Category: Security

Almost a dozen lawn signs depicting the Israeli flag have been stolen from yards in town, officials say.

In her newsletter, Wilton First Selectwoman Lynne Vanderslice said residents have reported theft of lawn signs displaying the Israeli flag over the last few days.

“The Wilton Police are actively investigating,” she said. “The thefts are not only illegal, but are acts of antisemitism that won’t be tolerated in Wilton.”

Vanderslice said residents should report any stolen sign to the Wilton Police Department in order to assist them in their work identifying the suspects. She shared a map of the locations in town where the signs were stolen from, and said there were seven taken as of Tuesday and three more reported stolen Wednesday morning.

“If you live in the area of any of these locations and saw something, please report it to the police,” she said. “If you have outside cameras, please check your cameras and pass along any video of potential interest to the police. Let’s all be vigilant as a means of showing support.”

The news comes after other towns in Connecticut have reported vandalism against signs showing support for Israel, as well as a rise in antisemitic actions.

In Stamford, swastikas were found painted in different locations in two separate incidents at the Academy of Information Technology & Engineering, officials said Tuesday.

Over the weekend, officials in Westport and Weston said red hand prints recently appeared on signs of the flag of Israel over the weekend. Officials in both towns condemned the vandalism, citing them as evidence of rising antisemitism.

Also in Westport, Superintendent Thomas Scarice sent a message to the school community Monday evening about a video circulating on social media. He said it was an “appalling, distressing video that was addressed swiftly and firmly by the administration,” but said they could not share details about its contents due to student privacy laws.

On Oct. 13, someone called in a bomb threat to Congregation Beth Israel in West Hartford. The call was later determined by police to be a hoax.

Then, on Tuesday, police said a swastika was found carved into the window in the men’s bathroom at the Darien Train Station on West Avenue.

Earlier this month, Hamas, an extremist group based in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, launched a surprise attack on Israel in multiple locations. The attack resulted in the death of more than 1,400 Israelis.

Israel then declared war on Hamas, and its military strikes have killed at least 8,500 people as of Oct. 31, including more than 3,500 children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

Before the attack, Connecticut had been experiencing other instances of harassment aimed at the Jewish community. Earlier in October, a synagogue in Hamden closed for most of the day after someone emailed a bomb threat on Oct. 5. Congregation Mishkan Israel was later cleared by police and reopened.

This past summer, antisemitic flyers were found posted around Westport.

The Anti-Defamation League, an organization that combats antisemitism and extremism, reported in March that antisemitic incidents in Connecticut doubled in 2022 compared with 2021.

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(c) 2023 The Hour

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Cher will come out of “retirement” to perform in this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, appearing in the lineup just before the only star big enough to have the “Believe” singer as an opener: Santa Claus.

The Grammy-, Emmy- and Oscar-winner will perform at the end of the 2023 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in Manhattan, thrilling the audience before the man of the hour closes the festivities.

Timing will be perfect for the 77-year-old superstar, who just released her first new album in five years, “Christmas.” She’s also expected to drop a 25th anniversary edition of 1998’s “Believe” on Friday.

This year’s parade will begin 30 minutes earlier than usual, at 8:30 a.m., to accommodate a packed schedule of performers and celebrities, Macy’s announced Wednesday.

“Our talented team of Macy’s Studios artisans and production specialists work year-round to deliver the nation’s most beloved holiday event, live on Thanksgiving morning,” parade producer Will Cross said in a statement.

Grammy winner Jon Batiste will open the parade. Other performers include Pentatonix, Manuel Turizo, Chicago, Brandy and Jessie James Decker, among many more.

This year’s parade will include 5,000 volunteers, 16 featured character balloons, 26 floats, 32 heritage and novelty balloons, 12 marching bands and nine performance groups. One of the marching bands will come from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, site of a mass shooting in 2018.

Olympic gymnastics silver medalist Jordan Chiles, Paralympic swimming gold medalist Jessica Long and 2023 Miss America Grace Stanke will be in attendance, with parade organizers teasing “additional stars to be announced.”

There will be seven new massive balloons this year, including Po from “Kung Fu Panda” and the Pillsbury Doughboy. Classics including SpongeBob, Ronald McDonald and Pikachu will return as well.

Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker from the “Today” show will host the festivities on NBC.

In recent years, Macy’s has sought to have superstars perform near the end of the parade to signal Santa’s entrance. The “Queen of Christmas,” Mariah Carey, got the honor last year.

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© 2023 New York Daily News

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

A man who said he shot two sheriff’s deputies at point-blank range while seeking revenge for a friend killed by police was sentenced to 166 years in prison Wednesday, prosecutors said.

Deonte Murray, 39, was convicted in September on multiple counts of attempted murder, assault, robbery and carjacking for an 11-day string of crimes that culminated when he walked up to an L.A. County Sheriff’s Department cruiser parked outside a Compton train station and opened fire. Deputies Claudia Apolinar and Emmanuel Perez-Perez were struck in the head and face and required surgery for their serious injuries.

The attack occurred in September 2020, on the heels of the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis and during a flash point in police-community relations in L.A. after weeks of local protests against law enforcement. Murray, who admitted to the shootings, said he wanted payback after deputies killed his best friend, Samuel Herrera.

Eleven days before the attack on Apolinar and Perez-Perez, Herrera died in a shootout with sheriff’s deputies who were trying to serve a search warrant. Police recovered a small cache of firearms in Herrera’s garage, and neither of the deputies that Murray shot were involved in Herrera’s killing.

Murray’s attorney, Kate Hardie, said her client was in a grief-stricken rage after Herrera’s death and acting irrationally. He was living out of his car and operating in “a blur” of cognac and methamphetamine, she said.

Before shooting the deputies, Murray sprayed bullets at a car outside the Compton courthouse at a man he assumed was a plainclothes police detective. The victim in that shooting was not a law enforcement officer; he’d simply gone to the courthouse to file paperwork and was “trying to do a Zoom meeting in his car,” Deputy Dist. Atty. Stephen Lonseth told jurors.

Hours later, Murray approached the deputies’ cruiser and shot through the front passenger’s window before running away. Surveillance footage from the scene showed Apolinar, stained with blood, tending to Perez-Perez’s wounds.

“They’re alive because of, frankly, a miracle, and the heroics of Claudia Apolinar, who, despite being shot through the jaw, through the wrist, kept this from being a murder case,” Lonseth said.

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© 2023 Los Angeles Times

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Goodwill’s Boots to Suits program runs Nov. 1 — 14 at all Goodwill of the Great Plains retail stores.

Veterans and active military members are eligible to get a free $40 store voucher, which can go toward clothing and accessories, especially items that can be of help in a search for employment. In 2022, 1,023 veterans and active military members were served by this program, according to a press release.

“Goodwill would like to thank our local veterans and active members of the military for their service to this great country. This small gesture reflects Goodwill’s support and deep gratitude for those who put others before themselves so that we may enjoy our freedom,” said President & CEO of Goodwill of the Great Plains Briget Solomon in a statement.

To get a voucher, please visit the nearest Goodwill of the Great Plains store. Proof of military service, such as a military ID, is required. To find the store nearest you, visit www.goodwillgreatplains.org/shopretail/retail-stores/

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(c) 2023 Globe Gazette

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Americans are tipping their delivery drivers less often than they did last year. DoorDash is seeking to reverse that trend with an automated nudge — one that carries a hint of a threat.

The food delivery service is testing out a new in-app warning that encourages non-tipping customers to rethink their decisions.

Customers selecting a $0 tip while placing orders now see a pop-up message cautioning that orders without tips might take longer to be delivered. The tech news site The Verge first reported the change.

“Orders with no tip might take longer to get delivered — are you sure you want to continue?” the pop-up reads. “Dashers can pick and choose which orders they want to do. Orders that take longer to be accepted by Dashers tend to result in slower delivery.”

DoorDash said it began rolling out the “reminder screen” to customers a couple of months ago, but it generated buzz after a tweet showing a screenshot of the warning began circulating on Tuesday.

There has been growing confusion — and resentment — over tipping etiquette coming out of the pandemic, but declining to tip on food delivered to one’s door is still a clear faux pas.

The new DoorDash pop-up doesn’t change anything about ordering on the app or the delivery experience — it’s a warning for customers about what may go on behind the scenes. Already, DoorDash drivers, also known as Dashers, can see how much money they can expect to make from a delivery before accepting an order. If a payout looks low, it might take longer for a Dasher to accept the order.

Dashers aren’t told precisely how much a customer is tipping, but experienced delivery drivers can tell when something looks unusually low.

Gig workers who offer driving services already use their discretion when deciding which jobs to take on, with many competing apps vying for their services.

“As independent contractors, Dashers have full freedom to accept or reject offers based on what they view as valuable and rewarding,” Jenn Rosenberg, a company spokeswoman, said in a statement. “While the vast majority of customers do leave a tip, offers that don’t include a tip can be seen as less desirable — this impacts our entire community, leading to longer wait times for customers, orders sitting longer at merchants, and less value for Dashers.”

DoorDash has seen a reduction in $0 tip orders since beginning the test.

A model like DoorDash’s that encourages tipping before the service is received has challenged traditional conventions. The current model disadvantages customers who prefer to tip in cash and those who tip after an order has been delivered based on the quality of service. At the same time, it offers transparency to drivers whose incomes are tied to the jobs they accept.

The DoorDash pop-up comes as attitudes toward tipping are shifting, and Americans are tipping less frequently than they did a year ago, according to a Bankrate survey from June.

Fifty percent of respondents said they always tipped their food delivery drivers in 2023, down from 57% in 2022 and 59% in 2021. Seven percent of respondents said they never tipped delivery drivers, and 18% said they do “only sometimes.”

The survey found that two-thirds of U.S. adults have a negative view of tipping — 30% think that “tipping culture has gotten out of control” and 41% believe that businesses should pay employees better rather than relying so much on tips.

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© 2023 Los Angeles Times

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray warned the U.S. Senate Tuesday that the United States is currently facing an elevated risk of potential terrorist attacks in the aftermath of the October terrorist attacks against Israel that were carried out by Hamas terrorists.

Testifying before the Senate Homeland Security Committee on Tuesday, Wray described the “dangerous implications” for the security of the United States caused by the “very fluid situation” in the Middle East region.

“The reality is that the terrorism threat has been elevated throughout 2023, but the ongoing war in the Middle East has raised the threat of an attack against Americans in the United States to a whole nother level,” he said.

“Since the horrific terrorist attacks committed by Hamas against innocent people in Israel a few weeks ago, we’ve been working around the clock to support our partners there and to protect Americans here at home,” Wray continued. “We assess that the actions of Hamas and its allies will serve as an inspiration the likes of which we haven’t seen since ISIS launched its so-called caliphate several years ago.”

Wray noted that over the past several weeks, various terrorist organizations have called for increased attacks against the United States and other Western nations. As examples, Wray said Al-Qaeda recently issued “its most specific call” to violence against the United States in the past five years, ISIS issued a call to target Jewish communities throughout Europe and the United States, and Hezbollah has publicly supported Hamas and threatened violence against U.S. interests in the Middle East.

READ MORE: Feds warn Hamas terrorists may enter U.S. through southern border, report says

Additionally, Wray highlighted the recent series of attacks against U.S. military bases in Iraq and Syria that have been conducted by Iran-backed terrorist organizations.

Wray warned that U.S. officials are concerned that individuals in the United States could be inspired by the recent terrorist attacks and conduct their own attacks against the U.S.

“We cannot and do not discount the possibility that Hamas or another foreign terrorist organization may exploit the current conflict to conduct attacks here on our own soil,” he warned. “We have kept our sights on Hamas and have multiple ongoing investigations into individuals affiliated with that foreign terrorist organization. And while historically, our Hamas cases have identified individuals located here who are facilitating and financing Hamas’ terrorism overseas, we’re continuing to scrutinize our intelligence to assess how the threat may be evolving.”

However, Wray warned that Hamas is not the only current terrorist threat to the United States. He claimed that Iranians, “as the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism,” have attempted to assassinate “dissidents,” as well as current and former government officials in the United States. Wray also pointed to Hezbollah’s extended history of spying, planting infrastructure and operatives, and collecting weapons and money in the United States.

“Given that disturbing history, we are keeping a close eye on what impact recent events may have on those groups’ intentions here in the United States and how those intentions might evolve,” Wray told the Senate Homeland Security Committee.

Wray suggested that if the conflict in the Middle East escalates, the United States can expect to see increased “kinetic attacks,” as well as increased cyber attacks against American interests and infrastructure.

“Across the country, in each and every one of the FBI’s 56 field offices, we are addressing these threats with a sense of urgency,” Wray said.

A Florida pilot was rescued from an alligator-ingested swamp in the Everglades Tuesday by a Miami-Dade Fire Rescue team over six hours after his small airplane crashed into the swamp.

According to a Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Facebook post, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue responded at 10:20 a.m. on Tuesday to assist Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue after a small airplane crashed near Mack’s Fish Camp in southwest Broward.

“Due to the remote location of the incident and difficult terrain, MDFR’s Air Rescue North arrived on scene to conduct a hoist operation in order to rescue the patient from the downed aircraft and provide medical care,” Miami-Dade Fire Rescue stated. “One adult patient was safely removed from the aircraft and then airlifted to a local-area hospital in Broward County.”

According to The New York Post, the Florida pilot was able to cling to the wreckage of the airplane for over six hours before the rescue team was able to remove him from the danger of the alligator-infested swamp.

A video posted on YouTube shows the moment the rescue team was able to remove the unidentified pilot from the swamp.

According to the New York Post, roughly one hour after the pilot departed from Lake Okeechobee, the Cessna Skyhawk crash-landed near Miami Lakes in the Everglades at approximately 4 a.m.

The pilot’s airplane was from the Pilot Training Center, which eventually contacted the authorities when the flight was not completed on schedule. Broward Sheriff’s Office fire chief Michael Kane told CBS Miami that the pilot most likely was not able to call for help since the airplane’s communications were submerged in the swamp.

Explaining why the rescue team decided to use a helicopter to rescue the pilot, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Captain Andy Borges told NBC 6 South Florida, “The area that he was in was hard to access by airboats.”

READ MORE: Congresswoman’s husband dies after plane crash

When the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue team arrived at the crash site, they found the pilot standing on the wings of the partially submerged airplane. The pilot had no shirt on, as he had turned his shirt into a makeshift tourniquet for a leg injury.

After locating the pilot, a member of the rescue team was lowered from the helicopter in order to hoist the pilot up to safety.

Describing the nature of the rescue, Borges said, “He was out there since four in the morning, so it’s alligators and mosquitos and everything else that is out there. A little dehydrated. So, very happy to see us.”

Kane also discussed the department’s amazement at the pilot’s survival, saying, “To be able to seemingly walk away with just a leg injury after putting an aircraft down in the Everglades with the thick brush is an amazing feat in itself. We’re very grateful that he’s okay.”

After the rescue, the unidentified pilot was transported to a hospital; however, the New York Post reported that he had only minor injuries.

For Missy Elliott, a spot in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame once seemed “so far out of reach.” But in a matter of hours, she will become the first female hip-hop artist inducted into the coveted community.

The “Lose Control” rapper reflected on her historic honor in an interview with “Good Morning America” host Robin Roberts shared Thursday. Elliott, known for catchy hits including “Get Ur Freak On” and “Work It,” told Roberts that her Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction is meaningful in more ways than one.

“It being the 50th year of hip-hop, [there are] layers,” she said. “No matter what people say, the hip-hop world is something special and unique.”

On Friday, Elliott will join fellow inductees including Kate Bush, Sheryl Crow and Willie Nelson for a ceremony at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. This year, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame will also recognize Rage Against the Machine, the Spinners and the late singer George Michael.

Elliott added that being among her fellow inductees “is a blessing, past a blessing.” The Virginia native, who defined rock ‘n’ roll as a “gumbo of different styles of music,” also revealed that she will have a few special guests joining her for the honor.

Elliott’s longtime friend and Oscar-nominated actor Queen Latifah will introduce the rapper during Friday’s ceremony. The “Set It Off” and “Chicago” star previously presented Elliott her Songwriters Hall of Fame honor in 2019. The Grammy winner told Roberts that the hip-hop luminary helped pave the way for her career.

“I owe so many flowers, bouquets. It’s not enough bouquets for those women that came before me,” she said. “And she’s one of those women.”

Elliott, 52, added that her mother has “never been to a show” and will also be at Friday’s ceremony, where she’ll finally watch her daughter perform. The 2019 MTV Video Vanguard recipient said she had been nervous about her mother hearing “some little words” in her songs.

Since breaking out in the ’90s with R&B group Sistas, Elliott has established herself as a hip-hop staple, with wins at the Grammys and BET Awards. Decades into her career, Elliott has a message for her younger self.

“There is a bright future for you, and keep going,” she said. “That girl knew she had something that was different and unique.”

Elliot also spread the love to her fans in a statement shared on X early Thursday. She praised her “Day 1’s and New Fans” for their continued support and honesty.

“You have done with grace & never disrespected me even if sharing things you wanted to see from me through the years,” she wrote. “For that you have made even the toughest times easier to make it through with your love and encouragement.”

“This is YOU!” she said of her Rock & Roll Hall of Fame accomplishment. The ceremony will be broadcast live on Disney+ at 8 p.m. Eastern on Friday.

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© 2023 Los Angeles Times

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Among the first things off-duty pilot Joseph Emerson is said to have told police after he was accused of trying to bring down a Horizon Air flight last month was that he’d been struggling with depression for six months and hadn’t slept in 40 hours.

The Oct. 22 flight had left Everett’s Paine Field for San Francisco, Emerson’s home base with Alaska Airlines. Sitting in the cockpit jump seat, Emerson told the pilots, “I’m not OK.” Prosecutors contend Emerson then tried to activate a fire suppression system that would have cut the fuel supply to the engines.

Emerson had renewed his pilot’s license three months before, which means he passed the regular psychiatric evaluation required of all commercial airline pilots. The 44-year-old California man was not medicated, according to statements to police.

Emerson appears to have been among scores of U.S. pilots who keep quiet about their mental health struggles because of stigma, risks to their career and the understanding that commonplace mental health issues can ground them for months, if not longer.

U.S. pilots’ struggles with mental health have drawn congressional interest since at least 2015. In June, the Senate introduced a bill that would boost the FAA’s 2024 to 2028 budget to allow the agency to form a working group that can address pilot mental health protocols. The bill would also improve the FAA’s ability to issue special medical approvals to clear backlogs and get healthy pilots back to work.

In a country that relies heavily on air travel, passengers end up potentially impacted by pilots who don’t report mental health struggles due to systemic barriers. At the same time, pilots risk months without work if they report mental health issues or seek care.

Forty percent of American adults have anxiety or depression symptoms, but pilots may also struggle with additional stress, anxiety or depression because of the nature of the work, said Dr. Ryan Shugarman, an Alexandria, Virginia-based psychiatrist who has worked for 10 years with pilots undergoing mental health evaluations.

“Pilots are not immune to mental health issues, and they have their own unique stressors,” Shugarman said. “Being away from family for extended periods of time, the inconsistency of (their) schedule can lead to marital disruption, sleep issues.”

The disclosure dilemma

One of the challenges of evaluating a person’s mental health is the reliance on self-reporting. Examiners count on patients to be honest when talking about their symptoms. There’s no universal test or scan for many of these seemingly invisible illnesses.

“There definitely are people that don’t report it and may slip through the cracks,” Shugarman said.

Mental health professionals routinely rely on self assessments, like Patient Health Questionnaire-9, to gauge a person’s mental health. The PHQ-9 evaluation asks patients questions like how often they’ve experienced “thoughts that you would be better off dead or of hurting yourself in some other way.” The FAA uses PHQ-9 as a tool as well.

Self-reporting can lead some pilots to minimize their symptoms. A 2022 study co-authored by William Hoffman, a neurologist and affiliated assistant professor of aviation at the University of North Dakota, showed 56.1% of pilots reported a history of health care avoidance due to the fear that they would lose their medical certificate, which attests to a pilot’s fitness. According to the study, 45.7% sought informal medical care and 26.8% misrepresented or withheld information on a health care questionnaire.

The FAA can fine pilots who lie on their medical examination up to $250,000, imprison them for up to five years, or both.

Pilots should be honest in their disclosures, but penalizing those who aren’t does not fix the problem, Hoffman said. Risk of prosecution is part of a system that forces pilots to choose between flying or taking care of their mental health.

The FAA said in an email pilots should seek early help for mental health conditions since most, if treated, don’t disqualify a pilot from flying. For example, mild depression and anxiety, if properly treated, are not necessarily disqualifying, the agency said.

If a pilot seeks help early and receives care, they can get their medical certification more easily, Hoffman said. But mental health stigma remains a big issue for pilots.

“To be faced with that situation where they’re out of control, the loss of autonomy, in a lot of ways the loss of identity of pilots who are flying, is a very worrisome thing,” Hoffman said.

Reporting a mental health issue can also lead to months without flying. Taking a prescribed antidepressant means at least six months without flying, according to FAA policies. After the six months are up, the pilot will be required to disclose whether they are still taking an antidepressant. Once they are no longer taking an antidepressant, the pilot will still be grounded for another two months before being cleared. During that time, pilots can apply for disability pay through their airline.

Psilocybin-assisted treatment is part of a growing trend of using psychedelics to treat mental health issues. Psilocybin is still unregulated in Washington, but research has shown that it can help treat patients with severe PTSD or depression. Emerson told investigators he took mushrooms about two days before the Oct. 22 flight, and a day after his last flight for Alaska, but it’s unclear whether he was using them medicinally.

Time off the job can lead to loss of pay and the need for more training. Beyond that, pilots are often responsible for the expenses of FAA-required medical evaluations.

Shugarman, the psychiatrist, takes referrals from what are known as aviation medical examiners. These doctors evaluate pilots and send their findings to the FAA.

If a pilot is flagged by the FAA for further evaluation, Shugarman will conduct a more thorough review, which often requires several hours of evaluation, including reviewing medical records and interviewing family members. He then submits the results to the FAA. The agency has the final authority to accept or reject a pilot.

The last time Emerson was issued a flying certificate was July 10, according to FAA records. Pilots are required to go through a medical examination every six months to a year, depending on the type of flying and their age.

Emerson has never had his license revoked or denied, an Alaska Air spokesperson said. The crew on the Oct. 22 flight said he did not seem intoxicated when he boarded the Horizon Air flight.

“[Mental illness] can go undetected, unless symptoms are obvious to the aviation medical examiner,” Shugarman said. “That is a challenge.”

Shifting practices

Though the Horizon Air flight crew successfully stopped what prosecutors describe as Emerson’s attempts to cut off fuel to the plane’s engines, other pilots have brought down planes.

In 2015, a co-pilot crashed Germanwings Flight 9525 in the French Alps while he was alone in the cockpit. The crash killed 150 people, and the co-pilot’s actions were determined to be suicide. After the crash, late U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein commissioned the Department of Transportation’s Office of the Inspector General to carry out an investigation, the results of which were published in July.

Emerson’s attorneys Noah Horst, Ethan Levi and Norah Van Dusen said in a statement that he was not under the influence of intoxicants when he boarded the Horizon flight and that he would not intentionally hurt people.

According to the July OIG report, the FAA could improve its procedures by collaborating with airlines, pilot unions and the aerospace medical community to address barriers that discourage pilots from disclosing mental health conditions and seeking treatment. The OIG recommended the FAA implement policy and protocol changes following that assessment.

Shugarman said he agrees with the OIG’s recommendations.

In June, U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Washington, and other senators introduced a bill that would establish an Aviation Medical Innovation and Modernization Working Group composed of licensed physicians with experience in aerospace medicine, psychological medicine and other relevant disciplines, to recommend improvements to the FAA’s medical review process.

“When we fly we expect to get where we’re going, safely,” Cantwell said in a June statement. The bill has not passed yet.

The Senate-appointed group would recommend “improvements to FAA mental health protocols, including but not limited to, mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety, the use of medications for treating mental health conditions and neurocognitive testing rules and applicability.”

Aviation is also seeing a generational change that is bringing younger pilots into an industry long dominated by baby boomers.

Younger pilots are more likely to make mental health a priority, former University of North Dakota aviation student John Dulski said in an article by Hoffman published in Scientific American. “Many are more willing to choose to get care at the risk of stepping away from flying,” Dulski said.

Hoffman argues that the FAA should change its policy to permit pilots with mild symptoms to seek therapy without losing their certification. Importantly, he said, changes should involve all stakeholders, from regulators to airlines, unions and the pilots themselves.

“You can absolutely be a pilot talking to a therapist. You can be a pilot and have a diagnosis of anxiety or depression,” Hoffman said. “If a pilot feels that they need help, they should absolutely get help soon, like right away.”

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© 2023 The Seattle Times

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

Mayor Brandon Johnson visited the White House Thursday morning to sound the alarm on Chicago’s migrant crisis, in his first in-person meeting with President Joe Biden centered on the burgeoning asylum-seeker issue.

Johnson’s spokesman Ronnie Reese confirmed the mayor sat down with Biden and his chief of staff Jeff Zients, White House senior adviser Tom Perez and other officials with the Department of Homeland Security to discuss Chicago’s need for additional federal relief.

Though the mayor has met with Biden before, this was the first session specifically addressing the more than 20,000 migrants who have come to the city in the past 14 months.

Biden did not promise anything in response to Johnson’s ask for at least $5 billion in additional aid for migrants, but “these were very productive and positive conversations,” Reese said. The president is attempting to push a supplemental $1.4 billion package for migrant shelters and services through Congress, but Illinois leaders have said much more is direly needed.

“From day one, I’ve said that the federal government has to do more,” Johnson said Wednesday in a news conference where he confirmed the trip. “Look, Chicago is leaning in. We have borne the brunt of the responsibility here. That’s not an equitable distribution of how government should cooperate. … We are a model example for the rest of the world. And we’ll take that message to DC.”

In addition to migrant support, the mayor asked Biden Thursday for more resources to help gun violence victims, Reese said.

Johnson’s trip followed a recent joint letter with the mayors of Denver, Houston, Los Angeles and New York urging the president to meet with them and secure more funding for their rapidly growing migrant populations. It was not clear how many of Johnson’s mayoral counterparts were there for the Thursday meeting with the president.

For months, Johnson has sought to dial up the urgency in his public messaging to the White House regarding the migrants while still showing a unified front with the leader of the Democratic Party. That has at times been a delicate dance, especially as Chicago was chosen as the location of the 2024 Democratic National Convention.

This summer, Johnson warned federal officials that Chicago could not go on with the pace of new arrivals without more funding, though his surrogates have taken on a more critical tone with what they say is Biden’s failure to address the humanitarian crisis.

The president, seeking reelection next year, has taken some of his sharpest intraparty blows on the topic of immigration, as scores of migrants struggle to get by without work permits in Democratic cities.

In Chicago, that has taken on the form of more than 3,300 migrants sleeping on the floors of police stations and airports. Johnson has vowed to get them out and into heated base camps by winter, but the frosty start to the week has left many advocates worried that time is running out.

Later Thursday, Johnson met with U.S. Reps. Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic House minority leader, and Jim Clyburn, assistant Democratic leader, as well as with the Illinois congressional delegation and a group of senators including Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth.

Although Johnson and Illinois congressmen officially asked for $5 billion in more migrant relief from Washington, some House members such as U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Chicago, are calling for $10 billion, her spokesman confirmed.

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© 2023 Chicago Tribune

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.