Densest parts of Grimsvötn volcano’s thick ash clouds expected to exceed a new air travel safety threshold The last time an Icelandic volcano with an unpronounceable name spewed forth a thick cloud of ash, it led to crippingly expensive airport shutdowns, weeks of delays across Europe, and left tens of thousands of travellers stranded. As a plume of ash once again drifts towards Scotland from the north Atlantic, experts insist that this time will be different, and new rules will permit more aircraft to brave the cloud. But as aviation authorities admitted they did not yet know how badly flights would be affected, airlines including BA, Aer Lingus, KLM, easyJet and Flybe grounded services due to take off today. Barack Obama and his entourage took no chances, preferring to skip a planned one-night stay in Dublin and fly in to London last night for the US president’s state visit. What is known is that the densest parts of the ash cloud from the Grimsvötn volcano are expected to exceed a new safety threshold set for airlines, and services at a dozen airports, including Glasgow and Edinburgh, are already under threat. A string of carriers have announced changes to their schedules, with BA stating that it will not operate any flights between London and Scotland before 2pm today. KLM said 16 flights scheduled for today to and from Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Newcastle would be cancelled, while Eastern Airways, based in Lincolnshire, axed all flights. Loganair, a regional carrier based in Glasgow, cancelled 36 flights. The air safety watchdog for British airlines and airports, the Civil Aviation Authority, said particles from Grimsvötn could affect transatlantic journeys by reaching western England on Thursday or Friday, depending on wind direction. High winds had already caused disruption to rail and road users in Scotland and northern England , with 100mph winds disrupting motorists, rail users and homeowners in Scotland, causing mass cancellations of rail services, and power cuts. Eastbound traffic on the M62 between Leeds and Manchester was brought to a standstill, while three racing yachts were rescued after high seas disrupted an event between Whitby and Scarborough. The winds are expected to affect ash cloud forecasts. The Met Office warned of difficulties in tracking the cloud’s progress because of erratic shifts in wind direction. If airspace in western England, Ireland and the Atlantic is affected by the plume, US-bound flights from Heathrow could see delays later this week as planes are diverted around the densest parts of the cloud. But the CAA said it was confident that a new Europe-wide safety regime introduced after the Eyjafjallajökull eruption last year would reduce disruption and avoid the continental shutdown that stranded millions. Under the new operating procedures, it is understood that the effect of last year’s plume on commercial routes would have been reduced by 75%. Andrew Haines, the CAA’s chief executive, said: “Our number-one priority is to ensure the safety of people both on board aircraft and on the ground. We can’t rule out disruption, but the new arrangements that have been put in place since last year’s ash cloud mean the aviation sector is better prepared and will help to reduce any disruption in the event that volcanic ash affects UK airspace.” Under previous guidelines, aircraft were summarily grounded if there was any volcanic ash in the air. Now, airlines can fly through ash plumes if they can demonstrate that their fleets can handle medium- or high-level densities of ash. The Met Office’s volcanic ash advisory centre will track the cloud, aided by satellite images, weather balloons and a radar specially installed in Iceland last year. Once those zones are relayed to airlines, they will need to prove that they can fly through them by producing “safety cases” that will include information from aircraft and engine manufacturers on the airline’s tolerance to volcanic ash. The transport secretary, Philip Hammond, said that the ash had already caused “modest delays” to flights, including some Atlantic services. “Clearly, this is a natural phenomenon which we cannot control, but the UK is now much better prepared to deal with an ash eruption than last year,” he said. “Our investment in new equipment to better monitor ash concentrations and our development of new operating procedures for airlines will all help to lessen the impact the eruption will have on UK aviation. A CAA spokesman said: “Safety will still be paramount, but we will be able to drastically reduce disruption compared to last time, provided there is not a huge amount of high-density ash.” The spokesman said a similar level of ash to the Eyjafjallajökull incident would not result in a mass-grounding. “It will be a different picture.” However, jets would still have to divert around high-density clouds, causing delays on some routes, because no UK airline has submitted a safety case for flying through heavy ash plumes. BAA, owner of Heathrow, Stansted, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen airports, has convened a crisis team to prepare for a cut in flights, as airlines and airports await a briefing from Eurocontrol and the UK air traffic controller, Nats.. Under the new ash guidelines, cloud densities are split into three levels: low, medium and high. Once the Met Office assigns a particular density of ash to a section of airspace, airlines must prove they have the safety case to fly through it. A low density cloud is 2g of ash per 10 cubic metres of air, with medium being 2g to 4g of ash per 10 cubic metres. Anything above 4g is deemed high density. The Grimsvötn volcano began erupting at the weekend, causing flight cancellations at Keflavik airport after it sent a plume of ash, smoke and steam 12 miles into the air. Helen Chivers, a Met Office spokeswoman, said: “At the moment if the volcano continues to erupt to the same level it has been, and is now, the UK could be at risk of seeing volcanic ash later this week. Quite when and how much we can’t really define at the moment.” She said the weather situation was likely to be different from last year, with the wind direction set to change continuously. She added: “If it moves in the way that we’re currently looking, with the eruption continuing the way it is, then if the UK is at risk later this week, then France and Spain could be as well.” While the ash has grounded aircraft in Iceland, it is not anticipated that it will have a similar impact in the rest of Europe.Dr Dave McGarvie, volcanologist at the Open University, said the amount of ash reaching the UK was “likely to be less than in the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption”, and the last two times Grimsvötn erupted it had not affected UK air travel. “In addition, the experience gained from the 2010 eruption, especially by the Met Office, the airline industry, and the engine manufacturers, should mean less disruption to travellers,” he said. The eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in south-east Iceland in April 2010 caused the worst disruption to international air travel since 9/11. Flights across Europe were cancelled for six days, stranding tens of thousands of people, and the eruption was estimated to have cost airlines £130m a day. Eurocontrol said in a statement: “There is currently no impact on European or transatlantic flights and the situation is expected to remain so for the next 24 hours. Aircraft operators are constantly being kept informed of the evolving situation.” Iceland volcano 2011 (Grimsvotn) Iceland Europe Natural disasters and extreme weather Air transport Ben Quinn Dan Milmo Martin Wainwright guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Densest parts of Grimsvötn volcano’s thick ash clouds expected to exceed a new air travel safety threshold The last time an Icelandic volcano with an unpronounceable name spewed forth a thick cloud of ash, it led to crippingly expensive airport shutdowns, weeks of delays across Europe, and left tens of thousands of travellers stranded. As a plume of ash once again drifts towards Scotland from the north Atlantic, experts insist that this time will be different, and new rules will permit more aircraft to brave the cloud. But as aviation authorities admitted they did not yet know how badly flights would be affected, airlines including BA, Aer Lingus, KLM, easyJet and Flybe grounded services due to take off today. Barack Obama and his entourage took no chances, preferring to skip a planned one-night stay in Dublin and fly in to London last night for the US president’s state visit. What is known is that the densest parts of the ash cloud from the Grimsvötn volcano are expected to exceed a new safety threshold set for airlines, and services at a dozen airports, including Glasgow and Edinburgh, are already under threat. A string of carriers have announced changes to their schedules, with BA stating that it will not operate any flights between London and Scotland before 2pm today. KLM said 16 flights scheduled for today to and from Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Newcastle would be cancelled, while Eastern Airways, based in Lincolnshire, axed all flights. Loganair, a regional carrier based in Glasgow, cancelled 36 flights. The air safety watchdog for British airlines and airports, the Civil Aviation Authority, said particles from Grimsvötn could affect transatlantic journeys by reaching western England on Thursday or Friday, depending on wind direction. High winds had already caused disruption to rail and road users in Scotland and northern England , with 100mph winds disrupting motorists, rail users and homeowners in Scotland, causing mass cancellations of rail services, and power cuts. Eastbound traffic on the M62 between Leeds and Manchester was brought to a standstill, while three racing yachts were rescued after high seas disrupted an event between Whitby and Scarborough. The winds are expected to affect ash cloud forecasts. The Met Office warned of difficulties in tracking the cloud’s progress because of erratic shifts in wind direction. If airspace in western England, Ireland and the Atlantic is affected by the plume, US-bound flights from Heathrow could see delays later this week as planes are diverted around the densest parts of the cloud. But the CAA said it was confident that a new Europe-wide safety regime introduced after the Eyjafjallajökull eruption last year would reduce disruption and avoid the continental shutdown that stranded millions. Under the new operating procedures, it is understood that the effect of last year’s plume on commercial routes would have been reduced by 75%. Andrew Haines, the CAA’s chief executive, said: “Our number-one priority is to ensure the safety of people both on board aircraft and on the ground. We can’t rule out disruption, but the new arrangements that have been put in place since last year’s ash cloud mean the aviation sector is better prepared and will help to reduce any disruption in the event that volcanic ash affects UK airspace.” Under previous guidelines, aircraft were summarily grounded if there was any volcanic ash in the air. Now, airlines can fly through ash plumes if they can demonstrate that their fleets can handle medium- or high-level densities of ash. The Met Office’s volcanic ash advisory centre will track the cloud, aided by satellite images, weather balloons and a radar specially installed in Iceland last year. Once those zones are relayed to airlines, they will need to prove that they can fly through them by producing “safety cases” that will include information from aircraft and engine manufacturers on the airline’s tolerance to volcanic ash. The transport secretary, Philip Hammond, said that the ash had already caused “modest delays” to flights, including some Atlantic services. “Clearly, this is a natural phenomenon which we cannot control, but the UK is now much better prepared to deal with an ash eruption than last year,” he said. “Our investment in new equipment to better monitor ash concentrations and our development of new operating procedures for airlines will all help to lessen the impact the eruption will have on UK aviation. A CAA spokesman said: “Safety will still be paramount, but we will be able to drastically reduce disruption compared to last time, provided there is not a huge amount of high-density ash.” The spokesman said a similar level of ash to the Eyjafjallajökull incident would not result in a mass-grounding. “It will be a different picture.” However, jets would still have to divert around high-density clouds, causing delays on some routes, because no UK airline has submitted a safety case for flying through heavy ash plumes. BAA, owner of Heathrow, Stansted, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen airports, has convened a crisis team to prepare for a cut in flights, as airlines and airports await a briefing from Eurocontrol and the UK air traffic controller, Nats.. Under the new ash guidelines, cloud densities are split into three levels: low, medium and high. Once the Met Office assigns a particular density of ash to a section of airspace, airlines must prove they have the safety case to fly through it. A low density cloud is 2g of ash per 10 cubic metres of air, with medium being 2g to 4g of ash per 10 cubic metres. Anything above 4g is deemed high density. The Grimsvötn volcano began erupting at the weekend, causing flight cancellations at Keflavik airport after it sent a plume of ash, smoke and steam 12 miles into the air. Helen Chivers, a Met Office spokeswoman, said: “At the moment if the volcano continues to erupt to the same level it has been, and is now, the UK could be at risk of seeing volcanic ash later this week. Quite when and how much we can’t really define at the moment.” She said the weather situation was likely to be different from last year, with the wind direction set to change continuously. She added: “If it moves in the way that we’re currently looking, with the eruption continuing the way it is, then if the UK is at risk later this week, then France and Spain could be as well.” While the ash has grounded aircraft in Iceland, it is not anticipated that it will have a similar impact in the rest of Europe.Dr Dave McGarvie, volcanologist at the Open University, said the amount of ash reaching the UK was “likely to be less than in the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption”, and the last two times Grimsvötn erupted it had not affected UK air travel. “In addition, the experience gained from the 2010 eruption, especially by the Met Office, the airline industry, and the engine manufacturers, should mean less disruption to travellers,” he said. The eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in south-east Iceland in April 2010 caused the worst disruption to international air travel since 9/11. Flights across Europe were cancelled for six days, stranding tens of thousands of people, and the eruption was estimated to have cost airlines £130m a day. Eurocontrol said in a statement: “There is currently no impact on European or transatlantic flights and the situation is expected to remain so for the next 24 hours. Aircraft operators are constantly being kept informed of the evolving situation.” Iceland volcano 2011 (Grimsvotn) Iceland Europe Natural disasters and extreme weather Air transport Ben Quinn Dan Milmo Martin Wainwright guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
Click here to view this media Stories change hearts and minds. We know that. What we also know is that stories in person, and in video, move hearts and minds the best. And as the struggle for equality continues for LGBT people, we know there are no shortage of stories regarding personal struggles… and no shortage of minds to change. That’s where you come in. This morning, Dustin Lance Black, the Academy Award-winning screenwriter of Milk and other award-winning movies and documentaries, sent an e-mail to our Courage Campaign members announcing the Testimony: Take A Stand video contest: It’s a partnership we are doing in an effort to find the next great stories that shape public opinion about LGBT equality — submitted by you or your friends, family and colleagues. Testimony: Take A Stand is the name for our new project we have been rolling out: a one-stop shop hub for stories of struggle to achieve LGBT equality. Dustin Lance Black and his camera crew will be reviewing submissions and pick three incredible stories to record for television. He will then hop on a plane to fly to wherever you live and record your submission for TV, so Americans can learn why its important for our community to be equal. You can sign up here, and the deadline is June 15th. Think of what it could achieve — Zach Wahls’ story, or Dan Choi’s, or Ed and Derence’s featured here at C&L in March, targeted to advertise in places like Minnesota, where we need to change minds on marriage in advance of the 2012 ballot initiative. Or New York State, where we have a few Senators whose constituents are on the fence about marriage equality. From marriage to adoption, bullying to being transgender, there is no shortage of stories, and no shortage of minds we need to change. That’s where this project comes in. You can sign up and get more details here . Or, do you know someone — a kid who’s been bullied at school, a couple who faced medical problems at the hospital because of DOMA, a transgender women fired at the workplace? Let them know. Submissions are due by 11:59 PM PST on June 15th. So flip open those camcorders, handheld cams and computer cameras and take a minute to record your Testimony. Let’s change some minds. http://www.couragecampaign.org/DustinLanceBlack Disclosure: I serve as Director of Online Programs at the Courage Campaign.
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Click here to view this media Stories change hearts and minds. We know that. What we also know is that stories in person, and in video, move hearts and minds the best. And as the struggle for equality continues for LGBT people, we know there are no shortage of stories regarding personal struggles… and no shortage of minds to change. That’s where you come in. This morning, Dustin Lance Black, the Academy Award-winning screenwriter of Milk and other award-winning movies and documentaries, sent an e-mail to our Courage Campaign members announcing the Testimony: Take A Stand video contest: It’s a partnership we are doing in an effort to find the next great stories that shape public opinion about LGBT equality — submitted by you or your friends, family and colleagues. Testimony: Take A Stand is the name for our new project we have been rolling out: a one-stop shop hub for stories of struggle to achieve LGBT equality. Dustin Lance Black and his camera crew will be reviewing submissions and pick three incredible stories to record for television. He will then hop on a plane to fly to wherever you live and record your submission for TV, so Americans can learn why its important for our community to be equal. You can sign up here, and the deadline is June 15th. Think of what it could achieve — Zach Wahls’ story, or Dan Choi’s, or Ed and Derence’s featured here at C&L in March, targeted to advertise in places like Minnesota, where we need to change minds on marriage in advance of the 2012 ballot initiative. Or New York State, where we have a few Senators whose constituents are on the fence about marriage equality. From marriage to adoption, bullying to being transgender, there is no shortage of stories, and no shortage of minds we need to change. That’s where this project comes in. You can sign up and get more details here . Or, do you know someone — a kid who’s been bullied at school, a couple who faced medical problems at the hospital because of DOMA, a transgender women fired at the workplace? Let them know. Submissions are due by 11:59 PM PST on June 15th. So flip open those camcorders, handheld cams and computer cameras and take a minute to record your Testimony. Let’s change some minds. http://www.couragecampaign.org/DustinLanceBlack Disclosure: I serve as Director of Online Programs at the Courage Campaign.
Continue reading …CNN’s Sanjay Gupta Asks ‘Did Someone or Something Fail Jared Loughner?’ After Patrick Kennedy Sympathizes With Tucson Shooter
May 23, 2011 No Comment
“Did someone or something fail Jared Loughner?” CNN's chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta asked recovering alcoholic and former congressman Patrick Kennedy Sunday. The question came after Kennedy described his alcoholic condition as a mental disease and not a moral failure, and attributed mental illness to Loughner, the Tuscon shooter who killed six and critically injured Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) in January. When Kennedy was asked about Loughner being “failed,” he issued a sweeping indictment of society. “Clearly we all failed,” he said, noting that the Giffords assassin was mentally ill and was not treated for his ailments. “We failed as society because every time we see someone who's – and we use the pejorative words 'crazy,' you know, 'psycho,' 'nuts,' we look the other way.” (Video below the break.)
Continue reading …CNN’s Sanjay Gupta Asks ‘Did Someone or Something Fail Jared Loughner?’ After Patrick Kennedy Sympathizes With Tucson Shooter
May 23, 2011 No Comment
“Did someone or something fail Jared Loughner?” CNN's chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta asked recovering alcoholic and former congressman Patrick Kennedy Sunday. The question came after Kennedy described his alcoholic condition as a mental disease and not a moral failure, and attributed mental illness to Loughner, the Tuscon shooter who killed six and critically injured Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) in January. When Kennedy was asked about Loughner being “failed,” he issued a sweeping indictment of society. “Clearly we all failed,” he said, noting that the Giffords assassin was mentally ill and was not treated for his ailments. “We failed as society because every time we see someone who's – and we use the pejorative words 'crazy,' you know, 'psycho,' 'nuts,' we look the other way.” (Video below the break.)
Continue reading …CNN’s Sanjay Gupta Asks ‘Did Someone or Something Fail Jared Loughner?’ After Patrick Kennedy Sympathizes With Tuscon Shooter
May 23, 2011 No Comment
“Did someone or something fail Jared Loughner?” CNN's chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta asked recovering alcoholic and former congressman Patrick Kennedy Sunday. The question came after Kennedy described his alcoholic condition as a disease and not a moral failure, and attributed similar mental illness to Loughner, the Tuscon shooter who killed six and critically injured Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) in January. When Kennedy was asked about Loughner, he issued a sweeping indictment of society. “Clearly we all failed,” he said, noting that the Giffords assassin was mentally ill and was not treated for his ailments. “We failed as society because every time we see someone who's – and we use the pejorative words 'crazy,' you know, 'psycho,' 'nuts,' we look the other way.” (Video below the break.)
Continue reading …The first round of Wisconsin state Republican senators slated for recall elections has just been approved . Senators Dan Kapanke, Randy Hopper, and Luther Olsen will face a recall election in July. There are still six other recall petitions — 3 GOP and 3 Democrat — under consideration. It appears that Scott Walker is beginning to take these recalls seriously , too. Six Republicans and three Democrats are targeted for recalls starting as early as July 12. Democrats need to pick up three seats to take control of the Senate from Republicans. If that happened, the Republican agenda would come to a grinding halt in the Statehouse, where Democrats currently are unable to stop Walker’s proposals from passing. Walker, speaking to about 1,000 Republicans at a Wisconsin Dells resort, said the only thing that could stop the GOP’s momentum in the state are the recall elections. Aw. That would be a shame. Of course, that’s exactly why these Republicans are vulnerable, since we still live in a country where the people do get to vote for the outcome they see as best for them. Just to prove there’s no hard feelings, Governor Walker’s sidekick, Scott Fitzgerald said this: The protesters, as well as the fleeing Democrats, were frequent targets of derision at the convention. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been around this many people who weren’t chanting and yelling, sometimes at me,” Fitzgerald said. ” And I also got to tell you, you all smell a lot better too. ” Now there’s the way to win friends and influence people. Meanwhile, Democrats are feeling pretty confident . They believe it’s a battle of ideology rather than personality, and as such, they’ll win and win big. No matter the Republican candidate, Democrats are confident they have momentum on their side following the explosive first months of Walker’s administration and Ryan’s pushing of a federal budget plan that would replace Medicare with a voucher system. “There are no real moderates left in that party,” Wisconsin Democratic Party spokesman Graeme Zielinski said. “The moderates are marching in the streets with us. They’re going to end up with an extreme candidate.” The mood is so toxic for Republicans, Zielinski argued, all Democrats need to do is field an “average, decent person” for the Senate race. “The Scott Walker-Paul Ryan agenda has gotten so wacky, so out of step with even the moderate Republican political thought, our candidate will be a strong moderate who builds through consensus and will be able to listen to both sides and work with both sides,” he said.
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CBS's Lesley Stahl played up how Al Sharpton apparently ” has gone through something of a metamorphosis ” as she spotlighted the ” street-protest agitator … now trusted White House adviser ” on Sunday's 60 Minutes. Despite pressing Sharpton for his refusal to apologize for the Tawana Brawley hoax, Stahl gushed, ” Take a look at Reverend Al … stately in his tailored suits, commanding a national stage .” The journalist front-loaded her superlatives about the liberal flamethrower during her 12-and-a-half minute report in the bottom half of the 8 pm Eastern hour, emphasizing how Sharpton has supposedly become a new man. She also set the tone of the entire segment of choosing to use non-ideological labels to describe her subject, only hinting at his left-of-center politics: STAHL: Say 'Al Sharpton' and most people probably think loudmouth activist and provocateur . Well, that certainly was his image in the '80s and '90s. Well, the Reverend Al has gone through something of a metamorphosis . Today, he's downright tame, so much that he's made his way into the establishment . It's been quite a trajectory: from street-protest agitator to candidate for president in 2004, to now, a trusted White House adviser, who's become the President's go-to black leader , campaigning around the country for President Obama and his agenda. Today, Reverend Sharpton looks and sounds like a totally different person . Despite a firm, yet vague acknowledgment of the activist's past as being ” hot-headed in his jogging suits, larger than life in every way, spreading hate and dividing the city ,” Stahl quickly fast-forwarded past that moments later by using her “stately” and “commanding” labels. She also punctuated Sharpton's close work with President Obama: STAHL: … Take a look at Reverend Al today after a meeting with the President: eighty-three pounds slimmer, stately in his tailored suits, commanding a national stage . SHARPTON (from press conference outside the White House): I think the meeting was very candid- STAHL: Not only does he travel to see the President, the President travels to see him . SHARPTON (introducing President Obama at National Action Network conference): Barack Obama- (audience cheers and applauds) STAHL: In April, Mr. Obama was a keynote speaker at Sharpton's civil rights organization, the National Action Network's fundraiser in New York. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA (from speech to the National Action Network): I told Reverend Al backstage, he's getting skinnier than me. (audience laughs) STAHL: This presidential endorsement, this validation , is an acknowledgement of Al Sharpton's influence with the President's African-American base. As you might expect, the CBS anchor completely omitted how the racially-charged figure's past might be a liability for the President, even though she did press Sharpton a bit from the left on his strategy to go easy on Mr. Obama, especially given the issue of the high unemployment rate in the black community (“Just because he didn't campaign on improving unemployment in black areas, why aren't you out there saying, we need more done?”). She even trumpeted how ” given his loyalty and his change from confrontational to accommodating, the administration is rewarding him with access and assignments, like making him a spokesman for their education policy.” Speaking of Sharpton's “loyalty” to Mr. Obama, the journalist only made a nebulous reference to his recent involvement in defending the chief executive from left-wing critics such as Cornel West (“Have you told other blacks not to criticize him publicly?) Later in the report, Stahl further harped on the activist's supposed “metamorphosis” by highlighting his expansion into other liberal causes, all the while omitting any explicit references to his ideology: SHARPTON: I've learned to pick my fights, and also, to be more strategic about my fight plan. It doesn't mean it's not the same fight, but it means I'm a different and I'm a more seasoned fighter. STAHL (on-camera): So if someone were to put a couple of adjectives in front of your name today, 'agitator' should not be one of those names? SHARPTON: Say 'refined agitator.' SHARPTON (from candlelight protest in Arizona): (crowd cheers) Let your light shine! STAHL (voice-over): Here's the 'refined agitator' in a candlelight march in Arizona, expanding his portfolio with Latinos, standing up against the state's immigration law . SHARPTON: This is about a state law that is unconstitutional. SHARPTON (on-camera): A lot of positions that I take now, no one would've thought I would've taken. Who would have thought, twenty years ago, I'd be leading marches for immigration, or that I would support same-sex marriage, which most black church people don't? So I think that a lot of people are stuck in time. Thankfully, I'm not. Seven minutes in, the anchor finally delved into Sharpton's lightning rod past in race politics in the New York City area, pressing him on his involvement in the Brawley fiasco, and bringing in former Village Voice journalist Wayne Barrett to blast her subject: WAYNE BARRETT: I think he has been a hustler all of his career – STAHL: Wayne Barrett, an investigative reporter with 'The Daily Beast,' has written about Sharpton for more than 20 years. BARRETT: I think he is in the civil rights business. I don't think he's a civil rights leader. I think he's in the business. He has an organization called the National Action Network. Nobody knows what happens to all that money. STAHL: An IRS audit would later show that he and his organization failed to pay $2.8 million in federal and state taxes . And then, there was the issue he's most known for. TAWANA BRAWLEY (from file footage): My name is Tawana Brawley. I'm not a liar, and I'm not crazy. STAHL: It was 1987. Tawana Brawley was a 15-year-old who claimed she was raped by six white men in law enforcement, and Al Sharpton took up her cause. But there was no forensic evidence of any sexual attack, and there was evidence Tawana made up the whole story. The case, labeled a hoax, was dismissed, and Sharpton was forced to pay $65,000 to those he had named. But in all this time, he has never voiced any regret . STAHL (on-camera): You have gone back and looked at things with such a clear eye. You've apologized. You've asked for forgiveness, except on Tawana Brawley. I don't get it! SHARPTON: I'll be honest with you. I have thought about that a million times. I just don't believe they treated that case fair. STAHL: If I knew that I had, in any way, contributed to falsely accusing someone, I think I would feel an obligation to say, I'm sorry. SHARPTON: I think you're right. I think the operative word is, 'If you knew that.' I don't know that. STAHL: If they didn't do it- SHARPTON: But if- but suppose they did- STAHL: But you're talking- you're taking- SHARPTON: Suppose they did- STAHL: But they didn't. They didn't. You still think they might have done it, is what you're saying . SHARPTON: But I can't say- I still say that there is area there that makes me believe something happened. BARRETT: He's not going to apologize because, to him, this is playing to that core constituency, however small it is of his- that white America wants him to apologize, and he is not going to apologize. If you add up Brawley, federal tax liens- you put all these things together, would anybody else be able to transcend that and be this larger-than-life figure? STAHL: He has! BARRETT: Only because we let him. Just before ending the segment, Stahl returned to giving Sharpton a more positive spin: STAHL (voice-over): He still gets questions about how he makes his money- while he earns over a million dollars a year at his radio show, plus paid speeches, and he's paid of the $2.8 million he owes in back taxes . But he says his big personal transformation moment came the day he picked up the phone and spoke to his father for the first time in 45 years. STAHL (on-camera): Why did you call him? SHARPTON: I had a chip on my shoulder, I guess. Why did he leave me behind? And, you know, I went through school and graduations and all, and he wasn't there and I resented it. But I didn't realize how much I resented it until I reached out and realized that all of that, I was carrying in me. STAHL (voice-over): He told us that he used to think about getting in the newspapers. Now, older, more comfortable with himself, he's thinking about history . SHARPTON: And history is not made by guys than can just make the headline the next day. History is made by people that can help make change happen. STAHL (on-camera): And stay in the game . SHARPTON: And change the game- not just stay in the game, change the game. I've been everything good that my friends say, and mostly everything bad my enemies say. But right now, I think I'm on the right time to help make a difference.
Continue reading …Counter-terror stop and search powers target ethnic minorities, figures show
May 23, 2011 No Comment
People from ethnic minorities are 42 times more likely than white people to be stopped under schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act People from ethnic minorities are up to 42 times more likely than white people to be the target of a counter-terrorism power which allows the stopping and searching of the innocent yet grants them less rights than suspected criminals, official figures seen by the Guardian show. The power is contained in schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000, which allows police to stop people at ports and airports for up to nine hours without the need for reasonable suspicion that they are involved in any crime. The figures have led to accusations that police have resorted to “ethnic profiling”, which they deny. British Muslims have given written statements to the Guardian alleging that the police and the security service MI5 are abusing the power by holding people and pressing them into becoming spies. Those stopped have no right to maintain their silence, and failure to answer questions can be a criminal offence. Questioning can begin without a lawyer present and those stopped must pay for one themselves if they want legal representation. The authorities fear the random nature of schedule 7 means a legal challenge could see the power struck down for being arbitrary, a counter-terrorism official said. This is what eventually happened to the part of the act that allowed stop and search in the street without any suspicion, which was ruled unlawful by human rights judges . The uncovering of official figures by the Guardian is the first time an ethnic breakdown of who is stopped under schedule 7 has been made public. The calculation that 42 times as many Asians are stopped as white people is based on comparing the percentage of Asians in the UK population to the percentage of those stopped under schedule 7. Ethnic breakdowns for those entering and exiting the UK are not available. The disproportionality faced by ethnic minorities is at its most pronounced where a person is stopped and questioned for over an hour. White people make up 19% of stops, Asian people 41%, black people 10% and others (including Middle Eastern and Chinese) 30%. Asians make up 5% of the UK population, black people 3% and others 1%. White people make up 91% of the population. Where people are stopped and held for under an hour, the breakdown is: white people, 45% of stops; Asian people, 25%; black people, 8%; other ethnicities, 22%. One of those stopped, Asif Ahmed, 28, said he was asked to spy after landing at Edinburgh airport. He said he was separated from his wife and taken to a room and told he must answer questions about his beliefs and faith. “They asked if I would like to work with special branch, to keep an eye on the Muslim community in Edinburgh. They asked me three times. They said do it covertly.” Despite official claims that profiling on the basis of ethnicity is banned by the police, the official figures give strength to the argument that people are having their human rights infringed on the basis of what they look like and which god they pray to. Those stopped can also have their DNA taken and stored. Ben Bowling, professor of criminology at King’s College London, said the data undermines claims ethnic profiling is not being used. “They lend weight to the view that ethnic profiling is going on,” he said. “The use of these powers at the border should be based on reasonable grounds and in ways that are properly transparent and accountable. At present they are opaque and unaccountable and seem little more than arbitrary and discriminatory, especially from the point of view of the person detained without reason.” One person subjected to a schedule 7 stop has provided a written statement alleging an MI5 officer tried to recruit him as a spy. When he refused, he says he was threatened with torture abroad. Another, Alam Sheikh, 29, was stopped under the counter-terrorism power in January at Gatwick airport after a short holiday with friends in Morocco. He was baffled when asked by police if he was involved in the Arab uprisings: “They asked do you know anyone who is part of the protests? “One of my friends is a trainee lawyer. Even he was shaking. It wasn’t fair. Most of us were smartly dressed. It wasn’t like we were wearing Arab clothing or beards.” An exact figure on the disproportionate use of schedule 7 is difficult to arrive at because no figures are kept on the ethnicity of people entering and leaving the UK. Police forces have claimed releasing an ethnic breakdown of figures force by force could damage national security, and thus have previously refused to release them when requests were made under freedom of information legislation. The figures published on Tuesday were released following a freedom of information request from the Federation of Student Islamic Societies . In 2009 the National Policing Improvement Agency issued guidelines to officers about the use of the power, warning against ethnic profiling. “Examining officers must take particular care to ensure that the selection of people for examination is not based solely on their perceived ethnic background or religion,” the agency said. “The powers must be exercised in a manner that does not discriminate … to do so would be unlawful.” The guidelines make clear that ethnic profiling would damage the police: “Officers should be aware that the way in which people are selected has a potentially far-reaching effect on the public and their acceptance of counter-terrorism powers. “Misuse of the powers can damage the relationship between the police and sections of the public.” But even some serving officers say the official selection criteria given to police makes it more likely officers will seek out those linked to Muslim communities. The guidelines talk of basing selection on “any information on the origins and location of terrorist groups” and “possible current, emerging and future terrorist activity”. Zaheer Ahmad, president of the National Association of Muslim Police said: “We are concerned about the disproportionality reflected in the number of people stopped from ethnic backgrounds – we have seen no acceptable reason as to why this is taking place. The police service must take an intelligence-based approach to minimise the impact of this power on the travelling public.” In 2009-10, 85,557 people were stopped and examined at UK borders under the schedule 7 powers. The government said: “A very low percentage of 220 million passengers travelling through UK ports were stopped, with only 0.03% of those travelling being examined.” John Donlon, the Association of Chief Police Officers’ national co-ordinator for ports policing, said: “Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000 is important legislation in support of national security work at ports. “The examining officers’ code of practice enforces that the examination of a person cannot be based solely on perceived ethnicity or religion. Activity is intelligence-led and officers deployed at ports do not single out particular ethnic groups for examination.” Police Race issues UK security and terrorism Vikram Dodd guardian.co.uk
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