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newstfionline · 4 years ago

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1 killed in shooting in Seattle’s protest zone (AP) A 16-year-old boy was killed and a younger teenager was wounded early Monday in Seattle’s “occupied” protest zone--the second deadly shooting in the area that local officials have vowed to change after business complaints and criticism from President Donald Trump. The violence that came just over a week after another shooting in the zone left one person dead and another wounded was “dangerous and unacceptable” police Chief Carmen Best said. Demonstrators have occupied several blocks around the Seattle Police Department’s East Precinct and a park for about two weeks after police abandoned the precinct following standoffs and clashes with protesters calling for racial justice and an end to police brutality. Best said the shootings are obscuring the message of racial justice that protesters say they are promoting. “Two African American men are dead, at a place where they claim to be working for Black Lives Matter. But they’re gone, they’re dead now,” the police chief said.

Two Friends in Texas Were Tested for Coronavirus. One Bill Was $199. The Other? $6,408. (NYT) Before a camping and kayaking trip along the Texas Coast, Pam LeBlanc and Jimmy Harvey decided to get coronavirus tests. Both tests came back negative. Then their bills came. And that’s where the similarities stopped. The emergency room charged Mr. Harvey $199 in cash. Ms. LeBlanc, who paid with insurance, was charged $6,408. Ms. LeBlanc’s health insurer negotiated the total bill down to $1,128. The plan said she was responsible for $928 of that. During the pandemic, there has been wide variation between what providers bill for the same basic diagnostic test, with some charging $27, others $2,315. It turns out there is also significant variation in how much a test can cost two patients at the same location.

Three Words. 70 Cases. The Tragic History of ‘I Can’t Breathe.’ (NYT) “I can’t breathe,” George Floyd pleaded in May, appealing to the Minneapolis police officer who responded to reports of a phony $20 bill and planted a knee in the back of his neck until his life had slipped away. Mr. Floyd’s dying words have prompted a national outcry over law enforcement’s deadly toll on African-American people, and they have united much of the country in a sense of outrage that a police officer would not heed a man’s appeal for something as basic as air. But dozens of other incidents with a remarkable common denominator have gone widely unacknowledged. Over the past decade, The New York Times found, at least 70 people have died in law enforcement custody after saying the same words--“I can’t breathe.” The dead ranged in age from 19 to 65. The majority of them had been stopped or held over nonviolent infractions, 911 calls about suspicious behavior, or concerns about their mental health. More than half were black. Many of the cases suggest a widespread belief that persists in departments across the country that a person being detained who says “I can’t breathe” is lying or exaggerating, even if multiple officers are using pressure to restrain the person.

Mexican president to fly commercial to the US (Washington Post) When Mexico’s president travels to the White House next week, he’ll have to reckon with the same questions travelers everywhere are asking. How early do you need to arrive at an airport these days? Will the middle seat be left empty? During the layover, will the food court be open? Next week, Andrés Manuel López Obrador will be the rare foreign head of state to fly commercial to meet the U.S. president. The populist leader promised to sell Mexico’s presidential jet when he began his term in 2018--part of a larger effort to throw off the luxe trappings of the country’s highest office. He has also opened the presidential palace to the public, and is ferried around the capital in his own Volkswagen Jetta. While the jet is still unsold, López Obrador has stood by his pledge to fly only on commercial airlines.

This is the moment to address decades-old problems, UK PM Johnson says (Reuters) Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday that Britain must seize the moment in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic to fix decades-old problems and narrow the productivity gap with its competitors. “We must work fast because we’ve already seen the vertiginous drop in GDP, we are waiting as if between the flash of lightning and the thunderclap,” he said. “We must use this moment now, this interval to plan our response and to fix of course the problems that were most brutally illuminated in that COVID lightning flash: the problems in our social cares system, the parts of government that seemed to respond so sluggishly.” He said Britain was not as productive as many of its competitors, and while London was the “capital of the world”, much of the country felt left behind and “unloved”.

EU reopens its borders to 14 nations but not to US tourists (AP) The European Union announced Tuesday that it will reopen its borders to travelers from 14 countries, and possibly China soon, but most Americans have been refused entry for at least another two weeks due to soaring coronavirus infections in the U.S. Travelers from other big countries like Russia, Brazil and India will also miss out. Citizens from the following countries will be allowed into the EU’s 27 members and four other nations in Europe’s visa-free Schengen travel zone: Algeria, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay.

Europe sours on global powers (Foreign Policy) A new poll from the European Council of Foreign Relations shows the extent of the damage the coronavirus pandemic has wrought on attitudes toward the United States. The decline was most dramatic in Germany, Denmark, and Portugal where at least 65 percent of respondents said that their view of the United States had worsened during the pandemic. It’s not just bad news for U.S.-Europe relations; Russia and China also suffered reputational damage, according to the poll.

China passes sweeping HK security law, heralding authoritarian era (Reuters) Beijing on Tuesday unveiled new national security laws for Hong Kong that will punish crimes of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison, heralding a more authoritarian era for China’s freest city. China’s parliament passed the detailed legislation earlier on Tuesday, giving Beijing sweeping powers and setting the stage for radical changes to the global financial hub’s way of life. “The punitive elements of the law are stupefying,” Simon Young, a law professor at the University of Hong Kong’s law school and a barrister, told Reuters. Britain and some two dozen Western countries urged China to reconsider the law, saying Beijing must preserve the right to assembly and free press. Washington, already in dispute with China over trade, the South China Sea and the coronavirus, began eliminating Hong Kong’s special status under U.S. law on Monday, halting defence exports and restricting technology access. China, which has rejected criticism of the law by Britain, the European Union, Japan, Taiwan and others, said it would retaliate.

Christian television station in Israel loses license (Foreign Policy) Israeli regulators have revoked the broadcasting license of an evangelical Christian television station for misrepresenting its mission. Ward Simpson, the CEO of God TV and the station’s owner, had attracted the scrutiny of regulators after appearing in a fundraising video after the license was granted saying “God has supernaturally opened the door for us to take the gospel of Jesus into the homes and lives and hearts of his Jewish people.” He later clarified that he was not trying to convert Jews; he was simply seeking to get them to accept Jesus as their messiah. Regulators said God TV is welcome to reapply for a license if it vows to describe the nature of its broadcasts more honestly.

Syria faces mass starvation or mass exodus without more aid, WFP says (BBC) Syria faces the risk of mass starvation or another mass exodus unless more aid money is made available, the head of the UN World Food Programme has said. Ahead of a donor conference in Brussels on Tuesday, David Beasley told the BBC a million Syrians were severely food insecure and some were already dying. More than 380,000 people have been killed and 13.2 million others—half the pre-war population—have been displaced inside and outside Syria since an uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began in 2011. "The whole world's facing crisis unlike anything we've seen probably in everyone's lifetime. But, quite frankly, what's happening in Syria is unprecedented. It's the worst of all storms coming together," Mr Beasley said in an interview. "If we don't have the money, here's the bottom line: you're going to either have mass migration, [or] starvation, and exploitation by extremist groups," he warned. "I think the people will leave, just like they did five or six years ago."

Coronavirus Is Battering Africa’s Growing Middle Class (NYT) James Gichina started out 15 years ago as a driver shuttling travelers from the airport, worked his way up to safari guide, and with the help of some bank loans, bought two minivans of his own to ferry vacationers around. But when the coronavirus pandemic cratered the tourist industry and the economy, Mr. Gichina removed the seats from his minibus and started using it to hawk eggs and vegetables. With what he now earns, he said, he can barely afford to pay rent, buy food or send his 9-year-old son to school. “We have been working hard to build better lives,” Mr. Gichina, 35, said of his colleagues in the tourist sector. Now, he said, “We have nothing.” As the coronavirus surges in many countries in Africa, it is threatening to push as many as 58 million people in the region into extreme poverty, experts at the World Bank say. But beyond the devastating consequences for the continent’s most vulnerable people, the pandemic is also whittling away at one of Africa’s signature achievements: the growth of its middle class. About 170 million out of Africa’s 1.3 billion people are now classified as middle class. But about eight million of them could be thrust into poverty because of the coronavirus and its economic fallout, according to World Data Lab, a research organization.

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katiezstorey93 · 7 years ago

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10 Winter Vacation Ideas Perfect for the Holiday Season

Summer is in full swing that means one thing…it is time to start thinking about winter vacation. You heard me. Winter is coming…and where are you planning to move?

It’s wonderful to spend the holiday season appreciating the end to the year and visiting with family. However, what if you would like to get out? With two days from work for Christmas and two weekends and New Year’s, it is likely to swing a getaway without taking holiday days. Sounds nice, right? So, where would you go?

If you read enough of our articles, you understand that we prefer experiences that are low and economical on audiences. Tim and I (and even Tyler and Kara) are brainstorming ideas for where to do this holiday season. Our plans are still up in the air, however here are some of the ideas that we’ve. The majority of these choices are inexpensive, but there are some a splurge if you would like to go all out there.

Some of these we’ve done, some of these we’re considering for 2017, and some sound like excellent ideas that were darn.

Here are 10 holiday tips for your winter holiday season.

Notice: the majority of these choices are best for US and Canadian inhabitants, yet this post may also be useful to people from different nations.

10 Winter Vacation Ideas

San Diego

We just finished a one-week trip up to San Diego. So why would we advocate it in December? All year round, since the weather is magnificent in San Diego. High temperatures are in the 60’s in the winter, which is hot for a US destination at the end of December.

Windandsea Beach at La Jolla

It takes at least four to five times to see the sites in and about San Diego. With more time it’s possible to take day excursions to nearby locales. Joshua Tree National Park is just a few hours off, as is Los Angeles and Palm Springs.

Key West and the Everglades

Here is another “warmish” US destination. Spend a few days touring the Everglades road trip your way down the Florida Keys, finishing in Key West.

Daytime temperatures in Key West are in the low 70’s enough to go swimming. However, for most of us living in the usa and Canada, it remains a break out of snow and cold temperatures.

Skiing Vacation

If you don’t mind the high prices and audiences that are high, per week at a ski hotel sounds nice. In the United States and Canada, there are Plenty of areas to Select from, such as Vail, Beaver Creek, Whistler, Park City, Revelstoke, Aspen Snowmass, and Stowe.

If you’re ready to spend more and traveling how about a European ski trip? Combine a trip to a European city like Innsbruck with a few days on the nearby slopes, or Salzburg, Zurich, Cortina dAmpezzo.

Vegas, Anyone?

This really is. Vegas + Death Valley.

Death Valley is a place that we’d never see in the summertime, since it is the most popular place on the planet in this moment, but temperatures are much more agreeable during winter. Spend a few days here and finish with time in Las Vegas.

Tim and I had been in Las Vegas a few months ago. I asked our hotel staff what Vegas is like during winter months, and we had been advised that it’s a quieter, less busy time of year (which also generally means cheaper prices for lodging!) . I’d envision that Vegas would also be a wild place to welcome in the New Year.

Bryce and Zion National Parks

This is just another one we believed previously. If you don’t mind cold temperatures and the chance hiking in Zion and Bryce can be awesome this season. Doesn’t it sound nice…trekking on Zion’s hottest trails, staying cool, with very few other walkers at the park? How about the opportunity to observe the hoodoos in Bryce?

California Wine Country

Sipping on wine by the fire in a hotel decked out for the holiday season? Sure sounds nice for me!! Napa and Sonoma Valleys go all out with decorations, festivities, and parties, for the holiday season. This appears to be a holiday that is adults-only that is excellent, however there are strategies to make it fun for kids, too.

Think about dividing your time with Yosemite, Monterey, as well as San Francisco if seven to ten times sounds like an excessive amount of time in wine country for you.

New Orleans and the Florida Coast

Start the week away in the silent Florida panhandle. Rent a house or stay relaxing by the ocean.

Get your party on, seeing New Orleans. Stroll down Bourbon Street, then dine on turtle soup and Gumbo, also celebrate New Year’s Eve in the French Quarter.

Thailand

Contemplate Thailand should you wish to travel far. We spent Christmas and New Year’s Eve here in 2014 and loved every minute of it.

Start at the beaches in Phuket or Krabi, basking in the sun, island hopping, kayaking, and rock climbing. For Christmas dinner, we all drank drinks, ate Pad Thai and seafood, also celebrated by a Thai guy.

In Thailand’s shores, jump your way halfway through Bangkok. Chiang Mai is an awesome place to spend New Year’s Eve…that is where tens of thousands of people start paper lanterns to celebrate the forthcoming New Year. And the next day (midday in Thailand on January 1), see on tv like New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles all welcome the New Year with fireworks and confetti.

Costa Rica

Costa Rica creates a wonderful destination if you envision your winter break being invested with white water rafting, and exploring the rain forest. Throughout the winter season, high temperatures have been in the 80’s and Costa Rica is dry. This is one of the best days of the year to see this country. This near ideal weather does make this one of the funniest days to visit with Costa Rica. You will need to make your trip arrangements far in advance if you plan on visiting Costa Rica at the end of December.

Explore One (or Two) European Cities

Generally speaking, it is chilly in Europe at the end of December. However, you’ll have audiences, and therefore lower travel costs, than seeing during the summertime. We are eyeing up Paris, just because it’s my favourite place on earth and I am itching to come back again. A London — Paris mix makes an awesome excursion. Cities like Rome, Barcelona, and Lisbon will likely be warmer compared to northern European towns, if you don’t like the idea of cold temperatures.

Have you been planning your holiday travels? What ideas do you have? Comment below!