"The researchers suggest that regions of the Martian surface could be made habitable with a material—silica aerogel—that mimics Earth's atmospheric greenhouse effect. Through modeling and experiments, the researchers show that a two to three-centimeter-thick shield of silica aerogel could transmit enough visible light for photosynthesis, block hazardous ultraviolet radiation, and raise temperatures underneath permanently above the melting point of water, all without the need for any internal heat source." Spray-foam habitats.
"Two years after it released the first season of the show 13 Reasons Why with a graphic suicide scene, Netflix has announced that it has edited it out." Well that only took 2 years and (I'm assuming here) a drop in viewership. "If you’re thinking about suicide, are worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, the Lifeline network is available 24/7 across the United States." The national suicide hotline number is 1-800-273-8255. There are always options, you just may not think they're viable at the moment.
"Though life-threatening flooding still poses a threat to Louisiana, weakening winds on Sunday marked Barry's downgrade from a tropical storm to a tropical depression." Note that Barry's path means all of the water it's dropping with make its way down the Mississippi and through New Orleans, which is already flooded.
"More than 100 people have died in India and Nepal since monsoon flooding began over the weekend. The rains have stopped in Nepal on Tuesday, but the disaster is far from over -- with heavy downpours expected to continue in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan in the coming days."
How go the Trade Wars? "Zhong Shan, who took part in a telephone conversation with the leaders of the US negotiation team last week, made clear that the US side should be held solely accountable for the trade conflict that has become a drag on the global economy." Remember all the economic buoyancy given to the stock markets about how we're close to a resolution and China was going to be making "big (agricultural) purchases soon." Yeah, how's that working out? Shhh, nobody tell the investor class.
"China's economy grew at the slowest pace in 27 years, as the trade war with the United States takes a toll."
"With American Airlines joining United in pulling 737 Max planes from their schedules and cancelling flights into early November, many travel industry observers are bracing for the next shoe to drop: higher priced fares and cancelled flights for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays season." It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas (to the airlines).
"Ryanair is taking the knife to its operations in Europe as it prepares for two years of disruption caused by Boeing's 737 Max debacle."
How's that "fewer regulations" thing coming along? "The battle is heating up as Burning Man officials attempt to secure a new 10-year permit to allow the August gathering in Nevada's Black Rock Desert to jump from its current capacity of 80,000 to 100,000. But the Bureau of Land Management is clamping down." Funny how less regulation doesn't apply here.
And those tax cuts? "JPMorgan Chase (JPM), the largest U.S. bank by assets, reported earnings for the second quarter on Tuesday that surpassed analysts’ expectations, helped by a nearly $800 million tax boost."
"Amazon would not be the $995 billion company it is today without the US Postal Service, according to CEO Jeff Bezos… In an interview with the 'CBS Evening News' on Monday, Bezos said the Postal Service gave Amazon a huge helping hand from the outset, as the online retailer did not have to invest in a delivery network… But his remarks on the Postal Service risk angering President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly attacked Amazon's use of the service." Okay, lets all settle down here. One, the Post Office helps practically every single business in this country that relies on it. It's not just Amazon. eBay wouldn't be possible without it, and you wouldn't be able to get your bills paid or receive notices and thousands of other things without the Post Office. The PO is one of those government operations that helps everyone.
They're good people trying to do their job of caring for these immigrants, or so the VP says. "At a Border Patrol holding facility in El Paso, Texas, an agent told a Honduran family that one parent would be sent to Mexico while the other parent and their three children could stay in the United States, according to the family. The agent turned to the couple's youngest daughter — 3-year-old Sofia, whom they call Sofi — and asked her to make a choice." Fuck the VP.
When you turn on the lights, the roaches scramble for the dark. "NPR's Noel King talks to defense attorney Alan Dershowitz, who led the defense team that negotiated the 2008 non-prosecution agreement for financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein." No transcript, yet. Note that Alan, a frequent Fox News commentator and often retweeted by the president, has been implicated in Epstein's crimes. Also, for someone who only has an "academic relationship" with Epstein, he sure does benefit from that relationship more than most close friends do.
"The Epstein Story Didn't Just Happen Overnight." On the Media podcast with an interview of Julie Brown.
On the next gerrymandering case before the courts. "During the 2018 midterm election, Republican state legislative candidates received less than half the overall vote. However in the state Senate they won 58% of the seats (29 out of 50) And in the House they hold 54% of the seats (65 out of 120). As for North Carolina's Congressional districts, Democrats won 50% of the vote and 23% of the seats." This is what minority rule looks like.
"Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris unveiled a plan on Tuesday that authorizes the federal government to set the rates for certain prescription drugs as a way to lower prices." Let the garment rending begin as the pharmaceutical industry goes into high gear to prevent the US from :: checks notes :: doing what most other nations do.
"The four progressive congresswomen of color attacked by President Donald Trump responded on Monday afternoon at a joint news conference, saying his 'blatantly racist' assault on them is nothing more than an effort to distract from his corrupt administration and inhumane policies." Waits for the media's reports on the misunderstood rural "economically anxious" class who don't hate anyone, but just don't understand why "these people" don't go back to where they came from, how much they love the president for "everything he's done", and whatever racist bullshit they want to couch in some other terms.
"Tennessee's Republican governor, Bill Lee, is facing public backlash after he declared Saturday 'Nathan Bedford Forrest Day,' continuing a decades-old tradition honoring the Confederate general, slave trader and onetime leader of the Ku Klux Klan." Funny how conservatives when forced to follow a racist law and honor racists shrug their shoulders and say they're just following the law. But let that mean you have to dispense RU486 or give a license or bake a cake for a same-sex couple and whoa Daddy, are they all for social conscience. Fuck Gov. Lee and his nod and wink approach to racism.
"Police say they are searching for the 'person or persons' responsible for the death of Sadie Roberts-Joseph, a prominent community activist in Baton Rouge, La. and the founder of the city's African American history museum."
"North Korea says it is rethinking whether to abide by its moratorium on nuclear and missile tests and other steps aimed at improving ties with the U.S." But I'm sure it was a lovely letter none-the-less.
"He said Iran would only sit down with the United States if it lifted punishing economic sanctions it has imposed on Tehran and rejoined the 2015 nuclear deal it abandoned last year." Also maybe not sell weapons to Iran's strategic competitors.
"The Trump administration moved Monday to effectively end asylum for any migrant who arrives at the U.S.-Mexico border, an enormous shift in U.S. immigration policy that could block hundreds of thousands of people from seeking protection in the U.S. — and is certain to draw legal challenges." Not to mention that such a rule is in violation of international law and convention. Our president has decided to make the US a pariah in the world by being an even bigger asshole than it was.
"Immigrant rights advocates and attorneys denounced President Donald Trump's latest move Monday to restrict asylum at the southern border as the 'most egregious' and 'extreme' policy targeting the form of protection by the administration yet." Oh, he's just getting started. It'll get worse. Look, I know everybody is all, "but he doesn't understand…" and sure, yes, the president is ignorant of anything that doesn't directly affect him on a daily basis. But what they don't understand is that this isn't about law, or precedent, or the US position in the world. This is all about keeping brown people from entering the country and saying they're just as good as the white people the president represents. If you look at his actions with this lens, that of white supremacy, all these things start to have their own logic. Outside of that viewpoint it just looks like bedlam and incompetence.
"The new efforts have Democrats hopeful they can mobilize a religious left to counter the religious right, long a bedrock Republican constituency. Less clear is whether the outreach will resonate with those voters who make up the religious middle." What remains to be seen is if they'll be forced into a compromise similar to the one Reagan made in 1980, which really lead to the state of politics as it is now with the social conservative revolution overtaking the Republican Party (and solidified after they compromised the Tea Party and integrated that movement into the GOP bedrock).
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