We're expecting the alligators to return any minute now.
"Pacific Gas & Electric Corp. has begun to cut power to about 179,000 customers in 17 counties in Northern California." Here we go again.
"For the first time, scientists have detected a newly born heavy element in space, forged in the aftermath of a collision between a pair of dead stars known as neutron stars."
"The second of three forms of the polio virus has been eradicated, experts have announced… There are three types of the wild polio virus, which, while scientifically different, cause the same symptoms, including paralysis or even death." Vaccines work.
"'Some people who vape definitely get lung damage, and that was not known before on a microscopic level and we have proved that in this study beyond a reasonable doubt,' Mukhopadhyay said." So much for the "rogue pods" theory.
"A skeleton recently found on California's second-highest mountain could be the remains of a Japanese-American man who disappeared from an internment camp during the waning days of World War II." The ghosts of our past.
"Google claims it has designed a machine that needs only 200 seconds to solve a problem that would take the world's fastest supercomputer 10,000 years to figure out." Or maybe not. But the real question is how soon we can expect games to be released for it (I have a pet theory that computer advancements in capabilities is really tied to the games we can play on them).
"Inspired by Marx's aphorism that 'Religion is the opium of the people,' the USSR commissioned a wealth of anti-religious artwork, much of it very clever and striking." (Grokked from Xeni Jardin)
"Twitter Inc posted worse-than-expected third quarter revenue and profit on Thursday, which the company attributed to advertising problems including product bugs and unusually low demand over the summer, sending its shares down about 15%." Cut the Nazis and trolls, Jack.
"Much of the criticism of Facebook centers on whether the company is trustworthy, given problems with privacy, hate speech, disinformation, and other threats that have grown along with the scope of its products and user base."
"U.S. District Court Judge Edmund Sargus has rejected the request from Ohioans Against Corporate Bailouts, the anti-nuclear power plant bailout group, to have more time to collect signatures. The group was trying to put the controversial law, HB6, up for a vote on next year's ballot." Bend over, Ohio.
"The U.S. is enjoying a record-long economic boom, but workers' slice of the pie has barely increased. After decades of relative silence, newly emboldened workers are increasingly vocal in demanding higher pay and better working conditions." You know all those pundits who said that Trump tapped into the people who didn't feel like they had a voice, well, yeah, let me tell you that's bullshit. Here are the people who don't have a voice. And the murmurs from that crowd are getting louder.
But the counter forces are strong and well financed. "An anti-union group is setting up shop in Ohio, saying they’re focused on reaching out to around 340,000 public employees following last year’s Janus v. AFSCME decision from the U.S. Supreme Court."
"Democratic state lawmakers want to add the patient protections found in the Affordable Care Act into Ohio law to ensure coverage for pre-existing conditions and other 'essential health benefits' no matter what happens to the federal law in court." And with this I think you can see the difference between Democrats and Republicans. It'll also be interesting to see the conservatives take considering they also have been pledging to protect people against discrimination and higher costs because of pre-existing conditions. Yeah, I don't hope they'll actually support this. They'll trot out of the "high-risk" pools which didn't work and were hella costly to the tax payer.
"Two weeks after Governor Mike DeWine unveiled his so-called STRONG Ohio gun control package, groups on both sides of the issue are ramping up the rhetoric." There is no compromise to be had on gun control, but this wasn't meant to pass anyway. This is a way for Gov. DeWine to say, "hey, I tried."
"The House Committee on Ethics announced Wednesday it is opening an investigation into allegations that Democratic Rep. Katie Hill of California engaged in an improper relationship with a congressional staffer in possible violation of House rules." This is not an excuse, but power is a strong aphrodisiac. And people in power justify their behavior any way they can. Also I'll just say that conservatives publishing the photos was a dick move.
"Faced with years of war, Lebanese have coped with strife by using satire, humor and lots of dancing. This thawra or revolution, as anti-government protesters in Lebanon call it, is no different. It's accompanied by clever handwritten signs, profanity-laced chants and even 'Baby Shark' singalongs." What a "happy" revolution looks like. It remains to be seen if it will continue like this if the Lebanese don't see changes. And note, this is mostly an economic rebellion.
"Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he will carry on with his progressive agenda despite the rebuke voters delivered in a national election this week that robbed his Liberal Party of its parliamentary majority." He's going to operate from a minority position which is a bold move.
"Colorado's governor mocked President Donald Trump for saying he is building the US-Mexico wall in the state, suggesting that he needs 'basic geography' lessons like a kindergartner… Trump said in a speech in Pittsburgh on Wednesday that 'We're building a wall in Colorado.'" Our stable genius president, everybody.
How's our "victory" in Syria going? "Russian military police deployed on the streets of Syria's northeast border town of Kobane on Thursday under a deal with Turkey to drive out Kurdish fighters." So much winning.
"Back in 2016, when a lot of otherwise decent people pulled the lever to elect Donald Trump president, they claimed to have done it solely for the judges. By the same token, a good number of then–'Never Trumpers' have reverted to Team Trump, again, because of the judges." It's all about installing an actual "Deep State" of conservative justices so that the concepts of "conservatism" and those they protect might last just a little longer. Even if they have to stack the courts with morons who are rated "not qualified" by the non-partisan ABA. (Grokked from Jim Wright)
"US Republicans have stormed a high-security impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump, forcing a witness to delay her testimony by five hours… The Republicans chanted 'let us in' as they forced their way into the hearing, breaching US House security rules." Note that Republican members of the committee are in the room and are participating in the hearings, this was a stunt made for TV and an attempt to intimidate possible witnesses and to distract and change the news from the bombshell testimony from Bill Taylor.
"Ambassador William Taylor’s testimony to House investigators on Tuesday didn’t answer every question about the Ukraine scandal, but it answered the big one: Will President Donald Trump be impeached?… Impeachment is now effectively inevitable." Note "impeachment" is the House voting on articles of impeachment. Removal is another matter and requires 66 votes in the Senate.
"Yet an associate familiar with Sondland’s thinking argues the U.S. ambassador to the E.U. and Taylor are more closely aligned than it appears about what occurred and pushed back against Democrats, who suggested Tuesday that Sondland may need to return to Capitol Hill and clarify his remarks." But only if we ignore the 6 hour lag in the time of the texts and the very likely possibility Sondland talked with the president before replying "no quid pro quo, let's take this offline." This is damage control on Sondland's part as he risks potential perjury claims on his earlier testimony.
"It was Perry who led the U.S. delegation to Ukraine when newly elected President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was inaugurated back in May. And it was Perry who urged Trump to make that now-infamous July phone call to Zelenskiy — a phone call that's at the heart of the inquiry." How did he get involved in the impeachment inquiry? Maybe because he isn't so clean himself.
"Perry said he never heard President Donald Trump nor any administration official mention Biden during their conversations with Ukraine. Reports concerning Biden’s son, Hunter, role in sitting on the board of a Ukrainian gas company first appeared in May." That sounds like a denial, but it's a very specific denial. It doesn't cover Giuliani or his two associates, and it doesn't cover written communications or implied conversations.
"This week, the House Rules Committee was reportedly scheduled to consider a resolution disapproving Donald Trump’s receipt of 'emoluments' in the form of payments by foreign governments to his resorts, hotels, and other businesses. Consideration of the bill was canceled when Trump, on Saturday, rescinded last week’s announcement that next year’s G-7 meeting would be held at his Doral resort in Miami." The article is framed as "Democrats reverse course" instead of "lacking the blatant and flagrant violation of the foreign emoluments clause, the bill was withdrawn."
"A coalition of top Democratic strategists and donors are intensifying conversations about setting up an outside group to bolster Joe Biden's presidential candidacy, people familiar with the matter tell CNN, aiming to create a super PAC designed to fight back against a barrage of well-funded attacks from President Donald Trump's campaign."
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Linkee-poo Wednesdays
So the alligators that were supposed to be here last week have now arrived.
"An Indiana mother who warned authorities that her 14-year-old son was about to shoot up a middle school is now facing six felony charges in connection with the incident." Because her son's mental health treatments weren't covered by their medical insurance, and she couldn't afford self-pay. (Grokked from Vincent O'Connor)
"Thread:… A lot of white people were shocked to learn about the bombing of Tulsa from HBO's "Watchmen" while most black people are familiar with the bombing of Black Wall Street… Even historians mention these events as isolated incidents." A twitter thread about the history of race riots, the persecution of blacks after the Civil War, and a little on how party ideology flipped in the 60s. And just a general note, for the village I live in (and I didn't know this at the time I moved there), the "official, published" history included the date and person who killed the last Native American living in the area (it no longer does after I was asked to design the chamber of commerce brochure in 2001). (Grokked from a lot of people)
"America is wonderful and we're producing so much energy and it's so cheap and wonderful and it will always be like this because America!" say many people who don't dig into the details of just how our energy is produced. "The Houston oil field services company Halliburton is bracing for a prolonged slump in demand for hydraulic fracturing services in the United States and Canada as the latest version of the shale boom loses momentum and the oil and gas industry again faces the prospects of another downturn." Shale Oil boom goes "meh." Boy, I sure hope we used all those Good Times™ to get our renewable energy ducks in a row. And now you know why Saudi Arabia and OPEC have been making sure oil prices are "low" (well, just low enough). Remind me how long it took to ramp up the shale oil production. (Grokked from Robert J Bennett)
More guns make us safer! "A 15-year-old Uber passenger was shot in the ankle Sunday when her Florida driver's gun fired as he moved it, police said." Ah, another coin paid in the price for freedom. Safety first, everybody.
"After four days of a strike by more than 32,000 Chicago Public Schools teachers and staff, workers are still picketing, kids are still out of class, and negotiators from the unions and the Chicago mayor's office are still at the bargaining table." The headline states the perception of unions (when will it be over). It'll be over when both sides come to an agreement about what is best for the kids; teachers overworked and underpaid, or a fully staffed school. Note the school staff is also striking as they negotiate their contract as well.
How goes Brexit? "On Tuesday, a majority of MPs (Members of Parliament) signaled their support for the agreement that Johnson reached with the other 27 EU nations last week. However, in a follow up vote just 15 minutes afterwards, they refused to rush through the necessary legislation to leave the EU in three working days… Media reports in Britain suggest that Downing Street will push for an election if Brexit is delayed until January."
"UK police have confirmed 39 people were found in a truck in an industrial estate east of London."
"Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met in the southern Russian resort city of Sochi on Tuesday with a shared agenda of shaping the endgame in Syria's eight-year civil war… The two leaders unveiled a 10-point memorandum of understanding with an unstated bottom line: The Americans do not have a place in shaping the future of Syria… The deal also implies that the Kurds have a new guarantor. After President Donald Trump effectively abandoned the Kurds, by ordering the sudden withdrawal of US forces from Syria and leaving the YPG exposed to a Turkish advance, that role now falls to the Russians."
"Russia has warned Kurdish forces to quickly withdraw from the Turkey-Syria border - after a deal between Moscow and Ankara - or be crushed by the Turkish army, adding that they United States had 'betrayed and abandoned' the Syrian fighters." It's almost like Trump's precipitous withdraw and later statements on how the US owes nothing to the Kurds plays right into Putin's hands, like it was planned or something.
"U.S. troops leaving Syria and heading to neighboring Iraq do not have permission to stay in the country, Iraq’s military said Tuesday as American forces continued to pull out of northern Syria after Turkey’s invasion of the border region." I guess someone forgot to phone ahead.
"President Donald Trump has insisted there was no 'quid pro quo' in his dealings with the Ukrainian government, and 'no pressure' on Ukraine's president to open an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son… But in his remarkable 15-page statement delivered to Congress on Tuesday, Trump's top diplomat to Ukraine painted a picture of both." And of course the president would say (and force others to say) there was no quid pro quo when that was exactly what was going on. That is, after all, the standard SCOTUS placed on political corruption cases.
"The top US diplomat in Ukraine notified House investigators that he was told that the release of military aid to Kiev would depend on a pledge to probe the 2016 election and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, who, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS, leads Trump by 10 points in a hypothetical 2020 general election matchup." So far, everything seems to match up to the whistleblower's account.
"An Indiana mother who warned authorities that her 14-year-old son was about to shoot up a middle school is now facing six felony charges in connection with the incident." Because her son's mental health treatments weren't covered by their medical insurance, and she couldn't afford self-pay. (Grokked from Vincent O'Connor)
"Thread:… A lot of white people were shocked to learn about the bombing of Tulsa from HBO's "Watchmen" while most black people are familiar with the bombing of Black Wall Street… Even historians mention these events as isolated incidents." A twitter thread about the history of race riots, the persecution of blacks after the Civil War, and a little on how party ideology flipped in the 60s. And just a general note, for the village I live in (and I didn't know this at the time I moved there), the "official, published" history included the date and person who killed the last Native American living in the area (it no longer does after I was asked to design the chamber of commerce brochure in 2001). (Grokked from a lot of people)
"America is wonderful and we're producing so much energy and it's so cheap and wonderful and it will always be like this because America!" say many people who don't dig into the details of just how our energy is produced. "The Houston oil field services company Halliburton is bracing for a prolonged slump in demand for hydraulic fracturing services in the United States and Canada as the latest version of the shale boom loses momentum and the oil and gas industry again faces the prospects of another downturn." Shale Oil boom goes "meh." Boy, I sure hope we used all those Good Times™ to get our renewable energy ducks in a row. And now you know why Saudi Arabia and OPEC have been making sure oil prices are "low" (well, just low enough). Remind me how long it took to ramp up the shale oil production. (Grokked from Robert J Bennett)
More guns make us safer! "A 15-year-old Uber passenger was shot in the ankle Sunday when her Florida driver's gun fired as he moved it, police said." Ah, another coin paid in the price for freedom. Safety first, everybody.
"After four days of a strike by more than 32,000 Chicago Public Schools teachers and staff, workers are still picketing, kids are still out of class, and negotiators from the unions and the Chicago mayor's office are still at the bargaining table." The headline states the perception of unions (when will it be over). It'll be over when both sides come to an agreement about what is best for the kids; teachers overworked and underpaid, or a fully staffed school. Note the school staff is also striking as they negotiate their contract as well.
How goes Brexit? "On Tuesday, a majority of MPs (Members of Parliament) signaled their support for the agreement that Johnson reached with the other 27 EU nations last week. However, in a follow up vote just 15 minutes afterwards, they refused to rush through the necessary legislation to leave the EU in three working days… Media reports in Britain suggest that Downing Street will push for an election if Brexit is delayed until January."
"UK police have confirmed 39 people were found in a truck in an industrial estate east of London."
"Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met in the southern Russian resort city of Sochi on Tuesday with a shared agenda of shaping the endgame in Syria's eight-year civil war… The two leaders unveiled a 10-point memorandum of understanding with an unstated bottom line: The Americans do not have a place in shaping the future of Syria… The deal also implies that the Kurds have a new guarantor. After President Donald Trump effectively abandoned the Kurds, by ordering the sudden withdrawal of US forces from Syria and leaving the YPG exposed to a Turkish advance, that role now falls to the Russians."
"Russia has warned Kurdish forces to quickly withdraw from the Turkey-Syria border - after a deal between Moscow and Ankara - or be crushed by the Turkish army, adding that they United States had 'betrayed and abandoned' the Syrian fighters." It's almost like Trump's precipitous withdraw and later statements on how the US owes nothing to the Kurds plays right into Putin's hands, like it was planned or something.
"U.S. troops leaving Syria and heading to neighboring Iraq do not have permission to stay in the country, Iraq’s military said Tuesday as American forces continued to pull out of northern Syria after Turkey’s invasion of the border region." I guess someone forgot to phone ahead.
"President Donald Trump has insisted there was no 'quid pro quo' in his dealings with the Ukrainian government, and 'no pressure' on Ukraine's president to open an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son… But in his remarkable 15-page statement delivered to Congress on Tuesday, Trump's top diplomat to Ukraine painted a picture of both." And of course the president would say (and force others to say) there was no quid pro quo when that was exactly what was going on. That is, after all, the standard SCOTUS placed on political corruption cases.
"The top US diplomat in Ukraine notified House investigators that he was told that the release of military aid to Kiev would depend on a pledge to probe the 2016 election and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, who, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS, leads Trump by 10 points in a hypothetical 2020 general election matchup." So far, everything seems to match up to the whistleblower's account.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Linkee-poo, does this broadcast go to Parma
Waves to all my "new" readers. Welcome, folks, pull up a chair.
"Why do places such as the Winchester Mystery House creep us out and induce feelings of disorientation and dread? These places possess combinations of features that humans have evolved to regard with caution, either because they were associated with the presence of predators or natural hazards, or because they provide limited sensory information and restrict freedom of movement in a way that could impair our ability to deal with an emergent threat." Haunted houses and why we are drawn to them. (Grokked from Deborah Beale)
"We live in a layered continuum of time, and ghost stories make this explicit. Ghosts signal memories that won’t go away; they signal the guilt of culprits or survivors; they signal an eruption of the past into our present and the dead’s future as we watch a spirit repeatedly go through the motions of a last act." What we write when we write ghost stories.
"Until now, astronomers had seen only two kinds of Saturnian storms: relatively small storms about 2,000 kilometers across that appear as bright clouds for a few days and Great White Spots that are 10 times as large and last for months (SN: 4/14/15). The newly spotted weather disturbance was a series of four midsize storms. Each was several thousand kilometers across and lasted between about 1.5 weeks and about seven months."
"A tornado tore homes and businesses apart in a densely populated area of Dallas, where only minor injuries were reported, but a person was killed by a falling tree in northwest Arkansas as a late-night series of storms caused chaos in several states."
"Brain scientists are offering a new reason to control blood sugar levels: It might help lower your risk of developing Alzheimer's disease."
"A Colorado mother who sought donations to cover medical treatments for her daughter and promoted the girl's "bucket list" of dreams to fulfill before she died has been indicted on a murder charge in the 7-year-old's death that was previously believed to be from a terminal disease."
"But for the last year, a group of McDonald's employees in the southern French city of Marseille has been fighting to save its McDonald's restaurant." McDonalds as social equity.
"Four more parents have pleaded guilty in the sweeping college admissions cheating scheme, and the former president of a Texas tennis academy has agreed to do the same, federal prosecutors said Monday."
"The group pushing for a statewide referendum to overturn Ohio’s new nuclear bailout law says it won’t turn in petitions by Monday’s deadline, instead placing their hopes in a last-ditch attempt for a federal judge to grant them more time."
How goes Brexit? "The ruling by Speaker John Bercow triggered the government’s Plan B — an attempt to pass a Brexit-implementing bill through Britain’s fractious Parliament before the country’s scheduled Oct. 31 departure date. After months and years of political gridlock, the stage was set for another week of grinding parliamentary warfare."
"Canada's Liberals appear to have won the most seats in Parliament — a result likely to hand Justin Trudeau a second term as prime minister despite a series of scandals that have rocked his government." So he didn't win an outright majority, but he'll likely be able to form a strong government nonetheless. Give the black-face scandal headwinds, that's not too bad for him. And it looks like conservatives in Canada are the same in the US, poor losers. They're also poor winners, it's just they didn't win this time.
"Israel's long-standing Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has said he cannot form a government, handing the opportunity to his political rival." You know, the guy Netanyahu had to woo to get a majority coalition. Benny Gantz will most likely ask for Netanyahu to step down from his party leadership as the price for forming a government and not forcing a third election.
"The clashes have been rooted in a deep distrust of government on the part of the protesters, who view the federal bureaucracy as unlawfully impeding people from using public land for grazing, mining and other economic purposes." Note they're allowed to do this, but they must pay fees for using the public's land for economic gain. And the supposed freedom fighters just aren't willing to pay the exceeding low fees.
"President Donald Trump spoke at length during a Cabinet meeting on Monday about his decision to withdraw US troops from northern Syria -- arguing that the US never agreed to protect Syrian Kurds forever, suggesting the US may secure an oil deal for the Kurds to bolster their finances and saying he's 'the one that did the capturing' of ISIS fighters in Syria." Narcissism rears it's ugly head. Also, just a reminder, the US doesn't have a Status of Forces agreement with Syria.
"Half of Americans say President Donald Trump should be impeached and removed from office, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS, a new high in CNN polling on the topic and the first time that support for impeachment and removal has significantly outpaced opposition." So after touting the polls, I now await the president to restart his, "the polls said I wouldn't win in 2016, what do polls know?" line. And, again, the breakdown and movement in the polls is not surprising, but still interesting. And while not explicitly called out, the movement in the "independent" category is what is shifting the overall numbers.
"Ambassador William Taylor, who has been serving as the interim head of the U.S. diplomatic mission to Kyiv, is scheduled to talk behind closed doors with members and staff of the Intelligence, Foreign Affairs and Oversight committees."
Get yer program. Can't tell the players without a program. "As the Ukraine saga continues, oligarch Dmitry Firtash's name keeps popping up in unexpected places. We examine his connections to the wide cast of characters in President Trump's orbit." No transcript yet, but a good listen. For there being no collusion, there sure are a lot of fucking Russians hanging about.
"Rep. Tulsi Gabbard's clash with 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton has suddenly thrust her struggling 2020 presidential campaign into the spotlight." The first I heard about Tulsi Gabbard and a connection to Russia was sometime in February, and you know what? Every time she comes back into the spotlight there's something else to connect her to Russia. She may not be an active and willing dupe, but she sure plays into their plans well.
Another's opinion, "Much has been made of Hillary Clinton's implication that Tulsi Gabbard is someone Russia has 'their eye on.' While Gabbard has responded with claims that she is the subject of a coordinated smear campaign by Clinton, she has steadfastly refused to renounce any Russian support she may be receiving. As somebody who worked against Russian intelligence, I agree with Clinton's assessment—Gabbard's campaign and messaging are at risk of being weaponized to interfere with and manipulate our election." And again, for those in the back, Russia's goal is chaos, the breakup of the West, the weakening of the US on the world stage, and our retreat to our borders. The rest is tactics and gambits.
"Donald Trump is going all-in on a trio of Southern governor’s races in November, gambling that a clean sweep will help him regain his political footing at the most perilous moment of his presidency." It also helps his personality disorder to appear in front of crowds and people who "adore" him. These races will be where the GOP rolls out and troubleshoots their tools for the 2020 election.
Speaking of personality disorder… "President Trump, trying to dig out from political holes of his own making, held forth for 71 minutes Monday during what was ostensibly a Cabinet meeting, but ended up being a familiar torrent of grievance, defensiveness and expansive statements about his view of his own powers."
"'I'm trying to get out of wars. We may have to get in wars, too. OK? We may have to get in wars,' Trump told reporters at the White House." More of the winning I'm tired of.
"Why do places such as the Winchester Mystery House creep us out and induce feelings of disorientation and dread? These places possess combinations of features that humans have evolved to regard with caution, either because they were associated with the presence of predators or natural hazards, or because they provide limited sensory information and restrict freedom of movement in a way that could impair our ability to deal with an emergent threat." Haunted houses and why we are drawn to them. (Grokked from Deborah Beale)
"We live in a layered continuum of time, and ghost stories make this explicit. Ghosts signal memories that won’t go away; they signal the guilt of culprits or survivors; they signal an eruption of the past into our present and the dead’s future as we watch a spirit repeatedly go through the motions of a last act." What we write when we write ghost stories.
"Until now, astronomers had seen only two kinds of Saturnian storms: relatively small storms about 2,000 kilometers across that appear as bright clouds for a few days and Great White Spots that are 10 times as large and last for months (SN: 4/14/15). The newly spotted weather disturbance was a series of four midsize storms. Each was several thousand kilometers across and lasted between about 1.5 weeks and about seven months."
"A tornado tore homes and businesses apart in a densely populated area of Dallas, where only minor injuries were reported, but a person was killed by a falling tree in northwest Arkansas as a late-night series of storms caused chaos in several states."
"Brain scientists are offering a new reason to control blood sugar levels: It might help lower your risk of developing Alzheimer's disease."
"A Colorado mother who sought donations to cover medical treatments for her daughter and promoted the girl's "bucket list" of dreams to fulfill before she died has been indicted on a murder charge in the 7-year-old's death that was previously believed to be from a terminal disease."
"But for the last year, a group of McDonald's employees in the southern French city of Marseille has been fighting to save its McDonald's restaurant." McDonalds as social equity.
"Four more parents have pleaded guilty in the sweeping college admissions cheating scheme, and the former president of a Texas tennis academy has agreed to do the same, federal prosecutors said Monday."
"The group pushing for a statewide referendum to overturn Ohio’s new nuclear bailout law says it won’t turn in petitions by Monday’s deadline, instead placing their hopes in a last-ditch attempt for a federal judge to grant them more time."
How goes Brexit? "The ruling by Speaker John Bercow triggered the government’s Plan B — an attempt to pass a Brexit-implementing bill through Britain’s fractious Parliament before the country’s scheduled Oct. 31 departure date. After months and years of political gridlock, the stage was set for another week of grinding parliamentary warfare."
"Canada's Liberals appear to have won the most seats in Parliament — a result likely to hand Justin Trudeau a second term as prime minister despite a series of scandals that have rocked his government." So he didn't win an outright majority, but he'll likely be able to form a strong government nonetheless. Give the black-face scandal headwinds, that's not too bad for him. And it looks like conservatives in Canada are the same in the US, poor losers. They're also poor winners, it's just they didn't win this time.
"Israel's long-standing Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has said he cannot form a government, handing the opportunity to his political rival." You know, the guy Netanyahu had to woo to get a majority coalition. Benny Gantz will most likely ask for Netanyahu to step down from his party leadership as the price for forming a government and not forcing a third election.
"The clashes have been rooted in a deep distrust of government on the part of the protesters, who view the federal bureaucracy as unlawfully impeding people from using public land for grazing, mining and other economic purposes." Note they're allowed to do this, but they must pay fees for using the public's land for economic gain. And the supposed freedom fighters just aren't willing to pay the exceeding low fees.
"President Donald Trump spoke at length during a Cabinet meeting on Monday about his decision to withdraw US troops from northern Syria -- arguing that the US never agreed to protect Syrian Kurds forever, suggesting the US may secure an oil deal for the Kurds to bolster their finances and saying he's 'the one that did the capturing' of ISIS fighters in Syria." Narcissism rears it's ugly head. Also, just a reminder, the US doesn't have a Status of Forces agreement with Syria.
"Half of Americans say President Donald Trump should be impeached and removed from office, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS, a new high in CNN polling on the topic and the first time that support for impeachment and removal has significantly outpaced opposition." So after touting the polls, I now await the president to restart his, "the polls said I wouldn't win in 2016, what do polls know?" line. And, again, the breakdown and movement in the polls is not surprising, but still interesting. And while not explicitly called out, the movement in the "independent" category is what is shifting the overall numbers.
"Ambassador William Taylor, who has been serving as the interim head of the U.S. diplomatic mission to Kyiv, is scheduled to talk behind closed doors with members and staff of the Intelligence, Foreign Affairs and Oversight committees."
Get yer program. Can't tell the players without a program. "As the Ukraine saga continues, oligarch Dmitry Firtash's name keeps popping up in unexpected places. We examine his connections to the wide cast of characters in President Trump's orbit." No transcript yet, but a good listen. For there being no collusion, there sure are a lot of fucking Russians hanging about.
"Rep. Tulsi Gabbard's clash with 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton has suddenly thrust her struggling 2020 presidential campaign into the spotlight." The first I heard about Tulsi Gabbard and a connection to Russia was sometime in February, and you know what? Every time she comes back into the spotlight there's something else to connect her to Russia. She may not be an active and willing dupe, but she sure plays into their plans well.
Another's opinion, "Much has been made of Hillary Clinton's implication that Tulsi Gabbard is someone Russia has 'their eye on.' While Gabbard has responded with claims that she is the subject of a coordinated smear campaign by Clinton, she has steadfastly refused to renounce any Russian support she may be receiving. As somebody who worked against Russian intelligence, I agree with Clinton's assessment—Gabbard's campaign and messaging are at risk of being weaponized to interfere with and manipulate our election." And again, for those in the back, Russia's goal is chaos, the breakup of the West, the weakening of the US on the world stage, and our retreat to our borders. The rest is tactics and gambits.
"Donald Trump is going all-in on a trio of Southern governor’s races in November, gambling that a clean sweep will help him regain his political footing at the most perilous moment of his presidency." It also helps his personality disorder to appear in front of crowds and people who "adore" him. These races will be where the GOP rolls out and troubleshoots their tools for the 2020 election.
Speaking of personality disorder… "President Trump, trying to dig out from political holes of his own making, held forth for 71 minutes Monday during what was ostensibly a Cabinet meeting, but ended up being a familiar torrent of grievance, defensiveness and expansive statements about his view of his own powers."
"'I'm trying to get out of wars. We may have to get in wars, too. OK? We may have to get in wars,' Trump told reporters at the White House." More of the winning I'm tired of.
Monday, October 21, 2019
Linkee-poo slides into the week like…
Voting is live for the next class inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (like is to the Rock Hall website, there's a link to voting there, which is being handled by Google). You can vote once everyday.
"This year's Orionid meteor shower will be at its best and brightest tonight (October 21-22) as the celestial phenomena lights up the skies of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres."
"The City Council of New York voted 36-13 Thursday to approve a plan to close the city's notorious jail complex on Rikers Island by 2026 in favor of four smaller jails spread out across the city." Six more years.
"A retired Philadelphia businessman offered to help Cherry Hill solve its school-lunch debt problem, but the school district said it will not accept donations to wipe out thousands of dollars in unpaid meal fees." Fuckers. (Grokked from Kelly Link)
"Now, WakeMed's partner in this endeavor, UPS subsidiary UPS Flight Forward, has won federal approval to expand its drone delivery operations, allowing the company to use multiple aircraft in multiple locations to make revenue-generating deliveries over longer distances… Ginn says that will allow WakeMed to bypass the traffic congestion of area roads and fly drones with tissue and blood samples or urgent medical supplies quickly between its other health care facilities in the region." I guess the pneumatic tubes were busy or something. I wonder what they'll do when the weather isn't good for flying? But the technology is just around the corner… just like human-level AI and self-driving vehicles.
Trump spoils everything. "On Oct. 18, NASA’s Christina Koch and Jessica Meir teamed up on an historic walk, performing maintenance work on the International Space Station… As might be expected, the two were congratulated over the phone by the president of the United States. But the president, awkwardly, mischaracterized their achievement."
"Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, confirmed late Sunday that he is behind an anonymous Twitter account under the pseudonym 'Pierre Delecto' that he's used to be a 'lurker' on social media for most of the past decade." The almost Lurker-in-Chief.
"Four defendants have reached a tentative settlement in a landmark opioid trial in Ohio. News of the last-minute deal emerged just hours before the first federal trial on liability for the opioid crisis was set to begin Monday morning." It's still a paltry sum. But this shows how deferred costs are easy to mistake for lack of liability. The drug companies have been relying on the public dole to sort out the problem they helped create (and in some cases, directly created) and now they're trying to get off on the cheap. All the money spent on care, narcan, healthcare emergencies, treatment, incarceration, taking care of addicts' children and families, all of that falls on the government as costs. The drug companies shave shifted the downstream costs of their product to the public. And the few billion they've offered as compensation is significantly lower than how much of your tax money has been spent to deal with this drug crisis (it's also strange in this case to have someone you can take to court to recoup).
How goes Brexit? "The British Parliament delayed a vote on a Brexit deal by three months Saturday, another defeat for Prime Minister Boris Johnson amid what had appeared to have been a breakthrough in negotiations between the European Union and the United Kingdom."
"Prime Minister Boris Johnson is hoping British lawmakers on Monday will vote on and pass a Brexit withdrawal agreement he negotiated with the European Union after a weekend vote was sabotaged by opposition and rebel parliamentarians."
How go the Trade Wars? "The U.S. ambassador to China is pushing back against Beijing's criticism of a new State Department requirement that Chinese diplomats must report certain meetings they have in the U.S." Silly president. That's what you have an FBI for.
"In Canada, campaigning for Monday's election is going down to the wire with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau fighting the battle of his political life." Our sexy-northern boyfriend is in a spot of trouble.
"The United States is on track to record another year with a 'historically high' number of anti-Semitic incidents, the Anti-Defamation League said Sunday."
"US President Donald Trump reversed his decision to host the G7 resort at his private golf club after being told that Republicans objected to the idea, an administration official told The Washington Post." And then blamed the Democrats and Media, when in actually it was because Republicans told him they couldn't support the decision.
"Republican U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, who has been one of the most vocal critics of President Donald Trump’s decision to move U.S. troops out of northeastern Syria, said on Sunday he now believed 'historic solutions' were possible." Ah, another concerned conservative Senator finds a way to overcome his concerns and love Big Brother.
"Hundreds of trucks carrying American troops have crossed into Iraq in a long military convoy Monday, marking the largest withdrawal of US forces from Syria to date." Not created as heroes so much and they're not "coming home" as promised.
"Since Mulvaney made the stunning admission on Thursday, he has been walking the remarks back and assigning responsibility to the media, insisting that his words have been misconstrued." Dude, seriously, there's fucking video. You were getting frustrated because the press was asking (somewhat real) questions and not soft-balling it (as you expected Chris Wallace to do). And you forgot to lie. It's easy to forget one when you have to maintain a mountain of lies. Then you told us to "get over it." How's that tough-guy stance working out for you, fucker.
"Mulvaney fumbled during an interview on 'Fox News Sunday' when he cited two reasons for the delay, whereas he had listed three during his Thursday news briefing at the White House. He continued to blame reporters for any misunderstanding, a feat that can be tough to pull off when his answers were all delivered on camera and when the host, Chris Wallace, let the tape keep rolling… 'At the end of the day, he still considers himself to be in the hospitality business,' Mulvaney told Wallace about Trump’s original decision to hold the next G-7 summit at his resort in Doral, Fla. — a decision he reversed late Saturday." Micky's very bad, no-good day just continued through the weekend.
"The Justice Department now says that official, Brian Benczkowski, and other fraud prosecutors at Justice headquarters wouldn't have taken that meeting with Giuliani earlier this summer had they known about a Manhattan US attorney probe of two Giuliani associates who were indicted this month. It is striking that the Justice Department is having to distance itself from the President's own personal attorney." Giuliani? Never heard of him.
"This year's Orionid meteor shower will be at its best and brightest tonight (October 21-22) as the celestial phenomena lights up the skies of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres."
"The City Council of New York voted 36-13 Thursday to approve a plan to close the city's notorious jail complex on Rikers Island by 2026 in favor of four smaller jails spread out across the city." Six more years.
"A retired Philadelphia businessman offered to help Cherry Hill solve its school-lunch debt problem, but the school district said it will not accept donations to wipe out thousands of dollars in unpaid meal fees." Fuckers. (Grokked from Kelly Link)
"Now, WakeMed's partner in this endeavor, UPS subsidiary UPS Flight Forward, has won federal approval to expand its drone delivery operations, allowing the company to use multiple aircraft in multiple locations to make revenue-generating deliveries over longer distances… Ginn says that will allow WakeMed to bypass the traffic congestion of area roads and fly drones with tissue and blood samples or urgent medical supplies quickly between its other health care facilities in the region." I guess the pneumatic tubes were busy or something. I wonder what they'll do when the weather isn't good for flying? But the technology is just around the corner… just like human-level AI and self-driving vehicles.
Trump spoils everything. "On Oct. 18, NASA’s Christina Koch and Jessica Meir teamed up on an historic walk, performing maintenance work on the International Space Station… As might be expected, the two were congratulated over the phone by the president of the United States. But the president, awkwardly, mischaracterized their achievement."
"Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, confirmed late Sunday that he is behind an anonymous Twitter account under the pseudonym 'Pierre Delecto' that he's used to be a 'lurker' on social media for most of the past decade." The almost Lurker-in-Chief.
"Four defendants have reached a tentative settlement in a landmark opioid trial in Ohio. News of the last-minute deal emerged just hours before the first federal trial on liability for the opioid crisis was set to begin Monday morning." It's still a paltry sum. But this shows how deferred costs are easy to mistake for lack of liability. The drug companies have been relying on the public dole to sort out the problem they helped create (and in some cases, directly created) and now they're trying to get off on the cheap. All the money spent on care, narcan, healthcare emergencies, treatment, incarceration, taking care of addicts' children and families, all of that falls on the government as costs. The drug companies shave shifted the downstream costs of their product to the public. And the few billion they've offered as compensation is significantly lower than how much of your tax money has been spent to deal with this drug crisis (it's also strange in this case to have someone you can take to court to recoup).
How goes Brexit? "The British Parliament delayed a vote on a Brexit deal by three months Saturday, another defeat for Prime Minister Boris Johnson amid what had appeared to have been a breakthrough in negotiations between the European Union and the United Kingdom."
"Prime Minister Boris Johnson is hoping British lawmakers on Monday will vote on and pass a Brexit withdrawal agreement he negotiated with the European Union after a weekend vote was sabotaged by opposition and rebel parliamentarians."
How go the Trade Wars? "The U.S. ambassador to China is pushing back against Beijing's criticism of a new State Department requirement that Chinese diplomats must report certain meetings they have in the U.S." Silly president. That's what you have an FBI for.
"In Canada, campaigning for Monday's election is going down to the wire with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau fighting the battle of his political life." Our sexy-northern boyfriend is in a spot of trouble.
"The United States is on track to record another year with a 'historically high' number of anti-Semitic incidents, the Anti-Defamation League said Sunday."
"US President Donald Trump reversed his decision to host the G7 resort at his private golf club after being told that Republicans objected to the idea, an administration official told The Washington Post." And then blamed the Democrats and Media, when in actually it was because Republicans told him they couldn't support the decision.
"Republican U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, who has been one of the most vocal critics of President Donald Trump’s decision to move U.S. troops out of northeastern Syria, said on Sunday he now believed 'historic solutions' were possible." Ah, another concerned conservative Senator finds a way to overcome his concerns and love Big Brother.
"Hundreds of trucks carrying American troops have crossed into Iraq in a long military convoy Monday, marking the largest withdrawal of US forces from Syria to date." Not created as heroes so much and they're not "coming home" as promised.
"Since Mulvaney made the stunning admission on Thursday, he has been walking the remarks back and assigning responsibility to the media, insisting that his words have been misconstrued." Dude, seriously, there's fucking video. You were getting frustrated because the press was asking (somewhat real) questions and not soft-balling it (as you expected Chris Wallace to do). And you forgot to lie. It's easy to forget one when you have to maintain a mountain of lies. Then you told us to "get over it." How's that tough-guy stance working out for you, fucker.
"Mulvaney fumbled during an interview on 'Fox News Sunday' when he cited two reasons for the delay, whereas he had listed three during his Thursday news briefing at the White House. He continued to blame reporters for any misunderstanding, a feat that can be tough to pull off when his answers were all delivered on camera and when the host, Chris Wallace, let the tape keep rolling… 'At the end of the day, he still considers himself to be in the hospitality business,' Mulvaney told Wallace about Trump’s original decision to hold the next G-7 summit at his resort in Doral, Fla. — a decision he reversed late Saturday." Micky's very bad, no-good day just continued through the weekend.
"The Justice Department now says that official, Brian Benczkowski, and other fraud prosecutors at Justice headquarters wouldn't have taken that meeting with Giuliani earlier this summer had they known about a Manhattan US attorney probe of two Giuliani associates who were indicted this month. It is striking that the Justice Department is having to distance itself from the President's own personal attorney." Giuliani? Never heard of him.
Friday, October 18, 2019
Linkee-poo Friday
NPR's Life Kit podcast on running for office. "If you've ever typed 'How do I run for office?' into a search engine, this guide is for you. We'll tell you where to start and how to navigate everything from campaign fundraising to building a 'kitchen cabinet.'" While they walk through their tips, they don't reiterate the one I think is most relevant; have a goal, something you want to accomplish. Change, introduce, correct, reduce a power block's influence, hell even "maintain status quo" is a goal of elected office; but have that something. Because you're going to need it both during the campaign and while sitting in that seat if you get elected. It won't be the only thing you do, but it'll keep you going through the long meetings when you discuss the most boring subject over and over. Running for office is easier than you think it is, winning the office is difficult but doable, doing the work of the office is harder. And while they don't mention this, I recommend sitting in on the meetings for the office you want just to observe everything that's going on and to keep relevant to the topics of the concern.
"On Wednesday night, the Bangor City Council unanimously approved a request by King and his wife Tabitha to rezone their home as a non-profit, allowing it to house an archive of King’s work (offering restricted visits by appointment) and up to five writers at a time. The couple was not present at the meeting. In recent years, the family has spent most of their time on the road or in Florida or Oxford County, Maine, according to their lawyer, Warren Silver." OMG. (Grokked from Seanan McGuire)
"As a culture, we often fetishize the debut writer as some sort of self-arising wunderkind, someone that comes “out of nowhere” or had “splashed onto the scene” unannounced, seemingly without a pre-history or predecessors. This is compounded for writers of color, who seem, according to this narrative, to arrive at the literary table by “transcending” their cultural, economic or racial milieu into the hegemonic literati. I want to take a moment, in light of this, to put some shine on 10 books that made my debut, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, possible." (Grokked from Deborah Beale)
"But some trees did survive the test of heat and drought. Now, scientists are racing to collect them, and other species around the globe, in the hope that these 'climate survivors' have a natural advantage that will allow them to better cope with a warming world." Or, ya know, they were the lucky ones in a micro-climate that allowed them to survive.
"Almost precisely 35 years after the first American woman walked in space, NASA is setting another milestone Friday morning, with astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir conducting the first all-female spacewalk."
There's this argument in GMO debates about how it's just the same as the couple of thousand years of selective breeding. One, no, no it's not the same. And two, who said that selective breeding was all that good anyway? "A few years ago, Dechow and some of his colleagues at Penn State made a discovery that shocked a lot of people. All the Holstein bulls that farmers were using could trace their lineage back to one of just two male ancestors." If you have never seen a modern holstein, they are weird animals that have been turned into monsters all in a quest to increase how many milk pounds they can produce. And in that drive, we've lost genetic diversity and come close to monoculture. This is a good thing to those whose view of farming is more akin to a factory (every cow is the same, a known quantity). But this is a bad thing in reality.
"Suicides and homicides are on the rise among children, teens and young adults in America, according to a new report that highlights what experts say is a disturbing trend among the young." I see this all the time in the ER.
"Upselling customers on high-tech breast cancer screenings is just one way the 3D mammography industry aggressively promotes its product." The marketing has sold the techs as "this is better for the patients", and that's why many will push the technology. As technologists, while some portion of our job review is based on productivity, and our department's budget is based on how much revenue we generate (although sometimes in a perverse way, that is sometimes we aren't given our due for our numbers), we as techs don't see a direct relationship between the billing and out compensation. We do what's best for our patients.
"Group Health Cooperative in Seattle, one of the United States' oldest and most respected nonprofit health insurance plans, is accused of bilking Medicare out of millions of dollars in a federal whistleblower case." And they aren't the only ones. Privatization of government functions is a Bad Thing™.
"A brutal attack on one of Hong Kong's most prominent pro-democracy leaders, who was reportedly beaten with hammers by a group of unknown assailants, is being widely condemned by the territory's government, opposition lawmakers and Amnesty International."
"For the first time in a decade, a Florida Senate committee scheduled a meeting Monday to discuss the impact of climate change on the peninsula state… What did senators learn?… 'We lost a decade,' said Sen. Tom Lee, the Thonotosassa Republican who chairs the Committee on Infrastructure and Security." No shit, dipwaddle. And whose fault is that (strong side-eye at now Senator Rick Scott and all of the fucking GOP)? I guess ignoring science, public sentiment, and fucking reality wasn't really a winning strategy against the goddamn sea, now was it. "King tides and sunny-day flooding are disrupting postal delivery in many communities, eroding utility boxes, requiring law enforcement to manage traffic corridors where flooding has closed roads, (Jennifer Jurado, chief resilience officer for Broward County) said." (Grokked from Robert J Bennett)
"Coca-Cola on Friday reported quarterly revenue that topped analysts’ expectations as more customers are drawn in by healthier options, like Zero Sugar soda and smaller size cans." SCALZI! (Said like "KHAN!")
"Striking General Motors workers will remain on the picket lines for at least another week, even as the United Auto Workers national council voted to recommend a tentative agreement with GM for ratification." The deal doesn't seem to have much they wanted. Note that sometimes union negotiators will take the offer of management to the membership for an up or down vote just to demonstrate to the management that they know where their workers stand and how committed to the strike they may be.
How go the Trade Wars? "China said Friday its economy grew by 6% in the third quarter from a year earlier. It’s believed to be China’s slowest GDP gain in at least 27½ years." Well, the slowest reported GDP rate.
"Heavily armed gunmen went on a shooting rampage through the city of Culiacán, the capital of Sinaloa state on Mexico's Pacific coast, battling security forces after authorities attempted to arrest a son of imprisoned drug lord Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán."
"Vice President Mike Pence announced Thursday that the United States reached a cease-fire agreement with Turkey to suspend its military operation in Syria to allow Kurdish forces to retreat from a designated safe zone." So after saying he wouldn't, Ergodan meets with Pence when it's made clear Ergodan will get everything he wanted. "'Everybody agreed to things that three days ago they would have never agreed to — that includes the Kurds,' Trump said. 'This is a situation where everyone is happy.'" Except for the dead people, they're still dead. And I think the Kurdish refugees (and the SDF) might have a different take on this.
"As CNN reported earlier tonight, the deal appears to secure Turkey most of its military objectives, forcing America's one-time allies in the fight against ISIS— Kurdish forces—to cede a vast swath of territory, with one senior US official very familiar with operations in Syria telling CNN that the deal meant the US was 'validating what Turkey did and allowing them to annex a portion of Syria and displace the Kurdish population.'"
"CREW sued the DOJ after receiving no response to our June 7, 2019 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the Department for the disclosure of Attorney General William Barr’s calendar entries reflecting appointments of any kind with John H. Durham, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut." More dominos to fall in impeachment. (Grokked from Kathryn Cramer)
"'Get over it. There's going to be political influence in foreign policy,' (Mick Mulvaney) said, adding that 'elections have consequences.'" Yes, political influence, but that's not what happened here, the president was using his office for personal political favors to help him get re-elected. That's a whole 'nother thing. "But he did admit that Trump held up aid to Ukraine as part of a quid pro quo — something Trump himself has denied." And again, because it was for a personal political request, that makes that corruption. I'm sorry you don't understand that this is a corrupt action, but that ain't on me, that's on your own conscience (and demonstrates your warped view of reality). So, Micky, fuck you and the syphilitic horse you rode in on.
"Mulvaney reiterated the rationale later in the briefing: 'I was involved with the process by which the money was held up temporarily, OK? Three issues for that: the corruption in the country, whether or not other countries were participating in support of the Ukraine and whether or not they were cooperating in an ongoing investigation with our Department of Justice. That's completely legitimate.'" Mike Mulvaney had a very bad day yesterday.
Ricky also doesn't seem to be having a good day either. "Energy Secretary Rick Perry faces a subpoena deadline Friday to turn over documents relating to House Democrats' impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump, a day after he offered his resignation."
You know, someone should look into how long you need to be in an appointed position before you get vetted for a retirement program. Because if it weren't for the rank stupidity and criminality of these appointees resigning or being forced out because of scandal, it would look like a fleecing job.
"The Department of Justice improperly redacted a court filing related to the Mueller investigation and must reveal the names of two individuals who figured prominently in the probe, a federal judge in Washington ruled on Thursday." Well, ya know, once you start striking things out with that marker it's a little fun.
Tweet of my heart: @MuellerSheWrote Dear everyone: note my tweet does not say “BREAKING: magical fucking hero turns on Trump”. Sondland is a POS, and don’t read into things that aren’t there. I never called this person a hero, nor would I. (Grokked from Eric VanNewkirk)
"On Wednesday night, the Bangor City Council unanimously approved a request by King and his wife Tabitha to rezone their home as a non-profit, allowing it to house an archive of King’s work (offering restricted visits by appointment) and up to five writers at a time. The couple was not present at the meeting. In recent years, the family has spent most of their time on the road or in Florida or Oxford County, Maine, according to their lawyer, Warren Silver." OMG. (Grokked from Seanan McGuire)
"As a culture, we often fetishize the debut writer as some sort of self-arising wunderkind, someone that comes “out of nowhere” or had “splashed onto the scene” unannounced, seemingly without a pre-history or predecessors. This is compounded for writers of color, who seem, according to this narrative, to arrive at the literary table by “transcending” their cultural, economic or racial milieu into the hegemonic literati. I want to take a moment, in light of this, to put some shine on 10 books that made my debut, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, possible." (Grokked from Deborah Beale)
"But some trees did survive the test of heat and drought. Now, scientists are racing to collect them, and other species around the globe, in the hope that these 'climate survivors' have a natural advantage that will allow them to better cope with a warming world." Or, ya know, they were the lucky ones in a micro-climate that allowed them to survive.
"Almost precisely 35 years after the first American woman walked in space, NASA is setting another milestone Friday morning, with astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir conducting the first all-female spacewalk."
There's this argument in GMO debates about how it's just the same as the couple of thousand years of selective breeding. One, no, no it's not the same. And two, who said that selective breeding was all that good anyway? "A few years ago, Dechow and some of his colleagues at Penn State made a discovery that shocked a lot of people. All the Holstein bulls that farmers were using could trace their lineage back to one of just two male ancestors." If you have never seen a modern holstein, they are weird animals that have been turned into monsters all in a quest to increase how many milk pounds they can produce. And in that drive, we've lost genetic diversity and come close to monoculture. This is a good thing to those whose view of farming is more akin to a factory (every cow is the same, a known quantity). But this is a bad thing in reality.
"Suicides and homicides are on the rise among children, teens and young adults in America, according to a new report that highlights what experts say is a disturbing trend among the young." I see this all the time in the ER.
"Upselling customers on high-tech breast cancer screenings is just one way the 3D mammography industry aggressively promotes its product." The marketing has sold the techs as "this is better for the patients", and that's why many will push the technology. As technologists, while some portion of our job review is based on productivity, and our department's budget is based on how much revenue we generate (although sometimes in a perverse way, that is sometimes we aren't given our due for our numbers), we as techs don't see a direct relationship between the billing and out compensation. We do what's best for our patients.
"Group Health Cooperative in Seattle, one of the United States' oldest and most respected nonprofit health insurance plans, is accused of bilking Medicare out of millions of dollars in a federal whistleblower case." And they aren't the only ones. Privatization of government functions is a Bad Thing™.
"A brutal attack on one of Hong Kong's most prominent pro-democracy leaders, who was reportedly beaten with hammers by a group of unknown assailants, is being widely condemned by the territory's government, opposition lawmakers and Amnesty International."
"For the first time in a decade, a Florida Senate committee scheduled a meeting Monday to discuss the impact of climate change on the peninsula state… What did senators learn?… 'We lost a decade,' said Sen. Tom Lee, the Thonotosassa Republican who chairs the Committee on Infrastructure and Security." No shit, dipwaddle. And whose fault is that (strong side-eye at now Senator Rick Scott and all of the fucking GOP)? I guess ignoring science, public sentiment, and fucking reality wasn't really a winning strategy against the goddamn sea, now was it. "King tides and sunny-day flooding are disrupting postal delivery in many communities, eroding utility boxes, requiring law enforcement to manage traffic corridors where flooding has closed roads, (Jennifer Jurado, chief resilience officer for Broward County) said." (Grokked from Robert J Bennett)
"Coca-Cola on Friday reported quarterly revenue that topped analysts’ expectations as more customers are drawn in by healthier options, like Zero Sugar soda and smaller size cans." SCALZI! (Said like "KHAN!")
"Striking General Motors workers will remain on the picket lines for at least another week, even as the United Auto Workers national council voted to recommend a tentative agreement with GM for ratification." The deal doesn't seem to have much they wanted. Note that sometimes union negotiators will take the offer of management to the membership for an up or down vote just to demonstrate to the management that they know where their workers stand and how committed to the strike they may be.
How go the Trade Wars? "China said Friday its economy grew by 6% in the third quarter from a year earlier. It’s believed to be China’s slowest GDP gain in at least 27½ years." Well, the slowest reported GDP rate.
"Heavily armed gunmen went on a shooting rampage through the city of Culiacán, the capital of Sinaloa state on Mexico's Pacific coast, battling security forces after authorities attempted to arrest a son of imprisoned drug lord Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán."
"Vice President Mike Pence announced Thursday that the United States reached a cease-fire agreement with Turkey to suspend its military operation in Syria to allow Kurdish forces to retreat from a designated safe zone." So after saying he wouldn't, Ergodan meets with Pence when it's made clear Ergodan will get everything he wanted. "'Everybody agreed to things that three days ago they would have never agreed to — that includes the Kurds,' Trump said. 'This is a situation where everyone is happy.'" Except for the dead people, they're still dead. And I think the Kurdish refugees (and the SDF) might have a different take on this.
"As CNN reported earlier tonight, the deal appears to secure Turkey most of its military objectives, forcing America's one-time allies in the fight against ISIS— Kurdish forces—to cede a vast swath of territory, with one senior US official very familiar with operations in Syria telling CNN that the deal meant the US was 'validating what Turkey did and allowing them to annex a portion of Syria and displace the Kurdish population.'"
"CREW sued the DOJ after receiving no response to our June 7, 2019 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the Department for the disclosure of Attorney General William Barr’s calendar entries reflecting appointments of any kind with John H. Durham, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut." More dominos to fall in impeachment. (Grokked from Kathryn Cramer)
"'Get over it. There's going to be political influence in foreign policy,' (Mick Mulvaney) said, adding that 'elections have consequences.'" Yes, political influence, but that's not what happened here, the president was using his office for personal political favors to help him get re-elected. That's a whole 'nother thing. "But he did admit that Trump held up aid to Ukraine as part of a quid pro quo — something Trump himself has denied." And again, because it was for a personal political request, that makes that corruption. I'm sorry you don't understand that this is a corrupt action, but that ain't on me, that's on your own conscience (and demonstrates your warped view of reality). So, Micky, fuck you and the syphilitic horse you rode in on.
"Mulvaney reiterated the rationale later in the briefing: 'I was involved with the process by which the money was held up temporarily, OK? Three issues for that: the corruption in the country, whether or not other countries were participating in support of the Ukraine and whether or not they were cooperating in an ongoing investigation with our Department of Justice. That's completely legitimate.'" Mike Mulvaney had a very bad day yesterday.
Ricky also doesn't seem to be having a good day either. "Energy Secretary Rick Perry faces a subpoena deadline Friday to turn over documents relating to House Democrats' impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump, a day after he offered his resignation."
You know, someone should look into how long you need to be in an appointed position before you get vetted for a retirement program. Because if it weren't for the rank stupidity and criminality of these appointees resigning or being forced out because of scandal, it would look like a fleecing job.
"The Department of Justice improperly redacted a court filing related to the Mueller investigation and must reveal the names of two individuals who figured prominently in the probe, a federal judge in Washington ruled on Thursday." Well, ya know, once you start striking things out with that marker it's a little fun.
Tweet of my heart: @MuellerSheWrote Dear everyone: note my tweet does not say “BREAKING: magical fucking hero turns on Trump”. Sondland is a POS, and don’t read into things that aren’t there. I never called this person a hero, nor would I. (Grokked from Eric VanNewkirk)
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Linkee-poo Thursday
The alligators are finally biting… only four days late. Alligators are not known for their punctuality.
Elijah Cummings, and so it goes.
"Archaeologists have uncovered a 'huge cache' of more than 20 sealed coffins in the city of Luxor, according to Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities." Looks at world politics after they opened that black sarcophagus… maybe we leave these alone for now. (Grokked from Julie)
"About 300,000 students have no idea when they'll see their teachers again as members of the Chicago Teachers Union go on strike Thursday." Madness! Mayhem! Oh noes won't anyone think of the kiddies… Just in case you think CNN is a lefty outlet, this should let you know that they're mostly left-center, neo-liberal.
"An unseasonably strong Nor’easter brought high winds and rain to the New York-to-Boston corridor Wednesday, causing hundreds of thousands of households and businesses to lose power." A bomb cyclone… boom.
"A conspiracy theorist who claimed that the Sandy Hook massacre did not happen, has been ordered to pay $450,000 (£351,000) to the father of one of the victims."
How goes Brexit? "British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he has reached an agreement with the European Union on a new Brexit deal that would allow the EU to continue collecting value-added tax from Northern Ireland and allow special treatment for certain goods going over the Irish border.… But its reception among Johnson's critics in the U.K. was less warm, likely foreshadowing the slim chances of the agreement making its way through Parliament." So the same as normal then.
"A key ally of the government, the Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), has already responded by saying that it cannot support the deal… The U.K. government, which does not have a majority in the British Parliament, needs the DUP’s votes to approve the deal."
"GM, UAW agree on tentative labor contract that could end a monthlong strike by 48,000 workers."
"A 93-year-old former guard at a Nazi concentration camp will go on trial in Germany on Thursday on the charge of being an accessory to thousands of murders." There is no statute of limitations for genocide.
"The Census Bureau is asking states to voluntarily share driver's license records as part of the Trump administration's efforts to produce detailed data about the U.S. citizenship status of every person living in the country."
"Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan put US President Donald Trump's letter 'in the bin', the BBC has been told." So there's some debate on if Trump gave Erdogan a "green light." It doesn't matter what the letter said (and the foreign leader trashing it says all that need be said about the content of the letter) Trump's decision to withdraw our support of the Kurds was a green light for Erdogan to invade.
"Congressional Democrats walked out of a bipartisan White House meeting with President Trump about his decision to pull U.S. troops out of Syria, a meeting in which Trump called House Speaker Nancy Pelosi 'a third-rate politician' according to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer." And then Trump and Pelosi lobbed accusations of a meltdown at each other.
"Trump said during a news conference at the White House Wednesday afternoon that Graham 'would like to stay in the Middle East for the next thousand years.'" That, in light of our present presidential communication coarseness, is not a "slam", CNN. Please try to stay up to date. "But (Graham) stopped short of saying he wouldn't support Trump's reelection over his decision to pull US troops from northern Syria, adding that the foreign policy approaches of some Democrats running for president are 'no better.'"
"A fourth defendant who allegedly conspired with associates of President Trump's personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, to illegally funnel foreign money into Republican campaigns, has turned himself in to authorities." Also more on how "congressman-1" is Pete Sessions. Who is trying to win a new seat in the legislature. Good luck with that.
"Details are emerging about Sondland's special assignments. Testimony this week in the impeachment inquiry revealed that acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney pushed out the diplomats who had been in charge of Ukraine policy and put three other people at the helm." And a little bit about Sondland's background.
"'The timing of my resignation was the result of two overriding concerns: the failure, in my view, of the State Department to offer support to Foreign Service employees caught up in the Impeachment Inquiry on Ukraine; and, second, by what appears to be the utilization of our ambassadors overseas to advance domestic political objectives,' McKinley said in prepared remarks." Michael McKinley was a senior advisor to Sec of State Mike Pompeo until last Friday, when he resigned.
"Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and his staff prepared his Republican caucus on Wednesday for the potential of becoming jurors in an impeachment trial of President Trump in the coming months." When you take a walk, sometimes it helps to plan out the route.
Elijah Cummings, and so it goes.
"Archaeologists have uncovered a 'huge cache' of more than 20 sealed coffins in the city of Luxor, according to Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities." Looks at world politics after they opened that black sarcophagus… maybe we leave these alone for now. (Grokked from Julie)
"About 300,000 students have no idea when they'll see their teachers again as members of the Chicago Teachers Union go on strike Thursday." Madness! Mayhem! Oh noes won't anyone think of the kiddies… Just in case you think CNN is a lefty outlet, this should let you know that they're mostly left-center, neo-liberal.
"An unseasonably strong Nor’easter brought high winds and rain to the New York-to-Boston corridor Wednesday, causing hundreds of thousands of households and businesses to lose power." A bomb cyclone… boom.
"A conspiracy theorist who claimed that the Sandy Hook massacre did not happen, has been ordered to pay $450,000 (£351,000) to the father of one of the victims."
How goes Brexit? "British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he has reached an agreement with the European Union on a new Brexit deal that would allow the EU to continue collecting value-added tax from Northern Ireland and allow special treatment for certain goods going over the Irish border.… But its reception among Johnson's critics in the U.K. was less warm, likely foreshadowing the slim chances of the agreement making its way through Parliament." So the same as normal then.
"A key ally of the government, the Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), has already responded by saying that it cannot support the deal… The U.K. government, which does not have a majority in the British Parliament, needs the DUP’s votes to approve the deal."
"GM, UAW agree on tentative labor contract that could end a monthlong strike by 48,000 workers."
"A 93-year-old former guard at a Nazi concentration camp will go on trial in Germany on Thursday on the charge of being an accessory to thousands of murders." There is no statute of limitations for genocide.
"The Census Bureau is asking states to voluntarily share driver's license records as part of the Trump administration's efforts to produce detailed data about the U.S. citizenship status of every person living in the country."
"Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan put US President Donald Trump's letter 'in the bin', the BBC has been told." So there's some debate on if Trump gave Erdogan a "green light." It doesn't matter what the letter said (and the foreign leader trashing it says all that need be said about the content of the letter) Trump's decision to withdraw our support of the Kurds was a green light for Erdogan to invade.
"Congressional Democrats walked out of a bipartisan White House meeting with President Trump about his decision to pull U.S. troops out of Syria, a meeting in which Trump called House Speaker Nancy Pelosi 'a third-rate politician' according to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer." And then Trump and Pelosi lobbed accusations of a meltdown at each other.
"Trump said during a news conference at the White House Wednesday afternoon that Graham 'would like to stay in the Middle East for the next thousand years.'" That, in light of our present presidential communication coarseness, is not a "slam", CNN. Please try to stay up to date. "But (Graham) stopped short of saying he wouldn't support Trump's reelection over his decision to pull US troops from northern Syria, adding that the foreign policy approaches of some Democrats running for president are 'no better.'"
"A fourth defendant who allegedly conspired with associates of President Trump's personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, to illegally funnel foreign money into Republican campaigns, has turned himself in to authorities." Also more on how "congressman-1" is Pete Sessions. Who is trying to win a new seat in the legislature. Good luck with that.
"Details are emerging about Sondland's special assignments. Testimony this week in the impeachment inquiry revealed that acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney pushed out the diplomats who had been in charge of Ukraine policy and put three other people at the helm." And a little bit about Sondland's background.
"'The timing of my resignation was the result of two overriding concerns: the failure, in my view, of the State Department to offer support to Foreign Service employees caught up in the Impeachment Inquiry on Ukraine; and, second, by what appears to be the utilization of our ambassadors overseas to advance domestic political objectives,' McKinley said in prepared remarks." Michael McKinley was a senior advisor to Sec of State Mike Pompeo until last Friday, when he resigned.
"Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and his staff prepared his Republican caucus on Wednesday for the potential of becoming jurors in an impeachment trial of President Trump in the coming months." When you take a walk, sometimes it helps to plan out the route.
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Linkee-poo Wednesday that feels like Thursday
"The report found corticosteroid shots in the hips and knees may accelerate the progression of osteoarthritis and potentially even hasten the need for joint replacement surgeries in the long run, said lead author Dr. Ali Guermazi, a professor of radiology at the Boston University School of Medicine." This is not new. Steroid shots can also accelerate osteoporosis (or osteopenia). It's part of our protocol for bone density scans to ask about steroid use (because it can skew results). But then everything has it's trade offs. Radiation, for example. We trade and increased chance of cancer for diagnostic information to help us diagnose problems (or in surgery, to help guide repairs). We trade kidney (and liver function) to take medications to help with other diseases. We trade risk of addiction for pain relief.
"The sixth grader was in Joseph Slifka's technology class when she suddenly needed emergency medical attention." There's no age limit for cardiac events, either at the top or bottom. Also, this is why AEDs are so damn important and worth the cost. And I'll note that most people we perform chest compressions on don't come back. But it can keep them alive to the point the body passes the trauma, or until more advanced procedures can be deployed. So it's still important to learn CPR and be prepared. Because there is no test to know which outcome you'll get (although I'll also note sometimes it is obvious that someone is not coming back, but as a healthcare worker we have legal obligations).
"We may have already discovered the essence of life on Mars 40 years ago, according to a former NASA scientist." Or maybe not.
"Today, NASA unveiled its designs for future spacesuits that astronauts will wear during trips to the lunar surface. The suits are still in development, but NASA claims they’ll be ready to keep astronauts alive in space by 2024 — the space agency’s deadline to return humans to the Moon."
"Ingredion isn't alone. 'Any publicly traded company, I think, is under increasing pressure from the investment community to articulate what we see as our upcoming climate risk," (Brian Nash, Ingredion's head of sustainability) says. That's partly because of prodding from an international organization called the Financial Stability Board, which set up a task force chaired by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to help companies voluntary disclose such risks." And insurance companies are adding in climate risks into the models.
"The Trump administration is proposing to exempt Alaska's Tongass National Forest from long-standing protections against logging and development, opening the door for potential timber harvesting on 165,000 acres of old-growth forest." The problem isn't the lack of wood in the market. Even with tariffs on Canadian lumber we have plenty of wood on the market. Add in the retaliatory Chinese tariffs on US lumber, we have more lumber on the market than it being used and it's depressing prices. But sure, let's go log one of the last old growth forests left. Burn it all down.
"The pay increase for restaurant workers in New York City to $15 represented the largest hike for a big group of low-wage workers since the 1960s, a new study found. (AND wait for it) During the years New York raised the minimum wage to $15 from $7.25, its restaurant industry outperformed the rest of the US in job growth and expansion, the study found." You're shocked, I can tell. But, because Business Insider is a business magazine, "While the city's restaurant growth is likely a result of the city's overall strong economy, the report's findings might suggest that paying workers more won't immediately lead to job loss or other negative business consequences as previously thought." (Grokked from John)
"But workers and employers are also navigating changing social norms around gender that can be confusing, and shifting workplace culture away from traditional gender identifiers can also be tricky." The gender questions come to corporate America.
AI in the workplace. "But Oracle’s Emily He says most workplace AI applications today are aiming a little lower than sentient world domination: 'simple things like what’s my vacation balance or what’s the 401(k) policy?'" As I've stated before, this isn't AI as we think it is, this is just white-collar automation. Frustrated by the lack of real AI, we drew the line behind us and declared we already had it. But what this really shows is just how ill informed management really is when workers would rather ask a computer to do an advanced search on digitized documents.
"'The right to throw a punch ends at the tip of someone’s nose.' It’s the idea that underlies American liberties — but does it still fit in 2019? This week, On the Media looks back at our country’s radical — and radically inconsistent — tradition of free speech. Plus, a prophetic philosopher predicts America 75 years after Trump." Which he made in the early 2000s.
What a strong CFPB is important. "Starting early last year, the nation's most powerful consumer protection agency sent examiners into companies that run student loan call centers to try to fix a troubled loan forgiveness program. But the Department of Education blocked the bureau from getting the information it needed, NPR has learned." The Trump administration blocked one part of the government from investigating another.
How goes Brexit? "A provisional deal now could mean yet another delay to Britain’s departure, currently due to take place on Oct. 31. It also raises the prospect that the EU need to hold another Brexit summit before the end of the month."
How goes the Trade Wars? "The goldfish tariff, like so many tariffs from the list, might seem negligible for someone buying a $10 common pet-store fish — the basic bright-orange kind one might get at a carnival." There are echoes here back to 1930's Smoot-Hawley Act.
"Retail sales fell 0.3% last month following a 0.6% gain in August, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday. It was the first decline since a 0.5% drop in February." In a later paragraph, the AP says the "spending decline in October…" This is either a simple typo, or Freudian/Timewarp slip-up.
"Hong Kong’s embattled leader Carrie Lam on Wednesday delivered her annual policy address by video, after being heckled by pro-democracy lawmakers on the floor of the city’s parliament."
"Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he will refuse to meet with Vice President Mike Pence, who is due to travel to Turkey to argue for a ceasefire in the ongoing Syria conflict." Which is normal diplomatic protocol (like meets like)… except that Pence is traveling as Trump's proxy, which makes this a little slap in the face. Plus he's vowing no cease fire. So what would happen if there's a break in the West and Turkey becomes "independent", or aligns with Russia instead of NATO? Or even if Turkey feels like the ugly step-child of NATO?
"Eager for changes at the Department of Veterans Affairs, President Donald Trump toyed early on with issuing an executive order to close parts of the VA health system without consulting Congress, according to an upcoming book by his former VA secretary." That would have gone over well.
"Documents recently obtained by CREW, in response to its Freedom of Information Act request for all records related to any investigation or inquiry by the FBI’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) of former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, provide new information about his termination last year. They also raise questions about whether the Department of Justice (DOJ) followed the FBI’s procedural rules, which require the agency to give senior officials 30 days advance notice prior to disciplinary actions such as dismissal, and about the limited time DOJ provided McCabe and his lawyers to dispute the proposed decision." (Grokked from Kathryn Cramer)
"For instance, Trump told the lender that he took in twice as much rent from one building as he reported to tax authorities during the same year, 2017. He also gave conflicting occupancy figures for one of his signature skyscrapers, located at 40 Wall Street." Well, the choice is financial fraud or tax fraud. Either one carries significant penalties. (Grokked from Elizabeth Bear)
"U.S. President Donald Trump has vetoed a joint resolution of Congress that sought to terminate his declaration of a national emergency on the southern border with Mexico, the White House said on Tuesday." And water remains wet.
Drain the swamp… "At the halfway mark of President Donald Trump’s first term, his administration has hired a lobbyist for every 14 political appointments made, welcoming a total of 281 lobbyists on board, a ProPublica and Columbia Journalism Investigations analysis shows." Right into the administration. (Grokked from Kathryn Cramer)
"Declaring the Democratic-led impeachment inquiry illegitimate, Vice President Mike Pence and President Donald Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani on Tuesday refused to hand over documents on Ukraine." And Rudy is saying he won't appear. So, new level of Constitutional Crisis with implicit contempt (legal term). Just as a reminder, yes the Congress has it's own police force and it has it's own jail.
"A grand jury has subpoenaed former Republican Rep. Pete Sessions on matters connected to President Donald Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, two Giuliani associates' dealings with Ukraine and efforts to remove the US ambassador to Ukraine, a source familiar with the matter told CNN." Sessions was the beneficiary of political donations funneled through Giuliani's friends (who are now in jail).
"A Florida man wanted in a campaign finance case involving associates of Rudy Giuliani is in federal custody after flying Wednesday to Kennedy Airport in New York City to turn himself in, federal authorities said."
"But new reporting about Giuliani’s own business dealings with shadowy Ukraine-linked figured shines a light on just how hypocritical his posturing has been… On Monday, both Reuters and the Washington Post reported that Giuliani received $500,000 from a company founded by a man at the center of a scheme to funnel foreign payments to Republican groups, including the pro-Trump super PAC 'America First Action,' in 2018… The company in question has the unfortunate name of Fraud Guarantee and was founded by Lev Parnas, a Ukrainian American associate of Giuliani’s who was arrested with Igor Fruman (another Giuliani associate) last week." This is fucking morality play territory. Seriously, if you included a company with that name in a novel your critique group, agent, and editor would spike it. It throws you out of suspension of disbelief and enters the realm of a Tom Swifty.
"The White House removed the core of its Ukraine policy team in the spring and replaced it with 'three amigos' considered more reliable for the plan to pressure Kyiv, a senior U.S. diplomat was described as telling House investigators on Tuesday." "More reliable" means they were willing to do the president's dirty work without asking questions.
"The sixth grader was in Joseph Slifka's technology class when she suddenly needed emergency medical attention." There's no age limit for cardiac events, either at the top or bottom. Also, this is why AEDs are so damn important and worth the cost. And I'll note that most people we perform chest compressions on don't come back. But it can keep them alive to the point the body passes the trauma, or until more advanced procedures can be deployed. So it's still important to learn CPR and be prepared. Because there is no test to know which outcome you'll get (although I'll also note sometimes it is obvious that someone is not coming back, but as a healthcare worker we have legal obligations).
"We may have already discovered the essence of life on Mars 40 years ago, according to a former NASA scientist." Or maybe not.
"Today, NASA unveiled its designs for future spacesuits that astronauts will wear during trips to the lunar surface. The suits are still in development, but NASA claims they’ll be ready to keep astronauts alive in space by 2024 — the space agency’s deadline to return humans to the Moon."
"Ingredion isn't alone. 'Any publicly traded company, I think, is under increasing pressure from the investment community to articulate what we see as our upcoming climate risk," (Brian Nash, Ingredion's head of sustainability) says. That's partly because of prodding from an international organization called the Financial Stability Board, which set up a task force chaired by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to help companies voluntary disclose such risks." And insurance companies are adding in climate risks into the models.
"The Trump administration is proposing to exempt Alaska's Tongass National Forest from long-standing protections against logging and development, opening the door for potential timber harvesting on 165,000 acres of old-growth forest." The problem isn't the lack of wood in the market. Even with tariffs on Canadian lumber we have plenty of wood on the market. Add in the retaliatory Chinese tariffs on US lumber, we have more lumber on the market than it being used and it's depressing prices. But sure, let's go log one of the last old growth forests left. Burn it all down.
"The pay increase for restaurant workers in New York City to $15 represented the largest hike for a big group of low-wage workers since the 1960s, a new study found. (AND wait for it) During the years New York raised the minimum wage to $15 from $7.25, its restaurant industry outperformed the rest of the US in job growth and expansion, the study found." You're shocked, I can tell. But, because Business Insider is a business magazine, "While the city's restaurant growth is likely a result of the city's overall strong economy, the report's findings might suggest that paying workers more won't immediately lead to job loss or other negative business consequences as previously thought." (Grokked from John)
"But workers and employers are also navigating changing social norms around gender that can be confusing, and shifting workplace culture away from traditional gender identifiers can also be tricky." The gender questions come to corporate America.
AI in the workplace. "But Oracle’s Emily He says most workplace AI applications today are aiming a little lower than sentient world domination: 'simple things like what’s my vacation balance or what’s the 401(k) policy?'" As I've stated before, this isn't AI as we think it is, this is just white-collar automation. Frustrated by the lack of real AI, we drew the line behind us and declared we already had it. But what this really shows is just how ill informed management really is when workers would rather ask a computer to do an advanced search on digitized documents.
"'The right to throw a punch ends at the tip of someone’s nose.' It’s the idea that underlies American liberties — but does it still fit in 2019? This week, On the Media looks back at our country’s radical — and radically inconsistent — tradition of free speech. Plus, a prophetic philosopher predicts America 75 years after Trump." Which he made in the early 2000s.
What a strong CFPB is important. "Starting early last year, the nation's most powerful consumer protection agency sent examiners into companies that run student loan call centers to try to fix a troubled loan forgiveness program. But the Department of Education blocked the bureau from getting the information it needed, NPR has learned." The Trump administration blocked one part of the government from investigating another.
How goes Brexit? "A provisional deal now could mean yet another delay to Britain’s departure, currently due to take place on Oct. 31. It also raises the prospect that the EU need to hold another Brexit summit before the end of the month."
How goes the Trade Wars? "The goldfish tariff, like so many tariffs from the list, might seem negligible for someone buying a $10 common pet-store fish — the basic bright-orange kind one might get at a carnival." There are echoes here back to 1930's Smoot-Hawley Act.
"Retail sales fell 0.3% last month following a 0.6% gain in August, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday. It was the first decline since a 0.5% drop in February." In a later paragraph, the AP says the "spending decline in October…" This is either a simple typo, or Freudian/Timewarp slip-up.
"Hong Kong’s embattled leader Carrie Lam on Wednesday delivered her annual policy address by video, after being heckled by pro-democracy lawmakers on the floor of the city’s parliament."
"Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he will refuse to meet with Vice President Mike Pence, who is due to travel to Turkey to argue for a ceasefire in the ongoing Syria conflict." Which is normal diplomatic protocol (like meets like)… except that Pence is traveling as Trump's proxy, which makes this a little slap in the face. Plus he's vowing no cease fire. So what would happen if there's a break in the West and Turkey becomes "independent", or aligns with Russia instead of NATO? Or even if Turkey feels like the ugly step-child of NATO?
"Eager for changes at the Department of Veterans Affairs, President Donald Trump toyed early on with issuing an executive order to close parts of the VA health system without consulting Congress, according to an upcoming book by his former VA secretary." That would have gone over well.
"Documents recently obtained by CREW, in response to its Freedom of Information Act request for all records related to any investigation or inquiry by the FBI’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) of former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, provide new information about his termination last year. They also raise questions about whether the Department of Justice (DOJ) followed the FBI’s procedural rules, which require the agency to give senior officials 30 days advance notice prior to disciplinary actions such as dismissal, and about the limited time DOJ provided McCabe and his lawyers to dispute the proposed decision." (Grokked from Kathryn Cramer)
"For instance, Trump told the lender that he took in twice as much rent from one building as he reported to tax authorities during the same year, 2017. He also gave conflicting occupancy figures for one of his signature skyscrapers, located at 40 Wall Street." Well, the choice is financial fraud or tax fraud. Either one carries significant penalties. (Grokked from Elizabeth Bear)
"U.S. President Donald Trump has vetoed a joint resolution of Congress that sought to terminate his declaration of a national emergency on the southern border with Mexico, the White House said on Tuesday." And water remains wet.
Drain the swamp… "At the halfway mark of President Donald Trump’s first term, his administration has hired a lobbyist for every 14 political appointments made, welcoming a total of 281 lobbyists on board, a ProPublica and Columbia Journalism Investigations analysis shows." Right into the administration. (Grokked from Kathryn Cramer)
"Declaring the Democratic-led impeachment inquiry illegitimate, Vice President Mike Pence and President Donald Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani on Tuesday refused to hand over documents on Ukraine." And Rudy is saying he won't appear. So, new level of Constitutional Crisis with implicit contempt (legal term). Just as a reminder, yes the Congress has it's own police force and it has it's own jail.
"A grand jury has subpoenaed former Republican Rep. Pete Sessions on matters connected to President Donald Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, two Giuliani associates' dealings with Ukraine and efforts to remove the US ambassador to Ukraine, a source familiar with the matter told CNN." Sessions was the beneficiary of political donations funneled through Giuliani's friends (who are now in jail).
"A Florida man wanted in a campaign finance case involving associates of Rudy Giuliani is in federal custody after flying Wednesday to Kennedy Airport in New York City to turn himself in, federal authorities said."
"But new reporting about Giuliani’s own business dealings with shadowy Ukraine-linked figured shines a light on just how hypocritical his posturing has been… On Monday, both Reuters and the Washington Post reported that Giuliani received $500,000 from a company founded by a man at the center of a scheme to funnel foreign payments to Republican groups, including the pro-Trump super PAC 'America First Action,' in 2018… The company in question has the unfortunate name of Fraud Guarantee and was founded by Lev Parnas, a Ukrainian American associate of Giuliani’s who was arrested with Igor Fruman (another Giuliani associate) last week." This is fucking morality play territory. Seriously, if you included a company with that name in a novel your critique group, agent, and editor would spike it. It throws you out of suspension of disbelief and enters the realm of a Tom Swifty.
"The White House removed the core of its Ukraine policy team in the spring and replaced it with 'three amigos' considered more reliable for the plan to pressure Kyiv, a senior U.S. diplomat was described as telling House investigators on Tuesday." "More reliable" means they were willing to do the president's dirty work without asking questions.
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Linkee-poo Tuesday
Alligators delayed.
Harold Bloom and Alexei Leonov. And so it goes.
"The prestigious journal Nature Astronomy has now published one of the earlier papers based on this frantic rush of observations. The new paper both confirms that Comet Borisov comes from outside our solar system and offers preliminary evidence suggesting that the object isn't very different from the comets that clutter our own solar system." And it now has a visible tail, which is composed of gases created from cyanide. So, totally normal (interstellar comet made of poison, intense side-eye). Well, most of our solar comets also give off those compounds.
"Typhoon Hagibis brought record-breaking rainfall, caused extensive flooding and power outages, forcing the government to approve a special budget for disaster response."
"Harley-Davidson has halted production and delivery of its first electric motorcycle, the LiveWire, after discovering what the Milwaukee-based manufacturer described as a non-standard condition." Rhut rho.
More about the organ donation/recovery system. "If Roland Henry had died in a different part of the country, his organs might have been recovered. And lives could have been saved… But the local organ collection agency said no."
"Two years later, what has his administration done to change the ACA, and who's been affected? Below are five of the biggest changes to the federal health law under President Trump."
Why does healthcare cost so much? "The hospital lobby is a juggernaut in New York, as it is in other states. Over the last year, hospital lobbyists have fought reforms for billing transparency in Ohio, minimum nurse staffing levels in Illinois, and cheaper payment rates in North Carolina. Last month, a leaked email from the Kentucky Hospital Association showed that it was urging members to donate to gubernatorial candidates to 'assure access.'" Gotta pay for all the suits. Also a little on how Medicare has been gamed to get votes in Congress.
The Hidden Brain podcast with "How American Masculinity creates lonely men." and it affects our health, mental and physical. With some discussion of how our partners became our defacto social managers, and just where and how these things happen. I'm blessed that I have friends, men friends, whom I've kept since college (and I thank Dan for that, he did a lot of the heavy lifting, thanks, man) and that I do have some close acquaintances. I am sad that while I've reconnected with my childhood friends (thanks to Facebook), I haven't had the time to meet with them. And there is discussion of the sociological reasons, but they miss the most important one. Welcome to the cultural fallout of the Cold War. Other cultures don't have this issue, even though they also have "male culture" (and toxic masculinity). As we entered the Cold War it was a conscious need of society to create warriors, which we confused with soldiers (they aren't the same). And we needed "tough men (and women)" to win against the encroaching forces of communism. So we valued and started promoting a toxic form of hyper-masculinity, because that was the template. A combination of Hemingway and the movie version of John Wayne. Tough men for a tough future. We changed our games to reward certain behaviors. And it worked very well, to the point we forgot how intentional the change was. Only it was killing us and didn't prepare us for this future we live in.
"After a while, he no longer got the head rush that made vaping satisfying in the beginning; but he still kept buying nicotine." Why it's almost like an addiction or something.
"So in a last-ditch effort to see whether they can save spotted owls, federal officials are resorting to killing hundreds of federally protected barred owls." Killing Peter to save Paul.
"The PNNL team found that the origin of whiskers in a lithium metal battery lies in a structure known as the "SEI" or solid-electrolyte interphase… the scientists pinpointed a culprit in the growth process: ethylene carbonate, an indispensable solvent added to electrolyte to enhance battery performance… It turns out that ethylene carbonate leaves the battery vulnerable to damage." Just like evil, lithium batteries contain the seeds of their own destruction.
"Not long ago, United demanded a black passenger remove his official Marvel 'Black Panther' hat because it made someone uncomfortable. This weekend, United refused to even challenge a white passenger wearing a 'Rope. Tree. Journalist' shirt, no matter who it made uncomfortable." Not much else to say there. (Grokked from Annalee Flower Horne)
"That massive number is the reduction in home values caused by the 2017 tax law that capped federal deductions for state and local real estate and income taxes at $10,000 a year and also eliminated some mortgage interest deductions. The impact varies widely across different areas. Counties with high home prices and high real estate taxes and where homeowners have big mortgages are suffering the biggest hit, as you’d expect, given the larger value of the lost tax deductions. But as we’ll see, homeowners all over the country are feeling the effects." The best grifts are when the mark willingly gives you the money all while not seeing how they're being taken. (Grokked from Elizabeth Bear)
Beer run. "Four inmates who repeatedly escaped from a federal prison in Texas so they could return with whiskey and cellphones were back in custody after they were finally caught in the act, authorities said."
"A Northern California man has been arrested on suspicion of killing four people after he showed up at a police station with a body in his car."
"A US police officer who shot dead a black woman in her bedroom on Saturday has been held and charged with murder." But now he's out on bond.
How goes Brexit? "A Brexit divorce deal is still possible ahead of Thursday’s European Union summit but the British government needs to move ahead with more compromises to seal an agreement in the next few hours, the bloc said Tuesday." Anybody really expect that to happen? Anyone?
How go the Trade Wars? "The International Monetary Fund is further downgrading its outlook for the world economy, predicting that growth this year will be the weakest since the 2008 financial crisis primarily because of widening global conflicts."
"Stocks closed slightly lower on Monday as new worries around a U.S.-China trade agreement emerged." Upside down, you're turning me, you're giving love instinctively. Round and round, you're turning me…
"President Donald Trump said again on Friday that Americans need identification to buy groceries, which remains not true." Our stable genius president, everybody. (Grokked from Jim Wright)
"Days after appearing to acquiesce to a Turkish invasion of northern Syria aimed at routing Washington's Kurdish allies, the White House is officially reversing course, calling instead for a cease-fire, imposing economic sanctions and dispatching Vice President Pence to Ankara." That'll show 'em.
"Russia moved to fill the void left by the United States in northern Syria, deploying troops Tuesday to keep apart advancing Syrian government and Turkish forces. At the same time, tensions grew within NATO as Turkey defied growing condemnation from its Western allies of its invasion across the border." So let's see, ascendent Russia power and influence, bickering NATO. Why, it would almost appear to be a plan against the West. And who brought this situation about?
"President Donald Trump is making a brazen attempt to rewrite the reality of his dealings with Ukraine… He has said at least 18 times over the last 15 days that the whistleblower who lodged a highly accurate complaint about his phone call with Ukraine's President had been highly inaccurate. And over the weekend, he pushed three other fictions -- reversing the timing of two events and touting a supposed Nancy Pelosi quote there is no evidence the House speaker ever said." Our president just makes shit up so that he's the hero of the story.
"Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Florida Republican on the Judiciary Committee, said he was kicked out of this morning's deposition of Fiona Hill by House Intelligence Chair Adam Schiff. Gaetz is not on any of the three committees conducting the impeachment investigation — Intelligence, Foreign Affairs and Oversight." You might remember Gaetz, who literally ran to the White House to brief the president or his staff about the Mueller Investigation.
"National security adviser John Bolton was so alarmed by Rudy Giuliani’s back-channel activities in Ukraine that he described President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer as a “hand grenade who is going to blow everybody up,” according to a former White House aide."
"In a Saturday preview of his upcoming congressional testimony, a representative for US ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland indicated the ambassador will tell Congress the answer to the question of whether there was quid pro quo is yes — but not the one you’re thinking of. Sondland will reportedly testify that in exchange for Ukraine’s vow to investigate corruption, the administration was promising a coveted White House audience, not the release of military aid. He’s also said, however, he did not connect administration calls for new corruption investigations and Joe Biden at the time." That's still an abuse of office, although it might be harder to quantify a "White House audience" in terms of money. And the story might change by the time he testifies.
"White evangelicals have been among President Trump's most solid supporters, but younger evangelicals are more skeptical of the president heading into the 2020 election." No transcript yet, but interesting. But don't worry, it's just your bog-standard teen rebellion.
Harold Bloom and Alexei Leonov. And so it goes.
"The prestigious journal Nature Astronomy has now published one of the earlier papers based on this frantic rush of observations. The new paper both confirms that Comet Borisov comes from outside our solar system and offers preliminary evidence suggesting that the object isn't very different from the comets that clutter our own solar system." And it now has a visible tail, which is composed of gases created from cyanide. So, totally normal (interstellar comet made of poison, intense side-eye). Well, most of our solar comets also give off those compounds.
"Typhoon Hagibis brought record-breaking rainfall, caused extensive flooding and power outages, forcing the government to approve a special budget for disaster response."
"Harley-Davidson has halted production and delivery of its first electric motorcycle, the LiveWire, after discovering what the Milwaukee-based manufacturer described as a non-standard condition." Rhut rho.
More about the organ donation/recovery system. "If Roland Henry had died in a different part of the country, his organs might have been recovered. And lives could have been saved… But the local organ collection agency said no."
"Two years later, what has his administration done to change the ACA, and who's been affected? Below are five of the biggest changes to the federal health law under President Trump."
Why does healthcare cost so much? "The hospital lobby is a juggernaut in New York, as it is in other states. Over the last year, hospital lobbyists have fought reforms for billing transparency in Ohio, minimum nurse staffing levels in Illinois, and cheaper payment rates in North Carolina. Last month, a leaked email from the Kentucky Hospital Association showed that it was urging members to donate to gubernatorial candidates to 'assure access.'" Gotta pay for all the suits. Also a little on how Medicare has been gamed to get votes in Congress.
The Hidden Brain podcast with "How American Masculinity creates lonely men." and it affects our health, mental and physical. With some discussion of how our partners became our defacto social managers, and just where and how these things happen. I'm blessed that I have friends, men friends, whom I've kept since college (and I thank Dan for that, he did a lot of the heavy lifting, thanks, man) and that I do have some close acquaintances. I am sad that while I've reconnected with my childhood friends (thanks to Facebook), I haven't had the time to meet with them. And there is discussion of the sociological reasons, but they miss the most important one. Welcome to the cultural fallout of the Cold War. Other cultures don't have this issue, even though they also have "male culture" (and toxic masculinity). As we entered the Cold War it was a conscious need of society to create warriors, which we confused with soldiers (they aren't the same). And we needed "tough men (and women)" to win against the encroaching forces of communism. So we valued and started promoting a toxic form of hyper-masculinity, because that was the template. A combination of Hemingway and the movie version of John Wayne. Tough men for a tough future. We changed our games to reward certain behaviors. And it worked very well, to the point we forgot how intentional the change was. Only it was killing us and didn't prepare us for this future we live in.
"After a while, he no longer got the head rush that made vaping satisfying in the beginning; but he still kept buying nicotine." Why it's almost like an addiction or something.
"So in a last-ditch effort to see whether they can save spotted owls, federal officials are resorting to killing hundreds of federally protected barred owls." Killing Peter to save Paul.
"The PNNL team found that the origin of whiskers in a lithium metal battery lies in a structure known as the "SEI" or solid-electrolyte interphase… the scientists pinpointed a culprit in the growth process: ethylene carbonate, an indispensable solvent added to electrolyte to enhance battery performance… It turns out that ethylene carbonate leaves the battery vulnerable to damage." Just like evil, lithium batteries contain the seeds of their own destruction.
"Not long ago, United demanded a black passenger remove his official Marvel 'Black Panther' hat because it made someone uncomfortable. This weekend, United refused to even challenge a white passenger wearing a 'Rope. Tree. Journalist' shirt, no matter who it made uncomfortable." Not much else to say there. (Grokked from Annalee Flower Horne)
"That massive number is the reduction in home values caused by the 2017 tax law that capped federal deductions for state and local real estate and income taxes at $10,000 a year and also eliminated some mortgage interest deductions. The impact varies widely across different areas. Counties with high home prices and high real estate taxes and where homeowners have big mortgages are suffering the biggest hit, as you’d expect, given the larger value of the lost tax deductions. But as we’ll see, homeowners all over the country are feeling the effects." The best grifts are when the mark willingly gives you the money all while not seeing how they're being taken. (Grokked from Elizabeth Bear)
Beer run. "Four inmates who repeatedly escaped from a federal prison in Texas so they could return with whiskey and cellphones were back in custody after they were finally caught in the act, authorities said."
"A Northern California man has been arrested on suspicion of killing four people after he showed up at a police station with a body in his car."
"A US police officer who shot dead a black woman in her bedroom on Saturday has been held and charged with murder." But now he's out on bond.
How goes Brexit? "A Brexit divorce deal is still possible ahead of Thursday’s European Union summit but the British government needs to move ahead with more compromises to seal an agreement in the next few hours, the bloc said Tuesday." Anybody really expect that to happen? Anyone?
How go the Trade Wars? "The International Monetary Fund is further downgrading its outlook for the world economy, predicting that growth this year will be the weakest since the 2008 financial crisis primarily because of widening global conflicts."
"Stocks closed slightly lower on Monday as new worries around a U.S.-China trade agreement emerged." Upside down, you're turning me, you're giving love instinctively. Round and round, you're turning me…
"President Donald Trump said again on Friday that Americans need identification to buy groceries, which remains not true." Our stable genius president, everybody. (Grokked from Jim Wright)
"Days after appearing to acquiesce to a Turkish invasion of northern Syria aimed at routing Washington's Kurdish allies, the White House is officially reversing course, calling instead for a cease-fire, imposing economic sanctions and dispatching Vice President Pence to Ankara." That'll show 'em.
"Russia moved to fill the void left by the United States in northern Syria, deploying troops Tuesday to keep apart advancing Syrian government and Turkish forces. At the same time, tensions grew within NATO as Turkey defied growing condemnation from its Western allies of its invasion across the border." So let's see, ascendent Russia power and influence, bickering NATO. Why, it would almost appear to be a plan against the West. And who brought this situation about?
"President Donald Trump is making a brazen attempt to rewrite the reality of his dealings with Ukraine… He has said at least 18 times over the last 15 days that the whistleblower who lodged a highly accurate complaint about his phone call with Ukraine's President had been highly inaccurate. And over the weekend, he pushed three other fictions -- reversing the timing of two events and touting a supposed Nancy Pelosi quote there is no evidence the House speaker ever said." Our president just makes shit up so that he's the hero of the story.
"Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Florida Republican on the Judiciary Committee, said he was kicked out of this morning's deposition of Fiona Hill by House Intelligence Chair Adam Schiff. Gaetz is not on any of the three committees conducting the impeachment investigation — Intelligence, Foreign Affairs and Oversight." You might remember Gaetz, who literally ran to the White House to brief the president or his staff about the Mueller Investigation.
"National security adviser John Bolton was so alarmed by Rudy Giuliani’s back-channel activities in Ukraine that he described President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer as a “hand grenade who is going to blow everybody up,” according to a former White House aide."
"In a Saturday preview of his upcoming congressional testimony, a representative for US ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland indicated the ambassador will tell Congress the answer to the question of whether there was quid pro quo is yes — but not the one you’re thinking of. Sondland will reportedly testify that in exchange for Ukraine’s vow to investigate corruption, the administration was promising a coveted White House audience, not the release of military aid. He’s also said, however, he did not connect administration calls for new corruption investigations and Joe Biden at the time." That's still an abuse of office, although it might be harder to quantify a "White House audience" in terms of money. And the story might change by the time he testifies.
"White evangelicals have been among President Trump's most solid supporters, but younger evangelicals are more skeptical of the president heading into the 2020 election." No transcript yet, but interesting. But don't worry, it's just your bog-standard teen rebellion.
Monday, October 14, 2019
Linkee-poo, hide your wives and daughters, hide your groceries too, great nations of Europe coming through
Just as a heads up, the alligators have been nice enough to phone ahead this week. So things might be sparse here until Friday. Sorry about that, but the jobs pay the bills.
"A 1,200-year-old standing stone discovered in the Highlands has carvings never before seen on a Pictish stone, archaeologists have said… The stone was found lying in the ground and covered by vegetation at an early Christian church site near Dingwall." In case you ever want to know what turns my dials to 11, this right here is one of them. (Grokked from Dr Caitlin Green)
"The Johnstown Police Department issued a warning on their Facebook page Thursday morning after authorities said they discovered 'Nerds Rope edibles containing 400mg of THC' while fulfilling a search warrant in Stoneycreek Township. The department also recently seized 60 pounds of marijuana from the area, reports CBS Pittsburgh." Nobody is going to give away their stash, people. Hell, hardly anyone gives away full-sized candy bars. Nobody is going to spring for edibles for the little kiddies.
"Nearly half of all children who develop Type 1 diabetes don't know they have the disease until they end up in a coma in the hospital… Researchers in Virginia have set out to see if a genetic test for Type 1 diabetes can eliminate many of those emergencies." The problem is the test is not very accurate (at this time), and there are many non-genetic risk factors for diabetes. But attempting to reduce hypo and hyperglycemic emergencies is a good thing.
"The case is one of dozens of death investigations across the country, including more than two dozen in Los Angeles and San Diego counties, that The Times found were complicated or upended when transplantable body parts were taken before a coroner’s autopsy was performed." The modern resurrectionists at work. (Grokked from Laura J Mixon)
"The new law will be implemented over time and will eventually mandate middle schools to start no earlier than 8 a.m. and high schools to begin no earlier than 8:30 a.m., according to the Los Angeles Times." And yes, there is medical research that supports this decision.
"Simone Biles is the greatest gymnast of our time – or any time in history. She proved that Sunday at the World Championships, where she raked in her 24th and 25th world medals, both gold." She's so good, they're trying to keep other gymnasts from matching her moves by discounting the difficulty of those moves far below what they should.
So there was a lot of press for Eliud Kipchoge who broke the 2 hour marathon barrier, but that course was so rigged in his favor they won't award him the record. But, "Kenya's Brigid Kosgei won the Chicago Marathon on Sunday with a time of 2 hours 14 minutes 4 seconds, breaking the previous world record by 81 seconds."
"On Monday in the nation's capital, there is no Columbus Day. The D.C. Council voted to replace it with Indigenous Peoples' Day in a temporary move that it hopes to make permanent. Several other places across the United States have also made the switch in a growing movement to end the celebration of the Italian explorer in favor of honoring Indigenous communities and their resiliency in the face of violence by European explorers like Christopher Columbus." Columbus was an asshole. And, as usual, there are the bog-standard history apologists attempting to rehabilitate Columbus because he's an icon of Italian-Americans.
How goes Brexit? "Boris Johnson's government has set out 'ambitious' policies on crime, health, the environment and Brexit in a Queen's Speech that opposition parties have dismissed as an 'election manifesto'… But with the PM having no majority, many of the bills may not become law."
"A white police officer fired through the window of a black woman's home early Saturday and killed her after responding to a call that a neighbor placed about an open front door, authorities in Fort Worth, Texas, say." One, it was an open structure call, why did he have his firearm drawn? There are reports that there was a gun in the house (but no indication she was holding the gun at the time), but so far the NRA hasn't come out to defend Atatiana Jefferson had the right to own the gun and protect her house (castle laws). Odd their strange silence on that issue.
"Construction has begun on President Trump's border wall between Arizona and Mexico, and conservationists are furious. The massive barrier will skirt one of the most beloved protected areas in the Southwest — Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, recognized by the United Nations as an international biosphere reserve." And, again, it's not a new wall, it's replacing an existing barrier. And then… "The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has warned that the wall, with its bright lights, human activity and impermeable barrier, could negatively impact 23 endangered and at-risk species, including the Sonoran pronghorn antelope. And the National Park Service says construction could destroy 22 archaeological sites. Yet, for this stretch of western desert, the government has waived 41 federal environmental laws to expedite construction."
"Chinese President Xi Jinping warned on Sunday that any attempt to divide China would be crushed, as four months of anti-government protests continue in Hong Kong and the United States ramps up criticism over Beijing's treatment of Muslim-minority groups… 'Anyone attempting to split China in any part of the country will end in crushed bodies and shattered bones,' he said during a visit to Nepal on Sunday, according to China's state broadcaster CGTN." Totally not a totalitarian statement at all.
"A retired four-star Marine general on Sunday bluntly criticized President Donald Trump over the ongoing Turkish military offensive in northern Syria, saying, 'There is blood on Trump's hands for abandoning our Kurdish allies.'" And it appears that Turkey is, because we couldn't get more medieval here, using irregular shock troops to spearhead their advance. And these irregulars are committing genocide and executing prisoners and civilians. And now as a remedy Trump is enacting "severe sanctions" against Turkey, a fellow NATO member. Because all of this pays into the hands of Putin.
"Trumbull County has cut 36 voting locations since 2015, including eight this year, in an effort to save money and provide 'more specialized assistance' to those casting ballots, an elections official said… The reductions have been in larger communities as it’s easier to move those voters to a closer location, Massullo said." Uh, yeah, Bob (severe side-eye).
"Donald Trump's 2020 re-election campaign has disavowed a parody video showing the US president massacring media outlets and political rivals… The video was on display at a conference organised by American Priority, a pro-Trump group." And then shown at their conference, which was held at Trump's National Doral Miami. And now nobody seems to know who did it or why it was shown at all. It's so strange when your supporters take your word and go off-script.
"'Sadly, this is not the first time that supporters of the President have promoted violence against the media in a video they apparently find entertaining -- but it is by far and away the worst. The images depicted are vile and horrific,' CNN said in a statement Sunday night." It's just so strange his supporters keep doing these things.
"The video, which can be found on YouTube, depicts Trump inside the 'Church of Fake News,' shooting, beating and stabbing congregants with the logos of Vox, Politico, CNN and other media outlets emblazoned over their faces. He also shoots MSNBC personality Rachel Maddow and U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, the Democratic chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence."
"Hunter Biden… said through his attorney that he was stepping down from the board of a Chinese company that has been the subject of criticism from Trump and his allies. He added that he would not work for a foreign-owned company if his father is elected president in 2020." Unlike the Trump children, or, if you believe conspiracy theories, Trump himself.
"First up on Monday, Trump's former top National Security Council Russia specialist Fiona Hill is expected to give a deposition to House committees -- and could shed some light on the behind-the-scenes maneuvering between Trump, administration officials and outsiders acting on his behalf in Ukraine, including Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani."
"Moscow is not blaming U.S. President Donald Trump for failing to improve U.S.-Russian relations, a pledge he had made during his election campaign, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview with Arab broadcasters." But it's funny how much of Trump's actions have both directly and indirectly aided Russia and their ambitions.
"A 1,200-year-old standing stone discovered in the Highlands has carvings never before seen on a Pictish stone, archaeologists have said… The stone was found lying in the ground and covered by vegetation at an early Christian church site near Dingwall." In case you ever want to know what turns my dials to 11, this right here is one of them. (Grokked from Dr Caitlin Green)
"The Johnstown Police Department issued a warning on their Facebook page Thursday morning after authorities said they discovered 'Nerds Rope edibles containing 400mg of THC' while fulfilling a search warrant in Stoneycreek Township. The department also recently seized 60 pounds of marijuana from the area, reports CBS Pittsburgh." Nobody is going to give away their stash, people. Hell, hardly anyone gives away full-sized candy bars. Nobody is going to spring for edibles for the little kiddies.
"Nearly half of all children who develop Type 1 diabetes don't know they have the disease until they end up in a coma in the hospital… Researchers in Virginia have set out to see if a genetic test for Type 1 diabetes can eliminate many of those emergencies." The problem is the test is not very accurate (at this time), and there are many non-genetic risk factors for diabetes. But attempting to reduce hypo and hyperglycemic emergencies is a good thing.
"The case is one of dozens of death investigations across the country, including more than two dozen in Los Angeles and San Diego counties, that The Times found were complicated or upended when transplantable body parts were taken before a coroner’s autopsy was performed." The modern resurrectionists at work. (Grokked from Laura J Mixon)
"The new law will be implemented over time and will eventually mandate middle schools to start no earlier than 8 a.m. and high schools to begin no earlier than 8:30 a.m., according to the Los Angeles Times." And yes, there is medical research that supports this decision.
"Simone Biles is the greatest gymnast of our time – or any time in history. She proved that Sunday at the World Championships, where she raked in her 24th and 25th world medals, both gold." She's so good, they're trying to keep other gymnasts from matching her moves by discounting the difficulty of those moves far below what they should.
So there was a lot of press for Eliud Kipchoge who broke the 2 hour marathon barrier, but that course was so rigged in his favor they won't award him the record. But, "Kenya's Brigid Kosgei won the Chicago Marathon on Sunday with a time of 2 hours 14 minutes 4 seconds, breaking the previous world record by 81 seconds."
"On Monday in the nation's capital, there is no Columbus Day. The D.C. Council voted to replace it with Indigenous Peoples' Day in a temporary move that it hopes to make permanent. Several other places across the United States have also made the switch in a growing movement to end the celebration of the Italian explorer in favor of honoring Indigenous communities and their resiliency in the face of violence by European explorers like Christopher Columbus." Columbus was an asshole. And, as usual, there are the bog-standard history apologists attempting to rehabilitate Columbus because he's an icon of Italian-Americans.
How goes Brexit? "Boris Johnson's government has set out 'ambitious' policies on crime, health, the environment and Brexit in a Queen's Speech that opposition parties have dismissed as an 'election manifesto'… But with the PM having no majority, many of the bills may not become law."
"A white police officer fired through the window of a black woman's home early Saturday and killed her after responding to a call that a neighbor placed about an open front door, authorities in Fort Worth, Texas, say." One, it was an open structure call, why did he have his firearm drawn? There are reports that there was a gun in the house (but no indication she was holding the gun at the time), but so far the NRA hasn't come out to defend Atatiana Jefferson had the right to own the gun and protect her house (castle laws). Odd their strange silence on that issue.
"Construction has begun on President Trump's border wall between Arizona and Mexico, and conservationists are furious. The massive barrier will skirt one of the most beloved protected areas in the Southwest — Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, recognized by the United Nations as an international biosphere reserve." And, again, it's not a new wall, it's replacing an existing barrier. And then… "The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has warned that the wall, with its bright lights, human activity and impermeable barrier, could negatively impact 23 endangered and at-risk species, including the Sonoran pronghorn antelope. And the National Park Service says construction could destroy 22 archaeological sites. Yet, for this stretch of western desert, the government has waived 41 federal environmental laws to expedite construction."
"Chinese President Xi Jinping warned on Sunday that any attempt to divide China would be crushed, as four months of anti-government protests continue in Hong Kong and the United States ramps up criticism over Beijing's treatment of Muslim-minority groups… 'Anyone attempting to split China in any part of the country will end in crushed bodies and shattered bones,' he said during a visit to Nepal on Sunday, according to China's state broadcaster CGTN." Totally not a totalitarian statement at all.
"A retired four-star Marine general on Sunday bluntly criticized President Donald Trump over the ongoing Turkish military offensive in northern Syria, saying, 'There is blood on Trump's hands for abandoning our Kurdish allies.'" And it appears that Turkey is, because we couldn't get more medieval here, using irregular shock troops to spearhead their advance. And these irregulars are committing genocide and executing prisoners and civilians. And now as a remedy Trump is enacting "severe sanctions" against Turkey, a fellow NATO member. Because all of this pays into the hands of Putin.
"Trumbull County has cut 36 voting locations since 2015, including eight this year, in an effort to save money and provide 'more specialized assistance' to those casting ballots, an elections official said… The reductions have been in larger communities as it’s easier to move those voters to a closer location, Massullo said." Uh, yeah, Bob (severe side-eye).
"Donald Trump's 2020 re-election campaign has disavowed a parody video showing the US president massacring media outlets and political rivals… The video was on display at a conference organised by American Priority, a pro-Trump group." And then shown at their conference, which was held at Trump's National Doral Miami. And now nobody seems to know who did it or why it was shown at all. It's so strange when your supporters take your word and go off-script.
"'Sadly, this is not the first time that supporters of the President have promoted violence against the media in a video they apparently find entertaining -- but it is by far and away the worst. The images depicted are vile and horrific,' CNN said in a statement Sunday night." It's just so strange his supporters keep doing these things.
"The video, which can be found on YouTube, depicts Trump inside the 'Church of Fake News,' shooting, beating and stabbing congregants with the logos of Vox, Politico, CNN and other media outlets emblazoned over their faces. He also shoots MSNBC personality Rachel Maddow and U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, the Democratic chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence."
"Hunter Biden… said through his attorney that he was stepping down from the board of a Chinese company that has been the subject of criticism from Trump and his allies. He added that he would not work for a foreign-owned company if his father is elected president in 2020." Unlike the Trump children, or, if you believe conspiracy theories, Trump himself.
"First up on Monday, Trump's former top National Security Council Russia specialist Fiona Hill is expected to give a deposition to House committees -- and could shed some light on the behind-the-scenes maneuvering between Trump, administration officials and outsiders acting on his behalf in Ukraine, including Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani."
"Moscow is not blaming U.S. President Donald Trump for failing to improve U.S.-Russian relations, a pledge he had made during his election campaign, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview with Arab broadcasters." But it's funny how much of Trump's actions have both directly and indirectly aided Russia and their ambitions.
Sunday, October 13, 2019
Linkee-poo Weekend
The news is coming fast and thick. Turkey shelled our troops in Syria, has executed Kurd prisoners, and assassinated civilians. Yet this doesn't seem to cross Trump's red lines where he will destroy Turkey's economy. Apparently the president is pimping out our military to Saudi Arabia for the cold hard cash. And things just general swirl down the toilet of history.
The Throughline podcast with "Today the foundations of philosophy (all sciences) are seen as a straight line from Western antiquity, built on thinkers such as Plato and Aristotle. But, between the 8th century and 14th century, the West was greatly overshadowed by the Islamic world and philosophy was in very different hands. This week, how one Medieval Islamic philosopher put his pen to paper and shaped the modern world." I remember dimly references to "The Commentator" in my history classes.
"But the EPA is not moving to require that all lead service lines be proactively replaced nationwide, as some environmental advocates had suggested. The new regulations propose that water systems must replace agency-owned portions of a lead service line only when a customer chooses to replace their own portion." So, basically, other than increased testing, there's not much here.
"A federal judge in New York has issued a temporary injunction against the Trump administration's 'public charge' rule, preventing the rule from taking effect on Oct. 15."
"A former Deutsche Bank executive who reviewed President Donald Trump's tax returns reportedly said it is 'not normal' that the institution no longer holds copies of those records." Destruction of evidence does not look good. (Grokked from Chuck Wendig)
"But the alliance was on shaky ground. In the months leading up to the call, Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani pressed Ukrainian officials to launch investigations that stood to benefit the president politically. Trump was also withholding the White House meeting Zelenskiy coveted, in addition to military aid that was already approved by Congress." How we got here. (Grokked from Laura J Mixon)
"Trump's first visit to Soviet Moscow in 1987 looks, with hindsight, to be part of a pattern. The dossier by the former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele asserts that the Kremlin had been cultivating Trump for 'at least five years' before his stunning victory in the 2016 US presidential election. This would take us back to around 2011 or 2012." A little light history of Cold War cloak and dagger. (Grokked from Kathryn Cramer)
"There were dozens of ears listening to President Donald Trump’s 30-minute phone call with the leader of Ukraine that is at the center of a House impeachment inquiry , and as many eyes that saw what he said." An anatomy of how phone calls are handled in the White House. Including a line about how Trump,"Occasionally, while on the phone with foreign heads of state, Trump has handed the receiver to his daughter, Ivanka Trump, so she can talk with the leader, according to this individual." WTF?! (Grokked from Chuck Wendig)
The Throughline podcast with "Today the foundations of philosophy (all sciences) are seen as a straight line from Western antiquity, built on thinkers such as Plato and Aristotle. But, between the 8th century and 14th century, the West was greatly overshadowed by the Islamic world and philosophy was in very different hands. This week, how one Medieval Islamic philosopher put his pen to paper and shaped the modern world." I remember dimly references to "The Commentator" in my history classes.
"But the EPA is not moving to require that all lead service lines be proactively replaced nationwide, as some environmental advocates had suggested. The new regulations propose that water systems must replace agency-owned portions of a lead service line only when a customer chooses to replace their own portion." So, basically, other than increased testing, there's not much here.
"A federal judge in New York has issued a temporary injunction against the Trump administration's 'public charge' rule, preventing the rule from taking effect on Oct. 15."
"A former Deutsche Bank executive who reviewed President Donald Trump's tax returns reportedly said it is 'not normal' that the institution no longer holds copies of those records." Destruction of evidence does not look good. (Grokked from Chuck Wendig)
"But the alliance was on shaky ground. In the months leading up to the call, Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani pressed Ukrainian officials to launch investigations that stood to benefit the president politically. Trump was also withholding the White House meeting Zelenskiy coveted, in addition to military aid that was already approved by Congress." How we got here. (Grokked from Laura J Mixon)
"Trump's first visit to Soviet Moscow in 1987 looks, with hindsight, to be part of a pattern. The dossier by the former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele asserts that the Kremlin had been cultivating Trump for 'at least five years' before his stunning victory in the 2016 US presidential election. This would take us back to around 2011 or 2012." A little light history of Cold War cloak and dagger. (Grokked from Kathryn Cramer)
"There were dozens of ears listening to President Donald Trump’s 30-minute phone call with the leader of Ukraine that is at the center of a House impeachment inquiry , and as many eyes that saw what he said." An anatomy of how phone calls are handled in the White House. Including a line about how Trump,"Occasionally, while on the phone with foreign heads of state, Trump has handed the receiver to his daughter, Ivanka Trump, so she can talk with the leader, according to this individual." WTF?! (Grokked from Chuck Wendig)
Friday, October 11, 2019
Linkee-poo for Friday
"In an unusual move, the Swedish Academy doled out Nobel Prizes in literature to two authors on Thursday: Polish writer Olga Tokarczuk, who won the postponed 2018 award, and Austrian author Peter Handke, who won the prize for this year. The academy's permanent secretary, Mats Malm, announced the winners at a press briefing in Stockholm." As usual, there is some controversy.
"Using 10 years of data from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, the team of astronomers concluded that there is more gas coming into our galaxy than leaving it. Rather than an equilibrium of gas entering and escaping, there is a significant imbalance, though the team behind this finding has not yet found the source for this gaseous disparity." It's the beans.
"A refrigerator-sized satellite soared into orbit aboard an air-launched Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket Thursday night over the Atlantic Ocean, finally setting off on a $252 million mission to probe the dynamic boundary region where space and Earth’s atmosphere meet." And a description of a space shot from a rocket dropped from an airplane.
"NASA astronomers have used data from the Voyager probes to measure the bustle of particles rippling at the very edge of our Solar System, and discovered the pressure in the distant borderlands of our star is higher than they expected." Go go Voyagers.
Banning drive-thru windows. "But such legislation is also sometimes promoted as an opportunity to create healthier food environments and curb obesity. In a study analyzing drive-through bans in 27 Canadian cities, researchers noted, 'health promotion and chronic disease prevention are public health gains from the implementation of fast food drive-through service bylaws.'"
"Beyond that, though, 'the key difference I think of in terms of costs and risks are that the traditional company pension, the [defined benefit], place a lot of cost and risk on the employer and the 401(k) style defined contribution transfers the cost and risk to the employee,' Brooks said."
"There are allegations that the psychiatric unit staff at Monmouth Medical Center falsified medical records and gave patients Benadryl to make them fall asleep to create less work… The whistleblowing nurse is now suing, claiming she was punished for raising these issues. Plaintiff Patricia Moran had worked at the hospital for 31 years, and according to her attorney, was considered a model employee until she complained."
How go the Trade Wars? "A Chinese state newspaper said on Friday that a “partial” trade deal would benefit China and the United States, and Washington should take the offer on the table, reflecting Beijing’s aim of cooling the row before more U.S. tariffs kick in." Up again, down again. Man I'm getting sick of this roller-coaster. Hows abouts you?
"In the industrial city of Dongguan, China, the effects of the trade war on the Chinese economy are measured in idled machinery and empty bar stools." The trade war is just exacerbating the issues and accelerating the trend of moving to cheaper markets.
And what comes as a surprise to no one… "A shooting at a synagogue in the German city of Halle on Wednesday was a far-right terror attack, said Justice Minister Christine Lambrecht… Alleged perpetrator Stephan Balliet had four kilos (9lb) of explosives in his car, Ms Lambrecht said in a statement with attorney-general Peter Frank."
"An oil tanker belonging to the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) was hit and damaged by two missiles on Friday, Iranian state news IRNA reported." Proportional response?
"So the administration tried something different: It is restricting who can apply for the diversity visa, in a way that advocates say will make it much harder for low-income immigrants to apply." Because the goal of conservatives isn't to end immigration, but stop immigration of POC and those who aren't "Christian." To cover for and enact that change, they're limiting overall immigration and attempting to rewrite the rules (again) to favor WASPs.
"The growing divide between President Trump and many of his fellow Republicans over his decision to move U.S. troops in Syria out of the way of a Turkish incursion threatens his delicate alliance with the congressional GOP at a time when he needs their support more than ever, party strategists say." Don't worry, they'll get over their "concerns" when it comes time to vote. They always do.
"The debate over Facebook's decision to allow President Trump's reelection campaign to pay to run false ads on its platform encapsulates the awkward moral, social and civil questions that have dogged the company since 2016." Social media is not your friend.
"Two associates of Rudy Giuliani connected to efforts to dig up dirt in Ukraine on Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden have been arrested and indicted on criminal charges for allegedly funneling foreign money into US elections… The charges against the men suggest Giuliani's push on Ukraine and President Donald Trump's receptiveness to it had ties to an illegal effort to influence US politics and policy using foreign funds. The indictment involves two people central to the impeachment inquiry in the House." So besides the outright bribery/quid-pro-quo deals here, the is also the money laundering of a foreign national's money into the election fundraising. Guess which country that foreign national is from. Aw, it's no fun unless you guess.
"As we spoke, I could hear a voice that resembled Giuliani’s shout 'asshole' in the background. 'Oh, sorry,' the woman told me. 'He was talking to the TV.'"
"Over the course of about a week in Ukraine, the message from two dozen government officials and anti-corruption investigators quickly became clear: The allegations against the Bidens are entirely lacking in evidence… But they persist, and not only because Trump and his personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, keep repeating them."
"President Trump pressured then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to help convince the Department of Justice (DOJ) to drop a criminal investigation against an Iranian-Turkish gold trader who was also a client of Trump's current personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, Bloomberg reports… Tillerson refused Trump's 2017 request, saying it would be illegal to interfere with an ongoing investigation. He repeated his stance to then-chief of staff John Kelly in a hallway conversation in the White House." Oh what wicked webs we weave…
Tweet of my heart: @samstein So the guys Rudy turned to to root out corruption were…. corrupt. (Grokked from Kathryn Cramer)
"Using 10 years of data from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, the team of astronomers concluded that there is more gas coming into our galaxy than leaving it. Rather than an equilibrium of gas entering and escaping, there is a significant imbalance, though the team behind this finding has not yet found the source for this gaseous disparity." It's the beans.
"A refrigerator-sized satellite soared into orbit aboard an air-launched Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket Thursday night over the Atlantic Ocean, finally setting off on a $252 million mission to probe the dynamic boundary region where space and Earth’s atmosphere meet." And a description of a space shot from a rocket dropped from an airplane.
"NASA astronomers have used data from the Voyager probes to measure the bustle of particles rippling at the very edge of our Solar System, and discovered the pressure in the distant borderlands of our star is higher than they expected." Go go Voyagers.
Banning drive-thru windows. "But such legislation is also sometimes promoted as an opportunity to create healthier food environments and curb obesity. In a study analyzing drive-through bans in 27 Canadian cities, researchers noted, 'health promotion and chronic disease prevention are public health gains from the implementation of fast food drive-through service bylaws.'"
"Beyond that, though, 'the key difference I think of in terms of costs and risks are that the traditional company pension, the [defined benefit], place a lot of cost and risk on the employer and the 401(k) style defined contribution transfers the cost and risk to the employee,' Brooks said."
"There are allegations that the psychiatric unit staff at Monmouth Medical Center falsified medical records and gave patients Benadryl to make them fall asleep to create less work… The whistleblowing nurse is now suing, claiming she was punished for raising these issues. Plaintiff Patricia Moran had worked at the hospital for 31 years, and according to her attorney, was considered a model employee until she complained."
How go the Trade Wars? "A Chinese state newspaper said on Friday that a “partial” trade deal would benefit China and the United States, and Washington should take the offer on the table, reflecting Beijing’s aim of cooling the row before more U.S. tariffs kick in." Up again, down again. Man I'm getting sick of this roller-coaster. Hows abouts you?
"In the industrial city of Dongguan, China, the effects of the trade war on the Chinese economy are measured in idled machinery and empty bar stools." The trade war is just exacerbating the issues and accelerating the trend of moving to cheaper markets.
And what comes as a surprise to no one… "A shooting at a synagogue in the German city of Halle on Wednesday was a far-right terror attack, said Justice Minister Christine Lambrecht… Alleged perpetrator Stephan Balliet had four kilos (9lb) of explosives in his car, Ms Lambrecht said in a statement with attorney-general Peter Frank."
"An oil tanker belonging to the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) was hit and damaged by two missiles on Friday, Iranian state news IRNA reported." Proportional response?
"So the administration tried something different: It is restricting who can apply for the diversity visa, in a way that advocates say will make it much harder for low-income immigrants to apply." Because the goal of conservatives isn't to end immigration, but stop immigration of POC and those who aren't "Christian." To cover for and enact that change, they're limiting overall immigration and attempting to rewrite the rules (again) to favor WASPs.
"The growing divide between President Trump and many of his fellow Republicans over his decision to move U.S. troops in Syria out of the way of a Turkish incursion threatens his delicate alliance with the congressional GOP at a time when he needs their support more than ever, party strategists say." Don't worry, they'll get over their "concerns" when it comes time to vote. They always do.
"The debate over Facebook's decision to allow President Trump's reelection campaign to pay to run false ads on its platform encapsulates the awkward moral, social and civil questions that have dogged the company since 2016." Social media is not your friend.
"Two associates of Rudy Giuliani connected to efforts to dig up dirt in Ukraine on Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden have been arrested and indicted on criminal charges for allegedly funneling foreign money into US elections… The charges against the men suggest Giuliani's push on Ukraine and President Donald Trump's receptiveness to it had ties to an illegal effort to influence US politics and policy using foreign funds. The indictment involves two people central to the impeachment inquiry in the House." So besides the outright bribery/quid-pro-quo deals here, the is also the money laundering of a foreign national's money into the election fundraising. Guess which country that foreign national is from. Aw, it's no fun unless you guess.
"As we spoke, I could hear a voice that resembled Giuliani’s shout 'asshole' in the background. 'Oh, sorry,' the woman told me. 'He was talking to the TV.'"
"Over the course of about a week in Ukraine, the message from two dozen government officials and anti-corruption investigators quickly became clear: The allegations against the Bidens are entirely lacking in evidence… But they persist, and not only because Trump and his personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, keep repeating them."
"President Trump pressured then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to help convince the Department of Justice (DOJ) to drop a criminal investigation against an Iranian-Turkish gold trader who was also a client of Trump's current personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, Bloomberg reports… Tillerson refused Trump's 2017 request, saying it would be illegal to interfere with an ongoing investigation. He repeated his stance to then-chief of staff John Kelly in a hallway conversation in the White House." Oh what wicked webs we weave…
Tweet of my heart: @samstein So the guys Rudy turned to to root out corruption were…. corrupt. (Grokked from Kathryn Cramer)
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