WORLD NEWS FLASH
UNITED STATES
Twenty percent of women surveyed reported experiences of mistreatment during pregnancy and delivery care, according to a new CDC Vital Signs report. Mistreatment during maternity care was higher among Black (30%), Hispanic (29%), and multiracial (27%) women.
The Justice Department announced Sept. 7 that it has concluded an investigation into whether New Jersey subjected residents of two veterans’ homes to conditions that violate the 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution.
The department found reasonable cause to believe the residents of the New Jersey Veterans Memorial Homes at Menlo Park and Paramus face unreasonable harm and risk due to inadequate infection control practices and inadequate medical care, in violation of the U.S. Constitution. The New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs operates the homes, which provide long-term nursing care to veterans and their families.
“We owe the veterans who served our nation our deepest thanks, and those veterans and their family members who live in these facilities have the right to appropriate care,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
“Based on our investigation, we have found that these facilities have provided inadequate protection from infections and deficient medical care, which have caused these veterans and their families great harm. We look forward to working with the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs to improve the conditions in these homes they operate and ensure these veterans and their families receive the care they need and deserve.”
“Those who served to protect this nation and their families are entitled to appropriate care when they reside at a veterans’ home,” said U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey. “The Paramus and Menlo Park veterans’ homes fail to provide the care required by the U.S. Constitution and subject their residents to unacceptable conditions, including inadequate infection control and deficient medical care. These conditions must swiftly be addressed to ensure that our veterans and their families at these facilities receive the care they so richly deserve. We will not stop working until they do.”
The inadequate infection control practices and inadequate medical care at the homes are compounded by a lack of effective management and oversight. Such deficiencies expose residents to uncontrolled, serious and deadly infections and have resulted in the veterans’ homes suffering among the highest number of resident deaths of all similarly sized facilities in the region.
The investigation was conducted under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), which authorizes the Justice Department to act to address a pattern or practice of deprivation of constitutional rights of individuals confined to state or local government-run residential institutions.
As required by CRIPA, the department provided the state with written notice setting out the department’s conclusions and the supporting facts. The department also notified the state of the minimum remedial measures necessary to address the alleged violations.
The Special Litigation Section of the Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey conducted the investigation.
Additional information about the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt. Additional information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey is available on its website at www.justice.gov/usao-nj/civil-rights-enforcement.
MASS SHOOTING UPDATE
Information recent as of 9-12-2023 at 12 p.m.
2023 Mass Shooting Stats: (Source: Mass Shooting Tracker – https://www.massshootingtracker.site/data/?year=2023)
Total Mass Shootings: 569
Total Dead: 688
Total Wounded: 2274
Shootings Per Day: 2.23
Days Reached in Year 2023 as of Sept. 12: 255
AFRICA
MOROCCO ROCKED BY EARTHQUAKE
UN chief Secretary-General António Guterres expressed his profound sadness over the deadly earthquake that struck central Morocco late on Sept. 8 which latest media reports say has killed over 2,000 people, and left well over 1,000 seriously injured. Mr. Guterres declared his solidarity with the Government and people of the country.
In a statement issued by his Spokesperson, Guterres stressed that the UN was ready to assist the Government in any way needed, to help those impacted.
According to the UN humanitarian hub Reliefweb, the powerful quake struck shortly after 10pm local time, measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale at a depth of 18.5 km, with the epicenter located in the High Atlas mountains, some 71 km southwest of the historic city of Marrakech.
According to media reports, several houses in the city of 840,000 collapsed and other buildings suffered structural damage. The epicentral zone is not densely populated.
“The Secretary-General was profoundly saddened to learn of the earthquake that hit Morocco today which claimed many lives,” the statement read.
Mr. Guterres addressed his most sincere condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.
In a tweet, the President of the UN General Assembly, Dennis Francis, offered his heartfelt sympathy and condolences, calling on the international community “to stand together in support of Morocco in this time of sorrow.”
Amina Mohammed, the UN Deputy Secretary-General, also responded on social media platform X, saying that her “prayers and thoughts” are with the people of Morocco.
“The UN is by your side as we strive to recover,” she wrote.
Nathalie Fustier, UN Resident Coordinator in the country, spoke to UN News and reiterated that UN teams are ready to provide whatever support is required.
She told us information was still scarce and hard to verify given that the epicenter of the quake was in a remote mountainous area which is hard to access.
Based on what is known so far, she said the death toll was likely to be more than 1,000, with several hundred were injured.
Asked to assess the needs of the people in the affected areas, Ms. Fustier said: “I think right now it’s really search and rescue and maybe blood and medical assistance for people that are still in the areas without good medical support, but also maybe food.”
She assured that the UN, both on the country level and globally stands ready to join forces with the Government of Morocco, which is providing a quick response to the disaster. “We have seen that there is a huge mobilization and, again, we stand ready to assist.”
MIDDLE EAST
DRUGS A CONCERN IN AFGHANISTAN
Methamphetamine trafficking in Afghanistan and neighboring countries is surging, according to a report published on Sunday by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Understanding Illegal Methamphetamine Manufacture in Afghanistan, highlights a drastic increase in seizures of the drug, from 2.5 tons in 2017 to 29.7 tons in 2021.
In its street drug form, meth or “crystal meth” it is a powerful and highly addictive stimulant that impacts the central nervous system and can cause a rapid or irregular heartbeat.
Seizures suspected to originate in Afghanistan have been reported as far away as Eastern Africa, Southeast Asia, and the European Union.
The UNODC findings further suggest that heroin trafficking has continued, although at a lower rate, following the Taliban drug ban in April 2022.
The drastic increase in meth seizures in Afghanistan and neighboring countries indicates that trafficking is expanding, rapidly changing illicit drug markets traditionally dominated by opiates hailing from Afghanistan.
“The surge in methamphetamine trafficking in Afghanistan and the region suggests a significant shift in the illicit drug market and demands our immediate attention,” said Ghada Waly, Executive Director of UNODC.
“Regional coordination targeting the diversion and smuggling of chemical precursors is essential to stopping the continued expansion of illicit methamphetamine manufacture in and around Afghanistan.
“This new UNODC report aims to provide the international community with vital information to tackle the growing synthetic drug threat.”
The report also analyses the different chemicals used to produce the drug. Coverage of suspected meth manufacturing in Afghanistan has often focused on the use of the ephedra plant, which grows abundantly in the region and contains ephedrines – a chemical that can be extracted to make the drug.
Although ephedra is cheaper to use in the short-term, common cold medications and industrial-grade chemicals are more efficient and cost-effective for meth manufacturing and thus pose a far bigger risk, the report warns.
Such chemicals are legally produced and traded in large quantities in the region and are often easily accessible to drug producers.
The report notes that an over-emphasis on ephedra risks undermining effective law enforcement responses, which need to focus on preventing and curbing the diversion and smuggling of bulk chemical precursors, as well.
The report emphasizes that regionally coordinated policing efforts may be more effective in preventing and curbing the long-term expansion of illicit meth manufacture in Afghanistan and the wider region.
UNODC will publish its annual Afghanistan opium cultivation survey next month.
