"A U.S. Navy sailor shot and killed two civilian employees of the Defense Department and wounded a third, before killing himself at Hawaii's Pearl Harbor military installation."
"Since it launched in August 2018, the Parker Solar Probe has rocketed around the sun three times, getting closer than any spacecraft before it and traveling faster than any other human-made object in history."
"Rogue plasma waves. Floating magnetic islands. Showers of charged particles. These are just some of the things NASA’s Parker Solar Probe witnessed during its first two intimate encounters with the sun."
"A study published on Wednesday involving 70,716 birds killed from 1978 through 2016 in such collisions in the third-largest U.S. city found that their average body sizes steadily declined over that time, though their wingspans increased."
"Long story short: 'We find that climate models published over the past five decades were generally quite accurate in predicting global warming in the years after publication.'" And yes, that means we're boned in case you were wondering. Also, "To be clear, almost all the models chosen are no longer in use, having been superseded by more sophisticated models since."
"Seven people in San Diego have died in the last two months from a flesh-eating bacteria associated with black tar heroin use, according to health officials." People are still using black-tar heroin? Sure, it's probably cheaper, but still. Also, it's so shocking to hear that drug pushers may not have sterile procedures in place.
"Over the past decade there has been a surge of interest in a novel approach to helping the world's poor: Instead of giving them goods like food or services like job training, just hand out cash — with no strings attached. Now a major new study suggests that people who get the aid aren't the only ones who benefit." It's almost like the thing that keeps people poor is their lack of access to ready cash. I know this goes against the American Dream™ as portrayed by conservatives that tells you the poor are that way because they don't know how to make money, handle money, not be lazy, behave, play the game correctly, and whatever trait the rich want to believe they aren't. Because here's the thing, there is no trickle down. Tides don't rise because a river swells. A tub doesn't fill because the water falls into it, it fills because it holds the water. "The net effect: Every dollar in cash aid increased total economic activity in the area by $2.60." Poor people spend money, rich people horde money. Giving more money to rich people doesn't increase economic activity (sure, they may invest it, but that's as far as it goes). Giving more money to poor people, they may save a little, but they will spend most of it on necessities. Those who provide those necessities will spend that money purchasing more, or on their own necessities. Economy isn't about the water level in the tub, but how the water moves in the tub. (Grokked from Ann Leckie)
"As the family later learned, Glenda Moore had the right to appeal the Medicare decision, or to apply for Medicaid — and, if she qualified (which she later did), to stay in the nursing home on Medicaid for as long as she needed nursing care. Instead, Moore’s family said, Moore became one of thousands of Americans discharged against their wishes or evicted from nursing homes each year." If you have someone in your life who is on Medicare/Mediaid, I strongly advise getting to know the social workers, Medicare advocates and case workers, and finding a lawyer who can help you navigate this system. Do it at the beginning. Also I highly recommend preparing for this possible outcome early. Also, interview these facilities before you need to make a decision. It's a lot of work.
"But the lofty expectations placed upon Johnson came crashing down this week, when (Chicago) Mayor Lori Lightfoot, a former police board president who was elected earlier this year, unexpectedly fired Johnson, saying he misled the people of the city and 'intentionally lied to me several times' in connection with an incident in October in which he fell asleep behind the wheel of his car."
"Faulty Takata airbags have already caused the largest auto recall in history, with tens of millions of cars affected. Now a newly discovered defect has prompted the recall of another 1.4 million vehicles."
"Instagram will start requiring all new users to provide their birthdays when making an account. The new requirement starts today and is seemingly geared toward creating 'age-appropriate experiences.' A user’s age might produce different recommended privacy settings or generate in-app information about staying safe online, the company says in a blog post. Birthdays will be hidden from other users, and existing users won’t have to add their birthdays for now. Users have to be 13 to join the service." You know, totally for programing experiences so the kiddies are safe and not to link more information together for Facebook to sell.
How go the Trade Wars? "China gives little indication US trade talks are progressing…" Shocked, shocked I am… Here we go again. This is becoming more annoying than the Ross and Rachel thing.
"Labour, which founded the NHS in 1948, frames the choice facing voters this way: Will the U.K. preserve the service as a pillar of postwar society, providing free health care in a system that's rated as the best in the developed world?… Or will the U.K. allow increased influence from the United States, whose far more expensive free-market-oriented model is ranked worst in the world, according to the Commonwealth Fund, a nonpartisan research organization." Hint to our British friends, you don't want to have what we're having. Also in the article is a link to the video of people in London being asked if they know the costs of healthcare in America. That's really an unfair question (I mean, how much does a gallon of milk cost in England), but their responses to the actual prices are what we should also be having.
"The Pentagon has denied a report that the United States was weighing sending up to 14,000 more troops to the Middle East in the face of a perceived threat from Iran."
"A Florida Republican congressional hopeful who apparently called for Rep. Ilhan Omar and other Democrats to be hanged in a fundraising email has been removed from a GOP initiative that supports candidates." It's not everything they could do, but it's a start. Now do something about the Danielle Stella, who tweeting something similar and is running against Rep. Omar.
"President Donald Trump campaigned on claims that the rest of the world was 'laughing at' the United States and its leaders, arguing he would get the world to take the US seriously… A video posted to Twitter by the Canadian Broadcast Corporation shows Prime Minister Justin Trudeau seemingly mocking Trump during a candid moment at a reception. And other world leaders — including French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and Mark Rutte, prime minister of the Netherlands — appear to be in on the joke." They aren't laughing at you… well, yes, I guess they were. (Grokked from Kathryn Cramer)
"President Donald Trump on Wednesday abruptly canceled a news conference that was scheduled to cap a contentious trip to the U.K. for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s 70th anniversary meeting." Somebody's feeling were hurt. Hot mics all around.
"It’s too easy, and too often an easy coverup for, yes, epistemological nihilism: The notion that are no facts, so let’s not bother to try establishing them… But here’s the thing: There are facts. There is truth. We do live in a country that abides by laws and a Constitution, and nobody ought to be above them." Margaret Sullivan on the media game and being gamed.
"Democrats are injecting an urgent new argument into their already fast-moving impeachment drive: President Donald Trump poses such a flagrant threat to the republic that there is no time to waste."
"Melania Trump admonished one of the legal scholars testifying at Wednesday's impeachment inquiry hearing after the professor made a joke involving her son, Barron, for which the professor later apologized." I appreciate the first lady's concern, but this is also changing the context of the comment by Dr. Karlan. The choice of naming the child Barron was what was used, not the child himself. This is just an attempt to crowd out what was a damaging day of testimony.
"Across from a Capitol Hill impeachment hearing that President Trump and his allies loudly rebuked, members of the White House legal team and its top legislative aide huddled Wednesday with Senate Republicans over lunch to plot out a potential trial in the upper chamber." So, thinking about "due process", how many defendants' legal teams get to have negotiations with the jury prior to a trial?
No comments:
Post a Comment