and we can move on and get back to work making cars like we should be." Wall Street investors liked news that the strike could end. GM shares jumped 2.6% just after the news broke, but eased back to close up 1% at $36.65. GM and the union have been negotiating at a time of troubling uncertainty for the U.S. auto industry. Driven up by the longest economic expansion in American history, auto sales appear to have peaked and are now heading in the other direction. GM and other carmakers are also struggling to make the transition to electric and autonomous vehicles. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump's trade war with China and his tariffs on imported steel and aluminum have raised costs for auto companies. A revamped North American free trade deal is stalled in Congress, raising doubts about the future of America's trade in autos and auto parts with Canada and Mexico, which last year came to $257 billion. Amid that uncertainty, GM workers have wanted to lock in as much as they can before things get ugly. They argue that they had given up pay raises and made other concessions to keep GM afloat during its 2009 trip through bankruptcy protection. Now that GM has been nursed back to health — earning $2.42 billion in its latest quarter — they wanted a bigger share. The union's bargainers have voted to recommend the deal to the UAW International Executive Board, which will vote on the agreement. Union leaders from factories nationwide will travel to Detroit for a vote on Thursday. The earliest workers could return would be after that. In past years, it's taken a minimum of three or four days and as long as several weeks for the national ratification vote. This time around — with a federal corruption investigation that has implicated the past two UAW presidents and brought convictions of five union officials — many union members don't trust the leadership. But they're also tired of striking and may return before they vote on the deal themselves. The strike had shut down 33 GM manufacturing plants in nine states across the U.S., and also took down factories in Canada and Mexico. It was the first national strike by the union since a two-day walkout in 2007, and the longest since a 54-day strike in Flint, Michigan, in 1998 that also halted most of GM's production. Associated Press writers Mike Householder in Detroit, John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, and Jonathan Mattise in Nashville, Tennessee, contributed to this report.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/gm-union-reach-tentative-deal-end-strike-66319917

Wed, 16 Oct 2019 23:18:51 -0400

labour

unions

abcnews--2019-10-31--Ford, auto workers union reach tentative contract agreement

abcnews

Ford, auto workers union reach tentative contract agreement

The United Auto Workers union has reached a tentative contract agreement with Ford after three days of intense bargaining. The union said the deal was reached Wednesday night but didn't give details. The deal still has to be approved by committees of national union leaders and local officials who will meet in Detroit Friday. Then it will be sent to Ford's 55,000 union workers for a ratification vote. The tentative agreement "preserves job security and rewards UAW Ford members for their quality work," Union President Gary Jones said. The agreement likely will mirror the pact approved last week by General Motors workers after a 40-day strike. The GM contract has a mix of pay raises and lump-sum checks, a quicker path to full wages for new hires and assurances that temporary workers can become full-time. It also includes $7.7 billion in investments at U.S. factories. UAW Vice President Rory Gamble, the chief negotiator with Ford, said bargainers were talking during the GM strike. The union's "pattern bargaining strategy" won unspecified salary and benefits gains with Ford and secured over $6 billion in product investments in American facilities, Gamble said in a statement. The investments will create or keep over 8,500 jobs, but no precise number of new jobs was given. Ford confirmed that the agreement had been reached on a new four-year contract but said details would be provided later. On Friday, the day GM workers approved their contract, the UAW picked Ford as its second company to bargain with. While talks began in earnest Monday, bargaining had been going on since last summer. If Ford workers approve the contract, bargaining will then focus on Fiat Chrysler, which may not be as open to granting the terms of the GM contract. The GM deal also includes an $11,000 signing bonus and scraps a cap on annual profit sharing based on the company's North American pretax income. But GM got the ability to close three U.S. factories including a large assembly plant in Lordstown, Ohio. GM did agree to build an electric vehicle battery cell factory in the Lordstown area, but it won't employ anywhere near the 4,500 who worked in Lordstown just two years ago. Also, the battery plant will be run by a joint venture that won't pay as much as the $30 per hour now made by assembly plant workers. Analysts have said Ford may be less likely to agree to a signing bonus as large as GM's, and it may want to trim some engine and transmission factory capacity. The company may also have been reluctant to agree to paying new hires full wages within four years as GM did. Ford has about 18,500 workers hired after 2007 who would get big pay raises, compared with GM's 17,000. The GM deal would be expensive for Fiat Chrysler because it has over 20,000 union employees hired after 2007. The GM deal also didn't change the top-notch health insurance that the company provides for workers. Union workers pay only about 3% of their health care costs compared to around 30% for most U.S. employees. Going into the talks, Ford had wanted to trim health care and other labor costs so they were closer to costs at U.S. factories run by foreign automakers. Ford's total labor costs including benefits are $61 per hour, compared with the average foreign automaker plant's costs of about $50 per hour, according to the Center for Automotive Research, an industry think tank.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/ford-auto-workers-union-reach-tentative-contract-agreement-66651949

Thu, 31 Oct 2019 00:50:27 -0400

labour

unions

breitbart--2019-12-22--Labor Unions Come Out Strong to Support Trump Trade Deal: 'Huge Win for Working People in America'

breitbart

Labor Unions Come Out Strong to Support Trump Trade Deal: 'Huge Win for Working People in America'

The nation’s most prominent labor unions are coming out strong to support President Trump’s United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) trade deal that will replace the job-killing North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Last week, the lawmakers in the House passed the latest version of USMCA, garnering major support from labor union leaders such as the AFL-CIO’s Richard Trumka and the United Steelworkers. “Because of our patience and perseverance, the USMCA now includes strong labor rights and a viable mechanism to enforce them,” Trumka wrote in an op-ed for CNN, praising the trade deal. “We also secured a separate enforcement mechanism that allows for inspections of factories and facilities that don’t live up to their obligations. This was an important priority for the labor movement because it ensures that working people in all three countries have greater protections under this new agreement.” Trumka wrote that the deal “isn’t perfect,” but that it is “a far cry from the original NAFTA, and that is a huge win for working people in North America.” United Steelworkers President Thomas Conway said in a statement that USMCA is “certainly better than NAFTA,” with its provisions demanding Mexico change its labor laws so that American workers are not forced to compete against vastly low-wage Mexican nationals: The revised deal is better than the original USMCA and certainly better than NAFTA. It should be adopted. The leaders of all three countries must diligently enforce the provisions, however, and we intend to hold them accountable to ensure that workers, the environment and consumers are protected. [Emphasis added] Outsourcing won’t end as companies continue to search the globe for places where they can profit off of the hard work of others, spoil the environment to improve their balance sheets and raise prices for basic needs. The fight for fair trade won’t end with this agreement, but it’s an agreement worth passing. [Emphasis added] The left-wing Public Citizen organization, which tracks globalization’s impact on American workers, even released a statement noting that trade deals such as USMCA are where trade negotiations should start rather than deals such as former President Obama’s failed Trans Pacific-Partnership (TPP). “The unusually large, bipartisan vote on the revised [USMCA] shows that to be politically viable, U.S. trade pacts no longer can include extreme corporate investor privileges or broad monopoly protections for Big Pharma and must have enforceable labor and environmental standards, in contrast to the 2016 Trans-Pacific Partnership, which never got close to majority House support,” Public Citizen’s Lori Wallach said. As Breitbart News has chronicled, decades-long free trade deals, NAFTA, and China’s entering the World Trade Organization (WTO) eliminated about five million American manufacturing jobs and 50,000 U.S. manufacturing plants since 1994. American manufacturing is vital to the U.S. economy, as every one manufacturing job supports an additional 7.4 American jobs in other industries. Free trade advocates, such former Vice President Joe Biden, claimed at the time that NAFTA would create a million U.S. manufacturing jobs in the first five years. Instead, nearly a million American jobs have been certified by the federal government as being lost directly due to NAFTA, according to data gathered by Public Citizen. These are only the U.S. jobs that the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program recognizes as being lost to free trade and does not indicate the actual number of jobs lost. John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter at @JxhnBinder.

John Binder

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/breitbart/~3/DS4KYf-Ppcs/

Sun, 22 Dec 2019 23:41:18 +0000

labour

unions

abcnews--2019-12-12--US labor board rules for McDonald's in unionization case

abcnews

US labor board rules for McDonald's in unionization case

The National Labor Relations Board has ruled in McDonald's favor in a long-running case filed by 20 workers who were fired or faced retaliation for trying to unionize. The board said Thursday that it favors a settlement that will require McDonald's franchisees to pay $171,636 to the affected workers. The franchisees must also notify current and recently departed employees about the settlement and set up a $250,000 fund to handle future claims. The workers were seeking a ruling that would consider McDonald's a “joint employer” with its franchisees. That would have increased the company's liability and potentially made it easier for McDonald's 850,000 U.S. workers — and workers at other franchised restaurants — to unionize. But Chicago-based McDonald's insists it doesn't directly employ the workers. Around 95% of its 14,000 U.S. restaurants are owned by franchisees. An administrative law judge with the labor board rejected the proposed settlement in July 2018, saying it was unlikely to end the dispute and didn't require McDonald's to enforce the settlement. Judge Lauren Esposito also noted that even though McDonald's said it didn't employ the workers, evidence showed that it coordinated the fight against unionization efforts. McDonald's appealed to the full board and a three-member panel agreed with the company. The case will now return to Esposito, who has been directed by the board to approve the settlement. Fight for $15, a group that is trying to unionize U.S. fast food workers, said Thursday it will appeal the board's decision to a federal appeals court. “The settlement is not valid. McDonald’s is walking away with a get-out-of-jail-free card after illegally retaliating against low-paid workers who were fighting to be paid enough to feed their families," Fight for $15 said. The group noted that one of the three board members who participated in the decision, William Emanuel, is a Trump administration appointee whose former law firm represented McDonald's in labor disputes. McDonald's said it is pleased the settlement was approved. “Current and former franchisee employees involved in the proceedings can now receive long overdue satisfaction of their claims," the company said. The case dates to 2012, when McDonald’s workers in multiple cities filed complaints with the labor board. Three workers alleged that McDonald’s franchisees fired them for their unionizing efforts. Seventeen others said they were suspended or had their work hours reduced. In 2014, under the Obama administration, the cases were consolidated and the labor board’s general counsel determined that McDonald’s could be considered a joint employer if it wasn’t able to reach a settlement with the workers. But in 2017, President Donald Trump selected a new general counsel who delayed the court proceedings to work out a settlement with McDonald’s.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/us-labor-board-rules-mcdonalds-unionization-case-67700485

Thu, 12 Dec 2019 18:29:16 -0500

labour

unions

businessinsider--2019-09-10--Americans have a very favorable view of almost all labor unions

businessinsider

Americans have a very favorable view of almost all labor unions

Union representation in the US has been dwindling for decades, but according to a new Insider poll, Americans are still largely in favor of them. Insider found that Americans support nearly every kind of labor union, from trade worker unions to artist guilds, more than they dislike them. The poll — which included responses from 1,165 adults surveyed nationwide — presented participants with two identical lists of 20 different types of organized labor. Respondents were asked to check off the types of unions they had a favorable opinion of, and then to do the same with the types of unions they had an unfavorable opinion of. In both cases, they also had the option of checking "none of these." To calculate the net favorability for each union category, Insider took the difference between the results of these answers, finding that the numbers — and thus the sentiment — were positive in almost every case. Nurses' unions were the most highly-regarded and least controversial form of organized labor overall, with 28.25% percentage points more favorability than lack thereof. Teacher unions technically had the most votes, with 39% of respondents saying they had a favorable opinion of them — but a 13.4% unfavorability rate edged them out of the top spot. Most polarizing were film industry unions, such as actors' and directors' guilds, which 24.3% of those surveyed supported and 20.8% opposed. Those polled by Insider were also asked to select their political inclinations, choosing from options that ranged from "slightly liberal" to "very liberal" and "slightly conservative" to "very conservative." In a separate question, survey-takers indicated whether they plan to vote in their state's Democratic or Republican primary or caucus. Respondents who self-identified as slightly-to-very liberal differed in perspective on organized labor from those who self-identified as slightly-to-very conservative. Liberals were more keen on every type of union than their conservative counterparts — favoring teacher, nurse, and blue-collar unions the most. Conservatives, on the other hand, viewed 14 out of 20 of the union types unfavorably — especially film, artist, journalist, and federal employee unions. Of the unions favored by right-leaning respondents, police and nurse unions were the most popular. Among party-registered voters, both Republicans and Democrats were both slightly less partial to organized labor. Those who said they plan to vote in their state's Republican primary of caucus viewed unions more unfavorably than those who simply identified as conservative, while Democratic voters were less staunchly pro-union than liberal-leaning respondents as a whole. Only one type of union drew unanimous skepticism from survey-takers: On both sides of the political aisle, and for Americans at large, identity-based unions — such as religious unions and women's unions — were deeply disliked. SurveyMonkey Audience polls from a national sample balanced by census data of age and gender. Respondents are incentivized to complete surveys through charitable contributions. Generally speaking, digital polling tends to skew toward people with access to the internet. SurveyMonkey Audience doesn't try to weight its sample based on race or income. Total 1,165 respondents collected August 30 to August 31, 2019, a margin of error plus or minus 3.01 percentage points with a 95% confidence level. America's labor movement is finally waking up after a 30 year slumber The decline of US labor unions over the last 30 years The labor-rights activist who helped win 2 million US caregivers higher wages warns that robots aren't the real threat to workers

Angela Wang and Skye Gould

https://www.businessinsider.com/americans-favorable-view-labor-unions-2019-9

2019-09-10 19:23:55+00:00

labour

unions

dailybeast--2019-12-11--Disney Sued by Labor Union for Failing to Pay Living Wage: Employees Have to ‘Live in Their Cars’

dailybeast

Disney Sued by Labor Union for Failing to Pay Living Wage: Employees Have to ‘Live in Their Cars’

There’s an old Walt Disney quote, a favorite of workplace morale posters and business self-help books, that goes: “You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality.” These days, there are a lot of people making the Disney dream a reality—a study of the Disneyland Resorts last year found that 27.2 million people visited the California theme park in 2016 alone, thanks to the 30,000 workers who keep the place up and running. But a new class action lawsuit, filed Friday in California Superior Court and announced in a press advisory Monday, argues that the Walt Disney Company, worth approximately $130 billion as of this year, failed to pay hundreds of those workers a living wage. The complaint was filed by five Disney employees on behalf of more than 400 hospitality workers, accusing the Walt Disney Company and several affiliates (Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S. Inc., Sodexo Inc., SodexoMagic, LLC, and 100 unnamed Does) of “unlawful conduct and unfair business practices.” The plaintiffs are asking for back wages, restitution, and damages, which their attorney, Randy Renick, said may be significant. “With the back pay,” Renick said, “we’re talking millions of dollars.” “A lot of [workers] have to live in their cars, or on people’s couches, because they can’t afford the rent on that wage in the City of Anaheim,” said Kathleen Grace, a plaintiff in the case and a Starbucks barista employed by Sodexo, which Disney contracts to operate its backstage food and beverage services. “It’s really sad to see. A lot of times, they’re choosing to feed their families or put gas in their car to come to work.” The case concerns an initiative called Measure L, which Anaheim voters passed in November of 2018. The ballot measure requires resort employers that received tax rebates from the city to pay their employees a $15 living wage. The new wage was supposed to go into effect Jan. 1, 2019, and increase by one dollar each year until Jan. 1, 2022. By 2023, the code states, the wage increases would change to reflect rising costs of living. The ballot measure was backed by the Coalition of Resort Labor Unions, a group of 11 local unions representing 17,000 workers, or more than half of Disney employees. In a press advisory Monday, the CRLU came out in support of the workers’ class-action case. The complaint argues that Disney and its contractors took “massive” subsidies from the City of Anaheim, but did not alter their wages or overtime pay to reflect the new law. Grace, who came out of retirement in August of 2016 to work for Sodexo, said she makes $14.25 an hour. Many of her co-workers, including food servers, banquet servers, bellhops, and doormen at the three Disney hotels, earn as little as $12 an hour. Other plaintiffs in the case include Thomas Bray, a bell person at the Disneyland Hotel, who earns $12.25 an hour; Regina Delgado, a cashier at the Plaza Inn restaurant inside the Disneyland theme park who made $12 an hour until October; Alicia Grijalva, a make-up stylist at the park who earned $12 an hour until July; and Javier Terrazas, a banquet event server who makes $12 an hour. “We shouldn’t have to struggle living paycheck to paycheck,” Grace said. “We all are trying to pay our rent, feed our families, get gas to drive here and there. We shouldn’t have to make the choice between putting gas in our car to get to work and feeding our family.” When Measure L was first drafted, Disneyland Resort fell squarely among the employers it would affect. At the time, Disney had two deals with the City of Anaheim which would have qualified them for the living wage law: a $267 million tax rebate to build an additional luxury hotel; and a 30-year entertainment tax break in exchange for investing $1 billion into their existing resorts. Just one month before the measure passed, however, Disney terminated both agreements, leaving their status under Measure L uncertain. At the time, the Los Angeles Times noted that the last-minute pull-out effectively ensured the billion-dollar corporation would not have to pay workers a living wage. But those weren’t the only deals Disney has made involving public money. A Los Angeles Times investigation from 2017 found that the company had secured rebates and other incentives from the city worth more than $1 billion (Disney disputed the estimate). In the lawsuit, the workers specifically point to a subsidy from 1996, when Disney received over $500 million in tax rebates from Anaheim to help build California Adventure, the second Disney-owned theme park after the original Disneyland. The bulk of that money came in the form of municipal bonds, borrowed from the Anaheim Finance Authority, which were used to construct a $108 million parking facility. Since its construction, Disney has kept all the revenue from the garage, which low estimates put at around $35 million annually, but leases the garage from the city for just one dollar a year. “Disney got a rebate of the best kind,” the complaint states. “It got its taxes back before it paid them.” Still, the case hinges on the definition of “rebate.” In a report from October 2018, the Anaheim City Attorney argued that “rebate”—though not defined in Measure L or set at a fixed legal definition—meant “discount.” Under that definition, he wrote, the 1996 transaction did not qualify, rendering Disneyland exempt from paying a living wage. Disneyland spokesperson Liz Jaeger echoed the findings in a statement: “The union coalition is well aware that the City Attorney has previously looked at this issue,” Jaeger wrote, “and clearly stated that Measure L does not apply to the Disneyland Resort." The theme park also alleged that all non-tipped workers already earn a minimum of $15 an hour and can get overtime pay. Grace and Renick disputed that claim, pointing out that two of the plaintiffs made just $12 an hour, and that many workers who make less than $15 an hour do not receive tips. “We are not tipped employees,” Grace said. “Sodexo doesn’t allow tips. I was told that was a Disney policy, but I’m not clear. We do not receive tips.” “It’s important to know that the law doesn’t distinguish [between tipped or non-tipped employees],” Renick said. “You have to pay the minimum wage, or in this case the living wage, to all employees—whether tipped or not. California Constitution actually requires that… There are quite a number of folks in the class who are not tipped employees who are making less than $15 an hour.” The 2018 survey of Disneyland Resort workers, or “cast members” as they’re called, found that 73 percent of employees “do not earn enough money to cover basic expenses every month.” Conducted by the Occidental College Urban & Environmental Policy Institute and underwritten by the CRLU, the report surveyed more than 5,000 Disney Resort employees. More than half reported concerns of being evicted from their homes or apartments; two-thirds said they were food insecure; and 11 percent said they had been homeless in the past two years. In the latter category, 13 percent were living with young children.

Tarpley Hitt

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thedailybeast/articles/~3/dsQl3pE8ceo/disney-sued-by-labor-union-for-failing-to-pay-living-wage-employees-have-to-live-in-their-cars

Wed, 11 Dec 2019 09:42:04 GMT

labour

unions

drudgereport--2019-04-29--Labor union concern over AMAZON move to one-day shipping

drudgereport

Labor union concern over AMAZON move to one-day shipping...

Amazon.com Inc.’s move toward one-day free shipping may be good news for Prime subscribers, but not necessarily for those who work in Amazon’s warehouses. The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, a longtime critic of Amazon’s workplace practices and a backer of unionization at Amazon warehouses, said in a statement Friday that it worries the increased workload could be bad for fulfillment-center employees. “With two-day Prime shipping, Amazon fulfillment workers currently face speeds of 200-300 orders per hour in 12-hour shifts. They struggle already to maintain that pace,” RWDSU President Stuart Appelbaum said. “If Amazon plans to effectively double the speed, it must also address existing workforce needs and ensure its workers are safe. Increasing fulfillment speeds means they need to hire more workers, under more sustainable speeds that don’t put workers’ lives in jeopardy.” Amazon dismissed the concerns in a statement of its own Friday, calling them “misguided and self-serving.” Dave Clark, senior vice president of Amazon Worldwide Operations, said the company has used 20 years of business experience to build “a positive, safe environment in our facilities.” “This enables Amazon to deliver orders faster and more efficiently — not by working harder but by working smarter based on decades of process improvement and innovation,” he said in the statement. Productivity at Amazon’s fulfillment centers were highlighted in a separate report last week, as The Verge reported Amazon workers are tracked by automated systems that rate each employee’s productivity, and the software reportedly recommends warnings or firings if they don’t handle enough packages. The Verge said between 2017 and 2018, about 300 workers were fired for inefficiency reasons from a Baltimore warehouse that employs about 2,500 people; extrapolating that rate suggests about 10% of Amazon’s 125,000 warehouse workers in the U.S. lose their jobs every year for not being productive enough, according to the report. Amazon announced the shift toward free one-day shipping last week in its quarterly earnings report, in which is said operating profit doubled, for a fourth straight quarter of record earnings. The company said it expects to spend about $800 million this quarter to shorten the Prime delivery period. Amazon stock AMZN, -0.47%   is up 30% year to date, compared to the S&P 500’s SPX, +0.21%   17% gain.

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DrudgeReportFeed/~3/5y3WFwHIaec/labor-union-raises-concern-over-amazons-move-to-one-day-shipping-2019-04-28

2019-04-29 19:40:37+00:00

labour

unions

foxnews--2019-07-26--Labor complaint charges Bernie Sanders campaign retaliated against employees for union activity

foxnews

Labor complaint charges Bernie Sanders’ campaign retaliated against employees for union activity

A former campaign employee from the 2020 presidential bid of Sen. Bernie Sander filed a labor complaint this week, alleging that some employees faced retaliation for involvement in organizing for a collective bargaining agreement. The employee, who has not been publicly identified, filed the complaint with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) on Tuesday, according to a redacted copy of the charge obtained by Bloomberg Law. The complaint alleges that Sanders’ campaign made unionized employees work additional days without commensurate days off, thus violating the terms of their collective bargaining agreement. Campaign management "retaliated against me when I organized the bargaining unit and sent an email requesting compliance with the [collective bargaining agreement],” the individual wrote in the charge. The charges, if true, could be yet another ironic blow for the self-proclaimed Democratic socialist senator, I-Vt., who has portrayed himself as an ally of organized labor. Sanders made history earlier this year after announcing that his campaign employees would be represented by a union. But The Washington Post reported last week, that campaign staffers have been “battling with … management, arguing that the compensation and treatment they are receiving does not meet the standards Sanders espouses in his rhetoric, according to internal communications.” An agreement on that dispute was reached earlier this week, with Sanders announcing that pay would be raised from $36,000 to $42,000. The unfair labor practice charge filed on Tuesday alleges that some employees were not notified of their collective bargaining agreement before being hired and made to believe they were “at-will.” “The campaign leadership, from Senator Sanders on down, respects the rights of all of its employees to speak collectively and bargain about their terms and conditions of employment, and it supports the mission of the NLRB to enforce worker and union rights," Sanders' campaign said in a prepared statement to Fox News. "That is exactly why the Bernie 2020 campaign voluntarily recognized the employees’ chosen union and engaged in good faith bargaining that resulted in a historic collective bargaining agreement." The campaign declined to discuss the specifics of the matter "in order to maintain the integrity of the NLRB process." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The NLRB’s office in Indianapolis is now investigating the allegations, The Hill reported. If the claims are proved to be true, and if the National Labor Relations Act and involved parties are unable to bring about a resolution, the case will be sent to an NLRB administrative law judge.

Bradford Betz

http://feeds.foxnews.com/~r/foxnews/politics/~3/H9QzvbaLjrw/labor-complaint-charges-bernie-sanders-campaign-retaliated-against-employees-for-union-activity

2019-07-26 00:51:45+00:00

labour

unions

nationalreview--2019-12-09--Labor Union President Confirms Trump and House Democrats Have Reached Deal on USMCA: Report

nationalreview

Labor Union President Confirms Trump and House Democrats Have Reached Deal on USMCA: Report

The president of the largest federation of unions in the country said Monday that the Trump administration and House Democrats had reached a deal on President Trump’s landmark USMCA trade deal after months of negotiation. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, who represents a key party in negotiations, told the Washington Post in an email that a deal was in place and he planned to meet with his executive committee later Monday to review the agreement. “We have pushed them hard and have done quite well,” Trumka said. Last month, the labor union leader said that “until the administration can show us in writing that the new NAFTA is truly enforceable with stronger labor standards, there is still more work to be done.” The AFL-CIO, which represents over 12 million workers, opposes the existing North American Free Trade Agreement and blames it for destroying millions of domestic manufacturing jobs. In recent months, Democrats have pushed on behalf of unions for tighter labor enforcements in USMCA to avoid the same criticisms. AFL-CIO’s approval likely earns support for USMCA from a majority of House Democrats if the deal is brought up for a vote. While Republicans have accused Democrats of inaction on the deal, which Trump has called “great for all countries,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has remained staunch in her requirement for labor adjustments, but optimistic of an eventual agreement. “I do believe that if we can get this to the place it needs to be, which is imminent, that this can be a template for future trade agreements. A good template,” Pelosi said last month. On Sunday, the Wall Street Journal reported that both sides were nearing a deal, with an administration official saying “we are very, very, very close to completion,” and suggesting that the deal could be finalized by Christmas. Update 12:50 p.m.: Trumka is expected to meet with Trump before addressing his committee, according to Bloomberg.

Tobias Hoonhout

https://www.nationalreview.com/news/labor-union-president-confirms-trump-and-house-democrats-have-reached-deal-on-usmca-report/

Mon, 09 Dec 2019 16:33:27 +0000

labour

unions

vox--2019-05-01--Workers in Mexico just won the right to organize real labor unions Trump helped

vox

Workers in Mexico just won the right to organize real labor unions. Trump helped.

May 1 is International Workers’ Day, and employees in Mexico have good reason to celebrate: They just won the right to organize and negotiate their own pay. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador enacted a labor reform bill Wednesday that for the first time gives workers the legal right to bargain collectively with employers through independent labor unions, without fear of retaliation or harassment. The bill sailed through the House of Representatives earlier this month, and senators unanimously passed the bill Monday. “This is a huge advancement for Mexico’s workers,” López Obrador said during his daily press conference Tuesday morning in Mexico City. “Before this reform, workers couldn’t vote freely, by secret ballot, to elect their union representatives. Now workers can choose.” It is indeed a huge victory for workers in Mexico, and ironically, US President Donald Trump helped them get it. As part of the new trade deal Trump negotiated with Mexico and Canada in November, known as the USMCA, then-Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto promised to overhaul its labor laws. And Mexico’s new populist president, López Obrador, agreed. The USMCA, if approved by lawmakers in all three countries, would replace the current NAFTA deal, which Trump has long blamed for decimating the US manufacturing industry. The point of including labor reform in the new trade deal was to improve working conditions in Mexico, so that US manufacturers have less financial incentive to move factory jobs across the border. But not everyone in Washington is on board yet. Trump is getting resistance from US labor unions and House Democrats, who think the USMCA doesn’t do enough to make sure Mexico enforces its new labor laws. Regardless of what happens next, Mexican workers have already scored a major victory from the new trade deal. It’s hard to overstate the potential impact of Mexico’s labor reform bill. Until now, Mexico was the only country in Latin America (and one of the few left in the world) that did not give workers the right to organize freely and engage in collective bargaining. Mexico has many labor unions, but businesses and government officials have long controlled them, rarely giving workers any input in negotiating labor contracts. That’s one major reason Mexico has the lowest wages in the developed world — a setup encouraged by US companies that have set up factories there. The average wage for factory workers in Mexico is just over $2 an hour, and the country’s minimum wage is roughly $4.15 for a full day’s work. These low wages have motivated US companies, such as Ford and General Electric, to move operations south of the border. In Mexico, US manufacturers — and most other companies — end up dictating the terms of their contracts with labor unions to their own benefit, without any input or approval from employees. Workers have also reported retaliation from employers when they try to create a labor union. But under the new law, Mexican workers are getting many of the same rights available to workers in the United States. That includes the right to vote by secret ballot to organize a labor union, and to pick their union representatives. All of Mexico’s main political parties had endorsed the changes, a rare moment of unity in Mexico City. But many Mexican businesses are not thrilled about losing leverage. Gustavo de Hoyos, president of the powerful business lobby group Coparmex, said it was shameful that Mexico let the United States dictate legislation. “It won’t bring growth and doesn’t incentivize investment,” de Hoyos said Tuesday in an interview with El Universal newspaper. Trump’s threat of ending free trade with Mexico and Canada, though, was enough to get most of Mexico’s elite on board with the overhaul. As part of the bill, Mexico will create a government agency to enforce workers’ right to unionize, similar to the US National Labor Relations Board. That’s a crucial part of the package, considering that enforcement will likely be the biggest challenge. When NAFTA was signed in 1994, it included labor protections for workers in all three countries: the US, Mexico, and Canada. Basically, each country agreed to enforce its own labor laws and follow standards set by the United Nations’ International Labor Organization. But labor complaints filed through the NAFTA labor dispute process have led nowhere. About two dozen complaints of workers’ rights violations were filed against all three countries in NAFTA’s first decade — the vast majority in Mexico, according to Human Rights Watch. Companies accused of violating local labor laws include General Electric, Honeywell, Sony, General Motors, McDonald’s, Sprint, and the Washington state apple industry. In Mexico, those complaints included allegations of retaliation against workers who tried to unionize, denial of collective bargaining rights, forced pregnancy testing, mistreatment of migrant workers, and life-threatening health and safety conditions. None has led to any sanctions; workers’ rights groups say this is because there are no rules about how to resolve these disputes and government mediators have chosen to take a hands-off approach. “Our research shows that agreements on labor will never work without the active support of the countries involved. In the case of NAFTA, these three countries have actually worked to minimize the impact of the labor provisions,” the HRW report stated. The new labor rules in Trump’s pact with Mexico are supposed to remove the incentive to keep Mexican workers living in poverty. Under the new deal, the United States can use the same dispute system to resolve labor complaints that NAFTA previously allowed only for commercial trade violations (such as exceeding trade quotas). Now that Mexico passed the promised overhaul, López Obrador said it’s up to the US to get the USMCA ratified. “Mexico made a commitment, and we followed through with it,” he said Tuesday. “Now it’s up to members of Congress in the US to finish it.” Workers in Mexico celebrated, as they took to the streets Wednesday for the annual Workers’ Day parades. A former senator from Mexico City, Carlos Sotelo García, put the milestone into perspective on Twitter Wednesday. “Decades of struggles, murders, harassment, and jailings are the precedent for this historic conquest,” he tweeted. Correction: A previous version of this article mistakenly stated that Harley Davidson had a factory in Mexico.

Alexia Fernández Campbell

https://www.vox.com/2019/5/1/18523972/may-day-2019-mexico-labor-reform

2019-05-01 15:35:00+00:00

labour

unions