#united landing at tampa airport

[pcgamer]

Watch This Perfect Landing At Tampa Int. Airport - United B737-800

[dominionra]

SMALL INDUSTRIAL SPACES ARE IN SHORT SUPPLY ACROSS THE US. HERE’S WHERE THEY ARE SCARCEST

Posted by CoStar | Adrian Ponsen | March 20, 2024

Smaller industrial properties have maintained impressive occupancy rates and rising rents for several years, and in recent months they have increasingly stood out as one of the best-performing categories of commercial real estate.

Other property types typically favored by investors, namely luxury apartments and big-box distribution centers, are facing headwinds as the large amount of new development started during the pandemic reaches completion in record numbers, helping to drive up vacancy rates.

In contrast, the recent outperformance of smaller industrial properties owes mainly to their insulation from supply-side risk. Securing land and entitlements for industrial projects near most major cities is challenging and few developers are willing to invest the time needed to clear these hurdles unless the projects involved and the corresponding payouts for completing them are large.

Meanwhile, developers behind the unleased big-box distribution centers being completed these days are largely unwilling to subdivide their space and lease to tenants smaller than 25,000 square feet or even 50,000 square feet. The net result is that very few developers are building small-bay industrial facilities favored by small, blue-collar businesses, and vacancy rates among small industrial properties remain near all-time lows.

To learn which U.S. markets have the most acute shortages of smaller industrial space, CoStar ranked the 60 largest U.S. markets based on the composite scores of three criteria: current availability rates for industrial buildings smaller than 50,000 square feet; the median number of months on the market of 10,000-25,000-square-foot industrial spaces leased in the past 12 months; and the median number of months on the market of industrial spaces smaller than 10,000 square feet leased in the past 12 months.

The amount of time smaller industrial spaces spend on the market can differ widely within and between markets depending on whether the properties leased are built to modern standards or older buildings bordering on functional obsolescence. To control for these differences, median months to lease were calculated only for spaces in properties built in the 1970s and 1980s, typically the largest vintages of smaller industrial buildings in most U.S. markets.

Markets that have attracted a surge of in-migration in recent years, including Nashville, Tennessee, and the Florida markets of Jacksonville, Tampa and Orlando, are well represented among the 20 areas that score highest for having a scarcity of small industrial spaces. This makes sense, given that businesses catering to growing local housing stocks, such as HVAC contractors, plumbers and electricians, are key occupiers of smaller industrial properties.

Critical port markets in Virginia, South Florida and Southern California also rank among the top 20 areas with a scarcity of available small-bay industrial space.

Louisville, Kentucky, may surprise many readers for its ranking as one of the tightest markets in the United States. However, its location in the middle of the burgeoning electric vehicle manufacturing region known as the battery belt, coupled with major distribution infrastructure including Louisville Muhammad Ali International, North America’s third-largest cargo airport, provides industrial leasing drivers.

Most of the largest cities in the Midwest, including Chicago, Detroit, Indianapolis and Minneapolis, rank in the middle of the pack. Geographic and infrastructure advantages support leasing by small manufacturing and distribution tenants in these locations.

However, limited population growth, or in some cases population losses, result in less robust leasing among smaller tenants in local construction trades. Similar headwinds weigh on leasing in other middle-ranking markets such as New York City and California’s East Bay.

A diverse set of locales comprise the 20 markets with the highest availability rates and leasing times for small industrial spaces. The four largest Texas markets, Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio, all rank in this group.

In all four of these markets, the stock of industrial properties smaller than 50,000 square feet has increased at more than twice the national rate over the past five years, with Austin and Houston more than quadrupling the U.S. growth rate.

Texas is widely known for the growth-friendly policies of its state and local governments. More abundant development of small industrial properties is likely contributing to these markets’ higher availability rates.

However, most of these 20 markets with higher availability rates and longer leasing timelines than most locales still have limited inventories of small industrial spaces available for lease. For example, in Dallas-Fort Worth, the current 6.1% availability rate for small industrial properties is well below the 8.7% level recorded in the market 10 years ago. Similarly, the median time to lease for spaces smaller than 10,000 square feet in Dallas-Fort Worth is 3 1/2 months, down from the median time to lease of five months recorded 10 years earlier.

To read this original article posted by CoStar: https://product.costar.com/home/news/533213281

[wolfliving]

Plague RVs

Cities Most Dependent on RV Campgrounds

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many forms of travel to a halt over the last year, but one option that remains attractive for many consumers is traveling by recreational vehicle. RV travel has been thriving in the pandemic, with a bump in RV shipments and strong revenues for campgrounds and RV parks last year.

There are a few reasons why RV travel still holds appeal in the COVID-19 era. When traveling and staying in one’s own vehicle, there is less reason to fear exposure to the virus when the alternatives involve sharing space with others in an airport, restaurant, or hotel. Further, many of the destinations people seek out when traveling by RV are outdoor, natural attractions which are similarly less risky.

While COVID-19 has stoked additional interest in RVs recently, demand for RVs has in fact been growing steadily for several years. One of the big factors behind this trend has been the U.S.’s growing number of retirees. As Boomers age out of the workforce, many of them are taking to the road in RVs and campers to enjoy their retirement. But RVs hold appeal for younger Americans, too—22 percent of the market is 18 to 34 year olds, who are increasingly buying or renting RVs for camping and other outdoor activities.

Over the past two years, monthly RV shipments were consistently reaching 30,000 or more—already strong figures—until stay-in-place orders took effect in March and April of 2020. But over the summer, shipments rebounded even stronger, topping 40,000 RVs per month throughout the second half of the year. And industry experts expect this trend to continue, with shipments for 2021 projected to exceed 500,000 vehicles, which would be a record figure for the industry.

Increased interest in buying and renting RVs has also been good business for those operating RV parks and recreational camps—an industry sector that includes both RV parks and campgrounds as well as recreational vacation camps, such as hunting camps, fishing camps, and dude ranches. While revenues for such establishments also dipped during the initial COVID-19 shutdowns, the overall trajectory dating back to 2012 has been positive. During the busy spring and summer months, total industry sector revenues now regularly exceed $2 billion quarterly nationwide, of which RV parks and campgrounds account for about half. Even in the slower winter months, revenues have topped $1 billion per quarter every year since 2017.

Some states are reaping the benefits of this interest more than others. Many of the states in the Western United States, which have plentiful protected park lands and natural attractions suited for camping and outdoor excursions. The most prosperous of these Western states is South Dakota, home to six national parks or monuments, including one of America’s top tourist attractions in Mount Rushmore.

But it is Maine, the New England state that bills itself “Vacationland,” that takes the top spot among states when considering per capita sales at RV parks and campgrounds. Maine draws travelers to its numerous natural attractions, including Acadia National Park and the state’s scenic coast, mountains, and woodland regions. The state generates more than $600,000 in annual sales at RV campgrounds per 10,000 residents.

Having popular tourist attractions nearby is also a strong indicator of RV campground sales at the metro level. For this reason, metro areas like Rapid City, SD (Mount Rushmore) and Orlando (Disneyworld and other theme parks) top our list of the metropolitan areas that generate the most revenue from RV parks and campgrounds. To find these locations, researchers at Outdoorsy used data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Economic Census to calculate the annual sales at RV parks and campgrounds per 10,000 residents.

Here are the large metropolitan areas most dependent on RV parks and campgrounds.

MetroRankAnnual sales at RV parks and campgrounds (per 10k residents)Annual sales at RV parks and campgroundsDensity of RV parks and campgroundsEmployment at RV parks and campgrounds

Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL1$526,232$132,030,000+8.3%+544.7%

Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA2$169,134$77,133,000-18.3%+124.6%

McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX3$165,872$14,185,000+18.0%+79.5%

Knoxville, TN4$158,027$13,485,000+27.4%+9.0%

San Diego-Carlsbad, CA5$133,284$44,198,000-46.1%+52.7%

Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL6$118,737$36,783,000-22.3%+6.2%

Bakersfield, CA7$111,396$9,888,000+22.5%+111.2%

Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV8$109,065$23,798,000-32.4%+15.7%

Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ9$105,456$50,214,000-34.8%+99.9%

Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI10$96,970$10,302,000+46.2%+0.0%

San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX11$95,110$23,475,000+10.1%+40.5%

Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA12$94,228$21,823,000-22.9%+42.1%

Pittsburgh, PA13$82,584$19,254,000-16.7%-14.5%

Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY14$72,998$8,250,000-24.4%-53.0%

Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY15$63,788$5,618,000+49.9%-53.1%

United States-$94,021$3,086,146,000N/AN/A

For more information, a detailed methodology, and complete results, you can find the original report on Outdoorsy’s website: https://www.outdoorsy.com/blog/rv-campground-dependent-cities

[grootiez]

The Hunt For Florida Man

Rocket is jostled awake. “Ugh, WHAT?!?!” He says only to find the source of the shaking was his now-teenaged son. “Groot! What do you want?” The raccoon rolls over in bed to discover the time on his clock. “Oh my god! It’s almost 3 in the morning! Go to bed, you have school tomorrow!”

“I... I am Groot.” The tree squeaked as he shuffled his feet.

“Really? Another nightmare? Thought you outgrew them a while ago.” Rocket sighs. Knowing that he didn’t want to make Groot feel bad, he flipped up his blankets. “Fine, you can sleep with me tonight, but you better wake up on time tomorrow.” He states as Groot climbed into bed and got comfortable. “By the way, what was the nightmare about?”

“I am Groot...” Groot pipes up, slightly embarrassed. “Seriously?!?!” Rocket facepalms himself. “Florida Man?!?!” He couldn’t believe his ears. “Groot, Florida Man ain’t real!”

“I am Groot.” Groot replies.

“I don’t get paid enough to deal with this...” Rocket grumbles. “Groot, you gotta stop believing every cockamamie thing that comes out of Kraglin and Drax’s mouths. They know that you’re young and gullible, you just gotta show them that you’re smarter than they think. Be the better, smarter person! Now go the flark to sleep.” Rocket advises his son sleepily as he yawns and moments later, begins to snore.

Groot was left alone with his thoughts as he too shortly drifted off to sleep. Thankfully this dream didn’t have Florida Man in it and the teenager slept good.                                                       —————— It was morning. Rocket and Groot got up on time and ready for the day. As they went downstairs, the other Guardians were in the kitchen eating breakfast and watching the morning news which covered the events throughout the galaxy. As Groot sat down with his favorite cereal in a bowl with milk, (a reward since Rocket didn’t have to fight with the ‘Treenager’ for a change, something that was becoming rarer and rarer with each passing day), he too was listening to the daily report.

“In Terran news, the National Football League is set to start the season with modified rules and attendance policies because of the pandemic going around on the planet. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are more than eager for the season to start with Super Bowl hopes thanks to their acquisition of their new Tight End Rob Gronkowski, and their star quarterback Tom Brady, both former New England Patriots.” The newslady read from the teleprompter. The Guardians booed in unison, their disdain for the Patriots, which they oh-so-lovingly call the ‘Cheatriots’, was one of the multiple things that united them as a family.

“What sellouts.” Peter complains. “Just because Tom Brady and Bill Belichick didn’t get along the last season and lost to the Tennessee Titans in the wildcard round.” Everyone else nods in agreement.

“In other Terran news, a Florida Man was arrested overnight after he was found walking his pet alligator on the sidewalk. The same man then threw a steaming hot bowl of ramen noodles in the officer’s face.” The same newscaster states as Peter turned off the projector. “See? Ain’tcha glad that we don’t live on Terra?” Rocket decreeds as he grabbed his breakfast. “They’re overrun with IDIOTS on that sad excuse of a planet. No offense, Quill.” He adds as the humie gave him a dirty look.

Just then a horn from outside beeped and a large engine could be heard getting into gear. Groot had just missed the bus to school. “Ugh!” Rocket groans as he got up from his seat at the kitchen table. “Groot! You were supposed to be out there five minutes ago so that you didn’t miss the bus. Now I gotta drive you to school so that you’re not late, again!”

There was nothing more in this world that embarrassed Groot more than having Rocket drive him to school. Quickly, the treenager thought of a plan.

“I am Groot!” The teen proposes. “No! You are NOT driving yourself to school.” Rocket replies as Groot stared at his father. “End of story.”

“Come on, Rocket.” Peter begins to negotiate as he draped an arm over Groot’s shoulder. “The kid’s been doing good both in school and at home recently. I think he deserves to have a reward.” “Ugh, fine!” Rocket concedes as Peter handed the keys to the Milano over to the excited teenager. “But if we find one scratch on the ship, your ass is grass!” He added as Groot grabbed his coat and rushed out the door.                                                  —————— As Groot climbed into the cockpit of the Milano and placed the keys into the ignition, he decides that he would skip school today. After he called the school’s office and faked an illness, (which was easy since the office had a phone system where all Groot had to do was press numbers to indicate why he would not be showing up today, further reducing the cause of suspicion.) Once he was done, he decided on what to do with the free time that he had.

As he navigated the log of various planets, Groot came across Terra. Then he got an idea: he WILL PROVE Florida Man’s existence to the entire galaxy! He smiles to himself as hey punched in the coordinates and let the autopilot feature fly to Earth as he dozed off and took a well deserved nap.

A couple of hours later, Groot was awakened by the ship’s alarm system as the monotone voice boomed “DESTINATION AHEAD! WELCOME TO TAMPA BAY, FLORIDA!”

The teen looked at where he was headed and while wiping his still-groggy eyes. “I am Groot?” He says as the ship approaches a pre-determined landing site set by a small airport. Since the area Groot landed in was full of affluent residents, the Milano didn’t stand out amongst the multi-million dollar jets. It also helped that it was early morning so that the paint job wasn’t noticeable.

“I am Groot?” The teen thought to himself. How was he going to prove Florida Man is real? He pondered this as he walked the tree-lined sidewalks.                                                     —————— As Groot continues his walk, he remembers something that Peter said a while back while telling the Guardians all about Florida, where he liked to go on vacation. He also told them about some popular myths and legends, most notably the ones that involved the thing known as Bigfoot, or Sasquatch.

After Peter finished telling the tale, Rocket still didn’t believe it. That is, until Drax sneakily approached up from behind and scared the humie.

Rocket cackled. “HAHAHAHAHA! I guess that Florida’s not the only place people live in fear of Sasquatches!” Peter then gives the rodent a dirty look before retreating to his room for the night.

That’s it! Groot knew that if Peter was scared of this “Sasquatch” or whatever it was, Florida Man must be scared of them too. It’s probably a common Terran fear.

Groot took out his cell phone to research what a “Sasquatch” looked like. Basically, it was no more than a tall humanoid figure that was covered in mud and grass. Since he was wearing his school uniform and he didn’t want Rocket to yell at him for getting it dirty again, Groot changed out of it and into some regular clothes that he had in his backpack. He returned to the Milano to drop off his uniform that he hastily stuffed in his bag and locked the ship up.

The tree then continued his walk. He was about to give up until he heard something. He was coming up to the biggest house yet that he’s seen yet. In the backyard, there he was: Florida Man! Well, not exactly THE Florida Man. It was Tom Brady. who was tossing around a clearly DEFLATED FOOTBALL around with his best friend, Rob Gronkowski.

Groot got into action and hid his phone in one of the holes in the tree. He then discovered a small marsh nearby and got himself covered in mud and grass.

Meanwhile, Brady and Gronk were tossing around the deflated football and working on various plays that their new head coach, Bruce Arians, wanted them to work on and perfect. ”Gronk! What the hell, man? You were supposed to catch that!” Tom shouted as the football hit Gronk in the head. “I’m NOT LOSING to the Saints next week!”

“Gronk heard something.” Rob replied. “Gronk think we’re being watched. Gronk think Bill set up cams around here so he can see the plays.”

Tom shook his head. “Do you really think that Belichick’s spying on us? If anything, I’m the one that came up with the whole SPYGATE thing!”

This was Groot’s chance! He ran as fast as he could, although being caked in mud and grass proved to slow him down, that didn’t deter him from his goal: proving Florida Man’s existence.

Groot screamed at the top of his lungs as he leapt into the air as Gronk turned around and screamed like a little girl!

“GRONK DOWN! GRONK DOWN!” The scared football player shouted as Groot’s weight was too much for him and he and the teen fell into the pool.

Luckily, Groot fell on top of Gronk, so his disguise wasn’t ruined and he was able to carry on with the prank as he used Gronk as a stepping stone to avoid the water.

Now it was just him and Tom “Florida Man” Brady.

Brady assumed a fighting stance. “I’m not afraid of you.” He said bravely as he swayed back and forth on his legs. “Unlike Gronk, I’m going to subdue you and take control of the situation until the cops come and then you’re gonna be their problem.” He said as a tiny whistle could barely be heard and a moment later, Brady loss consciousness and joined Gronk in the pool. “Get’cho ass back to the ship right now!” Rocket’s voice boomed from Groot’s headphones, which were plugged into his iPod. “You are in DEEP TROUBLE when you get home, mister!” He adds as Groot grabbed his cell phone from the tree and Rocket remotely piloted the Milano to Groot’s location.  Groot climbed into the ship. He knew that he would be grounded for A LONG TIME. But before Rocket would pilot him back to the house, Groot made sure to upload the footage that he got to YouTube.  Florida Man IS REAL!———————————————————————————————————————

Read on Ao3.

———————————————————————————————————————

@madness-on-the-milano @blaketoziers @butterflyinthewell @canuckscot @i-sudoku @janetgenea @lothirielswanmarvel @madcatz6277 @netbug009 @pineapple-crow @rocket-roquill-raccoon @rocket-ringtail-raccoon @rr4901 @skarabrae-stone @sesshouki @thatcrappypuppy @vic394 @woozletania @whoop-whoop-grocket

[imfires333]

Impressions

Summary: I did a summer semester in Seoul, Korea, at Yonsei Univ. Here are literally my first impressions of Seoul.

The turbulence of the plane startled me awake. I squinted my eyes and furrowed my brows, immediately cranky from being awoken. At least on this flight, I had managed to get a wink of sleep. I’d been half conscious and half asleep for the entire day, falling in and out of my light slumbers throughout my trip. The small amount of space that economy tickets provided was something I should have prepared for. I had brought my blanket to use on the plane, which I ended up regretting because it was just one more thing to carry through airports.

My final flight landed at 8:45 PM, Korea Standard Time. I had taken three flights in the past twenty-five hours—Fort Myers to Houston, Houston to Tokyo, and Tokyo to Seoul. My tired legs carried me through Incheon International Airport as I read the signs above me and the directions to my host school on my phone at the same time. My eyes drooped with fatigue, and my arms felt like limp noodles. I had no idea how to get to the subway that would take me to Sinchon Station—I had never even taken public transportation in the United States, so this experience was very intimidating. I started looking around for people that appeared helpful to give me additional directions and guidance. I had seen two American girls at Narita Airport in Tokyo, and they were once again in front of me. I subtly followed them, steadily feeling creepier by the second, until they stopped at a line of vending machines, where others were also lined up. The girls looked my age, so maybe they were also students going to Yonsei University, my home for the next six weeks. Overcoming my fear of initiating conversation with strangers, I pulled my suitcases up to the machines near them.

“Excuse me…Do you guys happen to be going to Yonsei? I keep seeing you around,” I interrupted them.

They stopped talking to each other and looked at me curiously. Their clothes and style made it look like they were already very familiar with Korea. Even though they were most likely coming from America, they had been dressed in fashionable, colorful outfits while flying across the Pacific Ocean—which is a long and dreadful trip, mind you. One of the girls had black and blonde hair, one color for each side of her long, ruffled bob. The other girl had short, curly blonde hair. They both had the same bright, blue eyes. The second girl surprisingly answered, “No, but we’re actually getting off the subway at that station. Do you need help getting there?” Honestly, what were the chances that these strangers I asked for help would be going to the same stop that I was?

After buying our transportation cards, we made our way to the subway. We entered the train, and upon seeing all the seats taken, stood in the corner of the car. Everybody stared at their phones in moderate silence out of consideration for each other. People whispered to each other so as not to disturb the strangers around them. Hannah, Bekah, and I were probably the loudest group in the car, and once we were aware of that, we kept our voices down. We exchanged Kakao IDs—apparently, nobody in Korea uses the regular old text messaging system that phones provide, and they instead use an app called Kakao Talk…and it’s probably because of the cute aesthetic compared to the dull appearance of the built-in messaging apps.

Once we were situated and comfortable as we could be in our little corner, we began getting to know each other. I told them that I went to the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida, and was here to study…but mostly to immerse myself in the Korean culture and explore the country. It turned out that I had also sat in front of them on the last plane and they only realized when we were on the subway. Hannah and Bekah were sisters from a small town in Wisconsin. Hannah had already been in Korea before, returning frequently for a total of nine months of her life in Korea. She was twenty, almost a year older than I was. Bekah was eighteen and this was her first trip to Korea. She worked at a K-pop store back home. “I’m so excited to buy some CDs and posters! They’re going to be way cheaper here than at my store.” My whole time in Korea, and I had only bought one CD. I’m going to have to go back to Korea for more.

When we finished lugging our bags up the stairs and out of the subway station about an hour later, Seoul was already alive with its night life. The signs on stores glowed brightly onto our faces while street performers sang or played the sax, guitar, or drum set. The first building I saw out of the station and to the right was McDonald’s, and its delivery mopeds were parked outside. We passed more stores and restaurants that were both domestic and international. The amount of makeup stores and coffee shops enraptured me. At any part of the street, there would be a coffee shop within one hundred feet.

All the buildings towered over us. In Sinchon (and a lot of the rest of Seoul, at least), stores are stacked on top of each other in one large building, rather than one-story establishments like we have in the United States. One Starbucks I saw, for example, was five stories high. There were all sorts of stores, ranging from convenience stores, arcades, restaurants, cat cafes, and clothing stores, just to name a few. I’d only seen one small garage that carried cars up for you, so most of the area is journeyed on foot. This much was obvious because the streets were bustling with people going in and out of stores. Still, there were many delivery mopeds zooming past, not obeying the same laws that cars were supposed to. They would go through red lights, use sidewalks and crosswalks, and drive up the lines in between cars. It seemed like a free-for-all with these bikes and motorcycles.

I read the names of stores, which were in a variety of languages. Places like Mom’s Kitchen and Yellow Spoon stood out to me, the first which sold a wide variety of chicken and the second which was a Japanese restaurant that I would end up visiting twice because of its delicious egg-covered hamburger steaks. I was excited to shop at Korea’s abundance of cosmetics stores, and the Nature Republic employees would eventually get tired of seeing me in their establishment. Many clothing stores sold inexpensive shirts with bad English on them, which I loved.

Upon seeing all these new sights on my way from the station to Yonsei, a realization came to me. My application, recommendation letter, tuition, everything was taken care of. I finally made it. This had been my dream for two years and I was finally here. The planes didn’t crash, I didn’t lose my luggage (but my body wash did spill in one of the bags), and I was actually walking through the busy streets of Sinchon. People I didn’t recognize walked past me, making it even more surreal. Nobody knew me here. Half of my work was already done, and now all I had to do was achieve high grades in my two classes, Beginning Korean Language and Asian American Literature, while enjoying everything that is Seoul.

I focused again on my physical surroundings. I couldn’t tell if it was hunger or exhaustion taking over me…probably both. The bags that were being dragged behind me weighed me down, and my palms sweated against the handles. The rough brick road always shifted my bags so I lost my grip often. I was constantly stopping to readjust the carry-on that sat on top of the smaller suitcase. Hannah and Bekah kept on trucking while I stopped, making me worry that they would leave me behind, even though they were the ones taking me to Yonsei. I felt bad for slowing them down because they also had to backtrack and find their own place. Hannah had a friend who went to this university, so she was familiar with the back route to the dorms. Once we started climbing the hill to my dorm, however, I was ready to give up. “It’s not too far from here, just around the corner!” Hannah encouraged me. Bekah looked back at me with a silly grin plastered on her face. There’s no way I can keep going uphill with these bags, I thought. Just then, we saw some people walking ahead of us. They were walking slowly and heard us behind them, and a girl with huge, curly, purple hair asked, “Are you looking for the dorms?” I felt another short boost of energy and separated from Hannah and Bekah, telling them we’d meet up soon. I was tired from the long journey and ready to call it a night after arriving at my room and taking a shower to erase some of the evidence of fatigue.

When I managed to find the lobby after listening to the purple-haired girl’s directions outside one of the dorms, I tried to talk to the security guard who was working at the front desk. My Korean was almost nonexistent for situations like these, and his English wasn’t much better. After what seemed like hours, I got a bed set, minus the pillow because they didn’t have enough. I met my roommate, Lexus, briefly, took a shower, and passed out. I would go back a few days later and receive a pillow filled with macaroni shells, which crackled every time I turned my head. I was counting down the days until I got to sleep on my memory-foam pillow in the States.

[newstfionline]

Saturday, November 14, 2020

A Third of the World’s Air Routes Have Been Lost Due to Covid (Bloomberg) Before the coronavirus, a decades-long aviation boom spawned a network of nearly 50,000 air routes that traversed the world. In less than a year, the pandemic has wiped almost a third of them off the map. Border closures, nationwide lockdowns and the fear of catching Covid-19 from fellow passengers have crippled commercial travel. As thousands of domestic and international connections disappear completely from airline timetables, the world has suddenly stopped shrinking. In years to come, overseas business trips and holidays will likely mean more airport stopovers, longer journey times, and perhaps an additional mode of transport. Even when an effective vaccine is found, the economic reality of the recovery may mean some non-stop flights are gone for good.

The rural/urban divide (The Economist) An analysis of the election results by The Economist suggests that the partisan divide between America’s cities and open spaces is greater than ever. Preliminary results supplied by Decision Desk HQ, a data-provider, show that voters in the least urbanized counties voted for Mr Trump by a margin of 33 points, up from 32 points in 2016. (Specifically these are the bottom 20% of counties by population density.) Meanwhile, voters in the most urbanized counties—the top 20%—plumped for Mr Biden by 29 points, up from Hillary Clinton’s 25-point margin in 2016. More broadly, the greater the population density, the bigger the swing to the Democratic candidate. Even after controlling for other relevant demographic factors, the data suggest that urban and rural voters are more divided today than they were in 2016.

More than 130 Secret Service officers are said to be infected with coronavirus or quarantining (Washington Post) More than 130 Secret Service officers who help protect the White House and the president when he travels have recently been ordered to isolate or quarantine because they tested positive for the coronavirus or had close contact with infected co-workers, according to three people familiar with agency staffing. The spread of the coronavirus—which has sidelined roughly 10 percent of the agency’s core security team—is believed to be partly linked to a series of campaign rallies that President Trump held in the weeks before the Nov. 3 election, according to the people, who, like others interviewed for this report, spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the situation. The virus is having a dramatic impact on the Secret Service’s presidential security unit at the same time that growing numbers of prominent Trump campaign allies and White House officials have fallen ill in the wake of campaign events, where many attendees did not wear masks. Among those who are infected are White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and outside political advisers Corey Lewandowski and David Bossie. In addition, at least eight staffers at the Republican National Committee, including Chief of Staff Richard Walters, have the virus, according to officials at the organization.

Trump Rebuffs Biden Transition Team, Setting Off Virus and National Security Risks (NYT) President Trump’s refusal to allow President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. and his transition staff access to government offices, secure communications and classified briefings prompted growing warnings on Thursday, including from Republicans, that keeping Mr. Biden in the dark potentially endangers the country. On Capitol Hill, several Senate Republicans insisted that Mr. Biden should at least be given access to the President’s Daily Brief, the compendium of the nation’s most closely guarded intelligence secrets and assessments of threats like terrorist plots and cyberattack vulnerabilities. “President-elect Biden should be receiving intelligence briefings right now—that is really important,” said Senator Susan Collins, Republican of Maine, a member of the Intelligence Committee and one of the few Senate Republicans to publicly acknowledge Mr. Biden’s victory. “It’s probably the most important part of the transition.” Giving Mr. Biden and his top aides access to the daily briefing, as Mr. Trump got right after his election four years ago, would address only a fraction of the problem. Mr. Biden will confront an array of complex dilemmas: bruised relationships with foreign allies, a weak economy and a sluggish recovery, perhaps the most high-risk period yet of the coronavirus and a need to distribute a vaccine to 330 million Americans. The president-elect’s team is concerned that it is being shut out of planning for the vaccine distribution, a huge undertaking that the incoming administration expects to inherit the moment Mr. Biden is sworn in. His advisers said they have not had access to the details of Warp Speed, the project that has vaccine distribution planning well underway, and understand little about its workings.

China congratulates Biden, but few US policy changes seen (AP) China on Friday became one of the last major countries to congratulate U.S. President-elect Joe Biden. U.S.-Chinese relations have plunged to their lowest level in decades amid a tariff war over Beijing’s technology ambitions and trade surplus, accusations of spying and tension over human rights, the coronavirus pandemic, Hong Kong and control of the South China Sea. Trump labeled China a security threat and imposed export curbs and other sanctions on Chinese companies. Political analysts expect Biden to try to resume cooperation with Beijing on climate change, North Korea, Iran and the coronavirus. And they say Biden might pursue a more traditional, predictable policy toward China. However, economists and political analysts expect few big changes due to widespread frustration with Beijing’s trade and human rights record and accusations of spying and technology theft.

Eta Returns, Soaking Florida’s West Coast (NYT) Tropical Storm Eta pounded Florida again on Thursday, flooding beach communities along the Gulf of Mexico, forcing rescuers to wade through hip-deep water and hitting portions of Tampa and Jacksonville as it made its way back out to sea. In a series of overnight rescues in Madeira Beach, near St. Petersburg, firefighters used high-riding fire trucks and an inflatable Zodiac boat to ferry 15 people, a cat, two birds and five dogs from several flooded households to dry land. Eta’s landfall was its second in the state this week. It hit the central part of the Florida Keys late Sunday, and made landfall again at about 4 a.m. Thursday near Cedar Key, roughly 130 miles north of Tampa. Floodwaters receded by late morning as the storm moved out into the Atlantic near Florida’s border with Georgia.

Students take on “online proctoring” companies (Washington Post) “Online proctoring” companies saw in coronavirus shutdowns a chance to capitalize on a major reshaping of education, selling schools a high-tech blend of webcam-watching workers and eye-tracking software designed to catch students cheating on their exams. They’ve taken in millions of dollars, some of it public money, from thousands of colleges in recent months. But they’ve also sparked a nationwide school-surveillance revolt, with students staging protests and adopting creative tactics to push campus administrators to reconsider the deals. Students argue that the testing systems have made them afraid to click too much or rest their eyes for fear they’ll be branded as cheats. Some students also said they’ve wept with stress or urinated at their desks because they were forbidden from leaving their screens. One system, Proctorio, uses gaze-detection, face-detection and computer-monitoring software to flag students for any “abnormal” head movement, mouse movement, eye wandering, computer window resizing, tab opening, scrolling, clicking, typing, and copies and pastes. A student can be flagged for finishing the test too quickly, or too slowly, clicking too much, or not enough. If the camera sees someone else in the background, a student can be flagged for having “multiple faces detected.” If someone else takes the test on the same network—say, in a dorm building—it’s potential “exam collusion.” Room too noisy, Internet too spotty, camera on the fritz? Flag, flag, flag. As an unusually disrupted fall semester churns toward finals, this student rebellion has erupted into online war, with lawsuits, takedowns and viral brawls further shaking the anxiety-inducing backdrop of college exams. Some students have even tried to take the software down from the inside, digging through the code for details on how it monitors millions of high-stakes exams.

‘Peru is fired up’: Protesters, police clash as political crisis flares, 11 wounded (Reuters) Fierce clashes in Peru between police and protesters have wounded at least 11 people, doctors and rights groups said on Friday, as thousands of Peruvians took to the streets to protest the ouster of president Martin Vizcarra. The clashes, and other more peaceful protests in the capital Lima and other cities, are piling pressure on a fragmented Congress and the new government of Manuel Merino. Thursday night’s rallies were among the largest in two decades in Peru. Vizcarra, a politically unaffiliated centrist who is popular with voters, was ousted on Monday in an impeachment trial over allegations he received bribes, accusations he denies. “All of Peru is fired up, we’re all very angry,” said Jose Vega, a protester in Lima, where some carried banners comparing the new president to the coronavirus pandemic and saying he did not represent them. Vizcarra oversaw an anti-graft campaign that led to frequent clashes with Congress in a country that has a history of political upheaval and corruption. The crisis precipitated by his departure has rattled the world’s no. 2 copper producer and seen its sol currency hit 18-year lows.

Boris’s Biden problem (Washington Post) During the height of the U.S. campaign, Britain’s former ambassador in Washington Kim Darroch revealed that Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his government were expecting—if not hoping—that President Trump would be reelected. Before months of pandemic changed the math, Downing Street was imagining that four more years of Trump would smooth the way for a fast-track free-trade deal with the United States just when Johnson needed it the most, as Britain exits the European Union at year’s end. But the win by former vice president Joe Biden has charged the “special relationship” between the two leaders and two closely allied countries with what the British might call a certain . . . awkwardness. Johnson and President-elect Biden have never met, and though the British prime minister sent his congratulations, the message was somewhat bungled. In the official tweet from Johnson’s office, there were faintly visible words in the text, a ghost of an earlier, edited message, that congratulated Trump instead. Biden, for his part, called Johnson last year the “physical and emotional clone of Donald Trump” in private remarks widely reported in British press. Johnson could use a few friends these days. His aides are warring; England is in lockdown again; Britain continues to tally the highest death toll from the coronavirus in Europe. And the British prime minister still hasn’t secured a post-Brexit trade deal with the European Union.

Indian and Pakistani troops exchange fire, at least 15 dead (Reuters) At least 10 civilians and five security personnel were killed in cross-border shelling between India and Pakistan on Friday, in one of this year’s deadliest days along the heavily militarised frontier separating the nuclear-armed rivals, officials said. Indian officials said the barrage of mortars and other weapons along several parts of the Line of Control—the de-facto border—began after Indian troops foiled an infiltration attempt from Pakistan in northern Kashmir. Pakistan’s military said in a statement it had responded to unprovoked and indiscriminate firing by the Indian army. Indian and Pakistani troops regularly exchange fire across the mountainous border, but the shelling on Friday was particularly intense, according to Indian officials.

Strong typhoon leaves 42 dead, 20 missing in Philippines (AP) Thick mud and debris coated many villages around the Philippine capital on Friday after a typhoon killed at least 42 people and caused extensive flooding that sent people fleeing to their roofs, officials said. Troops, police, coast guard and disaster-response teams rescued tens of thousands of people, including many who flooded radio and TV networks and social media with desperate pleas for help. Floodwaters receded and the weather cleared in many areas after Typhoon Vamco blew out into the South China Sea on Friday, but the military said it was still rescuing people trapped in some flooded communities. After slamming into northeastern Quezon province, Vamco gained strength with sustained winds of 155 kilometers (96 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 255 kph (158 mph). It blew north of metropolitan Manila overnight Wednesday, toppling trees and power poles, swelling rivers, flooding residential communities and setting off landslides and storm surges.

Ethiopia War Risks Becoming the World’s Next Refugee Crisis (Foreign Policy) Little more than a week has gone by since Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced a “military confrontation” in the country’s northern Tigray region and the death toll is likely already in the hundreds. All communication lines, including internet, have been cut in the region, making it difficult for foreign observers to understand what is happening on the ground. Human rights group Amnesty International has made one of the first attempts to shed light on conditions in Tigray when it reported the details of a mass killing on the scale of “scores, and likely hundreds.” Deprose Muchena, Amnesty International’s Director for East and Southern Africa confirmed “the massacre of a very large number of civilians, who appear to have been day labourers in no way involved in the ongoing military offensive.” Amnesty has not made a judgement on which group was responsible for the killings, although they cite eyewitness accounts placing the blame on the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the ruling party in Tigray and up until Abiy’s ascent, the dominant party in Ethiopia’s government. Faced with such violence, alongside the threat of airstrikes from Ethiopia’s military, a refugee crisis is beginning to take shape. Neighboring Sudan has taken in 11,000 refugees so far.

Outside Mogadishu, locusts turn farmland into desert (Reuters) A rifle on his back, Mohamed Yasin tries in vain to chase away the swarm of yellow-coloured insects that have invaded his farm as his camels mill about nearby. Swarming on the outskirts of Mogadishu, locusts are eating away at Yasin’s livelihood, destroying maize and beans and all his grass. The insect plague hitting Somalia is part of a once-in-a-generation succession of swarms that have swept across East Africa and the Red Sea region since late 2019, driven by unusual weather patterns. In a region where many already go hungry, The coronavirus has this year exacerbated the crisis by disrupting the supply chain of pesticides and other equipment needed to fight them off.

Zimbabweans mend shabby dollar notes amid economic crisis (AP) Albert Marombe takes a grimy, tattered $1 note and delicately, expertly glues it back into one piece, holding it up for inspection. “I don’t care how torn it is. All I want to see is the serial number being visible on both sides,” said Marombe. He’ll sell that shabby $1 note for 80 cents and it will get back into circulation. Many shops will reject it but market traders will take it, although at a reduced value. Worn out or shredded by rats, $1 notes are king in Zimbabwe, beset by a continuing economic crisis. One dollar bills are used by many people to buy their daily bread and other small purchases. Crisp new notes are not coming into Zimbabwe, so enterprising traders are repairing old ones for desperate customers. The U.S. dollar has dominated transactions in Zimbabwe since the country’s hyperinflation soared to more than 5 billion percent and forced the government to abandon the local currency in 2009. Last year the government re-introduced a Zimbabwe currency and banned foreign currencies for local transactions. Few took heed though and the black market thrived, while the local currency quickly devalued. In March this year, the government relented and unbanned the dollar. Now shortages of small denominations of the dollar are a nightmare.

[creepingsharia]

A Month of Islam in America: May 2019

After more than 11 years of aggregating the painful details of the onset of sharia law in America, May 2019 was the month American tech companies Wordpress.com and Automattic enforced sharia law and banned the Creeping Sharia blog. With no explanation.

WordPress.com Blacklists Blogs Critical of Islam

Originally we suspected it was several years-old images (seen here) that Pakistan claimed violated Islamic sharia law but that would be too easy. It was more likely that terror-linked, foreign-funded CAIR was involved in the systematic shutting down of sites in America that are critical of sharia law and jihad.

As such, this month’s report is a little shorter than prior months. Click any link for details and please share on your social media sites while you still can.

May 2019

Jihad & Terror

Minnesota: Somali Muslim cop found guilty of shooting woman who called police

Mohamed Noor became the first former Minnesota police officer found guilty of an on-duty murder Tuesday as a Hennepin County jury convicted him for the fatal shooting of Justine Ruszczyk Damond in 2017.

Missouri: Bosnian Muslim female refugee pleads guilty to providing support to Islamic State

Sedina Unkic Hodzic, a 39-year-old St. Louis County woman, pleaded guilty to one count of providing material support to terrorists in federal court.

North Carolina: Pakistani Muslim immigrant arrested after lying about contacts with terror organizations

Waqar Ul-Hassan, a Pakistan native, was arrested when he arrived from the Middle East at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

Hassan admitted to authorities that he lied and was in contact with two terrorist organizations, ISIS and Jaish-e-Mohammad, according to the complaint.

Muslim who plotted to bomb Chicago bar gets 16 years, could be out in less than 3

A federal judge on Monday handed an Illinois man Adel Daoud a 16-year prison sentence for trying to kill hundreds of people by detonating what he thought was a car bomb outside a crowded Chicago bar, saying she factored in Adel Daoud’s mental health in imposing a sentence much lower than prosecutors requested.

The sentence — which, with time served, could mean the 25-year-old goes free in less than 10 years — includes prison time for attempting to have an FBI agent killed and for slashing an inmate with a shiv for taunting him with a drawing of the Prophet Muhammad.

Texas: Muslim Found Guilty of Conspiring to Support ISIS

Said Azzam Mohamad Rahim, a 42-year-old United States citizen, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization (FTO), one count of attempting to provide material support to an FTO, and six counts of making false statements involving international terrorism to federal authorities.

Texas: Jihadi Recruiter Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Provide Material Support Pakistani Terrorist Org (LeT)

Michael Kyle Sewell, 18, who was arrested in February, formally pleaded guilty to conspiracy to provide material support to Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistani-based foreign terrorist organization also known as LeT.

Alabama: FBI uncovers another Siraj Wahhaj Islamic training camp a few miles from Tuskegee

...plot of land in Macon County, Alabama is described in an FBI search warrant as a “makeshift military-style obstacle course” belonging to a small group of terrorists led by Siraj Wahhaj who owned the property up a long dirt road but just a few miles from downtown Tuskegee.

New Jersey: Man who funded Hamas, spoke of bombing Trump Tower, attacking Israeli Consulate is arrested 

New York: Muslim Immigrant Convicted For Covert Terrorist Activities On Behalf of Hizballah’s Islamic Jihad

A jury returned a guilty verdict against Ali Kourani, a/k/a “Ali Mohamad Kourani,” a/k/a “Jacob Lewis,” a/k/a “Daniel,” on all eight counts in the Indictment, which charged him with terrorism, sanctions, and immigration offenses for his illicit work as an undercover terrorist operative for Hizballah’s external attack-planning component.

“Ali Kourani was recruited, trained, and deployed by Hizballah’s Islamic Jihad Organization to plan and execute acts of terrorism in the United States.” 

South Carolina: Greenville man who offered to be suicide bomber for ISIS sentenced to 10 years

Michael Bruce Messer, Jr., posted a message in an online forum stating he was interested in joining ISIS and volunteering as a suicide bomber.

While at his residence, agents found a .38 caliber pistol, according to the statement. They found another .38 caliber pistol during a warrant search on May 9, 2018 as well as assorted items related to ISIS, according to the statement.

Virginia: Somali Muslim FBI translator charged after his own voice was intercepted on terror surveillance calls

Abdirizak Jaji Raghe Wehelie, a former FBI translator, was arrested and has been charged with doctoring transcripts in which his own name appeared on intercepts of phone calls placed by a terrorism suspect.

Immigration Jihad in America

Kentucky: Imam at the Islamic Center of Lexington charged in murder-for-hire plot

Oregon: U.S. revokes citizenship of imam at Portland’s largest mosque over jihad ties

Texas: Afghan pilot training program terminated after almost half went AWOL in America

Information slowly emerging about pipe-wielding mob of Somali 'youths' who attacked people waiting for light rail train in Minneapolis last Friday

Virginia: Muslim immigrant who drove for Uber and Lyft is Somali war criminal, jury finds

Texas: Jordanian (Muslim) pleads guilty to smuggling Yemeni (Muslims) into the U.S.

Islamic Rape & Violence Against Americans

Minneapolis: 54-year-old Somali Muslim charged with stalking 11-year-old girl

New Jersey: Muslim Woman Convicted of Keeping Sri Lankan National as ‘Slave’ for 9 Years

Judicial Jihad and Dhimmitude in America

Muslim immigrant who plotted 9/11 Times Square, Grand Central subway bombing to be released on time served

'American Taliban' John Walker Lindh released from prison

Sharia in Your Community

Philadelphia: Muslim American Society Mosque Kids Sing “We Will Chop Their Heads Off” (VIDEO)

Muslim Group Tells Writers Guild of America to Further Islamize Hollywood

Florida: Tampa Bay mosque security guard shoots and kills Muslim at Ramadan feast

Philadelphia Int’l Airport submits, allows Muslim cabbies to keep makeshift (illegal?) mosque on property

Sharia in American Education

Washington: School District Asks Teachers to Bless Muslim Students in Arabic During Ramadan

Sharia Adherents in Elected Office

POTUS held a Muslim celebration at the White House and whoever wrote the speech for him slipped in 100% pure Islamic taqiyya (lies).

Watch the video at this tumblr post.

Fraud for Jihad in America

Whoever wrote this speech for @POTUS slipped in a doozy - pure taqiyyah. At least Trump didn't invite terror-linked Muslim groups like CAIR, MAS, ISNA, ICNA, MSA, Emgage & others but why is the Month of Jihad even recognized at the White House? https://t.co/8nvEPoWv0k pic.twitter.com/0Qb0jLAVz2

At Least $41 Million U.S. Taxpayer Dollars to Questionable Islamic Groups

Terror-linked Muslim Org ICNA Solicits Donations for Islamic Prison Program

Victories Against Sharia in America

California: Law Center Thwarts Muslim Attempt To Silence Disturbing Truth About Islam

South Carolina becomes 32nd state to outlaw female genital mutilation (FGM)

Washington: Northshore School District Quashes Special Ramadan Policy for Muslims after Threat of Legal Action

Oklahoma: CAIR dismisses lawsuit against “Muslim-Free” gun range

             =========================================

As we have been warning for 11 years, if the threat of sharia is not stopped in its tracks, you will lose your right to speak freely, and even commenting or criticizing Islam and Muslims will become a crime.

Sharia law is now in effect in America whether those of us subjected to it admit it or not.

As we tweeted then, Whatcha gonna do when they come for you?

[dark-and-twisty-01]

Aircraft Crashes: accidents or murder?

The past nine decades, various fatal air crashes have spawned conspiracy theories that linger as haunting historical mysteries. Five cases produced official verdicts of criminal activity, but no suspects were ever indicted. The remainder are listed as accidents, but nagging doubts remain. These cases include:

July 4, 1923 Actor-pilot Beverly “B.H” DeLay and passenger R.I short (president of the Essandee Corporation) died while performing aerial acrobatics at Venice Beach, California. Time Magazine reported that half-inch bolts in the wings of DeLay’s aircraft had been switched with smaller bolts, causing the wings to collapse during flight. Gunshots of unknown origin had also been fired at DeLay days earlier, during a performance in Santa Monica. Journalists linked the crash to bitter litigation between DeLay and C.E Frey, a rival who claimed ownership of an airstrip purchased by DeLay in 1919. Several Frey employees were jailed for sabotaging that airfield, but no one was indicted for DeLay’s murder.

October 10, 1933 A United Airlines Boeing 247 aircraft travelling from Cleveland to Chicago crashed near Chesterton, Indiana, killing all seven persons aboard. Witnesses reported hearing a mid-air explosion at 9:15pm and watching the plane plummet into flames from 1,000 feet. Investigators from North-western University and Chicago FBI office concluded that a bomb had detonated in the plane’s baggage compartment, but no suspects were ever identified.

March 29, 1959 Barthelemy Boganda, first prime minister of the Central African Republic (C.A.R) and presumed to win election as president when France released control of his nation in 1960, died with all others aboard when his plane crashed 99 miles west of Bangui. No cause of the crash was officially determined, but suspicion of sabotage persists. On May 7, 1959, the Paris weekly L’Express reported discovery of explosive residue in the plane’s wreckage whereupon the French high commissioner banned sale of that issue in the C.A.R. In 1997 author Brian Titley suggested that Boganda’s wife, Michelle Jourdan, may have killed hi to avert divorce and collect a large insurance policy.

November 16, 1959 National Airlines Flight 967 vanished over the Gulf of Mexico with 42 persons aboard while en route from Tampa, Florida, to New Orleans. The final radar contact with Flight 967 was recorded at 12:46 am. Searchers found scattered wreckage with corpses near that point, but most of the aircraft was never recovered. Suspicion focused on passenger William Taylor, who boarded the plane with a ticket issued to ex-convict Robert Vernon Spears. Authorities surmised that Spears had tricked Taylor, a friend from prison, into boarding the plane with a bomb, thus permitting Spears to collect on a life insurance policy purchased in his name. Police later arrested Spears in Phoenix, driving a car registered to Taylor, but he subsequently vanished and was never charged with any crime pertaining to the crash.

September 18, 1961 Dag Hammarskjold, second secretary-general of the United Nations, died with 15 others when his plane crashed near Ndola, Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia), during a diplomatic tour of the strife-torn Congo. Security was tight during the tour, including use of a decoy aircraft, and Hammarskjold’s pilot filed no flight plans on the trip. Officially, the crash resulted from a pilot’s error in approaching Ndola’s airfield at the wrong altitude after nightfall. Many observers suspected a bomb or rocket attack. In August 1998, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, chairman of South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, announced that recently uncovered letters implicated South African intelligence officers, Britain’s MI5, and the American CIA in Hammarskjold’s death. One letter claimed that a bomb in the plane’s wheel bay was set to explode on landing. In July 2005, Norwegian major general Bjorn Egge told the newspaper Aftenposten that an apparent bullet hole in Hammarskjold’s forehead was air brushed out of photos later published showing his corpse.

October 16, 1972 House majority leader Thomas Hale Boggs, Sr., was campaigning for Representative Nick Begich when their airplane vanished during a flight from Anchorage to Juneau, Alaska. Also aboard were pilot Don Jonz and Begich aide Russell Brown. The plane was never found. Begich won November’s election with a 56-percent margin, but his presumed death left GOP rival Don Young running unopposed in a special election to fill Begich’s vacant seat in Congress. Some conspiracy theorists link the disappearance to Bogg’s outspoken criticism of FBI director J. Edgar Hoover (who died in May 1972), but Begich’s children blamed President Richard Nixon, claiming that the crash was staged in a vain attempt to thwart congressional investigation of the unfolding Watergate scandal.

August 1, 1981 Brigadier General Omar Torrijos Herrera, “Supreme Chief of Government” for Panama since 1968, died with several others when his plane exploded in mid air during a storm. Slipshod radio coverage delayed the report of his plane’s disappearance for nearly a day, and several more days elapsed before soldiers found the wreckage. Florencio Flores succeeded Torrijos as commander of Panama’s National Guard and de facto ruler of the country.

October 19, 1986 Samora Moises Machel, president of Mozambique and leading critic of South Africa’s racist apartheid system, died with all board when his plane crashed near Mbuzini, in South Africa’s Lebombo Mountains. At the time, Machel was returning home from an international conference in Zambia. The Margo Commission, an investigate panel including representatives from several nations, blamed the crash on pilot error, a verdict flatly rejected by the governments of Mozambique and the Soviet Union Russian members of the commission filed a minority report claiming that Machel’s plane was lured off-course by a decoy radio beacon, set up by South African intelligence officers. Machel’s widow, Graca, remains convinced that was murdered. In 1998 she married then-South African president Nelson Mandela.

 August 17, 1989 General Muhammad Ziaul-Haq, ruler of Pakistan since he overthrew predecessor Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1977, died with several other generals and U.S. ambassador Arnold Raphel when their plane crashed shortly after take off from Bahawalpur, Pakistan. Witnesses reported a smooth lift off, followed by erratic flying and a steep nosedive. FBI agents called the crash accidental, but persistent conspiracy theories blame a wide range of suspects, including the CIA, Russia’s KGB, Israel’s Mossad, India’s RAW Intelligence agency, Afghan communists, ad Shi’ite Muslim separatists.

April 6, 1994 Unknown snipers shot down a government aircraft at Rwanda’s Kigali airport, killing Rwandan president Juvenal Habyarimana, President Cyprien Ntaryamira of Burundi, and all others aboard. The resultant political chaos led to full-scale genocide in Rwanda, where ruling Hutu tribesmen slaughtered rival Tutsis, and sparked civil war in Burundi.

July 19, 1994 Alas Chiricanas Flight 901 exploded while en route from Colon, Panama, to Panama City, killing all 21 persons aboard. Authorities found evidence of a bomb, blaming the crime on terrorists. Suspicion focused on Jamal Lya, the only passenger who corpse remained unclaimed after the bombing. Soon afterward, an unknown spokesperson for a group calling itself Ansar Allah (“Followers of God”) claimed credit for the attack, but investigators could find no other trace of the organization.

July 17, 1996 Trans World Airlines flight 800 left New York’s JFK Airport, bound for Paris, at 10:19pm Twelve minutes later it exploded in mid-air, killing all 230 persons aboard and littering the ocean with wreckage offshore from East Moriches, New York. Despite initial speculation of a terrorist attack, the National Transportation Safety Board issued a final report in August 2000, blaming the explosion on a presumed electrical short circuit that ignited fumes in the aircraft’s centre wing fuel tank. Meanwhile, multiple eyewitnesses on land reported seeing “a streak of light” rising from sea level toward the airliner before it exploded. Initial examination of the wreckage revealed apparent residue from three different explosive compounds, PETN, RDX, and nitro-glycerine but authorities claimed to find no evidence of impact from a rocket or missile. Some conspiracy theorists maintain that Flight 800 was shot down by terrorists, while others suggest a disastrous mistake during an offshore U.S. Navy training exercise involving surface-to-air missiles. The case is officially closed.

October 25, 2002 Minnesota senator Paul Wellstone died with seven others, including his wife and three children, when his aircraft crashed near Eveleth, Minnesota. Wellstone was near the end of his campaign for a third Senate term, his death coming 11 days before the scheduled balloting. Initial reports blamed icing of the aircraft's wing, but that suggestion was later rejected. Federal investigators finally named pilot error as the “likely” cause of the crash, claiming that deceased First Officer Michael Guess was “below average” in proficiency. In fact, Guess had been fired from two previous flying jobs for incompetence. Jim Fetzer, a philosophy professor at the University of Minnesota Duluth, published a book in 2004, blaming Wellstone’s death on unnamed members of President George W. Bush’s administration.

 July 30, 2005 Dr. John Garang De Mabior, vice president of Sudan and former head of the rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Army, died when his helicopter crashed in southern Sudan. Circumstances of the crash remain unclear, and Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni blamed “external factors” for the incident. Foreign observers note that Garang’s death helped bring an end to Sudan’s long-running civil war.

[thelocksmithgy]

Cuisines near Clearwater, FL neighborhoods

Introduction

Clearwater is a beautiful city located on the west coast of Florida, and it's surrounded by beaches, rivers, and forests. It's only an hour away from Tampa International Airport and two hours away from Orlando International Airport. Clearwater has a lot to offer in terms of food, drinks, and nightlife. The city is divided into different neighborhoods, each with its own distinct character:

Coachman Ridge

The area is near the Coachman Ridge Golf Course and the Coachman Ridge Country Club. It has a lot of trees. It's near Clearwater Beach, which has many restaurants. The area is also close to Clearwater Mall, which has many stores.

The neighborhood is near the Coachman Ridge Golf Course and the Coachman Ridge Country Club. It has a lot of trees. The community is near the Clearwater Beach Marina, which has many restaurants and shops. It's also near Coachman Park, a beautiful park that features a walking trail and playground with swings. The community is near the Clearwater Beach Marina, which has many restaurants and shops. It's also near Coachman Park, a beautiful park that features a walking trail and playground with swings. The area is close to the Clearwater Mall, which has many stores. It's also near Clearwater Beach Marina, which has many restaurants and shops. The neighborhood is near Coachman Park, a beautiful park that features a walking trail and playground with swings.

Orange Blossom Estates

Orange Blossom Estates is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. The population was 1,948 at the 2010 census. Orange Blossom Estates is located in southern Pinellas County, Florida.

The city of Orange Blossom Estates is located in southern Pinellas County, Florida. The city is located at the southern terminus of State Road 686 (Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard), which runs east to Clearwater and west to St. Petersburg. The city is bordered on the north by the cities of Belleair Beach, Indian Rocks Beach, and unincorporated Largo; on the east by Indian Shores and unincorporated Palm Harbor; on the south by Dunedin, Safety Harbor, and Clearwater; and on the west by unincorporated Seminole. The city of Orange Blossom Estates is a small community located in southern Pinellas County, Florida. The city was incorporated in December 2007 and has an estimated population of 1,948 people. The median household income in the city is $35,833 per year with a median home price of $119,000. The city of Orange Blossom Estates is located in southern Pinellas County, Florida. The city is situated on almost 20 square miles of land. Most of the homes in the community were built in the 1950s and 1960s. The area has plenty of public parks and recreation facilities such as Clearwater Mall, Clearwater Beach Marina, and Coachman Park.

Takeaway:

As you can see, there are lots of cuisines to choose from in Clearwater. The next time you need a quick bite or want to treat yourself to something special, consider the cuisine of your choice and check out these restaurants.

Conclusion

We hope you’ve enjoyed learning about the cuisine near Clearwater, FL neighborhoods. We know it can be hard to make a decision when there are so many options out there, but we hope this helps narrow down your choices and gives you some ideas on where to start looking!

If you’re still getting locked out of your house, then there might be something else going on. In that case, you should contact a locksmith right away. They can help diagnose the problem and fix it so that you will never have to worry about being locked out again! The Locksmith Guy is a locksmith service that is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We’re here to help you out with any lock-related problem, whether it’s something small or large—and we won’t charge you an arm and a leg for our services! is a locksmith company that specializes in residential and commercial lock installations, as well as repairs. We are fully licensed to work with all types of locks and security systems, and we provide 24-hour emergency services. They offer services like building lockout, new key fob, copy vehicle key, re-key lock, lock install, lock repair, locksmith near me, and car lockout.

Contact Us: The Locksmith Guy 620 Bypass Dr suite 101, Clearwater, FL 33764 727-290-0100 https://www.locksmith-guy.com/

Find Us: https://www.google.com/maps?cid=53050327707343183

[reportwire]

Snake discovered on United flight from Florida to New Jersey

Snake discovered on United flight from Florida to New Jersey

A snake was discovered Monday on board a United Airlines passenger flight from Tampa Bay, Florida, to Newark, New Jersey, officials said. The non-venomous snake was removed from the plane by airport staff after the flight landed in Newark. United confirmed to CBS News that after “being alerted” to the presence of the snake by passengers, the crew “called the appropriate authorities to take care…

[civilmanage]

📷Clark construction: Clark construction group

In this article, we will discuss the Clark construction. Further you will learn what is Clark construction group, CEO & Owner and jobs & career their.

What is Clark construction? Clark construction company

The company Clark construction is one of the most experienced and largest international construction company based in Bethesda Maryland, USA.

Clark construction was Found in 1906 by George Hyman. Initially the company was named “George Hyman construction company” which was founded and operated by Hyman in Washington DC, and it was only excavation company.

It is also called CC Groups and now it has 4500+ employees. It has done many interior designing and complex civil operation. Its estimated revenue is over $6 billion in 2020.

It was involved in many military projects during world war II. Further more, Hyman was died in 1959 & the company was succeeded by his nephew Benjamin Rome.

Later on, in 1969 A.James Clark bought the company and named it Clark constructions and L’Enfant plaza in Washington DC was their earliest project.

Clark construction owner and CEO?

Robert Moser JR is the CEO of Clark constructions and Alfred James Clark was the owner of company.

Clark construction projects:

Followings are the company mega projects & signature projects.

New single terminal city international airport at Kansas city

It was develop by CC group in 2003. It was 1,000,000 sq/ft in size. New terminal is the largest infrastructure in the history of Kansas city. It has 39 gates and ability to expand up to 50 gates. It was built on same footprint as previous one has.

Washington DC metro station

CC company constructed the Washington metro station. It was the mega project for the company. Metrorail is the transit serving the Washington area. Clark done excavation, concrete work and finishing work. It was 1100 feet long & 90 feet deep, 200,000 cubic yards of soil excavated during construction work initiation.

📷National park

National park is a stadium having 41000+ seats and 80+ suites on 3 floor levels. Its a baseball stadium in along with Anacostia river in Navy yard. In United states it was the first LEED certified green major stadium after the completion in 2008.

Washington harbour

This company constructed the Washington harbour. Harbour is 6 acres 2100m2 or 23500 sq/ft area. The harbour has 80,000 sq/ft of restaurant space and 485,000 sq/ft of office space. Exterior of harbour is made up with brick stone and precast concrete.

📷World bank group

The World bank group is a building in USA which was also develop by CC company. WBG is a family of five international organization. Its a financial institute which grant loan to low and middle income countries. World bank is a component of World bank group.

📷

Fedex field

Sanysidso land port of entry phase 3

I-95/route 630 reconstruction & widening

University of Kansas central district development

Washington state university digital classroom building

The GWU science & engineering hall

International spy museum (Washington DC)

Arentfox, LLP (Washington, DC)

3001 Washington boulevard (Virginia)

CNA headquarter (Virginia)

General Motors Vehicles engineering center (Michigan)

Red river army depot (Texas)

Argonne Materials design laboratory (Argonne, IL)

Clark construction subsidiaries and office addresses?

The company has following subsidiaries in different locations and their addresses.

Clark construction group LLC (HQ)

7500 Old Georgetown Rd Bethesda, Maryland, USA.

Shirley constructing company LLC

Lorton, Virginia, USA

Guy F. Atkison construction LLC

Golden, Colorado

Mid Atlantic office

145 W Ostend St #110 Baltimore, Maryland

North region office

216 S Jefferson St #502 Chicago, Illinois

Regional office

Tampa, Florida

Regional office

5353 W Alabama St #310 Houston, Texas

Clark construction jobs & careers:

As Clark construction is one of the top international construction company in USA, there’s more job opportunities in Clark construction to be applied. There’s already more than 4500 employees around world and every year they are increasing.

If you are engineer or having degrees related to civil engineering for example project management, structural engineer, architect, civil engineering technologist, civil technician etc.

Click below to see the positions and apply for a job.

Apply for Job

Source: civilmanage.com

[freenewstoday]

New Post has been published on https://freenews.today/2020/12/29/boeing-737-max-resumes-flying-u-s-passengers-after-2-year-halt/

Boeing 737 Max Resumes Flying U.S. Passengers After 2-Year Halt

American plans to use the Max for daily flights between Miami International Airport and La Guardia Airport through Monday. The airline plans to increase service throughout January, using the plane for as many as 36 flights out of Miami each day, according to a letter American executives sent to employees last month.

Like other airlines, American has said that it will allow passengers worried about flying on the Max to rebook their trip to avoid the plane. The airline’s approximately 2,600 Boeing 737 pilots will all be retrained to fly the Max, a process that involves classroom briefings and training in a simulator. In addition to F.A.A. oversight, each Max jet will be subject to internal inspection and a readiness flight before it carries passengers. Tuesday’s flight can seat 172 people, 16 in business class and the rest in economy.

United Airlines said it expects to start flying the Max on Feb. 11, out of Denver and Houston. The airline has already scheduled flights using the plane from Houston to Los Angeles, Orlando, San Diego and Tampa, and between Los Angeles and Orlando, according to Cirium, an aviation data company.

Alaska Airlines is scheduled to use the plane for some West Coast flights starting on March 1. Southwest Airlines, a major Boeing client that operates an all-737 fleet, has said it does not expect to fly the plane until the second quarter. Delta Air Lines does not use the plane.

It will be important to public perception of both Boeing and the Max that the first few months of flights be free of any major problems. Last week, Air Canada was forced to divert a Max plane being moved from Marana, Ariz., to Montreal because of engine trouble. The plane, which had only three pilots on board, landed without incident in Tucson, Ariz., where it remains, the airline said on Monday.

While American will be the first U.S. airline to put the Max to use, Gol, a Brazilian company, became the first in the world to resume flying the plane for commercial service this month. Aeromexico has since started flying the Max, too.

Source

[perfectirishgifts]

New Year, New Hotels: 60 Exciting Hotel Openings Around The World This Winter

New Post has been published on https://perfectirishgifts.com/new-year-new-hotels-60-exciting-hotel-openings-around-the-world-this-winter/

New Year, New Hotels: 60 Exciting Hotel Openings Around The World This Winter

The Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort & Club opens in January.

The hospitality industry has been through its ups and downs this year, but that’s not stopping dozens of new hotels and resorts that are preparing to open this winter.

Despite uneven demand and the added expense of Covid-19 preparedness protocols, hoteliers are stepping up to the challenge. Domestic openings are plentiful, but international properties are sprouting up just as quickly as travel bubbles (and corridors between countries) become the talk of potential recovery. Island and resort destinations, in particular, are seeing growth, especially in parts of Asia, Mexico, the Caribbean, and parts of the U.S.

Opening their doors in preparation for a brighter 2021 ahead, these are some of the newest December, January, and February hotel and resort openings around the world.

The contemporary interiors of the The Industrialist Hotel, Pittsburgh, Autograph Collection, opening … [] February 2021.

Eastern Time Zone

The Industrialist Hotel, Pittsburgh, Autograph Collection, opens in February and combines the city’s gritty industrial heritage with the cultural hub it is fast becoming. Its 124 rooms within the 1902-era Arrott building are well-positioned to explore Market Square and the downtown area.

New England will get a new hotel when The Beatrice opens this month in Providence, Rhode Island with 47 rooms and a rooftop bar.

A new guest room at The Valley Hotel in Homewood, Alabama.

Homewood, Alabama will get a new Curio Collection by Hilton property when the 129-room The Valley Hotel opens in January. In Columbus, Georgia, Hotel Indigo at Riverfront Place will open in February with 107 rooms and a more upscale design than typically found with the boutique Indigo brand. Sure to be popular, its rooftop bar overlooks the Chattahoochee River.

Hyatt Place Tampa Downtown and Hyatt House Tampa Downtown will open a dual-brand location in Tampa by early February. The hotels will share a swimming pool on the fifth floor deck and a fitness center equipped with Peloton bikes.

A short drive from both Miami and Fort Lauderdale airports, Hilton Aventura Miami is well-positioned … [] for nearby shopping, golf courses, and the beach.

In January, Hilton Aventura Miami will open with 208 rooms putting guests within close distance to great shopping, golfing, and beaches. It is a short drive from both Miami and Fort Lauderdale airports. The property will feature several dining outlets, including one with a South American-inspired menu, as well as a yoga studio.

There’s a lot to be “happy” about in Miami Beach Beach. Pharrell Williams’ new 266-room Goodtime Hotel (his first) will open in South Beach in January. Cambria Hotel Fort Lauderdale Beach will open in February with a rooftop bar and oceanview pool.

The new BottleWorks Hotel in Indianapolis is located in a historic building that was once the … [] world’s largest Coca Cola Bottling Plant.

Once the world’s largest Coca-Cola bottling plant, this historic building is about to get a new lease on life as the Bottleworks Hotel in Indianapolis. On the top two floors, the 139-room hotel, which officially opens in January, features art deco design. It is part of a mixed-use development and neighborhood for the city that will also contain the Garage Food Hall with 20 local culinary vendors and retailers.

The new Omni Oklahoma City Hotel will be part of a much larger conventions venue when it opens in … [] 2021.

Central and Mountain Time Zones

The January opening of the Omni Oklahoma City Hotel is sure to make waves when it opens with 605 rooms and suites. As part of the new Oklahoma City Convention Center and Chesapeake Energy Arena, it is sure to drive business, especially for fans of Omni Select Guest, to the midwestern city.

In Fort Worth, Texas, the 200-room Hotel Drover will open in February at the Stockyards as a member of Marriott’s Autograph Collection.

Thompson San Antonio will open in January with an outdoor pool deck featuring private cabanas and a great view of the city’s skyline.

A traditional guest room at Kinship Landing in Colorado Springs.

Downtown Colorado Springs will welcome the new Kinship Landing later this month. Most unique about this hotel is that it features shared hostel-style, bunk rooms in addition to more traditional designer guest rooms and suites. Local restaurateurs will manage the food and beverage adding to the unique atmosphere of this new property opening.

Rand Tower, Minneapolis, A Tribute Portfolio Hotel, opens this month as the 50th property for the Tribute Portfolio brand. The Art Deco hotel features a speakeasy-style lobby bar and a French restaurant, but with subtle flavors of Minnesota.

The pool at the Margaritaville Resort Palm Springs

Pacific and Hawaii time zones

Margaritaville Resort Palm Springs will officially open in December as the brand’s first on the west coast. It will feature 398 rooms and Palm Springs’ largest resort spa.

In Desert Hot Springs, Azure Palm Hot Springs Resort & Day Spa Oasis will open in January with 40 rooms and suites surrounded by the San Jacinto Mountains. Its healing mineral spas are sure to be a big draw to this desert escape.

The opening of Pendry West Hollywood is slated for January 2021.

Pendry West Hollywood, the third Pendry and the brand’s flagship property, will open in January and feature food and beverage designed by Wolfgang Puck. Also in greater Los Angeles, Hilton Santa Monica will open in February with 286 rooms that are mostly suites just a short walk from the city’s famous pier and waterfront.

In Los Angeles, the Fairmont Century Plaza is ready to reveal a new design this month as it reopens following significant updates; it is new to the Accor family. With 400 rooms and 63 private residences, this hotel is part of a $2.5 billion mixed-use development in the Century City area.

Cambria Hotel Napa Valley will open in late February.

Cambria Hotel Napa Valley will open near the end of February in California’s famous wine country with a poolside bar, grab-and-go marketplace, and modern guest rooms with clever features like Bluetooth mirrors in bathrooms that allow podcast or music streaming.

A 400-room Waldorf-Astoria Monarch Beach Resort & Club opens in January with hillside views of the Pacific Ocean and a 30,000 square foot spa.

El Capitan, a Joie de Vivre Hotel, will open in February in Merced, California

Another World of Hyatt-participating property for Hyatt fans will open in Merced, California, in February. El Capitan, a Joie de Vivre Hotel, will have 114 rooms in a historic downtown building with four different dining options.

In Encinitas, California (near San Diego), Alila Marea Beach Resort Encinitas will open at the end of February. The 130-room resort will be the second Alila property to open in the United States; the majority of its resorts are in the Asia-Pacific region. It is sure to be a popular option for World of Hyatt members in 2021.

The first resort-casino built from scratch is opening this month in Las Vegas as the Circa Resort & Casino in downtown Las Vegas. The adults-only hotel will also host the world’s largest sportsbook, Circa Sports, featuring a 78-million-pixel high-definition screen showcasing 19 simultaneous games.

Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, Curio Collection by Hilton, opens in Sin City in January.

Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, a Curio Collection by Hilton property, will open in January. The 1,500-room casino resort has three accommodation towers, a five-acre “desert pool oasis,” and a dozen food and beverage venues including Nobu and Todd English’s Olives.

The art-themed Gordon Hotel will open in late January in Eugene, Oregon with 82 rooms and an art bar where guests can create their own masterpiece using pencils, watercolor, and clay.

Halfway across the Pacific Ocean, Hawaii will get a new Marriott-branded property when the AC Hotel Maui Wailea opens in February.

The all-inclusive Anantara Maia Seychelles Villas offers private accommodations overlooking the … [] Indian Ocean.

Africa

Around the world, hotel companies are betting on positive news and a successful vaccine distribution with a large number of new openings.

Anantara Maia Seychelles Villas opens to great fanfare this month on Mahé with 30 pool villas staffed by on-demand villa hosts and overlooking the Indian Ocean from hillside perches. Designed by landscape architect Bill Bensley, the property’s gardens are signature hallmarks of this resort, which features the option for a la carte or all-inclusive rates. Guests can choose between meandering the curated grounds or relaxing in private infinity pools and outdoor showers stocked with Hermes toiletries.

Amani Boutique Hotel in Zanzibar is located on Paje Beach overlooking the Indian Ocean.

Amani Boutique Hotel Zanzibar opens in January as a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, which also has a partnership with World of Hyatt. Regional flair is apparent in the dining menu and guest room decor. The property is located on Paje Beach overlooking the Indian Ocean.

Safari goers have a new option in Botswana with Xigera Safari Lodge, which will open in January. The ultimate in social distancing, safaris can be a great first-step trip for those looking for cautious travel ideas.

Johannesburg’s voco Rosebank will be the first for the brand in South Africa.

In February, voco The Bank, Johannesburg, Rosebank, opens with 131 rooms a short walk from the Gautrain station (offering a direct line to O.R. Tambo International Airport) and numerous area restaurants and shops.

Another new design hotel in Johannesburg, The Mighty Fine, is set to open on Feb. 1 in the Strathavon area, not far from Sandton. All rooms will feature fully equipped kitchenettes with SMEG appliances and locally sourced toiletries.

A traditional guest room at Hyatt Regency Cape Town

In Cape Town, the new Hyatt Regency Cape Town opens this month in what was once the Hilton. The 137-room hotel is located in the central business district and within walking distance to great dining and shopping.

Private villas overlook the rice paddies and distant bay

Asia-Pacific

In the Phu Yen province of Vietnam, Bãi San Hô (meaning bay of corals) features many accommodations with private plunge pools and breathtaking hillside views, all far from the tourist centers for maximum privacy and relaxation.

Four Seasons returns to Bangkok again when it opens its newest hotel this month. Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok at Chao Phraya River features traditional rooms and suites as well as private residences overlooking the city’s bustling waterway and skyline.

The new Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh will be the capital’s largest internationally branded hotel when it … [] opens in early 2021.

Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh will open in the first two months of the year in the Cambodian capital. The 247-room hotel will be the first Hyatt Regency property in the country as well as the city’s largest internationally branded hotel in the city.

The 175-room Hotel Resonance Taipei, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, will open in Taiwan this month marking the brand’s debut in the Asia-Pacific region.

The bathhouse at KAI Kirishima in the Kyushu region of Japan.

Japan has been preparing for plentiful hotel openings in time for the Olympics, and while some may be slightly delayed, they are still opening. Mountainside KAI Kirishima, part of Hoshino Resorts, will open in January in Kagoshima prefecture of Kyushu. This hot spring ryokan in clear view of Mt. Sakurajima offers a contemporary take on the traditional Japanese inn.

The first Ritz-Carlton Reserve opens in Japan this month in Niseko. Higashiyama Niseko Village, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, has 43 rooms and seven suites at the base of Mount Niseko Annupuri overlooking Mount Yotei. Popular for outdoor mountain activities like skiing, it also features a traditional onsen and full-service spa.

The Legian Sire, Lombok, has 61 one villas and suites.

In Indonesia, The Legian Sire, Lombok, opens this month as a member of The Leading Hotels of the World. It has 61 suites and villas overlooking the ocean and the Gili Islands.

A guest room at the new JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort & Spa.

Down under, Australia will welcome a new Marriott brand with the opening of JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort & Spa in Queensland this month. The 223-room hotel is a reflagging of the former Surfers Paradise Marriott. Following a $35 million overhaul, it will feature remodeled interior spaces and six food and beverage outlets.

The rooftop pool, bar, and lounge of Hotel Indigo Brisbane.

By the end of January, the new Hotel Indigo Brisbane Fortitude Valley will be welcoming guests to its lively neighborhood including proximity to neighboring pubs and the Fortitude Music Hall hosting bands and comedy acts.

Regional art, posters, and design are on display throughout the hotel.

In Adelaide, Hotel Indigo Adelaide Markets opens in January with 145 rooms, a rooftop lounge with raw bar, and copper decor throughout the property paying homage to South Australia’s copper mining history.

A rendering of the new Fairmont Windsor Park in the United Kingdom.

Europe

In the English countryside near Windsor Great Park and Savill Gardens, Fairmont Windsor Park will open its doors in February. It will have over 200 bedrooms as well as a spa with indoor and outdoor pools, salt room, hammam, and Japanese foot spa overlooking the courtyard and fire pit.

London will see a fourth property for the Locke brand when Kingsland Locke opens in January with 124 studio apartments, plentiful co-working space, and an onsite microbrewery and gin distillery among its many amenities.

Grand Universe Lucca, Autograph Collection, opened this month in Italy.

Grand Universe Lucca, Autograph Collection, opened this month in a restored, 16th century palazzo in Tuscany. Its 55 rooms and suites put guests in the heart of town overlooking two important piazzas. The hotel will offer pasta and pastry making workshops as well as honey, wine and olive oil tastings and pairings.

Grand Hotel Victoria will open on the shores of Lake Como in February.

On the shores of Lake Como in northern Italy, the Grand Hotel Victoria Concept & Spa will open in February. The 19th century neoclassical villa will feature 81 rooms and suites and be part of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, which participates in World of Hyatt.

The Comwell Copenhagen Portside opens in January taking inspiration from the Danish capital’s historic harbor warehouses. Its 493 rooms, part of the Wyndham Hotels & Resorts group, represent the first hotel to open in the Nordhavn area.

In Madrid, one of the first Tapestry Collection by Hilton hotels in Europe will open by the end of February. Atocha Hotel Madrid is within walking distance of its namesake train station as well as the “Golden Triangle of Art,” known for some of Europe’s most famous art museums.

The lobby of Preferred Hotels’ new Palacio Provincial in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Latin America and the Caribbean

In Puerto Rico’s charming Old San Juan district, Palacio Provincial will open in January as a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts and participant in its I Prefer Hotel Rewards program. The building’s history dates back 200 years hosting diplomatic visitors to the island. On top of the 43-room hotel is a rooftop swimming pool overlooking the city.

Preferred Hotels & Resorts is gaining a new property in the Galeria Plaza San Jeronimo that opens this month in Mexico City. Its rooftop pool and garden plus 151 rooms and suites in a central capital city neighborhood are sure to prove popular with both business and leisure travelers.

The rooftop bar at Aloft Tulum in Mexico

Also in Mexico is the new Aloft Tulum that will open in February. It will be near the city center and a short drive from the Caribbean waterfront.

North of Cancun’s hotel zone, a new Planet Hollywood Beach Resort opens this month with 898 suites and 11 restaurants. The resort will have its signature Hollywood-themed memorabilia on display highlighting 40 “cult classic” movies. An adults-only section of the resort, known as “Adult Scene,” is a first for the brand; it will have its own beachfront, pool area, and specialty restaurants.

Cielo Lodge, along the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica, will open in January featuring six suites with open-air accommodations amid the tree canopy of the Golfito Rainforest.

Canopy by Hilton São Paulo Jardins opens in February as the first Canopy by Hilton property in South America. The 98-room boutique hotel will treat guests to complimentary, local spirits and light fare each day in addition to regionally inspired check-in gifts.

Each villa at Beach Enclave Turks & Caicos has its own infinity-edge swimming pool.

The Caribbean has a spate of new hotel openings on the horizon. In the Turks and Caicos, Beach Enclave Grace Bay opens in December with ten standalone villas offering Grace Bay beachfront and ocean views. This is the first, new-build project along Grace Bay in a decade. Each features a private infinity-edge pool, full kitchen with villa staff, and ample outdoor spaces including dining areas and showers.

This new, beachfront hotel is located within an 18th century sugar mill

On the British Virgin Islands, Long Bay Resort will be Tortola’s newest hotel when it opens in December. Its location within an 18th century sugar mill adds to the ambiance of this “barefoot chic” property.

Lovango Resort and Beach Club on St. John, part of the U.S. Virgin Islands, is available for reservations now as part of a phased opening. The first section to open will be its beach club, restaurant, three bedroom villa, shopping area, and 14 ocean view home sites with the hotel section following a few weeks later.

More from Travel in Perfectirishgifts

[newstfionline]

Headlines

Quarantine Blues and the Power of a Jigsaw Puzzle (Worldcrunch) A sudden rush of stress, trouble sleeping or eating, overwhelming feelings of helplessness, general fatigue. Does it sound familiar? With approximately half the world still forced to live in lockdown, old and new psychological disorders are a widely diffused side-effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. A recent study led by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 45% of Americans feel the current health crisis had impacted their mental health. In France, Le Figaro reported this week that 74% of adults in a recent survey developed sleeping disorders and 34% showed signs of psychological distress. Humans are social animals, and while we can acknowledge that our modern digital tools are providing instant links in the face of our respective quarantines, we are also seeing how crucial in-person interaction and stimuli are to the human experience. Alongside the more severe threats to our emotional state is a seemingly less menacing effect: boredom. There is a fine line between enjoying some spare time to do nothing and repeatedly having nothing to do, especially when we yearn for distraction from the current uncertainty of the outside world. Board games that were piling up dust in the basement are seeing the light of day again and solo players indeed are able to play across the computer screen with friends and strangers. Similarly, the lockdown has created one of the highest recorded demand for jigsaw puzzles, a pastime whose time had seemed to have passed two or three generations ago. The American Puzzle Warehouse reported a jump of 2,000% in business compared to the same period last year. When the world seems to fall apart, putting back pieces together could be the ultimate satisfaction.

Coronavirus could erode global fight against other diseases (AP) Lavina D’Souza hasn’t been able to collect her government-supplied anti-HIV medication since the abrupt lockdown of India’s 1.3 billion people last month during the coronavirus outbreak. Marooned in a small city away from her home in Mumbai, the medicine she needs to manage her disease has run out. The 43-year-old is afraid that her immune system will crash: “Any disease, the coronavirus or something else, I’ll fall sick faster.” As the world focuses on the pandemic, experts fear losing ground in the long fight against other infectious diseases like AIDS, tuberculosis and cholera that kill millions every year. Also at risk are decadeslong efforts that allowed the World Health Organization to set target dates for eradicating malaria, polio and other illnesses. With the coronavirus overwhelming hospitals, redirecting medical staff, causing supply shortages and suspending health services, “our greatest fear” is resources for other diseases being diverted and depleted, said Dr. John Nkengasong, head of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

IMF warns of social unrest (Foreign Policy) The International Monetary Fund has warned of social unrest developing in countries where coronavirus prevention measures are seen as insufficient or unfair to poorer workers. The IMF said that although governments have taken swift action to inject stimulus funds into their economies, even more money would be needed once the crisis subsides. The organization expects global public debt to rise by 13 percent in 2020 to almost 96 percent of global gross domestic product.

After Coronavirus, Colleges Worry: Will Students Come Back? (NYT) For years, Claire McCarville dreamed of going to college in New York or Los Angeles, and was thrilled last month to get accepted to selective schools in both places. But earlier this month, she sent a $300 deposit to Arizona State University, a 15-minute drive from her home in Phoenix. “It made more sense,” she said, “in light of the virus.” Across the country, students like Ms. McCarville are rethinking their choices in a world altered by the pandemic. And universities, concerned about the potential for shrinking enrollment and lost revenue, are making a wave of decisions in response that could profoundly alter the landscape of higher education for years to come. Lucrative spring sports seasons have been canceled, room and board payments have been refunded, and students at some schools are demanding hefty tuition discounts for what they see as a lost spring term. Other revenue sources like study abroad programs and campus bookstores have dried up, and federal research funding is threatened. Some institutions are projecting $100 million losses for the spring, and many are now bracing for an even bigger financial hit in the fall, when some are planning for the possibility of having to continue remote classes.

‘Pretty Catastrophic’ Month for Retailers (NYT) Retail sales plunged in March, offering a grim snapshot of the coronavirus outbreak’s effect on consumer spending, as businesses shuttered from coast to coast and wary shoppers restricted their spending. Total sales, which include retail purchases in stores and online as well as money spent at bars and restaurants, fell 8.7 percent from the previous month, the Commerce Department said Wednesday. The decline was by far the largest in the nearly three decades the government has tracked the data. Even that bleak figure doesn’t capture the full impact of the sudden economic freeze on the retail industry. Most states didn’t shut down nonessential businesses until late March or early April, meaning data for the current month could be worse still. “It was a pretty catastrophic drop-off in that back half of the month,” said Sucharita Kodali, a retail analyst at Forrester Research. She said April “may be one of the worst months ever.”

Now Arriving at La Guardia Airport: One Passenger (NYT) Jim Mack had made several trips to New York City before, but had never been the only passenger on a commercial jet landing at a deserted La Guardia Airport. Instead of shuffling into the madhouse that is Terminal B on a typical weeknight, Mr. Mack was greeted by an eerie silence. “It felt like it was either closed or I had landed in the wrong terminal,” he said. He had flown from Tampa, Fla.--just him and a Southwest Airlines crew--and now he was striding up the concourse toward baggage claim. The only luggage on the carousel was his. The lone Uber driver was waiting for him. The coronavirus pandemic has unraveled air travel in the United States and turned some of the world’s busiest airports into giant voids. The nation’s air-traffic system is still functioning. But airlines have slashed their schedules, and even on the dwindling number of remaining flights very few seats are filled.

As Danish schools reopen, some worried parents are keeping their children home (Washington Post) The children pressed down on a hand sanitizer dispenser and kept a safe distance from one another as they filed into Ellebjerg School in central Copenhagen on Thursday. But while they settled into their lessons, with a new limit of 10 students per room, some of their classmates remained at home, their families resistant to participating in what they see as a public policy experiment. Denmark this week became the first country in Europe to reopen schools--nursery and primary up to fifth grade--as a start to lifting a coronavirus lockdown imposed on March 12. Although the country has reported 6,879 confirmed cases of coronavirus infection and 309 deaths, new infections have been decreasing since a peak on April 1, giving the government confidence that a cautious reopening was possible. But thousands of families are opposed to sending their kids back to school so quickly. It’s unclear whether the same opposition will arise in other countries as they try to pivot from more than a month of restrictive measures aimed at slowing the pandemic’s spread. Officials are weighing the negatives of distance learning, which can exacerbate inequality, and the reality that many parents won’t be able to return to work if their children are still home--a point that Denmark’s prime minister specifically noted Wednesday in a surprise visit to a school here.

At least 668 sailors infected after coronavirus outbreak aboard French aircraft carrier, Defense Ministry says (Washington Post) Nearly a third of the crew aboard a French aircraft carrier and its support vessels have tested positive for coronavirus, the country’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday. As test results from 1,767 sailors on the Charles de Gaulle and other ships within its battle group continue to arrive, at least 668 have contracted the virus, officials said. More than 30 are now being treated in the hospital with one person in intensive care, Agence France-Presse reported. In the meantime, the rest of the crew has been quarantined at a military base in the French port city of Toulon.

Germany to ease lockdown (Foreign Policy) Germany is following the lead of its southern neighbor Austria by preparing to ease its lockdown measures. Starting May 4, Germany will begin reopening smaller shops and allowing schools to reopen, with priority given to final-year students. Hairdressers will also be allowed to open, but larger gathering points like bars, restaurants, and cinemas would still be banned. German Chancellor Angela Merkel played down talk of larger scale reopening, saying Germany had achieved merely a “fragile intermediate success” in its battle against the coronavirus.

China tries to revive economy but consumer engine sputters (AP) China, where the coronavirus pandemic started in December, is cautiously trying to get back to business, but it’s not easy when many millions of workers are wary of spending much or even going out. Factories and shops nationwide shut down starting in late January. Millions of families were told to stay home under unprecedented controls that have been copied by the United States, Europe and India. The ruling Communist Party says the outbreak, which had killed more than 3,340 people among more than 82,341 confirmed cases as of Thursday, is under control. But the damage to Chinese lives and the economy is lingering. Truck salesman Zhang Hu is living the dilemma holding back the recovery. The 27-year-old from the central city of Zhengzhou has gone back to work, but with few people looking to buy 20-ton trucks, his income has fallen by half. Like many millions of others, he is pinching pennies.

U.S. Navy complains of harassment in Persian Gulf (Foreign Policy) The U.S. Navy said Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps vessels conducted “dangerous and provocative” approaches to U.S. Navy vessels in the Persian Gulf in a statement on Wednesday. The U.S. Fifth Fleet said it was in international waters and carrying out exercises when the boats approached. Iran has yet to respond to the U.S. statement.

Australia to send aid to Fiji after cyclone tears across Pacific (Reuters) Australia is to send humanitarian aid to Fiji after a tropical cyclone caused widespread destruction across the Pacific, Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne said on Thursday. Cyclone Harold, a category five storm, lashed several island nations in the Pacific last week, killing dozens of people, flooding towns and leaving many homeless. In Fiji, thousands of people remain without electricity, aid agencies say, and many need immediate assistance.

[jennymanrique]

Air COVID-19

Medical and military personnel wait at a base near Bogota for the arrival of almost two dozen Colombian migrants who were deported by US immigration officials and came home infected with the coronavirus. Photo: Aristóbulo Varón

Deportation flights seed Coronavirus in Latin America 

In early March, Carlos, a 24-year-old merchant, boarded a flight from Bogota, Colombia, headed to Indianapolis and a shopping and tourism spree with his aunt. There were toys and new clothes to buy for his newborn son, his first child.

But what Carlos said was designed as a short and fun getaway instead became a nightmare stay in the United States. It ended with him spending three weeks in a Florida detention center run by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, before being put on a chartered passenger jet on March 30 and sent back to Colombia.

A few hours later Carlos and dozens of fellow Colombian deportees landed in Bogota, where he learned he’d become infected with the COVID-19 virus that has paralyzed the world.

The jet was one in a fleet used in a sped-up deportation program run by ICE Air Operations (IAO). The number of flights increased just as the pandemic had started spreading like wildfire across the U.S. By mid-May, more than 300 flights had arrived in 19 Latin American countries with more than 70,000 deportees during 2020, according to ICE data.

The vast majority of those deportees were not tested for COVID-19 infection before being loaded onto planes and shipped home.

On the March 30 Bogota flight, several deportees interviewed by palabra. said the passengers were chained to their seats for most of the time in the air, and no one -- not even the crew -- wore masks or gloves. The ICE flights have drawn the ire of officials in Latin America now dealing with some of the world’s highest COVID-19 infection rates, ill-prepared health systems and, in some cases, unsupportive governments.

ICE has since shifted its policy and is now testing more and more deportees, but the moves were too late for deportees like Carlos, who complain the U.S. government negligently exposed them to a lethal virus.

“I traveled with a tourist visa, but during the stop in Miami the immigration officers interrogated me for several hours and then (claimed) that my intention was asking for  political asylum, which was not,” said Carlos, speaking via telephone from Bogota, where he was being quarantined. “I don't speak English, I didn’t understand what was going on, but soon after I was detained, I was wearing a blue uniform, with no access to my cell phone or a jar of vitamins I travel with for health reasons,” he said.

(Carlos asked palabra. to use only his first name. He fears stigmatization and reprisal.)

Trapped in a hot spot

Carlos was held in the Krome Detention Center in Florida -- a facility that gained national attention this spring for becoming a COVID-19 hot spot, with at least 15 detainees and staff infected.

Carlos is convinced that the stay in Krome is likely when he picked up the virus that would make him something like a “Patient Zero” -- possibly a source of infection for at least 22 others who flew with him from Alexandria, La., on the repatriation flight.

“I signed up for voluntary deportation because I wasn’t fighting for any asylum case,” Carlos said, recalling the option presented to him by ICE officials as a fast way to get back home and avoid uncertain time in detention. “I just wanted to leave that prison where I was sharing space with more than 100 people … . Many of them showed cold and flu symptoms and nobody did nothing.”  

On April 30th, U.S. District Court Judge Marcia Cooke ordered ICE to lower the number of detainees from 1,400 to about 350 in three detention centers in Florida, including Krome. By the time Carlos was detained, seven Krome detainees and eight staff members had tested positive for COVID-19, according to court filings.

“We constantly asked the guards why there were so many people entering the prison,'' Carlos said. “By the time we were hearing news about the coronavirus, (we were worried because) even priests were being allowed in to celebrate Mass.”

Nicolas Barrera, another Colombian on the March 30 Bogota-bound ICE flight, spent four months in ICE detention, between Krome and the Wakulla County Facility in Florida. In the Krome facility, he said, there was a building with close to 100 inmates in quarantine, “but suddenly all of us were mixed, and that is where the contagion and the panic began.”

“I saw many people coughing and suffering from colds,” Barrera said. “The bunk beds were extremely close to each other.”

Barrera, holding a tourist visa, arrived in Maryland in 2004 along with his mother. When the visa expired they sought asylum; his mother retired from the Colombian Army and was escaping death threats from that country’s largest revolutionary group, the Armed Revolutionary Forces of Colombia, known by its Spanish acronym, FARC. But they missed their first asylum hearing and decided to remain, undocumented, in the city of Gaithersburg, which was a sanctuary city.

In November of 2019, Barrera fell into ICE custody after police stopped him in Florida because his car had a cracked headlight. His lawyer suggested he apply again for asylum. But the courts were closed due to the virus and in the interim he was ordered deported. “I left my wife and three kids adrift (back in Maryland). I can't believe they deported me when I was trying to reopen my case. And now this nightmare.”

Like Carlos, Barrera was asymptomatic when he arrived in Bogota.

According to Diego Molano, director of the Presidential Administrative Department in Colombia, the government believed the deportees had been tested in the U.S. So, once the deportees were in Colombia, the Red Cross took their temperatures and then the Health Secretariat conducted additional screening.

An ICE statement at the time said agency protocols for immigrants who had “final orders of removal” included “a temperature screening at the flight line, prior to boarding” and an immediate referral to a medical provider for further evaluation if any detainee presents “a temperature of 99 degrees or higher.”

Nicolás Barrera

Testing in Colombia

“Once we entered the Colombian sky, passing over San Andres (island), ICE officers took off our handcuffs and gave us masks and gloves. I didn’t receive any of those during any of my transfers (to different ICE detention centers),” said Carlos.

After landing In Colombia, the 64 passengers (56 men and eight women) on the flight from Louisiana were put into quarantine at a military base south of Bogota. They were all tested and Carlos was the one deportee to come up positive for the coronavirus.

Colombia’s Ministry of Justice initial plan was to transport all deportees on the flight to a rehabilitation center in Tenjo, a small town near Bogota. But local residents blocked the entrance to their village with stones and dump trucks. They feared being infected by the deportees.

“As I suffer from allergic rhinitis, I had a rough first night sleeping in a tent (in the military base) with air conditioning,” Carlos recalled. “By the time the results came, I didn’t have any other symptoms, but I was immediately isolated.”

A second round of tests 10 days later revealed that 22 more deportees had the coronavirus. Carlos’ account was corroborated by six of the infected migrants who spoke to palabra.

“After the first positive (test), we started to take turns eating in smaller groups,” said Karen Rivera, 32, who is a nurse by training and helped the one doctor at the military base with taking temperatures and blood samples and doing other screening of the rest of the deportees, in 100 degree weather. She was also one of three women who tested positive after landing in Colombia.

“(In the base) we spent tons of time together without washing hands properly or just using disposable masks once and again,” Rivera said, speaking via telephone from the Hotel Tequendama in Bogota, where she spent 20 days quarantined with five other deportees after their positive test results. She became seriously ill: She suffered strong headaches “like a hangover,” muscle fatigue, diarrhea, loss of taste and smell, heartburn, and even panic attacks. She said she has an underlying condition, pulmonary edema, so she was “praying every day for my life.”

Julián Mesa

No social distancing in custody

Rivera is back in Colombia after a long stay in the U.S. that began with a flight from Mexico, where she had been living. In early February she was traveling to Tampa to visit her 9-year-old daughter. But on her first stop, Miami International Airport, her luggage was segregated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents for a random drug test. No drugs were found, but Rivera, who had a tourist visa, was accused of trying to enter the U.S. in order to work, which her visa didn’t allow.

Rivera was sent to the Broward Transitional Center (BTC) in Pompano, Fla. Like Krome, the Broward facility was ordered by a judge to decrease the inmate population because of the coronavirus outbreak.

“I was detained in a unit facility with 120 other women,” Rivera said. “We slept six per room, shared one bathroom and didn’t have access to toilet paper or feminine products … . We used to have recreation activities three times a day, but by mid-March there was a rumor of six infections and we were locked down 24 hours a day. … I didn't have access to my anxiety medication. On top of that, the arrests never stopped; (more people arrived) and the place was overcrowded.”

Although they said conditions in quarantine at the Colombian military base were better than in ICE detention centers, deportees described having to share spaces like bathrooms and small dining tables. They slept in bunks, 14 people per tent, with the exception of the eight women, who had their own tent. In all, 64 people had access to 12 toilets and 20 shower stalls.

“The hygiene was very irregular. We had a mop, a broom and a dustbin per tent. It was our duty to clean bathrooms but there was not enough soap, much less cleaning gloves,” said Julian Mesa, 34, who spoke from his house in Donmatias, Antioquia, a small Andean town located 30 miles outside Medellín. Migration from this small town to Boston’s east side -- where Mesa was detained in September 2019 by ICE -- has been so robust that today there are 4,000 Colombians living in this corner of New England.

“Once the number of the infected (from the March 30 flight) started to increase, ambulances arrived to transport us to our respective towns, to the Tequendama Hotel or the Military Hospital in Bogota. But there was so much improvisation,” Mesa recalled. “I had to ask my municipality for protection, so I won’t have any retaliation back at home.”

Throughout Latin America, deportees who have returned home from the United States, with or without coronavirus infections, have been threatened by locals. In Guatemala, villagers told federal government officials they would lynch one former detainee if he were allowed to come home.

For Mesa, the virus first revealed itself as a mild flu and pain in his joints. The whole journey was “frightening.” Mesa spent six months in the Bristol County House of Corrections in Massachusetts while waiting for a bond appeal so he could be set free while he waited for an asylum hearing. He said he was first taken into custody in 2013, in McAllen, Texas, after escaping threats in Colombia, crossing the U.S. border illegally and claiming asylum.

“I wanted to fight (for) my asylum but by mid-March when the Colombian Embassy confirmed (it would accept) the flight back to my country, I took the chance,” Mesa said. “The conditions inside Bristol were scary. Several guards were infected, two prisoners who tested positive were isolated, but we still were sharing bunk beds with more than 60 people per housing unit. We protested. Demanded tests. But that never happened.”

On May 12, U.S. District Court Judge William Young ordered the release of dozens of ICE detainees from Bristol County correctional facilities, after a class action filed on behalf of 148 people being held on civil immigration charges.

“This facility was notorious for bad medical care, bad sanitation and very high suicide rates, so we became very concerned about what was going to happen here after the coronavirus outbreak,” said Oren Nimni, staff attorney with Lawyers for Civil Rights, a rights group representing individuals in the lawsuit.  

The judge ordered tests of all detainees and staff, and a release or transfer of immigrants in Bristol. To date, 18 ICE guards and nurses have tested positive and 50 detainees have been released. “We have reports from our clients inside that testing indeed has been increased,” Nimni said, adding that detainees still complain of threats from staff that anyone asking for a test will be put in solitary confinement.

Aristóbulo Varón

Deportation: The way out

The situation in Bristol is similar to other ICE detention centers around the country where the Colombians on the March Bogota flight had been detained. Individual accounts decry a lack of social distancing, of testing and of face masks while in ICE custody and as they were moved to the pre-flight staging area in Louisiana.

Public health experts in the U.S. now say that, in optimistic scenarios, about seven of every 10 individuals in U.S. government immigration custody may become infected.

“I was detained with close to 100 people, the majority from Guatemala,” said Aristobulo Varon, 52, who was held for two months in the Port Isabel detention facility in Los Fresnos, Texas.

“When we heard the news of the number of deaths and the closure of (the U.S.) borders, we started to feel very anxious,” Varon said. “We saw some (Asian) inmates who were checked and then isolated. But it was not the case for the rest of us.”

Varon said he lived in Mexico for 20 years, and was apprehended after crossing the Rio Grande into Texas, near McAllen.

In the Port Isabel facility, Varon said he noticed that the stress of being so close to the threat of the virus was hitting some people hard, especially those who had waited years for a chance to fight their immigration cases in U.S. courts. Instead, he said, they became anxious for a chance to be evacuated.

He remembers seeing medical personnel go from bunker to bunker, talking about  washing hands and keeping safe distances -- things that were impossible to do because of the crowded conditions. “Some activities like telephone calls, visits, and even the change of currency were suspended. They stopped allowing people to come inside the jail. But the uncertainty was bigger and some people discussed a hunger strike.”

Seven Colombian inmates at Port Isabel, including Varon, were elated when they heard they were going home. What they didn’t know was that they were about to spend several days in transit -- being transferred from one center to another. ICE often moves those with deportation orders through multiple facilities, collecting more detainees and then distributing them to 13 airports across the U.S. West and South, where they’re put on planes headed for Latin America.

Jenny Guerra

Transfers without PPE

For detainees bound for Colombia, one of the points of departure is an ICE facility near Alexandria, La., where at least 14 ICE employees have tested positive for COVID-19, according to the agency.

Former detainees told palabra. that before arriving in Louisiana, their ICE planes stopped in Georgia, Texas, Indiana, New Jersey, New Hampshire and Tennessee, to pick up more deportees. At no time during their journeys, they said, did any U.S. official follow standard anti-virus protocols of wearing masks or gloves or keeping passengers at social distances.

Carlos recalled that by the time he was ready to board his flight, he was already feeling body aches and had an irritating tickle in his throat. He said ICE officers offered him salt-water gargles.

Deportees on the flight were seated together, even though several said there were many empty seats on the chartered aircraft, which could carry 135 people.

“The transfer between facilities mixing people from one state to another is concerning,” said Eunice Cho Sr., a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union’s National Prison Project. “Staff are not wearing PPE (personal protective equipment) and are potential vectors. Even the detainees who spent time isolated are. There is no way to prevent transmission in the planes.”

Cho co-authored an ACLU report published earlier this year. “Justice-Free Zones” investigated immigrant detention centers that had opened during the Donald Trump presidency. The report highlights conditions at detention facilities that, once the COVID-19 pandemic began, became big problems for ICE: understaffing and cost-cutting measures in medical units, lack of access to proper hygiene, unsanitary conditions in living units, and prolonged detentions without parole.

The report looked at five detention centers, including the Jackson Parish Correctional Center in Louisiana, where five detainees, interviewed by palabra., spent at least four nights before their flight home.

“This is where more people complained about the lack of soap for bathing, or cleaning supplies for their cells or bathrooms,” said the ACLU’s Cho.

Gonzalo Botero

Dodging the COVID-19 bullet

Gonzalo Botero, 76, said he was held in those conditions before boarding the March 30 flight to Bogota. The oldest on that flight, Botero suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). After surviving the coronavirus, Botero said he now feels “very fortunate to be alive.”

“The most irresponsible thing (the Colombian government did) was to send me home after the positive result for COVID-19, because I then infected my wife and her nephew,” said Botero from his house in Dosquebradas, a small town in the foothills of the Andes in western Colombia. “(My wife) lost 28 pounds in 10 days.”

Yet everyone in the family survived the disease and recently celebrated Botero’s birthday.

The longtime delivery truck driver said his body is still wracked with bone pain and chills, and he often has a hard time breathing.

Before his deportation, Botero spent two weeks at the Winn Correctional Center in Louisiana. There, Botero recalled, he repeatedly asked for a voluntary deportation. He had completed a three-year prison sentence for drug trafficking and was eager to go home.

“I was freed (from prison) but spent two more months locked up, first in New Jersey and then in Louisiana, with no access to medication or doctors,” Botero said, a claim that mirrors ACLU research showing the Winn facility has had problems with inadequate medical staffing.

Understaffing was also a problem in detention centers in Texas, according to immigrants who spent time in those facilities. Jenny Guerra, 30, was detained February 26 in the Rio Grande Valley after crossing the border with the hope of working and saving money for treatment for her epilepsy, which is not covered by insurance in Colombia.

She was sent to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection holding Center in Donna, Texas, where she slept in a tent complex with 50 women. After being transferred to a nearby ICE facility, she found herself locked up with dozens of other women. She said they slept in bunk beds, shared a few shower stalls and toilets, and had no access to soap.

“If there were rumors of (coronavirus) contagion, the guards isolated the dorm, but no doctor came to check on us,” Guerra said on a phone call from her house in Medellin where she was recovering from COVID-19. “I had a throat infection, but it was not until I got to Colombia that I had access to amoxicillin and antibiotics.”

When she heard of Carlos’ infection -- she, too, was on the March 30 Bogota flight -- Guerra said she felt there was no way for her to be safe.

“I felt I took good care of myself but this virus is like a lottery. And I won it,” she said.

A doctor leaves a barracks near Bogota housing some of the Colombian deportees who returned this spring from the United States infected with the coronavirus.

A questionable coronavirus strategy

Although Colombia was the first Latin American country to run diagnostic tests in early February, its National Institute of Health has been under scrutiny for its capacity to deliver accurate and fast test results: Technical issues, broken machines and false negatives were part of Colombia’s coronavirus problem.

The institute said it wouldn't discuss confidential health records. That makes it difficult to determine if Carlos was actually the one who spread the virus on the plane. Half of the deportees on the flight have said they never received results of two different tests they took after arriving in Colombia.

As of June 30, there had been more than 95,000 reported cases and 3,200 deaths due to coronavirus in Colombia. The government extended mandatory preventive isolation until July 15, slowly opening shopping centers, hair salons and museums, while restaurants, bars and gyms remain closed.

Even though nearly half a million Colombians have been fined for violating the quarantine, according to the Ministry of Defense, Colombia has significantly fewer cases than other countries in Latin America. According to data from the Worldometer, the pandemic in Brazil has killed almost 57,000 people and the cases are rapidly rising to a million and a half contagions. Peru (282,000 cases) and Chile (279,000 cases) followed the thread in contagions but the number of deaths in those countries (9,500 and 5,600 respectively) are below the count in Mexico, where 27,000 deaths and more than 220,000 cases have been reported.

All these countries are receiving deportees from the U.S. Government. Guatemala for instance halted ICE flights after dozens of passengers were infected with COVID-19. “Our hospitals have limited capacity, but now we have to treat these patients infected with a disease that didn’t originate here,” Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei said during a recent interview with the Atlantic Council in Washington, D.C.

More than 300 flights

Despite all this, ICE deportation flights have continued to Central and Latin America, among other global destinations.

Witness by the Border, a nonprofit based in Brownsville, Texas, tracked 324 ICE deportation flights from Jan.1 to May 7. According to its analysis of data collected by Flight Aware, airports in Texas were the points of departure for more than half of the ICE flights. Another 17% flew from Louisiana, and 7% more from Florida. The rest departed from cities in California and Arizona. Destinations have included Barbados, Brazil, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico and Nicaragua.

Another survey, by the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), found that between Feb. 3 and June 30, there were 366 likely ICE Air deportation flights to Latin America and Caribbean countries. CEPR adds daily updates to a database that shows departure and arrival cities, as well as dates and times.

ICE officials provided data to palabra. detailing the number of deportees per country, between Jan. 1 and May 2. The report includes deportations via ICE Air, commercial flights, and a smaller number of people driven over the U.S.-Mexico border.

With 26,000, Guatemala has received the highest numbers of deportees. It’s followed by the two other countries in Central America’s Northern Triangle: Honduras, with 17,500, and El Salvador, with almost 11,000. In South America, Ecuador, with 2,000 deportees, and Brazil, with another 1,500, are suffering some of the region’s worst outbreaks of COVID-19.

According to ICE, 604 citizens were deported to Colombia between January and May 2 of this year. More have arrived since ICE changed its pre-flight protocols for detainees: All detainees on May 4 were tested before boarding a Bogota-bound plane, according to some among the 52 people on the flight. Two more groups of Colombian deportees landed in Bogota, on May 25 and June 22. There are no reports yet of infections among passengers on those flights.  

ICE said the new procedures responded to orders in late April to get some 2,000 tests each month from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) “to screen aliens in its care and custody.”

“Given nationwide shortages,” an ICE spokesperson said in an email, “the agency likely won’t have enough (test kits) to test all aliens scheduled for future removals; therefore, under such a scenario, ICE would test a sample of the population and provide the respective foreign government with results.”

In a recent press release, ICE also announced that it is offering “voluntary tests” for the virus to all people held at detention facilities in Tacoma, Wash., and Aurora, Colo., and will consider doing the same at other locations.

The changes won’t hold off legal challenges by deportees on the March 30 Bogota flight. They said they are planning to sue the Colombian and U.S. governments.

Carlos, meanwhile, says he’s young and that his body was able to fight the virus.

He is now back in his home town of Antioquia, outside of Medellin. He says he has recurring dreams of a coronavirus vaccine and of never having tried to visit his aunt in Indianapolis.

As soon as he recovered, Carlos was allowed to reunite with his family. He finally met his newborn son. He went out and bought toys and clothes for him, in Colombia.

Originally published here

Want to read this piece in Spanish? Click here

[nila79]

Travelling...has opened new..worlds...

Life as they call is a journey as everyone says....Experiences change me,and will continue to change my perception of the world..I have met many people over the years,and made new friends..Travelled to many new places and learnt new cultures.My life is shaped with such rich experiences.... This year 2014, in particular is a Travel year...as I should otherwise call it a Globetrotting year...Well you can call me a Global citizen....which in many ways I fit to this description very nicely.You see I was born in Chennai,India....and brought up all over India... Lived in Delhi,Mumbai,Port Blair....and oh yes the United States of America when I was very young....Have been traveling since I was a three month old..,.and yes have been flying since then....I love flying,the excitement of checking in,climbing the aircraft.....taking off...landing... Everything excites me and like a kid in a candy store I awe at the miracle of flight... This year I have travelled from Orlando to Chennai,Chennai to Madurai....Again Chennai to Orlando...Orlando to Phoenix....Once more Orlando to Tampa for the Iifa Awards....Phew...that's one jet setting travelogue....I loved every bit of my travels....this year,since most of it involved flying...So you can imagine my excitement and surprise that I kept traveling since Jan...2014 Travel enriches me and my real life experiences....since this year mostly I travelled alone internationally...I made many friends in various airports,and met many helpful people. Actually I do remember the people I met a Swedish diplomat, A newly married girl going  with stars in her eyes to her husband in Canada,A first time flier a Telugu lady....traveling with her husband... A Software Engineer who was stuck in Maine for two days without a connecting flight..... All this makes me feel fortunate I met some strangers who I met in the passing airports, they may not remember me so much.... But I still remember my interactions with them.... and it's these memories make me smile....even today...