Wednesday, September 25, 2024

News roundup, 25 Sept 2024

- An American Airlines flight from Dallas to Seoul earlier this month turned around over the Pacific and went all the way back to Dallas. Passengers say they were not given a clear explanation for the turnaround, nor for why the plane didn't just land somewhere on the west coast so that the next flight wouldn't be so long, though they surmised (probably accurately) that the airline would rather they just went home rather than stay in a hotel at the airline's expense.

- BC Conservative leader John Rustad apparently expressed regret for having taken COVID-19 vaccines. Not because of any side effects (you can be sure that if he experienced any we'd never hear the end of it) but because he thinks it's somehow about "shaping opinion and control on the population". When asked about this by the media at an announcement he was evasive.

- The possibility of a strike by 25,000 healthcare workers in Manitoba is looming; CUPE and MGEU say they will walk out on Oct 8 unless they get a satisfactory contract.

- Montana's electronic absentee ballot system was shut down for troubleshooting after it was discovered that Kamala Harris was not on the ballot. Of course Montana is about as red a state as they come, so it wouldn't affect the outcome of the presidential race even if it weren't fixed (they say it has been), but it might affect some downballot races in relatively sane places like Missoula. Some might wonder if that was the intent.

- The Pacific island nation of Tuvalu, with a mean elevation of only 2 metres above sea level and a maximum of 4.6 m, faces oblivion within decades. They are hoping, however, to retain their status as a sovereign state, and in particular the marine boundaries with associated resource rights.

- Despite fears of unintended consequences, more and more scientists are saying that it's necessary to take geoengineering seriously, not least because it's a virtual certainty that some will try it anyway and it's important to do some research on the possible consequences as well as efficacy of such measures.

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