Una bandera negra izada en una mezquita en Irán llevó a usuarios en las redes sociales a decir que el país estaba llamando a la guerra.
“#Urgente ¿Viene lo peor? En #Irán a sido izada una #BanderaNegra en el #SantuarioRazavi en #Mashhad, provincia de #Khorasan”, dicen los subtítulos del video en Facebook del 18 de octubre. “Esto significa un llamado a la #guerra o la #Venganza”.
La publicación fue marcada como parte del esfuerzo de Meta para combatir las noticias falsas y la desinformación en su plataforma. (Lea más sobre nuestra colaboración con Meta, propietaria de Facebook e Instagram).
El video en Facebook saca de contexto el significado de la bandera.
La bandera negra fue una declaración de luto, no de guerra, como respuesta al bombardeo del 17 de octubre en el hospital de al-Ahli en Gaza. Este ataque dejó a cientos de muertos.
El Santuario Razavi, también conocido como el Santuario de Imam Reza en Mashhad, Irán, publicó una foto idéntica a la del video en Instagram. Según el subtítulo, el cual trató de censurar algunas palabras, la bandera negra se alzó en “respuesta a los crímenes barbáricos del régimen Zio**nis**t (Sionista), especialmente el bombardeo del hospital Al-M**u’am**dani (Al-Mu’amdani)”.
El Santuario Razavi es dirigido por Astan Quds Razavi, el cual también publicó un anuncio sobre la izada de la bandera negra. Basados en la versión de la página web traducida al inglés, esta dice, “Siguiendo el martirio de cientos de residentes en la Franja de Gaza en los crímenes barbáricos del régimen usurpador Sionista, el santuario Razavi va a tomar un sentimiento de luto”.
Los noticieros controlados por el estado iraní y otros también reportaron que el Santuario Razavi levantó la bandera negra en luto por las víctimas de las explosiones en los hospitales y otros “crímenes” cometidos por Israel.
En la verificación de una declaración similar, Reuters también relaciono la declaración del 18 de octubre publicada por Astan Quds Razavi, la organización administrativa del santuario, diciendo que la bandera fue cambiada a “luto público” dado a las muertes en Gaza después de la explosion en el hospital.
Basados en los comunicados de prensa del Santuario Razavi que fueron traducidos en Google, el santuario planeo más eventos, incluyendo una convocación de personas y una marcha en apoyo para expresar solidaridad a los palestinos.
No es poco común que el santuario levante una bandera negra en luto, esto lo hace para los aniversarios de martirio.
Una bandera negra izada en octubre por el Santuario Razavi en Irán no fue un llamado a la guerra. Calificamos la declaración como Falsa.
Este artículo originalmente fue escrito en inglés y traducido por Maria Briceño.
SAN JOSE – Anthony Duclair will play his 500th career NHL game on Thursday night when the San Jose Sharks host the Vancouver Canucks.
“I’m so blessed,” Duclair said Thursday morning. “All I can think of right now is my family back home and all the sacrifices they made for me to live my childhood dream. Five hundred goes by pretty quickly.”
But considering Duclair’s contract status – and the Sharks’ dismal start to the season – it’s fair to wonder how many more milestones the winger will celebrate in San Jose.
One of the pressing questions Sharks general manager Mike Grier will have to answer in the coming months is how many of his pending unrestricted free agents he’ll try to sign past this season. That list is led by Duclair, who is in the final year of a three-year, $9 million deal and could net the Sharks a sizeable return prior to March’s trade deadline because of his speed and scoring pedigree.
Grier said at the start of training camp that he did see the value of extending some Sharks players who are in contract years, such as Duclair and fellow forward Alexander Barabanov, with an eye on potentially getting the team out of its rebuild sooner rather than later. Grier said then he would continue to evaluate those players to see if they would be a fit long term.
Whether the Sharks’ 0-8-1 start prior to Thursday has changed that approach is unclear. But for the Sharks to extract as much value as possible in a Duclair trade, they first need him to produce at a level commensurate with his past accomplishments.
Entering Thursday, the Pointe-Claire, Quebec native was on a five-game scoreless streak and had just one point, a goal, in his nine games, matching the slowest start he’s had from a production standpoint in his 10-year career. He had just 11 shots on net in those nine games, a steep drop-off compared to the 183 games he played from 2019-2022 when he had 455 shots and 130 points.
Duclair told this news organization earlier this week that like other players, the stress of not winning games or producing has taken a mental toll. Asked if being in a contract year adds to that uneasiness, Duclair said, “I’ve been in this situation before plenty of times. So, it’s nothing different for me, to be honest. I try to approach every year the same. It’s the same mindset every single year.”
“We’ve seen flashes of what I know he’s capable of doing,” Sharks coach David Quinn said. “Sometimes change is hard for people. I know he wants to be much more consistent (in playing) to the strengths of his game.
“Him playing to his strengths and playing with conviction, shift in and shift out, and being in a good spot mentally will allow him to be productive.”
Canucks coach Rick Tocchet, who coached Duclair in Arizona for the first half of the 2017-18 season, felt the winger hit his stride during his three seasons in Florida from 2020 to 2023, using a style of play that could help him going forward.
“I don’t want to say he took shortcuts. I just felt that he didn’t play to his potential, and then he played great,” Tocchet said. “He played unreal for the Panthers. I think he found himself.”
“He really played some great games, was on that big line (with Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau), had some big years. I saw him go to the net and I saw him go through the middle of the ice more than I had ever seen him. It’s a maturity thing. When you’re 18 or 19 coming into the league, it takes you a while to understand. But I think Duke’s got a lot of hockey left.”
SHARED EXPERIENCES: At the start of Duclair and Tocchet’s time together in Arizona, the Coyotes began the season with a 0-10-1 record, matching the longest losing streak to start a season in NHL history.
Both learned from the experience.
“My goal at the time was to just be in the lineup every day and try and have a roster spot,” Duclair said. “Now, 500 games in, it’s kind of a different mentality but the goal stays the same. You just want to try to be the best player you can be for your teammates. Once you see one guy working hard, it can be contagious and other guys kind of follow suit.”
The Coyotes snapped won their 12th game of the season, a 4-3 overtime victory over Philadelphia, and with a healthy No. 1 goalie back in Antti Raanta, had a more respectable 28-31-11 record for the rest of the season.
“I think you practice pressure, you have to practice it, and then when things happen on the ice, guys are used to it,” Tocchet said. “It’s just not one guy. It’s the coaches too. We’re all involved in it.
‘You have to have a short memory, especially when things don’t go your way. Look for positives, whether it’s 10 good minutes, whether it’s 15, you’ve got to think of positives because when the energy is low, and you don’t bring it, that’s when the losing streaks go. It’s hard, but everybody has to bring energy every single day, and it’s the hardest thing when you’re losing.”
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Thursday, approved funds for the maintenance of the National Mosque and the Christian Ecumenical Centre.
Accompanied by senior officials from the FCT Administration, Wike noted that work on the monuments had been suspended by contractors due to financial constraints.
The minister recalled that the Christian Centre had requested funds for the second phase of its renovation.
He said if the FCTA ran out of necessary resources to complete the project, he would engage with President Bola Tinubu to secure additional funding.
“Jobs were awarded for the maintenance of the two National Monuments, which are the Mosque and the Church, and the jobs stopped because there were additional works that ought to be done.
“I am satisfied with all I have seen today and I have given the approval that the money should be released to the contractors to complete the additional project.
“While the Christian Centre had requested for a Phase II, which I said that I would look at the cost, if it is within what the Ministry of the FCT can build on its own, we would likely go ahead, but if it is what is above our threshold, we would have to go back to Mr. President for approval.
“What this tells you is that, it is in line with the agenda of Mr. President which is the Renewed Hope agenda of running an inclusive government, not abandoning National Monuments like these, which is part of our pride. Look at what we saw at the mosque, see the landscaping, look at what we have seen here in the church and the landscaping.
“They are built for the city and that is why I have said that Mr. President is not anti any religion. He takes all religions as one because we are all one Nigeria. Of course, you should know that he gave me the approval to come and visit these places and take up what it requires to be done,” Wike stated.
Wike Approves Funds For National Mosque, Church Maintenance After Inspection is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
Dr. Anthony Fauci, former longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, advised both Presidents Donald Trump and Joe Biden on the COVID-19 pandemic.
In all, he was an advisor to seven presidents — Republicans and Democrats — and their administrations on domestic and global health issues.
But is he “fake”? A recent Instagram post claims as much. And not just figuratively speaking.
“Dr. Fauci doesn’t exist!” an Oct. 31 Instagram post says. “Fauci was not on Larry King Live during the ‘AIDS’ epidemic.”
This post was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)
First, we found two appearances Fauci made on CNN’s “Larry King Live” during the AIDS epidemic.
In August 1992, he was the guest on an episode titled “Latest Medical Dilemma — A New Strain of AIDS.”
In December 1993, he was on an episode titled “AIDS — The Risks of ‘Casual Contact.’”
Second, claims that Fauci doesn’t exist are unfounded. Such a cover-up would require the complicity of seven presidential administrations, dozens of reporters who have interviewed him over the years, colleagues at the National Institutes of Health — of which the National Institute of Allergy Infectious Diseases is a part — and his high school basketball team. He was team captain in the 1950s.
Such a conspiracy would also stretch back decades, to before Fauci was a public figure and a pandemic-era bogeyman for some Americans.
We rate claims Fauci is a fictional person Pants on Fire!
PolitiFact news researcher Caryn Baird contributed to this report.
Para leer en español, vea esta traducción de Google Translate.
A pro-Donald Trump super PAC and Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign are both spinning the facts about support for Puerto Rican statehood.
A TV ad from the super PAC claims that when DeSantis, now Florida’s governor, was a U.S. congressman, he “sided with the liberals” and sponsored a bill “to make Puerto Rico a state,” a move it said would result in adding two Democrats to the Senate.
In 2018, DeSantis was one of 22 Republicans who — along with 15 Democrats — originally co-sponsored H.R. 6246, the Puerto Rico Admission Act of 2018.
The DeSantis campaign says the bill “didn’t grant or take a position on Puerto Rican statehood” but merely “clarified the process by which statehood would be granted to ensure it was subject to the will of the American people and a full congressional vote.”
But that soft-pedals the intent of the bill. The bill title states that it seeks “to enable the admission of the territory of Puerto Rico into the Union as a State.” After a transition process, the bill envisioned “final admission into the Union as a State no later than January 1, 2021.”
DeSantis’ campaign also argues that Trump once staked a similar position. When he was running for president in January 2016, Trump released a statement saying that Puerto Rico’s residents “should be entitled to determine for themselves their political status.” He said: “The will of the Puerto Rican people in any status referendum should be considered as Congress follows through on any desired change in status for Puerto Rico, including statehood.”
As president, Trump’s position on statehood turned to firm opposition after he clashed with several elected leaders in Puerto Rico who criticized his response to Hurricane Maria in 2017.
The ad attacking DeSantis is notable because its creator, the super PAC Make America Great Again Inc., had been ignoring DeSantis for months — at least when it comes to negative ads — focusing instead on attacking President Joe Biden. The ad, called “Power Play,” is airing in Iowa, which will hold its first-in-the-nation caucuses on Jan. 15.
A Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom Iowa poll in late October showed Trump leading among likely Republican caucusgoers with 43%, well ahead of DeSantis and Nikki Haley, who were tied with 16%.
Puerto Rico’s Status
Puerto Rico became a sovereignty of the U.S. after the Spanish American War in 1898. The island officially became a U.S. territory in 1917, and its residents became U.S. citizens. However, the roughly 3.3. million residents of the island cannot vote in general elections — though they can in primaries — and they have no voting representation in Congress.
Puerto Rico has a resident commissioner who serves in the U.S. House of Representatives but cannot vote on the floor.
In 2012 and again in 2017 and 2020, plebiscite votes in Puerto Rico showed majority support for statehood. But the idea has never gained enough traction in Congress for such a proposal to move forward. In order for Puerto Rico to become a state, legislation would have to pass both the House and Senate and be signed into law by the president.
Puerto Rican statehood historically has been supported more by Democratic leaders than Republican ones, Charles Venator Santiago, an associate professor of political science at the University of Connecticut, told us in a phone interview. Although the current resident commissioner who serves in the House is a Republican, that was more of a political consideration than an ideological one, he said. The governor of Puerto Rico is a Democrat.
“Most Puerto Ricans’ political leaders across ideology and local political parties identify with the Democratic Party,” Venator Santiago said. “In primaries, Democratic candidates tend to garner twice as many votes as Republican candidates. Democratic Party leaders tend to be more supportive of statehood than Republicans. Democrats have a longer track record of supporting social programs in Puerto Rico.”
But others aren’t convinced that federal elected leaders from Puerto Rico would necessarily be Democrats.
“Regarding this assumption [that residents of Puerto Rico would overwhelmingly support Democrats], I must say it is a widely popular, but incorrect one,” Mayra Vélez Serrano, a political scientist at the University of Puerto Rico, told us via email. “Although we don’t have good data to establish how likely it is that, if PR becomes a state, it will vote overwhelmingly for the Democratic Party, we have some data that shows this might not be true.”
Results of the World Survey Values in 2001 and 2018 “show that in many politicized issues such as abortion, Puerto Ricans are very conservative,” she said.
“The survey included multiple items to measure the respondent’s stance in issues of individualism vs collectivism, and ethical and moral values, and Puerto Ricans were mostly positioned center to right of the ideological spectrum,” Vélez Serrano said. “Thus, there’s no evidence that Puerto Ricans are natural born Democrats. The evidence does show that we are heterogenous population, and that conservatives’ policies will very likely attract a great [portion] of the population.”
The MAGA Inc. Ad
Nonetheless, the MAGA Inc. ad assumes elected leaders from a Puerto Rican state would be Democrats, and it accuses DeSantis of playing into Democrats’ hands with his support of the Puerto Rico Admission Act of 2018.
“Liberals have a plan to make Puerto Rico a state, adding two Democrats to the Senate,” the ad’s narrator says. “And Ron DeSantis sided with the liberals’ power play. DeSantis actually sponsored the bill to make Puerto Rico a state. … DeSantis sided with the liberals and sold out Iowa conservatives.”
The ad states as a fact that Puerto Rico becoming a state would result in “adding two Democrats to the Senate.” An image cites a Newsweek article as the basis for its claim that “statehood for Puerto Rico means more Democrats.” But as we have said, that’s an opinion, not a certainty.
The Dec. 22, 2022, Newsweek article says, “Much of the Republican Party remains hostile to statehood for Puerto Rico, with many fearful it would likely hand the Democrats another two seats in the Senate.”
Although Puerto Rican statehood bills tend to get more support from Democrats, numerous Republicans have also supported such bills, including some from Florida where Puerto Ricans are a powerful voting bloc, with nearly 860,000 eligible voters in 2018, according to the Pew Research Center. Florida Republican Sens. Rick Scott and Marco Rubio, for example, have both consistently expressed support for Puerto Rican statehood.
“Unfortunately, at this time most of my colleagues, even in the Democrat Party and also in the Republican, do not support that,” Rubio told Univision/Orlando in 2021. “But that can change, that can be changed. And that is about working, explaining, teaching and educating the Puerto Rican reality and the reason why that [statehood] is important.”
Rep. Elise Stefanik, chair of the House Republican Conference, also co-sponsored the Puerto Rico Admission Act of 2018.
“I am supportive of statehood for Puerto Rico, if that is what the people of Puerto Rico decide to pursue,” Stefanik said last December. “And I have consistently supported legislation throughout my time in Congress that would achieve the goals of self-determined statehood, a principle which has been a long-held position of the Republican Party.”
The Puerto Rico Admission Act of 2018
The Puerto Rico Admission Act was introduced by Puerto Rico’s resident commissioner, Jennifer González-Colón. In a press release issued the day the bill was introduced, June 27, 2018, González-Colón advocated statehood and talked about the “unequal treatment” Puerto Rico received after Hurricane Maria “due solely to our territorial situation.”
The bill sought to deem the plebiscites in 2012 and 2017 as “sufficient to trigger the transition process to Statehood.” The legislation called for the creation of a task force to study and make recommendations to Congress and the president about some logistics related to the transition to statehood.
According to González-Colón’s press release, “After the transition process, and no later than January 1, 2021, the President of the United States must issue a Proclamation declaring that Puerto Rico has ceased to be an incorporated territory of the United States and will be admitted to the Union as a State.”
“It was a pro-statehood admission bill,” Venator Santiago said.
But a spokesman for the DeSantis campaign insists the bill took no position on Puerto Rican statehood.
“The legislation you reference that DeSantis cosponsored (with 37 other members of Congress) didn’t grant or take a position on Puerto Rican statehood,” Bryan Griffin, a spokesman for the DeSantis campaign, told us via email. “It clarified the process by which statehood would be granted to ensure it was subject to the will of the American people and a full congressional vote.”
Griffin pointed to a section of the bill under the heading “Congressional Intent” that reads, “The enactment of this Act expresses the intent of Congress to pass legislation based upon the Task Force’s final report.”
“It put a process in place for PR to be potentially considered if they met specific parameters and, then, after affirmation by Congress,” Griffin said.
We asked Griffin what DeSantis’ current position was on statehood, but we did not get a response. We could not find any statements from DeSantis after he left Congress that articulates a position on the statehood issue.
New Progressive Party Rep. José Enrique “Quiquito” Meléndez, a lawmaker in Puerto Rico’s House of Representatives, told CE Noticias Financieras in a recent interview that it was past time for DeSantis to speak up on the issue.
“He must take a public position on statehood,” Meléndez said.
In a recent virtual event with voters in the U.S. Virgin Islands, DeSantis seemed to tip his hand, however, when he was asked if he supported congressional representation for U.S. territories.
“Well, how would the Virgin Islands vote for president — would they be red or blue?” DeSantis said. “I don’t want to pony up free electoral votes for the other team.”
“Obviously I think that we have these territories, people are Americans, and they should be treated as equal citizens,” DeSantis said. “How that works with the Electoral College, I’m not sure that there’s going to be necessarily a movement on that front, but I do think just generally speaking, the more equal the better.”
Trump’s Position
In response to the MAGA Inc. ad, Griffin also noted a statement from Trump that staked a similar position as the 2018 bill on the issue in January 2016.
“There are 3.7 million American citizens living in Puerto Rico. As citizens, they should be entitled to determine for themselves their political status,” Trump said in the statement. “I am firmly committed to the process where Puerto Ricans might resolve their status according to Constitutional and Congressional protocols. I believe the people of Puerto Rico deserve a process of status self-determination that gives them a fair and unambiguous choice on this matter. As president I will do my part to insure that Congress follows the Constitution. The will of the Puerto Rican people in any status referendum should be considered as Congress follows through on any desired change in status for Puerto Rico, including statehood.”
The GOP platform in 2016 also included support for Puerto Rican statehood.
U.S. and Puerto Rican flags wave next to a highway in eastern Puerto Rico on Sept. 29, 2017. Photo by Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images.
“We support the right of the United States citizens of Puerto Rico to be admitted to the Union as a fully sovereign state,” the 2016 Republican platform stated. It cited the 2012 referendum in favor of statehood and concluded, “Once the 2012 local vote for statehood is ratified, Congress should approve an enabling act with terms for Puerto Rico’s future admission as the 51st state of the Union.”
The Republican Party didn’t adopt a new platform in 2020.
Trump’s position on statehood took a hard turn, however, after he clashed with some elected officials in Puerto Rico who criticized his response to Hurricane Maria, which made landfall on the island in September 2017. (As we have written, Trump drew the ire of some officials in Puerto Rico after he wrongly claimed the official death toll from the hurricane had been inflated — DeSantis publicly contradicted him at the time — and grossly overstated the amount of disaster relief the federal government had supplied to Puerto Rico.)
In a working lunch at the White House in June 2018, then Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló urged Trump to pursue “what we call the unfinished business of American democracy, and using your word, sir, you want to make America great again. I think, we can make it greater and expanding it to include Puerto Rico as the 51st state.”
Trump dismissed the comment, joking, “Ricardo is going to guarantee us two Republican senators, right? Is that correct? Make that process very quick. Might be a very quick process.”
“I guarantee Puerto Rico will be a battleground state,” Rosselló said.
Just a few months later, in September 2018, Trump was more unequivocal, saying he was an “absolute no” on statehood for Puerto Rico.
“With the mayor of San Juan as bad as she is and as incompetent as she is, Puerto Rico shouldn’t be talking about statehood until they get some people that really know what they’re doing,” Trump said.
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DETROIT, Ore. — Has life been a sprint since Labor Day? The post-summer rush is exhilarating but also exhausting. One cure: a getaway for a mid-autumn reset. For a thorough recharge, spend 48 hours in a digital and physical detox.
That’s what I did recently at Breitenbush Hot Springs Retreat and Conference Center in central Oregon on a regimen of no internet, cell service, meat, alcohol or caffeine. The off-grid wooded property along the Breitenbush River is dotted with rustic accommodation, a cozy lodge and a constellation of 100-110 degree, clothing-optional geothermal pools perfect for soaking during an autumn chill.
But my visit was a small miracle. In September 2020, a devastating wildfire engulfed Breitenbush and nearly wiped it off the map. Valiant firefighters drawn from the Breitenbush ranks saved the community from total annihilation in one of the worst fires in Oregon’s history. The setting looks a little different today between the diminished forest cover, burn scars and new construction replacing buildings lost to the blaze.
Between fire and floods, this place is no stranger to natural disaster. Three years on, Breitenbush is well on the path to recovery, rebuilding and downright thriving with the potential to emerge better than ever.
Getting there and getting settled
Breitenbush is nestled in a canyon at 2,200 feet on the western slopes of the Oregon Cascades, about 260 miles from Seattle. You need a vehicle to reach Breitenbush — there is no reliable shuttle or taxi service — and the nearest car rental options are in Salem or Portland, both of which are served via Amtrak Cascades.
When traveling south on I-5, you have two options. The West Cascades Scenic Byway runs 63 miles from Estacada, southeast of Portland, on a paved mountain road through river canyons and with majestic views of volcanic Mount Jefferson. Or take Route 22 east from Salem for 59 miles through Detroit. From Nov. 1 to Apr. 1, the Oregon Department of Transportation requires vehicles to carry snow chains on the plowed road to Breitenbush.
Both routes are pockmarked with scars from multiple wildfires that converged on Central Oregon in September 2020. The fires destroyed all but one building in Detroit, which is slowly rebuilding. The burned hillsides are more extensive than any I’ve seen along a Washington paved road, although pockets of untouched trees illustrate the temperate rainforest that recently stood here.
Be advised that Breitenbush is not a luxury spa resort. Since 1977 Breitenbush has operated in its current configuration: a worker-owned cooperative whose Carter-era environmental and communitarian ideals persist. The setting is eminently comfortable, but demands some self-sufficiency.
For example, upon arrival you park at the entrance, check in at the office and wheel your belongings in a pushcart along gravel and dirt trails for five to 10 minutes to your lodging. Breitenbush is not ADA accessible, but there are often ramps or slopes to navigate the property in lieu of stairs. Exterior lighting is minimal to allow for stargazing, so packing a flashlight or headlamp is essential.
In October, my family of three stayed one night in the heated Sundial Yurt ($252 per night), which backs up to the natural white noise machine of the Breitenbush River. I slept soundly, although hooks for hanging clothes and wet towels would have made the Spartan yurt more comfortable.
A canvas walled tent aptly named Phoenix is part of the new lodging offerings at Breitenbush Hot Springs in central Oregon following destructive fires in September 2020. These unheated options are closed for the season from Nov. 1 to Apr. 1, but may be equipped with pellet stoves in the future for use during the winter. (Gregory Scruggs/The Seattle Times/TNS)
The next night we tried the Marsh Wren, an unheated canvas wall tent amid a bird-themed cluster called The Aviary ($182 per night). All unheated lodging will close for the season on Nov. 1, though there is talk of installing pellet stoves in future years. I wore fleece and sweatpants under blankets and slept comfortably on an autumn night that bottomed out around 50 degrees, but if you run cold, pack thermal base layers.
The Grove, which sits in a clearing that burned in 2020, consists of brand-new heated cabins, four units per structure ($157-$237 per night). For a budget option, Breitenbush offers small rooms with bunk beds in Milky Way, a converted milk truck ($117 per night). Lodging comes with a mattress and top sheet. Bring your own warm bedding, pillow and towel, or rent a set ($30 for singles, $35 for couples for the duration of your stay). Definitely pack a robe and sandals for the pools.
Lodging has electricity for basics like lamps and charging, but cannot handle appliances like hair dryers. There is no in-room running water. Instead, portable bathrooms and sinks are stationed throughout the property, plus two bathhouses with hot showers.
Meal ticket
Fall colors pop at Breitenbush Hot Springs in central Oregon. A September 2020 wildfire damaged the property, but plenty of tree cover remains on the forested grounds. (Gregory Scruggs/The Seattle Times/TNS)
Walking the whole property takes 15-20 minutes, and strolling under the forest canopy — much of which still remains, even if burn marks are visible — is part of the meditative Breitenbush experience. And stroll you must, because unless you’re staying in one of two rooms inside the centrally located lodge ($142 per night), you’ll need to walk for meal time.
All prices include room and board, with Breitenbush serving three cafeteria-style meals a day at set times. You’ll hear the meal bell anywhere on the property. Don’t dally — food is only out for one hour.
The menu is completely vegetarian, mostly organic and often vegan and gluten-free. Breakfasts of oatmeal, yogurt, granola, eggs and fruit were standard satisfying fare. Lunches and dinners were hit or miss. I adored an autumn arugula salad with squash and slathered vegan dill butter on homemade bread, but picked at a taco bowl of walnut chorizo and vegan nacho cheese.
My highlight was the daily drink, from a refreshing blueberry ginger mint limeade to cardamom and hawthorn berry tea. I leaned on the hot drink my first morning after I resolved to abide by the Breitenbush credo and forswear my daily cuppa. Caffeine isn’t served, but it is tolerated. I navigated past a gantlet of bathrobe-clad guests making French press coffee, resolved that nine hours of sleep and not looking at my phone before bed had left me properly rested.
Don’t like the food? You can bring snacks or grab something from the gift shop, and there is a communal fridge in the lodge, but there are no cooking facilities for guests. There is always soup and a salad bar if the main course is unappealing, though many find the meals among Breitenbush’s top attractions.
The historical lodge is Breitenbush’s nerve center with a library, gift shop and massage rooms. Everyone gathers at mealtime — in nice weather, the ample deck seating is a delight, although when rain forces everyone indoors, the dining hall gets cramped. Many linger in the lobby to read, chat, work on a jigsaw puzzle or play the 100-year-old piano. On a Saturday night when the resort was close to fully booked, a dozen guests sparked an impromptu singalong for after-dinner entertainment.
The soaking pools at Breitenbush Hot Springs range from 100-110 degrees and are filled exclusively with geothermal mineral water from on the property. Humans have soaked in these waters for thousands of years, as the pools were well-known to indigenous people in central Oregon. (Gregory Scruggs/The Seattle Times/TNS)
The main event of the day, of course, is soaking. There are two hot springs zones to choose from. A steam sauna and three meadow pools are just off the lodge, with views across the canyon. The hottest, the silent pool, is the ultimate retreat. Just your thoughts and the sound of the forest.
Behind the lodge and down a slope lie four tubs laid out in a spiral that increase in temperature as you move around the cardinal directions, plus a cold plunge tub for the classic heat-up-cool-down spa cycle. Individual bathtubs are also available on a first-come, first-served basis where you can set your preferred temperature.
All tubs are clothing-optional, coed and all ages. On my visit the split between nude and clothed was roughly 50-50. Pools are open 24 hours and a nighttime soak under the stars comes highly recommended.
Off-grid resilience
When you’re not immersed in the mineral waters, take a nap on the grass, calm your mind walking the labyrinth or sit by the rushing Breitenbush River. Water powers the hydroelectric dam, flushes the fish passage, provides drinking water via an on-site filtration system and gushes out of the earth from an 800-foot artesian well to heat Breitenbush’s structures and fill its pools. The only outside energy sources are propane for cooking and fuel for a small number of vehicles.
Maintaining this self-built infrastructure, cooking for hundreds daily, cleaning pools and serving guest needs falls to 53 staff and a handful of the cooperative’s member-owners. Such communal experiments were once common throughout the Pacific Northwest, but few have persisted with Breitenbush’s plucky determination.
The 2020 fire was devastating, though hardly the place’s first brush with disaster. Floods in the 1960s wiped out the business under its first owners, who established a health spa in the 1920s. When Alex Beamer bought the land in 1977 to start an intentional community, the derelict resort was uninhabitable. It took years to forge the bespoke wellness setting beloved of yoga practitioners and spiritual retreat leaders. The recent fire took 70 structures, many historical, in a matter of days.
An insurance payout, a forgiven Paycheck Protection Program loan and donations tallied $6 million to start the rebuilding process, which business director Peter Moore estimates will take 10 years to complete. (Full disclosure: My wife donated to the recovery campaign.) But such timelines don’t phase Moore, who was part of the pioneer era of idealistic dreamers who built the place from scratch. He is adamant that resilience in the face of adversity is inherent to Breitenbush’s DNA.
Eugene resident Doris Reynolds crochets and Portland resident Aketi Merrick draws in front of their cabin in the Grove, one of the new lodging options built at Breitenbush Hot Springs in the wake of destructive September 2020 fires. The mother and daughter have been planning this visit for over three years, but had to reschedule due to the pandemic, wildfires and reconstruction. (Gregory Scruggs/The Seattle Times/TNS)
“This is not just a destination resort or a hotel restaurant service in the woods,” he said. “There is something palpable about our commitment to be in nature, be self-reliant and respect natural processes and wilderness as much as we respect security, safety and comfort.”
When the initial shock from the 2020 fires wore off, Moore’s attitude was constructive.
“Let’s get to work, let’s survive and then we’ll thrive again,” he said.
That spirit rubs off on guests. After my weekend of relaxation, I felt reinvigorated to tackle the rest of the season ahead.
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If you go
Breitenbush Hot Springs Retreat and Conference Center
53000 Breitenbush Rd. S.E., Detroit, Oregon; 503-854-3320; breitenbush.com; lodging, meals, parking and soaking privileges $117-$237 per night. Day-use passes are $35 for adults 17+ and $20 for ages 5-17 and provide access to all facilities from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Lunch is not included but can be purchased.
The Central Bank of Nigeria has explained that the scarcity of cash in some parts of the country is due to high volume withdrawals and panic withdrawals from Nigerians.
The apex bank made the disclosure on Thursday while explaining the cause of the reported cash crunch in some parts of Nigeria.
The CBN said its attention has been drawn to reports of alleged scarcity of cash at banks, automated teller machines (ATMs), Points of Sale and among Bureaux de Change (BDCs) in some major cities across the country.
The apex bank said it has investigated the matter and found that “the seeming cash scarcity in some locations is due largely to high volume withdrawals from the CBN branches by Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) and panic withdrawals by customers from the ATMs.”
Recall that in the first quarter of 2023, under CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, the country suffered chronic cash crunch resulting from the redesign of the N1000, N500 and N200 notes.
In order to douse the tension, CBN said there are enough currency notes for transactions
The apex bank said, “We note the concerns of Nigerians on the availability of cash for financial transactions, we wish to assure the public that there is sufficient stock of currency notes for economic activities in the country.
“The branches of the CBN across the country are also working to ensure the seamless circulation of cash in their respective states of operation. Members of the public are, therefore, advised to guard against panic withdrawals as there is sufficient stock to facilitate economic activities.
“Nigerians are also advised to embrace alternative modes of payment, which would reduce pressure on using physical cash.”
CBN Reveals Why Cash Is Scarce In Some Parts Of Nigeria, Warns Against Panic Withdrawals is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
PolitiFact, the Poynter Institute’s fact-checking website, has named Katie Sanders as its editor-in-chief.
Sanders, 35, has served as managing editor since 2018. She succeeds Angie Drobnic Holan, who in July was named director of the International Fact-Checking Network. Poynter Institute President Neil Brown made the announcement in a meeting with the PolitiFact staff Thursday morning.
“I know you share in the pleasure of seeing this thoughtful and distinguished journalist ascend to the top post at our Pulitzer-winning fact-checking site,” Brown wrote in a letter to the newsroom.
Sanders has held a variety of reporting and editing roles for PolitiFact since joining the fact-checking website in 2011. She becomes PolitiFact’s third-ever top editor, following Holan and founding editor Bill Adair, who is now the Knight Professor of the Practice of Journalism & Public Policy at Duke University.
“Our work is urgent and needed,” Sanders said. “When you come to work for PolitiFact, you are almost overcome by this sense of mission to help voters make sense of confusing issues in their lives. That’s what kept me here, and why I’m so excited to lead such a dedicated team of journalists.”
Sanders has spent 12 years with PolitiFact in a variety of reporting and editing roles. She previously reported on government and politics for the Tampa Bay Times. (Poynter acquired PolitiFact from the Times in 2018.)
“Her career is a classic story of working your way up in the (Poynter) family business,” Brown told the staff.
Sanders grew up in Madison, Florida, and graduated from the University of Florida, summa cum laude in journalism as part of a dual degree. She started as an intern at what was then called the St. Petersburg Times in 2010, was hired as an editorial assistant in the Times’ statehouse bureau in Tallahassee in 2011 and covered breaking news and politics at the home office.
When the Times launched PolitiFact Florida in 2012, Sanders became a fact-checker covering the Florida Legislature from the state Capitol in Tallahassee. When the paper launched PunditFact in 2013 to hold media figures accountable, Sanders joined it and helped build it.
At PolitiFact, Sanders collaborated on a host of projects, including a sweeping initiative to document 533 of former President Barack Obama’s campaign promises. In the past several years, Sanders has helped select, write and edit PolitiFact’s signature Lie of the Year.
Sanders has represented PolitiFact on television, radio and social platforms. She has traveled the country and the globe to train and speak on topics including political reporting, fact-checking methodology and online harassment of journalists. Next week, she’ll lead the third iteration of United Facts of America, PolitiFact and Poynter’s annual three-day fact-checking festival.
Beyond Poynter, Sanders is president of the Florida Society of News Editors.
Para leer en español, vea esta traducción de Google Translate.
Quick Take
An online video shows Russian President Vladimir Putin addressing a 2021 military rally commemorating the triumph over Nazism in World War II. But an Instagram post sharing the video falsely claims Putin is shown announcing “help to Palestine” in the current war between Israel and Hamas.
Full Story
The fighting between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which began with Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7, has raised fears of a wider conflict involving other nations in the Middle East.
More than 9,000 Palestinians have died, the Gaza health ministry said on Nov. 2, and more than 1,400 Israelis have died, the Associated Press reported.
In recent weeks, the U.S. has sent warships, aircraft and troops to the region. The increased American presence is intended to support Israel, protect U.S. forces already in the Middle East, and deter other countries from entering the war, Pentagon spokesperson Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said on Oct. 26. “I won’t talk specific deployment locations for these forces, I can confirm that they are not going to Israel,” Ryder also said.
Meanwhile, a video posted on Instagram on Oct. 28 falsely suggests that it shows Russia is planning to provide military support to the Palestinians. The title on the video says, “Putin Announced Russia Will Openly Help to Palestine. No One Can Stop Us.” The video shows Russian President Vladimir Putin addressing troops at a military rally with armored vehicles and aerial displays of fighter jets and other aircraft.
A comment on the post reads, “Here we go WWIII! Thanks Biden!”
But the original video was not created after the start of the fighting between Israel and Hamas. It was made in May 2021 at a World War II “victory” ceremony. A translation of the transcript of Putin’s speech by the Russian media service Tass shows Putin was celebrating the May 9 Victory Day holiday, marking the defeat of Nazism in 1945.
Putin did not mention Palestine, Palestinians or Israel in the 2021 speech.
Putin has condemned the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and warned Israel not to block aid from reaching the Gaza Strip, the AP reported on Oct. 25. He has also said Russia could play the role of mediator because of its ties with Israel and the Palestinians, the AP reported.
The Russian president was not announcing armed support for the Palestinians in the video, as the Instagram post claims. The war between Israel and Hamas has sparked a barrage of misinformation and false claims on social media, as we’ve written.
Sources
Associated Press. “Russia maneuvers carefully over the Israel-Hamas war as it seeks to expand its global clout.” 25 Oct 2023.
Bigg, Matthew Mpoke. “What We Know About the War Between Israel and Hamas.” New York Times. 2 Nov 2023.
Christensen, Sean. “Posts Use Fabricated Audio to Misrepresent CNN Report During Rocket Attack in Israel.” FactCheck.org. 23 Oct 2023.
Copp, Tara. “The US is moving quickly to boost Israel’s military. A look at what assistance it’s providing.” Associated Press. 14 Oct 2023.
Garamone, Jim. “U.S. Military Continues Focus on Supporting Israel, Ukraine.” U.S. Department of Defense News. 26 Oct 2023.
Hale Spencer, Sara. “Social Media Posts Spread Bogus Quote From Qatari Leader.” FactCheck.org. 19 Oct 2023.
Hale Spencer, Sara and D’Angelo Gore. “What We Know About Three Widespread Israel-Hamas War Claims.” FactCheck.org. Updated 24 Oct 2023.
Sly, Liz. “Bloody assault on Israel sparks fears of a wider Mideast conflict.” Washington Post. 10 Oct 2023.
The Guardian. “Israel-Hamas war live: Palestinian death toll climbs to 9,061, including 3,760 children, says Gaza health ministry.” 2 Nov 2023.
Tass. “Speech by Vladimir Putin at the Victory Parade in Moscow.” Translation. 9 May 2021.
Toosi, Nahal, et al. “Biden is worried about a wider war in the Middle East. Here’s how it could happen.” Politico. 25 Oct 2023.
YouTube. “Victory Parade May 9, 2021: live broadcast.” 9 May 2021.
Christine Rogers of Wake Forest, North Carolina, didn’t hesitate when she was asked to fill out a routine mental health questionnaire during a checkup last November.
Her answers on the form led her primary care doctor to ask about depression and her mood, and Rogers said she answered honestly.
“It was a horrible year. I lost my mom,” Rogers said she told her physician.
After what Rogers estimates was a five-minute conversation about depression, the visit wrapped up. She said her doctor did not recommend treatment nor refer her for counseling.
“It’s not like anything I told her triggered, ‘Oh my goodness, I’m going to prescribe you medication,’” she said.
Then the bill came.
The Patient: Christine Rogers, 60, a public relations/communications worker who is insured by Cigna Healthcare through her job.
Medical Services: An annual wellness visit, which included typical blood tests, as well as a depression screening and discussion with a physician.
Service Provider: WakeMed Physician Practices, part of WakeMed Health & Hospitals, a Raleigh-based, tax-exempt system with three acute care hospitals, outpatient centers, and hundreds of physicians across a range of specialties.
Total Bill: $487, which included a $331 wellness visit and a separate $156 charge for what was billed as a 20- to 29-minute consultation with her physician. Her insurer paid $419.93, leaving Rogers with a $67.07 charge related to the consultation.
What Gives: Rogers said the bill came as a surprise because she knows annual wellness checks are typically covered without patient cost sharing as preventive care under the Affordable Care Act. And as part of an annual physical, patients routinely fill out a health questionnaire, which may cover mental health topics.
But there is a catch: Not all care that may be provided during a wellness visit counts as no-cost preventive care under federal guidelines. If a health issue arises during a checkup that prompts discussion or treatment — say, an unusual mole or heart palpitations — that consult can be billed separately, and the patient may owe a copayment or deductible charge for that part of the visit.
In Rogers’ case, a brief chat with her doctor about mental health triggered an additional visit charge — and a bill she was expected to pay.
Rogers said she didn’t broach the subject of depression during her checkup. She was asked when she checked in to fill out the questionnaire, she said — and then the doctor brought it up during her exam.
The Affordable Care Act requires insurers to cover a variety of preventive services without a patient paying out-of-pocket, with the idea that such care might prevent problems or find them early, when they are more treatable and less costly.
The federal government lists dozens of services that are classified as no-cost-sharing preventive care for adults and children, such as cancer screenings, certain vaccinations, and other services recommended by either of two federal agencies or the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an independent group of experts in disease prevention.
Depression screening is covered as preventive care for adults, including when they’re pregnant or in the postpartum phase.
Rogers requested an itemized bill from her doctor’s practice, which is part of WakeMed Physician Practices. It showed a charge for the wellness visit (free for her), as well as a separate charge for a 20- to 29-minute office visit. Earlier, Rogers said, she had discussed the initial bill with the office manager at her doctor’s office, who told her the separate charge, roughly $67, was for discussing her questionnaire results with her doctor.
For Rogers, it wasn’t so much about the $67 she owed for the visit, as it was a matter of principle. The separate change, she said, was “disingenuous” because she was specifically asked about her mental health.
Also, annual physicals are intended to nip health problems in the bud, which sometimes requires a few more minutes of attention — whether to discuss symptoms of depression or palpate an abdomen for digestive issues.
Sabrina Corlette, a research professor and co-director of the Center on Health Insurance Reforms at Georgetown University, agrees the charge seemed a bit over-the-top: Depression screening “is now a recommended part of the annual physical,” she said. “Implicit in that is someone looks at answers and makes an assessment, and you should not be charged for that.”
Beyond the confusion of being charged for what she thought would be free preventive care, Rogers wondered how the bill was calculated: Her conversation with her doctor about depression did not last that long, she said.
A 20- to 29-minute-visit billing code is commonly used in primary care, reflecting not just the time spent, but also the complexity of the condition or diagnosis, said Yalda Jabbarpour, a family physician in Washington, D.C. She also directs the Robert Graham Center for Policy Studies, which researches primary care in the U.S.
Billing codes exist for other, shorter time frames, though those are rarely used except for the most minimal of services, such as a quick question about a test result, she said.
Physicians said Rogers did the right thing, emphasizing that patients should be honest with their doctors during preventive visits — and not keep silent about issues because they are concerned about potential cost sharing.
“If you have a condition like depression, not only does it affect mental health, but it can have significant impact on your medical health overall,” said Stephen Gillaspy, senior director for health and health care financing at the American Psychological Association.
The Resolution: Confused by getting billed for a visit she thought would have no charge, Rogers initially called her doctor’s office and spoke with the office manager, who told her the claim submitted to her insurer was coded correctly for her visit. She then called her insurer to question whether a mistake had been made. She said her insurer said no, agreeing that the physician had billed properly.
Rogers paid the bill.
After being contacted by KFF Health News, and with Rogers’ permission, the WakeMed health system investigated the bill and said it was handled correctly.
“We do split bills when a service is provided that is above and beyond the preventive components of a physical — in this case, beyond a positive screening for depression,” WakeMed spokesperson Kristin Kelly said in an email.
By contrast, Cigna Healthcare, Rogers’ insurer, sent her a new explanation of benefits statement after being contacted by KFF Health News. The EOB showed Cigna had zeroed out any cost to Rogers associated with the visit.
Cigna spokesperson Meaghan MacDonald, in a written statement, said the “wellness visit was initially billed incorrectly with two separate visit codes, and has now been resubmitted correctly so there is no cost-share for Ms. Rogers. We are working with the physician to ensure she is refunded appropriately.”
The insurer’s website says Cigna covers a variety of preventive services without copayment and encourages doctors to counsel patients about depression.
Not long after receiving the new EOB, Rogers said she received a refund of $67.07 from WakeMed.
The Takeaway: While many preventive services are covered under the ACA, the nuances of when a patient pays can be complicated and open to interpretation. So, it is not uncommon for medical practices to narrowly interpret the term “preventive service.”
That creates a billing minefield for patients. If you respond on a questionnaire that you sometimes experience heartburn or headaches, most physicians will inquire about your responses to assess the need for treatment. But should that come with an extra charge? Other patients have written to KFF Health News and NPR expressing frustration over being billed for conversations during a checkup.
Additional time spent during a wellness exam discussing or diagnosing a condition or prescribing medication can be considered beyond preventive care and result in separate charges. But if you receive a bill for a preventive service that you expected would be free, request an itemized bill with billing codes. If something seems off, ask the physician’s office.
If you’re billed for time spent on extra consultation, question it. You know how long the provider spent discussing your health issue better than a billing representative does. Next, reach out to your insurer to protest.
Most important, be honest with your primary care provider during your annual physical.
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Bill of the Month is a crowdsourced investigation by KFF Health News and NPR that dissects and explains medical bills. Do you have an interesting medical bill you want to share with us? Tell us about it!
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(KFF Health News, formerly known as Kaiser Health News (KHN), is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs of KFF — the independent source for health policy research, polling and journalism.)
