Mitri Shatara

Key Takeaways:

• Florida’s governor, Ron DeSantis, sent a plane full of migrants to the Massachusetts island of Martha’s Vineyard.
• It looks like the goal was to put some of the burden of immigration on an affluent, liberal area.
• The local community stepped up and provided support for the migrants.

Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida, kept his promise to send undocumented immigrants to other states by sending two planes full of people to the island of Martha’s Vineyard on Wednesday.

The news shocked a Massachusetts resort area where rich and powerful people like former President Barack Obama have made home.

The migrants from Florida got off the planes at Martha’s Vineyard Airport and were seen waiting on the tarmac.

The Cape Cod Times said the migrants were put on a plane with nothing but a brochure from the island’s community services center, about two miles from the airport.

Officials said that the people then walked from the airport to the center.

On the island, the influx caused some chaos, which is what the governor of Florida wanted.

Since none of the migrants spoke English, Spanish translators from the local high school were called to help social service workers talk with them. In addition, water and snacks were provided to the migrants.

There was some confusion about where the migrants came from, with local media and officials saying at least one of the planes came from Texas.

But the Florida governor’s office quickly confirmed that Florida was the one who sent them there.

President Joe Biden’s policy on immigration has come under fire from DeSantis, and Florida has taken legal action against it. This was another part of Desantis’s plan to protect the policy.

“States like Massachusetts, New York, and California will better facilitate the care of these individuals who they have invited into our country by incentivizing illegal immigration through their designation as ‘sanctuary states’ and support for the Biden administration’s open border policies,” said Taryn Fenske, the governor’s communication director.

The Republican governor had been saying for months that he would be willing to bus undocumented immigrants to Delaware, where Biden is from.

He had also said early on that he might send some to Martha’s Vineyard.

In April, the Florida state legislature gave the Florida Department of Transportation $12 million from the state budget so that it could carry out the immigrant relocation program.

Fox News reported that Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker’s office said the arrivals at Martha’s Vineyard were provided short-term shelter.

“The Baker-Polito Administration is in touch with local officials regarding the arrival of migrants in Martha’s Vineyard,” Terry MacCormack, Baker’s press secretary, wrote in a statement to the outlet.

“At this time, short-term shelter services are being provided by local officials, and the Administration will continue to support those efforts.”

Dylan Fernandes, a state representative, said on Twitter that the community came together to help the migrants and put them up in a local church.

“Our island jumped into action putting together 50 beds, giving everyone a good meal, providing a play area for the children, and making sure people have the healthcare and support they need. We are a community that comes together to support immigrants,” he wrote on Twitter.

Julian Cyr serves in the Massachusetts Senate representing Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket.

Cyr called the move a cruel political stunt when he talked to the Martha’s Vineyard Times.

“This is deeply disgusting. This is a cruel ruse that manipulates families that are seeking a better life,” he said, describing them as “fundamentally racist tactics.”

In the past few weeks, Texas and Arizona, which Republicans run, have sent thousands of migrants to places like New York, Chicago, and Washington, DC, which Democrats run.

Alexander Shunnarah Trial Attorneys

For more recent news stories, check out our latest news blogs at: https://shunnarah.com/category/latest-news/. Our personal injury law firm releases regular blogs on important recent news stories, as well as information about personal injury law. If you or a loved one was injured due to someone else’s negligence, call our attorneys for a free consultation at 1-800-229-7989.

References:

https://www.politico.com/news/2022/09/15/desantis-migrants-marthas-vineyard-immigration-florida-00056870

https://nypost.com/2022/09/15/ron-desantis-ships-2-planes-of-migrants-to-marthas-vineyard/

https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/politics/2022/09/14/desantis-sends-migrants-marthas-vineyard-protest-biden-undocumented-immigration-us-mexico-bofder/10383839002/

https://www.businessinsider.com/desantis-dumps-migrants-on-marthas-vineyard-locals-respond-kindly-2022-9?utm_source=reddit.com

The eccentric rock climber Yvon Chouinard, who founded Patagonia 50 years ago and used his unconventional view of capitalism to grow it into a billion-dollar firm, has donated the business.

Chouinard, his wife, and his two adult children gave their shares of Patagonia, worth about $3 billion, to two environmental groups instead of selling it or going public.

He believes this move will bring in $100 million annually to help cover their work.

Chouinard announced on Wednesday that he has given the company he started in 1973, Patagonia, to the Patagonia Purpose Trust and the Holdfast Collective, a newly established nonprofit organization.

The trust is designed to ensure that Patagonia lives up to its goal of running a socially responsible business, fighting the environmental crisis, and protecting nature. Family members and their closest advisors will supervise the trust.

The family did not receive a tax break for its investment since the Holdfast Collective is a 501(c)(4), which enables it to make unlimited political contributions.

Patagonia will continue to work as a private company that makes the money that the Collective needs.

Ryan Gellert will keep his job as CEO and be in charge of the rest of the company’s employees and the leadership team.

The Patagonia Purpose Trust, which will have “additional stewardship,” will show the change in leadership. This is what Patagonia says in its Q&A section.

In a letter on Patagonia’s website, the 83-year-old founder declared that “Earth is now our only shareholder.”

“If we have any hope of a thriving planet — much less a thriving business — 50 years from now, it is going to take all of us doing what we can with the resources we have,” the letter read.

“Hopefully, this will influence a new form of capitalism that doesn’t end up with a few rich people and a bunch of poor people,” Chouinard said in an exclusive interview. “We are going to give away the maximum amount of money to people who are actively working on saving this planet.”

The extraordinary action occurs at a time when public criticism of businesses and billionaires is at an all-time high.

Even though most billionaires say they want to make the world a better place, their actions often make the problems they want to solve worse.

At the same time, Chouinard’s decision to give up the family fortune is in line with his long-standing disregard for business norms and his lifelong love for the environment.

Chouinard started Patagonia almost 50 years ago, and it grew from his love of mountaineering into other product lines as his interests changed.

It was one of the first companies to use organic cotton, have a clothing repair service, and give its employees great benefits like a daycare center on site.

Today, the company is worth about $3 billion and sells everything from ski jackets to salmon jerky made from fish caught sustainably.

It is also a B corporation; every year, 1% of its annual profits go to help the environment.

Chouinard became an unlikely billionaire thanks to their business success. It’s a title he told the Times “really, really pissed me off.”

The Chouinards—Yvon, his wife Malinda, and their children Fletcher and Claire, both in their 40s—have given away most of their money throughout their lives.

This has made them one of the most giving families in the country.

Patagonia has already given the Holdfast Collective $50 million, and they plan to give another $100 million this year.

This will make the Holdfast Collective a significant player in giving related to climate change.

Now that it’s clear who will own Patagonia in the future, the company will have to live up to its lofty goals of running a profitable business and fighting the climate crisis simultaneously.

“Instead of ‘going public,’ you could say we’re ‘going purpose.’ Instead of extracting value from nature and transforming it into wealth for investors, we’ll use the wealth Patagonia creates to protect the source of all wealth,” he said.

“We can save our planet if we commit to it.”

Alexander Shunnarah Trial Attorneys

If you enjoyed reading this blog, we encourage you to check out all the recent news blogs our personal injury law firm has posted.

References:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/patagonia-gives-away-company-to-climate-change-nonprofit/

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/09/15/business/corporate-business/patagonia-founder-company-transfer-climate/

https://mashable.com/article/patagonia-founder-yvon-chouinard-climate-crisis

https://www.seattletimes.com/business/billionaire-no-more-patagonia-founder-gives-away-the-company/?amp=1

Key Takeaways:

• Two massive labor disputes threaten supply chains in the United States.
• The labor disputes involve the railroads and the ports.
• This is a terrible time for disruption with the harvest season and the upcoming holiday season.

Two huge labor disputes, in the railways and at the ports, threaten to re-tangle supply chains in the U.S.

The White House is pushing to avert supply chain disruptions that could result in a disaster. There is a lot at stake economically.

An industry estimate says that a shutdown of the U.S. rail system could cost $2 billion a day, and we’ve already seen what backed-up ports do to the economy during the COVID-19 crisis.

Politically, a work stoppage would be bad news for a pro-worker White House that wants to control inflation and avoid bottlenecks.

Labor unions and railroads worked all weekend to avoid a strike, but there were few signs of progress.

Before a possible walkout later this week, the companies are warning customers today that they may have trouble getting service.

Sunday, Norfolk Southern said in an online notice that it “has begun implementing its contingency plans for a controlled shutdown of our network at 00:01 on Friday, September 16.”

Union Pacific and CSX also said they were planning a possible strike. BNSF asked its customers to call their representatives in Congress to stop any delays.

Port workers on the West Coast have been in negotiations for a new contract.

The last contract expired in June.

 “A shutdown of our freight rail system is an unacceptable outcome for our economy and the American people,” a White House official said over the weekend.

“The Administration has been actively engaged, pushing for a resolution. All parties need to stay at the table, resolve outstanding issues and come to an agreement.”

Railroads Move A Substantial Amount Of All Freight

In 2020, trains moved about 28% of all freight in the U.S., making them the second-busiest mode of transport after trucks.

Half of that traffic moves bulk goods, like food, energy, chemicals, metals, wood products, industrial parts, and automobiles.

Most of the other 50% is made up of smaller consumer goods that are shipped in shipping containers. Even if there isn’t a strike, the freight rail system in the United States still has problems.

For example, the shipping company Maersk said earlier this month that it was stopping import bookings through Fort Worth, Texas, because of “severe congestion” at rail ramps and container yards in the area.

If the railroads go on strike, the trucking industry would have to pick up the slack.

This would be expensive, and there isn’t enough room to handle all the extra stuff.

The trade group points out that a single trailer on a freight train can hold 2,000 UPS packages.

75% of new cars are moved on the rails as the auto supply chain is getting back on track.

10 of the 12 unions representing thousands of workers have reached new labor deals.

However, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers are still not on board.

Together, these two unions represent more than 90,000 rail workers.

In a joint statement released on Sunday, the groups didn’t hold back, calling the railroads’ scare tactics during negotiations “corporate terrorism.”

It’s not a good time to have supply chain bottlenecks.

This Is Not A Good Time For Disruption

The harvest season is coming up in the farm belt, stores are stocking up for the holidays at the end of the year, and the economy is already in for a stretch of slow growth and high inflation.

The last thing we need is a battered supply chain. 

In modern times, the White House usually stays out of labor talks, jumping in only at the last minute to help both sides reach an agreement.

But the Biden administration is handling these disputes differently, not just because this president has been so vocal about his support for unions.

In May, the White House chose a “port czar” to watch over the supply chain.

Alexander Shunnarah Trial Attorneys

References:

https://www.axios.com/2022/09/12/possibility-of-railway-and-port-strikes-threaten-supply-chain-recovery

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2022-09-12/supply-chain-latest-us-railroad-strike-threatens-supply-chain-recovery

The cryptocurrency community is talking a lot about “the Merge,” a significant update to the Ethereum blockchain that could be a turning point in the growing world of digital currencies.

Crypto enthusiasts say that the Merge will make cryptocurrency mining much better for the environment and make it more useful as a way to do financial transactions and other things.

But what is the Merge, and how could it change the future of cryptocurrencies?

What’s The Merge?

Vitalik Buterin, a Canadian computer programmer, created Ethereum in 2015.

It is a blockchain, or a digital ledger, that is used when investors buy Ether. It is the second most popular blockchain after the Bitcoin network.

There are already more than 71 million cryptocurrency wallets on the Ethereum blockchain, according to the Ethereum Foundation, a group of engineers that now manage the network.

Think of the Merge as the 2.0 version of Ethereum, or the next generation. The people who work on Ethereum have been thinking about and testing a new way to do transactions for almost two years. They say it’s finally ready for prime time.

Simply put, the goal of the Merge is to reduce the number of people and computers needed to add another data block to the Ethereum network.

The change is called the Merge because there is currently more than one way to make a new data block. They say developers want to combine these existing methods into a single process that is more secure and better for the environment.

Once the Merge is done, the Ethereum mainnet will switch from proof of work to proof of stake, which is how the Beacon Chain works.

What’s Proof Of Stake?

Proof of stake (PoS) is a type of consensus mechanism that is different from the traditional proof-of-work (PoW) mechanism.

What’s A Consensus Mechanism?

A consensus mechanism is how Ethereum or other blockchains decide if a transaction posted to their network is legitimate. It’s how a blockchain makes decisions on its own.

Ethereum is a database made up of nodes, which are computers that run software to check blocks and the transaction data they contain.

Most nodes must agree to reach a consensus on the network and make a decision, and how they do that depends on which consensus mechanism they choose.

How Does Proof Of Stake Work?

When Ethereum moves to a proof-of-stake consensus mechanism after the Merge, the network will rely on trusted entities called validators to check transactions and add new blocks to the blockchain.

When a new block is added, which will happen approximately every 12 seconds after the Merge, a validator will be chosen at random.

Anyone can apply to be a validator by putting down 32 Ethereum (about $61,000 at prices in mid-August), a sum meant to ensure everyone has a stake in the network’s success, and by running the most recent software.

The Ethereum Foundation says that potential validators will be added to an “activation queue,” limiting how quickly new validators can join the network.

Once a validator is “activated,” it can review and approve new blocks that the Ethereum network wants to add to its blockchain.

Validators will get Ether as a reward for making sure the network is safe.

The 32 Ether put up as collateral is a big reason for validators to act in a good way, but there are also punishments for validators who are not good at their jobs or try to do harm. In other words, they can lose some or all of their deposit as a punishment.

Even though the Merge hasn’t happened yet, more than 415,000 validators are already on the Beacon Chain.

What’s Proof Of Work?

Proof of work is another consensus mechanism the Ethereum mainnet has reached agreements since the beginning.

It is still used by other older blockchains, most notably Bitcoin.

The “work” in “proof of work” comes from mining, which uses energy as computing power.

Even though those who like proof of work (primarily Bitcoiners) say it’s the most secure method, the process is awful for the environment.

This is a big reason why Ethereum switched to proof of stake.

How Will The Merge Reduce Carbon Emissions?

A bank, credit card company, or any third party does not check transactions in a blockchain network.

Instead, it uses a network of computers that compete to solve complex problems for tokens.

“Proof of work” requires thousands of computers to check transactions on the Ethereum blockchain.

All of those powerful server computers working together need a lot of electricity.

The annual energy consumption of the Ethereum blockchain is around 112 terawatt hours, or nearly the same as that required to power the Netherlands.

This amount of energy use puts about 53 metric tons of harmful carbon into the air every year, which is the same amount that Singapore makes in a year.

The Merge removes the “proof-of-work” system and replaces it with “proof of stake.”

In that system, “validators,” who are people who own cryptocurrency, check transactions and add them to a new block.

Because fewer people need to use their computers to verify transactions with proof of stake, fewer terawatt-hours are burned.

Developers say that using proof-of-stake, the Merge will cut the energy used by the Ethereum blockchain by 99.9%.

Should I Do Anything With My Ether?

No. Don’t believe anyone who tells you otherwise.

As the Ethereum Foundation says:

“As a user or holder of ETH or any other digital asset on Ethereum, as well as non–node-operating stakers, you do not need to do anything with your funds or wallet before the Merge.

“Any funds held in your wallet before the Merge will still be accessible after the Merge. No action is required to upgrade on your part.

“As we approach the merge of Ethereum mainnet, you should be on high alert for scams trying to take advantage of users during this transition.”

Some people who don’t like the merger might try to go their own way and make their own projects and versions of Ethereum, but nothing like that will ever be Ethereum.

For example, a group of miners are planning an Ethereum hard fork after the Merge.

They want to make what they call “ETHPoW” so they can keep making money from the proof-of-work chain.

But this project is not related to Ethereum, even though it sounds like ETH and has a bit of Ethereum in its name. If it works, it will have its own token and applications.

Alexander Shunnarah Trial Attorneys

The legal team at Alexander Shunnarah Trial Attorneys releases recent news posts to keep readers up to date on important stories. Check our recent news blog to stay updated. If you need legal help after an injury, contact our personal injury lawyers for a free consultation.

References:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ethereum-merge-blockchain-cbs-news-explains/

https://fortune.com/2022/08/19/everything-to-know-about-the-ethereum-merge/

The U.S. Open tennis tournament ended on Sunday.

Several players were the first to do something new, and Serena Williams, the tennis icon who has been playing tennis for 27 years, played what is likely to be her last match.

However, that is not the only news from the tournament.

Serena Williams Could Bid Farewell

Serena Williams, who has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, said in August that she might evolve away from tennis after this year’s U.S. Open, but she didn’t outright say she was retiring.

In the third round on September 2, Ajla Tomljanovic beat Serena 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-1.

“Clearly, I’m still capable. … (But) I’m ready to be a mom, explore a different version of Serena,” she said. “Technically, in the world, I’m still super young, so I want to have a little bit of a life while I’m still walking.”

Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam champion, has made no secret of her desire to break Margaret Court’s record for the most major titles (24), although she has been unable to achieve so since her comeback from motherhood in 2018.

She responded, “I don’t think so, but you never know,” when asked if she would play again.

Men’s Tennis Ranked 1st To Youngest Man Ever At Age 19

Carlos Alcaraz of Spain beat Casper Rudd 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (1), 6-3 in the final round of the U.S. Open on Sunday.

With this win, Alcaraz won his first Grand Slam title and became the youngest man in the world to be ranked No. 1 at age 19.

This year’s U.S. Open is Alcaraz’s eighth major tournament appearance.

An American Man Made It To The Semifinals

Frances Tiafoe, from Maryland, is the first American man in 16 years to make it to the semifinals of the U.S. Open.

In the fourth round, he beat Rafael Nadal, and last Wednesday, he beat Andrey Rublev 7-6 (3), 7-6 (0).

Alcaraz beat Tiafoe on Friday.

The last American man to get to the U.S. Open semifinals was Andy Roddick. Roger Federer beat him in 2006. Roddick was also the only man from the United States to win a Grand Slam singles tournament when he won the U.S. Open in 2003.

A Woman From Tunisia Made It To The Finals

Ons Jabeur of Tunisia was the first African and Arab woman to get to the finals of the U.S. Open.

She beat Caroline Garcia 6-1, 6-3, on September 9. This was her second Grand Slam title match in a row. Two months ago, she was also in the finals at Wimbledon.

Automation Could Replace Human Line Judges

Most of the time, humans decide if a ball is inbound or not, but computers may soon be able to do the job.

In some U.S. Open matches, the winner was chosen with the help of optical technology.

Right after the ball hits, a recorded voice yells, “FAULT!” for a bad serve and “OUT!” for a long or wide shot during a rally.

Human line judges may be replaced by an optical system called Hawk-Eye Live.

Doing this will provide players with a fairer playing field with a lot more integrity due to more accurate calling matches.

Alexander Shunnarah Trial Attorneys

References:

https://www.npr.org/2022/09/12/1122304134/us-open-serena-williams-carlos-alcaraz

https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/34454789/us-open-2022-serena-williams-final-grand-slam-rafael-nadal-attempt-23-majors-more-watch-year

https://localtoday.news/md/serena-and-a-tournament-of-firsts-how-this-years-us-open-made-history-2-17820.html

Alex Jones, maybe the country’s most famous conspiracy theorist, will go on trial again.

He will go on trial again for calling the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting a hoax and inflicting emotional and psychological harm on a number of the victims’ families.

The upcoming trial is just a month after he lost a nearly $50 million verdict against him.

In Connecticut, a six-person jury with several substitutes will start hearing evidence on Tuesday to determine the compensation amount Jones should pay the families since he has already been found liable for their injuries.

The trial is expected to last approximately four weeks. 

The parents of 6-year-old Jesse Lewis, who died in the 2012 shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, along with 26 other kids and instructors, were awarded $49.3 million by a Texas jury last month.

Jones’s lawyer said that the case will be taken to court.

The award in the Connecticut case could be bigger because it is made up of three lawsuits that have been combined.

There are 15 plaintiffs in the case, including relatives of nine victims and a former FBI agent who responded to the school shooting.

Jones runs his web show and the Infowars brand out of Austin, Texas.

Sandy Hook parents are also suing him for a third time over the hoax conspiracy in a lawsuit still in the works in Texas.

Why Are The Sandy Hook Parents Suing Jones?

The families and William Aldenberg, a former FBI agent, say Jones’s followers have confronted and bothered them in person because of the hoax conspiracy.

They also say that people have threatened to kill them and abused them on social media.

Some of the plaintiffs say that strangers filmed them and their surviving children.

Some families have left Newtown to avoid harassment and death threats.

Neil Heslin, Jesse Lewis’s father, said during the Texas trial, “I can’t even describe the last nine and a half years, the living hell that I and others have had to endure because of the recklessness and negligence of Alex Jones.”

The Connecticut lawsuit claims violations of the state’s Unfair Trade Practices Act as well as defamation and intentional infliction of mental distress.

The Unfair Trade Practices Act has no cap on damages.

The families claim that when Jones discussed Sandy Hook, he attracted greater attention and made more money from the sale of supplements, apparel, and other goods.

How Has Jones Responded?

Jones now says he thinks the shooting was real, which is the opposite of what he said on his show for years after the shooting.

But he insists that his comments about the shooting being a fake made by “crisis actors” to push for gun control are protected by his right to free speech.

Jones kept his stand and claimed he wasn’t to blame for the suffering Sandy Hook parents claim he inflicted with his statements during a deposition in the case in April.

He has also said that the judges’ decisions to find him guilty without a trial were unfair and that they might be part of a plan to put him out of business and shut him up.

“If questioning public events and free speech is banned because it might hurt somebody’s feelings, we are not in America anymore,” he said at the deposition.

“They can change the channel. They can come out and say I’m wrong. They have free speech.”

But Jones said at the Texas trial that he now knows what he said was careless and hurt people’s feelings, and he apologized.

What Should We Expect At The Trial?

Judge Barbara Bellis, who will preside over the trial, deemed Jones liable for the harms.

She presided over the Sandy Hook families’ lawsuit against Remington, which produced the Bushmaster rifle used in the school shooting.

Remington agreed to pay $73 million in February to end the lawsuit.

The trial will probably resemble the one in Texas in that victims’ relatives will likely testify about the suffering and agony the hoax conspiracy caused them, and doctors will likely field inquiries regarding the relatives’ mental health and diagnoses.

Jones will also testify, said Norman Pattis, Jones’s lawyer.

“He is looking forward to putting this trial behind him; it has been a long and costly distraction,” Pattis wrote in an email to The Associated Press.

The jury is also likely to hear evidence about Jones’s finances.

A defendant is also Free Speech Systems, the parent business of Infowars, which has applied for bankruptcy protection.

Jones said at the Texas trial that any award over $2 million would “sink us,” He asked viewers of his web show to buy his products to help keep him on the air and fight the lawsuits.

Jones and his company may be valued up to $270 million, according to an economist.

After the relatives of the Sandy Hook victims started suing Jones, he is now facing another lawsuit in Texas over claims that he concealed millions of dollars in assets.

Alexander Shunnarah Trial Attorneys

The personal injury lawyers at Alexander Shunnarah Trial Attorneys have helped many victims get the compensation they deserve. If you or a loved one feel that you are the victim of a personal injury accident or mental anguish caused by negligence, contact us for a free consultation.

References:

https://apnews.com/article/gun-violence-texas-lawsuits-school-shootings-55c73c59b9feabd3b3b5f500cbb13442

https://www.news9.com/story/631efa4c00c2ab07118acf93/trial-set-to-begin-for-alex-jones-in-sandy-hook-hoax-case

https://www.abc27.com/news/us-world/ap-trial-set-to-begin-for-alex-jones-in-sandy-hook-hoax-case/