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abookishdreamer · 2 years ago

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Character Intro: Enyo (Kingdom of Ichor)

Nicknames- The Bloody Goddess by the people of Olympius

Vicious E by Ares

Bullet Babe by Zeus

Age- 39 (immortal)

Location- Little Sparta, New Olympus

Personality- An ultimate bad-ass, she's well known in the pantheon for her short temper! She's unapologetically brutal, harsh, & unforgiving. Positively, she's fiercely determined and passionate. She's recently married.

She has the standard abilities of a goddess. As the goddess of war, destruction, bloodlust, & devastation her powers/abilities include pyrokinesis (her fire burns a bright red), limited geokinesis (can cause earthquakes- not to the level of Poseidon), odikinesis (manipulating the feelings of rage, anger, & violence in others), flight (due to her black swan like wings), telumkinesis, being able to communicate with/shapeshift into her sacred animal- the swan, haemokinesis (blood manipulation), and summoning weapons out of thin air.

Enyo's main abode with her husband is the top floor of The Stratios, a luxury high rise apartment building in the Little Sparta neigborhood of New Olympus. They also own a mansion estate in Sparta & are thinking about getting a beach house in Themiscyra. Inside the apartment, the ceilings and walls are made out of pure bloodstone while the floors are a flawless black marble. There are lots of metal & leather furniture with many decorative pieces of armor, helmets, and weapons lining the walls. There's a separate war room as well as a room that's filled with a wide arsenal of various weapons. When Enyo is not in the mood to use her wings, she gets around in her sleek black sports car. She has two pets- twin dragons (a boy & girl) named Bellum and Bellona. Their bright crimson & silver scales are often complimented on!

A go-to drink for her is a cranberry martini. She also likes red hot shots, bloody marys, mulled wine, beer, negronis, manhattans, red wine, dark cherry cola, & black raven cocktails. Her usuals from The Roasted Bean are the large cranberry cherry spalsh and olympian sized roast coffee (with a bit of sugar).

Enyo starts off her mornings with a super intense cardio workout along with a session of kickboxing at the gym. She then goes to the spa for a session of acupuncture.

She loves steak & eggs for breakfast, putting way too much inferno hot sauce on top! She likes her bacon extra crispy and nearly burnt & she also likes when her husband makes his eggplant-ground pork stuffed steamed buns.

Enyo surprisingly has her own glamour doll collectible!

One notable moment in her godly career was when she awarded the gold medal to a giantess named Atonia at the Olympic Tournament who broke the record for the javelin throw!

A favorite sweet treat of hers is chocolate cherry ice cream.

Enyo is well versed in many fighting styles including mixed martial arts, capoeira, kyusho jitsu (pressure point martial arts), muay thai, and pankration!

She once almost came to blows with Themis (Titaness of justice) after she rendered a verdict in a court case where Enyo was in attendance.

In the pantheon she's friends with Aegaeon (god of sea storms), Hysminai (goddess of fighting & combat), Gymnasia (goddess of excercise & gymnastics), Philotes (goddess of sex, friendship, & affection), Dyssebeia (goddess of ungodliness & impiety), Proioxis (goddess of attack, onrush, & battlefield pursuit), Dione, Adikia (goddess of injustice & wrongdoing), Kéfi (goddess of mirth), Atë (goddess of mischief, ruin, blind folly, delusion, & downfall of heroes), Hybris (goddess of insolence, hubris, & reckless pride), Lycana (Titaness of lycanthropy), Perses (Titan god of destruction), Menoetius (Titan god of anger, violence, & rash actions), Poena (goddess of punishment), Alastor (god of blood feuds & vengeance), Felis (Titaness of cats), and Kakia (goddess of vice & moral wrongdoing).

Enyo doesn't mind Athena (goddess of wisdom) and has on more than one occasion been impressed with her.

Outside the pantheon, she has friends who are Giants & Amazonians.

Enyo has been a mentor twice- to Lyssa (goddess of rage & frenzy) and Eris (goddess of strife & discord).

She loves getting the spicy BBQ rib sandwich from The Bread Box.

Enyo recently got married to her husband Polemos (god of the war cry) three months ago on a private beach in Sparta (this particular beach is known for its black sand). They first met a year ago during construction of the Thereitas military base in the city. To say their chemistry was instantaneous is an understatement! Perses jokingly remarked that the initial meeting was akin to "a bomb meeting a stick of dynamite." They couldn't keep their hands off each other during photos at the grand opening of the 2nd largest military base in New Olympus. A week after his divorce from Ioke (goddess of pursuit, tumult, & battle rout) was finalized, Polemos proposed to Enyo with a yellow gold band custom oval cut rhodolite garnet ring surrounded with yellow canary diamonds, rubies, & white diamonds. Her wedding dress was far from traditional (garnering an audible gasp from Hera)- a backless curve hugging sheer black dress with a corset bodice and tulle sheer skirt.

She loves the Olmorfia matte lipstick in "Carnivorous", a dark red color.

Enyo has a good relationship with her step-daughter Alala (goddess of war cry). When Alala visits they'll go shopping, check out the latest action movie at the cinema, & go to the gun range.

A guilty pleasure of hers are olympian sized cajun fries from Olympic Chef!

Her main job is overseeing the Thereitas military base with her husband. For other sources of income, she models for/endorses Delicious Xtasy, Megaleio, & atelier fantaisie. She also sometimes writes for The Oracle newspaper and O Dianooumenos. Enyo is also a professional wrestler! Her stage name is Black Widow & some of her signature moves include the riptide, pop-up body toss, prism trap, stalling suplex, & full nelson slam. There's excited and frightened buzz about an upcoming match between her & the cyclops Maneater.

She once knocked a mortal guy out cold when her tried grabbing her ass while she was walking with Alala.

One of her favorite gifts she Enyo ever got was the white gold bloodstone & onyx charm bracelet from her husband.

Kéfi gave her a swan shaped jeweled clutch from Diamond Ave. for Christmas.

Her & her husband are HUGE basketball fanatics! When watching games, they always rep for their favorite team- the Sparta Spears!

Some of Enyo's favorite foods include sausage & pepper skewers, feijoada with white rice, baião de dois, steak (well done) smothered in onions, lamb souvlaki, & moussaka.

In her free time she enjoys working out, sword fighting, boxing, mountain climbing, basketball, riding on dragonback, volleyball, archery, cliff diving, baseball, volcano boarding, clubbing, and lava surfing.

"I don't know of any lesser evil than war."

#my oc #oc character #my character #my oc character #enyo #oc intro #character intro #oc introduction #character introduction #modern greek gods #modern greek mythology #greek myth retellings #greek goddess #greek goddesses #greek mythology #greek pantheon #greek myths

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qnewsau · 10 months ago

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Sam Kerr suffers serious injury just months before Olympics

New Post has been published on https://qnews.com.au/sam-kerr-suffers-serious-injury-just-months-before-olympics/

Sam Kerr suffers serious injury just months before Olympics

Superstar Matildas captain Sam Kerr has ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in a devastating blow for our national team ahead of the Olympics.

Our all-time leading goalscorer suffered the injury during a training camp with her English club Chelsea, which she also plays for.

Last year, Sam battled a calf injury that knocked her out of Matildas matches at the Women’s World Cup in Australia.

Now the soccer superstar faces months-long rehabilitation after the ACL injury. The recovery will almost certainly sideline her at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Next month, the Matildas must win their all-important matches against Uzbekistan in order to qualify for the Games. They’ll now have to do that without Sam.

Her club Chelsea said Sam “will be assessed by a specialist in the coming days and then begin her rehabilitation with the medical team”.

Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson said Sam’s injury was an “incredible loss” for the national side.

“Considering how hard Sam has worked over the past six months to return to play, this news is a devastating blow for everyone,” he said.

“With her ability to lead by example, Sam’s guidance and influence on the team is significant and, as a result, this will be an incredible loss for the national team.

“Our focus now is on ensuring she has all the support she wants and needs to navigate recovery and rehab.”

Sam’s “gutted” Matildas teammates, including Steph Catley and Caitlin Foord, posted messages of support for their captain after the bad news.

Chelsea Football Club can confirm striker Sam Kerr has sustained an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury during our warm weather training camp in Morocco.

— Chelsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW) January 7, 2024

No words 💔 Here with you every single step @samkerr1 ❤️❤️❤️ https://t.co/t8vQuLdaQl

— Steph Catley (@stephcatley) January 7, 2024

Absolutely gutted for you my friend 💔 we’ve got you ❤️‍🩹 https://t.co/Xa9NStNVN2

— Caitlin Foord (@CaitlinFoord) January 7, 2024

For the latest LGBTIQA+ Sister Girl and Brother Boy news, entertainment, community stories in Australia, visit qnews.com.au. Check out our latest magazines or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

#sam kerr

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savvylark · 7 years ago

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Did I just Everlark the Olympics?? "More than Gold"

Continuing our discussion/obsession with Everlark in the Winter Olympics @katnissdoesnotfollowback challenged us the write our ideas. It’s all your fault. I misguidedly thought I could do something Olympic justice but this turned into, well you’ll see. Look for 'More than Gold' on Ao3. Unbeta’d. G rate. So far.

All eyes are on the Ice dancing pair Gale Hawthorne and Katniss Everdeen as they enter the 2018 winter Olympic games with a record breaking score and third world title, a painful Silver metal earned my a small margin 4 years. A certain Olympic Golden boy and former Speed skating legond has been asked to commentate for the games and he has his eyes on Katniss.

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PART 1 of 3

Primrose Everdeen hands Posey Hawthorne the bowl of popcorn as they settled in to the couch and get comfortable in front of the TV to watch Prim’s sister and Posey’s brother as they are interviewed on a world wide broadcast before the opening ceremony of the 2018 Olympic Games. Gale Hawthorne and Katniss Everdeen are entering the winter Olympic games with a record breaking score and third world-championship title, determined to give their best and bring a Gold medal to their home country of Panem in this year’s Winter Olympic Games before they retire indefinitely.

“Did you see all the relationship questions in every interview this week?” Posey asks with an amused expression on her face.

Prim bites back a laugh, think of how awkward that could have been.

There’s not question about how close Gale and Katniss are. After skating together for 20 years their bond is strong. Their friendship, partnership, and dependence on each other by many standards they are in a relationship. They are also so succinct, they read each other and understand one another. They have to in order to excel on the ice as a team. They know what the other is thinking, on the ice.

Before the broadcast starts Prim pulls up some of the newest buzz and articles about Gale and Katniss’s relationship.

Prim is positive they’re going to blow away the judges this year with their performance. Unlike 4 years ago, they will get the gold they deserve, they have been undefeated in every championship title for the last year. Gale and Katniss’s technical skills are flawless. The tensions, awareness, and harmony they have on the ice translates as beautifully romantic.

If you don’t know them.

This why it’s too hard not to watch the drama unfold as an inside observer.

Posy and Prim laugh at each article as the writers speculate at length and read into every look, every sigh and every perceived romantic moment.

It’s even funnier that they don’t realize the trainwreck their unravelling. Gale cleverly keeps them guessing with his comments.

But what they aren’t catching is that he’s been trying to tell Katniss that he wants more. He hopes she’s finally ready.

Gale hints “We have a great working relationship. We love working together. We have to find out which way we want to do that after we retire.”

In true Katniss form, she gives him nothing to go on.

No reciprocation.

No hints of pining.

The interviews continue on the television:

“How long have you two been skating together?”

Gale wraps an arm around Katniss and answers proudly “20 years.”

“I mean, how nice to have lived this Olympic journey with your best friend?” Katniss adds.

“Did you always imagine yourself being a decorated ice dancer?”

“Well, skating has been in my family for years, I think I knew I would be on skates, so yeah, figure skating or hockey.” Gale flashes a look or memory in his intense gray eyes.

“Absolutely not!! Gale and I tried every sport when we were kids. Actually I think in elementary school I wrote about being a Gold Medal speed skater like Rye Mellark as my first aspiration.” Katniss smiles and her voice softens as she says ‘Mellark.’

Gale’s posture stiffens.

“3 time Gold Medalist Peeta Mellark’s older brother was iconic when he won Panem a Gold in the late 90s.” The host explains.

Katniss started out with dreams as a speed skater, she was recruited by Gale’s aunt to figure skate because she raced with such passion. Gale and Katniss were paired up almost immediately.

“We’ve been best friends for 20 years…” Katniss explains.

But Gale has already been losing Katniss to Peeta Mellark for years. His kindness found a way of infiltrating the armor around her heart and wedged his way in.

At the world’s competition in 2013, the year before they headed to Sochi Katniss has a nervous breakdown and Peeta Mellark happened to be there to soothe and comfort her. Gale never understood this side of her. She was going to give it all up, the pressure was too great and Peeta gave her hope.

Katniss and Gale surpassed their own world record, but lost their world title by a jaw clenching 4 points to their fellow competitors and ‘frenemies’ Johanna Mason and Finnick Odair who competed for the nation of Unita Coasta.

Within the week Peeta had won his eighth consecutive world speed skating title for Panem.

Prim is the only one who knows and understands Katniss’s connection to Panem’s Golden Boy and 8 time olympic speed skating medalist. He’s been her inspiration from the beginning. Katniss will deny it, but everything else about her reveals the truth.

Katniss has been keeping an eye on Peeta since they were children.

The reporters can speculate all they want, #Everthorne could be trending worldwide, but the truth is Gale’s fire only perpetuates the fire in Katniss, and that translates on the ice as passion. He has never known how to calm her anxieties. Soothe her frustrations, understand her stubborn spirit. Supported her off the ice.

In 2016 when Gale and Katniss made the decision to come out of retirement and train for the 2018 Winter Olympics their focus and devotion was for their sport and each other.

Gale and Madge broke up because of the decision, Madge was ready to settle down and have a family at 26, and she assumed Gale was too.

Gale was quoted to saying, “I’ve been in a very serious relationship with our sport.” It’s a painful truth.

But the most painful truth is Gale can’t survive without Katniss.

He wasn’t as upset about things ending with Madge as he was with about the idea of losing Katniss.

Prim sighs as she thinks about Gale’s mood and expression those weeks. Determination.

That’s Gale’s second reason for completing in the winter games this year, he’s holding on tightly to Katniss and he doesn’t want it to end. As Gale poured everything into their career, he’s been desperately trying to convey that he’s always wanted it to be the two of them in the end.

Peeta Mellark has been promoting a new energy drink so he’s in a lot of ads that play during the televised Olympic footage.

Prim elbows Posey as Peeta Mellark’s blue eyes flash on screen, enhanced by the blue in the logo of the energy drink. Posey bites her lip and smiles shyly.

Peeta chose to retired after his third gold in 2014 and this Winter Olympics he’s been hired as a commentator during the games.

They ask Peeta how he feels about not being a competitor. “Do I miss competing? Ceaser, you have no idea, the desire is always there. It’s very powerful. So, yes, I miss it. But would I want to go back? No! But. of course I miss it. Sure, I spent fifteen years of my life truly dedicated towards the sport and thought of nothing else. I thought there was no life after the sport, so I put in my time. But there is huge life afterwards, a real life.” Peeta says with a grin.

Real.

After all the acting Gale and Katniss have to do on the ice as a “couple” real is a powerful word.

Prim picks up the subtle communication to Katniss and purses her lips.

Ceaser asks Peeta about him commentating, he has polite, engaging answers. Ultimately he wants to inspire kids to go after their dreams. Hart melt all over Panem.

“How has retirement been since those 2014 Games?”

“It’s been busy. I had always known that my career would be kind of a launching pad into many different entrepreneurial activities and I’ve never been one to sit back and relax. I’ve always been on the go, very hungry for more and it’s been amazing. I could write a book!”

“Will you write a book?” Ceaser asks.

Peeta laughs.

“Maybe I will, maybe a cookbook. But it’s been amazing and I’m blessed to have incredible wins and devastating losses throughout the years. But I think it’s all a part of this human experience that we are going through, it’s a lot of fun…” Peeta continues into a promotion for the sponsors.

“We heard that Katniss Everdeen is a good friend of yours, what do you think about her coming out of retirement and going after the Gold with her partner?” Ceaser Flickerman prys.

At Katniss’s name Peeta’s eyes seem to dance. He schools his expression in an attempt to conceal the affected we all just saw.

“Oh Ceaser she’s going to win, THEY –they are going to win. Katniss is awesome. She is a really good person. She is multi-talented and she has a beautiful personality that I think the world deserves to see more of besides just the figure skater, the superstar… with all the philanthropic stuff she has done, you’re going to love what she’s going to do to inspire kids. She is just a badass, you know what I mean? I try to push her to do the things that fulfill her. Coming out of retirement, she doesn’t need Gold, that’s the thing, you know, she just loves to compete and do her best. But I tell her that it is more than that, she’s inspiring people at every end of the world!” Peeta finishes with a wide smile and dimples. Blue eyes locking in half the viewership, millions of woman sigh a crossed the world.

“Do you think Madge will take Gale back?” Prim asks Posey.

“Yeah I do.” Posey answers with a shrug.

“Good, because Peeta Mellark is a goner.” Prim states wide eyed with a funny expression on her face.

#everlark the olymics #everlark #ice dancers gale and katniss #commenator peeta

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bbcbreakingnews · 4 years ago

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Austalian Olympic figure skater Ekaterina Alexandrovskaya dies after ‘jumping’ from a window

Australian figure skating champion Ekaterina Alexandrovskaya has died at the age of 20 after reportedly jumping from a window.

The cause of the former Olympic skater’s death on Friday in Moscow has not yet been disclosed.

Reports in Russia claim the former skater may have committed suicide but ‘the circumstances of the incident are being clarified’, according to Izvestiu.

Miss Alexandroovskaya was born in Moscow, Russia, but obtained Australian citizenship in 2016 .

Figure skating champion Ekaterina Alexandrovskaya has died at the age of 20 after reportedly falling out a window in Moscow

The cause of the former world junior pairs champion’s death on Friday has not yet been disclosed

She competed for her adopted country at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics with skating partner Harley Windsor.

The pair won the 2017 world junior title. Miss Alexandrovskaya retired from the sport in February after sustaining several injuries.

Russian news agency TASS claim a note saying ‘love’ was found in her apartment after her death and an official source said: ‘The preliminary cause of death is suicide.’

Mr Windsor, Australia’s first Indigenous athlete to compete at a Winter Olympics, said he was ‘devastated’ by the news of Miss Alexandrovskaya’s death.

He wrote on Instagram: ‘The amount we had achieved during our partnership is something I can never forget and will always hold close to my heart.’

Ian Chesterman, chef de mission for the Australian team in Pyeongchang, said the news was a terrible blow for all those who knew the skater.

Miss Alexandrovskaya competed for her Australia at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics with skating partner Harley Windsor

Mr Windsor wrote on Instagram: ‘The amount we had achieved during our partnership is something I can never forget and will always hold close to my heart’

Mr Chesterman said: ‘It is enormously sad to lose Katia, who was a vibrant and talented person and an incredible athlete.

‘She was quiet and humble in her manner but incredibly determined to be the best she could be.

‘Life since the Games has not been easy for her and this is another timely reminder of just how fragile life is.’

It is the second death of an Australian Winter OIympian in 10 days.

Alex Pullin, a two-time world champion snowboarder and three-time Olympian, drowned while spearfishing on July 8 on the Gold Coast north of Brisbane.

Ian Chesterman, chef de mission for the Australian team in Pyeongchang, said the news was a terrible blow for all those who knew the skater

Miss is the second death of an Australian Winter OIympian in 10 days as Alex Pullin (left), a two-time world champion snowboarder and three-time Olympian, drowned while spearfishing on July 8 on the Gold Coast north of Brisbane

Chesterman said: ‘Katia´s death is another blow to our winter sports community who are still reeling from our loss of `Chumpy’ Pullin.’

Geoff Lipshut, chief executive of the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia, said Alexandrovskaya has a special place in the country´s sports history.

He said: ‘Katia and Harley were Australia´s first figure skating world champions. She came to Australia to fulfill her sporting dreams.

‘The news today is so sad, my thoughts are with Katia´s family in Russia, Harley and the skating community in Australia.

‘I will remember Katia as a young person of great talent and remarkable potential.’

If you have been affected by this story, you can call the Samaritans on 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org.

For confidential support call National Suicide Prevention Line, 1-800-273-8255.

The post Austalian Olympic figure skater Ekaterina Alexandrovskaya dies after ‘jumping’ from a window appeared first on BBC BREAKING NEWS.

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#ENTERTAINMENT & ARTS

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lauramalchowblog · 5 years ago

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Lessons from Zika in the Era of COVID-19

By CHADI NABHAN, MD, MBA, FACP

If you are a soccer fan, watching the FIFA World Cup is a ritual that you don’t ever violate. Brazilians, arguably more than any other fans in the world, live and breathe soccer—and they are always expected to be a legitimate contender to win it all. Their expectations are magnified when they are the host country, which was the case in 2014. Not only did the Germans destroy Brazilian World Cup dreams, but less than a year after a humiliating loss on their turf, Brazilians began dealing with another devastating blow: a viral epidemic. Zika left the country scrambling to understand how to manage the devastation caused by the virus and grappling with conspiracies theories of whether the virus was linked to the tourism brought by hosting the FIFA World Cup.

How did I become so interested in what happened in Brazil five years ago? Well, social distancing and being mostly at home in the era of COVID-19 seems to energize reflection. Watching politicians on TV networks blaming each other and struggling to appear more knowledgeable than scientists makes me marvel at the hubris. My mind took me back to several prior epidemics that we encountered from Swine Flu to Ebola, and I couldn’t help but think about the lessons lost. What did we miss in these previous crises to land us in this current state where Zoom is your best friend and you are more interested in commenting on tweets than doing a peer-review? One cannot help but wonder what is so different about this coronavirus that it has paralyzed the globe.

I decided to take a deep dive into the Zika epidemic in a hopeful effort to better understand the present public health crisis. I started by reading Zika: The Emerging Epidemic, by Donald G. McNeil Jr, who also covers global epidemics for the New York Times. The book is a fascinating read and offers illuminating parallels to the current failings we are seeing with national and global health protection agencies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In May 2015 when Brazil was facing the Zika epidemic, the rest of the world was watching as Brazilian mothers grieved, holding babies who had chubby cheeks and big eyes with tiny heads. Something was clearly wrong. It turns out that mothers who conceived these babies in various cities of northeast Brazil had a mysterious disease nine months prior to delivery. They suffered from headaches, rash, and fever, but the symptoms abated on their own. The disease had vague symptoms which reminded Brazilians of Dengue fever. However, many did not consider those symptoms to be serious until the babies arrived with birth defects called microcephaly. Only then did physicians recognize that this “mysterious illness” was harmful. It turns out the mothers were exposed to Zika, a virus transmitted via a mosquito named Aedes Aegypti; it crosses the placenta and affects babies.

How did Zika arrive in Brazil? Theories around the previous year’s World Cup abounded.In March 2016, epidemiologists were able to estimate that the virus was in Brazil in mid to late 2013; this was accomplished using genetic sequencing and a “molecular backward clock” to determine how fast the virus had mutated. With this timeline, the 2014 FIFA World Cup was ruled out as the event leading to Zika’s presence in Brazil. The new suspect was the Federation Cup that took place in June 2013 when Tahiti participated in the tournament. The virus was first discovered in Uganda in 1947 and surfaced outside of Africa for the first time in 2007 in the Caroline Islands. It then appeared in Tahiti in 2013 before arriving in Brazil in 2015. Brazilians were trying to explain how the virus was transmitted to their country given the geographic distance from Africa and the Caroline Islands. Uncertainty about the disease grew, which led to concerns around whether the 2016 Rio Olympics were at risk. Sound familiar? Whoever said history repeats itself was correct: the Tokyo 2020 Olympics have been postponed for a year due to COVID-19.

McNeil describes receiving an unsolicited call from Dr. Scott Weaver in October 2015; he the scientific director of the University of Texas Medical Branch and wanted to discuss the Zika virus epidemic. Dr. Weaver shared his worries, especially since the illness was preceded by a neurologic syndrome called Guillain-Barré. He was also concerned that Zika would come to the US, although he did not think it would be a major health crisis. Two months after this phone call, Brazil declared a state of emergency with more than 2,400 babies suffering from microcephalic heads.

As I read the book, I couldn’t help but make comparisons between then and now. COVID-19 and Zika both emerged from outside the US—from China and Brazil respectively. I wondered how the CDC reacted to the Zika threat in 2015-2016 and how it differed from the reaction to COVID-19. Maybe the CDC’s approach would explain how little the US suffered when it came to Zika.

The author claims that the CDC had little information, if any, on Zika despite the emergency declaration by Brazil. He took it upon himself to contact an Italian doctor he knew who happened to reside in Brazil. The doctor confirmed that it was a “big mess and a tragedy”. The affirmation from a trusted source was the impetus the author needed to contact Tom Skinner, Chief Spokesman of Dr. Thomas Frieden, the CDC director at that time. The author was hoping to get answers to questions Americans may have on this virus. The CDC website indicated that some Americans could bring the virus back home, resulting in stateside outbreaks; however, there was no additional information or answers to burning questions that Americans needed. McNeil inquired how Americans should deal with travel, pregnancy, which countries to avoid, how to handle the upcoming Olympics, and other practical questions. Tom Skinner referred him to Dr. Erin Staples, who was vague in her answers.

Essentially, the CDC had no special advice to pregnant women nor guidance regarding the Olympics. If recommendations were provided, they were changing constantly and very confusing. The CDC’s response to the Zika epidemic feels like a mirror image of their response to our current COVID-19 pandemic: an abject lack of coordinated and purposeful communication.

By January 2016, 12 cases in the US were confirmed. Still, nothing from the CDC. By mid-January, reports of autopsies on 4 Brazilian babies surfaced on the web and caught McNeil’s attention. Mothers of the 4 babies all had Zika. When McNeil inquired about a travel warning, he was given the cold shoulder and told the CDC was still “discussing recommendations”! In his own words, the author described January 15th, 2016 as a “circus” as the CDC announced a press conference at noon, then cancelled it, and then kept changing the hour the meeting would be held. The press conference started at 7pm that evening and the agency announced an interim travel guidance. One of the CDC physicians described Zika as a “fairly serious problem”.

What about the World Health Organization (WHO)? It turns out the WHO despises using the word “emergency” and reverts to using “Public Health Emergency of International Concern,” or PHEIC for brevity. On February 1st, 2016, the WHO convened a committee in Geneva, which was held in privacy given that unpublished data were going to be shared and discussed. The WHO Director General, Dr. Margaret Chan, declared a PHEIC after the meeting—but she worded the recommendations carefully, stating that the emergency was not over the spread of Zika itself, but over the possibility that Zika caused microcephaly; the WHO did not recommend any travel restrictions. The WHO declared Zika an epidemic rather than a pandemic, based on how the two are defined. The definition appears to have little to do with the gravity of the illness, but more so with the novelty of the virus and whether it is spread worldwide. Since Zika was discovered in 1947 and it was mainly in Brazil, it can’t be a pandemic. In fact, even on March 1st, 2020, the WHO still did not call COVID-19 a pandemic. We all know how that has changed since.

The book provides copious examples of CDC and WHO ineptitude in handling the Zika epidemic; examples that I can’t summarize in one article. I encourage you to read McNeil’s book to understand the damage done to the general public with delayed action and scant understanding of disease.

Fast forward to 2020. Every reader of this article can relate to how vague the CDC recommendations have been, the anemic response by the WHO, and all the missed opportunities to intervene. We’ve been plagued by indecision and mixed messaging on everything from who should wear masks and which masks to use, to who should be tested and when and whether we continue shelter in place or open up the country. Many questions why we didn’t have a travel ban early on. Why didn’t we close airports sooner? Why are we not ramping up testing? Why did it take weeks before recommending masks for all when in public? Why are some beaches in Florida still open? Need I go on???

Reading McNeil’s account of Zika confirmed to me that relying on agencies such as the CDC and the WHO is not reassuring. The weak response to Zika was a harbinger of the present crisis. Both agencies failed us before, and they are failing us now. Frankly, it’s ironic to watch the former CDC director, who poorly handled Zika, opine on the right way to deal with COVID-19. I don’t have a clear explanation as to why Zika did not have much of an impact on the US public, but Frieden deserves no credit for that stroke of luck.

The WHO and CDC reaction to the Zika epidemic should have been a lesson. Unfortunately, we failed to learn from the mistakes of the past in handling today’s pandemic. Unless there is a fundamental change in how the WHO and CDC conduct their roles in the public health response, history will repeat itself. My hope is that future pandemics won’t be as hard and painful as COVID-19 has been, but we can all agree that there will be a future pandemic. Next time let’s learn from our mistakes.

Chadi Nabhan (@chadinabhan) is a hematologist and oncologist in Chicago whose interests include lymphomas, healthcare delivery, strategy, and business of healthcare.

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kristinsimmons · 5 years ago

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Lessons from Zika in the Era of COVID-19

By CHADI NABHAN, MD, MBA, FACP

Chadi Nabhan (@chadinabhan) is a hematologist and oncologist in Chicago whose interests include lymphomas, healthcare delivery, strategy, and business of healthcare.

The post Lessons from Zika in the Era of COVID-19 appeared first on The Health Care Blog.

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samanthasroberts · 6 years ago

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Thursday briefing: Hurricane Irma flattens Caribbean communities

Atlantics biggest ever storm brings death and devastation the great British beer rip-off and how the aristocracy has kept its vice-like grip on wealth and power

Top story: Mega-storm carves destructive path

Good morning – it’s Warren Murray with the news from near and far.

Hurricane Irma has left a trail of destruction through the Caribbean. The emergency is continuing and so is our live coverage. Tiny nation-states and territories such as Antigua and Barbuda have been among the worst affected thus far by the most powerful storm ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean.

There has been massive property destruction on the island of Barbuda, while St Martin and St Barthélemy have also been heavily battered. Multiple fatalities have been reported – at least six people died in the French part of St Martin, local officials said. In Puerto Rico 965,000 people were left without power and nearly 50,000 without water.

Play Video

1:10

Hurricane Irma reaches the Caribbean – video report

Irma is heading towards the US mainland and authorities have warned it could strike southern Florida by Sunday afternoon. There are evacuation orders in Miami-Dade county. Donald Trump declared a state of emergency in Florida, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. Hurricane Jose has also formed in the open Atlantic, and Hurricane Katia in the Gulf off the coast of Mexico. Jose posed no immediate threat to land at time of writing, according to forecasters, but Katia may threaten the coast of Mexico where officials have issued a hurricane watch.

‘See what happens’ – South Korea has commenced the full deployment of the controversial Thaad missile defence system amid protests, while China has held air warfare exercises off the Korean peninsula as tensions continue to simmer following the North’s nuclear test. The White House says Donald Trump is ready to invoke sanctions against any country that trades with Kim Jong-un’s regime if the UN security fails to take action. Trump said after a phone call with Xi Jinping, the president of China – North Korea’s biggest trading partner – that “we will not be putting up with what’s happening in North Korea”. Asked if he was considering military action against the North, Trump said: “Certainly that’s not our first choice, but we will see what happens.”

As if Asia wasn’t already tense enough, India’s army chief has warned of the potential for simultaneous war with China and Pakistan after his country was involved in a tense 10-week standoff over disputed Himalayan territory. General Bipin Rawat said that situation could still snowball into a conflict with China that Pakistan would be able to exploit. “We have to be prepared … warfare lies within the realm of reality,” Rawat said.

The Brexit leaks – Fallout continues after the Guardian’s exclusive revelations about government Brexit policy papers. This morning we are reporting on leaked documents that show the deep divide between the negotiating positions of the EU and Britain. According to these latest files, Brussels is soon to publish five combative position papers – including one that demands Britain solve the problem of the Irish border, and others setting out demands for protecting EU goods, companies and data. The leaks come a day after the Guardian obtained a draft memo setting out a hardline British position on post-Brexit EU migration that has been heavily criticised as “completely confused”, “economically illiterate” and “catastrophic” for industry – as well as causing deep alarm among EU citizens living and working in the UK.

‘Atrocity’ – Spain’s government is furious after the regional parliament in Catalonia voted to stage an independence referendum. Perennial separatist agitations came to a head in Barcelona when the ruling pro-sovereignty coalition pushed through legislation by 72 votes to 52 to hold the plebiscite on 1 October. Opposition lawmakers walked out of the chamber. Spain’s central government is going to the constitutional court seeking to have the parliament’s vote annulled, and public prosecutors are filing charges against the Catalan speaker for allowing it. Courts have previously banned moves towards Catalan independence as unconstitutional.

Surrey pint is UK’s dearest – London has lost its dubious mantle as the most expensive place to buy a beer. In affluent Surrey, where house prices are double the national average, a pint now costs £4.40, which is 20p more than you will pay in the capital. It is the first time this has happened since 1982. Fiona Stapley, editor of the Good Pub Guide 2018, said the ranking may be skewed slightly by the guide featuring so many smaller, local boozers – making London seem “cheaper” than it really is. London and Surrey are the only two areas officially in the guide’s rip-off category. Herefordshire and Yorkshire are the cheapest at £3.31 for a pint, followed closely by Shropshire.

Load of flannel – At the Guardian Morning Briefing, we are dedicated to tackling the big issues facing the world. Today’s conundrum crying out for some peer-reviewed science: how often to wash your pyjamas. There are actual people who do it every day (“neurotics”) and some who almost never (“mingers”). Professor Sally Bloomfield, from the International Scientific Forum on Home Hygiene, says the longer you leave it, the more your risk spreading your personal crop of bacteria and viruses to someone else or, errm, parts of your own body where they might be unwelcome. For most households, says Bloomfield, once a week should be adequate – though her own admission to sleeping in the nuddy may throw her credentials into some doubt.

Lunchtime read: Why the aristocracy are still in charge

While the majority of hereditary peers have been excluded from the House of Lords, the rich, landed and powerful have plenty of other ways to maintain their dominion, writes Chris Bryant.

Lord Grimthorpe and the Duke of Devonshire at Royal Ascot 2015. Photograph: Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images for Ascot Racecourse

The Labour MP indicts Britain’s aristocracy as historically motivated by “not a noble aspiration to serve the common weal but a desperate desire for self-advancement … They grasped wealth, corruptly carved out their niche at the pinnacle of society and held on to it with a vice-like grip”. Despite social changes, a third of Britain’s land still belongs to them, including some of the most prestigious and valuable real estate in the world. Tax breaks and other forms of official favour preserve their privilege, while British law keeps the full extent of their wealth hidden underground. They still live in castles on sprawling estates, and play with guns, horses and hounds – existing “wrapped in the old aura of entitlement, counting their blessings and hoping that nobody notices”.

Sport

Tennis fans in New York will once again miss out on a Roger Federer-Rafael Nadal encounter after Juan Martín del Potro downed the Swiss to reach the semi-finals at Flushing Meadows. Nadal, the world No1, took just an hour and 36 minutes to beat Andrey Rublev to book his place in the final four.

In the women’s draw, an American champion is guaranteed after all four semi-final spots were taken by home players – Madison Keys, Coco Vandeweghe, Venus Williams and Sloane Stephens – for the first time since 1981. The London 2012 bid team have defended themselves against any suggestion of corruption, insisting they are “as close to certain as possible” the right to host the Olympics in the capital was won cleanly. Manu Tuilagi’s prospects of an England comeback this autumn have suffered another blow after it emerged he is set to undergo knee surgery this week. And Jamie Vardy’s football academy is already bearing fruit with four of its first intake taken on by professional clubs.

Business

Asian stocks bounced back into the black overnight after Donald Trump threw his weight behind a plan to extend the US government’s debt ceiling. But some investors cautioned that it is only a temporary fix until December and could come back to haunt the markets later in the year.

The FTSE100 is expected to see a modest rise when it opens later. The pound is buying $1.304 and €1,093.

The papers

A mixed bag of fronts today, although many papers do feature Hurricane Irma as it carves across the Caribbean. The i has the daunting headline “May God protect us all” – there are millions of people at risk and mass evacuations are under way.

Guardian front page, 7 September 2017.

The FT splashes on disquiet among some of the UK’s biggest companies at perceived “strong-arm” tactics by Downing Street, which wants them to sign a letter praising the government’s approach to Brexit. The Telegraph leads with Brexit as well, saying Theresa May’s plans are “in disarray” as two of her most senior ministers “distanced themselves” from leaked immigration policies.

Those draft policies were leaked to us at the Guardian, and our front pagecontinues with more exclusive revelations about the UK’s and the EU’s conflicting positions on Brexit.

The Sun leads with the headline: “Wazza off the Razza” and says Wayne Rooney has vowed to cut back on his big nights out. The Times leads with “Crackdown on university pay” and says institutions will be fined if they fail to justify paying their vice-chancellors more than the prime minister. The Mail’s mainstory is that half of GPs want to close their patients list because surgeries are full. Lastly, the Mirror splashes with “School bans skirts” and says parents in Lewes are unhappy with the introduction of gender-neutral clothing.

If you would like to receive the Guardian Morning Briefing by email, bright and early every weekday, sign up here.

Source: http://allofbeer.com/thursday-briefing-hurricane-irma-flattens-caribbean-communities/

from All of Beer https://allofbeer.wordpress.com/2019/02/09/thursday-briefing-hurricane-irma-flattens-caribbean-communities/

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allofbeercom · 6 years ago

Text

Thursday briefing: Hurricane Irma flattens Caribbean communities

Atlantics biggest ever storm brings death and devastation the great British beer rip-off and how the aristocracy has kept its vice-like grip on wealth and power

Top story: Mega-storm carves destructive path

Good morning – it’s Warren Murray with the news from near and far.

Play Video

1:10

Hurricane Irma reaches the Caribbean – video report

Lunchtime read: Why the aristocracy are still in charge

While the majority of hereditary peers have been excluded from the House of Lords, the rich, landed and powerful have plenty of other ways to maintain their dominion, writes Chris Bryant.

Lord Grimthorpe and the Duke of Devonshire at Royal Ascot 2015. Photograph: Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images for Ascot Racecourse

Sport

Business

The FTSE100 is expected to see a modest rise when it opens later. The pound is buying $1.304 and €1,093.

The papers

Guardian front page, 7 September 2017.

Those draft policies were leaked to us at the Guardian, and our front pagecontinues with more exclusive revelations about the UK’s and the EU’s conflicting positions on Brexit.

If you would like to receive the Guardian Morning Briefing by email, bright and early every weekday, sign up here.

from All Of Beer http://allofbeer.com/thursday-briefing-hurricane-irma-flattens-caribbean-communities/

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winterolympicssports2018-blog · 7 years ago

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Olympic world not better off after USOC's Scott Blackmun resigning

Click here for More Olympics Updates https://www.winterolympian.com/olympic-world-not-better-off-after-usocs-scott-blackmun-resigning/

Olympic world not better off after USOC's Scott Blackmun resigning

Christine Brennan | USA TODAY Sports

While there are those who undoubtedly are rejoicing over the resignation of U.S. Olympic Committee CEO Scott Blackmun, the proper response to this news should be sadness.

Sadness over the awful sex abuse scandals that have befallen the U.S. Olympic world in two of its most popular and successful sports, gymnastics and swimming.

Sadness that our culture — not just leaders of the USOC, but all of us — has been so slow to react to protect our children from these horrors of youth sports.

Sadness that Blackmun, 60, a man who brought internal change and international respect to the USOC over the past eight years, has decided to leave due to ongoing health issues resulting from his recent surgery for prostate cancer.

Had Blackmun been healthy, he quite possibly could still be on the job today, leading an embattled organization through its most trying times. Would that have been wise? Would he have lasted? Would he have been able to exact reforms from within as he was being battered by the outside world, including two U.S. senators calling for his resignation?

These are questions that will never be answered, but they are questions that should not be ignored. It will be popular to say that Blackmun was forced out due to the burgeoning sex abuse scandals in gymnastics and swimming. But it will not be correct.

“In a perfect world, Scott might have decided he wanted to continue to try to work on these important issues,” USOC board chairman Larry Probst said in a phone interview Wednesday. “It breaks my heart to see him leaving at this time. But he and we know we need a CEO 24-7 in these challenging times.”

This is a substantial loss for the USOC. Blackmun mended long-broken fences within the powerful International Olympic Committee to lay the groundwork so that the U.S. could host another Olympic Games – the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. He took one of the oldest of the old boy organizations and brought more than a half-dozen women into senior leadership, including the USOC’s chief financial officer and the heads of human resources and security.

He and I spoke at length several times over the past few years about the need to bring more women and minorities into sports leadership, especially the USOC with its predominance of female sports stars. Blackmun certainly didn’t need any persuading.

In fact, it will be Susanne Lyons, a current USOC board member, who will serve as acting CEO, overseeing the USOC’s day-to-day operations while a search for a permanent successor takes place.

As the horrible Larry Nassar scandal overtook the U.S. Olympic movement, Blackmun issued apologies and vowed that the USOC would change. An ongoing independent investigation, commissioned by Blackmun, is expected to offer answers about what he and other leaders knew about the sexual assaults of more than 160 gymnasts. Concurrently, the Orange County Register recently reported on allegations of the abuse of hundreds of American swimmers, another devastating blow to the U.S. Olympic community.

Blackmun has never been one to mince words or avoid questions about tough issues. In a 2017 Colorado Springs Gazette column about the gymnastics scandal and the USOC’s launch of the U.S. Center for Safe Sport, he wrote:

“Could we do more? Always. Should we have begun acting before 2010? I wish we had. But to suggest that the USOC is not diligently and effectively working to solve this problem is unfair to the USOC and misleading to the American public.”

Had Blackmun not been battling cancer, his reign at the top of the USOC might have ended sooner rather than later anyway. As we are seeing, few leaders – in sports, in academics, in business – end up surviving scandals this devastating. That is a fact.

But here is another: the Olympic world is not better off for having lost Scott Blackmun. To start fresh and tackle these crucial issues anew, it might have been necessary for him to eventually go.

But never would that have brought any joy. No, only sadness.

MORE OLYMPICS COVERAGE:

MEMORIES: Olympians share best memories, biggest surprises of Winter Games

LOOKING AHEAD: Five American athletes that could be stars in the 2022 Olympics

THUMBS UP: Olympian Gus Kenworthy tweets support of Dick’s Sporting Goods’ decision on guns

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#winter Olympics Updates

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euromaidanpress · 4 years ago

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[box] What started as random gatherings in support of Opposition presidential candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanovskaya, as well as the first demonstrations of Women in White, quickly evolved into a country-wide Belarusian protest against the obviously rigged elections of 9 August 2020. After days of brutal government repression with some 7,000 protestors detained and tortured, on 18 August, the Belarusian Opposition launched a Coordination Council for the Transfer of Power in Belarus. The council’s mandate is to coordinate a peaceful and orderly transfer of power from Alyaksander Lukashenka, the incumbent president, and to hold a new, free and fair presidential election at the earliest opportunity. About 70 members of the council are public opinion and professional leaders from various backgrounds. The council is expected to elect a seven-member presidium which will then elect a chairperson.

The official Coordination Council is underpinned by hundreds of small rallies, strikes and individual statements from people representing various professions. Their support is exceptionally diverse; including state enterprises, TV channels, governmental bodies, municipal councils and other public officials. Widespread support is the main prerequisite for the success of what might be termed a Belarusian revolution. Here are a few broad brushstrokes of this wide and diverse landscape. [/box]

First municipality challenges Lukashenka

Opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanovskaya called on protesters to demand local authorities to support protests through public statements. Such a coordinated action could launch a devastating blow to Lukashenka’s regime. If the majority of local councils upheld the protesters, Lukashenka’s administrative support would be greatly undermined. On 19 August, protests were crowned by a first such success. After a mass rally in Grodno the previous evening, the city administration released a statement where it fulfilled protesters’ demands.

Mass demonstration in Grodno city center on 18 August evening:

https://twitter.com/AlexKokcharov/status/1295848699134959618

Specifically, the Grodno municipality created the Council of Public Accord with representatives both from local authorities and civil society. The city was to allow events in the central squares. And as long as notification of public events was received in advance, medical, technical and communication support would be provided. Protesters would be allowed airtime on Grodno local TV. Most importantly, fulfilling two key demands, the Department of Internal Affairs of the Grodno Regional Executive Committee issued a public apology, and citizens detained for participating in so-called “unauthorized mass events” were released.

Musicians, museum workers, and sportsmen

As often happens, preceding even the early gatherings of protestors are actions by other sectors of society which can go unnoticed. Prior to the mass demonstrations that were broadcast around the world, artists, writers, and musicians, and other cultural and intellectual elites, were already in motion. Theaters, museums, sports teams, and many other non-political communities were organizing their own small rallies. An interesting feature of the Belarusian uprising has been that many unique sectors of society held their own rally, in addition to participating in the larger rallies. Important to note is that the majority of cultural institutions in Belarus are state-owned, making any form of protest almost certain to result in job loss — at the very least — and certainly high-risk.

One of these early protests saw exactly that consequence. The troupe of the Minsk’s oldest and grandest Kupalauski theater took part in anti-government rallies. As a reprisal, theater director Paval Latushka was fired. The entire troupe then resigned in solidarity and carried out a vigorous outburst near the theater. They attracted hundreds of supporters who joined them.

Actors of Kupalauski theater recording the video. Source: charter97.org

Latushka has directed what is the nation’s most prominent theatre since 2019. Earlier he served in Lukashenka’s government as ambassador to Poland, France and Spain, and as communications director for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. His protest amounted not only to that of a cultural manager but also to that of a politician.

“In the life of every person there comes a line that cannot be crossed, says Latushka. That moment came for me when I saw people coming out of prisons, talking about the violence against them. I became ashamed. I considered it my moral duty to express my position.”

The Kupalauski troupe released a video, demanding fair elections and calling for police to serve the people rather than a dictator.

Performers of the Kupalauski theater continue their demonstration on 20 August. This time wearing Belarusian national costumes. Source: tut.by

Belarusians come to the Kupalauski theater to support actors. Source: Naviny.by

Other protests by members of the arts included the Musicians of the Belarusian State Philharmony and Ryhor Shirma State Choir. Some 200 musicians gathered in the square in front of the Belarusian State Philharmony to support the protesters. The assembly turned into a full-fledged concert.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBFyWosE_og %5B/embedyt%5D%5Bembedyt%5D https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBFyWosE_og %5B/embedyt%5D

The Ryhor Shirma State Choir performing the spiritual anthem of the Belarusians Magutny Bozha (Powerful God). Source: Tut.by

The staff of Belarusian museums also came together in protest, and to commemorate a tragic loss. During demonstrations on 15 August, Konstantin Shishmakov, director of the Military History Museum in Volkovysk disappeared. Later, his family learned that he refused to sign the falsified protocol of the election commission. He called his wife in late afternoon and said: “I will not work here anymore, I am going home.” But he never came home. On 18 August, he was found dead. While police claim he committed suicide, museum colleagues believe this to be a lie.

Employees of the National Art Museum of Belarus and the National Historical Museum also gathered to express solidarity – this time with all Belarusians who disappeared before and after the elections.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Belarusian sports heroes did not stand aside during these events. They have pledged to refuse representation of Belarus, if Lukashenka’s government continues its repression of citizens. More than 200 sports celebrities, including Olympic medal winners and world or European champions signed an open letter demanding the authorities to recognize the 9 August elections as invalid and to release all detained protesters as well as all Belarusian political prisoners. One of the nation’s champion handball players Artem Korolek commented about the events:

“I didn’t expect that it would happen that way, because everyone associates Belarus with calmness and order. Moreover, it all began peacefully … For me, this is horror. I could not believe what was happening, such cruel indifference to people who had not smashed a single storefront, nothing was on fire, everything went quietly. And yet more, already before the elections, I was shocked how in daylight some strange car arrives, and some strange athletic guys without uniform start taking people away. I thought we were living in 2020, not the 90s.”

Artem Korolek during the handball game. Source: tut.by

State media

During the height of the protests, on 14 August, journalists of the state media presented an appeal to the Minister of Information.

“The fact that many of our colleagues in the state media are resigning is not fake, not political technology, not a paid PR campaign. This is a call of conscience and the impossibility to calmly look at the ongoing violence. Choosing our profession, and not a place of work, we thought that we should be objective conductors of sometimes polar opinions,” the appeal says.

However, the appeal had little impact on the official media policy. For example, state channel STV broadcast a crude anti-Tsikhanovskaya propaganda clip with her image imposed on scenes of war and destruction.

A number of employees of state-run Belteleradio company announced a strike. At first, only 55 out of 1,500 employees participated in the demonstration. Later their numbers grew. As a consequence, a majority of the protesters were either dismissed or resigned themselves. On 20 August, former employees of Belteleradio, who quit, decided to launch an alternative TV-channel.

Lukashenka’s regime, however, does not consider strikes as enough of a threat to change media policy. Sources have reported that at least six fired technical workers were replaced by workers from Russia. Incentives included generous salaries of some US$2,500 (much more than that of fired employees) and other social benefits.

Demonstration of the employees of state-run Belteleradio. Source: Naviny.by

Along with Belteleradio employees, other state media also announced strikes or presented their demands to Lukashenka.

For example, the staff of the state newspaper Zvezda demanded to stop censorship and threatened to start a strike. They also demanded the publication of objective, truthful, and varied content in the newspaper; as well as an end to harassment, pressure, moral and physical violence against journalists performing their professional duties. However, the government’s answer showed that Lukashenka intends to fight to the very end. Zvezda’s editor-in-chief Pavel Sukhorukov was dismissed, and the Ministry of Information officials conducted telephone “conversations” with deputy editors-in-chief.

Belarusian doctors stay close to protesters

Belarusian doctors expressed their solidarity with protesters from the outset of demonstrations. They demanded a stop to repression and to allow doctors access to detained people who required help — especially those who had been beaten or otherwise injured. Doctors sent an open appeal to the Minister of Health Vladimir Karanik. The appeal was signed by more than 300 medical workers:

We, like most of our colleagues, have to look with pain and disappointment at what is happening now in the healthcare system. Numerous patients come with bullet wounds of various localization, including penetrating wounds; including damage of internal organs; mine and explosive injuries, including those with brain damage, traumatic amputations of limbs, extensive defects. This is not a complete list of what doctors have to deal with at the moment.

Doctors protesting in a solidarity chain. Source: tut.by

From the first day of protests, Belarusian doctors stayed close to protesters, offering medical and psychological help. Psychologists have been willing to work with Belarusians who suffered mentally during the protests. Dentists have offered to fix broken teeth. Traumatologists have worked around the clock to examine wounds and help with treatment. A list of volunteer doctors and private clinics was prepared and is regularly updated so that protesters can obtain any required help.

Workers of factories – the main force of the Belarusian protest

Workers rally in Minsk. Source: tut.by

Industrial workers have been, without a doubt, the main drivers of the Belarusian protest. Their clout has been especially powerful when taking into account that the country’s industrialized economy would severely suffer under mass strikes. According to belzabastovka.org — the online outlet providing updates on the Belarusian strike — more than 100 state enterprises have announced strikes. And there are not “some 20 people,” as Lukashenka said, but thousands are refusing to work until their demands for free elections are fulfilled.

As stated on belzabastovka.org more than 100 Belarusian factories in key industrial centers announced strikes.

[box]Among these companies are pillars of the Belarusian economy — such as the Minsk Automobile Plant (MAZ) with 15,000 employees and BelarusKali (Potash Fertilizers) with 16,000. Like other protestors nationwide, these workers are also demanding Lukashenka’s resignation and new fair elections. They have strategically chosen companies which will lend a direct blow to the Belarus economy that is highly dependent on them.[/box]

Reportedly, workers who supported the strike are being fired. MAZ is cancelling the contracts of those who joined the strike committee. Some workers are being intimidated and threatened with criminal persecution. Many workers do not believe they will compensated or in any way supported.

Nonetheless, to assist those who were unlawfully dismissed due to their political stance, Belarusians have created a Solidarity Fund. The fund has already collected €1 million from the donations of rdinary people. Everyone who is unlawfully dismissed can receive €1,500 — equal to three average monthly salaries.

Another similar initiative run by a private foundation, the social program known as Kali Laska, is helping prepare the children of unlawfully dismissed workers for the upcoming school term, hiring school staff, purchasing textbooks, funding sports equipment, and so on.

Some staff members of Belarusian Government and Ambassadors also support protests

[box] Although not yet in mass numbers, employees of various governmental bodies are also protesting against police violence and, even more importantly, advocating for Lukashenka’s removal. Every single protest by governmental officials in Belarus is important and inspiring to regular citizens. The government is entirely controlled by the president and is the main pillar of his power. Any hesitation among state officials means a major setback for Lukashenka. [/box]

Igor Leshchenya, Belarusian ambassador to Slovakia, was among the first government officials to oppose Lukashenka. On 15 August he resigned and posted a stinging video supporting protestors.

“Hundreds of my compatriots felt that staff of law enforcement agencies have restored the traditions of the NKVD in full scale at the European-tolerant Belarus of the 21st century … I express my solidarity with those who participated in peaceful rallies so that their voices can be heard,” said Leshchenya.

On 17 August, two senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a rally in front of the ministerial building. The head of the Historical and Archival Department, Viacheslav Kazachenok, and Deputy Head of the Eurasian Integration Department, Elena Kopaneva, were photographed holding blank sheets of paper to demonstrate they are ready to resign. At the same time, they acknowledged that they are all statesmen,” emphasizing that Belarusian state is not exclusively Lukashenka’s.

“Stay with the people, please stop the genocide. Free people from prison, give them medical aid,” Kazachenok urged riot police. He also addressed the president directly: “Why not keep your word and leave with a suitcase under your arm? You were separated from the people long ago and hopelessly.”

Viacheslav Kazachenok and Elena Kopaneva protest near Belarusian Ministry of Foreign affairs. Source: tut.by

On 18 August, Belarusian Ambassador to Spain Pavel Pustovoi posted a statement on Facebook where he demanded a vote recount the vote and prosecution for those who beat protesters, as well as those who provoked violence.

Also on 18 August, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Belarusian Consul General Igor Bondarev and the Consul Vitaly Kniazev supported a joint address of Belarusian diaspora representatives that was point-blank directed at Lukashenka in which they demanded a stop to violence against peaceful protesters.

Ministry of Internal Affairs says it’s not a ‘regime’ but part of society

The Ministry of Internal Affairs that controls the police and is the key ministry for Lukashenka’s hold onto his dictatorial regime also released a statement on 18 August. Although not a statement of support for protesters, surprisingly it also expresses loyalty, and encourages all concerned to seek understanding between protesters and police rather than to condemn demonstrations. The statement begins: “Sharing concern about the future of the country and people, without condemning the aspirations of compatriots for positive and peaceful changes,” and was published by the press secretary of the ministry. The ministry seems to recognize its responsibility and wrongdoing for excessive violence of some police units, but at the same time emphasizes that the majority of police officers serve only to protect people and are not offenders.

“A misleading attitude is being formed: to be a law enforcement officer is a shame and bad, – reads the statement. All police officers are demonized without exception. [Some activists and politicians] expect from us a pathetic refusal from certificates, joining the columns of protesters …”

Most of the remaining police wear uniforms in order to serve society and the state. And people who call on ‘honest policemen’ to throw out this form do not give answers to simple and logical questions … If all the police quit, who will defend Belarusians who remain at home while the other part of them expresses their opinion on the streets? … We are not a ‘regime,’ we are a part of society! Right now, we are obliged to serve in our places as never before.’

Along with some police officers, a number of soldiers of the Belarusian army joined protests, undermining Lukashenka’s military support. In particular, 30 paratroopers — considered to be elite troops — participated in city rallies, wearing their uniform t-shirts. Several protesters met them with applause.

Paratroopers protesting in Minsk. Source: charter97.org

Paratroopers also came to the streets of Grodno. Source: RFE/RL

Despite the widespread support of protests, Lukashenka has no intention of resigning. He continues to organize rallies in his support, by mobilizing state workers, the army, and arms of the government. As far as the increasing support of protestors by NATO countries, Lukashenko claims they are interfering in Belarusian affairs and spurring revolution.

From ambassadors to sports heroes – Belarusian protests encompass all social groups What started as random gatherings in support of Opposition presidential candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanovskaya, as well as the first demonstrations of Women in White, quickly evolved into a country-wide Belarusian protest against the obviously rigged elections of 9 August 2020.

#Belarus

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vsplusonline · 5 years ago

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Olympics postponed; to be held latest by 2021 summer, says Japanese PM

New Post has been published on https://apzweb.com/olympics-postponed-to-be-held-latest-by-2021-summer-says-japanese-pm/

Olympics postponed; to be held latest by 2021 summer, says Japanese PM

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics has been postponed to no later than the summer of 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic sweeping the globe, the International Olympic Committee announced on Tuesday.

Also read: 2020 Olympic Games will be postponed, says IOC member Dick Pound

The Games were scheduled for July 24-August 9, but after telephone discussions between IOC president Thomas Bach and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a historic joint decision was taken for the first postponement of an Olympics in peacetime.

Abe said Bach was in “100% agreement” when Japan asked the IOC to push back the Games and said the delayed Olympics “held in a complete form will be a testament to mankind’s defeat of the new virus.”

Also read: Coronavirus | Canada withdraws from 2020 Games as Japan, IOC consider postponement

In a joint statement, the pair said that based on current World Health Organization information, the Tokyo Games “must be rescheduled to a date beyond 2020 but not later than summer 2021, to safeguard the health of the athletes, everybody involved in the Olympic Games and the international community.”

“The leaders agreed that the Olympic Games in Tokyo could stand as a beacon of hope to the world during these troubled times and that the Olympic flame could become the light at the end of the tunnel in which the world finds itself at present.

Flame to stay in Japan

“Therefore, it was agreed that the Olympic flame will stay in Japan. It was also agreed that the Games will keep the name Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020,” the statement concluded.

Bach later said he did not discuss new dates with Abe and the exact dates is a question for the Tokyo organising committee and an International Olympic Committee panel overseeing the preparations.

The torch relay, due to start on Thursday from the Fukushima, will be postponed and the flame will remain there for now.

The move would be a devastating blow for Tokyo, which had won widespread praise for its organisation, with venues finished well ahead of time and tickets massively oversubscribed.

The Olympics, which has experienced boycotts, terrorist attacks and protests, but has been held every four years since 1948, would be the highest-profile event affected by the virus that has killed thousands and closed sports competitions worldwide.

The IOC has come under increasing pressure in recent days to postpone the Games, scheduled to start on July 24, with 1.7 billion people across the planet in lockdown to prevent the further spread of COVID-19.

Preparations affected

Training has become impossible for many athletes and exposes them to the risk of contracting or spreading the disease. Competitions and qualifiers have been scrapped, while international travel is severely limited.

On Sunday, the IOC had initially given itself a deadline of four weeks to come up with a proposal to postpone the Games, a Herculean task that touches on every aspect of Tokyo 2020 planning from venues to security to ticketing.

But after Canada and Australia withdrew their teams and the powerful US Olympic Committee and World Athletics also joined the chorus calling for a postponement, the writing was on the wall for the July start.

Tokyo was spending some $12.6 billion to host the Games, according to its latest budget, and experts believe a postponement could cost it some $6 billion in the short-term before recouping it when it eventually goes ahead.

It will also be a bitter blow to sponsors and major broadcasters who rely on the four-yearly extravaganza for critical advertising revenue.

It is not the first time Tokyo has seen unscheduled changes to the Games — it was due to be the first Asian country to host the Olympics in 1940 before pulling out due to international pressure over its war with China.

But Tokyo 2020 organisers point to the unparalleled complexity — not to mention cost — of shifting the Games. It is not even clear venues will be available and tens of thousands of hotel rooms will need to be cancelled and rebooked.

Logistical issues

Squeezing in the 16-day Games into what will already be a hugely crowded 2021 calendar is another major headache, with arguably the two biggest sports, swimming and athletics, due to hold their World Championships that summer.

However, World Athletics has already said it was prepared to shift its World championships, scheduled for August 6-15 next year in Oregon, to accommodate the move.

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kansascityhappenings · 5 years ago

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Russia banned from 2020 Olympics and 2022 World Cup over doping scandal

MONTREAL, Canada — The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has unanimously agreed to ban Russia from major international sporting competitions — notably the Olympics and the World Cup — for four years over doping non-compliance.

WADA’s compliance review committee (CRC) had suggested several sanctions because of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency’s (RUSADA) failure to cooperate fully during probes into Russian sport.

WADA’s executive committee decided to uphold the recommendations at a meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland on Monday.

Russian whistleblower Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov, who was influential in initially exposing the doping cover-up, praised WADA’s decision.

“Finally, Russia’s many doping and obstruction sins will now get some of the punishment they richly deserve. For far too long, Russia has weaponized doping fraud and state-sponsored criminal activity as a tool of foreign policy,” said Rodchenkov via his lawyer Jim Walden, in a statement sent to CNN.

“Let every corrupt nation that tries to play from Russia’s illicit playbook take heed of today’s monumental decision. When doping conspiracies become a crime under the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act, cheaters will be in U.S. prisons and clean athletes will be better protected.”

RUSADA has 21 days to accept the decision or send the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Svetlana Zhurova, first deputy chairperson of the international committee of the Russian State Duma lower parliament house, suggested an appeal was very likely and that a decision would be made when RUSADA meets on December 19.

“I am 100% sure [Russia will go to court] because we must defend our athletes,” she told TASS News Agency.

Why the ban?

If upheld, WADA’s decision means Russia will be unable to compete in events such as next year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo nor the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. It will also be unable to host any major sporting events.

“For too long, Russian doping has detracted from clean sport,” said WADA President Sir Craig Reedie in a statement.

“The blatant breach by the Russian authorities of RUSADA’s reinstatement conditions, approved by the ExCo in September 2018, demanded a robust response. That is exactly what has been delivered today.”

WADA’s punishment relates to inconsistencies in data retrieved by WADA in January 2019 from the Moscow lab at the center of the 2016 McLaren report, which uncovered a widespread and sophisticated state-sponsored sports doping network.

RUSADA was initially deemed non-compliant after the publication of the McLaren report in 2016.

Commissioned by WADA, the report found the Russian state conspired with athletes and sporting officials to undertake a doping program that was unprecedented in its scale and ambition.

The findings led to sanctions, including no Russian team being present at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, with certain eligible athletes being forced to compete under a neutral flag.

Competing as neutrals

The latest ban leaves the door open for Russian athletes, who can prove they are not tainted by the scandal, to compete as neutral athletes.

For example, the Russian national team can still qualify for the World Cup finals in 2022, but if successful would have to compete as a neutral team in Qatar.

Reedie continued: “Russia was afforded every opportunity to get its house in order and rejoin the global anti-doping community for the good of its athletes and of the integrity of sport, but it chose instead to continue in its stance of deception and denial.”

“As a result, the WADA ExCo has responded in the strongest possible terms, while protecting the rights of Russian athletes that can prove that they were not involved and did not benefit from these fraudulent acts.”

Both the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) told CNN they acknowledge and support WADA’s decision.

Broken system

However, the decision has not satisfied everybody, notably United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart.

“To allow Russia to escape a complete ban is yet another devastating blow to clean athletes, the integrity of sport and the rule of law. And, in turn, the reaction by all those who value sport should be nothing short of a revolt against this broken system to force reform,” he said in a statement.

“WADA promised the world back in 2018 that if Russia failed yet again to live up to its agreements, it would use the toughest sanction under the rules. Yet, here we go again; WADA says one thing and does something entirely different.”

Meanwhile, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev criticized WADA’s decision, describing it as “anti-Russian hysteria.”

“The fact that all these decisions are repeated, and often in relation to athletes who have already been punished in one way or another suggests that this is a continuation of anti-Russian hysteria, which has already become chronic,” he said, calling on Russian organizations involved to appeal.

from FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports https://fox4kc.com/2019/12/09/russia-banned-from-2020-olympics-and-2022-world-cup-over-doping-scandal/

from Kansas City Happenings https://kansascityhappenings.wordpress.com/2019/12/09/russia-banned-from-2020-olympics-and-2022-world-cup-over-doping-scandal/

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kristinsimmons · 5 years ago

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Lessons from Zika in the Era of COVID-19

By CHADI NABHAN, MD, MBA, FACP

Chadi Nabhan (@chadinabhan) is a hematologist and oncologist in Chicago whose interests include lymphomas, healthcare delivery, strategy, and business of healthcare.

The post Lessons from Zika in the Era of COVID-19 appeared first on The Health Care Blog.

Lessons from Zika in the Era of COVID-19 published first on https://wittooth.tumblr.com/

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blogwonderwebsites · 6 years ago

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Nature Russia’s Antidoping Agency Is Reinstated by WADA

Nature Russia’s Antidoping Agency Is Reinstated by WADA Nature Russia’s Antidoping Agency Is Reinstated by WADA http://www.nature-business.com/nature-russias-antidoping-agency-is-reinstated-by-wada/

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Craig Reedie, the head of the World Anti-Doping Agency. WADA voted on Thursday to reinstate Russia’s antidoping agency.CreditCreditIshara S. Kodikara/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

The global regulator of drugs in sports on Thursday voted to allow Russia to resume testing its athletes for performance-enhancing drugs, despite an outcry from athletes and watchdogs that Moscow has not done enough to clean up its record of corruption in competitions.

Russia, whose drug-testing agency has been banned for three years, will now be able to certify on its own that its athletes are not using illicit drugs, allowing them easier entry to a range of competitions. Russia will also be able to issue what are known as therapeutic use exemptions, which permit athletes to use certain prohibited drugs for medical reasons.

The executive board of the World Anti-Doping Agency made the move despite a series of independent investigations that found Russia had orchestrated a vast, state-sponsored doping scheme that tainted the Olympics and other major sports events.

It comes at a time of mounting skepticism about the fairness of international sports competitions as the use of performance-enhancing drugs remains pervasive. Athletes say they do not have faith that their competitors are not doping. They also say the governing bodies of their sports have failed to ensure the integrity of the competition, even at the highest-profile events, like the Olympics.

The decision clears Russia to start hosting international sports events again. In addition, it paves the way for Russian athletes to begin competing under their own flag in every sport. Russia’s track and field athletes might be welcomed back at all international events; the I.A.A.F., track and field’s world governing body, had refused to accept Russian athletes while the country’s antidoping agency was not considered in compliance with WADA standards.

Minutes after Russia was cleared by WADA, the organizers of the European Games, a multisport event, named Kazan, Russia, to a shortlist of three cities to host the event in 2023.

The vote by WADA’s board was 9 to 2, with one abstention, to reinstate Russia’s antidoping agency, which had been banned since 2015 after investigators found it was at the center of the doping conspiracy at the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.

The conspiracy included, among other methods, substituting clean urine for tainted samples through a hidden hole in the wall at the agency’s testing laboratory in Sochi. The lab was guarded by members of Russia’s state security services, according to the investigations.

The doping conspiracy led the International Olympic Committee to ban Russia from the Winter Olympics this year in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

Nearly 170 Russian athletes ultimately participated through special dispensations from the international sports federations. But Russia’s National Olympic Committee was prohibited from attending. The Russian flag was not officially displayed and the athletes had to wear neutral uniforms with “Olympic Athlete From Russia” printed on them.

After the Games, Russia continued to deny the state had sponsored the doping and it declined to give investigators access to its testing labs and possibly tainted urine samples. Russia, in an agreement with WADA, was supposed to admit to the doping scheme and turn over data and samples before the agency reinstated it.

After negotiations between Russian officials and leaders of international sports organizations, however, a WADA committee unexpectedly recommended the reinstatement last Friday. The full board, meeting in the Seychelles, affirmed it.

The organization backed off insisting that Russia accept the findings of an investigation by Richard McLaren that laid out evidence of a state-supported doping program in Sochi. Instead, WADA asked Russia to accept the less harsh findings on the government’s role in what is known as the Schmid report, produced by an International Olympic Committee commission.

Pavel Kolobkov, Russia’s sports minister, said in a letter to WADA that his government accepted the findings of the Schmid report and agreed to turn over data and stored samples from Russian athletes.

WADA’s president, Craig Reedie, said that the reinstatement came with “strict conditions” and that Russia could be ruled noncompliant again if it failed to follow a timeline for allowing access to Russian data and samples before Dec. 31. That data is crucial for adjudicating hundreds of possible cases of cheating from years ago.

The decision brought renewed criticism of WADA, which had angered athletes and other antidoping officials by softening some of the demands it made of Russia.

Travis Tygart, chief executive of the United States Anti-Doping Agency, called the decision “a devastating blow to the world’s clean athletes.”

Mr. Tygart and other antidoping leaders and athletes critical of the decision said going back on the so-called “road map” for Russia’s reinstatement was akin to putting the desires of sports officials and a powerful nation above the rights of clean athletes.

He vowed to use the decision to build momentum for a significant reformation of WADA so the organization does not include representatives from sports organizations. The world’s athletes “want a WADA with teeth, authority, sanctioning power and the determination to get the job done of cleaning up sport and restoring the trust of the billions of sports fans and athletes worldwide.”

Richard Pound, the I.O.C. member who was the first president of WADA and who conducted an initial report on Russian doping in 2015, defended the deal as the only way to guarantee access to all the information necessary to pursue cases of cheating. The original requirements for reinstatement did not explicitly state that the Russians must provide the computer records of each athlete’s cheating, but the latest ones do. In exchange for that, WADA essentially dropped its demand that Russia admit to state-sponsored doping.

“When you’re dealing with issues diplomatically, sometimes you can’t go at them directly,” Mr. Pound said. “Sometimes by circling you get at it.”

Mr. Tygart and WADA’s other critics have long complained that the organization includes too many leaders of sports organizations with conflicted loyalties in positions of power. Six members of WADA’s 12-person executive committee have positions with an international or national sports organization.

Linda Hofstad Helleland of Norway, who voted against reinstatement, said the vote “casts a dark shadow over the credibility of the antidoping movement.”

Max Cobb, a member of the International Biathlon Union’s executive board, said WADA needed to get access to the lab data as quickly as possible. “I want to see these cases adjudicated,” Mr. Cobb said.

Mr. Reedie told the BBC before the vote on Thursday: “I think it’s entirely within the road map that was specified. The second condition still requires a copy of the database and raw data to come to us. If they don’t deliver, they won’t be compliant.”

But many athletes and officials expressed dismay.

Beckie Scott, a former cross-country skier from Canada who resigned from the WADA compliance review committee after it endorsed readmitting the Russian antidoping authorities, said after the decision on Thursday that she was “profoundly disappointed.”

In a statement on Thursday, the I.A.A.F. said it had its own set of criteria for reinstating Russia. Rune Andersen, an antidoping expert from Norway who has been leading the track federation’s task force on Russia, will review WADA’s decision and make a recommendation to the I.A.A.F in December. But the federation suggested that it might continue to take a hard line on Russia and insist that Russia admit to state-sponsored doping.

“The setting of our own criteria and the process of evaluating progress against these criteria has served the sport of athletics well over the last three years, so we will continue to rely on the task force and our clear road map,” said Sebastian Coe, the Olympic champion who is the president of the I.A.A.F.

In a statement, U.K. Sport, the United Kingdom’s government agency charged with the development of elite athletes, said it was disappointed in the decision: “We call on WADA to fully and transparently explain how it came to the compromise of reinstating Russia — and how it will ensure that the new conditions are fully met and implemented. A strong WADA and a unified antidoping community are vital to the integrity of sport and to ensure public trust and support is maintained.”

Ahead of the decision, in an opinion article in The New York Times, Edwin Moses, the former hurdling star and chairman of the United States Anti-Doping Agency, said, “Having spoken to athletes, I know they overwhelmingly support the right decision being made in the Seychelles — they overwhelmingly support WADA’s sticking to its road map.”

Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov, the whistle-blower who revealed Russia’s doping program, urged against the decision in an opinion article published by USA Today. “WADA must not fall prey to manipulation and false assertions from the ministry, the same arm of the Kremlin that facilitated the doping program and asserted false compliance,” Dr. Rodchenkov wrote. “To do so would be nothing short of a catastrophe for clean sport.”

His lawyer, Jim Walden, said after the decision, “WADA’s decision to reinstate Russia represents the greatest treachery against clean athletes in Olympic history.”

Victor Mather contributed reporting.

Read More | https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/20/sports/olympics/russia-wada-antidoping-reinstated.html |

Nature Russia’s Antidoping Agency Is Reinstated by WADA, in 2018-09-20 23:45:16

#Nature of Business in the Current Market

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alamante · 6 years ago

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Dee-Ann Kentish-Rogers was hopeful, but she didn’t necessarily expect to win this year’s Miss Universe Great Britain. And she definitely didn’t expect a victory to come with much fanfare. The 25-year-old says her victory still feels surreal ― but the support she’s received from black women all over the world is helping her soak it all in.

“Having mothers asking me to speak to their daughters, just to tell them to be proud of who they are ― that’s when it began to feel real,” she told HuffPost. “I take great pride in that.”

It’s especially inspirational being what she calls “a small-island girl.” And she’s encouraging other small-town girls to dare to dream big. Here are five more things to know about the first black woman to win Miss Universe Great Britain.

She represents two places in the United Kingdom.

Kentish-Rogers was born and raised on the small island of Anguilla, a British territory located in the Caribbean with a population of just 15,000. She credits the close-knit island community with keeping her humble and devoted to high achievement. In 2013, she moved to Birmingham, England, to study law, and quickly realized it felt familiar in some ways. The city is often under-covered in the media, just like her island homeland.

Now, she’s urging women and girls never to limit their worlds to the size of their backyards.

“Too often, when we come from very small communities, we are led to believe that that determines our trajectory,” she said. “I’m here to show young girls that that’s simply not true.”

Photo courtesy of Zuri Wilkes via Dee-Ann Kentish-Rogers

Dee-Ann Kentish-Rogers, 2018’s Miss Universe Great Britain, poses in her homeland of Anguilla. The small island is a British territory in the Caribbean with a population of 15,000.

She didn’t expect her historic win to be a big deal.

“I didn’t win the pageant because I’m black ― it’s because I worked hard and executed my plan,” Kentish-Rogers said. “But after winning the title and getting hundreds of messages from little black girls telling me my win feels like their win, I’ve come to realize it means a lot to me because it meant a lot to everyone else.”

The impact really hits home, she said, when she reflects on the message she’s sending to young women on her own island and throughout the Caribbean.

“It means the world to me to be able to show young Anguillan [girls] or any Caribbean girl that they can go so much further when they embrace their heritage and allow it to propel you forward,” she said. “We’re small, but we’re mighty.”

She originally wanted to represent Great Britain through sports, not pageantry.

“When I was small, I would always tell my mom that I’m going to be an Olympic athlete for Great Britain, and she supported me,” Kentish-Rogers said.

Her athletic prowess allowed her to represent Anguilla on the international stage as a track and field athlete. But just as she seemed destined for athletic greatness, in 2014, a severe knee injury cut her track career short.

“I had to refocus,” she said. “It wasn’t really changing my dreams, but letting them reinvent themselves.”

Cameron Spencer via Getty Images

Kentish-Rogers competes in the Women’s Heptathlon Javelin at Hampden Park during the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games on July 30, 2014.

Kentish-Rogers hasn’t fully given up on athletics. As Miss Universe Great Britain, she plans to incorporate her passion for women’s sports into her platform, helping emerging female athletes with career development and raising awareness of the gender pay gap in sports.

She wants to use her reign as Miss Universe Great Britain to raise awareness about climate change.

Last year’s hurricane season devastated much of the Caribbean, including Anguilla. Hurricane Irma significantly damaged over 90 percent of the island’s infrastructure, a major blow for a territory that relies on tourism from the U.K. and the U.S.

“It’s devastating for an entire community to lose so much so fast, and for much of the Caribbean, it’s becoming an all too familiar part of our realities,” she said. “We first have to acknowledge that climate change is real and will continue to have a catastrophic impact on the region if the entire world doesn’t act.”

With aid from the U.K. government, Anguilla has mostly bounced back. But Kentish-Rogers wants more of the world to know about the disproportionate impact climate change has on the entire Caribbean region.

Too often, when we come from very small communities, we are led to believe that that determines our trajectory. Dee-Ann Kentish-Rogers

“It’s a matter of the safety and longevity of our islands, our homes, in the 21st century,” she said.

Part of her challenge includes educating her fellow Brits about the U.K.’s many overseas territories. As with many Puerto Ricans in the mainland U.S., she often has to explain to her fellow countrymen that being born in Anguilla makes her a U.K. citizen.

“We’re just as part of the United Kingdom as anyone else, and I’m happy to have those conversations introducing my countrymen to their fellow citizens in the territories,” she said.

She just took the bar exam!

Already a beauty queen and a former athlete, Kentish-Rogers hopes to be a lawyer soon. The 2016 University of Birmingham Law School graduate was called on to take the bar late last month, and is eagerly anticipating her results.

She’s interested in becoming a sports attorney, she said, as a way to merge her love of athletics with her passion for law. And she’ll have plenty of time to do that ― after her next hurdle, of course. Kentish-Rogers will compete for the overall title of Miss Universe in November.

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ralphmorgan-blog1 · 7 years ago

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Puerto Rico governor: Power could be out for months

(CNN)Puerto Rico's energy grid took such a severe blow from deadly Hurricane Maria that restoring power to everyone may take months, Gov. Ricardo Rossell told CNN on Wednesday night.

The entire system is down, the governor said. No one on the island has power from utilities.

Puerto Rico, which has been through a long recession and is deeply in debt, has a power grid that is "a little bit old, mishandled and weak," Rosselló told "Anderson Cooper 360˚."

"It depends on the damage to the infrastruacture," he said. "I'm afraid it's probably going to be severe. If it is ... we're looking at months as opposed to weeks or days."

The impact of the storm on the island territory won't be realized until officials can do a flyover and see what remains.

Rosselló said officials think some power stations are not badly damaged, but the distribution system is ruined. If transmission lines are in better shape than thought, power outages might be fixed sooner, the governor said.

Rosselló told CNN that at least one person died in the storm when a board was ripped from the house it had been nailed to by the wind and hit a man. The governor said the number of casualties in some areas is unknown because it is hard to communicate.

"We still don't have a lot of information," he said. "We're virtually disconnected in terms of communications with the southeast part of the island."

The storm -- which restrengthened into a Category 3 hurricane early Thursday -- has ravaged the Caribbean over the past few days, wreaking devastation on Dominica and the Virgin Islands before slamming into Puerto Rico.

And the threat is not yet over. A hurricane warning is in effect for the Turks and Caicos, the southeastern Bahamas and parts of the Dominican Republic.

Dominica: 14 dead; looting and food, water shortages

On the island of Dominica, which took the full force of Maria before the storm passed on to the US territory, government spokesman Charles Jong told CNN that 14 people had died.

He added that Maria was the "most horrifying experience" he has faced, despite seeing out many other hurricanes. He said he is out of power, food and water, and that people in Dominica have "gone into survival mode." He added that there is widespread looting on the island.

The devastation on Dominica is immense, a CNN crew flying over the island reported. Hundreds of homes have been visibly flattened or damaged. Many had roofs torn off.

The landscape has been stripped bare. Thousands of trees have been snapped at their base and those still standing are devoid of leaves. Dominica was a lush green landscape, including rainforests, but now is brown and lifeless.

Storm has moved toward the Dominican Republic

Now that Maria has moved past Puerto Rico, a US territory with 3.3 million people, search and rescue teams are taking to the country's darkened streets.

The devastating winds had died down to a whisper late Wednesday and the flooding rains were just a drizzle, but getting around was difficult due to widespread damage and no electricity except from generators.

The storm caused widespread flooding and ripped trees out of the ground. More than 10,000 remained in shelters Wednesday night.

"This is total devastation," said Carlos Mercader, a spokesman for Puerto Rico's governor. "Puerto Rico, in terms of the infrastructure, will not be the same. ... This is something of historic proportions."

Hurricane Maria slams Puerto Rico

Puerto Rican Olympic gymnast Tommy Ramos, who rode out the storm in the northern city of Vega Baja, posted video of gusts blowing debris in front of him.

"The house is steady," Ramos told CNN. "What scares us is the flooding."

#maria #SanJuan

A post shared by Sebastián Pérez (@sebastianperezphoto) on Sep 20, 2017 at 11:50am PDT

Astriv Velez, who survived the storm inside a walk-in closet, said water was coming in through the walls of her home in Trujillo Alto, just outside San Juan.

"The wind and rain has not stopped," Velez said. "There are no trees, there is no green -- only brown."

TRACK THE STORM

Devastation in St. Croix and St. Thomas

Maria obliterated buildings on several other Caribbean islands.

Aaliyah Bisamber of St. Croix shot video of Maria's annihilation of her old house, which was right next to her new home.

"I was pretty amazed the hurricane had such power to rip off half the house," she told CNN.

Murillo Melo recently moved to St. Croix from Brazil -- only to face one of the island's most catastrophic hurricanes.

"It was really scary. The floors were shaking, the walls, everything was moving and shaking," he said.

"Here on the island and on the mainland people are trying to get in contact with friends and relatives. ... People are desperate to get some news from their friends and relatives."

US Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Paul Zukunft said the damage to St. Croix is especially alarming.

"First priority is going to be saving of lives -- not just in Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands -- I'm especially concerned with St. Croix, that was also in the path of Hurricane Maria when it was a Category 5 hurricane," Zukunft said Wednesday.

On the US Virgin Island of St. Thomas, retired New York police detective Austin Fields surveyed the damage to his residence.

"My home is no longer a home," he said.

Virgin Islands and Dominican Republic under the gun

Maria's wrath is far from over.

Dangerous storm surges "accompanied by large and destructive waves" will raise water levels 10 to 15 feet above normal tide levels in the hurricane warning areas of the southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos, the hurricane center said. The islands could also see as much as 20 inches of rain.

Some long-range models say Maria could move toward the North Carolina coast as it moves north. CNN Meteorologist Tom Sater said people should keep an eye on the storm.

Puerto Rico: 11 years in recession and now no electricity

Radars knocked out

Maria became the first hurricane of Category 4 strength or higher in 85 years to make a direct landfall on Puerto Rico.

The hurricane slammed the US territory with such intensity, it broke two National Weather Service radars there.

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