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Heat Stress – Heat Related Illness

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Heat Stress – Heat Related Illness

Types of Heat-related Illnesses

Heat Stroke | Heat Exhaustion | Rhabdomyolysis |Heat Syncope | Heat Cramps | Heat Rash

Heat Stroke

Heat stroke is the most serious heat-related illness. It occurs when the body can no longer control its temperature: the body’s temperature rises rapidly, the sweating mechanism fails, and the body is unable to cool down. When heat stroke occurs, the body temperature can rise to 106°F or higher within 10 to 15 minutes. Heat stroke can cause permanent disability or death if the person does not receive emergency treatment.

Symptoms

Symptoms of heat stroke include:

  • Confusion, altered mental status, slurred speech
  • Loss of consciousness (coma)
  • Hot, dry skin or profuse sweating
  • Seizures
  • Very high body temperature
  • Fatal if treatment delayed

First Aid

Take the following steps to treat a worker with heat stroke:

  • Call 911 for emergency medical care.
  • Stay with the worker until emergency medical services arrive.
  • Move the worker to a shaded, cool area and remove outer clothing.
  • Cool the worker quickly, using the following methods:
    • With a cold water or ice bath, if possible
    • Wet the skin
    • Place cold wet cloths on the skin
    • Soak clothing with cool water
  • Circulate the air around the worker to speed cooling.
  • Place cold wet cloths or ice on the head, neck, armpits, and groin; or soak the clothing with cool water.

Heat Exhaustion

Heat exhaustion is the body’s response to an excessive loss of water and salt, usually through excessive sweating. Heat exhaustion is most likely to affect:

  • The elderly
  • People with high blood pressure
  • Those working in a hot environment

Symptoms

Symptoms of heat exhaustion include:

  • Headache
  • Nausea
  • Dizziness
  • Weakness
  • Irritability
  • Thirst
  • Heavy sweating
  • Elevated body temperature
  • Decreased urine output

First Aid

Treat a worker who has heat exhaustion by doing the following:

  • Take worker to a clinic or emergency room for medical evaluation and treatment.
  • Call 911 if medical care is unavailable.
  • Have someone stay with the worker until help arrives.
  • Remove the worker from the hot area and give liquids to drink.
  • Remove unnecessary clothing, including shoes and socks.
  • Cool the worker with cold compresses or have the worker wash their head, face, and neck with cold water.
  • Encourage frequent sips of cool water.

Rhabdomyolysis

Rhabdomyolysis (rhabdo) is a medical condition associated with heat stress and prolonged physical exertion. Rhabdo causes the rapid breakdown, rupture, and death of muscle. When muscle tissue dies, electrolytes and large proteins are released into the bloodstream. This can cause irregular heart rhythms, seizures, and damage to the kidneys.

Symptoms

Symptoms of rhabdo include:

  • Muscle cramps/pain
  • Abnormally dark (tea or cola-colored) urine
  • Weakness
  • Exercise intolerance
  • Asymptomatic

First Aid

Workers with symptoms of rhabdo should:

  • Stop activity
  • Drink more liquids (water preferred)
  • Seek immediate care at the nearest medical facility.
  • Ask to be checked for rhabdomyolysis (i.e., blood sample analyzed for creatine kinase).

To learn more, visit NIOSH Rhabdomyolysis.

Heat Syncope

Heat syncope is a fainting (syncope) episode or dizziness that usually occurs when standing for too long or suddenly standing up after sitting or lying. Factors that may contribute to heat syncope include dehydration and lack of acclimatization.

Symptoms

Symptoms of heat syncope include:

  • Fainting (short duration)
  • Dizziness
  • Light-headedness from standing too long or suddenly rising from a sitting or lying position

First Aid

Workers with heat syncope should:

  • Sit or lie down in a cool place.
  • Slowly drink water, clear juice, or a sports drink.

Heat Cramps

Heat cramps usually affect workers who sweat a lot during strenuous activity. This sweating depletes the body’s salt and moisture levels. Low salt levels in muscles cause painful cramps. Heat cramps may also be a symptom of heat exhaustion.

Symptoms

Muscle cramps, pain, or spasms in the abdomen, arms, or legs

First Aid

Workers with heat cramps should do the following:

  • Drink water and have a snack or a drink that replaces carbohydrates and electrolytes (such as sports drinks) every 15 to 20 minutes.
  • Avoid salt tablets.
  • Get medical help if the worker:
    • Has heart problems.
    • Is on a low sodium diet.
    • Has cramps that do not subside within 1 hour.

Heat Rash

Heat rash is a skin irritation caused by excessive sweating during hot, humid weather.

Symptoms

Symptoms of heat rash include:

  • Red clusters of pimples or small blisters
  • Usually appears on the neck, upper chest, groin, under the breasts, and in elbow creases

First Aid

Workers who have heat rash should:

  • Work in a cooler, less humid environment, if possible.
  • Keep the rash area dry.
  • Apply powder to increase comfort.
  • Don’t use ointments and creams.

Source: www.cdc.gov

Hollywood actors’ union recommends strike as talks deadline passes

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Hollywood actors’ union recommends strike as talks deadline passes

The union representing Hollywood actors has recommended strike action after a midnight negotiation deadline passed with no agreement as the industry braces for the possibility of the first simultaneous strike by Hollywood writers and actors in more than 60 years.

In a statement, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (Sag-Aftra), the union which represents 160,000 actors, said its negotiating committee had voted unanimously to recommend a strike. The national board will decide on Thursday morning.

It said: “After more than four weeks of bargaining, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) – the entity that represents major studios and streamers, including Amazon, Apple, Disney, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Paramount, Sony and Warner Bros. Discovery – remains unwilling to offer a fair deal on the key issues that are essential to Sag-Aftra members.”

The Sag-Aftra president, Fran Drescher, said: “The companies have refused to meaningfully engage on some topics and on others completely stonewalled us. Until they do negotiate in good faith, we cannot begin to reach a deal. We have no choice but to move forward in unity, and on behalf of our membership, with a strike recommendation to our national board. The board will discuss the issue this morning and will make its decision.”

A strike is expected to have an immediate impact on publicity efforts for the summer’s top films; the Thursday evening premiere of Oppenheimer in London has been moved to start an hour earlier so the cast can attend regardless of the outcome. Other major commercial films including Barbie and Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One have already hosted their world premieres, though their stars will be restricted from participating in further promotional events.

The strike might also delay the Emmy awards until late autumn, or even next year, industry publications reported.

Disney has announced that a 15 July premiere of its movie Haunted Mansion will still take place at Disneyland regardless of the strikes, though the film’s actors – including LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, and Jamie Lee Curtis – will not be present.

San Diego Comic-Con, scheduled to begin on 20 July, will be affected as well.

Before the vote, Hollywood’s top acting talent had made it clear they were willing to strike. In late June, a letter from Hollywood A-listers, including Meryl Streep and Jennifer Lawrence, urged their union leaders not to settle for a mediocre deal in what they saw as a historically important contract negotiation.

The simultaneous strike of writers and actors is expected to cause serious disruption to the industry, with major ripple effects for other workersand the Los Angeles economy.

The Writers Guild of America strike, which started on 2 May, is entering its third month with no end in sight.

Before negotiations with studios began this year, the memberships of the actors’ and writers’ unions voted overwhelmingly to authorise a strike if necessary, a sign of deep frustrations among Hollywood’s creative workers over what they say are declining shares of studio profits, increasing precariousness of their jobs and concerns about being replaced by artificial intelligence technologies.

The beginning of the strike was marked by strong solidarity from Hollywood’s other unionised workforces, including the powerful Teamsters’ union, and Sag-Aftra members showed up in solidarity at Writers Guild of America picket lines, even before their own strike was called.

Source: www.theguardian.com

 

 

US Inflation Drops to 3%, in Positive Sign for Consumers

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US Inflation Drops to 3%, in Positive Sign for Consumers

The inflation rate in the United States fell sharply to 3% year-over-year in June, according to data released by the Department of Labor on Wednesday, signaling that efforts by the Federal Reserve to rein in soaring prices appear to have been effective.

The lower-than-expected report found that between May and June, prices increased by just 0.2%. The annual rate was a full percentage point below the 4% rate measured just a month ago, and far below the 9% rate that consumers were facing as recently as last summer.

Stripping volatile food and energy prices out of the equation, so-called “core” inflation was 4.8% year-over-year, also lower than economists had expected. Fed policymakers would like to see that core rate decline to 2%, meaning that there is still considerable room for improvement. But most analysts saw Wednesday’s report as very good news.

“We’ve been on quite the inflation journey over the past couple of years, but as we look at the Consumer Price Index, not only are these measurements better, but they’re better than expected. And that’s a good combination,” Mark Hamrick, a senior economic analyst at Bankrate.com, told VOA.

Biden celebrates

Wednesday morning, President Joe Biden took credit for the positive inflation news in a statement that attributed falling prices to his economic policies, which he referred to as “Bidenomics.”

“Good jobs and lower costs: That’s Bidenomics in action,” he said. “Today’s report brings new and encouraging evidence that inflation is falling while our economy remains strong. Annual inflation has fallen each of the last twelve months and is now down to 3%. We’ve made this progress while unemployment remains near record lows and a higher share of working age Americans are in jobs now than in 20 years.”

Biden went on to note that workers’ wages have been on the rise, particularly for those in lower-income brackets, and pledged to continue to “fight for lower costs for families every day.”

Fed still expected to raise rates

The Federal Reserve, after lowering interest rates to near-zero during the worst of the coronavirus pandemic, in March 2022 initiated a series of sharp interest rate hikes that were meant to cool down the economy and bring the rate of price increases lower.

By May 2023, the central bank had increased the target federal funds rate by 5 full percentage points, to a range of between 5% and 5.25%. The federal funds rate, which banks charge each other for ultra-short term loans, is a critical benchmark that affects the interest rate consumers pay for myriad forms of credit, including mortgages, car loans and credit card debt.

The central bank took a much-publicized break from rate hikes in June, declining to bump rates up again at the last meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC). However, policymakers are expected to increase rates again when they meet later this month.

Wednesday’s lower-than-expected inflation numbers sparked speculation about whether the expected July rate hike will mark the end of the central bank’s tightening phase.

In an appearance Wednesday morning on “Bloomberg Surveillance,” William Dudley, the former president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, said, “The Fed should be cheered by this, but I don’t think it’s going to change what they’re going to do at the July meeting.”

Dudley, a former member of the FOMC, added, “What I think this does do is open up the question of, ‘Will July be the last one?’ And that’s certainly possible.”

Consumers remain uncertain

While the Biden administration is celebrating the lower inflation figures, it is less clear whether the successful effort to lower prices has been resonating with the broader public, which has been watching prices rise at rates many adults have never experienced in their lifetimes.

When rates hit 5% in spring 2021, many Americans could recall similar inflation in the aftermath of the financial crisis in 2008. However, as rates crept upward, historical comparisons receded further into the past. When rates hit a peak of 9.1% in June 2022, they were the highest recorded in the U.S. since 1981.

The experience has left its mark on U.S. consumers. Multiple recent surveys have found continued uncertainty about financial security and doubt about the future.

In a recent Bankrate survey, only 28% of American adults said they consider themselves financially secure, while 72% said they are not. The majority of Americans, 63%, blamed inflation for their feelings of financial insecurity.

However, Hamrick of Bankrate cautioned that consumer sentiment is typically a “lagging” indicator of the direction of the economy, meaning that sentiment may well remain depressed even after economic conditions have begun improving measurably.

“I would not look for consumer sentiment to be telling us what the future direction of inflation will be, except to the degree that maybe wage earners are going to be somewhat particular about trying to command a higher wage, and particularly if they’re changing jobs,” he said.

Overall, he said, the broad picture of the economy remains generally positive.

“There’s still a high demand for workers out there … and the employment rate is still below 4%,” Hamrick said. “Every time we get data that provides us some reassurance — and I would say broadly, that’s been the case with the consumer price index here, and the June employment report — all that suggests that the economy is in motion toward a better place.”

Source: www.voanews.com

Markets bet July 2023 is ‘peak Fed’

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Markets bet July 2023 is ‘peak Fed’

A look at the day ahead in U.S. and global markets from Mike Dolan

Surprise news of a 2%-plus print on U.S. headline inflation rate for June has world markets betting the peak of the Federal Reserve’s interest rate campaign will now be this month.

Although rounded up to 3.0% for official purposes, the annual increase in the U.S. consumer price index was actually 2.969% – a psychological watershed given the Fed’s 2% target and more than a full percentage point down on the previous month.

Along with an unexpected retreat of the higher ‘core’ inflation rate back below 5%, the drop in headline inflation to its lowest in more than two years has fired up world stocks and bonds with a view that Fed rate hikes are coming to an end.

That’s also whacked the dollar (.DXY) to its lowest in more than a year and it continued to decline across key exchange rates on Thursday as investors await a June producer price report that may see factory gate prices flirting with deflation.

News of another plunge in Chinese exports and imports last month, far more than forecast, underscored that disinflationary process even further – pressuring Beijing to speed up some additional stimulus for the flagging economic recovery there.

Either way, the latest inflation cheer means U.S. rate futures have wiped out bets of another Fed rate hike after a final quarter-point move to 5.25-5.50% at July 26’s meeting. There had been a roughly 50% chance of another rise by November at the start of this week.

Although they see peak rates held there to year-end, futures now price as much as a full percentage point of cuts by this time in 2024.

Fed officials continue to talk tough about the hard yards of the last mile, but the central bank’s latest ‘Beige Book’ of economic conditions show price expectations were generally stable or lower over the coming months. Market will now scour this month’s policy meeting and the Fed’s August conference in Jackson Hole for a shift of tone about further hikes from here.

The longer-term horizon has certainly been redrawn in bond markets, with two-year Treasury yields back down to 4.62% – their lowest in a month in a whopping 50bp peak-to-trough move – and the yield on 10-year Treasuries is back down to 3.80%.

Significantly, two-year inflation expectations embedded in pricing of inflation-protected Treasury securities dropped as low as 1.93% – riffing not only on the CPI report, but a slew of other positive disinflation signals this week.

U.S. stock futures pushed higher again ahead of Thursday’s open, after both the S&P500 (.SPX) and the Nasdaq (.IXIC) hit their highest since April last year yesterday. The VIX “fear index” (.VIX) fell back below 14 to its lowest of the month so far.

The second-quarter corporate earnings season now kicks off in earnest, with the likes of PepsiCo and Delta Airlines out later on Thursday and the big banks weighing in on Friday.

Elsewhere, British economic growth numbers for May fell less than forecast – reinforcing the Bank of England’s tightening campaign to rein in outlying UK inflation and sterling’s climb back above $1.30 for the first time since April 2022.

The dollar fell to its lowest against the Swiss franc in 8 years.

Although the Bank of Canada raised its rates again on Wednesday in a sign of persistent hawkishness around the world, South Korea’s central bank became the latest to pause its tightening campaign on Thursday.

Events to watch for later on Thursday:

* U.S. June producer prices, weekly jobless, June Federal budget

* U.S. corporate earnings: PepsiCo, Fastenal, Delta Airlines, Cintas, Conagra Brands

* Federal Reserve Board governor Christopher Waller, San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly speak

* U.S. President Joe Biden meets Nordic leaders in Helsinki

* Eurogroup finance ministers meet in Brussels, with European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde

* European Union-Japan summit in Brussels

* U.S. Treasury sells 30-year bonds, 4-week bills

Reuters Graphics
Reuters Graphics
Reuters Graphics
Reuters Graphics
Reuters Graphics
Reuters Graphics
Reuters Graphics

Source: www.reuters.com

The 2023 ESPYS

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The 2023 ESPYS

On Wednesday evening, the biggest stars in sports and entertainment gathered at The Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles to celebrate the year’s best moments in sports at The 2023 ESPYS Presented by Capital One. Airing live on ABC, the show featured performances from Lil Wayne, who opened the show with an electric performance of his hit song “A Milli,” and H.E.R., as well as appearances by Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade, Hasan Minhaj, Mikaela Shiffrin, Patrick Mahomes, Tiffany Haddish, Travis Kelce, and more.

The ESPYS recognized individuals and groups in the sports world who have demonstrated admirable strength and bravery in the face of adversity with three marquee awards: the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, and the Pat Tillman Award for Service. In an emotional moment, Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin presented the Pat Tillman Award for Service to the Bills training staff who jumped into action to save his life during a game, exemplifying their incredible dedication and commitment to the team. Head Athletic Trainer Nate Breske accepted the award on behalf of the group, stating, “We’re not used to being in the spotlight – we were just doing our job. But the idea of service is definitely something that is ingrained in our profession and that we take great pride in.”

Later in the evening, comedian Tiffany Haddish presented the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team with the Arthur Ashe Award of Courage in recognition of their hard-fought, years-long battle for equal pay. She recognized the group for fighting for the “simplest, most essential thing that they deserve.” USWNT Alumni Brianna Scurry, Christen Press and Sam Mewis accepted the award, which honored their fight off the field and their ongoing commitment to raising awareness for social injustices across the country. During her speech, Press stated, “We must continue to reimagine the business of women’s sports. This is a time when we must stand in support of civil and human rights on behalf of a more equal, just, and antiracist world – to find ways to support our transgender siblings, to advocate for respect and kindness in the ways that we engage with each other…And to my teammates about to kick off the 2023 World Cup, LFG!”

ESPN’s Chris Berman took the stage to present the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance to Chicago White Sox pitcher Liam Hendriks who battled non-Hodgkin Lymphoma earlier this year before he was declared cancer-free and returned to the field in May. Hendriks had an exceptional return to the mound and then announced a $100,000 donation to cancer research. The V Foundation then announced a new collaboration with the American Cancer Society’s Hockey Fights Cancer initiative. The combined reach of the National Hockey League (NHL), National Hockey League Players Association (NHLPA) and V Foundation will increase funding for cancer research across the country and share inspiring survivor stories from within the hockey community.

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the V Foundation and Jimmy Valvano’s iconic 1993 ESPYS speech, five-time Grammy Award-winner H.E.R. took the stage to perform her hit song “The Journey.” The performance was overlaid by moments of praise for Jimmy Valvano and his work to fight cancer and fund research.

WNBA legend Sue Bird presented The Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award to Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday and his wife, former professional soccer player, Lauren Holiday, for their work in underserved communities across the country. In 2020, the Holidays founded the Jrue and Lauren Holiday Social Impact Fund to support Black-owned businesses and communities in the U.S. While accepting the award, Lauren Holiday remarked, “The need to empower others is just as strong as it was three years ago” alluding to the time during the pandemic. The Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award honored three high school and college students for using the power of sports to improve their communities.

Four-time NBA Champion LeBron James was recognized with Best Record Breaking Performance for surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the NBA career scoring record. His wife, Savannah James, along with their children Bronny, Bryce, and Zhuri made a surprise appearance to present the award. LeBron accepted the award and assured fans that he’s not ready to retire yet. He said, “I don’t care how many more points I score or what I can and cannot do on the floor. The real question for me is, ‘Can I play without cheating this game?’ The day I can’t give the game everything on the floor, is the day I’ll be done. Lucky for you guys, that day is not today.”

James returned to the stage alongside fellow NBA legends Dwyane Wade and Chris Paul to celebrate the storied career of their friend and teammate Carmelo Anthony. Wade encouraged Anthony, upon retirement, to “Stay connected, stay vigilant, but most importantly, stay Melo.”

Super Bowl champion Travis Kelce and comedian Heidi Gardner presented the award for Best Comeback to NBA Champion Jamal Murray. This season, Murray overcame a devastating ACL injury that took him out for two seasons to help guide the Denver Nuggets to their first championship win in franchise history. Later on, Best Athlete, Women’s Sports went to Olympic skier Mikaela Shiffrin and Best Athlete, Men’s Sports went to Super Bowl Champion Patrick Mahomes. Justin Jefferson’s unbelievable “Catch of the Century” won Best Play, and Best Breakthrough Athlete then went to LSU women’s basketball phenom Angel Reese.

Actor Lil Rey Howery and former boxer Mike Tyson presented Best Team to the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. When accepting the award, tight end Travis Kelce pushed Patrick Mahomes out of the way of the mic, stating, “You already took one mic away from me, you’re not going to take another!” He then closed the show with his iconic chant “You gotta fight for your right to party!”

The ESPYS raises awareness and funds for Foundation for Cancer Research, the charity founded by ESPN and the late basketball coach Jim Valvano at the first ESPYS back in 1993. ESPN and the V Foundation have vowed to continue to raise awareness and funds for cancer research until there is victory over cancer. For more information, go to V.org.

COMPLETE LIST OF THE 2023 ESPYS WINNERS

Best Athlete, Men’s Sports: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

Best Athlete, Women’s Sports: Mikaela Shiffrin, Ski

Best Breakthrough Athlete: Angel Reese, LSU Women’s Basketball

Best Record-Breaking Performance: LeBron James surpasses Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for NBA career scoring record

Best Championship Performance: Lionel Messi, Argentina – World Cup Final

Best Comeback Athlete: Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets

Best Play: Justin Jefferson with the Catch of the Century

Best Team: Kansas City Chiefs

Best College Athlete, Men’s Sports: Caleb Williams, USC Football

Best College Athlete, Women’s Sports: Caitlin Clark, Iowa Women’s Basketball

Best Athlete with a Disability: Zach Miller, Snowboarding

Best NFL Player: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

Best MLB Player: Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels

Best NHL Player: Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers

Best NBA Player: Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets

Best WNBA Player: A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces

Best Driver: Max Verstappen, F1

Best UFC Fighter: Jon Jones

Best Boxer: Claressa Shields

Best Soccer Player: Lionel Messi, Argentina/PSG

Best Golfer: Scottie Scheffler

Best Tennis Player: Novak Djokovic

SPECIAL AWARDS
Jimmy V Award for Perseverance: Liam Hendriks
Arthur Ashe Award for Courage: U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team
Pat Tillman Award for Service: Buffalo Bills Training Staff

SPORTS HUMANITARIAN AWARDS
Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award: Jrue Holiday (Milwaukee Bucks) and Lauren Holiday (retired U.S. Women’s National Team)
Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award: Jordan Adeyemi, Ashley Badis, Rishan Patel
Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year: San Antonio Spurs
Stuart Scott ENSPIRE Award Honorees: Dr. Richard Lapchick

 

Source: espnpressroom.com

Biden wraps up talks in London before NATO summit

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Biden wraps up talks in London before NATO summit

US President Joe Biden ended the UK leg of his three-nation Europe trip Monday before flying to Vilnius, Lithuania, for this week’s NATO summit.

On Monday, Biden met British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at 10 Downing Street — his sixth meeting with the UK prime minister, which was believed to have touched on various global issues, including the war in Ukraine.

The pair have met regularly in recent months, seeking to repair ties that were strained under Sunak’s predecessors — particularly in connection with the UK’s post-Brexit trade arrangements in Northern Ireland.

London’s relations with Irish-American Biden have since improved, particularly after Sunak struck a deal with the European Union about the movement of goods.

Biden told reporters in London that he “couldn’t be meeting with a closer friend and greater ally.”

“Our relationship is rock solid,” he added.

Biden and King Charles III face ‘generational challenge’ of climate change

The president then went on to visit King Charles III at Windsor Castle, flying from central London to the royal residence in his Marine One helicopter.

In May, Biden had declined to attend Charles’ coronation with the promise that he would visit soon. On Monday, he made good on that promise when the two men addressed the “generational challenge” of climate change.

After a quick greeting, attention shifted a tightly planned event at Windsor Castle where both men took part in a climate roundtable attended by financial and philanthropic heavyweights.

For decades, Charles has championed wildlife and environmental causes. Biden has said climate change is one of four crises he has identified and seeks to confront during his presidency.

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the president has “huge respect” for Charles’ commitment to such causes, calling him a “clarion voice” and “someone who’s mobilized action and effort.”

Biden’s agenda at the NATO summit

On Monday night, Biden traveled to Lithuanian capital Vilnius ahead of talks with NATO leaders slated for June 11 and 12.

Expected to be on the agenda are NATO’s support for Kyiv, as well as Sweden’s bid to join the alliance, which has so far been blocked by Turkey.

The Vilnius summit also comes after the Biden administration greenlit the delivery of cluster munitions to Ukraine, with some NATO allies such as the UK and Spain expressing concern about the move.

Sunak’s spokesperson said the pair had discussed the issue while Biden was in London, acknowledging that providing the weapons “was a difficult choice for the US.” It had been “forced on them by Russia’s war of aggression,” he added.

After his trip to Lithuania, Biden will head to Finland, which is the newest member of the NATO alliance.

What Biden said about Ukraine and NATO membership

The US president had cast doubt on the likelihood of Ukraine being offered NATO membership in comments to CNN.

“I don’t think it’s ready for membership in NATO,” Biden told the US broadcaster in an interview aired Sunday.

Biden said that he hoped that NATO leaders would “lay out a rational path for Ukraine to be able to qualify to be able to get into NATO.”

In order to join the military alliance, countries must “meet all the qualifications, from democratization to a whole range of other issues,” Bioden emphasized. He added that bringing Ukraine into the alliance now would mean “war with Russia.”

“I don’t think there is unanimity in NATO about whether or not to bring Ukraine into the NATO family now, at this moment, in the middle of a war,” he said.

Biden added that it will “take a while” for Ukraine to become a member of NATO.

However, Biden said that Washington could provide Kyiv with support similar to that it gives to Israel until Ukraine joins NATO.

“The United States would be ready to provide… security a la the security we provide for Israel.” He said this involves “providing the weaponry they need, the capacity to defend themselves.”

According to a recent report by the US Congressional Research Service, no other country in the world has received more US support than Israel since World War II.

Biden calls for Sweden in NATO during Erdogan call

Also on Sunday, the White House said Biden expressed a desire for Sweden to join NATO “as soon as possible” in a phone call with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.

Sweden’s NATO bid requires unanimous approval from all member states, including Turkey. On Thursday, Stockholm failed to convince Ankara to ratify Swedish accession to NATO in a foreign minister-level meeting.

Erdogan told Biden that Sweden had taken steps in the right direction for Turkey to support the bid, the Turkish presidency’s communications directorate said in a separate statement on Sunday.

However, it said that the steps were not useful as Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) supporters continued to hold demonstrations in Sweden.

Source: www.dw.com

An epic, 18-inning win for the Astros produces only pain in Seattle

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An epic, 18-inning win for the Astros produces only pain in Seattle

The zeros on the T-Mobile Park scoreboard, which lasted into the 18th inning Saturday, did not reflect boredom and inaction. Those were little circles of stress, containing 6 hours 22 minutes of playoff baseball tension, the weight of an elimination game that the Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners carried into deep exhaustion on an abnormally smoky October afternoon in the Pacific Northwest.

For the first time in 21 years, the Mariners hosted a postseason game, and it seemed like 21 more years would pass before it concluded. Then, at 7:12 p.m. Pacific time, more than six hours after the first pitch, Houston shortstop Jeremy Peña hit a four-seam fastball from Seattle reliever Penn Murfee over the fence in left-center. A run, finally. For the Mariners, it would signal the conclusion of a resurgent season that they fought for as long as possible not to see end. And for the Astros, playoff regulars who continue to prosper, that persistence was about to be rewarded with a sixth straight appearance in the American League Championship Series.

With its 1-0 victory, Houston completed a three-game division series sweep by the thinnest of margins. Over the past decade, the Astros have won bigger games on bigger stages. They have endured plenty, including their own shame. But for a championship-caliber team that just won’t go away, this 18-inning triumph symbolized an undervalued part of why they endure as a contender.

“This is some team,” Manager Dusty Baker said afterward. “These guys, they grind and grind and grind, and sooner or later, they break through.”

They needed to play a game that matched the longest postseason contest in Major League Baseball history, but they advanced. It was just the fourth time a playoff game had gone 18 innings. The teams combined to use 18 pitchers, throw 498 pitches and strike out 42 batters while issuing only four walks. The lineups combined for only 18 hits. Mariners starter George Kirby and Houston’s Lance McCullers Jr. set the tone. Kirby, a rookie making his first postseason start, threw seven innings and allowed six hits. He was able to stay composed during fidgety situations, and he stranded seven Astros. McCullers allowed just two hits and two walks over six innings.

After Julio Rodríguez flied out to center field to end it, the Astros huddled near the pitcher’s mound and shared hugs. Some of them probably needed the embraces to stay upright.

“I’m tired,” Peña said. “That was a long game.”

For all that Houston has won over the years, winning this way still felt like a big deal. Everything about this sweep was difficult. In Houston, the Astros delivered heartache to the Mariners in the first two games, seemingly breaking their spirit by rallying from a four-run deficit in the final two innings of an 8-7 victory in Game 1 on Tuesday and then outlasting Seattle during a 4-2 triumph Thursday. In both games, Yordan Alvarez hit a game-winning home run, the first a devastating three-run walk-off shot against Robbie Ray, the 2021 Cy Young Award winner who had made a surprise appearance out of the bullpen to try to close the game.

In all three games of the series, Peña played a key role in the decisive innings. Before the season, the rookie shortstop replaced a long-standing star, Carlos Correa, who left for Minnesota in free agency. He played well in the regular season and earned Baker’s trust. The manager sensed he had the poise and approach to come through in clutch postseason situations. But he couldn’t have known he would shine like this.

On Saturday, Peña was hitless in his first seven at-bats. But when he came to the plate for the eighth time, he was ready.

“You could tell by the brightness in his eyes, the alertness that he has, that he would be ready,” Baker said. “He wasn’t scared or fazed. He’s been a godsend for us after we lost Carlos. It could’ve been a disastrous situation.”

Two pitches — and two prodigious swings by Alvarez — kept Houston from being another favorite to find trouble early in a postseason that has been harsh for the best regular season teams. And then a third powerful swing, this time from Peña, sent them back to the ALCS. The Astros embraced the challenge and the discomfort. Before a crowd of 47,690 in Seattle, they didn’t just face a hungry, raucous audience. They were on trial for their old cheating sins again.

“This team is probably as prepared as any,” Baker said before the game, “[after] all of the boos and scorn we’ve had the last three years.”

It’s quite the task, going pitch for pitch and situation for situation with the Astros. They have seen it all by now. They have been it all, too: champions, cheaters, resilient winners, oh-so-close also-rans. They have forced you to hate them, tempted you to admire them and made you fear them. This is their sixth straight playoff appearance and seventh in the past eight seasons. They have won a World Series and finished runner-up two other times. They have advanced at least as far as the ALCS every year since 2017.

The sign-stealing scandal tarnished their success, but their run has lasted so long — and they have continued winning at the same level since being exposed — that it isn’t fair to ignore all they have accomplished as fraudulent. There is no dismissing them. There is no rattling them. You have to beat them, and sometimes that means outlasting every bit of them.

Pitching and defense couldn’t make up for all that Game 3 lacked in offense. As the scoreless anxiety ventured into extra innings, the experience went from riveting to exhausting. Hitters stopped grinding through at-bats and tried to end it with one swing. The game’s first three hours included enough high-pressure moments for edge-of-your-seat fascination, but even as the teams went deep into their bullpens, the threat of offense diminished. The Astros weren’t rattled.

“People are discounting experience sometimes, not just in baseball — in the world,” Baker said.

Peña had no experience. It didn’t matter. By the end of the night, it seemed he had been with the Astros the whole time.

Source: www.washingtonpost.com

500 days later, it is clear that fear of a free Ukraine fuelled Putin’s war fever

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500 days later, it is clear that fear of a free Ukraine fuelled Putin’s war fever

As the world marked a tragic milestone on Saturday, we should remind ourselves that Ukraine’s progress as a full-fledged democracy shook the seat of power in Moscow to its core, Aleksandar Đokić writes.

On Saturday, the world marked a tragic milestone: the 500th day of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, an all-out escalation of the Kremlin’s war against Ukraine that has been taking place since 2014, when Moscow troops first entered Crimea and then the Donbas regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.

Even after all this time, some Europeans still struggle to understand the reasons for Vladimir Putin’s act of aggression.

Yet, the main driving force is clear: Ukraine’s progress towards a full-fledged democracy had shaken the seat of power in Moscow to its core.

NATO enlargement was never the issue

Some might recall that, in an ominous essay published on 12 July 2021, Vladimir Putin himself labelled Ukraine as an “anti-Russia”.

The essay itself, mostly disregarded at the time, turned out to have been the ideological and conceptual blueprint for the invasion which would follow only half a year later.

The main argument that Putin made — and that became the framework for his justification of the invasion — was that Ukraine was being prepared as a “staging ground against Russia” by NATO and the collective West.

The “Ukraine is ‘anti-Russia'” trope was then reiterated many times by Russia’s high-ranking officials since the onset of the 2022 invasion.

This is where some Western adherents to Cold War realism — a school of thought which is a part of international relations, a subdiscipline of political science — would argue that the war is all about NATO enlargement.

In their opinion, Putin was convinced of an actual military staging ground being prepared in Ukraine, which Russia, as a rational actor, would find most distressing, as this process of arming Kyiv was taking place right on Russia’s borders.

In reality, there was never any possibility or desire either by Ukraine or NATO to attempt to endanger Russia in military terms.

If anything, Western actors have, by and large, attempted to appease Putin through diplomatic means, even when it was clear that Moscow forces were on their way to take control of Kyiv and Ukraine back in February 2022.

We can observe this desire to tread carefully even after 500 days of the all-out war, with the US weighing every new arms supply to Ukraine against the possibility of the war escalating any further.

In Putinspeak, ‘Anti-Russia’ means not being an imperialistic mafia state

Putin was, however, right — but in a completely different sense. Ukraine was gradually indeed becoming an “anti-Russia” by means of the democratic, freedom-loving spirit of its people.

By 2014 and following the events of Euromaidan, the citizens of Ukraine had opted for a political and economic transition that would lead them away from the grips of the Kremlin and root their country deep within the more politically and economically advanced part of Europe.

With Russia being an autocratic, imperialistic, geriatric mafia state, Ukraine decided to become the opposite.

Ukraine was set on its way to becoming a modern liberal democracy with functioning laws and institutions, where human rights are respected, foreign investment capital is attracted, and the ruling government can be replaced in free elections.

Then Russia started the war back in 2014, annexing Crimea and aiding and abetting the parastates in the Donbas.

Can you imagine Russians having such a free, progressive, prosperous neighbour on their own border and, by their own worldview, within their cultural sphere, and not wanting a better life for themselves, too?

Putin knew that. And he understood he had too much to lose.

A successful Ukraine is a direct threat to Putin’s regime

Most ordinary Russians do not feel that Ukraine or Belarus are actual foreign countries — a belief shared by the ruling circles in Moscow.

If it weren’t for the war against Ukraine raging on for nine years straight, this feeling could be taken as benign cultural closeness. Yet, ever since 2014, this sentiment has grown into an outright imperialist desire to occupy and rule by hook or by crook.

This terrifying sense of “closeness at all costs” is exactly the reason why Ukraine, as a successful democratic and economically developed nation, would pose a direct threat to Putin’s regime, first and foremost.

It has nothing to do with the fact that Russia borders Ukraine because Russia also borders Finland or the Baltic states; Russians do not consider these countries to be “one of their own”.

The same goes for Poland, which has had great economic success in the past few decades after it freed itself from Moscow’s domination. Yet, in the eyes of ordinary Russians and the Kremlin establishment, it is still a foreign country.

At the same time, Russian society is accustomed to the rest of Europe being freer and further developed than their own country.

Ukraine’s successful EU path is a death sentence to the regime in Moscow

Ukraine and Belarus, however, have always been looked down upon with a sense of superiority. The two were viewed as Russia’s “younger sisters”, meaning, permanently less developed and on a lower cultural level. Russia was the centre, and Ukraine and Belarus were the provinces.

Belarus has been captured by Alyaksandr Lukashenka in a unique 1990s-style post-communist dystopia for the last three decades and, as such, poses no threat to Putin’s regime.

But Kyiv went down a completely different path, despite all the obstacles. This is why Ukraine’s progress towards democracy and growing closeness to the rest of Europe was seen as an existential threat number one.

NATO isn’t the primary issue here: Ukraine’s accession to the EU would be even more damaging to the Kremlin.

For instance, Ukraine’s NATO membership prior to 2014 would have ensured one thing — that Putin wouldn’t be in a position to invade it.

Ukraine joining the EU and reforming its political and economic system would have been — and still can be — a direct challenge to Putin’s autocratic and crony capitalism form of government and economic organisation.

In that sense, Ukraine would have truly become the kind of country which ordinary Russians envy in desperation. And although the initial invasion in 2014 was meant to put a stop to Ukraine’s progress, it succeeded in speeding up the process instead.

A democratic Russia is the only solution

As repetitive as it may sound, it has to be said once more: Russia’s national security interests were at no point threatened either by Ukraine or NATO.

The stability of Putin’s regime, on the other hand, is now potentially threatened if Ukraine continues to develop into a politically and economically advanced country in comparison to Russia.

Fast forward to 2022: the all-out invasion was merely a final attempt to remove the threat from rival Ukraine once and for all.

Rebuilding the empire or exploiting Ukraine’s economic resources as a motivation for war also play a significant part in Moscow’s logic, but they are welcome bonuses to the existential need of Putin’s regime to stunt the neighbouring country’s growth.

Conversely, a democratically ruled Russia would have no such necessity, as its ruling elite could be cyclically and willingly replaced, thus separating the fate of the regime from that of the state.

A democratic Russia would be glad to find a strong and developed partner in Ukraine. And the rest of Europe and the world would be pleased to wake up to the news of a democratic Russia.

Source: www.euronews.com

Sea lions are sick and dying along Southern California’s coast. Here’s what to know

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Sea lions are sick and dying along Southern California’s coast. Here’s what to know

It looked like something out of an apocalyptic movie.

Over the past few weeks, droves of sick and dying sea animals have been washing up along the coast of Southern California, including beaches in Santa Barbara and Ventura.

The devastation has been caused by an outbreak of toxic algae on a scale never before seen in the region, according to NOAA Fisheries’ West Coast branch.

As of last week, local officials had estimated that over 100 dolphins and over 500 sea lions had been killed by the algal bloom. It appears that the toxins are slowly spreading to Northern California.

Samuel Dover, who leads Channel Islands Marine & Wildlife Institute, has witnessed six algal blooms during his career and described the current one as the worst yet.

“The bloom is so much larger,” he told NPR. “This time, it’s in the center of the channel, where a lot of animals are.”

What is an algal bloom?

Algae are usually benign plants, commonly seen in the form of pond scum or kelp. But under certain conditions, they can grow out of control and generate deadly toxins.

When that happens, it is known as a bloom. It tends to be a problem for U.S. states near the country’s coast and the Great Lakes. Over the years, algal blooms have contaminated tap water, forced beaches to close, discolored coastal waters and led to the demise of countless animals.

Although algal blooms are considered a natural phenomenon, climate change and human activities do play a role in their frequency and intensity.

In California, the algae outbreak is believed to have resulted from wind pushing water full of nutrients toward algae, making them grow. That process is not typically related to climate change, but it does not rule it out as a factor either, according to scientists at NOAA Fisheries’ West Coast branch.

What are algae doing to the sea lions in California?

The bloom in California is producing domoic acid, which generally doesn’t affect humans but is poisonous to animals.

When a sea creature suffers from domoic acid poisoning, it affects the animal’s brain and causes seizures, erratic behavior, bulging eyes and foaming at the mouth. Beachgoers have been warned to stay at least 50 feet away from sick animals in case they turn aggressive.

There is no antidote or specific remedy for domoic acid poisoning. Veterinarians have been giving some animals antiseizure medicine and keeping them hydrated in hopes that the toxins will flush out of their bodies. The problem is that the longer the toxins are in an animal’s system, the more difficult it becomes to treat the poisoning.

Adult pregnant sea lions have been the most severely affected by the outbreak, according to Dover, of Channel Islands Marine & Wildlife Institute.

When will it get better?

When Southern California was struck by an algal bloom last year, it lasted about six weeks, Dover said.

Similarly, the current outbreak, in its eighth week, appears to be improving, and fewer sick animals are appearing on shores.

To compare, Dover said lately his volunteer group has been receiving about 40 to 50 reports of sick animals per day. A month ago, they were receiving 40 to 50 reports per hour, though many reports tend to be duplicates of the same animal.

While that is a good sign, not much can be done to speed up the process. Harmful algal blooms are nearly impossible to clean, especially at the scale that has emerged near California.

source: www.npr.org

Over 460 victims lost at least $480k to concert ticket scams since January

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With popular performers such as Taylor Swift and Coldplay coming to Singapore, there has been a resurgence of scams involving the sale of concert tickets, with at least 462 people losing no less than $480,000 since January.

The police said on Thursday that after coming across advertisements for concert tickets on platforms such as Carousell, Facebook, Telegram, Twitter and Xiaohongshu, victims would contact the scammers via the platform’s messaging system.

In some cases, they would be told to continue communicating via messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Telegram and WeChat to buy the tickets.

The scammers would provide screenshots and videos of fake tickets or receipts when their targets asked for proof of authenticity, and would urge them to pay quickly by claiming that the deal was time-sensitive or that there were limited tickets, said the police.

The scammers would promise to e-mail or transfer the tickets to the victims’ Ticketmaster account after successful payment, and might request additional payments, claiming that they had not received any payment yet.

Ticketmaster is the ticketing agent for the Coldplay and Taylor Swift concerts, among others.

Victims who received fake electronic tickets would realise they were invalid on the day of the concert, or when the scammers refused to provide physical tickets.

The police urge the public to be careful when shopping online, especially when buying concert tickets from online third-party resellers, and advised people to take the following precautions:

  • Add security features such as the ScamShield app on the phone and enable two-factor authentication for banks, as well as set transaction limits on internet banking transactions.
  • Do not buy tickets from third-party resellers and use escrow payment options that protect buyers by releasing payment to the seller only upon delivery.
  • Avoid making advance payments or direct bank transfers as this method does not offer any protection to buyers.
  • Buy only from authorised sellers and legitimate ticket marketplaces/resellers, such as Ticketmaster.
  • Check for potential signs of a scam and with official sources such as the Scam Alert website at www.scamalert.sg or by calling the Anti-Scam helpline on 1800-772-6688.
  • Arrange for a physical meeting with the seller to verify the authenticity of the tickets prior to making payment. Bear in mind that the party you are dealing with online is a stranger.
  • Tell the authorities, family, and friends about scams. Report the fraudulent advertisements to the social media and e-commerce platforms.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

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