Rabat- The announcement of military justice reforms that exclude civilians from military courts is “a decisive turning point” in consolidating human rights, said chairman of the Moroccan national human rights council (CNDH), Driss El Yazami. El Yazami, who was the guest of MAP’s forum, said the government’s decision to interact swiftly with the CNDH recommendations is an important step in consolidating the rule of law in Morocco.He also announced that Morocco will shortly ratify the optional protocol on the convention against torture and other cruel, degrading and inhumane treatments, stressing that this step requires from the government to establish a mechanism for the protection against torture. El Yazami added that such a mechanism, to be given access to detention facilities, has proven very efficient in other countries in considerably reducing torture and cruel treatment cases, explaining that it was the CNDH recommendation to ratify this protocol, part of adapting Moroccan legislation to the Convention and to international human rights conventions.The protocol has been ratified by 45 countries, including 34 who established this type of mechanism.The CNDH chairman further pointed out that Morocco willingly embarked on the human rights protection process and has received all the United Nations rapporteurs who requested to visit the Kingdom (torture, human trafficking, forced disappearance, cultural rights, gender discrimination, and arbitrary detentions) and given them access to Moroccan southern provinces.On other human rights adopted by the Kingdom, he said the health ministry is formulating a draft law on mental health, in light of the pertinent report submitted by the CNDH, adding that the Moroccan government has also overhauled the immigration and asylum law based on recommendations made by the Council. read more
She expressed these views in a Facebook chat hosted by the US Embassy in Colombo. “I keep reading press reports about American interest in establishing a military base in Sri Lanka. Let me tell you directly: this is just false,” the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Alaina Teplitz said. The United States says it hopes to work closely with Sri Lanka on security issues, including counter-terrorism, in the future.However, the US insisted that it has no plans to establish a military base in Sri Lanka. The Ambassador said that the US is working very hard to support the Government’s investigations into the attacks. (Colombo Gazette) Speaking about the security threat in Sri Lanka following the Easter Sunday attacks, the Ambassador said that the current travel advisory issued by the US says they believe there continues to be an active terrorist plot afoot.“It’s our obligation to protect American citizens and we’ve have done so by putting out this advisory, which is part of our worldwide travel advisory system. We did send home our school-aged children, for the time being, out of an abundance of caution. We constantly review the travel advisory levels to make sure U.S. citizens have the latest information possible so they can make the best decisions on their travels. Our current travel advisory asks Americans to reconsider travel to Sri Lanka. Prior to the attacks, Sri Lanka had a lower travel advisory level than France,” the Ambassador said. read more
The results of an SMMT survey released today (31 October) showed that most people are not familiar with the latest safety technologies fitted to new cars. The survey, which sampled 110 people in central London, showed that: 58 per cent of those asked could not name any active safety systems in a modern car.Only 29 per cent named ABS, even though this is now standard on all new cars.Just five per cent of drivers knew about ESP (electronic stability programme).Six per cent of people were unable to name any active or passive safety feature. Active safety systems are technologies that prevent accidents from happening; passive safety limits the effect of an accident on vehicle occupants or pedestrians. DownloadClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Notes: 1. The survey of 110 people in central London, was undertaken by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. 2. 75 per cent of those questioned said they were drivers. 3. Since July 2004, all new volume production cars in the UK are now fitted with ABS – Anti-lock Braking System Christopher Macgowan, SMMT chief executive said, ‘ Many of the latest technologies are becoming more common in new cars. What this survey shows is that most people are not aware of the many basic safety systems fitted to modern cars, let alone the investment in the latest active safety systems which are helping to drive down injuries and deaths on the roads.’ To raise awareness, SMMT and RoadSafe are running a campaign to demonstrate the latest in safety technology as well as the dangers of driving at night. Figures released by the Department for Transport last month show that road casualties have fallen significantly over the last 10 years. Improved car design has played a significant part in the reduction of casualties, as will better driver education, improved road design and better measures to prevent poor driving behaviour. Other findings of the SMMT survey include: Additional safety features mentioned by respondents were roll bars by eight per cent, and four per cent said reverse cameras or parking sensors.92 per cent could name an example of a passive technology, with 47 per cent saying airbags and 36 per cent seatbelts. read more
Here’s a look at some of the media attention Brock University received recently.Brock study: Niagara industries still have wind in their sails: A policy brief from Brock’s Niagara Community Observatory discussing the upswing in Niagara’s manufacturing industry since 2012 was featured in the St. Catharines Standard and on Newstalk 610 CKTB. The brief, which was written by Observatory director and Professor of Political Science Charles Conteh and recent master’s graduate in the Department of Political Science Sean Calcott, was presented at the University on Thursday, Sept. 27.CTV Windsor anchor receives Distinguished Alumni Award: The return of Jim Crichton (BA ’79) to Brock University to receive the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Faculty of Humanities was featured on CTV Windsor. Crichton, a native of Port Colborne, has worked in broadcasting for nearly 45 years and currently serves as CTV Windsor’s senior anchor.Weathering the storm: How the changing climate affects our vineyards: Brock research about the effects of climate change was featured in an article about wine production in Nova Scotia on The Coast website.Brock to expand wellness programs for seniors: The expansion of Brock’s SeniorFit and Heart Strong programs through a new partnership with Wellness Suites Condominiums was discussed in a Newstalk 610 CKTB article. Upon its completion in September 2019, Brock students will guide the development’s residents through personalized exercise and rehabilitation programs.Sorry, wrong number! But I’ll come to your auntie’s wake; stranger accepts invite after text mix-up: Brock student Leena Ali was featured in a Toronto Star article after she chose to attend a wake she had been accidentally invited to. Having received a text message intended for someone else, Ali chose to attend the wake in Niagara Falls and brought a fruit basket for the family.If you know of an appearance or story about a Brock faculty member, student, athlete or alumni, please drop us a line with a link to the story at universitycom@brocku.ca read more
Senior 1st baseman Evelyn Carrillo (36) prepares to catch the ball during a game against Purdue April 13 at Buckeye Field. OSU lost, 5-4.Credit: Jason Morrow / Lantern photographerChoosing which college to attend while still in high school can be an unnerving experience for any student-athlete. Location, facilities, education and family all factor into a decision that is going to impact the rest of their lives.For one Ohio State softball player, the decision became more personal than she could have ever imagined.Buckeye first baseman Evelyn Carrillo started playing softball at the age of 5 when her dad, Jose, bought her a bat and ball, and she has been hooked on the sport ever since. At Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Corona, Calif., Carrillo was a four-year captain.College softball coaches across the country began taking notice of Carrillo’s presence on the softball field. She started receiving numerous scholarship offers from colleges, including OSU.As the coach of the Miami (Ohio) softball team from 2006-12, OSU coach Kelly Kovach Schoenly said she had her eye on Carrillo at a very young age. There was just something special about the way she carried herself, Schoenly said.“As a high school kid, she just had that presence you don’t see out of 15 year olds. She owned the field,” Schoenly said. “I would have loved to recruit her out of high school, I thought she was a phenomenal athlete.”Carrillo also carried her mature presence off the field. Between playing softball full-time, being an honor roll student and traveling to prospective colleges, Carrillo’s responsibilities were consuming.Evelyn’s mother, Angela, said her daughter’s schedule was always full with softball practices and tournaments.“Evelyn was so committed to softball all her life. We had no Christmases with family, we had no Thanksgiving with family, there was no Easter Sunday because we were out at her tournaments,” Angela Carrillo said.In fall 2008, the time for Evelyn to pick a college was rapidly approaching. She said she wondered what it would be like to move away from California for the first time in her life.While her mind was set on the possibility of moving away from home, something troubling began within her house.For five months, Angela Carrillo visited doctors regarding a lump growing on her head. After repeatedly being told it was only a cyst, Angela Carrillo convinced doctors to surgically remove the lump. Awake and on local anesthesia, she began to bleed profusely during the surgery. After being rushed to another operating room, doctors were able to control the bleeding and performed a biopsy.During the next two weeks, the Carrillo family prepared for Evelyn’s quinceañera — a Spanish rite of passage and celebration when a female turns 15 — as her mom’s conditioned worsened. After getting no responses from doctors despite frequent phone calls, Evelyn’s parents drove to the hospital to find anyone who would talk to them.The news they received was heart-wrenching.Angela Carrillo was diagnosed with brain cancer on Oct. 3, 2008. She was told the tumor was resistant to chemotherapy and that surgery would give her a 50-50 chance of survival.“I was diagnosed October the third, Evelyn’s Quinceañera was October 18, so it was a big event for us. I was like, ‘Should we stop that? Put everything aside? I don’t even think I’m going to make it that far out,’” Angela Carrillo said.Just as Evelyn Carrillo was mapping out her future, her mother’s diagnosis flipped her entire life upside down.“I think that was very devastating to her. Evelyn is like the second mom to my kids, she had a lot of stuff going on. She was getting all these offers from colleges, playing for her travel ball, she received such notice and it really hit hard on her,” Angela Carrillo said.Angela Carrillo remembers her daughter staying strong around the family, especially for her three younger siblings.“She has always been a strong girl. Somehow when Evelyn was in front of me, she was always saying, ‘You’re going to be OK, Mom. This is just another stone on the road and you’re going to be fine,’” Angela Carrillo said.Fed up with how her doctors handled the diagnosis, Angela Carrillo said she decided to seek a second opinion at a different hospital. She was referred to Dr. Brian Pikul, a 1991 graduate of OSU’s College of Medicine.At her first appointment with Pikul, Angela Carrillo said she was smitten with his bedside manner. After his initial evaluation, Pikul said he thought she had a 90 percent chance of walking away from the surgery if he was the one who performed it.When Evelyn Carrillo and her father heard the news, they felt it was destiny that she had a scholarship offer from OSU.“The minute Evelyn and my husband found out, Evelyn said, ‘I’m going to Ohio.’ And within minutes, she made that phone call and she was committed to Ohio State,” Angela Carrillo said. “My husband was like, ‘This is a sign you’re going to be OK, and this is a sign that Ohio State is the school for our daughter and that she’s going to be OK if she commits out there.’”Evelyn Carrillo had made her decision: she would be going to school at the alma mater of the doctor that would save her mother’s life.“It was a tough decision for me whether I wanted to stay close to home and stay with my family during those hard times or go out and explore a whole new world and know that everything is going to be OK,” Evelyn Carrillo said. “I had a lot of faith that my mom’s neurosurgeon was going to get it done for her.”Pikul performed a nine-hour surgery on Oct. 28, 2008, removing 95 percent of Angela’s tumor. The remainder was treated with radiation. Angela Carrillo required an eight additional surgeries to address complications from the first procedure, but she is now living a healthy life.“Thank God she’s here with us,” Evelyn Carrillo said. “Dr. Pikul is like part of the family now. He’s done so much for my mom and I cannot thank him enough for it.”Although Angela struggled with the transition after Evelyn Carrillo moved to Columbus, she said everything has worked out in the end.“I never doubted the school because Dr. Pikul had also spoke very highly of the school, I think it was just the distance (that) was hard for me,” Angela Carrillo said. “But when I saw her dressed up in the Ohio (State) practice uniform playing at the Buckeye Field, I knew it was the best thing for her. I knew Evelyn had made a great choice.”Now in her final season with the Buckeyes, Evelyn is leaving her mark in the history books of the OSU softball team. Currently ranked 11th all time in hits with 198 and fifth all-time in RBIs with 142, Carrillo is becoming one of OSU’s best sluggers ever.But perhaps most importantly, she has emerged as an emotional leader for the team, just as she has done in her family for years. Sophomore outfielder and catcher Cammi Prantl said Carrillo’s strength is evident on and off the field.“You can always look up to Evelyn and know she’ll be there. She’s just a great leader,” Prantl said. “She’s that girl that you look to to pump you up.”With graduation right around the corner, Evelyn is at yet another crossroads in her life.“Now being a senior, I look back and I know I’m going to miss it all. I’m already having withdrawals (from) playing and it’s not even over yet,” Evelyn Carrillo said. “It’s been a great experience for me in Ohio and I’m really going to miss it.”With everything changing in Evelyn Carrillo’s life once again, Angela said she expects her daughter to handle any future adversity with the maturity she has always had.“She’s definitely looking forward to graduating, getting her bachelor’s degree, coming out here and experiencing the world,” Angela Carrillo said. “She’s ready to close this chapter and move on and see what life is really about.” read more
Want the best of The Telegraph direct to your email and WhatsApp? Sign up to our free twice-daily Front Page newsletter and new audio briefings. The rising popularity of grapes is down to consumer lifestyles, it added, with just a handful being considered a healthy and convenient snack for lunchboxes and as “snack packs”.Apples are available in similar packs but do not last as long once they are sliced making them less popular with supermarkets who are more likely to include grapes rather than apples as part of their meal deals. Jack Wark, chief executive of the British Growers Association, said: “It has become more expensive to bring fruit and veg in from Europe but British growers have seen input costs rise significantly too.”Grapes are a very good, convenient snack. Tesco is even using them in its meal deals now.” Grapes have overtaken apples to become Britain’s best selling fruit for the first time ever thanks to the increasing popularity of “snack packs”.A record £604 million was spent on grapes in the last 12 months, industry statistics show. Just £600 million was spent on apples and £551 million on bananas.Apple sales rose by £12.1 million, a 2.1 per cent increase in value, but this was down to price rises for the fruit which was hit by poor weather conditions.Volumes fell by 1.5 per cent, the report in The Grocer said.Grape sales, though, rose in both value and volume with an extra 3.6 per cent being spent on bunches and a 4.1 per cent rise in the number sold. Bananas, too, saw their sales rise by £19 million and remain the top selling fruit by weight if not by value. Apples have been pushed down to number twoCredit:PA All imported fruit has seen its price rise because of the falling pound. This has also led to more of Britain’s own apple crop being sold abroad because our exports are cheaper and farmers will make more money exporting apples abroad than selling them here. That has created a shortage which, in turn, pushes prices up be even more. read more
If you heard about Ubuntu 12.04 but had no idea what a pangolin was, then you’re in for some more time on Wikipedia with Ubuntu’s next release. Canonical CEO Mark Shuttleworth has announced on his blog that Ubuntu 12.10 will be known as “Quantal Quetzal”.The quetzal is a colorful bird, and perhaps more importantly, is one of a select number of animals that begins with the letter “Q”. Wikipedia notes that quetzals live in western Mexico and prefer humid highlands (who doesn’t?).In his blog post Shuttleworth noted:No, the quintessential stories of Q will be all about style on the client, with a refresh of our theme and typography, a start on new iconography and perhaps even a new form factor taking flight. So brown is out and something colourful and light is called for… Ubuntu has had a famously brown color palette, but that’s started to change with recent versions. It seems that the quetzal, an extremely colorful bird, might be more than just a convenient “Q” animal — it’s also a reference to sweeping design changes for Ubuntu. Shuttleworth specifically notes the style, theme, and iconography, all of which will get a fresh coat of paint as Ubuntu competes against increasingly vibrant operating systems.But that’s not the only important part of the name. “Quantal” means “of or having to do with something that is quantum or quantized in nature”, and also isn’t a word most of us encounter every day. In this case it seems to have been chosen because Ubuntu 12.10 will include Quantum, a “virtual network stack for OpenStack“.Ubuntu 12.10 is set to be released in October of this year. Ubuntu 12.04 LTS Precise Pangolin will be available on April 26, just three days from now.More at Shuttleworth[image credit] read more
A bed in a hospital maternity unit. (File photo) Tuesday 26 Mar 2019, 12:37 PM https://jrnl.ie/4561538 AN INVESTIGATION HAS been launched at a Cork maternity hospital after the mother of a newborn baby was found dead on the floor of her room with her infant underneath her.The cause of death of the mother, who is in her thirties, is unknown at this juncture.Staff at Cork University Maternity Hospital checked on her and the baby yesterday morning and they both appeared to be doing well.When medical staff were doing their rounds an hour later they found the mother lying on the floor with her child.One of the possibilities being put forward is that the woman fell out of bed while she was breastfeeding the infant. Staff are deeply shocked at the passing of the mother.The South/South West Hospital Group has confirmed that an investigation is underway following the tragedy.A spokesperson for the South/ South West Hospital Group said it is policy not to comment on individual cases. 21 Comments Mar 26th 2019, 12:37 PM By Olivia Kelleher A bed in a hospital maternity unit. (File photo) Image: RollingNews.ie Image: RollingNews.ie Mother of newborn baby found dead in Cork maternity hospital An investigation is underway and the cause of death is currently unknown. 76,246 Views Share858 Tweet Email1 Short URL South South West Hospital Group wishes to confirm that an investigation is underway following a tragic occurrence at Cork University Maternity Hospital yesterday morning. Our priority is supporting the patient’s family and therefore we will not be commenting on the individual case at this time.Cork University Maternity Hospital opened in 2007 and is an amalgamation of maternity services from Erinville, St Finbarr’s and the Bon Secours Hospital.It is the largest tertiary referral centre in the south of Ireland. It facilitates both day and in patient services including maternity and gynaecology. Tweet thisShare on FacebookEmail this article read more
Stay on target From survivor’s guilt to the action girl, Doctor Who‘s cup runneth over with repetitive motifs.Each week, I’ll tackle another trope, examining its use, effectiveness, and relevance to the long-running BBC show. Ahead of Peter Capaldi’s return next month, take a gander at the Twelfth Doctor as “the atoner.”BBCTHE ATONERMeaning: Former bad guy spends story making up for the things he didUsage in Doctor Who: Twelfth Doctor’s introverted personality is attempt to be less manipulative, vain than previous incarnations“I’m the Doctor. I’ve lived for over 2,000 years, and not all of them were good. I’ve made many mistakes, and it’s about time I did something about that.”That’s the driving force of season nine—Peter Capaldi’s second as the Twelfth Doctor.BBCLamenting his decision to abandon a young Davros, creator of the Daleks, on a Skaro battlefield in series premiere “The Magician’s Apprentice,” the Doctor tries to make amends with the dying Kaled.“He does it because he has unfinished business, he’s let himself down, he did the wrong thing with the child Davros,” Capaldi told a fan blog in 2015.“The opportunity to square that circle, to resolve that failure, to make up for it, to make peace with it is why he goes to Davros,” he continued. “He owes him, and knows in essence that he’s responsible for the creation of Davros.”But when the rare bonding moment is revealed to be a trap, the already insecure Time Lord is pushed further toward despair.BBCThose feelings bubble up again in “The Zygon Inversion,” when the team battles a splinter cell of shape-shifting Zygons intent on wiping out humans.“This is not a war! I fought in a bigger war than you will ever know. I did worse things than you could ever imagine. And when I close my eyes I hear more screams than anyone could ever be able to count,” the Doctor tells Bonnie, the group leader who has taken Clara’s form. “And do you know what you do with all that pain? Shall I tell you where you put it? You hold it tight till it burns your hand, and you say this: No one else will ever have to live like this. No one else will have to feel this pain. Not on my watch.”But the Doctor’s work is never done: After losing Clara in “Face the Raven,” the Time Lord’s anger drives him to extreme measures in two-parter “Heaven Sent”/”Hell Bent.”BBC AmericaHis ultimate penance, however, comes in the form of a neuro-blocker, which erases the Doctor’s memories of Clara (so don’t expect many references to the former companion in season 10).These attempts to atone often come off as boastful childhood taunts—I fought a bigger war than you did. But if the character—who travels through space and time to save lives and spread peace and hope—didn’t show any remorse toward the crimes of his past, he’d be about as popular as the Unabomber.For more Whovian wonders check out our Doctor Who gift guide. HBO Max Scores Exclusive ‘Doctor Who’ Streaming RightsJo Tro Do Plo Plo No: ‘Doctor Who’ Welcomes Back Familiar Monster read more
The American Soybean Association’s World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (ASA/WISHH) is building commercial markets for U.S. soy protein in Central American and West African institutional feeding programs, like schools.WISHH’s work with Alimentos S.A. has contributed to the Guatemalan-based company’s use of U.S. soy in school feeding programs throughout Central America. The government of the Cote d’Ivoire is now buying U.S. soy protein from Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) for their national school feeding program that WISHH assisted with trainings for the government school leaders and staff as well as work with ADM and an Ivorian supply chain partner.In two new videos, ADM and Alimentos described how WISHH’s multiple joint activities with them have helped open access and increased awareness of the benefits of soy protein for schools, which are a growing market. U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS) support, including Cochran Fellowship Program training, and state soybean checkoff organizations all contributed to WISHH’s results. U.S. high-protein soy has many benefits for schools and other large-scale feeding programs because it is so nutritious and cost effective as well as easily integrated into foods that are already popular in the communities.Click here and here to see the videos! read more
It was a magical day for Muggles as hundreds of die-hard Harry Potter fans — wands in hand, costumes in tow — lined up to catch the premiere of the fantastical series’ final film.Vancouver resident Annalise MacGregor, 20, perfected her recipe for a nonalcoholic butterbeer, a version of the wizarding world’s drink of choice. Then, on Tuesday night, along with a group of her friends, she set up a tent outside Regal Cinema Cascade Stadium in Fisher’s Landing to await Thursday’s midnight showing of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.”They whittled wands and prepared to dress up like favorite characters. A dark-haired member of the group was planning to die his hair red to match that of Potter’s best friend, Ron Weasley.MacGregor — along with the hundreds of other mostly 15- to 25-year-olds lined up 10 hours before the first film cell would flicker across the screen — readily admitted she was hardcore.But they’re not alone: Ticketing site fandango.com showed metro-area midnight shows were sold out by Thursday evening. Regal Cascade Stadium’s eight midnight screenings were also full; tickets for a 3 a.m. show remained available. read more
PM Network, a division of the Project Management Institute, boasts the largest average digital circulation in the first half of 2015, at 442,473, 88.2 percent of overall circulation. Among the 25 brands with the widest overall circulation, only Renewable Energy World is completely print-free, but just 71 of Computer magazine’s 45,631 average recipients received the publication in print. Luxe Interiors and Design and Bloomberg Markets are the two brands whose circulation is the least digital-heavy, at 11.2 and 11.9 percent, respectively. Just three of the 25 BPA members with the widest circulations are based outside of the U.S.: Renewable Energy World (UK) and CPA Canada and Vertical Magazine (Canada). The decline indicates an overall trend of the number of BPA member titles ceasing operations outweighing the number of new publications entering the marketplace, a BPA spokesperson tells Folio:. 528 of BPA’s members who publish print magazines reported digital circulation over the six months ending June 30, a 4.3 percent decline from the second half of last year, although digital editions now account for 25.8 percent of overall circulation, a slight increase over the preceding six-month period. According to a new survey conducted by BPA Worldwide, an independent auditor of magazine circulation, nearly half of all business-to-business and consumer print magazines with BPA membership publish digital editions. read more
Facebook Twitter Hear Bebe Rexha’s Two Hot New Singles bebe-rexha-debuts-new-singles-ferrari-2-souls-fire Bebe Rexha Debuts New Singles “Ferrari,” “2 Souls On Fire” NETWORK ERRORCannot Contact ServerRELOAD YOUR SCREEN OR TRY SELECTING A DIFFERENT VIDEO Sep 12, 2017 – 11:57 am Bebe Rexha: “I Got You” Inspiration The first new single, “Ferrari,” starts with a simple guitar line and builds to an anthemic chorus that is easy to picture booming around a stadium. Rexha shows off her considerable musical skills on a track that has “hit” written all over it.Rexha also dropped “2 Souls On Fire,” featuring Migos rapper Quavo. The track sees the pair trading off lines with a catchy beat that belies traditional pop conventions.Both songs will be available on Expectations, which is due out June 22. The album is available via presale starting April 13. Catch a preview of what’s to come on the singer/songwriter’s upcoming debut albumRenée FabianGRAMMYs Apr 13, 2018 – 11:34 am After you hear Bebe Rexha sing once, you’ll never forget her distinctive voice, and she’ll leave you wanting more. Well, on April 13, the “I Got You” singer/songwriter gifted us with two new singles from her upcoming debut album, Expectations. News Email My Debut album “Expectations” our for pre-order this Friday April 13th. pic.twitter.com/gf6zYLDIyR— Bebe Rexha (@BebeRexha) April 8, 2018Catching Up On Music News Powered By The Recording Academy Just Got Easier. Have A Google Home Device? “Talk To GRAMMYs”Read more read more
The Anchorage Bird Treatment and Learning Center has received 20 common murres over the past month. All were starving. Photo: Monica Gokey/KSKA.An increase in dead or starving common murres has expanded beyond coastal communities and into urban areas in recent weeks. An Anchorage bird rehabilitation center that usually sees one or two murres a year has gotten 20 this month. All were starving.Download AudioAt the Bird Treatment and Learning Center in Anchorage, a cluster of five black and white birds huddle together in the corner of a plastic tub. They almost look like penguins. Each sports a dab of paint on the beak.“That’s nail polish, identifying nail polish,” laughs Bird TLC volunteer Dave Schraer. “There’s Triple Red Dot. And that’s Double Red Dot… that’s Single Red Dot… that’s how we tell them apart.”Schraer offers one a herring with a pair of forceps. The bird grabs it eagerly with its beak, wiggles its head side to side, and the fish disappears down its gullet.Volunteer Dave Schraer feeds the murres small herring. They’ve been able to eat whole fish for a couple of days now, and are taking to it with gusto. Photo: Monica Gokey/KSKA.It’s exactly what he wants to see. When these birds first came in, they were so severely emaciated they couldn’t eat whole fish.“Most of the time when you offered them food they would just turn their head away, or scurry away.”Dead and starving murres, are being cataloged across Alaska. They join a growing list of marine wildlife experiencing high mortality rates this year — like whales, sea otters and fish.Murre die-offs aren’t unprecedented. They’ve coincided with El Nino years, or severe weather events in the past. But this die-off is disconcerting due to its duration and geographic breadth.Kodiak-based Fish and Wildlife biologist Robin Corcoran says the first reports of dead murres came in in April, and have escalated since then.“I know that I’ve documented — just in my personal surveys — more than 300 dead common murres on the beaches along the road system here in Kodiak,” Corcoran says.A murre too weak to fly near the head of Kalsin Bay. Photo: Robin Corcoran/USFWS.Scientists are still trying to get a grip on the scale of the die-off, but beachcomber programs in the Lower 48 have documented dead murres as far south as California.“It’s the same story everywhere,” Corcoran says. “We’re seeing a big increase in the number of dead common murres. With the large scale of the event, I think what’s most commonly believed at this point is that it’s related to the warm sea surface temperature.”“The Blob” is an unusually warm mass of seawater off the Pacific Coast. March 2015. Photo: NOAA/ESRL Physical Sciences Division at Boulder, ColoradoEnter “The Blob.” It’s an unusually warm … well, blob… of seawater pressed up against the West Coast. Scientists have a hunch it could affect the distribution of the forage fish murres depend on, hence all the starving birds. But it’s hard to tell.Corcoran says they’ve sent more than 40 dead birds to the National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wisconsin for necropsies.“With only one exception, all of our birds have been emaciated. No body fat. And no stomach contents.”Because the birds don’t have any stomach contents, scientists can’t adequately test for paralytic shellfish poisoning, or PSP, which tends to be more prevalent when warm ocean temperatures give rise to algal blooms. PSP and other biotoxins are primary suspects in other marine fauna die-offs happening right now.Corcoran has a hunch that the murres’ trouble is compounded by a quirk in their biology — the fall molt, when they are flightless for about 40 days.Growing back their feathers is very energetically expensive.“They need to eat a lot to grow those feathers,” Corcoran says. “They put a lot of protein into those feathers.”Four dead, scavenged murre carcasses at the head of Kalsin Bay. Photo: Robin Corcoran/USFWS.By the time the birds can fly again, they’re sapped of energy.“And they’re trying to fly around, but I think they’re exhausting their resources and ending up in some weird places.”Weird places like parking lots… the state fair grounds in Palmer… backyards in Wasilla… and even downtown Anchorage — all unusual places for birds that spend most their lives at sea. Bird TLC director Guy Runco says some of the birds in their care right now were even window strikes.Bird TLC volunteers like Dave Schraer signed up for round-the-clock feeding shifts when the murres first started coming in. The birds were tube-fed a smoothie of salmon and hooligan. It wasn’t pretty.“Somebody holds them and the other person kinds of opens their beak and puts the tube down,” Schraer says. “No, they don’t enjoy it. And we don’t like to do it if you don’t have to because it’s stressful for the bird.”Stressful for the birds, but necessary to save their lives.All of the murres are gaining weight at a steady clip, and the bird center anticipates releasing them back into the wild in the coming weeks.Anchorage Bird TLC is always soliciting frozen fish donations and volunteers. For either inquiry, find them online at http://www.birdtlc.net/ or call them at 907-562-4852. read more
Riley Woodford of Juneau Photo by Kavitha George, KTOO – Juneau)This week we’re hearing from Riley Woodford in Juneau. Woodford is a biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.Listen nowWOODFORD: I came up here in 1981, when I was 20, and hitchhiked for two months around the state. Checked out much of the state. I landed in Anchorage and went to Tok and up to Fairbanks and down to Denali and around back to Fairbanks and all the way through Whitehorse to Skagway and down to Juneau. It was a great experience, and it completely convinced me that this was the right choice. So the day I graduated from college in 1985, I moved here.The Department of Fish and Game hired me to write about science and write about wildlife research and the work we do at Fish and Game… and to edit our magazine, our monthly online magazine, Alaska Fish and Wildlife News… and to do a radio show, Sounds Wild — a very short, 90-second nature and science program about Alaska.People said that’s too short, but I had a really good feeling that 90 seconds would be perfect for public radio. I called Ketchikan and Anchorage and all the different public radio stations one by one, and asked them individually if they’d take it and all the program that I approached, they listened to it and they talked to the staff and said, “Yeah, we’ll take it.”So it’s been on about 30 stations all over the state for close to 15 years now.Ideally, my perfect idea for a show is one that’s about the sound. So if I play something like a beluga making noise or a bird singing, I will talk about the bird or the beluga. But if you want to do a show about invasive species, like northern pike or large mouth bass, they don’t make much noise. And so, you kinda have to work around that. So I’ll get sounds of people fishing and then talk about fish, or if I want to doing something about sea urchins or sea cucumbers, I’ll record my children tide-pooling down at the water playing and saying, “Look at this! Look what we found!” And then you can work into something from there.All kinds of stuff. Boy, we cover everything I can think of. I’ve probably done close to 900 shows. read more
In a move that could have far-reaching consequences, the Narendra Modi government is reportedly planning to use 18 lakh acres of land held by public sector undertakings (PSUs) for new infrastructure and manufacturing projects.Land acquisition has become a contentious issue, with many Indians viewing it with a sense of dread. In the past, many corporate projects have been derailed by short-sighted political manoeuvring and vehement opposition by vested interests across states. A farmer tends to his crops next to the Tata Singur plant which was closed as a result of political activism.ReutersUnder such circumstances, the government would find it easier to use land it already owns, for new projects than set up panels to acquire land.The move is bound to help improve the business climate.Identification of existing parcels of land and to match it with requirements for new projects is in the offing, said a senior bureaucrat at the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises to Economic Times.The state-owned companies have been asked to submit details of land bank available with them, enabling a detailed discussion next week. Estimates say 18 lakh acres of land are in the possession of state-run companies, with about 8-10 lakh acres available in the key metros.Data compilation of land held as free hold and others that have been given by respective state governments, is on.Land held by sick companies – state-run organizations that have long ceased to be profitable and operational – will be used first. Surplus land held by 12 such sick companies has been identified. The companies include Birds Jute and Export Ltd, Elgin Mills Company, Hooghly Dock & Port Engineers Ltd, British India Corporation and Hindustan Vegetable Oils Corporation.A committee of secretaries has been entrusted with identifying surplus land of PSUs and making it available for new projects.A cabinet note has been issued relating to the closure of six companies under the Ministry of Heavy Industries – Hindustan Cable, Hindustan Photo Films, HMT Watches, Tungbhadra Steel, HMT Bearings and HMT Chinar Watches.An “improved” voluntary retirement scheme in Central Inland Water Transport Corporation was cleared by the cabinet a week ago, to be followed by disinvestment. read more
ralejandro@afro.com (left) Baltimore City Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake; (top right) Munir Bahar, of the 300 Men March Movement; (bottom right) Ellen Gee, host of the Perspective Rap Sessions.Baltimoreans are continuing to do their part to combat domestic violence, but as the memory of the Ray Rice scandal fades and with Domestic Violence Awareness Month now in the rear view mirror, it is necessary to keep the conversation going, say advocates.Towards the end of October, Baltimore City Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake announced $466,000 in new grants for domestic violence prevention efforts, including improved screening in order to identify those persons most at risk for death or serious injury due to intimate partner violence.Munir Bahar, one of the founders of the 300 Men March Movement, held a domestic violence summit, also at the end of October, which was billed as an honest conversation between older men and boys about domestic violence.Ellen Gee, host of the Perspective Rap Sessions and a domestic abuse survivor, dedicated one of her sessions to the topic of domestic violence last month. Gee says that in a room of approximately 25 people, when she asked whether those present had experienced domestic violence or known someone who had, everybody raised their hands.Asked whether existing resources for domestic violence survivors are adequate, Gee said that current resources only suffice because domestic violence is so often suffered in secret.“There are resources available, but if all the women who needed those resources utilized them, then no, it wouldn’t be. The reason that they work is that a lot of women are suffering in silence,” said Gee.For Gee, it is imperative that men step up to the plate and fight against domestic violence because she feels that men can have the greater impact on other men. Most of all, it is a conversation that needs to extend beyond the shelf-life of a scandal in today’s news cycle.“Women are dying all the time, and men don’t just wait until October to abuse their significant others,” said Gee. “[Domestic violence] is something that needs to be talked about regularly…very regularly.” read more
The government has decided to infuse Rs 2,375.42 crore to revive 23 District Central Cooperative Banks (DCCBs) in four states which were on the verge of closure. Of the total amount, state government would contribute Rs 1,464.59 crore, Centre Rs 673.29 crore and NABARD Rs 237.54 crore, said a statement issued after the cabinet meeting here.‘Government of India has decided to revive and infuse capital in 23 cooperative banks in the country,’ Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters after the Cabinet meeting. According to Prasad, there are 23 unlicenced district level banks including 16 in Uttar Pradesh, three each in Jammu and Kashmir and Maharashtra and one in West Bengal. These banks were on the verge of closure. Also Read – Need to understand why law graduate’s natural choice is not legal profession: CJIThese banks have deposits base of about Rs 6,839 crore and loan book of around Rs 3,774 crore. The Minister said the government wanted to revive these banks as people from lower strata of society and small businessmen have deposits in these institutions. He said that the central government will fully cooperate with states to revive these banks through NABARD.According to the statement, Centre’s share of Rs 673.29 crore would be released through NABARD as interest-free loan and would be converted into grant on fulfilment of conditionalities/deliverables outlined in the scheme. These conditionalities include bringing the NPAs to at least half of the current levels by March 31, 2017; making 15 percent growth rate of deposits for next two years; drawing up of a monthly Monitorable Action Plan; placement of competent CEOs fulfilling ‘Fit & Proper’ criteria; and putting Corporate Governance Systems in place. The scheme for revival of these unlicensed DCCBs will help in revival of these cooperative banks. read more
Share Chief Risk Officer Homeownership Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corporation 2015-05-08 Staff Writer Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corporation (MGIC), principal subsidiary of MGIC Investment Corporation has selected Stephen Mackey to be EVP-Chief Risk Officer. Mackey will be stepping in to take newly retired Lawrence Pierzchalski’s place and will begin in his new position in late June.MGIC serves lenders throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, and other locations and has said their mission is to make affordable homeownership a reality for families through affordable, low-down-payment mortgages.According to a recent press release, Mackey has over 30 years’ experience in the financial services industry. Previously, he held numerous senior positions at JPMorgan Chase & Company and most recently was Managing Director, Firmwide Market Risk. He worked for Fannie Mae for 13 years, managed the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (the predecessor to the Federal Housing Finance Agency), which regulated Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, served on the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and was CFO of a successful start-up commercial bank.”Steve’s combination of Midwestern roots and skills he has acquired from having worked for large complex financial organizations makes him uniquely suited to lead our risk management team,” said Patrick Sinks, CEO of MTG and MGIC. “Our industry is in great shape to expand our role in the market and Steve’s experiences, in both the public and private sector, will provide us invaluable insight into how we can expand our role while maintaining a robust risk management culture.” May 8, 2015 525 Views MGIC Names Stephen Mackey New EVP-Chief Risk Officer in Headlines, News, Servicing read more
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