Day: July 9, 2024

Justice Department watchdog concludes yearslong probe into FBI actions after 2016 standoff with protesters in Oregon  WENY-TV

geneva — U.N. agencies have condemned a wave of Russian missile attacks Monday on densely populated areas of Ukraine that has killed dozens of people and forced the evacuation of hundreds of children from a hospital in the capital city Kyiv, severely damaged by a probable “direct hit” by a Russian missile.

“Yesterday’s massive missile attacks across Ukraine, including the horrifying strike on Okhmatdyt, Ukraine’s largest children’s referral hospital, once again lay bare the disastrous consequences of the war waged against Ukraine by the Russian Federation,” Volker Türk, high commissioner for human rights said.

Türk who presented his latest report on the situation in Ukraine to the U.N. human rights council Tuesday, said he was “outraged by the sight of children, already so vulnerable in war, suffering the terror of attack while receiving medical treatment.”

He said May saw the highest monthly verified civilian casualty number in nearly a year, with 174 civilians killed and 690 injured because of the Russian ground offensive and aerial strikes.

Speaking from Kyiv Tuesday, Danielle Bell, the head of the U.N. human rights monitoring mission in Ukraine, called the attack on the hospital “one of the most egregious” that we have seen since the onset of the full-scale invasion.

She told journalists in Geneva, “We have assessed the factors and the likelihood that it was a direct hit of a KH101 missile launched by the Russian Federation, which suggests that it was a direct hit.”

“Analysis of the video footage and assessment made at the incident site indicates a high likelihood that the children’s hospital suffered a direct hit rather than receiving damages due to an intercepted weapons system.”

Bell said, “We do not have the competence to make the determination with 100 percent certainty whether it was a direct hit or not,” but added that “our military experts visited the site yesterday and observed damages at the site that were consistent with a direct hit.”

Russia has denied targeting the hospital, claiming it was hit by a Ukrainian air defense missile.

The Okhmatdyt hospital is one of two hospitals in Kyiv that treat children and women that came under fire Monday. The United Nations reports deadly strikes also hit civilian infrastructure and key energy infrastructure facilities in the cities of Kryvyi Rih, Pokrovsk and Dnipro.

Ukrainian authorities report Russian airstrikes killed at least 41 people and injured more than 190.

At the time of the attack, 670 child patients, mainly inpatients, were at the hospital together with more than 1,000 medical staff. Joyce Msuya, acting undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, said 27 civilians, including four children, reportedly were killed and 117 people, including seven children, were injured.

“The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights is verifying figures while rescue workers, hospital staff and volunteers continue to clear rubble in search for people trapped under debris,” she said.

Monitoring Mission head Danielle Belle said the casualty toll would have been much higher had the staff not moved the children to a bunker Monday morning when the air raid sirens went off.

“The explosion destroyed the toxicology department where children were receiving dialysis only minutes before the missile impacted. The attack also damaged the intensive care, surgical and oncology wards,” she said, emphasizing that 600 children, many suffering from cancer and kidney disease, have been transferred to other hospitals in and around Kyiv.

“This terrible attack shows that nowhere is safe in Ukraine,” Bell said.

Echoing that sentiment, Catherine Russell in a statement Monday said that “Hospitals should be safe havens, and they are afforded a special level of protection under international law.

“Civilians, including children and the facilities and services they rely on, must always be protected,” she said.

Unfortunately, data from the World Health Organization show that far from being protected, civilians are being flagrantly attacked and prevented from receiving health care.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, WHO has verified 1,882 attacks on health care facilities, resulting in 150 deaths, 379 injuries and 1,624 impacted health facilities.

It says 40% of these attacks affected primary health care, impeding Ukrainians from accessing basic health facilities.

“Attacks on health care deprive vulnerable populations of urgently needed care, undermine health systems, and jeopardize long-term public health goals,” WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic said.

“Attacks on civil infrastructure, particularly energy sources and transmission centers, have caused power outages and disruptions in the water supply. This increases the risk of waterborne disease outbreaks and undermines the surveillance system’s ability to detect and respond timely to possible cases of waterborne, foodborne and other infectious diseases,” he said.

In his intervention at the U.N. human rights council, human right chief Türk called on Russia immediately “to cease its use of armed force against Ukraine” and to “scrupulously respect international humanitarian and human rights law.”

“My office will continue meticulously to monitor, document and report on the ground realities of this awful war, including in occupied territory,” he said. “Accountability must be served.”

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What a way to beat the heat!

A group of southern Brooklyn swimmers escaped the summer sweat during the annual 10-mile “Key Lime Pie” swim from Coney Island to Red Hook on Sunday, July 7.

The group, known as the Coney Island Brighton Beach Open Water Swimmers, often take to the water for laidback swims named after what they plan on eating at the finish line. Sunday’s swim was no different, ending at Steve’s Authentic Key Lime Pie on Van Dyke Street.

As the summer heat picks up, the Coney Island Brighton Beach Open Water Swimmers take it easy for a few laps in the New York Bay. Photo by Erica Price

“It’s just a lighthearted and fun way to swim,” group co-founder Capri Djatiasmoro told Brooklyn Paper.

Capri Djatiasmoro, a self-proclaimed “nut-job” when it comes to swimming, has been leading the Coney Island Brighton Beach Open Water Swimmers since 2005. Alongside her two co-founders, she organizes open water clinics and helps pool dippers transition to the ocean. 

“We love swimming,” she said. “And we love sharing that love with other swimmers.”

Djatiasmoro’s passion is matched by her expertise in reading tides. She spends hours poring over charts and maps to ensure that each swim is done safely and with optimal current assist. Her priorities for a good day on the water include three simple elements — “You start with love, safety and fun,” she said.

And the group’s collective passion is celebrated at the end of each swim, often with a good bite to eat or a sweet treat like key lime pie.

One of the group’s most popular swims is the “Lobster Roll Swim,” which begins at Brighton Beach and ends near the iconic Coney Island Wonder Wheel, where participants indulge in a lobster roll from Paul’s Daughter.

A paw-fect day full of pie and fun. These swimmers ended the day at Steve’s Authentic Key Lime Pie in Red Hook. Photo by Erica Price

“We time it with low tide at the pier,” Djatiasmoro said. “We swim with the current, assisted by two safety boats, and then get out and enjoy some delicious lobster rolls at Paul’s Daughter.”

Alongside its routine swims ending in eats at local restaurants, the group hosts swim challenges throughout the year, giving experienced paddlers a chance to build their endurance. The organization plans the route, organizes permits and sets up two safety boats to lead and follow behind the swimmer to ensure their safety. 

According to Djatiasmoro, each swim is carefully planned to ensure maximum fun and minimal risk.

“I love the ocean. I love swimming,” she said. “I’m happy to share the ocean with other swimmers.”

Since the recent CNN debate, the question of whether President Joe Biden will drop out of the race—as well as whether he even should do so—has been the subject of enormous attention. Regardless of how you might feel about this issue, there’s a welcome silver lining: fears stemming from the debate are inspiring NATO to act quickly to safeguard against a potential second Donald Trump term.

NATO members can’t forget how Trump criticized the alliance and threatened to withdraw the United States when he was in power, while throwing compliments Putin’s way. Now, with the specter of Biden losing or being replaced by a candidate who perhaps can’t beat Trump, NATO is focusing more on pursuing proactive steps to ensure its stability and prepare for a possible Trump sequel.

Beginning this Tuesday, Biden will host American allies at a NATO summit, which also marks the alliance’s 75th anniversary, a timely venue to address shared concerns about Trump. Although Congress passed legislation last year that would make a U.S. withdrawal from NATO harder to accomplish, that doesn’t prevent Trump from just ignoring NATO missions, according to a report from The Associated Press.

At the summit, NATO is likely to endorse an initiative to take greater responsibility, compared to the United States, for coordinating training as well as military and financial assistance for Ukraine. Another possibility is elevating Ukraine’s presence within NATO. Overall, NATO will consider steps to make it less dependable on the United States, and thus more “Trump-proof,” according to the report.

No matter how the current political drama over the question of who the Democratic presidential nominee should be plays out, something positive is in the works. It has always been true that Trump could become President of the United States again in January, but the CNN debate scared the world of the reality of this potential nightmare scenario. When it comes to protecting NATO, better safe than sorry is the best strategy.

The post Biden moves forward amidst the chaos appeared first on Palmer Report.

‘Note ban, GST, COVID shocks cost ₹11.3 lakh cr., 1.6 crore informal sector jobs’  The Hindu

What we got wrong (and right): Ex-White House COVID Coordinator speaks  WGN Radio – Chicago

Feds say Baton Rouge schools employee defrauded government of $100k in COVID relief funds  The Advocate

COVID-Relief Spending Report: May 2024  Dayton Public Schools