Linkee-poo Thursday March 10

"In a study published Wednesday in the journal Current Biology, he and his colleagues examined how the Christmas Island rat could be revived, as well as the current limitations to "de-extinction." The research raises big questions about how successful de-extinction efforts can be, which types of animals should be brought back, and the ethical quandaries of tinkering with nature."

"When a rogue meteor careened through the atmosphere of Jupiter last year, it caught the attention of NASA's Juno spacecraft in orbit around the giant planet… The brief and sudden flash in Jupiter's upper atmosphere was spotted by NASA's Juno spacecraft in April 2020. But, while the burst of light didn't last long, it drew scientists' attention as its spectral characteristics didn't line up with what would be expected in Jupiter's aurora, the Juno mission team announced this month."

"The age of a 31-kilometer (19-mile) wide meteorite crater discovered under a kilometer of Greenland ice had long puzzled scientists… However, the crater, which is one of the world's largest, has now been definitively dated -- and it is much, much older. In fact, it slammed into the Earth just a few million years after dinosaurs went extinct, about 58 million years ago."

"They have also triggered a hunt for new locations to put millions of more solar panels, sometimes in unexpected places and with the help of unlikely allies. Researchers, environmentalists and energy companies are increasingly turning to spots such as agricultural canals, grazing pastures, the roofs and the parking lots of big-box retail stores, the land next to interstate highways and airports, and the tops of landfills, mines and wastewater treatment plants… If big open spaces aren’t right for utility-scale solar farms, the thinking goes, then the panels will have to squeeze in everywhere else."

"One of the most important studies in the pandemic – studying the potential impact of Covid on the brain – was just published. The major findings of loss of gray matter, reduced brain size, and cognitive decline are concerning and need to be placed in context."

"Higher levels of exposure to toxic PFAS 'forever chemicals' may increase the likelihood of Covid-19 infection, more serious symptoms and death, a group of recent studies have found… Public health advocates and researchers have feared since the coronavirus pandemic’s onset that PFAS, which are known to be immunotoxic, could hinder the body’s ability to fight Covid-19, and the four studies represent the first bit of research supporting the theory. However, the authors caution that more research is needed." The problem is… "PFAS are estimated to be in about 97% of Americans’ blood, and have been detected in all corners of the globe, including the Arctic."

"The early days of lockdown restrictions had a profound effect on people's daily lives. Alcohol sales skyrocketed, physical activity dropped off sharply, and "comfort eating" led to weight gain, too… So, what's happened since March of 2020? After two years of pandemic life, many of these effects persist. The strategies we used to adapt and cope have cemented into habits for many of us. And this is not a surprise to scientists who study behavior change."

"Gramm waited seven months for her nurse practitioner license at a time when COVID-19 cases were skyrocketing across the U.S. and hospitals were desperate to keep nurses on staff… An NPR examination of license applications found that nurses fresh out of school and those moving to new states often get tangled in bureaucratic red tape for months, waiting for state approval to treat patients."

"The European Central Bank on Thursday announced it will wind down asset purchases faster than planned as it assesses the economic fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine… The ECB said in a statement that it will end its bond-buying program in the third quarter, if economic data allows it. The central bank added that it stands ready to revisit this decision if the outlook changes."

"The consumer price index, which measures a wide-ranging basket of goods and services, increased 7.9% over the past 12 months, a fresh 40-year high for the closely followed gauge, according to the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics… The February acceleration was the fastest pace since January1982, back when the U.S. economy confronted the twin threat of higher inflation and reduced economic growth." So how was your "cost of living" raise this year?

"The idea that the US can be fully energy independent -- and that it would combat rising gas prices -- is a fantasy, numerous experts told CNN… 'What Americans and US officials really care about is the price of gasoline, and that has almost nothing to do about whether we're energy independent or not,' said Bob McNally, president of Rapidan Energy Group. 'Can the US wall itself off from volatility in the global oil market? The answer is no.'… It's too early to tell whether the current price shock will spur a change in how Americans consume oil, but experts said it's forcing a hard look at how the country uses it."

"There’s little wonder why oil isn’t eager to ride to Ukraine’s rescue: The exploration industry as a whole had nearly $20 billion in negative free cash flow as recently as 2015, losing $78 billion between 2005 and 2017 as hydraulic fracking took over the industry and drove crude prices lower amid oversupplied markets and overextended drillers. Free cash flow is a financial measure that accounts for the amount oil companies invest in new wells, which is deducted from accounting profits over the expected life of the wells."

"The number of unionized Starbucks stores has doubled after employees at three more locations in the Buffalo area voted to join Workers United, a union affiliated with the Service Employees International Union… The tallies at all three stores were close, with one location voting 8-7 and the other two voting 15-12 in favor of a union."

"Major League Baseball said Wednesday that the league has canceled more regular-season games, pushing back opening day until at least April 14 as negotiations between the union and league owners continue."

"Ryan Coogler was detained by police in January after being mistaken for a bank robber… The 'Black Panther' director was in Atlanta, attempting to make a withdrawal from his account with Bank of America. The teller received an alert on his account, according to the police report obtained by CNN, because the amount was more than $10,000. The teller notified her superior that she thought Coogler was trying to rob the bank and 911 was called."

"The Walt Disney Company has now come out against Florida's Parental Rights In Education bill. The so-called 'Don't Say Gay' bill was passed by Florida's House and Senate and is headed to Gov. Ron DeSantis' desk… The bill would limit discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity in schools… In recent days, Disney employees shared their outrage on social media when the company did not denounce the proposed legislation." The problem isn't so much that they didn't say anything out loud, but that they actively gave to politicians pushing the bill.

"Days after a secret weekend visit to Caracas by top Biden administration officials, two Americans long detained there were released — a surprising development with a country whose leader, Nicolas Maduro, is not even currently recognized as its president by the United States… While not many details are known about the talks, the White House has said that energy security was also part of conversations."

"Russia could be planning a chemical or biological weapon attack in Ukraine - and 'we should all be on the lookout', the White House has said… Press secretary Jen Psaki said Russia's claims about US biological weapon labs, and chemical weapon development in Ukraine, were preposterous… She called the false claims an 'obvious ploy' to try to justify further premeditated, unprovoked attacks."

Now might be a good time for this… "Vladimir Putin has been running Russia since 2000 when he was first elected as President. How did a former KGB officer make his way up to the top seat — was it political prowess or was he just the recipient of a lot of good fortune? In this episode, we dive into the life of Vladimir Putin and try to understand how he became Russia's new 'tsar.'"

"A three-way fighter-jet deal to bolster Ukraine’s defenses against Russia is dead — just five days after the White House first revealed an openness to making it work… With Kyiv begging U.S. officials for more military support, the prospect of Ukraine reaping a windfall of MiG fighter jets caught the world’s attention this past week as the country fights back Russia’s invading forces. But after a dizzying series of public statements, diplomatic messaging and blunt offers to swap the Russian-made planes for American aircraft, it all fell apart."

"'The Russians promised to provide a (humanitarian) corridor which they did not comply with. They were shooting civilians,' he said. 'That’s absolutely true. I witnessed it. People were scared.'… Such testimonies will increasingly reach the world in the coming days as more people flow along fragile humanitarian corridors."

"An injured woman, heavily pregnant, is carried on a stretcher past the smoldering wreckage of Mariupol's maternity and children's hospital. Her face is pale, one hand cradles her belly in a protective gesture. Every window on that side of the building appears to be blown out; wreckage litters the ground around it."

Meanwhile, on Bullshit Mountain… "Russia has denied claims that it bombed a Ukrainian children’s hospital in Mariupol, after reports surfaced claiming that 17 people were injured in such an attack on Wednesday… Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russia's permanent representative to the United Nations, admitted on Twitter Thursday that the structure was bombed by Russian forces but said that it was no longer operating as a hospital but was being used by the Ukrainian military to house forces."

"Messages featuring the letter 'Z' have spread widely across social media since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Billboards have recently popped up in Russian cities featuring the letter. Stickers have appeared on cars and commercial vehicles. Russia's state-owned RT is selling T-shirts on its website in apparent support of the ongoing conflict."

"House Democrats on Wednesday cleared a $1.5 trillion spending compromise — along with billions in emergency aid for Ukraine — in a major victory for President Joe Biden, even as a rank-and-file revolt forced party leaders to strip billions of dollars in pandemic relief from the same bill." Just a reminder, it's never a "done deal" until the president's signature is on the bill.

"Party leaders announced Wednesday that a long-stalled reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act — the federal law that provides resources to victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence — is included in the $1.5 trillion federal spending package making its way through Congress this week."

"The bill would create an Office of Election Crimes and Security within the Florida State Department and authorize hiring 15 investigators to run a voter fraud hotline and vet claims of election crimes. Ten sworn law enforcement agents would be assigned to investigate fraud as part of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which includes the Capitol Police and other statewide operations." All this money to fix a problem that doesn't exist.

"A new survey of local election officials released Thursday by the Brennan Center for Justice found that 1 in 5 local election administrators say they are likely to leave their jobs before the 2024 presidential election."

"Mr. Bragg’s choice not to pursue charges is reminiscent of the high hurdle that others have failed to clear over the years as they sought to hold Mr. Trump criminally liable for his practices as a real estate mogul. Mr. Trump famously shuns email, and he has cultivated deep loyalty among employees who might otherwise testify against him, a one-two punch that has stymied other prosecutors in search of conclusive proof of his guilt."

It's the Daily Beast, so adjust expectations accordingly… "The group has already stuck it out longer than previously expected, and they don’t seem to have plans of quitting anytime soon. Organizers told The Daily Beast that the size of the convoy, already about 10,000 strong, has actually increased this week amid a surge of media coverage. But the longer they hang around, the more questions arise—about the money, the mission, and the people behind it all."

"On his first anniversary as attorney general, Merrick Garland said he's committed to unraveling the conspiracy behind the storming of the U.S. Capitol, in what he calls 'the most urgent investigation in the history of the Justice Department.'… Members of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 riot have asserted former President Trump could be charged with conspiracy and obstruction for his actions. But Democrats in Congress and even some of Garland's friends have worried he'll shy away from the political firestorm that would result from charging a former commander-in-chief with a crime."