"NASA reveals 'galaxy of horrors' exoplanet posters in time for Halloween."
"Having a teal pumpkin on the doorstep (teal being the color of food allergy awareness) is a way to signal to people with food allergies that this is a safe home for trick-or-treating, says Jennifer Norris, president of the Food Allergy Community of East Tennessee (FACET), which started the project." There was some chatter on twitter about this, but I didn't quite grok it all. I might need to include this next year.
"But this year, a month into the fall hunt in Utqiaġvik, the bowheads still haven't shown up." Have we mentioned fish migrations in climate change scenarios?
"If you often hit that midafternoon slump and feel drowsy at your desk, you're not alone. The number of working Americans who get less than seven hours of sleep a night is on the rise." Raises hand. Sometimes I think it's just because I'm older and heavier that I have to work so hard just to keep up. And then I look at my fitbit statistics.
"The trial, called TrialNet, is run by an international consortium of researchers who aim to understand how Type 1 diabetes develops over time and to find ways to halt its progression. One arm of the trial, Pathway to Prevention, includes participants like Liam, who have blood samples drawn annually and are screened for five proteins that help predict whether their immune system has begun to recognize the pancreas as foreign."
"A vaccine which could 'revolutionise' tuberculosis treatment has been unveiled by researchers… It is hoped the vaccine will provide long-term protection against the disease, which kills 1.5 million people around the world each year." That would be a Good Thing™, but again we're years from actual approvals.
"AT&T lost more than 1.3 million TV customers in Q3 2019 as its nosedive in both the traditional pay-TV and online-streaming markets continued." I guess continually playing games with rates doesn't actually lead to satisfied customers. And playing the "it's only $19.99*" and in real small print "for the first 3 months and it's whatever we say for the next 2 years, sucker" is also not a winning strategy. (Grokked from John)
How did that PG&E plan of cutting off power work out? "A tree branch crashing on to power lines ignited the wind-driven Getty Fire that forced evacuation of more than 7,000 homes, fire officials have confirmed."
Promises made… "The Trump administration has spent three years trying to help the coal industry by rolling back environmental regulations and pushing for subsidies for coal-fired power plants. Still, the long list of coal company bankruptcies has continued, and dozens more plants have announced their retirement since President Trump took office." Hey, it wasn't the regulations, or President Obama, coal has been dying since the 70s. "'When you're a private company and you're in financial failure, the first person that loses everything is the owner. And that's what will happen,' Murray tells NPR." I'm sure the millions he has in the bank will console him.
"Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV and French carmaker PSA Group are exploring a combination, in a potential deal that would reshape the global auto industry and create a European powerhouse to rival Volkswagen AG, people with knowledge of the matter said." But PSA is partially owned by the Chinese government (IIRC). So that might hit a few regulatory problems.
"Can Dolly Parton heal America? That's the question posed by a new podcast from WNYC, Dolly Parton's America, hosted by Radiolab's Jad Abumrad. It's not as far-fetched as you might think."
How goes Brexit? "MPs are set to give their blessing to Boris Johnson's plan for an early general election on 12 December."
How goes the Trade Wars? "Fed policymakers on Wednesday are widely expected to cut interest rates for the third time since July. But positive headlines, largely driven by Trump’s preliminary trade deal with China, could lead the central bank to tap the brakes on any further decreases until there’s evidence that the economy really needs yet another boost."
"President Trump’s personal variable rate loans are worth much more, at least $180 million. The exact amount he stands to save from rate cuts is hard to ascertain, but estimates have put it in the millions, especially if the Fed lowers interest rates further. When the Fed lowered rates by 0.25% at the end of July, Trump tweeted that Fed Chair Powell 'let us down' and that the market wanted a 'lengthy and aggressive rate-cutting cycle'– appearing to push for much deeper cuts. Since then, Trump’s public demands for more cuts have only intensified." Self- dealing? Naughty naughty. (Grokked from Jim Wright)
How's that tax-break-boosted economy working out? "GDP — the broadest measure of economic activity — grew at an annual rate of just 1.9% during the third quarter. That's a deceleration from the lackluster second quarter, when GDP grew at a 2% pace. At this point, it would take an economic miracle to achieve the 3.2% growth rate for the full year predicted in the president's budget." It's almost like that "give rich people more money and they'll spend more creating jobs" thing was a complete lie. Of course they'll talk about "uncertainty" and other things holding it back. Yeah yeah, I've heard that before. When companies stop the skyrocketing executive salaries and shareholder payouts I'll believe they're plowing that money back into creating jobs and economic growth. Until then, they're just skimming off the top.
"Iraq Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi's two main backers have agreed to work to remove him from office as protests against his government gained momentum in Baghdad and much of the Shia south only to be met with violence."
"DOJ court filing reveals FBI’s reason for withholding information on Kavanaugh background check." Because it might be embarrassing to him (and others). You know, like material that could be used for extortion might be.
"Twenty-three U.S. senators are calling on the nation's top consumer protection agency to investigate a loan servicer for its role in a troubled student loan forgiveness program. The program is designed to help public service workers like teachers and police officers." CPFB did investigate, but were rebuffed and there was no political will to support them in their effort.
"Some Democrats have begun to raise the specter that Sondland, a Republican donor who is Trump's representative to the European Union, perjured himself during his closed-door testimony to impeachment investigators earlier this month." Rhut rho. Most people forget that in Watergate a lot of people went to jail for the president. (Grokked from Kathryn Cramer)
"We hear next from some of the few Republicans who have openly challenged President Trump. Speaking in Nashville over the weekend, former Illinois Congressman Joe Walsh warned that the GOP may not recover from Trump's presidency. And he called out Republicans who continue to support him." Dudes, seriously, Trump is the base of your party. This is not recoverable (and the Democrats better make damn well sure to hammer that point home). Trump is what the GOP became after integrating the Dixiecrats, the Birchers, and the social conservatives. This is the result of Reagan's compromise and 11th commandment. You sold out for power, and now the fiddlers are calling the tune.
"It sets the parameters for public hearings led by the House Intelligence Committee, which will craft a report to the Judiciary Committee. That report will form the basis for proceedings in Judiciary, where the president and his counsel will be allowed to cross examine witnesses and request testimony. The Judiciary Committee will decide whether to adopt articles of impeachment to send to the full House." Shit is getting real. While it feels slow, this is the process. And while you'll find few people who want the president gone as much as I, I'm also for a deliberate and deliberative process.
"The measure will enable public hearings and a release of the witness interviews already taken by House committees and will allow the president and his attorneys to cross-examine witnesses."
"'During my time at the NSC, I received multiple calls from lobbyist Robert Livingston, who told me that Ambassador Yovanovitch should be fired. He characterized Ambassador Yovanovitch as an 'Obama holdover' and associated with George Soros,' Croft says in her opening statement, obtained by NPR. 'It was not clear to me at the time—or now—at whose direction or at whose expense Mr. Livingston was seeking the removal of Ambassador Yovanovitch.'" (Grokked from Kathryn Cramer)
"Christopher Anderson, a career foreign service officer in the State Department, will tell House impeachment investigators on Wednesday that President Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani stood in the way of the White House strengthening ties with Ukraine, according to a copy of Anderson's opening statement obtained by NPR."
"Democrats and Republicans got into a shouting match behind closed doors on Tuesday while interviewing a witness in the impeachment investigation, with Democrats accusing Republicans of trying to out the anonymous whistleblower who sparked the impeachment inquiry, according to five sources from both parties."
"'We have a long-standing concern that the president and his allies in Congress aren’t interested in the underlying act but are interested in risking the life of the whistleblower,' Representative Eric Swalwell told reporters." Supposedly in committee the conservatives are asking witnesses if they know who the whistleblower is. The redacted transcript of the call still shows criminal intent on the part of the president. But conservatives believe they can stop further damage if they're able to silence any other whistleblowers, which implies they know about more crimes.
"President Donald Trump once promised that coal and steel would be the beating heart of a revived U.S. economy… But a year away from Election Day, that promised renaissance is not materializing and both sectors are faltering in ways that are painfully familiar and politically significant." Dear media, it was the racism. You see the same polls I do. Now it could happen that the Democrats somehow tie the economic downturn to the increased racism, but that's unlikely. It could also happen that Trump's supporters, seeing their own prospects tank, have a change of heart. I'll also put this as unlikely. However, it has charged up a lot of people who sat out 2016, and that's what might change the 2020 calculus.
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