Mike Finger: Becky Hammon earned her moment - Houston Chronicle

ragamnyakabar.blogspot.com

SAN ANTONIO — I dare you to call it a stunt.

I dare you to dismiss the significance of what Becky Hammon did Wednesday night for any reasons, but I especially dare you to pick the ignorant ones.

I dare you to suggest she hasn’t paid her dues, when in fact she’s paid as many of them as just about anyone in her field. I dare you to say players won’t listen, when in fact they’ve been hanging on her every word for more than six years now. And I dare you to say this was about media attention, when the Spurs have gone out of their way to avoid it.

They’re trying to win basketball games, and I dare you to tell them they’re not.

I dare you to walk up to Hammon and tell her to her face she didn’t earn every bit of her place in history. Better yet, I dare you to walk up to Rudy Gay and make the same claim, because his response wouldn’t be as polite as Hammon’s would be.

“I look forward to the day … when nobody gives a (expletive),” Gay said Thursday about the hoopla surrounding the first woman to serve as an NBA coach, or as a Major League Baseball general manager, or as a Power Five college football player, or as a position coach in an NFL game — all of which we’ve seen over the past few months.

But Gay realizes that day is still a long way off, because he knows too many narrow-minded, mouth-breathing cowards out there don’t need me to dare them to reveal their ignorance. Some of you did it with Kim Ng, who if anything was overqualified for her gig running the Miami Marlins’ front office, and others did it with Vanderbilt kicker Sarah Fuller and Cleveland Browns assistant Callie Brownson.

Still, I dare you to try poking holes in Hammon’s credibility, or her track record, or her chops. I dare you to trot out some old lame line about how you can’t coach the game if you never played it, especially since Hammon has more experience playing professional basketball than the rest of the Spurs’ coaching staff combined.

I dare you to tell high-flying third-year Spurs guard Lonnie Walker he’d be better off listening to some male coaching retread, when Walker said Thursday, “Every single day, (Hammon) has taught me something new.”

I dare you to tell a veteran like DeMar DeRozan, a guy who considers himself one of the last active members of the NBA’s old school, that a woman never will be accepted in a huddle comprised of young men.

“You don’t think twice about it,” DeRozan said after the game. “She’s one of us. When she speaks, we are all ears.”

Because I really need a laugh, I dare you to explain how Hammon taking over for Gregg Popovich after his ejection on Wednesday might have been fine for one night but never could work on a permanent basis, because the team couldn’t handle the sideshow-like distraction.

More Information

Female coaches in the NBA

When Becky Hammon was hired by the Spurs in August of 2014, she was the first female full-time assistant coach in NBA history. Now there are eight:

Becky Hammon, Spurs

Brittni Donaldson, Toronto

Natalie Nakase, L.A. Clippers

Jenny Boucek, Dallas

Lindsay Gottlieb, Cleveland

Lindsey Harding, Sacramento

Sonia Raman, Memphis

Teresa Weatherspoon, New Orleans

A distraction? In a testament to just how wrong that assumption is, Gay said “the biggest part of what happened last night was we didn’t even notice that Becky was the first female to coach an NBA game.”

Other people did, though, and I dare you to claim the message wasn’t important. I dare you to downplay the meaning of the moment to more than a dozen women who followed Hammon into the league’s coaching ranks since Popovich hired her in 2014, or to the thousands of girls who dream of doing the same.

I dare you to wave away Hammon’s breakthrough as a gimmick, when even the greatest player of his generation couldn’t help but get swept up in the milestone.

“It’s a beautiful thing just to hear her barking out calls, barking out sets,” Lakers star LeBron James said after walking off the AT&T Center floor Wednesday night. “She’s very passionate about the game. So congrats to her and congrats to the league.”

I dare you to assume that praise is the reason Hammon got her chance. If anything, an argument could be made that it should have happened sooner, but when Popovich was ejected from a game last year, he handed the team over to Hall of Famer Tim Duncan instead.

“I’m not here to make history,” Popovich said at the time, and while that might not have been the best way to explain himself, it was true, and it wound up making what happened Wednesday resonate even more.

“You got ’em,” Popovich said, pointing to Hammon as he made his exit Wednesday, and I dare you to suggest he did this for any reason other than his complete, unwavering belief that she was the most qualified person for the job.

That’s why he hired her 6½ years ago. That’s why he promoted her from the back of the bench to the front, and that’s why the Spurs, without a second thought, watched her draw up a play with an elevator-door screen and ran it just as she designed it.

It’s also why Wednesday won’t be the last time she’ll serve as an NBA head coach.

“It’s a big deal,” Hammon said. “It’s a substantial moment.”

I dare you to tell her she’s wrong.

mfinger@express-news.net

twitter.com/mikefinger

Let's block ads! (Why?)

"avoid it" - Google News
January 01, 2021 at 07:32AM
https://ift.tt/38Oa7kZ

Mike Finger: Becky Hammon earned her moment - Houston Chronicle
"avoid it" - Google News
https://ift.tt/3844a1y
https://ift.tt/2SzWv5y

Is your COVID-19 bubble leaking? Experts explain how to seal it back up - TODAY

ragamnyakabar.blogspot.com

During the coronavirus pandemic, social bubbles have provided a chance for necessary social interaction while still staying safe. However, experts warn that these bubbles can "leak" easily, putting people at risk.

"COVID bubbles require a lot of super clear communication with those that you're going to enter into a bubble agreement with," said Jodie Guest, Ph.D., vice chair of the department of epidemiology in the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University in Atlanta. "It really takes a lot of preemptive conversation to decide that you're all on the exact same page. ...The biggest leaks are usually from people who think they're being careful but are in multiple bubbles."

Related

Guest and Dr. David Dowdy, an epidemiologist and associate professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, Maryland, spoke to TODAY Health about the causes behind a leaky bubble, what you should do if someone in your bubble is diagnosed with COVID-19 and how you can seal a bubble to prevent further exposure.

What causes "leaky" bubbles?

Guest said that the most common cause of leaky bubbles is people not being open with each other about how many contacts they are having.

Related

"One thing to remember is if you invite one person into your COVID bubble, but they are in three other COVID bubbles, your bubble now contains them and all the people in their other bubbles," she said. "...I think it's hard to remember that every person you have contact with, you now have had contact with all of their contacts."

Dowdy said that while COVID-19 bubbles can be safe, it can be helpful to think of them as "nets instead of solid walls," meaning that they may be better than socializing freely but still aren't impenetrable.

"Everyone is having interactions of some sort outside that bubble, whether it's going to the store, and while it's unlikely transmissions are going to happen in every activity, it's not just one person having these little interactions," he said. "...Each person is having those relatively low-risk encounters on a daily basis, and that number gets multiplied by the number of people who are in the bubble, so it becomes essentially impossible to maintain bubbles above a certain size."

Another issue, Guest said, is that people may not think about their daily activities as contacts, even though they provide the opportunity for exposure to the coronavirus.

"You hear a lot of people say, 'Well, I'm really not doing anything outside of my home,' but then they're getting their hair done, they're going into restaurants and things like that. But they're not doing it often, and so it's easy to think, 'I'm not doing very much,' because you're not, compared to your former life. But you're still doing things that are risky, and you're going to bring that risk home," she said. "We really have to be very, very careful, when we say, 'I'm not doing anything.' What does that actually mean?"

Dowdy said that the size of a bubble has a lot to do with how safe it is: The more people in a bubble, the harder it is to keep track of everyone's interactions.

Related

"It's not like there's a magic number that 'below this level, it's safe,'" Dowdy said. "It's really more like the smaller you keep the bubble, the safer you are. As you expand the bubble, the risk is not additional, it's not as simple as a bubble of 10 is twice as risky as a bubble of five. It's more exponential, so the larger the bubble gets the riskier it gets — and that risk goes up quite rapidly as you get larger."

What should you do if someone in your bubble contracts COVID-19?

In case a bubble does become unsafe and one person is diagnosed with the coronavirus, Dowdy and Guest both said that all members of the bubble should consider themselves exposed and isolate for two weeks.

"My family and I have a COVID bubble with another family ... But if they were to have an exposure to COVID-19, they would tell us, and then we would say, 'Well, we can't see each other for 14 days to be safe,'" Guest said, stressing that honest communication is the most important factor in a bubble's success.

Related

If you are exposed, Guest said that a 14-day quarantine is the safest option, but at a minimum, people should quarantine for at least 7 days and produce a negative test.

"That's the minimum that you need to consider doing," she said.

How can you seal a bubble?

When it comes to sealing a bubble, the keys are minimizing interactions and being as honest as possible about your contacts, exposures and any expectations you have for others in the bubble.

"You want to make sure that you're forming (a bubble) with those who you can trust to be doing the same thing as you," said Dowdy.

Guest said that "clear communication" can help establish guidelines about acceptable risks and activities, and noted that as cases continue to rise, it might be necessary to tighten those restrictions.

"You might need to readjust what your contract has been with your COVID-bubble friends about what's acceptable, with numbers going up so much," Guest said. "Be more specific about what's acceptable and not acceptable, because there's so much community spread across the entire United States."

Dec. 18, 202002:30

Let's block ads! (Why?)

"seal" - Google News
January 01, 2021 at 02:41AM
https://ift.tt/3n10aFP

Is your COVID-19 bubble leaking? Experts explain how to seal it back up - TODAY
"seal" - Google News
https://ift.tt/3c1qdrW
https://ift.tt/2SzWv5y

American Heroes: Top Navy Seal sniper Mike "The Bear" Bearden - thedesertreview.com

ragamnyakabar.blogspot.com

We all stood around as they read off everyone’s score. Glen Doherty’s implausible 19 out of 20 had given him a personal tally of 95, which not only saved my ass but was also the day’s highest score. Except for one thing: As far-fetched as it sounded, another new guy in the class had shot a 95, too.

Which meant the day’s shooting was not over yet.

Someone had donated a beautiful SKS 7.62 semi-automatic rifle to the class. This thing was a work of art. A classic Soviet-made carbine (this was the service rifle that preceded the AK-47), and a piece any gun owner would be proud to have in his collection. Before our test that day the instructors had told us that whoever came out with the highest score would go home with that rifle. But you can’t exactly saw an SKS in half, so now Glen and the other guy were going to stage a shoot-off.

This time they would be on their own, no shooter-spotter teams. Each would have just a few minutes to do his own spotting, calculations, wind call, and the rest, then get one shot — and only one shot — at that lane’s target. They would take turns, starting at the closest distance and ending at 1,000 yards.

The rest of us huddled around the two, cheering on our favorite horse. I was the loudest voice in the Glen camp.

In the first lane, both shooters nailed their targets. And in the second, the third, and the fourth. To quietly watch the execution of perfection was an electric experience. These guys were both phenomenal shots.

On the fifth and final target, Glen sighted the thousand-yard distance and got himself ready, slowly squeezed the trigger… and missed. A groan went up in the crowd.

The other guy got down in the dirt, went through his preparations, squeezed — and also missed. Another groan went up, laced with laughter, cat-calls, and the usual volley of insults and obscenities. SEALs are not known to be overly tender with each other’s feelings.

Glen lay down in the lane again, took his second shot… and missed once more. The other guy hit it square.

Predictably, a roar went up and we all grabbed the guy and started pounding on him in congratulation. The SKS was his, but victory belonged to all of us, as we stampeded off the range in a raucous mass to go track down adult beverages in large quantities.

It was a heady moment. The shooting portion of the class was over, and we’d survived it. Even though my best friend had lost the contest, I really didn’t care, and neither did Glen. For one thing, we were both so relieved to just have passed the damn course.

But there was another reason we didn’t care. If anyone else had beaten Glen, we probably would have been at least a little ticked off. SEALs are over-the-top competitive and Glen even more so than most. But it happened that the shooter who had edged Glen out and taken possession of that SKS was such a likable guy, so universally loved and respected that it was impossible to feel anything but happy that he’d won.

His name was Mike Bearden. They called him the Bear.

I had first met Bearden two years earlier, in the summer of 1998. At the time, we were both fresh from BUD/S, the legendary seven-month training program that all SEAL candidates undergo and only a fraction complete. Except that’s a misnomer: BUD/S isn’t really training; it’s more like a seven-month entrance exam.

What we were doing in the summer of ’98, that was training. SEAL tactical training, or STT, was what happened to those who made it through BUD/S and came out the other end still standing (these days it’s called SEAL qualification training, or SQT).

Over the three months of STT, we had drilled into us weapons skills, close-quarters battle tactics, coordinated room-to-room takedown, advanced land navigation and survival, extended dives and underwater demolition, and desert warfare. For desert warfare training, they took us to the Niland Desert, one of the strangest places I’ve ever seen.

The Niland Desert is a vast stretch of lunar landscape in the wishfully named Imperial Valley, where the central Californian desert bleeds out to the Mexican border. It is situated along the edge of the Salton Sea, a huge, strongly alkaline runoff lake that lurks well below sea level at roughly the same elevation as Death Valley.

Niland makes an excellent surrogate Middle Eastern battleground. Most of Jarhead and the sand dune sequences in Independence Day and Star Wars were filmed there. It’s a great place to prepare for war in Iraq or Afghanistan — although we were still a few years away from knowing that was where we would be going.

Toward the end of our time at Niland, one of our instructors decided that because the 75th Ranger Regiment were doing a 12-mile forced march as part of their course, we needed to do that, too. “Hell, we’re frogmen,” went the thinking. “If they can do it, we sure as shit can do it better.” Instead of 12 miles, he figured, we’d make it 14.

Which was fine, except for two things. First, the Rangers didn’t just wake up one day and do a 12-mile loaded march. They built up to it throughout their training. Also, there was no room in our existing schedule to slip in an exercise like that. No worries: The instructor figured they would just tack it onto the end of a full day of training. Like a postscript in a letter. A really long and heavy postscript.

So there we were on a 14-mile forced run with full gear (including 50-pound rucks), on an evening after we’d already done a five-hour land navigation course from noon till 17:00. In the middle of the desert. In July. And we had to do it in three hours.

Out of 72 guys, only four made it under the three-hour gun. Barely another dozen of us made it back at all. The rest of the guys were strewn over the 14-mile course, and corpsmen (medics) had to haul them in. Some of them plain passed out. We used every IV in the camp that night.

And Bearden? He just crushed it. It hadn’t even taken him that much effort.

All 72 of us knew what perseverance and focus were all about. We were SEALs, after all, which meant we were maniacs to some degree. But the Bear was in a class by himself. As I watched Bearden saunter into quarters that evening, while dozens of our teammates were still getting IVs or were draped near-comatose over their beds, I thought:

“This guy is indestructible.”

Let's block ads! (Why?)

"seal" - Google News
January 01, 2021 at 01:12AM
https://ift.tt/3hArzxs

American Heroes: Top Navy Seal sniper Mike "The Bear" Bearden - thedesertreview.com
"seal" - Google News
https://ift.tt/3c1qdrW
https://ift.tt/2SzWv5y

Oregon Coast Aquarium mourns loss of Pinky the harbor seal - KPTV.com

ragamnyakabar.blogspot.com

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

Oregon Coast Aquarium mourns loss of Pinky the harbor seal  KPTV.com

"seal" - Google News
January 01, 2021 at 12:41AM
https://ift.tt/3mZbja5

Oregon Coast Aquarium mourns loss of Pinky the harbor seal - KPTV.com
"seal" - Google News
https://ift.tt/3c1qdrW
https://ift.tt/2SzWv5y

Global Form-fill-seal Equipment Market Report 2020: Escalating Demand for Medical Consumables to Diagnose and Treat COVID-19 Patients Influencing the Market - ResearchAndMarkets.com - Business Wire

ragamnyakabar.blogspot.com

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Form-fill-seal Equipment Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2020-2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global form-fill-seal equipment market grew at a CAGR of around 5% during 2014-2019. Looking forward, the global form-fill-seal equipment market to continue its moderate growth during the next five years.

Form-fill-seal (FFS) equipment relies on automated computer-operated technology for producing flexible to rigid packages and minimizing the chances of contamination during the manufacturing process. It involves low operational costs and offers readable bar codes and other product information using online film printing.

Consequently, it is extensively utilized in the packaging of beverages, granulates, extruded snack food, and spices and seasonings in the food and beverage (F&B) industry. It is also used while manufacturing ointments, syrup, tablets, sutures, lancets, syringes, bandages, gauze pads, test strips and denture adhesive strips. Nowadays, manufacturers are adopting advanced computer interfaces and control networks to improve the speed and versatility of FFS equipment.

The market is presently witnessing significant growth on account of the expanding applications of FFS equipment in various end use industries. For instance, it is employed in the personal care and cosmetics industries for packing gels, creams, razors, towelettes, shampoos, conditioners and nail polish remover pads. It is also used in the manufacturing of ink, pens, tobacco, chemicals, insect repellent, household cleaners, fertilizers, etc.

Apart from this, consumer inclination towards ready-to-eat (RTE) food products is increasing the consumption of extruded snack food around the world. This, along with the rising utilization of packaged products due to the growing e-commerce sector, is bolstering the market growth.

Furthermore, the escalating demand for catheters, in-vitro diagnostic (IVD) kits, surgical gloves and intravenous (IV) infusion bottles to diagnose and treat the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients is influencing the market positively.

Key Questions Answered in This Report:

• How has the global form-fill-seal equipment market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?
• What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global form-fill-seal equipment market?
• What are the key regional markets?
• What is the breakup of the market based on the product?
• What is the breakup of the market based on the type?
• What is the breakup of the market based on the end use industry?
• What are the various stages in the value chain of the industry?
• What are the key driving factors and challenges in the industry?
• What is the structure of the global form-fill-seal equipment market and who are the key players?
• What is the degree of competition in the industry?

Key Topics Covered:

1 Preface

2 Scope and Methodology

2.1 Objectives of the Study

2.2 Stakeholders

2.3 Data Sources

2.4 Market Estimation

2.5 Forecasting Methodology

3 Executive Summary

4 Introduction

4.1 Overview

4.2 Key Industry Trends

5 Global Form-fill-seal Equipment Market

5.1 Market Overview

5.2 Market Performance

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Market Forecast

6 Market Breakup by Product

6.1 Bags and Pouches

6.2 Cartons

6.3 Cups

6.4 Trays

6.5 Bottles

6.6 Sachets

6.7 Others

7 Market Breakup by Type

7.1 Horizontal Form Fill Seal

7.2 Vertical Form Fill Seal

8 Market Breakup by End Use Industry

8.1 Food and Beverages

8.2 Pharmaceuticals

8.3 Personal Care

8.4 Others

9 Market Breakup by Region

10 SWOT Analysis

10.1 Overview

10.2 Strengths

10.3 Weaknesses

10.4 Opportunities

10.5 Threats

11 Value Chain Analysis

12 Porters Five Forces Analysis

12.1 Overview

12.2 Bargaining Power of Buyers

12.3 Bargaining Power of Suppliers

12.4 Degree of Competition

12.5 Threat of New Entrants

12.6 Threat of Substitutes

13 Price Analysis

14 Competitive Landscape

14.1 Market Structure

14.2 Key Players

14.3 Profiles of Key Players

• Arpac LLC (Duravant LLC)
• All-Fill Inc.
• Haver & Boecker OHG
• IMA - Industria Macchine Automatiche S.p.A.
• Matrix Packaging Machinery Inc (Pro Mach Inc.)
• Mespack (Duravant LLC)
• Nichrome Packaging Solutions
• Robert Bosch GmbH
• Sacmi Beverage S.p.A.
• Viking Packaging Technologies Inc

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/k9xb2i

Let's block ads! (Why?)

"seal" - Google News
December 31, 2020 at 10:54PM
https://ift.tt/3pDr745

Global Form-fill-seal Equipment Market Report 2020: Escalating Demand for Medical Consumables to Diagnose and Treat COVID-19 Patients Influencing the Market - ResearchAndMarkets.com - Business Wire
"seal" - Google News
https://ift.tt/3c1qdrW
https://ift.tt/2SzWv5y

Why Champagne Hangovers Feel Worse Than Most + How To Avoid It - mindbodygreen.com

ragamnyakabar.blogspot.com

If you’ve ever had champagne, you know that hangover just hits differently. Even when you consume it in moderation, the effervescent wine has a way of sticking around the next day. And, no, it’s not all in your head. There’s an actual scientific reason champagne makes you feel so terrible, and we got to the bottom of it. 

According to registered dietitian Jess Cording, M.S., R.D., CDN, you can blame it on the bubbles. The carbon dioxide that champagne, prosecco, or cava have can change the way alcohol flows through your bloodstream, she explains, “and because it competes with oxygen, you may absorb the alcohol more quickly.” 

In fact, that’s true of any carbonated alcohol drink, like other sparkling wines, beer, or cocktails with soda, says Ginger Hultin, R.D., Seattle-based registered dietitian nutritionist and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “It's not the carbonation, ultimately, that's causing the hangover,” Hultin says. “It's the amount of alcohol that's being absorbed and metabolized.” 

Let's block ads! (Why?)

"avoid it" - Google News
December 31, 2020 at 06:10PM
https://ift.tt/34Y54gG

Why Champagne Hangovers Feel Worse Than Most + How To Avoid It - mindbodygreen.com
"avoid it" - Google News
https://ift.tt/3844a1y
https://ift.tt/2SzWv5y

Skin damaged due to Blue Light? Here's how can you avoid it - Times Now

ragamnyakabar.blogspot.com

Skin damaged due to Blue Light? Here's how can you avoid it& 

Do you remember the last time you woke up in the morning by not checking your phone? Hard to recall, isn't it? Well, it won't be wrong to say that in this digital era, our morning starts from checking phones, emails, catching up on posts on Instagram, and whatnot.

But while you spend hours and hours on your phone for work or any other reason, it also causes serious skin damage besides vision damage to your eyes. 

Yes, the light which emanates from most digital devices has the power to damage your skin, too. As per studies, blue light poses significant risks to our skin. While the main source of the blue light is when we're exposed to the sun, it is also worth mentioning that we also get a heavy dose of the same from our computer, TV, laptop, and mobile screens.

Can you see the light that your phone, laptop, TV, or any other digital device gives off while using? That's called blue light. It is a colour in the visible light spectrum that can be seen by human eyes. Blue light is a short wavelength, which means it produces higher amounts of energy. It is also one of the colours in the visible light spectrum apart from red, orange, yellow, green, indigo and violet. 

Blue light (also referred to as High Energy Visible or HEV light) can cause potential skin harm via free radical generation. Studies show that blue light induces oxidative stress in live skin which can lead to skin damage including ageing, wrinkles, increases pigmentation, increases stress hormone levels which further disturbs our body's circadian rhythm. Blue light also has the ability to penetrate deeper into the skin compared with both UVA and UVB lights. 

1. Limiting screen time - First things first, you must limit your screen time if you wish to prevent your skin from getting damaged. Start taking small steps, go on phone or laptop detox for one or two hours a day. Slowly you can increase the number of hours. 
2. BlueTech lenses - Also known as blue light filter glass, these will help protect your eyes and reduce the amount of harmful blue light rays that reach your retina. 
3. Clean the screen - Clean your phone/TV/laptop's screen on a daily basis with the help of a dry cloth or glass cleaning liquid. Keep it dust-free, as a clean screen helps reduce glare. 
4. Brightness level - Experts suggest that lowering the brightness level of the screen can cause comparatively less damage to the skin. Do not keep it too low as by doing you can cause too much strain on your eyes. 

5. Take regular breaks - While using any electronic devices, take regular breaks in between. Keep the phone/laptop aside for some time and provide rest to both your skin and eyes.

6. Sunscreens/ serum with iron oxide and antioxidants - Apply sunscreen or serum that has ingredients such as iron oxide and antioxidants. 
7. Vitamin C - Use skincare products that include Vitamin C as one of the key ingredients as it protects and recovers skin cells from blue-light-induced oxidative damage. 

Before buying any blue light skincare product, seek advice from your trusted dermatologist. One should always read the ingredients of any product that claims to counteract the effects of blue light.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

"avoid it" - Google News
December 31, 2020 at 11:31AM
https://ift.tt/3aViSw5

Skin damaged due to Blue Light? Here's how can you avoid it - Times Now
"avoid it" - Google News
https://ift.tt/3844a1y
https://ift.tt/2SzWv5y

EU, China Leaders Seal Long-Awaited Investment Deal - NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

ragamnyakabar.blogspot.com

Top European Union officials and Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded a business investment deal Wednesday that will open big opportunities to European companies but has the potential to irk the new American administration.

Amid concerns about the human rights situation in China, the EU said the seven-year-long negotiations were concluded “in principle" during a videoconference involving Xi, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and EU Council president Charles Michel.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel — whose country holds the rotating presidency of the EU — and French president Emmanuel Macron also took part in the discussions with the Chinese president, the EU said.

“We are open for business but we are attached to reciprocity, level playing field and values," von der Leyen said.

The videoconference launched a ratification process that will take several months as the text of the agreement still needs to be legally reviewed and translated before it is approved by the EU Council. To enter into force, the agreement will then need to be ratified by the European Parliament, and the issue of human rights could be a sticking point.

According to the EU, the deal was brokered after China committed to pursue ratification of the International Labor Organization’s rules on forced labor.

On Tuesday, the EU expressed concerns about “the restrictions on freedom of expression, on access to information, and intimidation and surveillance of journalists, as well as detentions, trials and sentencing of human rights defenders, lawyers, and intellectuals in China.”

Macron stressed EU nations' “concerns” over human rights and called for the “closing of internment camps," according to the speech provided by his office. He also pleaded in favor of “measures aiming at banning forced labor” and wished for “a visit of independent experts from the United Nations."

The EU hopes the agreement, known as CAI, will help correct an imbalance in market access and create new investment opportunities for European companies in China by ensuring they can compete on an equal footing when operating in the country. EU companies face competition from state-owned Chinese enterprises that may get government support and easier access to financing.

“The EU has traditionally been much more open than China to foreign investment," the EU said. “This is true as regards foreign investment in general. China now commits to open up to the EU in a number of key sectors."

According to EU figures, China is now the bloc’s second-biggest trading partner behind the United States, and the EU is China’s biggest trading partner. China and Europe trade on average over €1 billion a day.

Xi said China and the EU “rose to the challenge” despite the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the official Xinhua News Agency said. Xi said the agreement will provide greater market access and “brighter cooperation prospects."

China is crucially important to Germany, where companies like BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen make a large share of their profits in the world’s largest car market. The director-general of the Federation of German Industries, Joachim Lang, said the agreement was “a significant step” but added that “what is decisive is rather how the Chinese government in fact implements these improvements and if the planned implementation mechanisms take effect.”

The 27-nation bloc said the agreement is the most ambitious that China has ever agreed with a third country and will give additional access to many areas including the electric cars and hybrid vehicles sector, as well as private hospitals, telecoms, cloud and financial services, international maritime transport and air transport-related services.

But it has the potential to cause tension with the administration of U.S. President-elect Joe Biden only weeks after the EU proposed a trans-Atlantic dialogue to address “the strategic challenge presented by China’s growing international assertiveness.”

The EU, however, said the investment agreement will give the EU the same level of market access in China that the United States has and insisted that the deal will benefit other trading partners by getting China to commit to high standards of conduct.

Beijing is emphasizing business and investment ties with Europe at a time when tensions with Washington over Chinese industry development ambitions and spying allegations have disrupted access to U.S. markets and technology. Xi made no mention of China’s tariff war with Washington but invoked free trade and multilateralism, indirect criticism of President Donald Trump’s “American first” policies that reject multinational agreements.

Xi expressed hope that Europe will “adhere to free trade” and create a non-discriminatory environment for Chinese investors, according to Xinhua. It said he noted China and Europe “support multilateralism.”

Beijing has tried without success to recruit France, Germany and other governments as allies against Washington. They criticize Trump’s tariff hikes and other tactics but echo U.S. complaints that Beijing violates its market-opening commitments and steals or improperly pressures foreign companies to hand over technology.

The EU said the agreement, which includes provisions for settling disputes, should increase the transparency of Chinese state subsidies and make sustainable development a key element of the relationship between the EU and China.

The deal also includes clear rules against the forced transfer of technologies, a practice in which a government requires foreign investors to share their technology in exchange for market access.

The agreement shows that “despite differences on some issues” the two sides “have the political will to strengthen dialogue and deepen cooperation,” Xinhua reported.

___

David McHugh in Frankfurt, Germany; Sylvie Corbet in Paris and Joe McDonald in Beijing contributed.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

"seal" - Google News
December 31, 2020 at 09:41AM
https://ift.tt/3b1Ymdz

EU, China Leaders Seal Long-Awaited Investment Deal - NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth
"seal" - Google News
https://ift.tt/3c1qdrW
https://ift.tt/2SzWv5y

Oregon Coast Aquarium mourns death of beloved seal - YakTriNews KAPP-KVEW

ragamnyakabar.blogspot.com

December 30, 2020 5:31 PM

Dylan Carter

Posted: December 30, 2020 5:31 PM

Pinky the Harbor Seal passed away at the Oregon Coast Aquarium on December 30, 2020 (Photo provided by the Oregon Coast Aquarium).

NEWPORT, Oreg. — The Oregon Coast Aquarium announced that a staple of the aquarium, Pinky the Harbor Seal, passed away today at 34-years-old.

Habor seals generally live into their 20s in the wild, but oftentimes make it to their 30s when in the custody of humans. The Oregon Coast Aquarium’s, Curator of Marine Mammals, Brittany Blades, shared her appreciation for the seal.

“We will all miss Pinky deeply, and how she always photo bombed our selfies with her need to always be present around us humans,” Blades said.

RELATED: Small animal rescue sees decline in donations, says pandemic is to blame

Pinky arrived at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in May of 1992 when the Aquarium first opened. She was one of the original seals to call the aquarium home.

She was first discovered on June 25, 1986 in Cordova, Alaska. Pinky was stranded, so she was transferred to SeaWorld San Diego for rehabilitation. It was there that the young seal sustained a serious sunburn, earning the name ‘Pinky’ in the process.

Pinky was described as dominant. She wasn’t afraid of anyone or anything despite weighing just 170 lbs. She was known to steal fish from her male counterpart named Max, who weighs more than 500 lbs.

Her favorite enrichment, according to aquarium officials, was munching on ice cubes. She was also known for painting by holding a modified brush in her mouth and making elegant sweeping motions across a canvas.

RELATED: Local canine shelter receives early Christmas gifts

Let's block ads! (Why?)

"seal" - Google News
December 31, 2020 at 08:32AM
https://ift.tt/2WWMHUT

Oregon Coast Aquarium mourns death of beloved seal - YakTriNews KAPP-KVEW
"seal" - Google News
https://ift.tt/3c1qdrW
https://ift.tt/2SzWv5y

Here's why you should be shoveling your sidewalk - WKBW-TV

ragamnyakabar.blogspot.com

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — When the snow falls, your neighbor's safety can become your responsibility.

"95% of the time in Erie County, as a homeowner, the sidewalks around your property are your responsibility," Personal Injurty Attorney Robert Berkun said, "you would be liable if someone was injured on your sidewalk."

For the past 30-years, Berkun has represented those injured in slip and fall accidents. He says a failure to clear your sidewalk can result in dangerous and costly injuries.

"You could incur large medical expenses, lost wages, and their pain and suffering," Berkun said.

According to Berkun, removing snow from sidewalks is not optional.

"You can be fined for not removing the snow and ice, even if someone isn't injured."

The point is to keep sidewalks clear, that means the ice as well. If a sidewalk is not cleared, Berkun says some people will walk in the street to avoid it. Any injuries that occur on the street can fall on the homeowner as well.

"(If) The person had to walk around it and was injured doing so, it is an argument to make as a lawyer that they could be responsible."

The rules can be a little bit different if you are injured due to a lack of plowing at a public building. If that happens, your claim must be made to the city itself within 90 days.

For information on the Law Offices of Robert Berkun and what to do in case you are injured as a result of neglected sidewalks, visit his website here.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

"avoid it" - Google News
December 31, 2020 at 06:30AM
https://ift.tt/2KEQ1BN

Here's why you should be shoveling your sidewalk - WKBW-TV
"avoid it" - Google News
https://ift.tt/3844a1y
https://ift.tt/2SzWv5y

EU, China leaders seal long-awaited investment deal - Minneapolis Star Tribune

ragamnyakabar.blogspot.com

BRUSSELS — Top European Union officials and Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded a business investment deal Wednesday that will open big opportunities to European companies, but has the potential to irk the new American administration.

Amid concerns about the human rights situation in China, the EU said the seven-year-long negotiations were concluded "in principle" during a videoconference involving Xi, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and EU Council president Charles Michel.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel — whose country holds the rotating presidency of the EU — and French president Emmanuel Macron also took part in the discussions with the Chinese president, the EU said.

"We are open for business but we are attached to reciprocity, level playing field and values," von der Leyen said.

The videoconference launched a ratification process that will take several months as the text of the agreement still needs to be legally reviewed and translated before it is approved by the EU Council. To enter into force, the agreement will then need to be ratified by the European Parliament, and the issue of human rights could be a sticking point.

According to the EU, the deal was brokered after China committed to pursue ratification of the International Labor Organization's rules on forced labor.

On Tuesday, the EU expressed concerns about "the restrictions on freedom of expression, on access to information, and intimidation and surveillance of journalists, as well as detentions, trials and sentencing of human rights defenders, lawyers, and intellectuals in China."

Macron stressed EU nations' "concerns" over human rights and called for the "closing of internment camps," according to the speech provided by his office. He also pleaded in favor of "measures aiming at banning forced labor" and wished for "a visit of independent experts from the United Nations."

The EU hopes the agreement, known as CAI, will help correct an imbalance in market access and create new investment opportunities for European companies in China by ensuring they can compete on an equal footing when operating in the country. EU companies face competition from state-owned Chinese enterprises that may get government support and easier access to financing.

"The EU has traditionally been much more open than China to foreign investment," the EU said. "This is true as regards foreign investment in general. China now commits to open up to the EU in a number of key sectors."

According to EU figures, China is now the bloc's second-biggest trading partner behind the United States, and the EU is China's biggest trading partner. China and Europe trade on average over €1 billion a day.

Xi said China and the EU "rose to the challenge" despite the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the official Xinhua News Agency said. Xi said the agreement will provide greater market access and "brighter cooperation prospects."

China is crucially important to Germany, where companies like BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen make a large share of their profits in the world's largest car market. The director general of the Federation of German Industries, Joachim Lang, said the agreement was "a significant step" but added that "what is decisive is rather how the Chinese government in fact implements these improvements and if the planned implementation mechanisms take effect."

The 27-nation bloc said the agreement is the most ambitious that China has ever agreed with a third country and will give additional access to many areas including the electric cars and hybrid vehicles sector, as well as private hospitals, telecoms, cloud and financial services, international maritime transport and air transport-related services.

But it has the potential to cause tension with the administration of U.S. President-elect Joe Biden only weeks after the EU proposed a trans-Atlantic dialogue to address "the strategic challenge presented by China's growing international assertiveness."

The EU, however, said the investment agreement will give the EU the same level of market access in China that the United States has and insisted that the deal will benefit other trading partners by getting China to commit to high standards of conduct.

Beijing is emphasizing business and investment ties with Europe at a time when tensions with Washington over Chinese industry development ambitions and spying allegations have disrupted access to U.S. markets and technology. Xi made no mention of China's tariff war with Washington but invoked free trade and multilateralism, an indirect criticism of President Donald Trump's "American first" policies that reject multinational agreements.

Xi expressed hope that Europe will "adhere to free trade" and create a nondiscriminatory environment for Chinese investors, according to Xinhua. It said he noted China and Europe "support multilateralism."

Beijing has tried without success to recruit France, Germany and other governments as allies against Washington. They criticize Trump's tariff hikes and other tactics but echo U.S. complaints that Beijing violates its market-opening commitments and steals or improperly pressures foreign companies to hand over technology.

The EU said the agreement, which includes provisions for settling disputes, should increase the transparency of Chinese state subsidies and make sustainable development a key element of the relationship between the EU and China.

The deal also includes clear rules against the forced transfer of technologies, a practice in which a government requires foreign investors to share their technology in exchange for market access.

The agreement shows that "despite differences on some issues" the two sides "have the political will to strengthen dialogue and deepen cooperation," Xinhua reported.

___

David McHugh in Frankfurt, Germany; Sylvie Corbet in Paris and Joe McDonald in Beijing contributed.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

"seal" - Google News
December 30, 2020 at 08:21PM
https://ift.tt/2KMSl9L

EU, China leaders seal long-awaited investment deal - Minneapolis Star Tribune
"seal" - Google News
https://ift.tt/3c1qdrW
https://ift.tt/2SzWv5y

Help! There's a seal in my treadmill! The year's best animal rescue photos from the RSPCA - CNN

ragamnyakabar.blogspot.com

The RSPCA released its list of the year's top animal rescues, to cheer people up in what it said has been a "challenging year."

When workers arrived at a gym equipment warehouse in Llanelli, Wales, they were surprised to find a gray seal pup, trapped between treadmills. The seal, which is thought to have reached the warehouse by traveling up a nearby river, was transported back to the water, and later taken to a wildlife center.

Meanwhile, a young fox got more than he bargained for when he fancied a drink -- the animal was discovered by RSPCA staff with a watering can on his head, which officers had to pull free using Vaseline as lubricant.

And then there was the badger who got his butt wedged in a fence in Kent, England, and an unimpressed owl stuck behind a fire grate.

Some of the animal encounters were more terrifying than hilarious, including an escaped pet snake, who was discovered by a horrified gas worker who was attempting to read a meter.

"While 2020 felt like a difficult year, it hasn't all been doom and gloom. Our animals have provided comfort, joy and happiness while we endured lockdown uncertainty," the organization said.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

"seal" - Google News
December 31, 2020 at 12:38AM
https://ift.tt/3pBGE4m

Help! There's a seal in my treadmill! The year's best animal rescue photos from the RSPCA - CNN
"seal" - Google News
https://ift.tt/3c1qdrW
https://ift.tt/2SzWv5y

EU, China seal investment deal that may irk US - Fox Business

ragamnyakabar.blogspot.com

Hudson Institute director of Chinese strategy discusses the communist government's tactics on 'The Evening Edit'

Top European Union officials and Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded a business investment deal Wednesday that will open big opportunities to European companies but has the potential to irk the new American administration.

Continue Reading Below

Amid concerns about the human rights situation in China, the EU said the seven-year-long negotiations were concluded "in principle" during a videoconference involving Xi, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and EU Council president Charles Michel.

CHINA IS A BIGGEST THREAT TO US VS. RUSSIA: RIC GRENELL

German Chancellor Angela Merkel — whose country holds the rotating presidency of the EU — and French president Emmanuel Macron also took part in the discussions with the Chinese president, the EU said. "We are open for business but we are attached to reciprocity, level playing field and values," von der Leyen said.

The videoconference launched a ratification process that will take several months as the text of the agreement still needs to be legally reviewed and translated before it is approved by the EU Council. To enter into force, the agreement will then need to be ratified by the European Parliament, and the issue of human rights could be a sticking point.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS

According to the EU, the deal was brokered after China committed to pursue ratification of the International Labor Organization's rules on forced labor.  On Tuesday, the EU expressed concerns about "the restrictions on freedom of expression, on access to information, and intimidation and surveillance of journalists, as well as detentions, trials and sentencing of human rights defenders, lawyers, and intellectuals in China."

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION STRENGTHENS ORDER BARRING US INVESTMENT INTO CHINESE FIRMS

Macron stressed EU nations' "concerns" over human rights and called for the "closing of internment camps," according to the speech provided by his office. He also pleaded in favor of "measures aiming at banning forced labor" and wished for "a visit of independent experts from the United Nations."

The EU hopes the agreement, known as CAI, will help correct an imbalance in market access and create new investment opportunities for European companies in China by ensuring they can compete on an equal footing when operating in the country. EU companies face competition from state-owned Chinese enterprises that may get government support and easier access to financing.

"The EU has traditionally been much more open than China to foreign investment," the EU said. "This is true as regards foreign investment in general. China now commits to open up to the EU in a number of key sectors."

According to EU figures, China is now the bloc's second-biggest trading partner behind the United States, and the EU is China's biggest trading partner. China and Europe trade on average over €1 billion a day.

Xi said China and the EU "rose to the challenge" despite the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the official Xinhua News Agency said. Xi said the agreement will provide greater market access and "brighter cooperation prospects."

China is crucially important to Germany, where companies like BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen make a large share of their profits in the world's largest car market. The director-general of the Federation of German Industries, Joachim Lang, said the agreement was "a significant step" but added that "what is decisive is rather how the Chinese government in fact implements these improvements and if the planned implementation mechanisms take effect."

The 27-nation bloc said the agreement is the most ambitious that China has ever agreed with a third country and will give additional access to many areas including the electric cars and hybrid vehicles sector, as well as private hospitals, telecoms, cloud and financial services, international maritime transport and air transport-related services.

But it has the potential to cause tension with the administration of U.S. President-elect Joe Biden only weeks after the EU proposed a trans-Atlantic dialogue to address "the strategic challenge presented by China's growing international assertiveness."

The EU, however, said the investment agreement will give the EU the same level of market access in China that the United States has and insisted that the deal will benefit other trading partners by getting China to commit to high standards of conduct.

Beijing is emphasizing business and investment ties with Europe at a time when tensions with Washington over Chinese industry development ambitions and spying allegations have disrupted access to U.S. markets and technology. Xi made no mention of China's tariff war with Washington but invoked free trade and multilateralism, an indirect criticism of President Donald Trump's "American first" policies that reject multinational agreements.

Xi expressed hope that Europe will "adhere to free trade" and create a non-discriminatory environment for Chinese investors, according to Xinhua. It said he noted China and Europe "support multilateralism."

Beijing has tried without success to recruit France, Germany and other governments as allies against Washington. They criticize Trump's tariff hikes and other tactics but echo U.S. complaints that Beijing violates its market-opening commitments and steals or improperly pressures foreign companies to hand over technology. The EU said the agreement, which includes provisions for settling disputes, should increase the transparency of Chinese state subsidies and make sustainable development a key element of the relationship between the EU and China.

The deal also includes clear rules against the forced transfer of technologies, a practice in which a government requires foreign investors to share their technology in exchange for market access.

The agreement shows that "despite differences on some issues" the two sides "have the political will to strengthen dialogue and deepen cooperation," Xinhua reported.The AP's David McHugh in Frankfurt, Germany; Sylvie Corbet in Paris and Joe McDonald in Beijing contributed.  

Let's block ads! (Why?)

"seal" - Google News
December 31, 2020 at 12:33AM
https://ift.tt/34U9QM6

EU, China seal investment deal that may irk US - Fox Business
"seal" - Google News
https://ift.tt/3c1qdrW
https://ift.tt/2SzWv5y

Sale of old Shriners Hospital to Kentucky Easter Seal Society finalized - WKYT

ragamnyakabar.blogspot.com

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - The sale of the old Shriners Hospital has been finalized.

According to a post on Fayette PVA David O’Neill’s Facebook page, the property in the 1900 block of Richmond Road has been sold to the Kentucky Easter Seal Society for $10 million.

Kentucky Easter Seal Society has purchased the former Shriners Hospital property at 1900 Richmond Road for $10 million. Property Record: FayettePVA.com/pva_id/94023260

Posted by Fayette PVA David O'Neill on Wednesday, December 30, 2020

The Richmond Road property had been on the market for about four years before Easter Seals announced over the summer they planned to purchase it.

The property is expected to be used as a hospital once again, but there’s no word yet on when it will be up and running.

Copyright 2020 WKYT. All rights reserved.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

"seal" - Google News
December 31, 2020 at 12:30AM
https://ift.tt/38LLG7Q

Sale of old Shriners Hospital to Kentucky Easter Seal Society finalized - WKYT
"seal" - Google News
https://ift.tt/3c1qdrW
https://ift.tt/2SzWv5y

EU, China leaders meet to seal investment deal - The Associated Press

ragamnyakabar.blogspot.com

BRUSSELS (AP) — Top European Union officials and Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded a business investment deal Wednesday that will open big opportunities to European companies, but has the potential to irk the new American administration.

Amid concerns about the human rights situation in China, the EU said the seven-year-long negotiations were concluded “in principle” during a videoconference involving Xi, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and EU Council president Charles Michel.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel — whose country holds the rotating presidency of the EU — and French president Emmanuel Macron also took part in the discussions with the Chinese president, the EU said.

ADVERTISEMENT

“We are open for business but we are attached to reciprocity, level playing field and values,” von der Leyen said.

The videoconference launched a ratification process that will take several months as the text of the agreement still needs to be legally reviewed and translated before it is approved by the EU Council. To enter into force, the agreement will then need to be ratified by the European Parliament, and the issue of human rights could be a sticking point.

According to the EU, the deal was brokered after China committed to pursue ratification of the International Labor Organization’s rules on forced labor.

On Tuesday, the EU expressed concerns about “the restrictions on freedom of expression, on access to information, and intimidation and surveillance of journalists, as well as detentions, trials and sentencing of human rights defenders, lawyers, and intellectuals in China.”

Macron stressed EU nations’ “concerns” over human rights and called for the “closing of internment camps,” according to the speech provided by his office. He also pleaded in favor of “measures aiming at banning forced labor” and wished for “a visit of independent experts from the United Nations.”

The EU hopes the agreement, known as CAI, will help correct an imbalance in market access and create new investment opportunities for European companies in China by ensuring they can compete on an equal footing when operating in the country. EU companies face competition from state-owned Chinese enterprises that may get government support and easier access to financing.

“The EU has traditionally been much more open than China to foreign investment,” the EU said. “This is true as regards foreign investment in general. China now commits to open up to the EU in a number of key sectors.”

According to EU figures, China is now the bloc’s second-biggest trading partner behind the United States, and the EU is China’s biggest trading partner. China and Europe trade on average over €1 billion a day.

Xi said China and the EU “rose to the challenge” despite the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the official Xinhua News Agency said. Xi said the agreement will provide greater market access and “brighter cooperation prospects.”

China is crucially important to Germany, where companies like BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen make a large share of their profits in the world’s largest car market. The director general of the Federation of German Industries, Joachim Lang, said the agreement was “a significant step” but added that “what is decisive is rather how the Chinese government in fact implements these improvements and if the planned implementation mechanisms take effect.”

The 27-nation bloc said the agreement is the most ambitious that China has ever agreed with a third country and will give additional access to many areas including the electric cars and hybrid vehicles sector, as well as private hospitals, telecoms, cloud and financial services, international maritime transport and air transport-related services.

But it has the potential to cause tension with the administration of U.S. President-elect Joe Biden only weeks after the EU proposed a trans-Atlantic dialogue to address “the strategic challenge presented by China’s growing international assertiveness.”

The EU, however, said the investment agreement will give the EU the same level of market access in China that the United States has and insisted that the deal will benefit other trading partners by getting China to commit to high standards of conduct.

Beijing is emphasizing business and investment ties with Europe at a time when tensions with Washington over Chinese industry development ambitions and spying allegations have disrupted access to U.S. markets and technology. Xi made no mention of China’s tariff war with Washington but invoked free trade and multilateralism, an indirect criticism of President Donald Trump’s “American first” policies that reject multinational agreements.

Xi expressed hope that Europe will “adhere to free trade” and create a nondiscriminatory environment for Chinese investors, according to Xinhua. It said he noted China and Europe “support multilateralism.”

Beijing has tried without success to recruit France, Germany and other governments as allies against Washington. They criticize Trump’s tariff hikes and other tactics but echo U.S. complaints that Beijing violates its market-opening commitments and steals or improperly pressures foreign companies to hand over technology.

The EU said the agreement, which includes provisions for settling disputes, should increase the transparency of Chinese state subsidies and make sustainable development a key element of the relationship between the EU and China.

The deal also includes clear rules against the forced transfer of technologies, a practice in which a government requires foreign investors to share their technology in exchange for market access.

The agreement shows that “despite differences on some issues” the two sides “have the political will to strengthen dialogue and deepen cooperation,” Xinhua reported.

___

David McHugh in Frankfurt, Germany; Sylvie Corbet in Paris and Joe McDonald in Beijing contributed.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

"seal" - Google News
December 30, 2020 at 07:33PM
https://ift.tt/2KM5eRq

EU, China leaders meet to seal investment deal - The Associated Press
"seal" - Google News
https://ift.tt/3c1qdrW
https://ift.tt/2SzWv5y

Why an Alaskan Hospital Added Reindeer Pot Pie and Seal Soup to Its Menu - Atlas Obscura

ragamnyakabar.blogspot.com

You’re not going to find jello cups on the menu at Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage, Alaska. Instead, patients and visitors choose between reindeer pot pie, smoked hooligan, birch sourdough biscuits with fireweed jelly, herring roe, salmon-belly or seal soup, and Eskimo ice cream (made with animal fat, fish oil, and berries).

Depending on the season, the hospital’s Executive Chef, Amy Foote, receives boxes of fiddlehead ferns and spruce tips trimmed in the late spring, coho salmon and halibut caught in late summer, cloudberries and blueberries picked and packed in the fall, and whale or other game meat in late winter. They are all donations, sent in by a state-wide network of hunters and gatherers who keep ANMC’s traditional foods program stocked with the ingredients that Alaska Natives have routinely enjoyed for generations.

“It blows my mind that we’re able to do this,” Foote says. “Why would people want to do this, donate to people they don’t know?”

A herring egg dish prepared at the hospital. Courtesy of Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium

But patients at ANMC weren’t always able to enjoy the comfort of familiar foods. Up until 2014, federal law prohibited foraged food due to concerns over safety. This meant ANMC’s menu was heavy on ingredients common to big-city grocery stores but rare in the small towns and remote villages where many of the hospital’s patients reside. It wasn’t until former Alaska Senator Mark Begich and retired Alaska Native physician Dr. Ted Mala lobbied for a specific measure on traditional foods to be included in the 2014 Farm Bill that ANMC could use non-commercialized traditional foods such as caribou.

Foote has been running the traditional-foods program since shortly after its inception. While her walk-in coolers are now full of indigenous ingredients (since 2015 she’s received more than 20,000 pounds of donations, and more than 70 percent of her recipes include traditional foods), in the early days of the program, every little donation was a huge victory.

That is because while Foote can buy ingredients such as salmon, both hospital fare and traditional-subsistence foods are still heavily regulated. Due to cross-contamination and foodborne-illness concerns, the hospital can’t accept anything too processed. That means, for example, that moose can be quartered, but not ground. And most wild fish and game can only be gifted or bartered—the result of an Alaskan law intended to prevent anyone from commercializing a basic food source. Selling foraged vegetables and berries, meanwhile, is not necessarily illegal, but is considered taboo. Custom dictates giving any extra to family or community elders.

A patient enjoys seal soup. Courtesy of Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium

Tim Ackerman is one of the many individuals who donates to the hospital. “They’re more apt to relax and not feel so out of place in the hospital when they have these foods,” Ackerman says. “It promotes well being. It helps the soul.”

A few years ago, while a buddy of Ackerman’s was in Anchorage for treatment, he overheard someone say that seal was the most requested, but least received, donation for the traditional-food program. “He said, ‘I know someone who can help,’ and I’ve been donating ever since,” Ackerman says.

The retired resident of Haines, Alaska, spends the short winter days pushing his kayak into the waters of the nearby inlet and paddling around in pursuit of harbor seals. He keeps some for himself and his family, but a larger share he donates and ships to Anchorage, more than 500 miles away, to be enjoyed by folks he considers his people, even if he doesn’t know them.

“It’s part of their diet. They need it to heal,” Ackerman says. “No big box stores can sell it. They need someone to help.”

A view of the campus. Courtesy of Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium

You don’t necessarily need to be a patient at ANMC to try the fare. The gifts of nature, after all, are for everyone—it’s not uncommon for out-of-town visitors to swing through the cafeteria. Alaskans sometimes joke that the reason villagers come into Anchorage is to go to Costco and visit the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium campus, which houses and acts as a cultural and community hub.

In non-pandemic times, Alaskans hang out on the campus, wander the hospital corridors to look at the thousands of pieces of museum-quality Indigenous artwork from across the state, and walk through the courtyard where hospital staff grow traditional vegetables such as rhubarb, currants, high bush cranberries, chocolate lilies, and blueberries. Started in 2018 as a college senior’s project, the garden is divided into three areas: tundra, bog, and birch forest.

“It’s like the village within the city,” Foote says.

Foote credits the emphasis placed on caring for elders in Alaska Native culture and the belief that traditional foods have healing properties for the success of the program. Having overcome the obstacle of procuring donations, she’s now tasked with perhaps the greater challenge of crafting a menu that speaks to the tastes of the various tribal groups.

This ivory mask, made by artists of Nunivak Island, is displayed on the first floor of the ANMC. Courtesy of Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium

Alaska is so vast that it resembles the Lower 48 in the breadth of regional fare. How salmon is prepared and preserved in the kitchens of Ketchikan, an island in a temperate rainforest near British Columbia, differs wildly from how it’s cooked in Nome, whose shores kiss the same frigid sea as most of Eastern Russia. Often that means combing through recipes to find similarities and common ground, such as seasoning with sea salt and smoking the protein in long strips.

Foote had processed game meat prior to accepting the job at ANMC, but seal was initially beyond her scope. Knowing that one of the kitchen workers was a hunter, she approached him about helping her butcher the first one.

“He said, ‘Oh, I don’t know how to do that,’” Foote says. “He explained that he only hunted them, the women butchered them. I didn’t know there was the cultural role, so I went to some of the Elder women on the line and they were able to teach me a lot.”

Because Foote isn’t an Alaska Native herself, she says she leaned on the expertise of Alaska Native Elders, getting their recipes and feedback to make sure the meals feel right. This proved key, since many early patients were skeptical that they could order a dish from their remote village while in a big-city hospital.

Freshly prepared Tundra Moose Meatloaf. Courtesy of Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium

One time while Foote was going room to room and dispersing seal soup, a patient asked if she’d made the soup herself. He seemed doubtful, but once she confirmed that she had sought the wisdom of Elders, he softened.

“He started sharing these beautiful stories about how he remembered harvesting seal and hunting and fishing and cooking on the shore with his family,” Foote says. “And we watched this person who didn’t feel good, who was a little skeptical, all of the sudden feel comfortable and calm.”

These touch points are even more important now during the pandemic, Foote says. Because guests aren’t allowed in patient rooms, hospital stays can feel more isolating. Having something familiar is important, so the cafeteria staff takes requests. And thanks to a state-wide effort to stock the hospital’s pantry, they’re now able to meet requests for seal soup just as gamely as for chicken-noodle soup.

Gastro Obscura covers the world’s most wondrous food and drink.
Sign up for our email, delivered twice a week.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

"seal" - Google News
December 30, 2020 at 04:51AM
https://ift.tt/37Xdp66

Why an Alaskan Hospital Added Reindeer Pot Pie and Seal Soup to Its Menu - Atlas Obscura
"seal" - Google News
https://ift.tt/3c1qdrW
https://ift.tt/2SzWv5y

EU, China leaders seal long-awaited investment deal - WPLG Local 10

ragamnyakabar.blogspot.com

BRUSSELS – Top European Union officials and Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded a business investment deal Wednesday that will open big opportunities to European companies, but has the potential to irk the new American administration.

Amid concerns about the human rights situation in China, the EU said the seven-year-long negotiations were concluded “in principle" during a videoconference involving Xi, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and EU Council president Charles Michel.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel — whose country holds the rotating presidency of the EU — and French president Emmanuel Macron also took part in the discussions with the Chinese president, the EU said.

“We are open for business but we are attached to reciprocity, level playing field and values," von der Leyen said.

The videoconference launches a ratification process that will take several months as the text of the agreement still needs to be legally reviewed and translated before it is approved by the EU Council. To enter into force, the agreement will then need to be ratified by the European Parliament, and the issue of human rights could be a sticking point.

According to the EU, the deal was brokered after China committed to pursue ratification of the International Labor Organization’s rules on forced labor.

On Tuesday, the EU expressed concerns about “the restrictions on freedom of expression, on access to information, and intimidation and surveillance of journalists, as well as detentions, trials and sentencing of human rights defenders, lawyers, and intellectuals in China.”

The EU hopes the agreement, known as CAI, will help correct an imbalance in market access and create new investment opportunities for European companies in China by ensuring they can compete on an equal footing when operating in the country.

“The EU has traditionally been much more open than China to foreign investment," the EU said. “This is true as regards foreign investment in general. China now commits to open up to the EU in a number of key sectors."

According to EU figures, China is now the bloc’s second-biggest trading partner behind the United States, and the EU is China’s biggest trading partner. China and Europe trade on average over €1 billion a day.

The 27-nation bloc said the agreement is the most ambitious that China has ever agreed with a third country and will give additional access to many areas including the electric cars and hybrid vehicles sector, as well as private hospitals, telecoms, cloud and financial services, international maritime transport and air transport-related services.

But it has the potential to cause tension with the administration of U.S. President-elect Joe Biden only weeks after the EU proposed a trans-Atlantic dialogue to address “the strategic challenge presented by China’s growing international assertiveness.”

The EU, however, said the investment agreement will give the EU the same level of market access in China that the United States has and insisted that the deal will benefit other trading partners by getting China to commit to high standards of conduct.

The EU added that the agreement, which includes provisions for settling disputes, should increase the transparency of Chinese state subsidies and make sustainable development a key element of the relationship between the EU and China.

The deal also includes clear rules against the forced transfer of technologies, a practice in which a government requires foreign investors to share their technology in exchange for market access.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

"seal" - Google News
December 30, 2020 at 07:23PM
https://ift.tt/38LyorZ

EU, China leaders seal long-awaited investment deal - WPLG Local 10
"seal" - Google News
https://ift.tt/3c1qdrW
https://ift.tt/2SzWv5y