Camp

Encampment sweeps in Edmonton are yet another example of settler colonialism

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, February 8, 2024

It feels like housing is at a tipping point in the city of Edmonton. There have been four main events highlighting the situation: These events should be understood within ongoing settler colonialism and a housing crisis endemic in Canada’s broader housing system.Housing in Canada The state of housing both in Canada and globally is worsening, but the housing crisis is not new.

Key Points: 


It feels like housing is at a tipping point in the city of Edmonton. There have been four main events highlighting the situation:
These events should be understood within ongoing settler colonialism and a housing crisis endemic in Canada’s broader housing system.

Housing in Canada

  • The state of housing both in Canada and globally is worsening, but the housing crisis is not new.
  • Read more:
    Two-thirds of Canadian and American renters are in unaffordable housing situations

    While affordable housing policies in Canada emerged following the Second World War, colonialism is foundational to housing policy, evidenced by the high rates of housing vulnerability that Indigenous Peoples face.

Encampment sweeps violate human rights

  • This isn’t happening, apparently, when it comes to encampments, which are both a site of human rights violations and of human rights claims.
  • The coalition argued human rights were violated during encampment sweeps.
  • Domicide is applicable to the encampment sweeps in Edmonton, the historical domicide that enabled the settlement of Edmonton in the first place, and the laws that governed the unsuccessful lawsuit launched by the Coalition for Justice and Human Rights.

Coming together in colonialism

  • When authorities make reference to “public safety” concerns about encampment, unhoused people are positioned as dangerous.
  • The destruction of those encampments simply drives people who are unhoused further to the margins.
  • But punitive approaches like encampment sweeps perpetuate settler colonialism and prioritize the perceptions and preferences of the ruling class.


Katie MacDonald receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

Keller Rohrback L.L.P.: Portland Jury Awards $85M Judgment to 9 Victims of Labor Day 2020 Fires in First PacifiCorp Damage Phase Trials

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, January 24, 2024

A jury in Portland, Oregon awarded approximately $84 million in compensation from PacifiCorp to nine survivors of the fires that swept across Oregon on Labor Day 2020.

Key Points: 
  • A jury in Portland, Oregon awarded approximately $84 million in compensation from PacifiCorp to nine survivors of the fires that swept across Oregon on Labor Day 2020.
  • Through three days of testimony, the victims of the Labor Day Fire recounted the horrific stories of fleeing the fires and the losses they suffered.
  • “We are committed to getting as much compensation as possible for Labor Day fire survivors as expeditiously as possible.
  • We thank the jury for holding PacifiCorp accountable,” said Cody Berne , lead trial attorney for Stoll Berne in the case.

Camp Management Software Market size to USD 41.79 million growth between 2022 - 2027| Market driven by Rise in participation in camps- Technavio

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, December 14, 2023

The potential growth difference for the camp management software market between 2022 and 2027 is USD 41.79 million, accelerating at a CAGR of 3.9%.

Key Points: 
  • The potential growth difference for the camp management software market between 2022 and 2027 is USD 41.79 million, accelerating at a CAGR of 3.9%.
  • The rise in camp participation is boosting the expansion of the camp management software market.
  • Request Sample Report
    The presence of open-source camp management software presents a significant challenge in the camp management software market.
  • Risk Management Software Market: The risk management software market size is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 15.32% between 2022 and 2027.

Despite one of the US military's greatest fiascoes, American troops are still in Somalia fighting an endless war

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, October 4, 2023

Nearly 30 years after the infamous Battle of Mogadishu, the U.S. military is still conducting operations in Somalia.

Key Points: 
  • Nearly 30 years after the infamous Battle of Mogadishu, the U.S. military is still conducting operations in Somalia.
  • Some of their bodies were dragged along city streets by Somali militants.
  • There have been at least 282 U.S. counterterrorism operations in Somalia, including drone strikes and other aerial bombardments.
  • In May 2022, Biden also agreed to send about 500 U.S. troops to Somalia.
  • But the question remains: Why are U.S. forces still intervening in Somalia?

The cost of US involvement in Somalia

    • Between 2007 and 2020, the U.S. spent at least US$2.5 billion on counterterrorism operations in Somalia, according to Costs of War, a 2023 Brown University study.
    • This amount was largely spent by the U.S. Department of State and does not include the unknown expenditures of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency and U.S. Defense Department.
    • For comparison, between 2001 and 2022 the U.S. spent approximately $2.3 trillion, or nearly 1,000 times more, on “counterterrorism” wars in Afghanistan.
    • The U.S. spends time and money training the Somali National Army, assisting in surveillance and drone strike operations.
    • Many of their activities are not publicly traceable.

Understanding the crisis in Somalia

    • Located in East Africa on the coast of the Indian Ocean, Somalia is one of the poorest countries in the world.
    • Decades of civil war coupled with extreme droughts have caused the roughly 17 million people to exist in dire living conditions.
    • The group comprised about a dozen local Islamic courts in southern Somalia that solved social disputes, reopened schools and ended roadblocks erected by violent warlords.

The US global war on terrorism

    • When the CIA’s effort failed to topple the group, the U.S. government then backed an Ethiopian military invasion of Somalia in late 2006.
    • In my view, this U.S.-supported Ethiopian invasion was largely responsible for creating the conditions of political uncertainty and violence that prevail today.
    • Al-Shabaab portrayed the U.S.-backed Ethiopian invasion in religious and nationalist terms and painted the U.S. and Ethiopia as Christian invaders of a Muslim country.
    • After two years of war, Ethiopia withdrew its troops, claiming their mission to rid the extremist threat was accomplished.

Time for a US reckoning on Somalia?

    • On Sept. 6, 2023, for instance, the U.S. military reportedly provided “remote assistance” to an aerial strike operation conducted by the Somali government that killed five civilians.
    • The U.S. role in Somalia does not absolve al-Shabaab of its crimes, as the militant group continues to recruit from socially and economically disenfranchised communities in Somalia.
    • Among those crimes are bombings of civilian targets throughout Africa and the Middle East, resulting in hundreds of deaths.
    • But in my view, a demand for reparations from the Somali government before an international tribunal may force a U.S. reckoning on its global war against terrorism that nevertheless still rages on in Somalia.

High Camp Flasks Unveils Elegant Solution for Wine Enthusiasts

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, September 27, 2023

San Rafael, CA, Sept. 27, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- High Camp Flasks today introduced the newest member of their trendsetting magnetic flask family, the Parkside Flask™ 750 & 375 .

Key Points: 
  • San Rafael, CA, Sept. 27, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- High Camp Flasks today introduced the newest member of their trendsetting magnetic flask family, the Parkside Flask™ 750 & 375 .
  • The The Parkside Flask™ was created with wine enthusiasts in mind and instantly transforms any bottle into the perfect date night or picnic for two.
  • High Camp’s Patented Magnetic Locking System allows you to seamlessly attach the 2 (included) stemless wine tumblers to your flask and go.
  • “Protecting the integrity and taste of our favorite beverages is central to our mission at High Camp Flasks.”, adds co-founder Whit Gautreaux.

Zatolmilast, an Investigational Treatment for Fragile X Syndrome, Receives Rare Pediatric Disease Designation from the U.S. FDA

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, September 27, 2023

FDA grants Rare Pediatric Disease Designation (RPD) for serious and life-threatening diseases that primarily affect children ages 18 years or younger and fewer than 200,000 people in the United States.

Key Points: 
  • FDA grants Rare Pediatric Disease Designation (RPD) for serious and life-threatening diseases that primarily affect children ages 18 years or younger and fewer than 200,000 people in the United States.
  • The RPD designation allows Tetra to request a priority review voucher from FDA which, if granted, may be used for a subsequent human drug application.
  • Zatolmilast was also awarded Orphan Drug Designation by the FDA in 2018.
  • “We are committed to advancing a potential medicine for people with Fragile X syndrome, a rare genetic disorder which affects all aspects of life for individuals and families.

Triple-I: California’s Insurers Still Feel Impact of 2017-2018 Wildfires

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, September 21, 2023

A 108.1 ratio means California’s insurers paid out $1.08 in claims and expenses for every dollar collected in premiums within that timeframe (2013-2022).

Key Points: 
  • A 108.1 ratio means California’s insurers paid out $1.08 in claims and expenses for every dollar collected in premiums within that timeframe (2013-2022).
  • The combined ratio for California’s homeowners insurers stood at 241.9 in 2017 and 213.4 in 2018, the Triple-I Issues Brief notes, citing AM Best data.
  • The policyholder surplus is the amount of money remaining after an insurer’s liabilities are subtracted from its assets.
  • “This is a large and potentially profitable market in which insurers want to do business,” the Triple-I Issues Brief adds.

2023 OC Auto Show Takes Over Anaheim Convention Center October 5-8

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, September 20, 2023

The OC Auto Show and SoCal Electrified Ride Experience will take over the Anaheim Convention Center with hundreds of new cars, trucks, crossovers, SUVs, electric vehicles (EVs), exotics, indoor EV rides, and more.

Key Points: 
  • The OC Auto Show and SoCal Electrified Ride Experience will take over the Anaheim Convention Center with hundreds of new cars, trucks, crossovers, SUVs, electric vehicles (EVs), exotics, indoor EV rides, and more.
  • This is the place to check out the latest 2024-model vehicles in a non-selling environment, talk to product specialists, inspect engines, and even going for a spin.
  • Product specialists and automotive experts representing participating manufacturers will be at the show to answer questions and provide information to attendees.
  • The OC Auto Show is owned by the Orange County Automobile Dealers Association and produced by Steve Freeman Events.

Mironid extends Series A round raising £35 million to date for development of first-in-class small molecules to treat life-threatening hereditary kidney disease

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, September 13, 2023

The Company will use the proceeds to progress its lead discovery programme through IND-enabling studies and to extend its patent estate.

Key Points: 
  • The Company will use the proceeds to progress its lead discovery programme through IND-enabling studies and to extend its patent estate.
  • It affects over 12 million people worldwide, with 50% of patients developing kidney failure by the age of 60.
  • The disease is caused predominantly by mutations in the PKD1 or PKD2 gene and is characterized by uncontrolled growth of fluid-filled cysts in the kidney.
  • Robust in vitro and disease model data show significant efficacy across all disease endpoints, including a reduction in cyst number and kidney volume.

Camp David summit turns attention to North Korea, as well as China

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, August 22, 2023

It was the primary focus of last week’s trilateral summit held at Camp David between US President Joe Biden, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

Key Points: 
  • It was the primary focus of last week’s trilateral summit held at Camp David between US President Joe Biden, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
  • North Korea has increased the rate of its missile testing to record levels, with over 80 launches since the beginning of 2022.
  • Read more:
    Solidarity and symbolism the order of the day as US, Japan and South Korea leaders meet at Camp David

Eyes on North Korea

    • North Korea has also been accused of supplying weapons to Russia for its war in Ukraine, which the DPRK denies.
    • This in turn is designed to deter the deepening level of co-operation between autocratic China, Russia and North Korea.
    • North Korea has been under UN Security Council sanctions since 2006 for its unlawful nuclear weapons program and severe human rights abuses.
    • Read more:
      North Korea: fears of a new famine after three years of COVID isolation and harsh repression

      Even before the Camp David summit, the armed forces of the US, Japan and South Korea had been engaged in trilateral co-operation and military drills in response to North Korean missile launches.

Relations between Japan and South Korea thaw

    • All this was made possible by the recent thawing of the diplomatic deep freeze between Japan and South Korea.
    • The dramatic improvement in relations between Japan and South Korea were enabled by Moon’s successor, the conservative-aligned Yoon.
    • Ever since Japan and South Korea established diplomatic relations in 1965, the US has often been frustrated with the prickly relations between its two key allies in North-East Asia.
    • Yoon also faces the prospect of his People Power Party losing control of the South Korean parliament in elections next year.