Extreme Weather.
Now in its third year, the current drought has many Georgians wondering if the state will ever returnto normal weather. But state climatologist David Stooksbury saysthe drought is part of a historically more normal climate pattern.Stooksbury, who is also a professor of engineering in the Universityof Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences,doesn’t see drought as strange or even unusual. But that doesn’tmean the state will be a desert anytime soon.”The state has now returned to a more normal climate pattern,with greater year-to-year variability,” Stooksbury said.Drought is part of the overall history of the Southeast, he said.The history also contains long periods of wetter weather.”We will have more years that are extremely wet and moreyears that are extremely dry, which is historically the more common pattern,” he said.Unusually Mild WeatherFarmers and others looking back now recall extended times of wet,mild weather in the 1960s and ’70s. That weather makes the currentdrought seem that much more unusual. But those days weren’t the”normal” that people think they were.”If you look back at droughts, the ’60s and ’70s were theabnormal years,” Stooksbury said. “They had very littlevariation.”In the ’60s, central Georgia had only one month of drought. Andthroughout the ’70s, the same area had only 13 months of moderate,extreme or severe drought.Drought Still Grips StateThough rains brought relief to parts of the parched state in September,Georgia remains under drought conditions. As of Oct. 27, the soilmoisture in 80 percent of the state was short to very short.State water restrictions remain in effect.The severity of the drought varies from region to region, Stooksburysaid. Georgia is the largest state east of the Mississippi River,and the state has a diverse landscape. This allows for variationsin the drought’s severity. The state’s northwestern corner isin mild drought, the west central area in severe drought and thesouth central part near normal for this time of year.A drought doesn’t start during summer. It’s what happens the winter before that marks the severity of a drought.”Wetter” Winter ExpectedWinter rains usually replenish the state’s soil moisture and thegroundwater supplies lost during the year. However, the past twowinters haven’t brought the needed rain.With the dissipation of the Nino family — for now — Stooksburysaid the state will probably return to near-normal rainfall thiswinter.”The global ocean temperature pattern is close to neutral,which means we don’t have the more robust, forcing pattern forthe weather,” he said. The state is less likely to have thewet winter of El Nino, but it’s also less likely to have the drywinter of La Nina.”We don’t have a well-defined guide for this winter,”Stooksbury said. “But we’ll tend toward a more normal winter.”He said another El Nino event is possible for the 2001-2002 winter.It would still take several months of above normal rainfall topull out of the drought, he said. Even normal rainfall throughwinter will not solve the problem.Going into the next growing season, Stooksbury believes the statewill have adequate soil moisture to germinate seeds. But groundwaterand deep-soil moisture levels will remain low.”We should have enough moisture in the top soils to get thecrops up,” Stooksbury said. “But there won’t be muchof a cushion for next year.”
By Julieta Pelcastre/Diálogo December 12, 2016 Major General Pilot Luis Napoleón Payán Díaz, commander general of the Dominican Republic Air Force (FARD, per its Spanish acronym), met with U.S. Marine Corps Brigadier General Paul J. Rock Jr., U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) director of Strategy, Policy and Plans (J-5), to boost cooperation in the fight against transnational organized crime networks. During his November 11th visit, Brig. Gen. Rock Jr. “familiarized himself with the needs of the Dominican Air Force, focusing on the operations that the military institution has carried out throughout the years in counter-narcotics operations,” FARD Colonel Pilot Regner G. Evins Feliz, aide to Commander General Payán Díaz, told Diálogo. The meeting was held at the Joint Operations Center of the Ministry of Defense in Santo Domingo. The senior military commanders discussed the importance of enhancing the training Dominican pilots receive in the use of night-vision goggles to strengthen nighttime activities against international drug trafficking, illegal migration, and arms smuggling. “The objective is to increase training opportunities for rotary-wing aircraft pilots— whether that is with specialists from the U.S. Army, Air Force, or other regional partners, such as Colombia,” Col. Evins said. “Night-vision technology and instruction is of the utmost importance for the Dominican Air Force, to provide support for the Navy or the National Drug Control Directorate (DNCD, per its Spanish acronym) in the fight against drug trafficking, by moving land units during both day and by night,” Col. Evins said. The officers also discussed SOUTHCOM’s Military Assistance Program. The FARD expressed their need to improve maintenance and resource management to increase the operational readiness rate of the Dominican Republic Air Force helicopter fleet. “The performance of the FARD is reduced if they do not have aircraft ready to engage in the flight time required for strong results,” Daniel Pou, associate director of Latin American Social Sciences Institute in the Dominican Republic told Diálogo. The Caribbean country is considered an important transit point for illicit drugs originating in South America. The United States Government, in its 2015 International Narcotics Control Strategy report, estimated that approximately six percent of all cocaine brought into the United States and Europe moves through the Dominican Republic. “Since 2008, the Dominican Air Force has impacted deterrence and managed to achieve a reduction in illicit air flights to zero,” Col. Evins said. “The main mission of the Dominican Air Force is to give support to the Dominican Republic’s Navy. Almost 100 percent of the leaders of criminal drug-smuggling organizations have moved to the sea. There are no borders for these organizations.” To strengthen security in the Caribbean country and throughout the region, the FARD is also working jointly with squadrons from other countries through the development of joint interdictions and trainings. These efforts at joint collaboration on regional security between the Dominican Armed Forces, the DNCD and SOUTHCOM are demonstrated through various programs such as the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative. The United States cooperates with the Dominican Armed Forces and the DNCD in several areas by providing support, intelligence, training, and specialized equipment. “Cooperation between the Dominican Republic and the United States in terms of the military is pertinent, especially regarding the area of aeronautics, so the FARD can play a support role in terms of law enforcement,” said Pou “Cooperation is increasingly important because the Dominican Republic is a bridge for all this ill [drug trafficking], which has an impact on society. The main way to have greater effectiveness in combating international drug smuggling is to continue combining efforts, exchanging information, training together, and giving each other support,” said Col. Evins. At the conclusion of the meeting, the Dominican authorities highlighted the commitment of their government and Armed Forces to increase cooperation. “We are committed and we are going to make our best effort so that, by working together, we have the best results in the fight against drug trafficking and other transnational crimes,” concluded Col. Evins.
A group of prominent figures has officially formed the Save Indonesia Coalition (KAMI) to ensure that Indonesia does not deviate from its founding principles.Former Muhammadiyah chairman and KAMI cofounder Din Syamsuddin said the coalition was a moral movement representing the voice of the Indonesian people to uphold truth and social justice.“As a moral movement, everything we do is based on moral values and justice […] to uphold honesty and public welfare,” Din said during the announcement of KAMI’s formation on Tuesday as quoted by kompas.com. 1. State administrators must enforce the state administration and management to be in accordance with the spirit and values of the 1945 Constitution and state ideology Pancasila.2. The government must seriously tackle the COVID-19 pandemic by allocating adequate budgets and directly help the poor who are economically affected.3. The government must overcome the economic recession for the interest of small businesses and domestic and informal workers, rather than large and foreign entrepreneurs.4. The government must stop chaotic and discriminatory law enforcement, eradicate “law mafias”, stop the criminalization of political opponents, arrest and severely punish looters of state assets.5. State administrators must stop practices of corruption, collusion and nepotism (KKN) as well as the system and practices of oligarchy, kleptocracy, political dynasty and power abuse.6. State administrators must not give opportunities for the rise of communism and other anti-Pancasila ideologies, including separatism; must stop the stigmatization of religious groups with issues of intolerance, radicalism and extremism that divide the society. The government should not bow to certain countries to enforce economic and foreign policies.7. The government must seriously and thoroughly investigate the constitutional route to change Pancasila and prevent similar efforts in the future.8. The president must act in accordance with his oath and promises, and state institutions must carry out their constitutional functions and authorities to save the country and its people. (syk)Topics : A total of 150 national figures are part of the coalition so far, including Islam Defenders Front (FPI) chairman Sobri Lubis, Nahdlatul Ulama executive Rochmad Wahab, former Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Gen. (ret.) Gatot Nurmantyo, Forestry Minister MS Ka’ban, former National Movement to Safeguard Fatwas (GNPF) chairman Bachtiar Nasir, former State-owned Enterprises Ministry (BUMN) secretary Muhammad Said Didu, law expert Refly Harun and government critic Rocky Gerung.“This moral movement is not devoid of politics. Yes, we also do politics — moral politics that is based on moral values. So, let’s join in,” Din said.Read also: 150 prominent national figures form coalition to ‘save Indonesia’The coalition also conveyed eight of its demands to the government:
SAN JOSE, Antique – There isn’t a patient under investigation (PUI) in WesternVisayas yet who has claimed for the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation’s(PHIC) new health insurance package. PHIC regional director Valerie Anne Hollero announced that PhilHealth’sCircular No. 2020-0004, which took effect on Jan. 30, provides a new healthinsurance package for the PUIs. It was crafted after the World HealthOrganization declared the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as a publichealth emergency. Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PHIC) regional director Valerie Anne Hollero (2nd from left) makes a courtesy call to Antique Governor Rhodora Cadiao on March 3. Hollero said that no patient under investigation in Western Visayas has yet to claim the new health insurance package provided by the PHIC. PHILHEALTH REGION VI The two Antiqueños, – both seafarers – who tested negative of COVID-19could still claim the said package. Holero also said that she plans to hold a regular quarterly meetingwith the stakeholders of this province so that they could bring up to her thePHIC claims and other health-related concerns. Hollero added that since the said health insurance package is new, itmust be a reason why no PUI in Western Visayas has yet to make claim of it.
“The PUIs could claim the benefits package even if their laboratoryresults turned out to be negative,” she added. Of the P14,000 benefit package, the 30 percent of it will be for theprofessional fee of the attending physician and the remaining 70 percent willbe for the laboratory examination, medical supplies and the room where the PUIwas admitted. “We will regularly have a meeting with the healthcare providers so thatthere would be smooth sailing relations,” she said. (PNA) “There is a new benefits package for the PUIs in the amount ofPHP14,000,” she said.
West VisayasState University Medical Center (WVSU-MC) has been designated as dedicatednon-COVID facility for service patients. In relatedstory, WVMC is now ready to accept specimens for COVID-19 testing. The Department of Health has designated Western Visayas Medical Center in Iloilo City as the health facility dedicated to coronavirus disease cases. IAN PAUL CORDERO/PN WVMC willallocate 450 beds for confirmed COVID-19 cases, said Dr. Jane Juanico, DOH-6focal person on COVID-19. Aside fromconfirmed cases, WVMC will also accommodate persons under investigation (PUI)with severe signs and symptoms, PUI with mild signs and symptoms, elderly (withor without co-morbidities), non-elderly (with uncontrolled co-morbidities), andsevere acute respiratory infection (SARI) patients from Region 6. Protocols foradmission have been agreed, too, to efficiently manage the medical personneland resources of Iloilo City, said Juanico. WVSU-MC, amongothers, will allocate a total of 212 beds for non-COVID-19 cases from WVMC. ILOILO City –Western Visayas Medical Center (WVMC) in Mandurriao district has beendesignated as dedicated facility for confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in Region 6. WVMC shallfirst transfer the first 200 non-COVID-19 cases to WVSU-MC to accommodate theall confirmed COVID-19 cases and those PUI and SARI cases that they shouldcater. * allocate anadditional 10 percent (as part of their corporate social responsibility or CSR)of their authorized bed capacities for charity or service ward patients, inaddition to the 10 percent required by law; For its part,DOH-6 shall compensate the cost incurred by the hospitals for the 10 percent oftheir CSR; and form a committee to monitor and control the use of equipment andmedical supplies coming from private hospitals, institutions and privateindividuals that could augment the equipment and supply needs of the governmenthospitals especially the WVMC, Sanitarium and WVSU-MC, among others. But it mayalso be designated as a COVID hospital in case of an overflow of COVID-19 casesat the WVMC, said Juanico. * accommodatenon-COVID-19 patients referred by WVMC which cannot be admitted by WVSU-MC The WesternVisayas Sanitarium in Santa Barbara, Iloilo has been identified as dedicatedfacility for all PUIs (with mild signs and symptoms) and non-elderly withcontrolled co-morbidities. It willgradually free-up its patient bed capacities to reach the 450-bed capacity forCOVID-19 cases. “Before ginapadala naton sa Manila orCebu, subong diri na sya available,”said DOH regional director Dr. Marlyn Convocar. * ifclassified a Level 2 Tertiary Hospital, shall accommodate excess non-COVID-19patients if the Level 3 Tertiary Hospitals’ 20 percent authorized bedcapacities have been saturated A memorandumof agreement (MOA) for this was inked by the Department of Health (DOH) Region6, government and private hospitals here. Meanwhile,private hospitals (such as Saint Paul’s Hospital Iloilo, Iloilo MissionHospital, Iloilo Doctors’ Hospital, Qualimed, Amosup Seamen’s Hospital, TheMedical City, Medicus Medical Center, and Metro Iloilo Hospital and MedicalCenter), subject to their respective policies on service case studies, agreedon the following: She also saidWestern Visayas “is assured of 5,000 COVID-19 test kits from the DOH centraloffice./PN * ifclassified a Level 3 Tertiary Hospital, shall be the first to absorb thepatients of WVSU-MC coming from WVMC; and
He added that the result of the swabstaken from the said PUI and then eventually sent to the Western Visayas MedicalCenter in Mandurriao, Iloilo City is expected to arrive anytime within the day. “We want to be very sure that ourprovince will remain COVID-19 free,” he said. Meanwhile, the AMC already stopped admittingpatients since March 28 after some of its nurses and health workers were placedunder quarantine following the death of the PUI.(With a report from PNA/PN) IPHO chief Dr. Ric Noel Naciongayo. PNA SAN JOSE, Antique – The AntiqueIntegrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) is currently doing contact tracingfollowing the death of a person under investigation (PUI) at the AntiqueMedical Center (AMC) here.
IPHO chief Dr. Ric Noel Naciongayo saidthat the Antique Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19) immediately initiated the contact tracing on the family members,health workers and those who were exposed to the patient, who died on March 27. According to Naciongayo, the IATF forCOVID-19 is also proposing to Gov. Rhodora Cadiao to extend the enhancedcommunity quarantine in the province, which will supposedly end on March 31. “We have to conduct contract tracing sothat we could monitor their health conditions as well as put them on quarantineas we wait for the laboratory result to arrive,” Naciongayo said on March 30.
BEIJING – The United States government’s order to China to shut its consulate in Houston is an attempt to blame Beijing for U.S. failures ahead of the November presidential election, Chinese state media said in editorials on Thursday. The United States said on Wednesday it had given China 72 hours to close the consulate “to protect American intellectual property and Americans’ private information”, prompting Chinese threats of retaliation. China’s national flag is seen waving at the China Consulate General in Houston, Texas. FILE PHOTO/REUTERS
The decision marked a dramatic escalation of tension between the world’s two biggest economies amid fresh accusations of Chinese espionage in the United States and calls by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for a new global coalition against Beijing. (Reuters)
Wes Brown marked his return from injury with a goal as Sunderland defeated Tottenham 3-1 to reach Saturday’s Barclays Asia Trophy final in Hong Kong. There was no Gareth Bale, linked with a move to Real Madrid by reports in Spain, in the Spurs side because of injury, while Black Cats boss Paolo Di Canio included summer signings Vito Mannone, Cabral, Emanuele Giaccherini and Jozy Altidore. Conditions remained difficult, but the Londoners took the lead with 28 minutes gone when full-back Kyle Walker broke down the right and squared for Sigurdsson, whose snapshot was unwittingly deflected past keeper Mannone by John O’Shea. Sunderland levelled within six minutes when Altidore capitalised on Tom Huddlestone’s error to play in midfielder Cabral, who finished adeptly. Altidore passed up a golden opportunity to open his account two minutes after the restart and after half-time substitute Jan Vertonghen had departed on a stretcher following an awkward landing, Mannone saved well from Emmanuel Adebayor. The Italian produced a fine stop to deny replacement Jermain Defoe on the hour, but Brown headed the Black Cats in front from replacement Karlsson’s 64th-minute corner. Altidore might have made sure nine minutes from time but was denied by Brad Friedel, but the keeper could do nothing to prevent Karlsson from making it 3-1 in the final minute. Press Association
The 33-year-old, who last played in pre-season a year ago, headed home David Moberg Karlsson’s 64th-minute corner after new boy Cabral had cancelled out Gylfi Sigurdsson’s opener, before Karlsson himself made sure with a third at the death. Kick-off at the Hong Kong Stadium was delayed for half an hour by torrential rain which left surface water on the pitch, and the decision was taken to restrict the match to two 40-minute halves when it did eventually get under way. 
A panel titled “Welcome to Gay Town” explored the idea of the gay community as an ethnic and cultural idea Wednesday night and featured panelists such as West Hollywood Mayor John Heilman.Gay pride · Major Pro Tempore John Duran (middle), spoke about the formation of a gay community and its role in society Wednesday. – Rachel Bracker | Daily Trojan Heilman, who has served on the city council since the city’s incorporation in 1984, and West Hollywood Major Pro Tempore John Duran said having a centralized gay community has affected the gay rights’ movement and the integration of LGBT individuals.“It wasn’t a conscious effort to develop into a gay community. It was an organic development that took place as people felt comfortable within the community,” Heilman said. “It was a lot of like-minded people coming together because they were attracted for different reasons.”The campaign to establish an independent City of West Hollywood was been spearheaded by a coalition of LGBT activists. Its first city council had three openly gay members, making it the first city in the county to have an openly gay majority governing body.The panel also included senior policy counsel for the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center Sky Johnson, Southern California program manager for the Gay-Straight Alliance Network Daniel E. Solis and associate professor of clinical education at the USC Rossier School of Education Mary Andres.Solis, who works mostly with middle and high school gay-straight alliance groups said that, although the gay community has made many strides, there are still problems.“You’re okay now: you have characters on Glee and Ellen is the new Oprah. That’s not true, there are parts of L.A. that are not safe … and you have to recognize that,” Solis said. “A lot of schools don’t know what to do about transgendered students in terms of bathrooms, P.E. and other things. … That’s something that we as a community need to attend to and something we need to advocate for.”The panel also discussed the HIV and AIDS epidemic affecting the community.“HIV and AIDS in many ways pushed the community together. The first time we all got together, we met in West Hollywood in Plumber Park. We were setting up chairs row by row and a group of lesbians came in and said, ‘No, set them up in a circle so that everyone has an equal say,’ … so we spent an hour arguing about how to arrange the chairs,” Duran said. “We had to redefine the way we treated gender in order to work together.”At the end of the panel, Johnson asked audience members how they felt about the use of the word “gay” as a pejorative.Tiara Raffine, a graduate student studying social work, said she was strongly opposed because it implicitly condones a negative view of gays.“The biggest issue that comes up is I’m sitting in a classroom and people are making fun of me and the teacher will do nothing. That makes me feel bad about myself as a person,” Raffine said. “It’s very problematic that we perpetuate that idea. Maybe it’s OK for adults who are more sure about who they are, more secure, but for the younger generation it’s very difficult.”The event was hosted by the Office of Campus Activities and the LGBT Resource Center. It was moderated by Queer and Ally Student Assembly Executive Director Emily Allen and the Lambda LGBT Alumni Association Events Co-Chair Genevieve Flores, who graduated in the spring.
Scott Shafer has made the final addition to his coaching staff, hiring Fred Reed as defensive backs coach, SU Athletics announced in a press release Monday.Reed replaces Donnie Henderson, who left with former head coach Doug Marrone to the Buffalo Bills after just one year as defensive backs coach at Syracuse.Reed brings 12 years of experience coaching defensive backs to the Orange, most recently as the cornerbacks and punt return coach at Ohio, where he spent three seasons. Prior to joining the Bobcats, Reed spent two seasons working with defensive backs at Buffalo, including one as the defensive coordinator. At both stops, Reed helped guide his team to conference championships.Reed also spent two season in the NFL as a defensive assistant for the Detroit Lions.“Fred has had great success at each of his coaching stops, including winning championships at Buffalo and Ohio,” Shafer said in the press release. “He brings a great resume to our program as a coach and as a recruiter in the areas we need to win. He has a great command in the secondary room and great ties in the hotbeds of recruiting.”AdvertisementThis is placeholder textReed inherits an experienced group of defensive backs—strong safety Shamarko Thomas is the only starter Syracuse loses in its secondary. Wayne Morgan, Brandon Reddish, Keon Lyn and Ri’shard Anderson figure to make up the group of cornerbacks.The safeties are a bit more of a question mark with Thomas’ departure, but free safety Jeremi Wilkes and strong safeties Durell Eskridge and Ritchy Desir give the Orange some experience there, as well.Reed will be immediately tested upon his arrival in the Atlantic Coast Conference. SU opens up conference play Oct. 5 in the Carrier Dome against Clemson’s high-powered aerial attack led by star wide receiver Sammy Watkins and quarterback Tajh Boyd.“I am appreciative of the opportunity Coach Shafer has given me to be a part of this staff during this exciting time for Syracuse Football,” Reed said in the press release. “I look forward to the challenge of competing in the ACC and helping the young men in the defensive secondary to reach their potential as an athlete and a student.” Comments Published on March 11, 2013 at 2:57 pm Contact David: dbwilson@syr.edu | @DBWilson2 Facebook Twitter Google+