Many columnists have considered writing about transgender bathrooms and wisely decided, “Nah.” Some topics aren’t worth the crazy. But this week, I was feeling a little zany and thought, “Oh, why not?” Republicans’ recent obsession with the who and where of restroom business took me back to my first and, as far as I know, only transgender bathroom break about 20 years ago. I was in the ladies’ room (still my preferred term) of a downtown Washington office building. She and I were both washing our hands at sinks a safe distance apart. Otherwise alone in the spacious room, we glanced toward each other, smiled, rinsed our hands, hit the hand dryer for a deafening several seconds, and left the room. Alive! How did I know she was a trans woman (male-to-female, for those just tuning in)? I didn’t, at first. I did notice that she was well over 6 feet tall, which is rare in a ladies’ room. She also had broad shoulders for a girl. And she wore a little more makeup than is common in newsrooms. Like me, she was partial to pearls. Only later did someone in the office inform me that “she” was a former “he” and was a well-known trans person who had written openly about her transition. I also learned she had served in the military before transitioning and was an admired asset for her knowledgeable coverage of military matters for Knight Ridder newspapers. I was prompted to write this column in part because of an online photo I came across that was said to show several trans men (female-to-male) who would have to use the women’s restroom in a world designed by South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace. (The photo seems to have been taken down.) The once-sensible Republican, initially taking a stand against just one trans woman who will join the House of Representatives in January, Democrat Sarah McBride of Delaware, struck her own best Washington-crossing-the-Delaware pose and vowed to protect women in federal public restrooms. Of course, all members of Congress have their own private restrooms, but Mace was looking out for the powerless, voiceless women who traverse the marble halls of the Capitol and must on occasion, at least theoretically, relieve themselves in the company of a transgender person. Not on Mace’s watch. The hysteria over transgender restroom usage stems from the fear that a man claiming female identity could throw on a dress and go to a women’s restroom and assault little girls. This fear is usually dusted off around elections or when a legislative body is considering antidiscrimination laws that would protect members of the LGBTQ community. But contrary to myth, PolitiFact (in 2016) found no correlation between increases in public restroom crimes and liberal laws related to transgender restroom use. In the interest of full disclosure, I’m not sanguine about restroom protocols. I dislike unisex bathrooms for the exceedingly sane reason that I wear cute shoes. Standing in a puddle of urine in footwear intended for polite spaces can only be viewed as irrational. When I ask menfolk to remove their shoes before entering my house, I’m not worried about vegetative detritus. But I assume that trans women who have gone though the rather grueling process of transitioning must also prefer to sit. Would that all men would. So looking at the online photo of grinning guys I saw, all I could think was: Don’t you dare come into my bathroom. They’re men, you ninnies. Let them go to the men’s room. Ask yourself: What woman on the planet would prefer to use a men’s bathroom? Exceptions to the obvious answer reflect urgent need, not a hankering for urinals and puddled floors. If you want to see a herd of women run shrieking from the ladies’ loo, it will be because one of those guys in the photograph was forced to go where he isn’t welcome. And just think of the reverse. Born-male women now must go to the men’s room? What could go wrong? We just had an election, and nothing gets the Republican base frothing like The Transgender Issue. Few people in strictly heterosexual circles raise an eyebrow when someone such as Mace targets the tiny minority of people who are surely living some of the hardest lives imaginable. I liked her better when she was protecting monkeys. If we really must “go there,” why not change restrooms from male/female to stand/sit? That ought to shake things out. Or, cutting the comedy, why not try to help people understand that transgender people are not interested in raping and pillaging, but would like to use the bathroom like anybody else? People who erase their maleness usually don’t behave like men, which is a good thing, right? And females who become males, well, all I can say is, “Honey, be brave.”More than 20,000 customers remain without power across Northern Ireland following Storm Darragh. NIE Networks have warned it may take days for power to be restored to all customers in the region following damage caused by gusts of up to 70mph. At the peak, some 48,000 were without power. NIE Networks said by 9pm on Saturday, about 22,000 remained without power. A spokesperson said it is anticipated that a small number will have power restored overnight. “At this stage, NIE Networks estimate that it may be a number of days before they can reconnect all those customers impacted,” they said. Trains and some bus services and flights were cancelled across Saturday as the storm battered Northern Ireland. A bus was involved in a road crash in Co Antrim in the early hours of Saturday while Stena Line ferry services from Belfast to Cairnryan in Scotland were cancelled. A ferry remained off the coast of Co Antrim on Saturday, believed to have been sheltering from the weather conditions. A major power station reported damage to a chimney from the storm, adding it had halted electricity generation temporarily while the damage was assessed and addressed. EP Ballylumford station manager Tim McCullough said: “We are fully committed to ensuring the safe restoration of operations. “The safety of our staff and the integrity of our equipment are our top priorities, and we are working closely with all necessary parties to minimise any disruption to electricity supply.” The Department for Infrastructure said multi-agency partners have been meeting in response to the Met Office’s amber weather warning for wind which remained in place until 9pm. In a statement, the Stormont department urged people to make only essential travel because road conditions were challenging. They said disruption to bus and train services as well as some flights was continuing and the Strangford ferry has been suspended until further notice. “Translink have taken steps to mitigate against the effects of Storm Darragh. Additional buses are on standby. Additional support and teams are also on standby, including chainsaw crews, to assist with any fallen debris blocking the railway,” a department spokesman said. “If roads are blocked, it may be necessary to divert Ulsterbus or Goldliner services. “Safety is Translink’s number one priority. All passengers should check the Translink Journey Planner or social media channels in advance of travel and to allow extra time for their journeys. “Department for Infrastructure staff have been working through the night to respond to approximately 900 incidents which are mainly debris on the roads, fallen trees and branches and flooding.” A Translink spokesperson said a driver on the bus involved in the collision in Co Antrim had been the only person on board at the time and was taken to hospital for treatment. “We can confirm that the driver has since been discharged from hospital,” they said. “Our immediate priority is the welfare of our colleague, and we are providing support to them and their family. An internal investigation is under way, and we are working closely with the relevant authorities to establish the circumstances of the incident.” A number of roads, including Castle Street in Belfast city centre, were closed on Saturday morning while clean-up work was carried out. Some events in Northern Ireland, including three Irish League football clashes and a planned vigil in Belfast for the women of Afghanistan have been called off, while the Apprentice Boys of Derry shutting of the gates event in Londonderry was set to go ahead. The Belfast Christmas Market was not expected to open, with organisers saying they need to ensure visitors and traders are kept safe. In the Republic of Ireland, almost 400,000 customers are without power. A spokesperson for NIE Networks said community assistance centres will be opened across Northern Ireland on Sunday to offer assistance to those still without power. A number of leisure centres in Craigavon, Lisburn, Newtownards, Ballymena, Cookstown, Kilkeel and Fermanagh will be open from 2-4pm on Sunday. Edel Creery, NIE Networks Customer and Market Services Director, said: “With the amber weather warning in place until 9pm tonight (Saturday) outages have continued to be reported throughout the day. “Due to the widespread damage we anticipate it could be a number of days before power is successfully restored to all customers impacted. We would ask customers to bear with us as our teams work to restore power. “Additionally, we would ask members of the public to check in on relatives, friends and neighbours who may require further support and also ensure that their power cut has been reported.” NIE Networks is also reminding the public to stay clear of any damaged electricity equipment, keep children and animals away and to report any incidents of damage immediately to the NIE Networks Customer Helpline on 03457 643 643.Shortly before sunrise on Wednesday, a shadowy figure shrouded in black stood quietly under the marquee of the historic Ziegfeld Theater in Midtown Manhattan, poised to raise the curtain on one of the city’s most sensational tales of cold-blooded murder, a murky motive and a frenzied manhunt for a mysterious killer. The masked murderer, who had been lying in wait on that cold, dark morning, finally spotted his quarry. He crept up behind UnitedHeathcare CEO Brian Thompson as he walked down W. 54th St. toward the Hilton hotel, and aimed a powerful pistol equipped with a silencer at the back of the unsuspecting insurance executive. The first bullet sent Thompson, 50, crumpling to the sidewalk. The gunman coolly cleared a jam in his pistol as he walked past his victim and fired two more times, leaving Thompson lying facedown on the grimy pavement. Thompson died at 7:12 a.m. after being rushed to Mount Sinai West Hospital. Within a matter of minutes, through a combination of careful planning and sheer luck, his killer walked into a bus terminal near the George Washington Bridge, preparing to board a bus heading out of the city. “We don’t know what bus he took and we’re working through the video with the Port Authority Police Department,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said Friday. A whirlwind investigation of the seemingly ideologically motivated murder — a blood-soaked criticism of the cutthroat medical insurance industry — followed, slowly uncovering clues to the identity of the gunman and revealing a possible motive. But much remains a mystery. “Our thought is it could possibly be a disgruntled employee or a client,” Kenny said about the murder of Thompson, who was in town for a company-sponsored investors conference and was set to give a speech at the Hilton Hotel a couple of hours before he was slain. Four days after the murder, hundreds of NYPD detectives have recovered a tantalizing amount of information from witnesses and surveillance footage about the suspect’s actions leading up to Wednesday’s shooting, but so far his final destination is still unknown. The gunman arrived in New York City at Midtown’s Port Authority Bus Terminal on the night of Nov. 24. He immediately went to the Hilton — the scene of his future crime — before going to a HI New York City hostel on Amsterdam Ave. at 104th St. on the Upper West Side. On the morning of the killing, he left the hostel at 5:30 a.m. and rode a bike to W. 54th St. and Sixth Ave., where he was seen walking back and forth near the Hilton entrance. “While he’s walking around, he’s passing numerous New Yorkers going about their business,” Kenny said, bolstering the theory that the gunman was focused on one person: Thompson. After the caught-on-camera shooting , the gunman fled and was later seen on surveillance video riding a bicycle north on Sixth Ave. to Central Park. It’s believed he left the Big Apple behind him hours before cops released the first images of the masked shooter. At the scene, cops found three 9mm shell casings as well as a few live rounds that had been expelled from the pistol as the suspect freed a jam. The words “Delay,” “Deny,” and “Depose” — a supposed insurance industry mantra for delaying claims and maximizing profits — had been written on the ammunition with a Sharpie, police said. “We’re still in shock,” Thompson’s mother-in-law, Paulette Reveiz, told the Daily News hours after the health insurance CEO was killed. “The only thing I can say is he’s a good man. I can’t say anything else.” His wife, Paulette Thompson, told NBC News that the CEO had received threats before his trip to New York. “There had been some threats,” she told the TV station . “Basically, I don’t know, a lack of coverage? I don’t know details. I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him.” A cellphone was found near the scene and a bottle of water and a Kind bar wrapper handled by the gunman were found at a nearby Starbucks the gunman had visited shortly before the killing, and were taken in for DNA testing. But the fingerprints had “no value” and couldn’t be used to find an ID, Kenny said. During his 10 days in the city, the suspect never removed his black surgical mask, even when he ate in front of his roommates at the hostel, cops said. The biggest break the police got was on the night he arrived in the city where a flirtation with an employee at the hostel prompted the suspect to remove his mask and smile at the worker, providing police with a clear photo of the suspect. The image has been run through the NYPD’s facial recognition system, but has so far revealed no hits, Kenny said. Thompson, a father of two and valedictorian of his 1997 class at the University of Iowa, lived in Maple Grove, Minn., near the Minnetonka, Minn. headquarters of UnitedHealth Group. Thompson began at the company in 2004, working on mergers and acquisitions. He steadily climbed through the ranks at the insurance giant, acting as chief financial officer for one division and chief executive officer of another before being named CEO of UnitedHealthcare in April 2021. In 2023, Thompson’s total compensation was $10.2 million, including base pay, stock awards and cash incentives, according to a statement of executive pay from the company. His murder triggered a torrent of rage-filled reactions on social media , most of them expressing contempt and dissatisfaction with the health insurance industry he represented. “When you shoot one man in the street it’s murder,” one person wrote on X. “When you kill thousands of people in hospitals by taking away their ability to get treatment you’re an entrepreneur.” On Thursday night, UnitedHealth Group issued an updated statement on Thompson’s murder, thanking the “caring people” who have offered their condolences and asking for privacy for Thompson’s family. “While our hearts are broken, we have been touched by the huge outpouring of kindness and support in the hours since this horrific crime took place.” “Our priorities are, first and foremost, supporting Brian’s family; ensuring the safety of our employees; and working with law enforcement to bring the perpetrator to justice.” The FBI, which has been helping the NYPD in their investigation from the beginning late Friday, posted a $50,000 reward for information leading to the gunman’s capture — a gunman who, by now, could be anywhere. As the manhunt went national, detectives will be looking into every nugget of information that comes their way on this case, Kenny said. “We have teams specifically assigned to vet and investigate, as weird as some of them are, as detailed as some of them are,” he said. “We will vet and investigate every tip.” With Rocco Parascandola
An archbishop's knock formally restores Notre Dame to life as winds howl and heads of state look on
Biden and Trump spoke by phone last weekBEIRUT — Insurgents’ stunning march across Syria accelerated Saturday with news that they had reached the gates of the capital and that government forces had abandoned the central city of Homs. The government denied rumors that President Bashar Assad had fled the country. The loss of Homs is a potentially crippling blow for Assad. It stands at an important intersection between Damascus and Syria’s coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus — the Syrian leader’s base of support and home to a Russian strategic naval base. The pro-government Sham FM reported that government forces took positions outside Syria’s third-largest city, without elaborating. Rami Abdurrahman who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said Syrian troops and members of different security agencies have withdrawn from the city, adding that rebels have entered parts of it. The capture of Homs is a major victory for insurgents, who have already seized the cities of Aleppo and Hama, as well as large parts of the south, in a lightning offensive that began Nov. 27. Analysts said Homs falling into rebel hands would be a game-changer. The rebels’ moves around Damascus, reported by the monitor and a rebel commander, came after the Syrian army withdrew from much of southern part of the country, leaving more areas, including several provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters. For the first time in the country’s long-running civil war, the government now has control of only three of 14 provincial capitals: Damascus, Latakia and Tartus. The advances in the past week were among the largest in recent years by opposition factions, led by a group that has its origins in al-Qaida and is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the United Nations. In their push to overthrow Assad’s government, the insurgents, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS, have met little resistance from the Syrian army. The rapid rebel gains, coupled with the lack of support from Assad’s erstwhile allies, posed the most serious threat to his rule since the start of the war. The U.N.’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, on Saturday called for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition.” Speaking to reporters at the annual Doha Forum in Qatar, he said the situation in Syria was changing by the minute. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, whose country is Assad’s chief international backer, said he feels “sorry for the Syrian people.” In Damascus, people rushed to stock up on supplies. Thousands went to Syria’s border with Lebanon, trying to leave the country. Many shops in the capital were shuttered, a resident told The Associated Press, and those still open ran out of staples such as sugar. Some were selling items at three times the normal price. “The situation is very strange. We are not used to that,” the resident said, insisting on anonymity, fearing retributions. “People are worried whether there will be a battle (in Damascus) or not.” It was the first time that opposition forces reached the outskirts of Damascus since 2018, when Syrian troops recaptured the area following a yearslong siege. The U.N. said it was moving noncritical staff outside the country as a precaution. Syria’s state media denied social media rumors that Assad left the country, saying he is performing his duties in Damascus. He has had little, if any, help from his allies. Russia is busy with its war in Ukraine. Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which at one point sent thousands of fighters to shore up Assad’s forces, has been weakened by a yearlong conflict with Israel. Iran has seen its proxies across the region degraded by regular Israeli airstrikes. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday posted on social media that that the United States should avoid engaging militarily in Syria. Pedersen said a date for talks in Geneva on the implementation a U.N. resolution, adopted in 2015, and calling for a Syrian-led political process, would be announced later. The resolution calls for the establishment of a transitional governing body, followed by the drafting of a new constitution and ending with U.N.-supervised elections. Later Saturday, foreign ministers and senior diplomats from eight key countries, including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran, along with Pederson, gathered on the sidelines of the Doha Summit to discuss the situation in Syria. In a statement issued late Saturday, the participants affirmed their support for a political solution to the Syrian crisis “that would lead to the end of military activity and protect civilians.” They also agreed on the importance of strengthening international efforts to increase aid to the Syrian people. Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said insurgents were in the Damascus suburbs of Maadamiyah, Jaramana and Daraya. Opposition fighters were marching toward the Damascus suburb of Harasta, he added. A commander with the insurgents, Hassan Abdul-Ghani, posted on the Telegram messaging app that opposition forces had begun the “final stage” of their offensive by encircling Damascus. HTS controls much of northwest Syria and in 2017 set up a “salvation government” to run day-to-day affairs in the region. In recent years, HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani has sought to remake the group’s image, cutting ties with al-Qaida, ditching hard-line officials and vowing to embrace pluralism and religious tolerance. The shock offensive began Nov. 27, during which gunmen captured the northern city of Aleppo, Syria’s largest, and the central city of Hama, the country’s fourth largest city. Opposition activists said Saturday that a day earlier, insurgents entered Palmyra, which is home to invaluable archaeological sites had been in government hands since being taken from the Islamic State group in 2017. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Australia's House of Representatives passes bill that would ban young children from social media
Kyverna Therapeutics, Inc. Investors Who Have Lost Money Should Contact Block & Leviton to Find Out How They Might Recover Money Through A Recent Securities LawsuitSlavkoSereda/iStock via Getty Images Crude oil futures finished higher Monday after China eased its overall monetary policy stance for the first time in 14 years, and as the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad raises the political risk premium in the Middle East. China's
Biden and Trump spoke by phone last week
Gabbard, Trump Intel pick who visited Assad, meets with senators after dictator’s fall
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Oregon's Gabriel, Colorado's Hunter, Boise State’s Jeanty, Miami's Ward are named Heisman finalists Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel, Colorado’s Travis Hunter, Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty and Miami’s Cam Ward have been announced as the Heisman Trophy finalists. The Heisman has been given to the nation’s most outstanding college football player since 1935. This year’s winner will be announced Saturday in New York. The top four top vote-getters determined by more than 900 voters are selected as finalists. The voting panel includes members of the media and former Heisman winners. $1 million per homer? $27,000 a point? $229 per second? Sports is loaded with money oddities If Juan Soto replicates his 2024 performance throughout his $765 million, 15-year deal with the Mets, he'll make roughly $1.2 million for every home run he hits. He's hardly the only superstar athlete earning outrageous sums for each of his accomplishments. Some NFL quarterbacks make more than $3 million per game. Stephen Curry could make roughly $161,000 per 3-pointer. This past regular season, Lionel Messi earned $229 for every second he was on the field with Inter Miami. Is the College Football Playoff bracket fair? Here are some tweaks that would have changed things The committee that chose the 12 contenders for college football’s national title was only worried about ranking the teams. Where those teams landed in the bracket was based on a formula created by conference commissioners. That jumbled up the pairings and made a strong case for tinkering in the future. Some possible tweaks, like reseeding after the first round or not giving conference champions automatic byes, would have resulted in a vastly different tournament this year, Belichick says he's had 'good conversations' with UNC chancellor amid Tar Heels' coaching search Former New England Patriots coach and six-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick says he had “a couple of good conversations” with North Carolina Chancellor Lee Roberts amid his discussions about the Tar Heels’ head-coaching job. Belichick appeared on ESPN's “The Pat McAfee Show" on Monday. He said he had spent the 11 months since his departure from the Patriots taking a “longer look” at the college level. He said he had learned a lot and had “a couple of good conversations" with Roberts. UNC fired the program's all-time winningest coach in Mack Brown last month. Cowboys set to host Bengals under open roof after falling debris thwarted that plan against Texans ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The roof at the home of the Dallas Cowboys has opened without incident and will stay that way for a Monday night meeting with the Cincinnati Bengals. It will be the first game with the roof open at AT&T Stadium since Oct. 30, 2022. The roof was supposed to be open three weeks ago for Houston’s 34-10 victory on another Monday night. A large piece of metal and other debris fell roughly 300 feet to the field as the retractable roof was opening. The roof was then closed for that game. Tennessee grabs No. 1 in AP Top 25 after shakeup; No. 3 Iowa State has highest ranking since 1950s Tennessee is the new No. 1 in men's college basketball after a massive shakeup in the AP Top 25. The Vols are No. 1 for the first time since the 2018-19 season. Auburn remained No. 2 and No. 3 Iowa State has its highest ranking since 1956-57. Kentucky rounds out the top five. Tennessee is off to its best start since opening the 2000-01 season 9-0. Georgia QB Carson Beck's status for Sugar Bowl uncertain as he considers treatment options on elbow ATLANTA (AP) — Quarterback Carson Beck’s status for No. 2 Georgia’s Sugar Bowl College Football Playoff quarterfinal is uncertain after he suffered an elbow injury in Saturday’s Southeastern Conference championship game win over Texas. Georgia announced Monday there is no timetable on Beck’s return as he and his family explore treatment options. Georgia coach Kirby Smart said Sunday the team was awaiting results of tests. The school did not announce details of the injury. Punter Brett Thorson will need season-ending surgery after injuring his non-kicking leg. Backup Gunner Stockton likely would start in the Sugar Bowl if Beck is unable to play. Another final-second victory puts the Chiefs in prime spot to secure AFC's No. 1 seed: Analysis A thunderous doink helped the Kansas City Chiefs gain some breathing room in the race for the No. 1 seed in the AFC after the Buffalo Bills fell short despite Josh Allen’s spectacular performance. The fight for the top spot in the NFC stayed close as the Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles kept pace with the Detroit Lions. Four weeks remain in the NFL regular season to determine the playoff picture. There’s a clear leader in the fight for the AFC’s bye. The two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs are 12-1 and in excellent position to secure home-field advantage throughout the playoffs after a 19-17 win with a last-second field goal over the Los Angeles Chargers. No. 19 Tennessee back in women's AP Top 25 after year out of poll; UCLA, UConn remain 1-2 Tennessee is back in the AP Top 25 at No. 19, ending the school’s longest drought in the 48-year history of the women’s basketball poll. The Lady Vols (7-0) had not been ranked since Nov. 27, 2023, a span of 22 polls. Since the rankings began in 1976, Tennessee has been in the Top 25 in 779 of 870 total weeks. UCLA, UConn and South Carolina remain the top three teams and Oklahoma has cracked the top 10. Georgia Tech and N.C. State entered the rankings while Illinois, Louisville and Alabama fell out. College football transfer portal opens as Oklahoma's Arnold, other top players look for a move The college football transfer portal has opened a day after the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff field was released. The portal period closes on Dec. 28. Oklahoma QB Jackson Arnold, Texas State running back Ismail Mahdi, Miami (Ohio) wide receiver Reggie Virgil and Ohio State QB Devin Brown were among the first players who entered the portal. The sophomore Arnold passed for 1,984 yards with 16 touchdowns and six interceptions and ran for 560 yards and four scores at Oklahoma. Mahdi led the nation with 2,169 all-purpose yards last season. Brown entered the transfer portal after three years as a backup.
The administration of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has come under heavy criticism over its handling of the flood crisis in the four southern border provinces of Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and Songkhla. Comparisons have been drawn between the delayed response and insufficient support for flood victims in the South and the quicker and more effective management of flooding in the northern provinces in August. The Bangkok Post spoke with political observers about the flood relief efforts and asked if there is a double standard in the government's flood response between the North and South. They were asked to explain whether the government's handling of floods was due to politics, as the ruling Pheu Thai Party is known to have limited support in the South. Setback for Pheu Thai Sathit Wongnongtoey, a former Democrat MP from Trang, said resentment towards the ruling party among some southern residents is deep-rooted due to the Thaksin Shinawatra administration and his infamous remarks about prioritising provinces that supported his party. Moreover, the Pheu Thai-led government's lack of attention to the southern region has been observed, and the prime minister's apparent lack of urgency in taking action has led some residents to believe the region is being neglected, he said. Asked about the premier's remark that she had assigned her deputies to oversee flood management in the South, Mr Sathit criticised the prime minister and said she should be aware of public expectations and be ready to equally serve all citizens. The former MP said the coalition government should take responsibility for the state of the country because it has not done enough to give people hope. Mr Sathit said the government's popularity will be affected as it has been unable to deliver on its economic promises. Sathit: Deliver economic promises Nipit Intarasombat, a former Democrat MP from Phatthalung, said flood relief efforts are being carried out by state agencies involved, although the prime minister has yet to make a trip to the four southernmost border provinces to inspect the floods. This has left the impression the government is not giving sufficient attention and care to the situation, he said, adding that even if the entire cabinet were to visit, they would not have the same morale-boosting effects as the prime minister's presence. Due to the geography of the region, much of the floodwater in affected areas will have already subsided by the time the prime minister makes a visit and she will not be able to witness the full severity of the flooding, he said. When asked if Ms Paetongtarn has no incentive to visit because Pheu Thai has limited support in the South, he said it is hard to believe the country's leader would neglect the South simply because it is not her party's political stronghold. "I don't want to assume that she is neglecting the South simply for that reason. But the delay has cost her significant political goodwill," he said. Mr Nipit also said he believes Ms Paetongtarn cares about the well-being of the southern people, but she and her close aides lack political experience, which may have led them to miscalculate the situation. Asked if the Pheu Thai Party still has a chance to establish a stronghold in the South, Mr Nipit said it is unlikely to gain significant ground in the three southern border provinces of Pattani, Narathiwat and Yala due to several factors, including the recent flooding and the Tak Bai case in Narathiwat. Nipit: PM cares about people Political void During last year's general election, the Pheu Thai Party did not capture a single seat in Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat and Songkhla. Its coalition partner, the Prachachat Party, then led by Wan Muhamad Noor Matha, won all three seats in Yala. In Pattani, where five seats were available, the Prachachat Party won three seats in Constituency 1, 3 and 5, while the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) and the Democrat Party won each in Constituency 2 and Constituency 4, respectively. The five seats in Narathiwat were shared among the PPRP (Constituency 2 and 3), United Thai Nation (UTN) Party (Constituency 1), Bhumjaithai (Constituency 4) and Prachachat Party (Constituency 5). The Democrat Party won the largest share of seats, six out nine, in Songkhla (Constituency 1, 3, 5, 6, 8 and 9) with the UTN winning in Constituency 2, the PPRP in Constituency 4 and the Bhumjaithai Party in Constituency 7. Defending the government, Pheu Thai list-MP Chanin Rungthanakiat said the mobile cabinet meeting in Chiang Mai, which coincided when the South was hit by severe flooding, had been planned weeks in advance and could not be cancelled. The prime minister, he said, decided not to inspect the flooding during its worst phase to avoid adding a burden to local officials who were focusing on relief operations. Even so, several cabinet ministers were assigned to oversee the flood relief efforts, he noted. Mr Chanin stressed the Pheu Thai Party is doing its best to refute the claim the party does not prioritise the southern region. Under the Srettha Thavisin administration, several projects in the South were given support, he said. Chanin: Let local officials work Symbolic gesture Meanwhile, academics criticise the government for its lack of preparedness in terms of evacuation shelters and failure to decentralise power to enable local authorities to more effectively manage the flood crisis. As a result, the public perceives that only the prime minister's visit and intervention can solve the issue, even if the prime minister's visit to the flood-ravaged area is more of a symbolic gesture rather than a direct solution to the problem. Srisompob Jitpiromsri, a political scientist at Prince of Songkla University, Pattani campus, said that given the size of financial aid and recovery efforts by the Interior Ministry, the government's response in both the North and South is not much different. The cabinet previously approved a change in the criteria for flood compensation payouts. Now, all affected households stand to receive a one-time payment of 9,000 baht. Under the old criteria, households flooded for 30 days or less would receive 5,000 baht, while those inundated for more than 30 days but less than 60 received 7,000 baht. Households flooded for more than 60 days were the only ones given 9,000 baht. Mr Srisompob said provincial authorities, the military, the private sector and various charity and rescue foundations have mobilised their resources to assist flood victims. Media coverage has shown the struggles and plight of the flood-ravaged communities. This has led to comparisons with the role of the government, particularly the prime minister whose visit would have eased tension and provided reassurance to those severely affected by the flooding, he said. "Ms Paetongtarn's comments about her husband being a native of the southern region have not been particularly helpful. "She shouldn't have said it at all under this situation. She should have talked about policies. When her comments are seen as out of place, the issue is dramatised," he said. Early this month, the prime minister defended herself against social media criticism about allegedly neglecting flood-hit southern provinces while touring the northern region, emphasising that providing aid takes priority over making public appearances. She responded that her family had connections to the South through her husband. "How could I neglect the South when my husband and his family are Southerners?" Srisompob: Comments aren't helpful Poor disaster management Mr Srisompob said the issue of evacuation shelters has been a pain point for the southern region for a decade and despite having the resources, the government has yet to invest in permanent shelters for disaster relief. "The government needs to rethink its approach to disaster management, especially in the southern region where flooding is exacerbated by rising sea tides," he said. Nuttakorn Vititanon, a political scientist at Chiang Mai University, said the government needs to revamp its disaster warning and emergency response systems to ensure residents are fully informed about risks and adequately cared for. "The flood came at night and no one evacuated in the dark. Moreover, there were no shelters for them. Telling people to evacuate... but to where? So, they stayed home," he said. He was referring to recent flood situations in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai in August. Mr Nuttakorn said the government appears to be avoiding confronting local communities and resorts that block water drainage and is instead trying to build flood barriers, which is not a sustainable solution. He said the prime minister does not need to visit any flood-hit areas to make instructions if local authorities have the full power to manage the situation. "But the governor doesn't and he can't instruct other agencies like the Department of Royal Irrigation. Remember when a floodgate was broken and the governor was blamed for not coordinating? "The problem was solved after the prime minister's visit. As a result, people have become accustomed to the idea that if they want something fixed, the prime minister must intervene," Mr Nuttakorn said. Nuttakorn: 'No shelters for them'
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