Sorry, alligators ate my homework.
"Doctors are reporting the first evidence that genetically edited cells could offer a safe way to treat sickle cell disease, a devastating, incurable disorder that afflicts millions of people around the world." (Grokked from Laura J Mixon)
"Health insurance companies pay wildly different amounts for the same vaccines depending on how negotiations go with individual medical providers across the country. In some cases, providers have forced insurers to pay upward of three times the price they would pay to other providers, according to an investigation by Kaiser Health News."
"In her powerful new (2017) book, Nomadland, award-winning journalist Jessica Bruder reveals the dark, depressing and sometimes physically painful life of a tribe of men and women in their 50s and 60s who are — as the subtitle says — 'surviving America in the twenty-first century.' Not quite homeless, they are “houseless,” living in secondhand RVs, trailers and vans and driving from one location to another to pick up seasonal low-wage jobs, if they can get them, with little or no benefits." In the early 20th century, as this part of capitalism began to grow, we created Social Security. Unfortunately I doubt our society has it in them to go that far.
Who needs regulation? "An Air Quality Advisory has been issued for several counties in Northeast Ohio through Wednesday… The alert is for Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage and Summit counties." It's rare we have these in the late Fall.
"With the threat of another power outage looming, state lawmakers hammered Pacific Gas & Electric at the state Capitol on Monday for botching shut-offs that left millions of Californians in the dark this fall and blamed the company for failing to upgrade its system over time." And even with the power outages, their power lines sparked fires.
"Boeing's response takes issue with several parts of NASA's report. But the company appears especially exercised about the claim that NASA overpaid Boeing for seats on the third through sixth Starliner missions, payment over and above what was originally agreed upon as part of the company's fixed price contract with the space agency." Maybe they forgot to carry the "1"?
"New research has linked air pollution nanoparticles to brain cancer for the first time… The ultra-fine particles (UFPs) are produced by fuel burning, particularly in diesel vehicles, and higher exposures significantly increase people’s chances of getting the deadly cancer. Previous work has shown that nanoparticles can get into the brain and that they can carry carcinogenic chemicals." But let's burn more coal. Again, initial study, blah blah blah.
"A group of physicians, alarmed that the Trump administration is denying flu vaccines to immigrants in custody, is urging the Department of Homeland Security to accept its offer to provide free flu shots to California detainees." Because we know what will happen.
"As Hong Kong police continued to lay siege to one of the city's universities Tuesday as the former British colony's embattled leader urged around 100 protesters holed up inside to leave the campus 'as soon as possible.'" Not ending well (not really ending).
"The son of former German president Richard von Weizsaecker was stabbed to death while he was giving a lecture at a hospital in Berlin where he worked as a head physician, police said Wednesday." The start or attempt to start something or personal vendetta?
"Swedish authorities are ending their investigation into an allegation of rape against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, the country's deputy chief prosecutor announced Tuesday." Wonder if it's because of the lapse of time (statute of limitations, of which 3 of the 4 have passed), or lack of "evidence"? Or if it's a way to Punk Assange (as in, you spent all those years in hiding for "nothing") and wait for him to come within the Swedish police's grasp on his own. (Grokked from John)
"The Navy will review whether an officer who was convicted of posing with the corpse of an ISIS captive before President Donald Trump intervened should be allowed to remain in the elite SEAL corps, along with three of his supervising officers, a defense official told NBC News on Tuesday night."
"A CBS News investigation has uncovered a possible pay-for-play scheme involving the Republican National Committee and President Donald Trump's nominee for ambassador to the Bahamas. Emails obtained by CBS News show the nominee, San Diego billionaire Doug Manchester, was asked by the RNC to donate half a million dollars as his confirmation in the Senate hung in the balance, chief investigative correspondent Jim Axelrod reports." It's not a secret that ambassadorships are often given to major donators (often bundlers) of campaigns. It is unusual to tie those donations so directly to getting an ambassadorship. These people don't even crime well. (Grokked from Kathryn Cramer)
"The complete inability of the political press corps to respond properly to even the most obvious deceptions emerging from the Trump White House has never been more evident than over the weekend, when Trump was rushed to Walter Reed hospital and his press office provided an explanation that was not remotely credible."
"The President of the United States had some free time on his hands Saturday, so he decided to go to Walter Reed Hospital for some routine medical tests as part of his annual checkup — next year’s annual checkup. That’s the explanation from the White House about President Trump’s apparently impromptu hospital visit… Uh-huh." And then there is this, "If this were a normal White House… there would be an opportunity to ask questions and get information via regular — they used to be daily — White House press briefings. Since being named to her job in June, Ms. Grisham has yet to hold a single one." No scheduled press briefing since June. And before that, Sanders wasn't holding many either.
"House impeachment investigators are probing whether President Donald Trump, or anyone in his inner circle, directed the president’s former special envoy to Ukraine, Kurt Volker, to press Ukrainian senior officials to shut down a criminal investigation of ex-President Petro Poroshenko, according to sources close to the impeachment inquiry and committee records." So much for them being concerned about corruption in the Ukraine. It's getting really crowded under this bus. (Grokked from Kathryn Cramer)
"Ambassador Kurt Volker faces a serious credibility problem for having denied knowledge or involvement in President Donald Trump and Rudy Giuliani’s efforts to press Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden. He also appears to have lied about a crucial July 10 meeting at the White House and other related matters. Volker faces a serious legal liability problem too. He made these apparent false statements to Congress in his deposition under penalty of law. The Chart below presents detailed information comparing Volker’s testimony to the testimony of at least eleven other current and former U.S. officials whose statements contradict what Volker told Congress." I wonder if we'll remember the name Kurt Volker in the same way we remember John Dean (note, Volker will have to recant before that happens). (Grokked from Laura J Mixon)
"Former US Special Envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker was widely seen as Republicans' impeachment ace in the hole. On Tuesday on Capitol Hill, it didn't work out that way… Volker's opening statement repeatedly acknowledged that statements he made during his October 3 closed-door deposition in front of House investigators had been not fully informed. And that, in the six weeks between that first appearance and his public appearance before the House Intelligence Committee on Tuesday, much had changed that forced him to also revise and extend his original contentions." Let the side-eyes begin.
Like this, "Among the most jolting reality checks that hit Volker at some point in the previous 46 days—perhaps during a pensive autumnal stroll—was his realization that perhaps President Donald Trump’s interest in corruption at a specific Ukrainian natural gas concern was not on the level." I wonder if many conservatives will view this as a viable option to explain their support for the president as it because clear he committed crimes in office (using his office).
Meanwhile, on Bullshit Mountain, "Republicans sounded a celebratory note as House Democrats' impeachment inquiry wrapped up another day of public hearings Tuesday evening, saying the day's witnesses had served only to highlight fundamental problems in the case against President Trump." Apparently for conservatives if you don't say the words, you haven't committed the crime.
"After a meeting in which President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed concern over the status of US security assistance to Ukraine, Ambassador Gordon Sondland had a possible solution: publicly announce investigations into President Donald Trump's political rivals and the hold on the aid would be released… It was a meeting that Sondland, the US ambassador to the EU, left out of his initial deposition in front of House impeachment investigators -- and only came to light after Sondland amended that testimony. The episode was, however, described in more detail by others who have testified since, including one White House official who was so unsettled that it was reported to the White House counsel." He testifies in public today. Although part of this is an attempt to pain Sondland as "freelancing" and the whole thing as his fault.
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