The Greene County Democrat

Category: World News

  • Newswire : Mercedes workers set to vote for union in May; Chattanooga VW factory votes for union representation

    People react as the result of a vote comes in favour of the hourly factory workers at Volkswagen’s assembly plant to join the United Auto Workers (UAW) union, at a watch party in Chattanooga, Tennessee, U.S., April 19, 2024. REUTERS/Seth Herald

    By: Patrick Darrington, Alabama Political Reporter

    Are workers in Alabama less than a month from agreeing to form a union at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Vance?
    It was announced Thursday that the election to create a union would be held on May 13-17 in person at the Mercedes plant. Five thousand workers will participate in the vote facilitated by the National Labor Relations Board.
    The election announcement comes just four months after workers initially proclaimed they were seeking to join the United Auto Workers (UAW). Several workers at the plant commented that they were ready for the election and to win the union.
    “Workers at our plant are ready for this moment,” said Jeremy Kimbrell in a statement. “We are ready to vote yes because we are ready to win our fair share. We are going to end the Alabama discount and replace it with what our state actually needs. Workers sticking together and sticking by our community.” 
     Employees at a Volkswagen factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee, overwhelmingly voted to join the United Auto Workers union last Friday in a historic first test of the UAW’s renewed effort to organize nonunion factories.
    The union wound up getting 2,628 votes, or 73 percent of the ballots cast, compared with only 985 who voted no in an election run by the National Labor Relations Board
    Since the unionization campaign has begun Gov. Kay Ivey, the Business Council of Alabama and other business friendly entities have publicly decried the efforts to join the UAW. Earlier last week Ivey joined several other southern governors denouncing the UAW’s unionization efforts throughout the South.
    “We the governors of Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas are highly concerned about the unionization campaign driven by misinformation and scare tactics that the UAW has brought into our states,” a joint statement said. “As governors, we have a responsibility to our constituents to speak up when we see special interests looking to come into our state and threaten our jobs and the values we live by.
    But auto-industry workers in the state remain undeterred in seeking to unionize as they have routinely complained about a lack of feasible pay increases, disrespect by bosses, unsafe work environments and lack of time with family.

    Billy Guyton, a worker at the plant, stated that he was ready for the union to advance after Mercedes executives continued, “rolling things back.”
    “We’re tired of Mercedes executives rolling things back,” Guyton said. “We’re going to roll our union forward.”  

  • Newswire : President Biden to deliver Commencement Address at Morehouse College

    By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

    President Joe Biden plans to deliver the commencement address at Morehouse College on May 19, a significant event as he seeks to strengthen ties with the diverse coalition that played a pivotal role in his election to the White House.

    The White House confirmed Biden’s participation on Tuesday, following his planned address to the United States Military Academy at West Point on May 25. The Morehouse address marks the second consecutive year Biden will address the graduating class of a prominent historically Black institution, having spoken at Howard University in 2023.

    Morehouse College is renowned for its storied history and legacy of nurturing influential Black leaders, including civil rights luminary Martin Luther King Jr. and Georgia’s first Black U.S. Senator, Sen. Raphael Warnock. It is considered a beacon of empowerment and academic excellence.

    Warnock, a Morehouse alum, said he was excited about the president’s planned address. “I am thrilled to see President Biden return to our great state to deliver this year’s commencement address,” Warnock stated. “His administration’s commitment to addressing the soaring costs of higher education and initiatives like canceling debt for over 4 million Americans have been pivotal in narrowing the racial wealth gap.”

    President of Morehouse College, David Thomas, also expressed excitement for Biden’s participation in the commencement ceremony, stating, “We are deeply honored that President Biden has accepted our invitation,” Thomas insisted. “His presence is a testament to our institution’s enduring legacy and our unwavering commitment to excellence, progress, and positive transformation.” 

    Henry Goodgame, a Morehouse alumnus and vice president of external relations & alumni engagement, said Biden’s address comes during a pivotal moment for America. “We have invited the leader of the free world to address our community, tackling pressing issues and inspiring our next generation of leaders,” Goodgame commented.

    Mekhi Perrin, president of the Student Government Association at Morehouse, highlighted the college’s rich tradition of hosting influential figures and shared the students’ aspirations for the future. “We seek an equitable society that upholds the dignity and respect of all individuals, irrespective of race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, sex, identity, socioeconomic status, or background,” Perrin articulated.

    Meanwhile, White House officials said Biden’s address at Morehouse College reaffirms his administration’s commitment to addressing racial disparities and advancing educational opportunities for all Americans.
     

  • Newswire: Kenyan doctors’ strike enters third week as government stonewalls talks

    Kenyan doctors march to dramatize strike

    Apr. 8, 2024 (GIN) – Kenya’s health sector, underfunded and understaffed, is closed for business until the government makes good on salary arrears and agrees to hire badly needed trainee doctors as promised to the union.

    The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU), also want the government to address frequently delayed paychecks and compensation for doctors who work in public hospitals as part of their higher degree courses.
     
    The crippling strike, now in its third week, involves some 4,000 public sector doctors or  approximately half of the country’s 9,000 registered doctors. The question of salary arrears stems from a 2017 collective bargaining agreement that, among other things, set medical interns’ pay at 206,000 Kenyan shillings ($1,566) per month and fast tracks their clearance to work at health facilities upon graduation.
     
    Qualified medical graduates in Kenya struggle to get jobs, striking workers say, despite staff shortages at public hospitals. The union wants the government to hire over 3,000 medical interns who are currently unemployed. But the health ministry said it lacks the resources to recruit them.
    Despite a policy requiring the government to place medical interns within 30 days of completing their studies, graduates remain jobless long after qualifying to practice medicine.
     
    Talks between the two sides aimed at ending the strike have been unsuccessful and other health workers, helping to keep hospitals running in the absence of doctors, have now joined the strike, local media is reporting. “The strike will take as long as it takes the government to wake up,” said Dr. Onyango Ndong’a on Citizen Television.
     
    But government seems unlikely to budge, hoping to wait out the doctors.  Kenyan President Ruto recently declared there would be no additional monies for interns above the monthly $538 (70,000 Kenyan shillings) claiming the government was “struggling with a high tax bill.”
     
    The impact of the 3-week strike is being felt across the country with many patients left unattended or being turned away from hospitals across the East African nation.
     
    Despite the President’s claims of insufficient funds, Kenya only spends around 3.7% of its budget on health –  less than the 5% recommended by the World Health Organization for low and middle income countries to achieve universal health care, or the 15% it committed to spending on health as part of the Abuja declaration.
     
    “It’s not just health,” Anderson Njuki, a Nairobi-based economist told the online publication Semafor, “because the country is spending much of its revenues on servicing debt, social spending and development.”
     
    Without jobs or decent wages,  qualified Kenyan medical professionals would accelerate their migration abroad, Njuki added, severely weakening Kenya’s already troubled public health system.
     
    Nurses have not joined the striking doctors despite pressure to do so from some members. 
     
    “The issues doctors are pushing are genuine and should be implemented,” said Kenya National Union of Nurses Secretary General Seth Panyako. “The government is supposed to release funds to hire interns. But we’re not going on strike, we’re going to the courts.”
     

  • Newswire: Black woman hugging Trump in viral Chick-fil-A video shows how desperately MAGA world wants Black friends

    Donald Trump meets with people during a visit to a Chick-fil-A restaurant on April 10, 2024, in Atlanta, Georgia. | Source: Megan Varner / Getty

    By Zack Linly, Newsone


    Here’s the thing: If it were true that Black Americans support and admire Donald Trump in numbers that are as significant as the MAGA World suggests, Trump, the GOP, conservative media and the rest of Trump’s acolytes wouldn’t need to work so hard to show it.
    The Black Trump supporters who do exist wouldn’t need to plaster “Blacks for Trump” across their chests in yuge bold print and seek out news cameras to show themselves off in front of. Trump supporters wouldn’t be using AI to generate imaginary Black Trump supporters. Republicans wouldn’t be suddenly looking for photo-ops with the same “gangster rappers” they spent years denouncing as filth peddlers and poisoners of the youth.
    Marjorie Taylor Greene wouldn’t be out here conjuring up fake Black Trump supporters named “African-American Muhammad,” and Trump Jr. wouldn’t be in the media trying to convince us that random Black men regularly walk up to him and call him their “hero.” Sen. Lindsay Graham wouldn’t have been trying so hard in 2022 to make Herchel Walker Black people’s new MLK only to cry about it later after Black voters continued to overwhelmingly say, “Hell no!” This year’s Black Conservative Federation Gala in South Carolina wouldn’t have been so choc full of white people. Trump and other white conservatives wouldn’t be working so hard to spread around white nonsense about Trump’s mugshot and ugly-ass sneakers giving him street cred with Black America.
    If this massive influx of Black Trump support was real, why do they all need to band together and engage in this desperate and transparently self-serving campaign to prove it (or at least appear to do so)?
    Anyway, meet real Black Trump supporter Michaelah Montgomery.
    Montgomery recently went viral in a video that showed her hugging Trump after saying to him, “I don’t care what the media tells you, Mr. Trump, we support you!” while the ex-president was visiting a Chick-fil-A in Atlanta before attending a fundraising event in the area.
    Conservative media treated the viral moment like it was a random encounter by a Black Trump supporter who hadn’t strategically positioned herself and a few of her Black friends right up front to set the stage. Of course, it turns out Montgomery is actually the founder of the right-wing Conserve the Culture organization and she worked on Candace Owens‘ Blexit campaign, according to her LinkedIn profile.
    Side note: Fox News reported Trump’s Chick-fil-A visit under the headline: “Trump meets everyday Americans at Chick-fil-A while Biden fine dines with the Clintons, billionaires in DC.” They’re really out here trying to present Trump’s photo-op at the fast- food restaurant widely known for its support of anti-LGBTQ+ policies like it shows he’s one with the common man as if he doesn’t also eat at expensive restaurants with billionaires and spend his days golfing at the country club he owns where you basically need an 800 credit score just to smell the grass.

    Speaking of Fox News, Montgomery’s viral moment scored her an interview on Fox & Friends where she continued her rhetoric about largely fictitious mainstream media outlets that are reporting that Black people hate Trump.
    “The general consensus or social media would have you thinking that if President Trump were to show up to the HBCU campuses … that like, some angry mob would form or a riot would ensue and that he would not be welcome, and clearly the sentiment in that room the other day was the complete opposite,” Montgomery, a graduate from HBCU Clark Atlanta University, told Fox’s Lawrence Jones.
    “He was very welcome. People were excited to see him. People showed up in support of him, and people, of course, were from all four institutions within the AUC [Atlanta University Center], the local HBCU community in Atlanta, and they all showed up in support of him,” she continued.
    A few things:
    First, literally no media outlet on social media or otherwise has even insinuated that “if President Trump were to show up to the HBCU campuses” an “angry mob would form or a riot would ensue.” In fact, media outlets on either side of the political aisle have only been reporting on the slight uptick in Black Trump support that recent polls have shown, even though most studies have shown it’s really not all that significant.
    Secondly, I wonder if Montgomery is even aware that Trump actually has visited an HBCU before, or that his reception there was far from welcoming.
    In 2019, Trump spoke at Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina. The student protests outside of the building where Trump was speaking were reportedly larger than the crowd inside, which, to be fair, might have had something to do with the fact that only seven students were allowed inside for the speech, according to USA Today.
    Still, Montgomery claims he “was very welcome” and that presumably Black “people were excited to see him,” but it’s unclear what that had to do with what his reception at an Atlanta HBCU would be since they weren’t on an HBCU college campus, they were at the fast food spot that really only has one type of chicken that it uses for like 9 different combos and is owned by a guy who would probably change up the menu, but only if it meant gay people couldn’t get married anymore.
    All I’m saying is the political posturing is real—unlike massive Black support for the orange guy who consistently broadcasts his hate for Black Lives Matter, critical race theory, DEI, police reform initiatives, and virtually everything else that represents many of the most common values among the Black masses in America.

  • Newswire : GAO study reveals persistent underrepresentation of Black and Hispanic faculty in higher education

    African American professor and her students using laptop during lecture in the classroom.

    By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

     A new study conducted by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), commissioned by Congressman Bobby Scott (D-Virginia), has unveiled concerning trends regarding the representation of Black and Hispanic faculty members in higher education institutions. Despite modest increases in their numbers over the past two decades, Black and Hispanic individuals remain significantly underrepresented among college faculty.

    The study, which examined data spanning from fiscal years 2003 to 2021, found that while the proportions of Black and Hispanic faculty members have seen slight upticks, they continue to lag behind their representation in the broader workforce, particularly among workers with advanced degrees and professionals. Further, the study highlighted a stark disparity between the racial and ethnic composition of faculty and that of the student body, indicating a systemic issue within higher education.
    “Addressing the underrepresentation of Black and Hispanic faculty is not only a matter of diversity but also impacts the overall quality of education and student outcomes,” study authors wrote. “It’s imperative that we hold institutions accountable for fostering inclusive environments that reflect the diversity of our society.”
    The study identified the processing of employment discrimination complaints as one significant barrier. Both current and prospective faculty members have the option to file complaints with either the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or the Department of Education. However, the study revealed persistent delays in the referral of complaints from the Department of Education to the EEOC.
    In fiscal year 2022 alone, the Department of Education processed and referred 99 complaints alleging employment discrimination at colleges, with an average referral time of 71 days—well beyond the mandated 30-day period. Such delays not only prolong the resolution process but also perpetuate instances of discrimination and inequity within academia.
    Additionally, the study uncovered deficiencies in the EEOC’s tracking and processing of complaint referrals. Despite receiving complaints referred to by the Department of Education, the study concluded that the EEOC needs a consistent protocol to ensure the timely receipt and processing of these referrals. The lack of accountability poses risks of oversight and further delays in addressing discrimination complaints, the authors stated.
    In response to the findings, the GAO has issued recommendations aimed at enhancing accountability and efficiency in the processing of discrimination complaints. Scott has urged swift action from both the Department of Education and the EEOC to address the systemic disparities and processing delays highlighted in the study.
    “The good news is that faculty diversity has improved over the last twenty years. The bad news is that faculty diversity is still not representative of the students they teach,” Scott stated.
    According to the study authors, historically Black colleges, and universities, among other minority-serving establishments, have had success in nurturing and advancing academic members of color into tenure-track jobs, which offer greater security than adjunct or part-time employment. The authors noted that these schools frequently prioritize the education of students of color in the recruiting and professional development of their professors.
    The GAO research suggests that enhancing mentorship, conducting retention studies, and providing leadership opportunities are effective strategies to enhance the retention of faculty members who are of color. The survey also discovered that a positive campus environment affected teachers’ decision to remain at their schools.
    The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Department of Education both handle allegations of discrimination at colleges and universities inefficiently, according to the GAO study. The Education Department’s regulation mandates that complaints be sent to the EEOC within 30 days; however, the average time it took to get a referral was more like 71 days.
    “As we strive to create more equitable educational environments, it is incumbent upon federal agencies to prioritize the timely and thorough investigation of discrimination complaints,” the authors concluded. “Our nation’s colleges and universities must be bastions of diversity and inclusion, and addressing the underrepresentation of minority faculty is a critical step towards achieving that goal.”

  • Newswire : Racial bias uncovered in kidney transplantation system: Thousands of Black patients prioritized after years of waiting

    By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

    Five years ago, Arlette Ebanks experienced severe kidney pain that she believed suggested a criminal need for a transplant. Her doctors disagreed, but the 52-year-old Northeast, D.C., resident, and mother of two who worked for the Department of Transportation for more than half of her life until her deteriorating health landed her on permanent disability, had grown ever more anxious as health care providers attempted various measures of maintenance.
    Recently, physicians at George Washington University Hospital told Ebanks that she should have been on the transplant list, and understandably, Ebanks wondered why previous doctors hadn’t done so.  Now, Ebanks knows why. “All this time, all this stress and worry, was all because I’m Black,” Ebanks stated with intense incredulity in an interview with the Washington Informer.
    At issue is a once widely used test that overestimated how well Black people’s kidneys were functioning, making them look healthier than they really were. An automated formula calculated results for Black and non-Black patients that were far different from those of others, delaying organ failure diagnosis and, ultimately, proper evaluation for a kidney transplant.

    The disparity only exacerbated existing inequities, with Black patients being more susceptible to needing a new kidney but less likely to receive one. “On the one hand,” Ebanks remarked, “I have not only been put on the waiting list, but moved up to where I am now more confident that I will get a new kidney. On the other hand, it’s infuriating that we keep seeing how racism in medicine, bias in healthcare, is causing unnecessary pain and suffering among African Americans.”
    The U.S. organ transplant network has now ordered hospitals and care facilities to use race-neutral test results only when adding new patients to the kidney transplant waiting list. Further, the National Kidney Foundation and the American Society of Nephrology told laboratories to transition to race-neutral equations when calculating kidney function.
    The policy shift has led to major adjustments, and between January 2023 and mid-March 2024, over 14,300 Black candidates had their wait times recalibrated, resulting in more than 2,800 successful transplants, including Ebanks.
    Dr. Nwamaka Eneanya, an assistant professor at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Health System, emphasized the detrimental impact of race-based equations on clinical decisions, particularly in assessing renal function.
    Dr. Eneanya, a vocal advocate for removing race from medical equations, highlighted the lack of biological differences between races and the inherent flaws in using race-based multipliers. She told her university’s newspaper that, despite mounting evidence, many clinicians continue to rely on these outdated practices, perpetuating harm to Black patients. “Human genome studies have shown there are no inherent biological differences between races,” Dr. Eneanya stated. “Those studies reporting that Black people had greater muscle mass were flawed, but no one questioned them.”

    As the director of Health Equity, Anti-Racism, and Community Engagement at Penn Medicine, Dr. Eneanya spearheads internal initiatives to promote diversity and inclusion within the Renal Electrolyte and Hypertension Division. Additionally, she is actively involved in community outreach programs to address racial disparities in kidney disease awareness and screening.
    “Not everyone approaches medicine with a health equity lens. Many clinicians are not aware of existing disparities — how Black patients do not get referred to nephrology as early as white patients and do not have sufficient access to transplant [procedures],” she asserted. “In medicine, the tendency is to say, ‘This is what a study showed, so this is what we should do,’ focusing on biomarkers and statistical tests without examining issues of ethics or health equity.”
    Dr. Eneanya noted that the revelation of racial bias within the kidney transplantation system underscores the pressing need for reformative measures to ensure equitable healthcare access for all individuals, regardless of race or ethnicity.
    “I sit on a joint American Society of Nephrology-National Kidney Foundation task force that is revising formal eGFR reporting guidelines to exclude racial bias,” Dr. Eneanya stated. “Many physicians across the country, including some at Penn, have stopped using the race multiplier already. And while the eGFR is a frontline test for kidney function, there are other tests that don’t incorporate race. When there is any doubt about the accuracy of an eGFR score, other confirmatory tests that do not use race should be performed.”

     

  • Newswire : A flame of remembrance for victims of the Rwanda genocide

    President and First Lady of Rwanda place wreath at genocide memorial

    Apr. 7, 2024 (GIN) – Rwandans are marking the 30th anniversary of a genocide that took the lives of an estimated 800,000 mostly ethnic Tutsis over 100 days, between April and June 1994.
     
    Wreaths were laid at the Kigali Genocide Memorial by President Paul Kagame and first lady Jeannette Kagame. The President then lit the “Flame of Remembrance”, before making a speech at an arena in Kigali, capital of Rwanda.
     
    The Flame will be lit for seven days at four genocide memorial sites which were inscribed on the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in September.
    Other commemorative activities will be conducted across the country, including a Walk to Remember in Kigali, which will be followed by a night vigil.
     
    A senior program advisor on transitional justice at the Kenya Human Rights Commission, Martin Mavenjina, emphasized the significance of remembering the genocide. “It’s not just as a moment of remembrance,” he said, “but an opportunity for victims and survivors to reflect, heal, and look towards the future. “It reassures the world that never again will such an event happen anywhere on this continent or even anywhere (else) in the world.”
     
    Supporters of Kagame’s rule applaud him, saying that without his firm grip on power, Rwanda could slide back to the chaos that could ignite another genocide.
    But human rights leaders and activists differ with that view. Kagame, they say, has oppressed his opponents, killed and imprisoned his critics. Dissidents are jailed, free speech is curtailed and political opponents often die in murky circumstances, even those living in the West.
     
    Ethnic divisions persist under the authoritarian president who has ruled for just as long, writes New York Times reporter Declan Walsh.  Soldiers under President Kagame have been accused of massacre and plunder in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo.
     
    This view was supported by the transitional justice advisor. He urged Kagame to loosen his grip on power and allow for more freedom. 
     
    For decades, Western leaders have looked past Mr. Kagame’s abuses, comments Walsh. “Some have expressed guilt for their failure to halt the genocide when Hutu extremists massacred people mostly from Mr. Kagame’s Tutsi ethnic group.”
     
    Kagame took that view a step further, blaming the inaction of the international community for allowing the 1994 genocide to happen. “It was the international community which failed all of us, whether from contempt or cowardice,” Kagame said in a speech after laying a wreath at a memorial site holding the remains of 250,000 genocide victims in Kigali.
     
    The killings were ignited when a plane carrying then-President Juvénal Habyarimana, a Hutu, was shot down over Kigali. The Tutsis were blamed for downing the plane and killing the president and became targets in massacres led by Hutu extremists that lasted over 100 days. Some moderate Hutus who tried to protect members of the Tutsi minority were also killed.
     
    Some Western leaders have now expressed regret.
     
    Bill Clinton, after leaving office, cited the Rwandan genocide as a failure of his administration. French President Emmanuel Macron, in a prerecorded video, said that France and its allies could have stopped the genocide but lacked the will to do so. Macron’s declaration came three years after he acknowledged the “overwhelming responsibility” of France — Rwanda’s closest European ally in 1994 — for failing to stop Rwanda’s slide into the slaughter. 
     
    But in truth, few voices were heard in opposition to the U.S. — few, at least, with the will and means to back up their arguments with substantial commitments of their own.
     
    Even after the storm broke, the U.N. reaction was to retreat, to reduce rather than increase its forces in the riven country.
     
    Some Rwandans fear that nothing has been learned — that the outside world will intervene too late, with too little, elsewhere. Rwanda also has had troubled relations with its neighbors. 

    Recently, tensions have flared with Congo, with the two countries’ leaders accusing one another of supporting armed groups. Relations have been tense with Burundi as well over allegations that Kigali is backing a rebel group attacking Burundi. And relations with Uganda are yet to fully normalize after a period of tensions stemming from Rwandan allegations that Uganda was backing rebels opposed to Kagame.

  • Newwire : Millions across North America awed by Total Solar Eclipse phenomenon

    By Stacy M. Brown
    NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent


    The eagerly anticipated celestial spectacle of a total solar eclipse finally descended upon North America after a seven-year hiatus, captivating millions of skywatchers on Monday. With its grand entrance at the Mexican beachside resort town of Mazatlan, the eclipse marked the beginning of a mesmerizing journey along the “path of totality,” stretching across various regions of the continent.

    Eclipse enthusiasts congregated at numerous vantage points along the path, which spanned from Mexico’s Pacific Coast through Texas, traversing 14 other U.S. states before reaching Canada. Cities like Wilmington, Del., Philadelphia, Penn., Baltimore, Md., and New York City witnessed citizens stepping outside their usual routines to behold this historic event. Similar scenes unfolded in urban centers across Illinois, Ohio, and Texas, where individuals paused to witness the cosmic marvel.

    At a duration of up to 4 minutes and 28 seconds, the 2024 total eclipse exceeded its predecessor’s duration in 2017, which lasted up to 2 minutes and 42 seconds. According to NASA, total eclipses can range from a fleeting 10 seconds to an astonishing 7-1/2 minutes.

    Other cities along the path of totality, such as San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas in Texas; Indianapolis, Indiana; Cleveland, Ohio; Erie, Pennsylvania; both Niagara Falls, New York, and Niagara Falls, Ontario, along with Montreal, Quebec, hosted eager eclipse-watchers. Approximately 32 million people in the United States reside within the path of totality, with federal officials predicting an additional 5 million to witness the phenomenon.

    Numerous eclipse-watching events unfolded at bars, stadiums, fairgrounds, and parks along the eclipse’s trajectory, offering diverse opportunities for people to experience this rare event. Scientists estimated that the entire process, from the initial moment the moon begins to obscure the sun to the culmination of totality and the subsequent return to normalcy, took about 80 minutes.

    Veteran eclipse observers have described the moments preceding totality as ominous, with shadows taking on a peculiar sharpness and sunlight assuming an eerie hue. Just before totality, a phenomenon known as “shadow bands” may manifest, creating shimmering patterns akin to those seen at the bottom of a swimming pool.

    As totality approaches, stars become visible in the midday sky, while the abrupt darkness causes temperatures to plummet. “When a solar eclipse reaches totality, nocturnal wildlife sometimes wakes up, thinking that it’s nighttime, and non-nocturnal wildlife might think it’s time to head to sleep,” NASA officials wrote on the agency’s website.

    The final glimpse of brilliant sunlight before totality creates the enchanting “diamond ring effect,” wherein a bright spot appears along the lunar edge as the sun’s corona forms a luminous ring around the moon.
    According to NASA, the next solar eclipse that can be seen from the contiguous United States will occur on Aug. 23, 2044. There will also be a solar eclipse visible in Spain in 2026.

     

  • Newswire : Gambian women furious over vote to restore female circumcision

    Gambian women protest female genital mutilation

    Apr. 1, 2024 (GIN) – ‘Over my dead body!’
     
    That was how one Gambian woman expressed her frustration with a vote by the country’s majority male legislators to end the prohibition of female genital mutilation (FGM). The practice has been on the rise in recent years despite activist campaigns to outlaw it.
     Lawmaker Almameh Gibba presented the repeal bill earlier this month, arguing the ban violates citizens’ rights to practice their culture and religion. Gambia is an overwhelmingly Muslim country.
     
    If the bill is passed, Gambia would become the first country to reverse a ban on FGM.
     
    The vote comes just a month after the International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM, observed annually on Feb. 6. This year it was observed with the theme “Her Voice, Her Future.”
     
    Gambian lawmakers have already voted to advance the measure that removes legal protections in effect since 2015 for millions of girls.
    Ndeye Rose Sarr, head of the local United Nations Fund for Population Activities, shared some of the historical background: “From the age of 10, girls begin to be looked at as a potential bride for an older man. And if she has not yet undergone FGM, there will be those in her community who will want to make sure that she does.”
     
    The rate of FGM in The Gambia is around 76 per cent of women in the 14-to-49-year age range, and about 51 per cent for girls up to the age of 14. “That means that, on average, every other young girl you see in The Gambia has undergone this mutilation,” Sarr said.
     
    Globally, over 200 million women and girls are estimated to have undergone some form of genital mutilation and girls aged 14 and younger account for about 44 million of those who have been “cut.”
     
    The practice is almost universal in Somalia, Guinea and Djibouti, with levels of 90 per cent or higher, while it affects no more than 1 per cent of girls and women in Cameroon and Uganda.
     
    Contrary to popular perception, female genital mutilation is also practiced in the U.S. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than half a million women and girls have either undergone or are at risk of undergoing the procedure in the future. Most, but not all, are immigrants to the U.S.
     
    The  ban was put in place during the tenure of former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh, whose government opposed the practice.
     
    Isatou Keita, writing for the online publication Semafor, had this to say about FGM. “From my perspective as a Gambian woman, banning FGM is highly commendable… As a staunch advocate for human rights and gender equality, I firmly believe that every individual has the right to live free from violence, coercion, and discrimination, including harmful cultural practices like FGM.”
     
    “The ban against FGM signifies a step towards empowerment and autonomy, granting us agency over our bodies.”
     
    World leaders overwhelmingly back the elimination of female genital mutilation by 2030 as one of the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals. The U.N. considers it achievable if nations act now to translate that commitment into action.

  • Newswire : U.S. plummets in world happiness rankings according to 2024 report

     World Happiness Day

    According to the newest World Happiness Report for 2024, the United States has dropped in the worldwide happiness rankings. Released on March 20, America plunged eight spots from its previous ranking, marking the first time in the report’s 12-year history that the nation has failed to secure a position among the world’s top 20 happiest countries.
    Released on the UN’s International Day of Happiness, the report, a collaborative effort among Gallup, the Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and the World Happiness Report’s Editorial Board, sheds light on the shifting landscape of happiness worldwide. While perennial frontrunners like Finland and Denmark continue to dominate the top spots, the U.S. finds itself in an unfamiliar position of decline.

    Historically, the pursuit of happiness has been ingrained in the American ethos, symbolizing freedom, opportunity, and prosperity. However, in recent years, several factors have been identified that could contribute to its demise. Political turmoil and the hate and confusion that has come with the candidacy and trials of the twice-impeached and four-times indicted former president Donald Trump, economic inequality, diminishing social cohesion, and a pervasive consumerism culture often undermine many Americans’ well-being.
    Additionally, the pressures of modern life, including work-related stress, a lack of affordable healthcare, and political polarization, have taken a toll on mental health and overall happiness levels. Moreover, the advent of social media and digital technologies, while providing connectivity, has also been linked to increased feelings of isolation and comparison, negatively impacting subjective well-being.
    The new happiness report highlights that “some countries, like Finland and Denmark, consistently rank among the world’s happiest. The U.S. isn’t one of them.”
    Drawing upon data collected by the Gallup World Poll and analyzed by leading wellbeing experts, the report underscored the multifaceted nature of happiness trends. While Finland maintains its reign as the happiest nation for the seventh consecutive year, other countries, such as Serbia and Bulgaria, have witnessed significant increases in average life evaluation scores, resulting in notable climbs in the rankings. While Finland’s average life evaluation ranks it as the happiest country in the world, Afghanistan ranks as the least happy country in the world with a life evaluation of 1.721.
    Breaking new ground, the report introduced separate rankings by age group, revealing differing happiness levels across generations. Notably, a significant decline in the wellbeing of Americans under 30 is what has caused the U.S. to fall in the rankings overall.
    At the global level, averaged across all ages and regions, inequality of happiness has increased by more than 20% over the past dozen years. Among those born after 1980, happiness falls with each year of age. Among those born before 1965, life evaluations rise with age.
    John F. Helliwell, Emeritus Professor of Economics at the University of British Columbia and a founding editor of the World Happiness Report, emphasizes the importance of understanding these generational disparities. “There is a great variety among countries in the relative happiness of the younger, older, and in-between populations,” he commented.
    “Effective policymaking relies on solid data,” stated Jon Clifton, CEO of Gallup. “Today’s World Happiness Report attempts to bridge some of these gaps… It provides analytics and advice for evidence-based planning and policymaking,” he stated.
    Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, Director of Oxford’s Wellbeing Research Centre, calls for immediate policy action in light of concerning drops in happiness among youth, adding, “To think that, in some parts of the world, children are already experiencing the equivalent of a mid-life crisis demands immediate policy action.”