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Justia Dockets & Filings Eleventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit Ana Everett v. Grady Memorial Hospital Corpor, et al Filing 1109689119
Ana Everett v. Grady Memorial Hospital Corpor, et al
Opinion issued by court as to Appellant Ana Everett. Decision: Affirmed. Opinion type: Non-Published. Opinion method: Signed. The opinion is also available through the Court's Opinions page at this link http://www.ca11.uscourts.gov/opinions.
Case: 16-13495 Date Filed: 08/15/2017 Page: 1 of 25 [DO NOT PUBLISH] IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT ________________________ No. 16-13495 ________________________ D.C. Docket No. 1:15-cv-00173-SCJ ANA EVERETT, Plaintiff-Appellant, DONNA CHILDRESS, Plaintiff, versus GRADY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL CORPORATION, d.b.a. Grady Health System, STEPHANIE SHAW, an individual, Defendants-Appellees. ________________________ Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia ________________________ (August 15, 2017) Case: 16-13495 Date Filed: 08/15/2017 Page: 2 of 25 Before WILLIAM PRYOR, MARTIN, and ROSENBAUM, Circuit Judges. MARTIN, Circuit Judge: Ana Everett appeals the District Court's grant of summary judgment in favor of Grady Memorial Hospital Corporation and Stephanie Shaw (collectively, "defendants"). Ms. Everett's claims arise out of the defendants' refusal to allow her to work from home after she was diagnosed with complications from her pregnancy. After careful consideration, we affirm the District Court. I. BACKGROUND Grady hired Ms. Everett in 2001. In 2005, she became the Program Manager of Grady's Car Seat Program, which educates new parents about the importance of car seats and provides them to families who cannot afford them. Stephanie Shaw has been Ms. Everett's supervisor in this role since the summer of 2014. As Program Manager, Ms. Everett is tasked with leading the Injury Free Coalition for Kids of Atlanta and managing Grady's Childbirth Education Program. According to Grady's job description of the position, Ms. Everett's essential job duties included organizing and implementing the Car Seat Program; developing program materials; coordinating safety classes for the program; and preparing all necessary documentation for the program. Grady listed her job requirements as, among other things, having "maximal" physical requirements 2 Case: 16-13495 Date Filed: 08/15/2017 Page: 3 of 25 including "standing, walking, stooping, bending, and pulling." The list of job requirements also said "[o]ccasional lifting of lightweight objects (up to 25 pounds) is required." The parties agree that Ms. Everett's "primary duties" include overseeing the distribution of car seats; administering Grady's Car Seat Program; developing program materials; attending management meetings at Grady; supervising Donna Childress (one of the program's Health Educators); preparing reports; seeking grants; and conducting educational activities. In January 2015, Ms. Everett brought this action against Grady, alleging the hospital deprived her of overtime wages in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act ("FLSA"), 29 U.S.C. § 201. The District Court granted summary judgment in favor of the defendants on that claim after finding Ms. Everett is a FLSA-exempt employee. Ms. Everett does not appeal that decision. But due to events that happened after Ms. Everett filed her first complaint, she added additional claims. In February 2015, Ms. Everett asked for intermittent leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act ("FMLA"), 29 U.S.C. § 2601. The FMLA requires certain employers, including Grady, to provide employees with job-protected unpaid leave under certain circumstances, including pregnancy complications. Id. § 2612; see 29 C.F.R. § 825.120(a)(4), (b). Ms. Everett presented Grady with a doctor's note explaining this occasional leave would be necessary because she had been diagnosed with a high-risk pregnancy. Grady granted this request. 3 Case: 16-13495 Date Filed: 08/15/2017 Page: 4 of 25 On April 28, 2015, Ms. Everett presented a new doctor's note requesting "light duty." According to Ms. Everett, her doctor actually preferred she be on bed rest, but would allow her to work at her desk with her feet up. Six days later, on May 4, 2015, Ms. Everett presented yet another doctor's note. This note clarified that her limitations included "no lifting" as well as no more than "15 minutes of standing/walking activity during each hour." Based on these limitations, Ms. Shaw determined that Ms. Everett could no longer perform her job's essential functions, including "standing to teach class, lifting car seats weighing 15 pounds, walking to visit patients on other floors in the hospital, delivering car seats to patients, and supervising the car seat program, Childress, and the program volunteers." As a result, Ms. Shaw placed Ms. Everett on FMLA leave. Ms. Everett was told "you have 6 weeks of FMLA available to you," after which she would need "to go out on continuous leave of absence . . . until you can return [to] full duty." Ms. Everett said she interpreted this "to mean that she would be terminated at the end of six weeks[,] which would have been prior to giving birth." She also disputed that carrying car seats and standing for more than 15 minutes per hour while teaching were "essential functions" of her job. Based on these events, Ms. Everett moved for leave to amend her complaint on May 7, 2015. She sought to add a claim for FLSA retaliation. Grady responded by offering Ms. Everett the opportunity to return to her job with her doctor's 4 Case: 16-13495 Date Filed: 08/15/2017 Page: 5 of 25 instructed limitations; compensation for the days she had missed; and the restoration of any used FMLA leave. Ms. Everett refused this offer because, since prescribing the initial "light duty" limitations, her doctor diagnosed her with an incompetent cervix and now said she should work exclusively from home. She presented Grady with a doctor's note saying as much. Grady determined that many of Ms. Everett's essential functions— specifically, teaching classes, observing and managing other employees in the Car Seat Program, meeting with patients, and accessing confidential records—could not be done exclusively from home. Ms. Everett acknowledged that she was not aware of any other employee supervised by Ms. Shaw who was allowed to telecommute full-time. Nevertheless, Ms. Everett disputed Grady's determination that she couldn't perform her job completely from home. She said her essential functions were administrative tasks performed on a computer and that they "consisted of over 95% of what she did." Ms. Everett also emphasized that her position's job requirements, as stated by Grady, say that "[t]eleworking from home or other location, on call, and flex scheduling [are] required." As these events played out, Ms. Everett twice amended her complaint. She added two new claims against the defendants, resulting in a total of four claims: (1) FLSA overtime; (2) FLSA retaliation; (3) failure to accommodate under the 5 Case: 16-13495 Date Filed: 08/15/2017 Page: 6 of 25 Americans with Disabilities Act ("ADA"), 42 U.S.C. § 12101; and (4) pregnancy discrimination and retaliation under Title VII, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e. After Ms. Everett had her baby, her doctor told her she could not work due to postpartum recovery and high blood pressure. Ms. Everett's FMLA leave expired in July, but Grady allowed her to remain on unpaid leave until she returned to her position on October 8, 2015. The defendants moved for summary judgment against Ms. Everett on all claims. This District Court granted their motion. Ms. Everett appeals the grant of summary judgment as to all of her claims except her original FLSA overtime claim. II. STANDARD OF REVIEW We review de novo the District Court's grant of summary judgment, viewing the facts and drawing all reasonable inferences in the light most favorable to the non-moving party. Rioux v. City of Atlanta, 520 F.3d 1269, 1274 (11th Cir. 2008). Summary judgment is appropriate where there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322, 106 S. Ct. 2548, 2552 (1986). We may affirm the District Court on any ground supported by the record, regardless of whether the District Court relied on it. See Krutzig v. Pulte Home Corp., 602 F.3d 1231, 1234 (11th Cir. 2010). 6 Case: 16-13495 Date Filed: 08/15/2017 Page: 7 of 25 III. THE CLAIMS Ms. Everett appeals the District Court's grant of summary judgment in favor of the defendants on three claims: (1) failure to accommodate under the ADA; (2) pregnancy discrimination and retaliation under Title VII; and (3) FLSA retaliation. We address each in turn. A. ADA FAILURE TO ACCOMMODATE To establish a prima facie case of discrimination under the ADA, a plaintiff must show: (1) she is disabled; (2) she is a qualified individual; and (3) she was subjected to unlawful discrimination because of her disability. Holly v. Clairson Indus., LLC, 492 F.3d 1247, 1255–56 (11th Cir. 2007). For purposes of summary judgment, the defendants assume Ms. Everett is disabled as defined by the ADA. The dispositive issue on appeal is whether Ms. Everett is a "qualified individual." Under the ADA, a "qualified individual" is defined as "an individual who, with or without reasonable accommodation, can perform the essential functions of the employment position that such individual holds or desires." 42 U.S.C. § 12111(8). To survive summary judgment, a plaintiff must show there is a genuine issue as to whether she either "can perform the essential functions of [her] job without [reasonable] accommodation, or failing that, . . . can perform the essential functions of [her] job with a reasonable accommodation." Holly, 492 F.3d at 1256 (quotation omitted). The District Court found Ms. Everett was not a 7 Case: 16-13495 Date Filed: 08/15/2017 Page: 8 of 25 "qualified individual" because her "request of full time work from home was not a reasonable accommodation," and thus granted summary judgment in favor of the defendants on this claim. More specifically, the court found her requested accommodation as not reasonable because it would have prevented her from performing essential functions of her job. Ms. Everett argues the District Court erred in this finding. She says her requested accommodation of full time work from home was reasonable because it would not have stopped her from performing the essential functions of her job. She also says the District Court erred in finding Grady engaged in the interactive process required to determine a reasonable accommodation for her. We address each argument in turn. 1. Essential Functions The "essential functions" of a job are "the fundamental job duties of the employment position the individual with a disability holds or desires." 29 C.F.R. § 1630.2(n)(1); see Earl v. Mervyns, Inc., 207 F.3d 1361, 1365 (11th Cir. 2000) (per curiam). In deciding what functions are essential, the ADA says "consideration shall be given to the employer's judgment as to what functions of a job are essential, and if an employer has prepared a written description before advertising or interviewing applicants for the job, this description shall be considered evidence of the essential functions of the job." 42 U.S.C. § 12111(8); 8 Case: 16-13495 Date Filed: 08/15/2017 Page: 9 of 25 see 29 C.F.R. § 1630.2(n)(3)(i). That being said, an employer's judgment is not "conclusive," because "then an employer that did not wish to be inconvenienced by making a reasonable accommodation could, simply by asserting that the function is 'essential,' avoid the clear congressional mandate." Holly, 492 F.3d at 1258 (emphasis omitted). This Court therefore considers a number of other nonexclusive factors in considering whether a particular function is essential: (1) the amount of time spent on the job performing the function, (2) the consequences of not requiring the incumbent to perform the function, (3) the terms of the collective bargaining agreement, (4) the work experience of past incumbents in the job, and (5) the current work experience of incumbents in similar jobs. D'Angelo v. ConAgra Foods, Inc., 422 F.3d 1220, 1230 (11th Cir. 2005) (quotation omitted); see 29 C.F.R. § 1630.2(n)(3). Ms. Everett challenges three of the "essential functions" found by the District Court: teaching courses, supervising other employees, and meeting with patients.1 She argues that her job description said she was responsible only for coordinating, as opposed to actually conducting, visits with patients and teaching classes. And she says that in any event, she spent very little time on these activities. Ms. Everett also contends she could supervise Ms. Childress and carry 1 Ms. Everett also challenges the District Court's finding that accessing confidential records was an essential function that couldn't be performed from home. But even assuming there is a genuine dispute in the record about whether she could safely access confidential medical records from home, in light of our conclusion that the other three duties Ms. Everett challenges were indeed essential functions, we need not address this issue. 9 Case: 16-13495 Date Filed: 08/15/2017 Page: 10 of 25 out all other administrative duties necessary for the Car Seat Program from home. Applying the essential-function factors, we disagree. First, we consider the employer's judgment, including the employer's determination, the written job description, and testimony from the plaintiff's supervisors. 42 U.S.C. § 12111(8); Holly, 492 F.3d at 1257. Grady's position is clear: these were essential functions. Beyond that, the written job description summarized Ms. Everett's essential job duties as including organizing and implementing the Car Seat Program, developing program materials, coordinating safety classes for the program, and preparing all necessary documentation for the program. Grady listed her job requirements as, among other things, having "maximal" physical requirements including "standing, walking, stooping, bending, and pulling." It also said "[o]ccasional lifting of lightweight objects (up to 25 pounds) is required." The parties are in agreement that Ms. Everett's "primary duties" include overseeing the distribution of car seats; administering Grady's Car Seat Program; developing program materials; attending management meetings at Grady; supervising Ms. Childress; preparing reports; seeking grants; and conducting educational activities. Although Ms. Everett points out that the job requirements also said "[t]eleworking from home or other location, on call, and flex scheduling [are] required," it does not say that these things are required full time. Neither does Ms. Everett dispute that she never worked exclusively from 10 Case: 16-13495 Date Filed: 08/15/2017 Page: 11 of 25 home nor does she know of any other employees who did so. And Ms. Everett's supervisors all testified that her physical presence at the hospital was needed. Ms. Shaw, Ms. Everett's direct supervisor, testified that Ms. Everett needed to be at Grady in order to manage the Car Seat Program's "day-to day functions" including supervising Ms. Childress. Ms. Shaw also testified that Ms. Everett needed to be at Grady to teach "anywhere from two to three classes a week" and meet with patients. Fran Baker-Witt, the Executive Director of Women and Infant Services at Grady, testified that "the challenge" with Ms. Everett working from home was that "her essential functions . . . required her to really be there. And it would require shifting additional responsibilities onto other people which in my opinion wouldn't have been fair because she is the manager of the program. So my preference would be for her to be on site to manage the program as well as the people that reported to her." Ms. Baker-Witt said it would certainly be possible for Ms. Everett to "work[] from home part-time and work[] at the office part-time," but did not think full-time work from home would be feasible. This evidence supports the District Court's finding that teaching, supervising, and meeting with patients were essential functions of Ms. Everett's job. Second, we look at the nonexclusive factors listed in D'Angelo. 422 F.3d at 1230. Of these factors, only "the amount of time spent on the job performing the function" and "the consequences of not requiring [Ms. Everett] to perform the 11 Case: 16-13495 Date Filed: 08/15/2017 Page: 12 of 25 function" are relevant here. See id. Ms. Everett argues the job duties at issue took up only a very small amount of time in her schedule. Our review of the record shows otherwise. In March 2015, Ms. Everett emailed Ms. Shaw and Ms. BakerWitt a copy of her schedule in which she "detail[ed]" her "teaching, operational, and administrative functions." According to the schedule Ms. Everett composed of her own work, she taught four courses for a total of five hours of teaching each week. And she spent an hour each week setting up for these classes. She was scheduled to meet with patients for a half-hour three days each week (another oneand-one-half hours each week). Ms. Everett and the two Health Educators in the Car Seat Program (including Ms. Childress) were scheduled to meet for a half-hour each morning (two-and-one-half hours per week). By Ms. Everett's own schedule then, these duties took up 10 hours each week. Ms. Everett worked, on average, about 32 hours per week. The duties that Ms. Everett now says were non-essential thus constituted nearly one-third of her time each week, based on her own description of her schedule.2 2 Ms. Everett disputes that this schedule is a proper indication of her weekly activities and argues it was never implemented, claiming that she drafted the schedule only for Ms. BakerWitt, who asked Ms. Everett to "justify" her job. Ms. Everett instead asserts that the January 2015 class attendance records, which indicate that Ms. Everett taught only two one-hour classes that month, reflect her actual time spent teaching. But no evidence exists—except Ms. Everett's self-serving statements, which conflict with the schedule she herself prepared—that these January 2015 attendance records are indicative of her weekly schedule. And even assuming that teaching and visiting patients are not essential functions of Ms. Everett's job, her supervisory role plainly is, and it could not reasonably be accommodated by her working at home, as discussed below. 12 Case: 16-13495 Date Filed: 08/15/2017 Page: 13 of 25 Turning to the second relevant D'Angelo factor, the record shows that the consequence of not requiring Ms. Everett to perform these functions would have meant that other employees would have to take them over. Indeed, Ms. Everett says the Health Educators could have performed her responsibilities to teach and meet with patients. She also contends that because she "co-supervised" Ms. Childress with Ms. Shaw, she could have performed her co-supervision of Ms. Childress from home. But contrary to Ms. Everett's argument, Grady was not required to impose her duties on other employees. In fact, the need to do so where only a limited number of other employees were qualified to perform these duties is evidence that these functions were essential. Cf. Earl, 207 F.3d at 1365 ("A job function also may be essential if there are a limited number of employees among whom performance of the job can be distributed."); id. at 1367 ("[W]e have stated that an employer is not required by the ADA to reallocate job duties in order to change the essential functions of a job." (quotation omitted and alteration adopted)). The additional D'Angelo factors therefore support the District Court's essential-functions finding as well. On this record, we agree with the District Court that these three job duties— teaching classes, meeting with patients, and supervising other employees—were essential functions of Ms. Everett's position. The employer's judgment, the testimony of her supervisors, and Ms. Everett's own account of her schedule all 13 Case: 16-13495 Date Filed: 08/15/2017 Page: 14 of 25 show that her job consisted of not only leading the Car Seat Program but also actually performing some of its programming. We therefore affirm the District Court's finding that teaching, supervising employees, and visiting patients were essential functions of Ms. Everett's job. 2. Reasonable Accommodation Having determined that these three duties were essential functions, we must now examine whether Ms. Everett's requested accommodation was a reasonable one. See id. at 1366 n.2. A "reasonable accommodation" for purposes of the ADA means "[m]odifications or adjustments to the work environment, or to the manner or circumstances under which the position held or desired is customarily performed, that enable an individual with a disability who is qualified to perform the essential functions of that position." 29 C.F.R § 1630.2(o)(1)(ii). It is Ms. Everett's burden to identify an accommodation and demonstrate that it is reasonable, meaning that the accommodation would allow her to perform the job's essential functions. Lucas v. W.W. Grainger, Inc., 257 F.3d 1249, 1255–56 (11th Cir. 2001). Because we hold that teaching, supervising, and meeting with patients were essential functions of Ms. Everett's position, her requested accommodation— working from home full time—was not reasonable. Other employees necessarily would have had to take on, at least temporarily, these aspects of Ms. Everett's job. 14 Case: 16-13495 Date Filed: 08/15/2017 Page: 15 of 25 And "the ADA does not require the employer to eliminate an essential function of the plaintiff's job" or place it upon someone else. D'Angelo, 422 F.3d at 1229 (quotation omitted and alteration adopted). We therefore affirm the District Court's finding that Ms. Everett's requested accommodation of working exclusively from home was not reasonable. 3. Interactive Process Ms. Everett also asserts that the District Court erred in finding that the defendants engaged in the interactive process required to determine a reasonable accommodation. In Stewart v. Happy Herman's Cheshire Bridge, Inc., 117 F.3d 1278 (11th Cir. 1997), this Court recognized the employer and employee may conduct "an informal interactive process" to determine a reasonable accommodation. Id. at 1286; see 29 C.F.R. § 1630.2(o)(3). We agree with the District Court that Grady met any obligation it may have had to engage in this process. Ms. Everett made the same request to Grady—fulltime work from home—on three occasions. The informal interactive process does not require the employer to provide the employee with her desired accommodation, only a reasonable one. Because Ms. Everett has "failed to identify any reasonable accommodation," there is "no basis for imposing liability on [the defendants] for failing to engage in an interactive process." Frazier-White v. Gee, 818 F.3d 1249, 1257–58 (11th Cir. 2016) (quotation omitted); see also Willis v. Conopco, Inc., 15 Case: 16-13495 Date Filed: 08/15/2017 Page: 16 of 25 108 F.3d 282, 285 (11th Cir. 1997) (per curiam) ("[W]e have held that, where a plaintiff cannot demonstrate 'reasonable accommodation,' the employer's lack of investigation into reasonable accommodation is unimportant."). We therefore affirm the District Court's grant of summary judgment for Grady on Ms. Everett's ADA claim. B. TITLE VII PREGNANCY DISCRIMINATION The Pregnancy Discrimination Act amended Title VII to extend its protections to pregnancy, making clear that the terms "because of sex" or "on the basis of sex" include "because of or on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions." 42 U.S.C. § 2000e(k); see Young v. United Parcel Serv., Inc., 575 U.S. ___, 135 S. Ct. 1338, 1344–45 (2015). A plaintiff may prevail on a pregnancy discrimination claim under Title VII "by showing that her pregnancy 'was a motivating factor' for an employment decision." Holland v. Gee, 677 F.3d 1047, 1055 (11th Cir. 2012) (quoting 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-2(m)). Ms. Everett argues that the defendants waived summary judgment on some of her pregnancy discrimination claims. Alternatively, she says even if they did not, the District Court erred by granting summary judgment in favor of the defendants on the merits of her claims. We first address her waiver argument and then turn to the merits. 16 Case: 16-13495 Date Filed: 08/15/2017 Page: 17 of 25 1. Waiver As an initial matter, Ms. Everett contends the District Court should not have considered summary judgment on some of her pregnancy discrimination claims because the defendants' brief in support of their summary judgment motion did not directly address them. She argues the defendants therefore waived summary judgment on these claims, though the defendants did address the claims in their reply brief. However, as the District Court recognized, it had the sua sponte authority to enter summary judgment as long as Ms. Everett had adequate notice. See Celotex, 477 U.S. at 326, 106 S. Ct. at 2554 ("[D]istrict courts are widely acknowledged to possess the power to enter summary judgments sua sponte, so long as the losing party was on notice that she had to come forward with all of her evidence."). The only question then is whether Ms. Everett was given adequate notice. See id.; Massey v. Congress Life Ins. Co., 116 F.3d 1414, 1417 (11th Cir. 1997) ("[D]istrict courts must temper their exercise of th[e] power [to grant summary judgment sua sponte] by the need to ensure that the parties receive[d] adequate notice . . . ."). This Court has "made it clear that where a legal issue has been fully developed, and the evidentiary record is complete, summary judgment is entirely appropriate even if no formal notice has been provided." Artistic Entm't, Inc. v. City of Warner Robins, 331 F.3d 1196, 1202 (11th Cir. 2003) (per curiam). In 17 Case: 16-13495 Date Filed: 08/15/2017 Page: 18 of 25 Artistic Entertainment, this Court said that a party has adequate notice where the evidentiary record is complete and summary judgment motions are before the District Court. See id.; see also Burton v. City of Belle Glade, 178 F.3d 1175 (11th Cir. 1999) (holding the District Court may enter summary judgment sua sponte where the claims involve a common factual question). These conditions were met in Ms. Everett's case. Discovery was complete, the parties had submitted their evidence, and they had briefed the underlying issues, which involved common elements of proof and similar arguments. And most significantly, the District Court granted Ms. Everett leave and an extension of time to file a surreply to respond to Grady's arguments raised for the first time in its reply brief, but she chose not to address the substance of the claims raised on reply. The District Court's consideration of summary judgment was therefore proper. See id. We thus turn to the merits of the court's summary judgment decision. 2. Pregnancy Discrimination Claims Ms. Everett brought three pregnancy discrimination claims. She says: (1) Grady discriminated against her by forcing her into unpaid FMLA leave after she informed it of her pregnancy; (2) Grady discriminated against her by refusing to allow her to temporarily work from home after she informed it of medical complications related to her pregnancy; and (3) Grady retaliated against her for 18 Case: 16-13495 Date Filed: 08/15/2017 Page: 19 of 25 bringing this lawsuit by refusing to let her temporarily work from home. These claims are without merit. a. Claims One and Two Ms. Everett's first two pregnancy discrimination claims are that: (1) Grady forced her into unpaid FMLA leave after she requested "light duty" and (2) Grady discriminated against her by refusing to allow her to work from home. The District Court granted summary judgment on these claims after finding Ms. Everett could not demonstrate a prima facie case of pregnancy discrimination because she did not proffer a comparator. In the alternative, the court found summary judgment was proper because Ms. Everett failed to show that Grady's nondiscriminatory reasons for denying her requested accommodations were pretextual. In a pregnancy discrimination case that relies only on circumstantial evidence of discrimination, we apply the burden-shifting framework from McDonnell Douglas Corp. v. Green, 411 U.S. 792, 93 S. Ct. 1817 (1973). See Holland, 677 F.3d at 1055. In Young, the Supreme Court outlined how this works in the context of pregnancy discrimination claims. See 135 S. Ct. at 1353–54. First, a plaintiff "may establish a prima facie case by showing actions taken by the employer from which one can infer, if such actions remain unexplained, that it is more likely than not that such actions were based on a discriminatory criterion illegal under Title VII." Id. at 1354 (quotation omitted). A plaintiff can do this by 19 Case: 16-13495 Date Filed: 08/15/2017 Page: 20 of 25 showing that "she belongs to the protected class, that she sought accommodation, that the employer did not accommodate her, and that the employer did accommodate others similar in their ability or inability to work." Id. (quotation omitted). Then, the employer can try to justify its refusal by providing "legitimate, nondiscriminatory reasons for denying her accommodation." Id. (quotation omitted). If such a reason is offered, the plaintiff "may in turn show that the employer's proffered reasons are in fact pretextual." Id. Ms. Everett first argues she was not required to provide a comparator in order to survive summary judgment. 3 On this point of law, Ms. Everett is correct. As this Court has said, "the plaintiff's failure to produce a comparator does not necessarily doom the plaintiff's case." Smith v. Lockheed-Martin Corp., 644 F.3d 1321, 1328 (11th Cir. 2011). Instead, a plaintiff can present circumstantial evidence of an employer's discriminatory intent. See id. But even assuming Ms. Everett provided enough circumstantial evidence to establish a prima facie case, she was still required to show that the defendants' 3 Although in a single sentence in her brief, Ms. Everett says: "Here, Everett provides a comparator." Nevertheless, her entire argument for why the District Court should not have granted summary judgment is that she didn't need to provide a comparator. Ms. Everett never names her comparator nor does she provide any citation to where in the record she named a comparator for her claims. Under our precedent, when an appellant's brief makes only a "passing reference[]" to one of the District Court's holdings, "without advancing any arguments or citing any authorities to establish that they were error," we view that issue as abandoned. See Sapuppo v. AllState Floridian Ins. Co., 739 F.3d 678, 681 (11th Cir. 2014). In her reply brief, Ms. Everett explains that she meant Ms. Childress was her comparator. But under our precedent, arguments made for the first time in an appellant's reply brief "come too late." Id. at 683. We therefore proceed under the assumption that the District Court's finding that Ms. Everett did not proffer a comparator was correct. 20 Case: 16-13495 Date Filed: 08/15/2017 Page: 21 of 25 legitimate, nondiscriminatory reasons for denying her accommodation were pretextual. See Young, 135 S. Ct. at 1354; Rioux, 520 F.3d at 1277–78. To show pretext, a plaintiff must "demonstrate such weaknesses, implausibilities, inconsistencies, incoherencies, or contradictions in the employer's proffered legitimate reasons for its action that a reasonable factfinder could find them unworthy of credence." Rioux, 520 F.3d at 1275 (quotation omitted). According to Ms. Shaw, based on the "light duty" limitation request, she "decided that Everett was unable to perform the essential functions of her job, including standing to teach classes, lifting car seats which weighed 15 pounds, walking to visit patients on other floors in the hospital, and delivering car seats to patients." Similarly, with regard to Ms. Everett's request to work full-time from home, Grady decided teaching classes, supervising employees, and meeting with patients were essential functions that could not be completed from home. Ms. Everett argues both these reasons were pretextual because (1) these were not essential functions of her job; and (2) Ms. Shaw's reason was "completely unbelievable" because she refused to speak directly with Ms. Everett and did not know all of the details of Ms. Everett's position. Because we've concluded that teaching classes and meeting with patients were essential functions of Ms. Everett's job, Ms. Everett cannot rely on a contrary finding to show pretext for discrimination against her because she was pregnant. 21 Case: 16-13495 Date Filed: 08/15/2017 Page: 22 of 25 Under our precedent, "a plaintiff employee may not establish that an employer's proffered reason is pretextual merely by questioning the wisdom of the employer's reason as long as the reason is one that might motivate a reasonable employer." Pennington v. City of Huntsville, 261 F.3d 1262, 1267 (11th Cir. 2001) (quotations omitted). As we've set out above, it was reasonable for Grady to determine that teaching and visiting patients were essential functions of Ms. Everett's job. And a reasonable employer certainly might be motivated by not wanting to forego the essential functions of an employee's position. See id. Neither can we say Ms. Shaw's reluctance to speak with Ms. Everett directly nor her lack of familiarity with every detail of Ms. Everett's position rendered Ms. Shaw's testimony "unworthy of credence." Rioux, 520 F.3d at 1275 (quotation omitted). Without pointing to specific evidence that Ms. Shaw "was motivated by a discriminatory animus," Ms. Everett's bare allegations of Ms. Shaw's intent are not enough to overcome the defendants' proffered nondiscriminatory reason that Ms. Everett could not perform her essential functions with the requested accommodations. See Schaaf v. Smithkline Beecham Corp., 602 F.3d 1236, 1244 (11th Cir. 2010). On this record then, we cannot say the District Court erred in granting summary judgment in favor of defendants on Ms. Everett's first two claims of pregnancy discrimination. 22 Case: 16-13495 Date Filed: 08/15/2017 Page: 23 of 25 b. Claim Three Summary judgment was proper on Ms. Everett's third claim as well. "In order to prevail on a retaliation claim, a plaintiff must establish the requisite causal connection between her statutorily protected conduct and the adverse employment action." Clover v. Total Sys. Servs., Inc., 176 F.3d 1346, 1354 (11th Cir. 1999). Ms. Everett's claim lacks the causal requirement. Ms. Everett represented to the District Court that Grady's refusal to allow her to work from home constituted retaliation "due to her previous Complaints in the case." The problem for Ms. Everett is that she did not allege pregnancy discrimination in her previous complaints until her second amended complaint was filed on June 29, 2015. The retaliation Ms. Everett alleges—Grady's refusal to allow her to work from home—occurred before June 29, 2015. Grady could not possibly have retaliated against Ms. Everett for a complaint she had not yet filed. See id. ("At a minimum, a plaintiff must generally establish that the employer was actually aware of the protected expression at the time it took adverse employment action." (quotation omitted)). In an attempt to get around this problem, Ms. Everett now argues, for the first time on appeal, that what she really meant to say was that Grady retaliated against her on the basis of her "Charge of Discrimination" filed with the EEOC on May 11, 2015. We decline to allow Ms. Everett to amend her claim here on 23 Case: 16-13495 Date Filed: 08/15/2017 Page: 24 of 25 appeal. See Wright v. Hanna Steel Corp., 270 F.3d 1336, 1342 (11th Cir. 2001) ("Appellate courts generally will not consider an issue or theory that was not raised in the district court." (quotation omitted and alteration adopted)). We therefore affirm the District Court's grant of summary judgment in favor of the defendants on all of Ms. Everett's Title VII claims. C. FLSA RETALIATION Last, Ms. Everett claimed that Grady retaliated against her for bringing a FLSA overtime claim by "forcing her on unpaid leave with the threat of termination" and "refusing to permit [her] from temporarily working from home." 4 To establish a prima facie case of FLSA retaliation, a plaintiff must show: "(1) she engaged in activity protected under the act; (2) she subsequently suffered adverse action by the employer; and (3) a causal connection existed between the employee's activity and the adverse action." Wolf v. Coca-Cola Co., 200 F.3d 1337, 1342–43 (11th Cir. 2000) (quotation omitted and alteration adopted). For purposes of summary judgment, the defendants concede the first two elements of this showing. In order to satisfy the third element, a causal connection, Ms. Everett must show she would not have suffered an adverse action "but for her assertion of FLSA 4 Ms. Everett also asserts that the District Court did not consider both of these claims on summary judgment. However, our review of the record shows the District Court did consider both claims, and in any event, we may affirm on any basis supported in the record. Krutzig, 602 F.3d at 1234. 24 Case: 16-13495 Date Filed: 08/15/2017 Page: 25 of 25 rights." Id. at 1343. And because the defendants proffered legitimate reasons for the adverse actions, Ms. Everett must also show the "proffered reason is a pretext for [retaliating against her] for asserting FLSA rights." Id. For the same reasons we have already explained in the context of the Title VII claims, Ms. Everett has failed to show that the defendants' proffered reasons were pretextual. We therefore affirm the District Court's grant of summary judgment in favor of defendants on this claim. IV. CONCLUSION We affirm the District Court's grant of summary judgment in favor of defendants on all claims. AFFIRMED. 25


Do you hold the Suffolk Carbon Charter? Charter accreditation is a valuable tool for monitoring your progress, publicising your commitment and rewarding your staff.
There's also a range of other benefits on offer exclusively to Carbon Charter holders - see the details below.
If you don't hold the Charter, but you're interested in finding out more, see www.greensuffolk.org/charter.
Suffolk Carbon Charter holders are now eligible for two hours of funded support from an environmental business advisor to be used before the end of the project. This time can be used to ensure that you are maximising the benefits of your member status, help you to take forward some new efficiency actions, or to monitor the impact of any actions that you've implemented to date. Please do get in touch with any queries by emailing amy.coulter@groundwork.org.uk or calling 01473 350 370.
If you already use leaflets, logos or similar to showcase your work, we can use these to promote your business at events attended by the Charter (including Festivals, business fairs, conferences, etc.). We'd love to have something from every Charter holder to include in our displays, and hand out on the day. It could be brochures, leaflets, flyers, images, etc.
If enough members are interested, we'd love to try running a Charter produce stall at some of these events. The idea is that we would offer produce from a selection of Charter holders for sale.
Please email peter.frost2@suffolk.gov.uk or call 01473 264472 to discuss any of the options or arrange collections.
LinkedIn Forum: Join the group to discuss any issues or ideas with a vetted and trustworthy range of likeminded businesses.
Twitter: Follow @CarbonCharter for the latest news.
To see some of the publicity members have received in the past, click here.
Charter members have also benefitted from a range of one-off opportunities in the past, including a special feature at the Aldeburgh Food & Drink Festival and even tickets to Latitude!
Is there a question that you keep coming up against and don't have time to answer? if so then drop us a line. Perhaps you're unsure about low energy lighting options, or the benefits of eco-driving? (If you need advice about switching to electric vehicles then our resident expert ElectricPete is here to help with your transition to driving electric). Maybe you just need to check your carbon footprint is up to date. Or would you like to be put in touch with members in your area?
This service is here to help you with any aspect of your energy use or environmental impact.
Email suffolkcarboncharter@groundwork.org.uk or call 01473 350370.
The Charter is an independently assessed and verifiable mark of quality. It is backed by the Environment Agency, Chamber of Commerce and all Suffolk councils. The Suffolk Carbon Charter will help you demonstrate your credentials to attract customers, win contracts and more.
Various schemes specifically acknowledge the charter in their terms, including the Creating the Greenest County awards, and the Anglian Green 100.
The Charter is recognised by County Council and other organisations for procurement purposes, and can help you gain other accreditations and awards.
We actively seek new opportunities to raise Charter recognition. It you have any ideas of other opportunities, please Let us know.
If you have any questions or suggestions email CreatingGreenestCounty@suffolk.gov.uk, or call 01473 264472.


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Datapoint: 121. The GOP nominee to be the governor of Florida, Ron Desantis, was on Fox news and Fox Business 121 times in the last eight months. His campaign says the airtime was worth about 9 million dollars at market rates.
Datapoint: One. Donald Trump and White House counsel DonMcGahn worked one floor apart from each other at the White house, but it may as well have been 100 miles.


'The Young Pope' tells the controversial story of the beginning of PIUS XIII's Pontificate. Born Lenny Belardo, he is a complex and conflicted character, so conservative in his choices as to border on obscurantism, yet full of compassion towards the weak and poor. He is a man of great power who is stubbornly resistant to the Vatican courtiers, unconcerned with the implications to his authority. During the series, Belardo will face losing those closest to him and the constant fear of being abandoned, even by his God. He is, however, not afraid of undertaking the millennial mission of defending that same God and the world representing Him.


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APTS mobilizes stations as House vote nears on pubcasting funding
Anticipating a floor vote to eliminate funding for public broadcasting next week, the Association for Public Television Stations today (Feb. 9) called for stations to join the first big push to build political support in the House of Representatives.
The House Appropriations Committee is preparing to debate a Continuing Resolution that would fund the government after the current CR expires next month, and CPB is among many federally-funded entities that could be zeroed out. The bill is expected to come to the floor during the week of Feb. 14. House leaders have said it will be debated under open rules that allow lawmakers to offer amendments targeting specific programs, according to APTS.
But CPB is already included in a list of $35 billion in recommended spending cuts that Appropriations Committee Chairman Rep. Harold Rogers (R-Ky.) shared with rank-and-file Republicans today.
APTS is advising stations to "exercise your First Amendment right to use your broadcast resources to marshal your community supporters to advocate for continued federal funding." It also provided detailed talking points for use in communicating the message, particularly to station boards, and a briefing on the do's and don'ts of making on-air appeals for political support.
According to APTS, there are now six bills in Congress to either defund or reduce public broadcasting support:
– H.R. 68, by Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.), to amend the Communications Act of 1934 to prohibit federal funding for CPB after fiscal year 2013;
– H.R. 69, by Lamborn, which separately targets public radio programming funding;
– H.R. 235, the "Cut Unsustainable and Top-Heavy Spending Act of 2011," by Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas);
– H.R. 408, Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan's "Spending Reduction Act of 2011";
– S.178, the Senate version of that bill, by Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), and
– S. 162, the Cut Federal Spending Act of 2011 by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.).
Posted by Dru at 4:14 PM 11 comments
Nearly 1,400 nonprofs and agencies manage access channels, project finds
Here's the third update on Rob McCausland's interesting Mapping Community Television project. (Here are parts one and two.) McCausland is director of information and organizing services at Alliance for Community Media, and is mapping every community access provider in America. Tuesday's (Feb. 8) post reveals he's located 471 nonprofit organizations and 907 government agencies that manage access channels. The alliance is a nonprofit advocacy group dedicated to citizen access to media.
WITF sings, "Go Public!" on its uber-catchy YouTube video
Central Pennsylvania's WITF has released what may very well be the first hip-hop/bouncy pop/rap music video supporting Congressional support for pubcasting funding. "Go Public!" was composed and produced by the WITF staff, who also star in the three-minute spot. Be forewarned: You'll wanna get up and dance in your cubicle.
Craigslist founder backs pubmedia funding
Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist, posted a statement on his blog Tuesday (Feb. 8) in support of pubcasting funding. "I feel that public service media is a big deal," he writes, "and that NPR will be a dominant force in news media." He also directs visitors to the 170 Million Americans advocacy website.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute invests $60 million for TV science documentaries
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, which has supported Nova, scienceNOW and science reporting on the PBS NewsHour, has announced a $60 million documentary film initiative "that aims to bring high-quality, compelling science features to television," it says. This is the institute's first initiative for documentary films, according to Sean B. Carroll, vice president for science education. Its priority will be "to tell intriguing science stories that will grab the viewer," Carroll says. The Chevy Chase, Md.-based institute is a biomedical research organization that employs 380 scientists, including 13 Nobel Prize winners.
FCC fines KCET $10,000, alleging public file access violations
The Federal Communications Commission is fining KCET in Los Angeles $10,000 for failing to make available the station's public inspection file. The FCC posted the notice (PDF) Tuesday (Feb. 8).
It describes how an agent from the FCC enforcement bureau's L.A. district office, without identifying himself as an agent, showed up on Aug. 19, 2010, at the station lot's main gate and requested to see the file. A security guard told him he had to make an appointment, and denied his request to speak with the station manager. The agent left. The same thing happened the next day.
On the third day, the agent identified himself and showed FCC credentials to the guard. "After a thorough examination of the agent's badge and several phone calls to Station KCET personnel inside the building," the FCC report says, "the agent was allowed to go inside of the facility and view the public inspection file. The agent found that the Station KCET public inspection file was complete."
A KCET station rep subsequently told the agent that the general counsel was not in the office on those days, and she didn't know rules regarding public access to the records. The security supervisor said in general, persons wishing to view the file must make an appointment, and cited KCET's security protocol to conduct screenings at the gate.
The alleged violations took place before the station declared its independence from PBS membership (Current, Oct. 18, 2010).
UPDATE: KCET sent Current this statement in response: "As stated in the FCC notice, KCET's Public Inspection Files are in order. KCET is looking into the alleged violation and will respond to the FCC notice by the March 10, 2011 deadline."
CPB looking for stations in communities with high dropout numbers
CPB has issued a request for proposals for stations to serve as hubs for Project 12: Operation Graduation. The $12 million dropout awareness and youth engagement initiative is targeted to stations in high dropout areas. Here's a link to the RFP, and background.
Minnesota Public Radio opens Washington, D.C., bureau
Minnesota Public Radio's Washington, D.C., bureau is up and running, with Berlin-based former NPR reporter and editor Brett Neely as correspondent, says MinnPost media blogger David Brauer. Neely's experience includes reporting and producing for Marketplace, and covering mainly economics for several European public television channels. He grew up in Munich and is in German. He heralded his move stateside with a video of David Bowie's "Changes" on his blog. As Bauer noted, Neely's Twitter feed includes the tagline, ""Public radio wench, but I'd rather be in a hair metal band."
APTS mobilizes stations as House vote nears on pub...
Nearly 1,400 nonprofs and agencies manage access c...
WITF sings, "Go Public!" on its uber-catchy YouTub...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute invests $60 millio...
FCC fines KCET $10,000, alleging public file acces...
CPB looking for stations in communities with high ...
Minnesota Public Radio opens Washington, D.C., bur...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Listen to Toxic Trace on the band's ReverbNation Page.
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I hope you enjoy Toxic Trace! Check back tomorrow for another killer band!
Boston Thrashers RAZORMAZE Announce New Guitarist.


I am not going to lie, February is one tough cookie of a month.
Winter seems to have already gone on forever with seemingly no end in sight, and frankly March is just going to be more of the same.
I go to bed chilly, wake up chilly, the sun is bright and cold, I've ceased to care that I look like a molten chocolate cake on legs in my coat and hat as long as I am warmish, and then there is the nagging thought that snow can blast in on us at anytime. Woof.
You have to be prepared for anything in February, and you have to be prepared to tough it out until April. Maybe May.
My coping skills include a deliciously easy shepherds pie and a hearty cranberry-carrot cake. Anything that involves turning on the oven for a while.
Shepherd's pie made in the perfect pot. It makes just enough for dinner and lunch the next day.
Cranberry-carrot cake I usually make in a loaf pan unless I need it for a birthday cake. Or sometimes I make muffins. This is the only "cake" recipe I have that can be used as a loaf, round, or muffin without adjustment.
Even if you think you don't like carrot cake, you would like this cake.
I cannot wait until the salad days of summer. Although probably then I will moan about how it is too hot to can.
I got married on April 14th and we hd a snowstorm!


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Anglican Archbishop stresses tolerance
The Newspaper's Staff ReporterNovember 20, 2019
LAHORE: Anglican Archbishop of North America Reverend Foley Beach on Tuesday emphasised the importance of love and tolerance to overcome the challenges of extremism and discrimination that plague the world.
He was speaking at a reception hosted in his honour by National Council of Churches President Azad Marshall here. At the start of the event, moderator Pastor Emmanuel Khokhar welcomed the archbishop to Pakistan and hoped that his stay would be a pleasant one and full of love.
The event was attended by Pakistan Ulema Council Chairman Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi, Badshahi Masjid Khateeb Dr Abdul Khabeer Azad, Jamia Naeemia patron Dr Ragheb Naeemi, Pir Ziaul Haq Naqshbandi Qadri, Maulana Asim Makhdoom and Bishop of Multan Leo Roderick Paul among others.
Addressing the gathering, Bishop Dr Azad called for peaceful coexistence of all religious and ethnic groups living in Pakistan. He said both Christianity and Islam preached peace and brotherhood and called for promoting tolerance in Pakistani society.
PUC chief Ashrafi highlighted the services of the council and other Islamic outfits for the minority communities of the country, saying he was always there whenever a need arose. He also rejected the impression of a divide between the minority and majority communities, saying everyone was an "equal citizen" under the constitution of Pakistan.
Clerics Khabeer and Naqshbandi said Pakistan was a diverse society and people belonging to all religions live in harmony.
Thanking the hosts, Archbishop Dr Beach said he was glad to see the Islamic scholars propagating the need for an interfaith dialogue.
In response to a question, he said the people in the United States have mixed views about Pakistan; however, hitherto he has found nothing but goodwill and love wherever he has gone during his two-day stay. He said every society has its fair share of problems, but every religion preaches love and tolerance. And to overcome the ills of extremism and fundamentalism, there was need to promote ideas of peace, love and tolerance.
Answering a reporter's question, Bishop Dr Azad expressed his concern over the population census conducted in 2018 wherein the Hindu community has emerged as the largest minority group in the country.
"We have our reservations on the conduct of the census. You will find Christians living in Karachi till Peshawar whereas the Hindu community is primarily settled in Sindh. Christians' contribution to Pakistani society is well documented and we expect the Pakistani state to own its Christian citizens just as it is embracing Sikhs and Hindus," he said.
Published in Dawn, November 20th, 2019
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7-year-old Kashmiri boy's bowling wins praise from Shane Warne
A 7-year-old boy from Jammu and Kashmir's Ganderbal district has become an internet sensation after Australian spin great Shane Warne lauded his bowling.A video of the boy, Ahmad, bowling at a local match was shared by a journalist Islah Mufti on micro-blogging site Twitter earlier this year."Easily ball of the century. A googly that turns a metre and a half. Shane Warne take a look. You have some competition," Mufti said in a tweet he posted on July 23.Warne responded to the tweet on Wednesday."This is outstanding! Well bowled young man," the spin legend tweeted.The video of Ahmad's bowling has received over 64,000 views so far.After Warne's praise, Ahmad became a topic of discussion during Fox Cricket's lunch break broadcast on day two of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy tournament between Australia and India at Adelaide.A clip of the broadcast on Fox Cricket's Instagram page has also garnered nearly 50,000 views. PTI


Minimum age to attend is 18.
If a date says 'Priority Tickets' and you receive priority tickets your admission is guaranteed. If a date says 'Get Tickets' and you receive a line voucher than admission is first-come, first-served. Having said that, as long as you arrive 30 minutes early you should be admitted.


Blackburn, a conservative House member, is locked in a close race with former Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen, who remains popular in the state and has some support from centrist Republicans. The race to replace the retiring Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) is critical in the battle for the Senate, and Republicans hope Trump's role will draw GOP voters away from Bredesen, who built coalitions of GOP support in his gubernatorial campaigns.
A Vanderbilt University poll released on Thursday showed Trump has a 53 percent approval rating in the state. Bredesen was viewed favorably by 67 percent of respondents, and Blackburn had a 49 percent favorability rating. Both have similar name recognition in the state.
Other polls have shown Bredesen with a slight edge, though Republicans privately expect a barrage of advertisements tying him to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
The rally will be at Nashville Municipal Auditorium.


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Battle to save Cambodian dolphin
July 10, 2008 Posted in News
Sun Mao leans forward in the boat, shades his eyes with his hand, and squints across the wide expanse of the Mekong River where it twists through the town of Kratie.
He is looking for one of the world's rarest mammals – the Mekong Irrawaddy dolphin.
Older people in this part of northern Cambodia talk of how they used to take the dolphins for granted.
Little effort was needed to see them in their dozens. Now, scientists say, there are less than 100 remaining.
<National heritage<
With a practised eye, Sun Mao spots a group of five dolphins, collectively known as a pod.
They briefly break the surface as they come up for air – grey-brown, bullet-headed and exhaling with an old man's rasp.
It is an awe-inspiring sight, but nothing new to Sun Mao.
As part of a local organisation, the Cambodian Rural Development Team (CRDT), he has put years of work into preserving the dwindling population.
For him it is an issue of national heritage.
"This is the last place for these dolphins in the world," he says over the clatter of the boat's outboard engine.
"We have to conserve and keep them alive in this river for our next generation."
CRDT has tried to educate the local human population about what they can do.
A government-enforced ban on the use of gill nets – nets set vertically in the water so that fish swim into them and are entangled in the mesh – has cut down the number of dolphins accidentally caught by fishermen.
Instead, CRDT has helped locals to reduce their reliance on fishing by offering alternatives such as poultry farming.
Villagers on Pdao Island, just outside Kratie, greet Sun Mao as an old friend as he clambers up the muddy riverbank.
<Tourist influx<
They happily show off their CRDT-sponsored chickens, water-pumps and fish ponds, and declare themselves delighted to be part of the dolphin preservation efforts.
It would be a heart-warming tale, if only the statistics were not so brutally depressing.
A scientific survey taken three years ago estimated the dolphin population at 127. The latest study by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) puts the figure at 71.
It comes as a devastating blow after all the work that local and international organisations have put in.
As well as banning the use of gill nets, the government has established a network of river guards to patrol the dolphin habitats.
While CRDT has been working with the local human population, WWF scientists have been looking into ways of protecting the dolphins.
Everyone was hoping that the dolphin population would at least stabilise, if not flourish.
Payback would come in the form of an influx of tourists to see the pods at play and bring much-needed revenue to the local economy.
<Contaminants<
That dream recedes as each dead dolphin washes up on the banks of the Mekong.
Most worryingly, most of the recent casualties have been calves. Without the babies, there is no future for the species.
"There are theories that the immune systems of the dolphins have been compromised by stress," says Richard Zanre, dolphin programme manager for WWF.
"The river environment has been encroached upon by new developments. There is also the problem of contaminants in the river."
The answers need to be found quickly. As it stands, WWF still classifies the remaining population as "sustainable".
If the numbers fall much further, however, there will no longer be enough diversity for the dolphins to breed successfully.
That would spell the end for this unique species.
Source: bbc.co.uk


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Абага, Абака (березень 1234, Монголія — 1 квітня 1282, Хамадан) — Ільхан Ірану (1265—1282), син Хулагу, лідера монгольського завоювання Середньої Азії.

Життєпис
У 1265 отримав руку Марії Деспіни, незаконної дочки імператора Михайла VIII Палеолога. Другий представник династії Хулагуїдів в Ірані. При сходженні на трон придушив змову Килич-Арсланак IV, султана Рума, що вступив у союз з Єгиптом та арабськими племенами.

17-річним царюванням придбав собі славне ім'я, заступництвом ученим і поетам і розсудливістю управління підняв добробут своєї країни. Проводив антимусульманську політику, намагаючись вкоренити духовні основи буддизму і несторіанства.

У зовнішній політиці Абака-хан продовжував лінію батька. Він боровся з силами Золотої Орди на Кавказі, а також з вторгненнями правителів Чагатайського улусу в Середній Азії. У 1270 році чагатайський правитель Борак вторгся в Хорасан, але був розбитий поблизу Герату. У відповідь Абака розгромив Бухару (1273).

У 1276 році вибухнуло нове повстання в Румському султанаті. 1277 року на підтримку повсталим прибув Бейбарс, султан Єгипту, який у битві при Ельбістоні завдав поразки монгольському війську. Після повернення того ж року Бейбарса до Єгипту, ільхан Абака повернув собі владу над Малою Азією. 1279 року спрямував війська на допомогу султану Кей-Хосров III для придушення повстання бея Карамана.

Абака-хан помер 1 квітня 1282 року від «білої гарячки» внаслідок алкоголізму. Його наступником став Текудер.

Примітки

Посилання
 http://www.vostlit.info/Texts/rus16/Rasidaddin_4/frametext3.html

Монгольська імперія
Монархи Персії
Ільхани
Уродженці Монголії

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
The Descendants (2011)
Alexander Payne's newest release, titled The Descendants, is a fantastically made film about the loss of a family member, and coping with reality in a strained family. Payne writes and directs with a refreshing vision of realism, and his story intriguingly contrasts the paradise setting of Hawaii with the complications of the character's lives. The deep understanding of human emotion showed in this film sets it above others live it. George Clooney stars as the father of two difficult girls, and the husband to a woman who at the start of the film is put on life support following an accident. Clooney plays the role with the brains enough to understand the emotional depth of the character, and the supporting actors all give strong performances, but The Descendants doesn't quite have what it takes to win come the Oscars.
Matt King (George Clooney) is a descendent of some of the first white-owned land in Hawaii, and as a lawyer is currently leading his group of cousins in the sale of their family owned property. After a boating accident, Matt's wife is put on life support. When informed that his wife isn't going to survive without life support, they open her will and find out that she wanted to be pulled off support if the time ever came. Their marriage was shaky over the last several months, but Matt tries as best as he can to rally his two disobedient daughters and to tell all of his wife's closest friends and family so that they have a chance to say goodbye.
Further complications arise when the King's eldest daughter Alexandra tells her father the reason behind her fights with her mother. Matt's wife Elizabeth has been cheating on him for months, and he seems to be one of the few who is oblivious to this. Matt then decides to track down her husband's lover, not just to tell him he has ruined a marriage, but to allow him a chance to say goodbye to Elizabeth before she dies. The plot thickens further when Matt, seemingly ready to forgive and forget, uncovers that the man who has been sleeping with his wife is part of the top potential clients for buying his family property. Not wishing to inform everyone that his wife was cheating, Matt also doesn't want to give profits to the man who she was cheating with.
George Clooney plays Matt King with intelligence and a clear understanding of the character and his motives, and his weathered face seems to show the thoughts dwelling beneath. That being said, Clooney's role is not groundbreaking and isn't Oscar-worthy, but he does do a good job. The supporting cast is outstanding, with all actors performing to a high level with believable characters. Shailene Woodley and Amara Miller play Matt's two daughters, Beau Bridges is the affable cousin Hugh, and Robert Forster is Elizabeth's father, who keeps telling Matt that she was a loyal wife who deserved more from him.
Alexander Payne handles the themes of family, love, marriage and redemption effectively in this film. He displays an understanding of human emotion that many writers lack, and he selected actors who also understand their purpose in the film. Through contrasting the jubilant setting and melancholic tone, Payne tells a simplistic story with both realism and intrigue. While not the best film of the year, The Descendants is certainly a relatable and enjoyable film.
The Tree of Life (2011)
Terrence Mallick's The Tree of Life is an extremely ambitious film, attempting to be no less than a masterpiece. Luckily, it delivers in almost every form. A grandiose film that attempts to encapsulate the entirety of the human experience and life itself, The Tree of Life is beautifully filmed and magnificently told.
The lead actors of the film include Brad Pitt, Hunter McCracken, Sean Penn and Jessica Chastain, though these stars are not the center of attention. Following the storyline of the main characters is not the aim of this film. Instead, The Tree of Life utilizes all at its disposal – music, landscape, color – to tell a larger story. The themes of this film apply to almost so many more people and stories than one movie could hope to contain. Instead of attempting to incorporate as much as possible, The Tree of Life takes on an almost minimalistic approach in the way it strips down human emotion to show what lies beneath. This is all done masterfully, seemingly not knowing its own implications.
The story that does exist follows a family in 1950s American suburbia. The homey suburbs of Texas become the backdrop for this patriarchal family and their tale. As the eldest son Jack grows up, he witnesses the loss of childhood innocence. This story is intercut with scenes of Jack during his more disillusioned adult years, silently drifting though a modern metropolitan world. Sean Penn plays the adult Jack, his wind-whipped face saying more than the lines he has in the film. He exists as a physical human in a large city working as some kind of architect, but Jack is also adrift in a variety of psychological landscapes, wandering across ice and sand.
Brad Pitt plays Jack's father, the traditional and patriarchal Mr. O'Brien. His character represents the authoritarianism of harsh nature. He attempts to prepare his boys for the hardships of the world as he sees it, full of corruption and exploitation. His character is greatly contrasted by that of his wife, the nurturing and graceful Mrs. O'Brien. Throughout the film Jack sees more of this harsh world, his perception of reality adjusting as one of his friends drowns, and another dies in a house-fire. When Mr. O'Brien travels the globe to advertise his business, Jack experiences the thrill of rebelliousness, and the consequences that often follows breaking the rules.
Like an impressionist painter, Terrence Mallick swipes his brush across the canvas, creating a collage that comes together to form The Tree of Life. Aesthetically pleasing and intellectually intriguing, The Tree of Life is a magnificent film. Like many films made for the sake of the art, this movie is not for everyone. Some will wind it slow paced and anticlimactic. Yet when one engages with this film on another level, it is highly enjoyable. While not a bad choice, I don't see The Tree of Life winning Best Picture this year. Perhaps it will win for cinematography or directing, but I'm not quite convinced that it is the very best film of the year, although it is certainly the most ambitious, and giving it an Oscar would not be a disappointment.


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Ken Cuccinelli has revived a probe of climate scientist Michael Mann, who called the investigation "criminal harassment." But the new subpoena doesn't contain much new evidence.
A Virginia judge set aside a request for records related to research by a prominent climate scientist at the University of Virginia. But the attorney general vowed immediately to try again.
In 1998, Michael Mann published a graph that showed the Earth was getting warmer. Now he's being investigated for fraud. Alison Stewart talks to Mann to get his side of the story.


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Final round of 8th corporate Fakel Festival opens in Sochi
BusinessBy admin May 12, 2019 Leave a comment
Release May 12, 2019, 20:00 The opening ceremony for the final round of Gazprom's 8th corporate Fakel Festival took place in Krasnaya Polyana, Sochi. The event brought together over 1,600 people representing 40 delegations from Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and China. The Festival's guests include delegations from Bolivia, France, Germany, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam. Over the course of three days, contestants…
Russians Commemorate Relatives Who Fought During World War II
anotherBy admin May 10, 2019 Leave a comment
On May 9, millions of people across Russia march in the Immortal Regiment, a movement to commemorate family members who fought in World War II. We speak with Maria, a 19-year-old girl from Moscow who hasn't forgotten the story of her great-grandmother, who fought during the war as a "Night Witch." The all-women 588th Night…
Sergei Dorenko Dead at 59
MoscowBy admin May 10, 2019 Leave a comment
Sergei Dorenko died on May 9 in Moscow. According to multiple media reports, he was riding his motorcycle not far from the city center when he had a heart attack, drove into the oncoming traffic lane and then slid to a stop. No other vehicles were involved in the accident, and he apparently died on the…
Was the Mayor of Latvia's Capital Ousted Because He Was Corrupt, or Russian?
RIGA, Latvia — The sun was shining on Latvia's capital Riga on Thursday as the city's former mayor Nils Ušakovs stepped forward with a World War II veteran to lay flowers at the base of a monument commemorating the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany. For the Baltic nation's sizeable Russian minority Victory Day is…
Russian Preschoolers' Victory Day March Stirs Outrage
Children in southern Russia who donned military uniforms and paraded in front of their parents and officials ahead of Victory Day have generated pride among local authorities and caused outrage elsewhere in Russia. The Pyatigorsk city administration boasted that around 500 preschoolers dressed as airborne troops, sailors and Soviet soldiers took part in the parade…
Russia's Lavrov Says 'Extremely Significant' Differences With Japan on Peace Deal – Reports
Moscow and Tokyo still have "extremely significant" differences over a World War II peace deal that Japan hopes will end a territorial row between them, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency quoted Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying on Friday. Japan is seeking a deal with Russia to put an end to a dispute over islands off…
Siberian Communists Unveil Stalin Monument Amid Controversy
A controversial sculpture of Soviet leader Josef Stalin was unveiled in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk on Thursday. A small black bust and two plaques were unveiled on the date Russia celebrates Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, with crowds gathering at a site where a fence and security measures will protect the memorial…
Russia's Endgame in Venezuela. And the Kremlin's Obsession With Victory Day
anotherBy admin May 9, 2019 Leave a comment
This week on From Russia With News, Moscow Times columnist and political consultant Max Hess explains why the Kremlin is going all in on Nicolas Maduro, the embattled leader of Venezuela who recently fended off a coup attempt backed by the United States. And it's Victory Day. We speak with Washington Post bureau chief Anton…
Russia's 'Immortal Regiment' Marches On Victory Day
Each year on Victory Day, millions of people in Russia parade with portraits of relatives who fought in World War II. Called the Immortal Regiment, the tradition — which recognizes those who took part in what Russia calls the Great Patriotic War — has grown every year since it began in 2012, both inside and…
Russia Marks Victory Day With Red Square Military Parade
Every year, Russia celebrates May 9 as the day the Soviet Union defeated Nazi Germany in World War II. Modern-day Russia marks Victory Day with parades and processions across the country, but none more well-known than Moscow's massive parade that showcases the Russian military's tanks, planes, artillery and soldiers. This year's military parade on Red…
Putin, Battling Ratings Slump, Reviews Victory Day Military Parade
President Vladimir Putin watched intercontinental nuclear missile launchers roll across Red Square on Thursday as Russia put on its annual show of military might to mark the Soviet Union's World War Two victory over the Nazis. Battling a ratings slump as Russia grinds through a sixth consecutive year of falling real incomes, Putin looked on…
Russians, Opposition Figures Sentenced Over Role in 2016 Montenegro Coup Attempt
Two Russian intelligence officers and two opposition politicians were among 13 people sentenced on Thursday over a 2016 election day plot aimed at toppling Montenegro's government, killing the prime minister and bringing a pro-Russian alliance to power. The verdict given in the heavily guarded Montenegro court said that on Oct. 16, 2016, the accused planned to…
Russian Airport Fire Crews Mobilized a Minute After Jet Crash-Landed
Staff at a Moscow airport scrambled fire crews one minute after a malfunctioning passenger jet crash-landed on Sunday, raising questions among some senior Russian aviation industry figures about whether the staff acted quickly enough. The speed of the response to the emergency, in which 41 people were killed in an intense blaze, has come into…
New Anti-Gay Abuses Hit Russia's Chechnya – HRW
Police in the Russian republic of Chechnya are carrying out a new round of detentions and beatings of suspected sexual minorities two years after reported mass anti-gay purges, Human Rights Watch said on Wednesday. The new report makes this the third anti-gay crackdown in the majority Muslim region in as many years. An investigative report…
Russian Football Stars Sentenced to Jail for Assault
A Moscow court on Wednesday sentenced two well-known Russian football players to prison terms for their involvement in assaults last year. Moscow's Presnensky District Court sentenced Alexander Kokorin to 18 months in jail, while Pavel Mamayev was ordered to serve 17 months. Alexander Kokorin and Pavel Mamayev, who both play in Russia's top league and…
Moscow's Russian Romani Theater
MoscowBy admin May 8, 2019 Leave a comment
When in Moscow, see what is unique to Moscow. That is the credo that sends tourists and expats to the Kremlin, St. Basil's Cathedral, and even Bunker 42. It should also send everyone to the Romen Theater, the only dramatic and musical repertory theater in the world created by, run by, and dedicated to the…
Russian-Made Jets Delayed, Grounded After Deadly Fire
A Russian-made passenger plane has encountered delays days after an emergency landing ended in a plane fire that resulted in the deaths of 41 people in Moscow. Questions resurfaced about the Sukhoi Superjet 100's safety after one of the planes crash-landed shortly after takeoff at Sheremetyevo Airport on Sunday, killing 40 passengers and one flight…
Putin Aide Says Remarks About Ukraine's Jewish Repopulation 'Distorted'
Kremlin aide Sergei Glazyev has said a passage on an obscure nationalist website in which he entertained the possibility that Ukraine's new president could populate the country's war-torn southeastern region with Jews has been falsely interpreted. Glazyev, an economic adviser to President Vladimir Putin, wrote that Volodymyr Zelenskiy's presidency could lead to "mass movement into…
Kremlin Blames U.S. for Iran Nuclear Deal Rollback, Urges Restraint
The Kremlin said on Wednesday that Iran had been provoked into rolling back some of the terms of a 2015 nuclear deal due to external pressure which it blamed on the United States. Iran said earlier on Wednesday it had started scaling back parts of its commitments under the deal and threatened to do more…
St. Petersburg's Scars of War
May 9 represents one of the biggest celebrations in Russia, but also the commemoration of the end of one of the darkest chapters in the history of the country. Although victorious in what Russians call the Great Patriotic War (their part of World War II), the Soviet Union lost over 27 million people. Leningrad paid…
Ex-Marine Whelan Links His Detention in Russia to U.S. Sanctions
Former U.S. marine Paul Whelan told his family that he thinks that Russia is holding him on espionage charges because of U.S. sanctions over Ukraine, Foreign Policy reported on Wednesday. Whelan, who holds U.S., British, Canadian and Irish passports, was detained in a Moscow hotel room on Dec. 28 and accused of espionage, a charge…
Vulgar Putin Graffiti Photographer Charged With 'Disrespect'
Police in a city north of Moscow have filed administrative charges against a man who posted a photograph online of graffiti calling President Vladimir Putin an anti-gay slur. Kirill Potupnikov of Yaroslavl snapped a picture of the phrase which translates as "Putin is a f–" spray-painted on the local police building in late March. Two…
Russian Athlete Savina Gets 12-Year Doping Ban
Russian middle distance runner Ksenia Savina has been suspended for 12 years after she was found to have taken a banned substance and then provided false medical documents to avoid sanctions, the Athletics Integrity Unit said on Wednesday. The 29-year-old Savina, whose ban essentially ends her career, tested positive in an out-of-competition test for the…
PhosAgro 1Q 2019 IFRS Results Announcement Date
BusinessBy admin May 8, 2019 Leave a comment
On 16 May 2019, PhosAgro will publish its condensed consolidated IFRS financial statements for the three months ended 31 March 2019. The Company will hold a conference call and webcast the same day at 14:30 London time (16:30 Moscow; 09:30 New York). The call will be held in English, with simultaneous translation into Russian on…
Seven Die in Siberian Avalanche
Seven Russian climbers died and two survived in an avalanche in the Altai mountains in Siberia, emergency officials said on Wednesday. The avalanche happened in a remote area on the border of Russia and Kazakhstan Monday, but the survivors were able to descend and report the incident on Tuesday, Interfax reported. The two female survivors…
Director of 'Unpatriotic' Movie Says Russia Not Ready for Truth About War
Outside the Oktyabr cinema in central Moscow a well-dressed crowd lines the red carpet, waiting to catch a glimpse of acclaimed director Pavel Lungin as he enters the building for the premiere of his latest movie, "Bratstvo" (called "Leaving Afghanistan" for distribution abroad). But inside the auditorium is half empty because the authorities have closed…
Four Suspects Arrested in Russian Oil Contamination Case
A Russian court has placed four private oil firm executives under arrest for what authorities say is their role in the tainted oil scandal that forced Moscow to shut a major pipeline to central Europe and Germany. As of Tuesday, the main route of the Druzhba pipeline had been closed for almost two weeks and…
3% of Russians Trust Officials' Income Declarations – Poll
Only 3 percent of Russians believe that government officials submit trustworthy income declarations every year, according to an independent Levada Center survey. The 2018 declaration showed President Vladimir Putin earning 8.6 million rubles ($134,000), or less than half of what he earned in 2017. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev's yearly pay rose to 9.9 million rubles…
On This Day: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Born on May 7, 1840, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky became the first Russian composer to break through into the international market with a lasting impact on music all over the world. Today he remains the most popular Russian composer of all time. Tchaikovsky was born in a small town in Vyatka Governorate (now Udmurtia) to a…
Taas-Yuryakh Neftegazodobycha Sets New Record in Downhole Splitter Drilling
Taas-Yuryakh Neftegazodobycha LLC, a subsidiary of Rosneft Oil Company, has set a new penetration record in Fishbone downhole splitter drilling. The total length of the horizontal wellbore exceeded the previous record by over 800 metres and reached 6,052 metres. This is the most extensive horizontal part of a downhole splitter onshore. The start-up oil rate…
Putin Aide Says New Ukraine Leader Could Populate War-Torn Region With Jews
Ukrainian President-elect Volodymyr Zelenskiy could populate eastern Ukrainian land with Jews, Russian President Vladimir Putin's adviser Sergei Glazyev said in an opinion piece published Monday. Glazyev's blog post on an obscure nationalist website appeared on the day that Zelenskiy, who is himself Jewish, met with top Ukrainian Orthodox Jewish Hasidic rabbis. Kremlin officials and Russian…
Moscow Kicks Off Fountain Season
More than 500 working fountains are located across Moscow. Once used as sources of drinking water, they can be found anywhere from the city's most photographed sightseeing spots to its quiet courtyards. Moscow city authorities traditionally open these fountains right before the start of warm weather in May. As a result, Muscovites see the launch…
Half of Russians to Attend Victory Day Parades – State Poll
Almost half of Russians plan to attend Victory Day military parades and commemorative processions this May 9, a state poll published on Tuesday shows. Every year on May 9, Russia celebrates Victory Day to commemorate the Soviet victory in World War II. In Moscow, the day is marked with a massive parade through the city…
Crimean Tatars to Erase Hitler Collaboration Chapter From History Textbook
Authorities in annexed Crimea will remove a chapter from a 10th grade history textbook that describes Crimean Tatars as collaborating with Hitler by the beginning of the next school year. The pro-Moscow council of the Crimean Tatar ethnic group asked de-facto authorities in February to remove the offending textbook from local schools and libraries. The…
Morgan Stanley to Shut Down Its Russian Banking Business
Morgan Stanley is planning to send a formal notice to the Russian central bank that it will close down its banking operations in the country in the first quarter of 2020, its Russian unit said in its annual report. Morgan Stanley announced late last year that it was planning a voluntary shutdown of its banking business in Russia.…
Russian Airline Cancels Sukhoi Superjet Order After Fatal Crash Landing – Reports
Russian regional carrier Yamal Airlines said on Monday it was cancelling its planned purchase of 10 Sukhoi Superjet 100s, the same type of aircraft involved in a fatal crash landing the previous day, the state-run TASS news agency reported. Yamal announced its decision hours after Russia's transport minister said there was no reason to ground…
Fewer Than Half of Russians Support Syria Campaign, Poll Says
The share of Russians who support President Vladimir Putin's military intervention in Syria has dropped from more than half to less than half since August 2017, according to an independent Levada Center survey. Russia launched air strikes in Syria in 2015, helping regime forces take back most of the country in the eight-year-long civil war.…
7.5K Russians Sentenced for Bribery in 2018
Almost 7,500 people have been found guilty on charges of bribery last year, more than half of them for giving or taking less than $150, according to data released by the Russian Supreme Court's justice department. Anti-corruption activists say official figures vastly underestimate the prevalence of bribery in a country that ranks low in transparency…
Belarus In the Dark About When Clean Russian Oil Flows Will Resume
Belarus has no idea when clean Russian oil will flow across it once more to customers in Europe after contamination rocked the pipeline, sources at Belarusian state oil firm Belneftekhim and in the trading sector said. Flows via the main route of the Druzhba pipeline were suspended in late April because tainted crude had entered…
What We Know About the Deadly Aeroflot Superjet Crash Landing
Forty-one people on board a Russian Aeroflot passenger plane, including at least one child, were killed after the aircraft caught fire during a bumpy emergency landing at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport Sunday. Russia's Investigative Committee said it had opened a criminal case and was looking into whether the pilots had violated air safety rules. [embedded content]…
Russian Watchdog Warns State's Role in Economy is Growing
The process of strengthening the state's role in the economy has switched gears, as the state is no longer simply setting the rules of engagement, but attempting to regulate the whole economic system of the country, the Federal Anti-Monopoly Service (FAS) watchdog warned in a report on competition in 2018. The new trends are…
Three Killed in Russian Chemical Plant Blast
At least three people have been killed in a chemical plant explosion in central Russia, media reported and the Emergency Situations Ministry said Monday. Three workers were killed and one hospitalized with injuries at the Azot plant owned by fertilizer producer Uralchem, Perm region's 59.ru news website reported. The outlet quoted the regional safety administration…
Severstal aouces sale of Mii-Mill Balakovo
May 6, 2019 PAO Severstal (the "Company") one of the world's leading vertically integrated steel and steel-related mining companies, announces that it has entered into a definitive agreement with Abinsk Electric Steel Works LTD for the sale of Mini-Mill Balakovo. The consideration of the transaction will be $215 million. The transaction is expected to complete…
41 Confirmed Dead After Russian Aeroflot Plane Lands With Fire On Board
Forty-one people were killed and at least nine were injured when a Russian Aeroflot Sukhoi Superjet plane made an emergency landing at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport on Sunday due to fire on board. The plane, a one-year-old Sukhoi Superjet, departed from Sheremetyevo for Murmansk but shortly after taking off requested an emergency landing after experiencing equipment…
Russia's Lavrov Urges U.S. to Cancel Plans to Oust Venezuela's Maduro
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Sunday that Russia condemns what he called a campaign to overthrow Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, arranged by the United States, and urged Washington to cancel its "irresponsible" plans. Lavrov made his statements at the start of a meeting with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza in Moscow. Lavrov is traveling on Monday…
Mark Galeotti: 'The Vory: Russia's Super Mafia'
In "The Vory: Russia's Super Mafia," Mark Galeotti draws on years of research to tell the grimly absorbing tale of Russia's criminal underworld. Galeotti is a specialist in Russian history, security and crime who is a senior researcher at the Institute of International Relations (Prague); a regular contributor to international news outlets, and advisor to…
A Day in the Life of a Yandex Food Courier
On April 16, 21-year-old Yandex Food courier Artyk Orozaliyev died after a 10-hour shift. Doctors have linked his death to exhaustion stemming from overwork. The incident triggered outrage on social media over the Russian company's treatment of its couriers. Other Yandex Food couriers posted complaints of steep fines and harsh delivery timetables. We followed a Yandex Food…
Trump Says Putin Not `Involved' in Venezuela, Despite U.S. Claim
Donald Trump said that Russian President Vladimir Putin isn't seeking to "get involved" in the crisis in Venezuela, despite assertions by the American president's top national security advisers that the Kremlin is offering critical support to Nicolas Maduro's regime. "He is not looking at all to get involved in Venezuela other than he'd like to…
Trump, Putin Discuss Possible New Nuclear Accord – White House
U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin for more than an hour on Friday, discussing the possibility of a new nuclear accord, North Korean denuclearization and the political situation in Venezuela, the White House said. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told reporters Trump and Putin talked about the possibility of a new…
Man Arrested for Vandalizing Soviet Monument Over 'Wrong' Tank Color
A central Russian man has been detained on charges of vandalizing a monument of a Soviet tank because of its color. Authorities in Saratov were notified that red paint had been poured on the monument with a sign reading "I request that the T-34 is painted a respectable color" attached to it with Scotch tape.…
Bubonic Plague Scare Closes Russia-Mongolia Border, Trapping Russian Tourists
Two deaths linked to bubonic plague in Mongolia have caused authorities to place its border with Russia under "indefinite quarantine," leaving Russian tourists stranded, The Siberian Times reported Friday. Experts say the direct descendants of the same bubonic plague that killed 50 million people in the 14th century still exist today, killing around 2,000 people…
Russian Nursery School Head Faces Dismissal for Abusing 'Unpatriotic' Kindergartener
The head of a kindergarten in southern Russia who was caught on camera shoving a 5-year-old boy to the ground for his alleged lack of patriotism will be fired after the national holidays, authorities said. Leaked footage of the woman telling the boy to "kiss the ground that feeds you" as she forces him to…
Russian Labor Day Detainees Declared 'Prisoners of Conscience'
The scores of demonstrators arrested at Labor Day processions in Russia this week have been declared prisoners of conscience, the Amnesty International human rights organization said on Thursday. Russian riot police and national guardsmen detained 131 people during May Day protests on Wednesday, sometimes using extreme force to take anti-government activists into custody. Most of…
Ukraine's Zelenskiy: Border 'Only Thing Left in Common' With Russia
The Russian-Ukrainian border is the only thing left in common between the peoples of the neighboring countries, Ukraine's President-elect Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said in response to remarks from President Vladimir Putin. Between signing orders that expedite the Russian passport application process for certain categories of Ukrainians, Putin called Russians and Ukrainians "one people" with common…
UN Mission Criticizes Probe into Odessa Deaths
The Ukrainian government has not duly investigated the dozens of deaths that took place when riots led to a trade union house fire in the port city of Odessa five years ago, the United Nations said Thursday. Forty-two people died in a fire after pro-Russian protesters were trapped in the trade union building on May…
Russia's Lavrov Denies Moscow Asked Maduro Not to Leave Venezuela – Reports
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov dismissed as untrue on Thursday assertions by U.S. officials that Moscow had urged Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro not to leave the country amid the continuing unrest there, the state-run RIA news agency reported. RIA also cited Lavrov as saying that Russia and the United States had irreconcilable positions on Venezuela but that…
On This Day: Catherine the Great
On May 2, 1729, the woman who would become Catherine the Great was born as Princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst in Stettin, Prussia (now known as Szczecin, Poland) to a German family. After a largely uneventful childhood, at the age of 16 she married Karl Ulrich. Karl Ulrich was the only son of Charles Frederick, Duke…
Russian Arctic Researchers Evacuate Station as Polar Ice Cracks
Researchers from the Russian Hydrometeorological Institute, Roshydromet, had to flee from their Arctic station on Monday when the ice floe they were working on started to vanish from under their feet. The scientists, who are studying pollution in Russia's Arctic region, had been on the ice for more than a month when the emergency struck…
First Russian to Referee Champions League Final
Former women's national football team defender Anastasia Pustovoitova will be the first Russian national to referee a Champions League final after the UEFA selected her to officiate the women's final later this month. Olympique Lyonnais play FC Barcelona Femenino in Hungary on May 18. No Russian — male or female — has refereed a Champions…
Russia's Oil Flows to Europe Drop Amid Contamination
Russia halted oil flows along the Druzhba pipeline to Eastern Europe and Germany last week because of contaminated crude, a move that helped lift global oil prices to a six-month high and left refiners in Europe scrambling to find supplies. Below are details about the problem and action being taken: What happened? At least 5 million…
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