https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/05/08/coronavirus-top-white-house-officials-buried-cdc-report/3100903001/
Jason Dearen
Associated Press
May 8, 2020
The decision to shelve detailed advice from the nation’s top disease control experts for reopening communities during the coronavirus pandemic came from the highest levels of the White House, according to internal government emails obtained by The Associated Press.
The files also show that after the AP reported Thursday that the guidance document had been buried, the Trump administration ordered key parts of it to be fast-tracked for approval.
The trove of emails show the nation’s top public health experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spending weeks working on guidance to help the country deal with a public health emergency, only to see their work quashed by political appointees with little explanation.
•••••
White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany said Friday that the documents had not been approved by CDC Director Robert Redfield. The new emails, however, show that Redfield cleared the guidance.
•••••
Friday, May 08, 2020
Roy Horn of Siegfried & Roy Dies of Coronavirus at 75
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/roy-horn-siegfried-roy-dies-012700645.html
Pat Saperstein
VarietyMay 8, 2020
Roy Uwe Ludwig Horn, whose collaboration with Siegfried Fischbacher created the well-known animal training and magic duo Siegfried & Roy, died of complications from COVID-19 Friday in Las Vegas. He was 75.
Horn had revealed on April 28 that he had tested positive for coronavirus.
•••••
Pat Saperstein
VarietyMay 8, 2020
Roy Uwe Ludwig Horn, whose collaboration with Siegfried Fischbacher created the well-known animal training and magic duo Siegfried & Roy, died of complications from COVID-19 Friday in Las Vegas. He was 75.
Horn had revealed on April 28 that he had tested positive for coronavirus.
•••••
Bill Gates Is Now A Target Of COVID-19 Coronavirus Conspiracy Theories
https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2020/04/19/bill-gates-is-now-a-target-of-covid-19-coronavirus-conspiracy-theories/#17174cb46227
Evidently the Trump machine doesn't like evidence that Trump should have been aware of the possibility of a pandemic, and shouldn't have rolled back efforts to be prepared for one.
Bruce Y. Lee
Apr 19, 2020,02:29pm EDT
What do you get after trying to prepare people for an infectious disease pandemic? How about being accused of causing a pandemic when it actually occurs?
Over the past decade, Bill Gates has been warning about the lack of preparation and systems in place to deal with infectious disease threats that could lead to a pandemic. Two years ago, I covered for Forbes some of these warnings. Now that the world is actually in the midst of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, take a wild guess as to whom some conspiracy theorists are now blaming for the pandemic?
•••••
Yet, now conspiracy theorists are claiming that Gates somehow created this pandemic. Isn’t this like blaming someone for causing a heart attack after he or she has warned you for years about such a possibility?
•••••
Evidence that Vitamin D Supplementation Could Reduce Risk of Influenza and COVID-19 Infections and Deaths.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32252338
The right amount of vitamin D will depend on the person. The amount mentioned here is too much for me, makes me feel yucky. Too much vitamin D is toxic. So pay attention to your body.
The world is in the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic. Public health measures that can reduce the risk of infection and death in addition to quarantines are desperately needed. This article reviews the roles of vitamin D in reducing the risk of respiratory tract infections, knowledge about the epidemiology of influenza and COVID-19, and how vitamin D supplementation might be a useful measure to reduce risk.
•••••
Several observational studies and clinical trials reported that vitamin D supplementation reduced the risk of influenza, whereas others did not.
•••••
To reduce the risk of infection, it is recommended that people at risk of influenza and/or COVID-19 consider taking 10,000 IU/d of vitamin D3 for a few weeks to rapidly raise 25(OH)D concentrations, followed by 5000 IU/d. The goal should be to raise 25(OH)D concentrations above 40-60 ng/mL (100-150 nmol/L). For treatment of people who become infected with COVID-19, higher vitamin D3 doses might be useful. Randomized controlled trials and large population studies should be conducted to evaluate these recommendations.
Net zero emissions target in peril as tropical forests absorb less CO2
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2236228-net-zero-emissions-target-in-peril-as-tropical-forests-absorb-less-co2/
By Adam Vaughan
4 March 2020
Scientists have warned that the world will have to reduce carbon emissions to net zero before 2050, after they discovered that tropical forests are losing their ability to remove CO2 from the atmosphere.
Climate change models predict that forests in Africa and the Amazon will act as a sink for carbon emissions well into the second half of this century, but now Simon Lewis at the University of Leeds, UK, and his colleagues have found that the Amazon could flip into a net emitter of carbon in as little as 15 years.
“It’s grim, so grim. It’s the most worrying paper I’ve written,” says Lewis.
•••••
In recent years, there have been growing calls to cut global emissions to net zero by 2050 to avoid temperature rises of more than 1.5°C. But this deadline is based on climate models that assume tropical forests will remain a carbon sink in the second half of this century. As that no longer seems likely, Lewis says we will “need faster and greater cuts to get to net zero” sooner than 2050.
Stopping deforestation, which has exploded to a 10-year high in Brazil, will also be key, because disrupted forests are more likely to dry out and release CO2.
•••••
By Adam Vaughan
4 March 2020
Scientists have warned that the world will have to reduce carbon emissions to net zero before 2050, after they discovered that tropical forests are losing their ability to remove CO2 from the atmosphere.
Climate change models predict that forests in Africa and the Amazon will act as a sink for carbon emissions well into the second half of this century, but now Simon Lewis at the University of Leeds, UK, and his colleagues have found that the Amazon could flip into a net emitter of carbon in as little as 15 years.
“It’s grim, so grim. It’s the most worrying paper I’ve written,” says Lewis.
•••••
In recent years, there have been growing calls to cut global emissions to net zero by 2050 to avoid temperature rises of more than 1.5°C. But this deadline is based on climate models that assume tropical forests will remain a carbon sink in the second half of this century. As that no longer seems likely, Lewis says we will “need faster and greater cuts to get to net zero” sooner than 2050.
Stopping deforestation, which has exploded to a 10-year high in Brazil, will also be key, because disrupted forests are more likely to dry out and release CO2.
•••••
Study Finds More COVID-19 Cases Among Viewers Of Fox News Host Who Downplayed Pandemic
https://www.npr.org/local/309/2020/05/04/849109486/study-finds-more-c-o-v-i-d-19-cases-among-viewers-of-fox-news-host-who-downplayed-pandemic?fbclid=IwAR03RRR6rDTUVjWTMKLyOoiS0UgEJbT44ISj324wXmJ20PD3vp9mUG9RyDQ
Natalie Moore
May 4, 2020
An April study about the effects of coronavirus media coverage analyzed two popular Fox News cable programs — and claims how one host talked about the threat of the coronavirus resulted in greater numbers of COVID-19 cases and deaths.
Researchers at the Becker Friedman Institute for Economics at University of Chicago took a deep dive into those implications in the working paper "Misinformation During a Pandemic," in which they examined the audience that watched Hannity versus Tucker Carlson Tonight.
•••••
The economists examined scripts from shows and studied how differential exposure to the two shows affected behavior and health outcomes. Conservative hosts Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson support President Donald Trump, and they are at the helm of the two, most-widely viewed cable news shows in the U.S. But they took different broadcasting paths when the coronavirus first hit the U.S.
The paper notes that Carlson was an outlier on Fox and, as early as Jan. 28, spent a chunk of his show discussing the dangers of a global pandemic. He continued to warn of deadly consequences.
•••••
Meanwhile, Hannity downplayed coronavirus as just the flu and emphasized that Democrats were politicizing the virus to undermine Trump.
•••••
By mid-March the host changed his posture and began to broadcast CDC guidelines, according to the paper. "If you feel sick, stay at home. If your kids feel sick, don't send them to school or day care. If someone in your household has tested positive for coronavirus, please self-quarantine your entire household. Keep them at home," Hannity told his viewers.
To examine the relationship between viewership of Hannity and Tucker Carlson Tonight and their changes in behavior in response to the coronavirus — washing hands more often, practicing social distancing and cancelling travel plans — the authors surveyed 1,045 Fox News viewers aged 55 or older in early April 2020.
The paper says viewership of Hannity relative to Carlson is associated with approximately 30% more COVID-19 cases by March 14, and 21% more COVID-19 deaths by March 28.
"In line with the differences in content, we find that Hannity's viewers on average changed their behavior in response to the coronavirus five days later than other Fox News viewers, while Carlson's viewers changed behavior three days earlier than other Fox News viewers," the authors wrote.
The paper says it is possible that these effects will fade over time. And it acknowledges that the findings cannot yet speak to long-term effects. However, it shows how misinformation in the early stages of a pandemic can have important consequences for how a disease ultimately affects the population.
•••••
Natalie Moore
May 4, 2020
An April study about the effects of coronavirus media coverage analyzed two popular Fox News cable programs — and claims how one host talked about the threat of the coronavirus resulted in greater numbers of COVID-19 cases and deaths.
Researchers at the Becker Friedman Institute for Economics at University of Chicago took a deep dive into those implications in the working paper "Misinformation During a Pandemic," in which they examined the audience that watched Hannity versus Tucker Carlson Tonight.
•••••
The economists examined scripts from shows and studied how differential exposure to the two shows affected behavior and health outcomes. Conservative hosts Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson support President Donald Trump, and they are at the helm of the two, most-widely viewed cable news shows in the U.S. But they took different broadcasting paths when the coronavirus first hit the U.S.
The paper notes that Carlson was an outlier on Fox and, as early as Jan. 28, spent a chunk of his show discussing the dangers of a global pandemic. He continued to warn of deadly consequences.
•••••
Meanwhile, Hannity downplayed coronavirus as just the flu and emphasized that Democrats were politicizing the virus to undermine Trump.
•••••
By mid-March the host changed his posture and began to broadcast CDC guidelines, according to the paper. "If you feel sick, stay at home. If your kids feel sick, don't send them to school or day care. If someone in your household has tested positive for coronavirus, please self-quarantine your entire household. Keep them at home," Hannity told his viewers.
To examine the relationship between viewership of Hannity and Tucker Carlson Tonight and their changes in behavior in response to the coronavirus — washing hands more often, practicing social distancing and cancelling travel plans — the authors surveyed 1,045 Fox News viewers aged 55 or older in early April 2020.
The paper says viewership of Hannity relative to Carlson is associated with approximately 30% more COVID-19 cases by March 14, and 21% more COVID-19 deaths by March 28.
"In line with the differences in content, we find that Hannity's viewers on average changed their behavior in response to the coronavirus five days later than other Fox News viewers, while Carlson's viewers changed behavior three days earlier than other Fox News viewers," the authors wrote.
The paper says it is possible that these effects will fade over time. And it acknowledges that the findings cannot yet speak to long-term effects. However, it shows how misinformation in the early stages of a pandemic can have important consequences for how a disease ultimately affects the population.
•••••
She Said Anthony Fauci Sexually Assaulted Her. Now She Says Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman Paid Her to Lie.
https://reason.com/2020/05/07/she-said-anthony-fauci-sexually-assaulted-her-now-she-says-jacob-wohl-and-jack-burkman-paid-her-to-lie/?amp&__twitter_impression=true&fbclid=IwAR3vA6DW2fSRPNykWO0CJ7QmLxFypzJYwZfnSQ8fb1fTckQEa_SfxXYoh3k
I suggest reading the whole article. Interesting.
Nancy Rommelmann | 5.7.2020 11:00 AM
'd just finished Saturday morning's second cup of coffee when an email popped through, subject line: "Exposing Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman."
"Hi Nancy, I hope you are having a nice weekend. I feel very bad about lying to you and others about Dr. Fauci. I took it upon myself to call Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman and record them (see attached)… Many thanks and again, I feel very bad about all this. I apologize to you, the other reporters and Dr. Fauci."
The writer of the email identified herself as Diana Andrade. I had never before emailed with Andrade, but had spoken with her 10 days earlier, when I knew her as "Diana Rodriguez." At that time, Rodriguez alleged that when she was 20 years old, in 2014, she'd been sexually assaulted by Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and one of the most visible faces in the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For those lucky enough to be unfamiliar with the exploits of Wohl and Burkman, they are pro-Trump provocateurs who've found a niche drumming up fake sexual harassment allegations that end comically badly, including against former FBI Director Robert Mueller (who turned out to have been serving jury duty the day he was supposed to have committed the assault) and Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren (the press conference for which took place on Burkman's stoop, and whose supposed victim was a 24-year-old Marine).
•••••
With the exception of The Daily Dot, which covered the claim only to debunk it, no outlet touched the story. There was no there there, and while it might've been instructive to show readers how the rancid sausage is made, did we want to give these charlatans more sunshine, especially in light of Fauci leading the battle against a deadly pandemic?
And that would have been that—until Saturday's email, which included Andrade telling me, "The reality is that I've known Jacob since 2018 and that he charmed me into taking money to do this (see attached picture of us together)," taken when they were romantically involved. Also, that Wohl and Burkman "had me do something like this…back in January."
"And I understand they're trying to get another girl to do it, too," she writes. "They asked me if I knew anyone to do it."
Andrade was correct. The day before, I'd received another press release, this time from Burkman, citing a new accusation by "Karen Draper," a "former assistant" of Fauci—a person and claim almost certainly as vaporous as the last. Why did they keep trying the same scam when they were clearly so bad at it?
"They are interested in one thing: power," Andrade writes.
•••••
It's possible that a White House–connected lawyer might have hand-delivered five figures in cash to Andrade in Los Angeles. It's also possible Wohl made up the whole thing. But she says she did get the money, and Wohl and Burkman are clearly eager to imply that they are intimate with Team Trump.
The cloaks and daggers might have been discomfiting, but ultimately were a distraction from what Andrade wanted on tape. She proposes she give back the cash and instead receive a wire transfer (thus creating a trace), a proposition Burkman shoots down. ("Cash is best," he tells her. "We don't want any records of this nonsense.") She wants the men to admit they are trying to bring down a person who in no part deserves it.
•••••
But there was one thing she did wonder, in light of his attempts to bring down Mueller and Fauci.
"I don't understand," she says, "how he doesn't get in trouble."
•••••
Thursday, May 07, 2020
Global Big Birding Day—9 May 2020
https://ebird.org/news/global-big-day-9-may-2020
By Team eBird May 1, 2020
On 9 May, birding’s biggest day is back!
Global Big Day is an annual celebration of the birds around you, and this year is no different. While not everyone may be able to leave home to bird this year, Global Big Day is still an opportunity to check in with the birds in and around where you live. Join us on 9 May and be a part of a global birding community by sharing what birds you see around you with eBird.
Participating is easy. Wherever you are, you can be a part of the global community of birders on 9 May. Please remember to always put safety first and follow all local safety guidelines and closures. You can enjoy birds from inside your home and still be part of Global Big Day.
If you can spare at least 5 or 10 minutes, report your observations to eBird online or with our free eBird Mobile app. If you have more time, submit checklists of birds throughout the day at different times. Can you find more birds in the morning, or the evening? You never know what you might spot. Your observations help us better understand global bird populations through products like these animated abundance maps brought to you by eBird Science.
This year, Global Big Day will focus on the number of checklists we can collect as a global team. Last year, 35,209 eBirders from 174 countries collected an astounding 92,284 checklists in a single day. Will you join us on Global Big Day to make 2020 the year that we surpass 100,000 checklists of birds in one day? Help us set a new checklist record!
How to participate
•••••
By Team eBird May 1, 2020
On 9 May, birding’s biggest day is back!
Global Big Day is an annual celebration of the birds around you, and this year is no different. While not everyone may be able to leave home to bird this year, Global Big Day is still an opportunity to check in with the birds in and around where you live. Join us on 9 May and be a part of a global birding community by sharing what birds you see around you with eBird.
Participating is easy. Wherever you are, you can be a part of the global community of birders on 9 May. Please remember to always put safety first and follow all local safety guidelines and closures. You can enjoy birds from inside your home and still be part of Global Big Day.
If you can spare at least 5 or 10 minutes, report your observations to eBird online or with our free eBird Mobile app. If you have more time, submit checklists of birds throughout the day at different times. Can you find more birds in the morning, or the evening? You never know what you might spot. Your observations help us better understand global bird populations through products like these animated abundance maps brought to you by eBird Science.
This year, Global Big Day will focus on the number of checklists we can collect as a global team. Last year, 35,209 eBirders from 174 countries collected an astounding 92,284 checklists in a single day. Will you join us on Global Big Day to make 2020 the year that we surpass 100,000 checklists of birds in one day? Help us set a new checklist record!
How to participate
•••••
When coal plants decrease pollution or shut down, people have fewer asthma attacks
https://www.dailyclimate.org/asthma-coal-fired-power-plant-2645716087.html?fbclid=IwAR1jmUMyRZjncF_HU5YgafEBSt1XCNkiD4YIuxbcHynKHSn2I3qtWe8XP7Y
Kristina Marusic
Apr 15, 2020
Asthma attacks decreased significantly among residents near coal-fired power plants after the plants shut down or upgraded their emission controls, according to a new study.
Coal-fired power plants emit air pollution that includes mercury, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter. Living near coal-fired power plants is linked to higher rates of respiratory and cardiovascular disease, and cancer, and premature death.
According to a study published this week in the journal Nature Energy, when those plants shut down or upgrade their emissions controls, rescue inhaler use, emergency room visits and hospitalizations for asthma all decrease among nearby residents. The study is the first to show decreased inhaler use following a reduction in pollution from coal plants, and builds on previous evidence that living near these facilities leads to increased asthma exacerbations.
•••••
In the months following scrubber installation, Casey and her colleagues saw an average reduction of inhaler use of about 17 percent, with continued declining use after that.
•••••
In 2014, coal-fired power plants accounted for 63 percent of sulfur dioxide emissions in the nation. The 2012 federal Mercury and Air Toxics (MATS) rule required all coal-fired plants to install scrubbers that reduce toxics like mercury and sulfur dioxide in emissions by 2015 (or 2016 if they got a special extension). During 2015, plants that had recently installed this equipment reduced their sulfur dioxide emissions by 49 percent.
•••••
Kristina Marusic
Apr 15, 2020
Asthma attacks decreased significantly among residents near coal-fired power plants after the plants shut down or upgraded their emission controls, according to a new study.
Coal-fired power plants emit air pollution that includes mercury, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter. Living near coal-fired power plants is linked to higher rates of respiratory and cardiovascular disease, and cancer, and premature death.
According to a study published this week in the journal Nature Energy, when those plants shut down or upgrade their emissions controls, rescue inhaler use, emergency room visits and hospitalizations for asthma all decrease among nearby residents. The study is the first to show decreased inhaler use following a reduction in pollution from coal plants, and builds on previous evidence that living near these facilities leads to increased asthma exacerbations.
•••••
In the months following scrubber installation, Casey and her colleagues saw an average reduction of inhaler use of about 17 percent, with continued declining use after that.
•••••
In 2014, coal-fired power plants accounted for 63 percent of sulfur dioxide emissions in the nation. The 2012 federal Mercury and Air Toxics (MATS) rule required all coal-fired plants to install scrubbers that reduce toxics like mercury and sulfur dioxide in emissions by 2015 (or 2016 if they got a special extension). During 2015, plants that had recently installed this equipment reduced their sulfur dioxide emissions by 49 percent.
•••••
GOP memo urges anti-China assault over coronavirus
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/24/gop-memo-anti-china-coronavirus-207244
Update May 5, 2020: I've been seeing news reports and Facebook shares where Trump and Pompeo are getting into this.
I have seen Facebook posts from Trump fans which obviously were created from this.
By ALEX ISENSTADT
04/24/2020 04:41 PM EDT
The National Republican Senatorial Committee has sent campaigns a detailed, 57-page memo authored by a top Republican strategist advising GOP candidates to address the coronavirus crisis by aggressively attacking China.
The memo includes advice on everything from how to tie Democratic candidates to the Chinese government to how to deal with accusations of racism. It stresses three main lines of assault: That China caused the virus “by covering it up,” that Democrats are “soft on China,” and that Republicans will “push for sanctions on China for its role in spreading this pandemic.”
•••••
The document urges candidates to stay relentlessly on message against the country when responding to any questions about the virus. When asked whether the spread of the coronavirus is Trump’s fault, candidates are advised to respond by pivoting to China.
“Don’t defend Trump, other than the China Travel Ban — attack China,” the memo states.
Republicans have indicated they plan to make China a centerpiece of the 2020 campaign. Trump’s reelection campaign recently released a web video painting Joe Biden as cozy with the authoritarian country. The pro-Trump super PAC America First Action has launched several TV commercials tying Biden to China.
•••••
The GOP’s planned China-focused assault, however, is complicated by Trump’s occasional praise for President Xi Jinping. The liberal organization American Bridge recently launched a commercial which plays a clip of the president praising Xi and declares that Trump “gave China his trust.”
Heat, Drought, and Fire Striking Early in Asia
https://www.wunderground.com/cat6/heat-drought-and-fire-striking-early-in-asia?cm_ven=hp-slot-2
Bob Henson · May 6, 2020, 1:41 PM EDT
The warmest winter on record across much of Eurasia has paved the way for spring extremes that are devouring landscapes and rewriting record books. The final week of April pushed summerlike heat up to latitudes further north than Minnesota, and wildfires are off to a destructive start in Siberia, while severe drought in Southeast Asia has led to Earth’s first billion-dollar drought disaster of 2020.
“It’s a monstrously big and very hot air mass for April,” said international weather records researcher Maximiliano Herrera of the late-April heat wave in northern Asia.
•••••
Here’s one example: The town of Boguchany—a Siberian village of about 11,000 people at 58.4°N, or about the same latitude as Churchill, Canada, the “polar bear capital of the world”—soared to 31.0°C (87.8°F) on April 25. This didn’t just edge past the town’s previous monthly record of 25.1°C (77.2°F) from April 23, 2011. It smashed it by close to 6°C (11°F).
The new record also tops Boguchany’s normal daily high in July (25.8°C or 78.4°F) by a wide margin.
•••••
Many other Siberian villages saw their hottest April weather on record. In fact, the 32.1°C (89.8°F) notched at Sukhobuzimskoye (latitude 56.5°N) on April 25 is the warmest reading ever confirmed anywhere in the vastness of Asian Russia north of 55°N—an area larger than the entire United States.
•••••
Even in these extreme desert climates, such temperatures are more on par with normal readings in July. Many other Chinese towns and cities set all-time April heat records, according to Etienne Kapikian (Meteo-France).
•••••
Most of 2020 has been unusually warm across Russia, and the parched landscape has been ripe for early-season wildfire throughout much of southern Siberia. The Krasnoyarsk region, which includes Boguchany, was seeing ten times the wildfire extent by late April this year compared to last year, according to Russian emergencies minister Evgeny Zinichev as quoted in the Siberian Times. For the nation as a whole, fire outbreaks were running about 60% ahead of last year, and the acreage burned was about 25% ahead of 2019 levels.
“A critical situation with fires has developed in Siberia and the Far East,” warned Zinichev. “A less snowy winter, an abnormal winter, and insufficient soil moisture are factors that create the conditions for the transition of landscape fires to settlements.”
While some of the fires are agriculture-related, others are apparently coronavirus-related. Many Russians chose to escape urban apartments and quarantine themselves in the countryside, said Sergei Anoprienko, head of Russia’s forest agency Rosleskhoz. “People self-isolated outdoors and forgot about fire safety rules,” he told the Siberian Times. “In some regions, the temperature is already around 30°C, and people just can’t keep themselves in their apartments.
“People rushed outdoors, and as a result we have a surge of thermal points.”
•••••
“The intense heat of 2020 has been accompanied by severe lack of rainfall across parts of Southeast Asia, with severe drought conditions developing in multiple countries. Among the hardest-hit nations have been Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam. The government of Thailand has declared a state emergency due to drought-related saltwater intrusions into the aquifers, and the Bank of Ayudhya's Krungsri Research projected that the 2020 dry season could cost the nation as much as $1.5 billion (0.27 percent of GDP.)
“According to insurance broker Aon, drought damages in excess of $1 billion have already occurred in 2020 across the ASEAN nations--Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.”
tags: extreme weather, severe weather
Bob Henson · May 6, 2020, 1:41 PM EDT
The warmest winter on record across much of Eurasia has paved the way for spring extremes that are devouring landscapes and rewriting record books. The final week of April pushed summerlike heat up to latitudes further north than Minnesota, and wildfires are off to a destructive start in Siberia, while severe drought in Southeast Asia has led to Earth’s first billion-dollar drought disaster of 2020.
“It’s a monstrously big and very hot air mass for April,” said international weather records researcher Maximiliano Herrera of the late-April heat wave in northern Asia.
•••••
Here’s one example: The town of Boguchany—a Siberian village of about 11,000 people at 58.4°N, or about the same latitude as Churchill, Canada, the “polar bear capital of the world”—soared to 31.0°C (87.8°F) on April 25. This didn’t just edge past the town’s previous monthly record of 25.1°C (77.2°F) from April 23, 2011. It smashed it by close to 6°C (11°F).
The new record also tops Boguchany’s normal daily high in July (25.8°C or 78.4°F) by a wide margin.
•••••
Many other Siberian villages saw their hottest April weather on record. In fact, the 32.1°C (89.8°F) notched at Sukhobuzimskoye (latitude 56.5°N) on April 25 is the warmest reading ever confirmed anywhere in the vastness of Asian Russia north of 55°N—an area larger than the entire United States.
•••••
Even in these extreme desert climates, such temperatures are more on par with normal readings in July. Many other Chinese towns and cities set all-time April heat records, according to Etienne Kapikian (Meteo-France).
•••••
Most of 2020 has been unusually warm across Russia, and the parched landscape has been ripe for early-season wildfire throughout much of southern Siberia. The Krasnoyarsk region, which includes Boguchany, was seeing ten times the wildfire extent by late April this year compared to last year, according to Russian emergencies minister Evgeny Zinichev as quoted in the Siberian Times. For the nation as a whole, fire outbreaks were running about 60% ahead of last year, and the acreage burned was about 25% ahead of 2019 levels.
“A critical situation with fires has developed in Siberia and the Far East,” warned Zinichev. “A less snowy winter, an abnormal winter, and insufficient soil moisture are factors that create the conditions for the transition of landscape fires to settlements.”
While some of the fires are agriculture-related, others are apparently coronavirus-related. Many Russians chose to escape urban apartments and quarantine themselves in the countryside, said Sergei Anoprienko, head of Russia’s forest agency Rosleskhoz. “People self-isolated outdoors and forgot about fire safety rules,” he told the Siberian Times. “In some regions, the temperature is already around 30°C, and people just can’t keep themselves in their apartments.
“People rushed outdoors, and as a result we have a surge of thermal points.”
•••••
“The intense heat of 2020 has been accompanied by severe lack of rainfall across parts of Southeast Asia, with severe drought conditions developing in multiple countries. Among the hardest-hit nations have been Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam. The government of Thailand has declared a state emergency due to drought-related saltwater intrusions into the aquifers, and the Bank of Ayudhya's Krungsri Research projected that the 2020 dry season could cost the nation as much as $1.5 billion (0.27 percent of GDP.)
“According to insurance broker Aon, drought damages in excess of $1 billion have already occurred in 2020 across the ASEAN nations--Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.”
tags: extreme weather, severe weather
Mexico's sugary drinks tax has helped cut consumption after just three years
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-05/b-msd050420.php
News Release 6-May-2020
BMJ
Introducing a sugary drinks tax in Mexico seems to have helped reduce consumption of soft drinks after just three years, finds a study published by The BMJ today.
Mexico has some of the highest levels of diabetes, overweight, and obesity in the world. From 1 January 2014, Mexico implemented an excise tax of 1 peso per litre (approximately 10% increase in price) on sugar sweetened drinks aimed at reducing consumption.
•••••
The researchers found that after the implementation of the tax, the probability of becoming a non-consumer increased by 4.7 percentage points, and the probability of being a low consumer increased by 8.3 percentage points.
What's more, the probability of being in the medium and high levels of soft drink consumption decreased by 6.8 percentage points for medium consumers and 6.1 percentage points for high consumers.
Stronger associations were seen in participants with secondary school and higher education than in those with elementary school or less.
Being a health worker's cohort, results may not reflect the behavior of the whole Mexican population. Also, this is an observational study, so it cannot establish causality, and the researchers cannot rule out the possibility that estimates may be due to other unmeasured factors.
Nevertheless, their results remained unchanged and the strength of the associations increased after further analyses, suggesting that the findings withstand scrutiny.
As such, they say taxes on sugar sweetened drinks are an effective means of deterring consumption, and they suggest that further increases to the tax "could encourage further reductions in the very high consumption levels in Mexico."
•••••
News Release 6-May-2020
BMJ
Introducing a sugary drinks tax in Mexico seems to have helped reduce consumption of soft drinks after just three years, finds a study published by The BMJ today.
Mexico has some of the highest levels of diabetes, overweight, and obesity in the world. From 1 January 2014, Mexico implemented an excise tax of 1 peso per litre (approximately 10% increase in price) on sugar sweetened drinks aimed at reducing consumption.
•••••
The researchers found that after the implementation of the tax, the probability of becoming a non-consumer increased by 4.7 percentage points, and the probability of being a low consumer increased by 8.3 percentage points.
What's more, the probability of being in the medium and high levels of soft drink consumption decreased by 6.8 percentage points for medium consumers and 6.1 percentage points for high consumers.
Stronger associations were seen in participants with secondary school and higher education than in those with elementary school or less.
Being a health worker's cohort, results may not reflect the behavior of the whole Mexican population. Also, this is an observational study, so it cannot establish causality, and the researchers cannot rule out the possibility that estimates may be due to other unmeasured factors.
Nevertheless, their results remained unchanged and the strength of the associations increased after further analyses, suggesting that the findings withstand scrutiny.
As such, they say taxes on sugar sweetened drinks are an effective means of deterring consumption, and they suggest that further increases to the tax "could encourage further reductions in the very high consumption levels in Mexico."
•••••
'Terrible twos' not inevitable
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-05/uoc-tn050620.php
News Release 6-May-2020
University of Cambridge
Parents should not feel pressured to make their young children undertake structured learning or achieve specific tasks, particularly during lockdown. A new study of children under the age of two has found that parents who take a more flexible approach to their child's learning can - for children who were easy babies - minimise behavioural problems during toddlerhood.
•••••
Many toddlers have temper tantrums and exhibit frustration and defiant behaviour, in what is commonly known as the 'terrible twos'. Unfortunately, the autonomy support strategy isn't equally effective for all children: those born with a more irritable temperament are still more likely to be difficult toddlers.
Parenting must be tailored according to the child, say the researchers. Parents who don't remember their baby having an easy temperament should let go of the idea of achieving specific goals during play, and allow their children to develop at their own pace.
•••••
News Release 6-May-2020
University of Cambridge
Parents should not feel pressured to make their young children undertake structured learning or achieve specific tasks, particularly during lockdown. A new study of children under the age of two has found that parents who take a more flexible approach to their child's learning can - for children who were easy babies - minimise behavioural problems during toddlerhood.
•••••
Many toddlers have temper tantrums and exhibit frustration and defiant behaviour, in what is commonly known as the 'terrible twos'. Unfortunately, the autonomy support strategy isn't equally effective for all children: those born with a more irritable temperament are still more likely to be difficult toddlers.
Parenting must be tailored according to the child, say the researchers. Parents who don't remember their baby having an easy temperament should let go of the idea of achieving specific goals during play, and allow their children to develop at their own pace.
•••••
Moderate exercise in middle and older age cuts time spent in hospital
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-05/uoc-mei050620.php
News Release 6-May-2020
University of Cambridge
Men and women aged 40-79 are at significantly lower (25-27%) risk of long or frequent hospital admissions if they do some form of physical activity, a new study suggests.
Inactive participants in the study spent just over 4 days more in hospital over the next ten years than those who did at least some physical activity, whether for work or leisure. And similar results were observed 10 years later when the same participants were 50-90 years old.
•••••
The researchers found that in the first ten years active participants were 25-27% less likely than inactive participants to have more than 20 hospital days or more than 7 admissions per year with similar results over the subsequent ten years. They also reported that in 9,827 study participants with repeated measurements, those who remained physically active or increased their activity were 34% less likely to spend 20 days in hospital.
•••••
News Release 6-May-2020
University of Cambridge
Men and women aged 40-79 are at significantly lower (25-27%) risk of long or frequent hospital admissions if they do some form of physical activity, a new study suggests.
Inactive participants in the study spent just over 4 days more in hospital over the next ten years than those who did at least some physical activity, whether for work or leisure. And similar results were observed 10 years later when the same participants were 50-90 years old.
•••••
The researchers found that in the first ten years active participants were 25-27% less likely than inactive participants to have more than 20 hospital days or more than 7 admissions per year with similar results over the subsequent ten years. They also reported that in 9,827 study participants with repeated measurements, those who remained physically active or increased their activity were 34% less likely to spend 20 days in hospital.
•••••
Researchers find certain foods common in diets of US adults with inflammatory bowel disease
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-05/gsu-rfc050620.php
News Release 6-May-2020
Georgia State University
Foods, such as French fries, cheese, cookies, soda, and sports and energy drinks, are commonly found in the diets of United States adults with inflammatory bowel disease, according to a new study by researchers in the Institute for Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State University.
•••••
Common symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease include persistent diarrhea, abdominal pain, rectal bleeding or bloody stools, weight loss and fatigue, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
This study found fries were consumed by a greater number of people with inflammatory bowel disease, and they also ate more cheese and cookies and drank less 100 percent fruit juice compared to people who did not have inflammatory bowel disease.
Intaking fries and sports and energy drinks and frequently drinking soda were significantly associated with having been told one has inflammatory bowel disease. Consuming milk or popcorn was less likely associated with receiving this diagnosis.
•••••
News Release 6-May-2020
Georgia State University
Foods, such as French fries, cheese, cookies, soda, and sports and energy drinks, are commonly found in the diets of United States adults with inflammatory bowel disease, according to a new study by researchers in the Institute for Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State University.
•••••
Common symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease include persistent diarrhea, abdominal pain, rectal bleeding or bloody stools, weight loss and fatigue, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
This study found fries were consumed by a greater number of people with inflammatory bowel disease, and they also ate more cheese and cookies and drank less 100 percent fruit juice compared to people who did not have inflammatory bowel disease.
Intaking fries and sports and energy drinks and frequently drinking soda were significantly associated with having been told one has inflammatory bowel disease. Consuming milk or popcorn was less likely associated with receiving this diagnosis.
•••••
Gas stoves making indoor air up to five times dirtier than outdoor air, report finds
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/may/05/gas-stoves-air-pollution-environment
Emily Holden in Washington
Tue 5 May 2020 06.00 EDT
Gas stoves are making people sick, contributing pollution that makes indoor air up to two to five times dirtier than outdoor air, according to a new report.
•••••
Fossil-fuel-burning stoves are likely exposing tens of millions of Americans to air pollution levels that would be illegal if they were outside, concludes the review of decades of science by the Rocky Mountain Institute and multiple environmental advocacy groups.
Lead report author Brady Seals said little attention has been paid despite longstanding knowledge of the problem. “Somehow we’ve gotten accustomed to having a combustion device, often unvented, inside of the home,” Seals said.
•••••
About a third of US households cook primarily with gas – which emits nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide, in addition to the particle pollution that all types of stoves produce. Older, poorly maintained stoves pollute even more including risks from carbon monoxide.
Even small increases in short-term exposure to nitrogen dioxide can increase asthma risks for children. One analysis found that children in homes with gas stoves have a 42% higher chance of having asthma symptoms. Another in Australia attributed 12.3% of all childhood asthma burden to gas stoves.
Nitrogen dioxide also makes chronic obstructive pulmonary disease worse and may be linked to heart problems, diabetes and cancer.
Carbon monoxide poisoning can cause a headache, nausea, a rapid heartbeat, cardiac arrest and death.
The best solution, according to the report, is to change to electric stoves. But individuals with gas stoves can also open windows, cook on their back burners, use an exhaust hood, run an air purifier with a HEPA filter and install a carbon monoxide detector.
Indoor air pollution hits poor Americans and people of color worse because they are often also exposed to lead, mercury, highways and industrial plants, said Dr Robert Gould, a California pathologist and board member for Physicians for Social Responsibility who peer-reviewed the report.
•••••
Emily Holden in Washington
Tue 5 May 2020 06.00 EDT
Gas stoves are making people sick, contributing pollution that makes indoor air up to two to five times dirtier than outdoor air, according to a new report.
•••••
Fossil-fuel-burning stoves are likely exposing tens of millions of Americans to air pollution levels that would be illegal if they were outside, concludes the review of decades of science by the Rocky Mountain Institute and multiple environmental advocacy groups.
Lead report author Brady Seals said little attention has been paid despite longstanding knowledge of the problem. “Somehow we’ve gotten accustomed to having a combustion device, often unvented, inside of the home,” Seals said.
•••••
About a third of US households cook primarily with gas – which emits nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide, in addition to the particle pollution that all types of stoves produce. Older, poorly maintained stoves pollute even more including risks from carbon monoxide.
Even small increases in short-term exposure to nitrogen dioxide can increase asthma risks for children. One analysis found that children in homes with gas stoves have a 42% higher chance of having asthma symptoms. Another in Australia attributed 12.3% of all childhood asthma burden to gas stoves.
Nitrogen dioxide also makes chronic obstructive pulmonary disease worse and may be linked to heart problems, diabetes and cancer.
Carbon monoxide poisoning can cause a headache, nausea, a rapid heartbeat, cardiac arrest and death.
The best solution, according to the report, is to change to electric stoves. But individuals with gas stoves can also open windows, cook on their back burners, use an exhaust hood, run an air purifier with a HEPA filter and install a carbon monoxide detector.
Indoor air pollution hits poor Americans and people of color worse because they are often also exposed to lead, mercury, highways and industrial plants, said Dr Robert Gould, a California pathologist and board member for Physicians for Social Responsibility who peer-reviewed the report.
•••••
The head of Sweden's no-lockdown coronavirus plan said the country's heavy death toll 'came as a surprise'
https://news.yahoo.com/head-swedens-no-lockdown-coronavirus-100111923.html
The idea that humans are rational creatures is totally hilarious.
Sinéad Baker)
,Business Insider•May 6, 2020
The man leading Sweden's coronavirus response says the country's elevated death toll "really came as a surprise to us."
Dr. Anders Tegnell, Sweden's state epidemiologist, appeared on "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah" on Tuesday, when he described the country's controversial approach.
"We never really calculated with a high death toll initially, I must say," he said.
"We calculated on more people being sick, but the death toll really came as a surprise to us."
As of Tuesday, Sweden reported more than 2,700 COVID-19 deaths and more than 23,000 infections. That death toll is far higher than its Nordic neighbors' and many other countries that locked down.
•••••
Wednesday, May 06, 2020
Patients in Florida had coronavirus symptoms as early as January
https://news.yahoo.com/patients-florida-had-coronavirus-symptoms-140849651.html
Chris Persaud, Palm Beach Post
,USA TODAY•May 5, 2020
COVID-19 infected as many as 171 people in Florida as long as two months before officials announced it had come to the state, a Palm Beach Post analysis of state records shows.
Patients reported symptoms of the deadly virus as early as Jan. 1 when the disease was thought to be limited to China, Department of Health records reveal. The records don’t say if patients reported those symptoms to the state until months later or if local offices of the health department actively investigated the illnesses at the time or a combination of both.
The state pulled the records off its website late Monday without explanation.
Florida did not announce its first two presumed coronavirus cases until March. 1. At the time, cases were not considered confirmed until reviewed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
•••••
Until Monday evening, when the state confirmed a coronavirus case, it publicly posted data on each case, without identifying the patient. The publicly shared data included a date that represented one of two things: when the patient first started feeling symptoms or when the patient received a positive test result.
•••••
The entire dataset disappeared from the state website Monday evening only to return after 7:30 p.m. without the column showing the date relating to symptoms.
•••••
A 4-year-old Duval County girl started feeling symptoms or had her first positive test on Jan. 1. The state did not officially record her case until April 8.
•••••
Even though the disease was thought confined to China before January, most of the early patients hadn’t traveled: 103 reported no travel while just 52 said they had.
None reported traveling to China.
Only six were not Florida residents. Their symptoms or positive results started appearing in mid- to late February.
Chris Persaud, Palm Beach Post
,USA TODAY•May 5, 2020
COVID-19 infected as many as 171 people in Florida as long as two months before officials announced it had come to the state, a Palm Beach Post analysis of state records shows.
Patients reported symptoms of the deadly virus as early as Jan. 1 when the disease was thought to be limited to China, Department of Health records reveal. The records don’t say if patients reported those symptoms to the state until months later or if local offices of the health department actively investigated the illnesses at the time or a combination of both.
The state pulled the records off its website late Monday without explanation.
Florida did not announce its first two presumed coronavirus cases until March. 1. At the time, cases were not considered confirmed until reviewed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
•••••
Until Monday evening, when the state confirmed a coronavirus case, it publicly posted data on each case, without identifying the patient. The publicly shared data included a date that represented one of two things: when the patient first started feeling symptoms or when the patient received a positive test result.
•••••
The entire dataset disappeared from the state website Monday evening only to return after 7:30 p.m. without the column showing the date relating to symptoms.
•••••
A 4-year-old Duval County girl started feeling symptoms or had her first positive test on Jan. 1. The state did not officially record her case until April 8.
•••••
Even though the disease was thought confined to China before January, most of the early patients hadn’t traveled: 103 reported no travel while just 52 said they had.
None reported traveling to China.
Only six were not Florida residents. Their symptoms or positive results started appearing in mid- to late February.
Philippine telecoms body orders TV broadcaster that irked Duterte to shut
https://news.yahoo.com/philippine-telecoms-body-orders-tv-171500144.html
Reuters
,NBC News•May 5, 2020
The Philippines' telecoms body ordered the country's leading broadcaster ABS-CBN Corp to cease operations on Tuesday, as a parliament dominated by President Rodrigo Duterte's loyalists dragged its feet over renewing its license.
Duterte has repeatedly threatened to block the renewal of ABS-CBN's franchise, after the channel angered him during the 2016 presidential election by refusing to air his campaign commercials.
Opposition lawmakers described the order for the channel to suspend operations as "ill-timed" given the need to inform the public in the battle against the coronavirus outbreak in the country.
•••••
Reuters
,NBC News•May 5, 2020
The Philippines' telecoms body ordered the country's leading broadcaster ABS-CBN Corp to cease operations on Tuesday, as a parliament dominated by President Rodrigo Duterte's loyalists dragged its feet over renewing its license.
Duterte has repeatedly threatened to block the renewal of ABS-CBN's franchise, after the channel angered him during the 2016 presidential election by refusing to air his campaign commercials.
Opposition lawmakers described the order for the channel to suspend operations as "ill-timed" given the need to inform the public in the battle against the coronavirus outbreak in the country.
•••••
In a hurry to reopen state, Arizona Republican governor disbands scientific panel that modeled outbreak
https://news.yahoo.com/in-a-hurry-to-reopen-state-arizona-governor-disbands-scientific-panel-that-modeled-outbreak-180726870.html
David KnowlesEditor
,Yahoo News•May 6, 2020
On Monday, the same day that Arizona’s Republican governor, Doug Ducey, announced he was lifting some coronavirus restrictions on businesses, and the day before he met with President Trump on a visit to the state, his administration disbanded a panel of university scientists who had warned that taking the step now would be dangerous.
In an email to 23 researchers from Arizona State University and the University of Arizona whose modeling on the spread of the coronavirus had helped guide Ducey’s implementation of social distancing guidelines, the state’s Department of Health Services informed the scientists that their services were no longer needed, effective immediately.
“We realize that you have been, and continue to be working very hard on this effort, so we wanted to let you know as soon as possible so that you won’t expend further time and effort needlessly,” S. Robert Bailey, DHS bureau chief of public health statistics, wrote in the email, obtained by the Arizona Republic.
Just a week after extending Arizona’s stay-at-home order until May 15, Ducey reversed course and announced Monday that barbershops and hair salons would be allowed to open Friday, with restaurants following suit on May 11.
•••••
As of Wednesday, Arizona had reported 9,707 confirmed cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, and at least 426 deaths. While relatively low in comparison with harder-hit states, the number of cases reported Tuesday in Arizona rose by 4.3 percent in just 24 hours, and the 33 deaths recorded there represented the single biggest increase since the start of the pandemic. The Opening Up America Again guidelines call for a gradual lifting of social distancing only after a sustained 14-day downward trend in the number of new cases.
David KnowlesEditor
,Yahoo News•May 6, 2020
On Monday, the same day that Arizona’s Republican governor, Doug Ducey, announced he was lifting some coronavirus restrictions on businesses, and the day before he met with President Trump on a visit to the state, his administration disbanded a panel of university scientists who had warned that taking the step now would be dangerous.
In an email to 23 researchers from Arizona State University and the University of Arizona whose modeling on the spread of the coronavirus had helped guide Ducey’s implementation of social distancing guidelines, the state’s Department of Health Services informed the scientists that their services were no longer needed, effective immediately.
“We realize that you have been, and continue to be working very hard on this effort, so we wanted to let you know as soon as possible so that you won’t expend further time and effort needlessly,” S. Robert Bailey, DHS bureau chief of public health statistics, wrote in the email, obtained by the Arizona Republic.
Just a week after extending Arizona’s stay-at-home order until May 15, Ducey reversed course and announced Monday that barbershops and hair salons would be allowed to open Friday, with restaurants following suit on May 11.
•••••
As of Wednesday, Arizona had reported 9,707 confirmed cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, and at least 426 deaths. While relatively low in comparison with harder-hit states, the number of cases reported Tuesday in Arizona rose by 4.3 percent in just 24 hours, and the 33 deaths recorded there represented the single biggest increase since the start of the pandemic. The Opening Up America Again guidelines call for a gradual lifting of social distancing only after a sustained 14-day downward trend in the number of new cases.
Florida Panhandle Wildfire Burns Homes; Hundreds Ordered to Evacuate
https://weather.com/news/news/2020-05-06-wildfire-closes-interstate-10-in-florida-panhandle?fbclid=IwAR1AlV5v_E_4d47b2OqxhVe11kE4Ujv4Sy7zIYGWIuEx3LV_GUXUycuKtYo
By Jan Wesner Childs
May 6, 2020
An aggressive wildfire burned structures, forced hundreds of residents from their homes and closed a portion of Interstate 10 in the Florida Panhandle Wednesday.
The so-called Five Mile Swamp Fire grew rapidly near the interstate, exploding to more than 3 square miles on Wednesday evening. Evacuations went from voluntary to mandatory in the afternoon as some 1,100 homes were threatened by the blaze, according to the Pensacola News Journal.
•••••
ike most of Florida, much of the Panhandle is either "abnormally dry" or in "moderate drought" conditions, according to the latest drought monitor.
"Pensacola, Florida, usually a reliably wet part of the northern Gulf Coast in spring, has only picked up 43% of its average rain since March 1," said weather.com senior meteorologist Jonathan Erdman.
Pensacola has received 4.59 inches of rain since March, a deficit of about 6.2 inches below normal spring rainfall.
The Florida Forest Service has battled nearly 1,100 wildfires since January. Nearly all of those were caused by humans, according to the agriculture department.
By Jan Wesner Childs
May 6, 2020
An aggressive wildfire burned structures, forced hundreds of residents from their homes and closed a portion of Interstate 10 in the Florida Panhandle Wednesday.
The so-called Five Mile Swamp Fire grew rapidly near the interstate, exploding to more than 3 square miles on Wednesday evening. Evacuations went from voluntary to mandatory in the afternoon as some 1,100 homes were threatened by the blaze, according to the Pensacola News Journal.
•••••
ike most of Florida, much of the Panhandle is either "abnormally dry" or in "moderate drought" conditions, according to the latest drought monitor.
"Pensacola, Florida, usually a reliably wet part of the northern Gulf Coast in spring, has only picked up 43% of its average rain since March 1," said weather.com senior meteorologist Jonathan Erdman.
Pensacola has received 4.59 inches of rain since March, a deficit of about 6.2 inches below normal spring rainfall.
The Florida Forest Service has battled nearly 1,100 wildfires since January. Nearly all of those were caused by humans, according to the agriculture department.
Coronavirus Chicago: Kids sick with mysterious illness possibly linked to COVID-19; symptoms similar to Kawasaki disease, TSS
https://abc7chicago.com/health/chicago-hospitals-report-kids-sick-with-illness-possibly-linked-to-covid-19/6157660/
May 6, 2020
There are cases in Chicago of a mysterious illness impacting children that may be connected to COVID-19. The symptoms are very similar to toxic shock syndrome or Kawasaki disease, a rare sickness that involves inflammation of blood vessels.
•••••
"These kids are testing negative with the nasal swab, but they are testing positive for antibodies in the bloodstream, which shows they had past infection, but their parents may not known that," said Dr. Frank Belmonte, Chief Medical Officer at Advocate Children's Hospital.
•••••
Advocate Children's Hospital is treating one patient with the syndrome. Dr. Belmonte said in known cases elsewhere, symptoms show up weeks after the coronavirus peaked.
Symptoms include abdominal pain, rash, vomiting, diarrhea, red eyes and swollen lymph nodes.
"These children are presenting extremely ill," said Dr. Anne Rowley, an infectious disease specialist at Lurie Children's Hospital. "A parent is not going to miss this. This is a very ill child."
•••••
"While kids are getting very sick, the inflammatory syndrome has been treatable," Dr. Rowley said.
May 6, 2020
There are cases in Chicago of a mysterious illness impacting children that may be connected to COVID-19. The symptoms are very similar to toxic shock syndrome or Kawasaki disease, a rare sickness that involves inflammation of blood vessels.
•••••
"These kids are testing negative with the nasal swab, but they are testing positive for antibodies in the bloodstream, which shows they had past infection, but their parents may not known that," said Dr. Frank Belmonte, Chief Medical Officer at Advocate Children's Hospital.
•••••
Advocate Children's Hospital is treating one patient with the syndrome. Dr. Belmonte said in known cases elsewhere, symptoms show up weeks after the coronavirus peaked.
Symptoms include abdominal pain, rash, vomiting, diarrhea, red eyes and swollen lymph nodes.
"These children are presenting extremely ill," said Dr. Anne Rowley, an infectious disease specialist at Lurie Children's Hospital. "A parent is not going to miss this. This is a very ill child."
•••••
"While kids are getting very sick, the inflammatory syndrome has been treatable," Dr. Rowley said.
We Can’t Really Throw Things Away
We Can’t Really Throw Things Away
Copyright 2011 Patricia M. Shannon
(chorus)
We can’t really throw things away, (audience: No we can't)
we can’t really throw things away; (audience: No we can't)
they’ll come back to haunt us, come back to taunt us;
we can’t really throw things away. (audience: No we can't)
(1st verse)
The plastic bags we throw away
can end up in oceans or lakes;
get eaten by creatures who think they are food,
and die from a big tummy ache.
(chorus) ‘Cause we …
(2nd verse)
The plastic we make and the pills that we take,
contaminate water so bad,
it can make little girls to grow up way too fast,
and boys might never be dads.
(3rd verse)
The gases that belch from the tailpipes of cars,
and spew out from our factories
can give us cancer, rot lungs and brains,
and are bringing the whole earth to its knees.
(chorus) ‘Cause we …
Canceled 2020 Primaries And Caucuses
https://www.uspresidentialelectionnews.com/2020-presidential-primary-schedule-calendar/canceled-2020-primaries/
May 5, 2020
Due to President Trump running as the incumbent Republican, some state Republican party organizations have decided to cancel their state primary or caucus even though there are announced Republican challengers. So far, these states include the ones listed in the table below. This page will be updated as more information becomes available or more Republican officials in other states decide to also cancel their 2020 primaries.
States listed in the table below are subject to change. There could be more state Republican Party organizations that decide to cancel their primary or caucus before the deadline in October of 2019.
•••••
Alaska Republican Primary
Arizona Republican Primary
Hawaii Republican Primary
Kansas Republican Caucus
Nevada Republican Caucus
South Carolina Republican Primary
Virginia Republican Primary
•••••
May 5, 2020
Due to President Trump running as the incumbent Republican, some state Republican party organizations have decided to cancel their state primary or caucus even though there are announced Republican challengers. So far, these states include the ones listed in the table below. This page will be updated as more information becomes available or more Republican officials in other states decide to also cancel their 2020 primaries.
States listed in the table below are subject to change. There could be more state Republican Party organizations that decide to cancel their primary or caucus before the deadline in October of 2019.
•••••
Alaska Republican Primary
Arizona Republican Primary
Hawaii Republican Primary
Kansas Republican Caucus
Nevada Republican Caucus
South Carolina Republican Primary
Virginia Republican Primary
•••••
Ousted vaccine director files whistleblower complaint alleging coronavirus warnings were ignored
https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/05/politics/rick-bright-complaint/index.html
By Kaitlan Collins, Jeremy Diamond and Kevin Liptak, CNN
Updated 8:09 PM ET, Tue May 5, 2020
Dr. Rick Bright, the ousted director of the office involved in developing a coronavirus vaccine, formally filed an extensive whistleblower complaint Tuesday alleging his early warnings about the coronavirus were ignored and that his caution at a treatment favored by President Donald Trump led to his removal.
"I was pressured to let politics and cronyism drive decisions over the opinions of the best scientists we have in government," Bright said on a call with reporters after filing his complaint.
Bright said in the complaint he raised urgent concerns about shortages of critical supplies, including masks, to his superiors in the Trump administration but was met with skepticism and surprise.
•••••
Bright's decision to go public with his concerns last month exposed months of turmoil inside one of the key divisions at HHS charged with responding to the coronavirus pandemic. His allegations raised serious questions about political bias creeping into the government's response to the pandemic and the extent to which Trump's preferences for a drug overshadowed its scientific merits.
After he initially aired his complaints, administration officials leveled a range of allegations against Bright, including accusing him of poorly managing his office, mistreating staff and failing to consult his superiors on consequential decisions. But Bright's most recent performance review from May 2019, a copy of which was obtained by CNN, delivered rave reviews for Bright's management of his office and included no criticisms.
•••••
By Kaitlan Collins, Jeremy Diamond and Kevin Liptak, CNN
Updated 8:09 PM ET, Tue May 5, 2020
Dr. Rick Bright, the ousted director of the office involved in developing a coronavirus vaccine, formally filed an extensive whistleblower complaint Tuesday alleging his early warnings about the coronavirus were ignored and that his caution at a treatment favored by President Donald Trump led to his removal.
"I was pressured to let politics and cronyism drive decisions over the opinions of the best scientists we have in government," Bright said on a call with reporters after filing his complaint.
Bright said in the complaint he raised urgent concerns about shortages of critical supplies, including masks, to his superiors in the Trump administration but was met with skepticism and surprise.
•••••
Bright's decision to go public with his concerns last month exposed months of turmoil inside one of the key divisions at HHS charged with responding to the coronavirus pandemic. His allegations raised serious questions about political bias creeping into the government's response to the pandemic and the extent to which Trump's preferences for a drug overshadowed its scientific merits.
After he initially aired his complaints, administration officials leveled a range of allegations against Bright, including accusing him of poorly managing his office, mistreating staff and failing to consult his superiors on consequential decisions. But Bright's most recent performance review from May 2019, a copy of which was obtained by CNN, delivered rave reviews for Bright's management of his office and included no criticisms.
•••••
April 2020 tied for warmest on record: EU climate service
https://phys.org/news/2020-05-april-tied-warmest-eu-climate.html
Luckily, the area I live in, the Atlanta metro area, had a pretty normal April this year, unlike the last several which went almost directly from winter to summer.
by Marlowe Hood
May 5, 2020
Last month tied 2016 for the hottest April on record worldwide, with particularly high temperatures over western Europe and north-central Asia, the European Union's climate monitoring network said Tuesday.
Temperatures were also well above average over parts of Greenland and Antarctica, accelerating the disintegration of kilometres-thick ice sheets that have become the main drivers of sea level rise, the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) reported.
April 2020 was a statistically insignificant 0.01 degrees Celsius cooler than the same month in 2016, the warmest April registered since the late 19th century, when reliable records began.
•••••
The five last years have been the hottest on record, as was the decade from 2010-2019.
•••••
Atmospheric concentrations of CO2—which causes global warming—are now at their highest level in at least 800,000 years.
•••••
Tuesday, May 05, 2020
March 2020 was warmer than average across much of the globe
https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/global/202003
•••••
March 2020 was characterized by warmer-than-average conditions across much of the globe. The most notable warm March temperatures were present across much of Asia, the eastern half of the contiguous U.S., and southern South America where temperatures were 2.0°C (3.6°F) above average or higher. Some ocean areas were notable as well, including parts of the tropical Atlantic Ocean, central Indian Ocean, and parts of the northern and southwestern Pacific Ocean, where temperatures were 1.5°C (2.7°F) above average or higher. The most notable cool temperatures departures were present across Canada, Alaska, northern India, parts of the North Atlantic Ocean, and the Antarctic.
Record-warm March surface temperatures were present across parts of the Atlantic, Indian, and western Pacific oceans, as well as parts of southern North America, South America, Asia, and Africa. Overall, March 2020 had 8.17% of the world's land and ocean surfaces having a record high March temperature, considering a 1951 start date, when global coverage grew. This was the second highest percentage of record-warm March temperatures of that era. Only March 2016 had a higher percentage with 15.47%. One small area across the North Atlantic, representing 0.06% of the globe, had a record-cold March temperature.
Averaged as a whole, the global land and ocean surface temperature for March 2020 was 1.16°C (2.09°F) above the 20th century average of 12.7°C (54.9°F) and the second highest in the 141-year record. Only March 2016 was warmer at 1.31°C (2.36°F). The 10 warmest Marches have all occurred since 1990, with Marches of 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2020 having a global land and ocean surface temperature departure from average above 1.0°C (1.8°F). The March 2020 global land and ocean surface temperature departure tied with February 2020 and December 2015 as the third highest monthly temperature departure from average in the 1,683-month record. Only February and March 2016, when a strong El Niño was present in the tropical Pacific Ocean, had higher temperature departures.
March 2020 marked the 44th consecutive March and the 423rd consecutive month [35.25 years] with temperatures, at least nominally, above the 20th century average.
•••••
•••••
March 2020 was characterized by warmer-than-average conditions across much of the globe. The most notable warm March temperatures were present across much of Asia, the eastern half of the contiguous U.S., and southern South America where temperatures were 2.0°C (3.6°F) above average or higher. Some ocean areas were notable as well, including parts of the tropical Atlantic Ocean, central Indian Ocean, and parts of the northern and southwestern Pacific Ocean, where temperatures were 1.5°C (2.7°F) above average or higher. The most notable cool temperatures departures were present across Canada, Alaska, northern India, parts of the North Atlantic Ocean, and the Antarctic.
Record-warm March surface temperatures were present across parts of the Atlantic, Indian, and western Pacific oceans, as well as parts of southern North America, South America, Asia, and Africa. Overall, March 2020 had 8.17% of the world's land and ocean surfaces having a record high March temperature, considering a 1951 start date, when global coverage grew. This was the second highest percentage of record-warm March temperatures of that era. Only March 2016 had a higher percentage with 15.47%. One small area across the North Atlantic, representing 0.06% of the globe, had a record-cold March temperature.
Averaged as a whole, the global land and ocean surface temperature for March 2020 was 1.16°C (2.09°F) above the 20th century average of 12.7°C (54.9°F) and the second highest in the 141-year record. Only March 2016 was warmer at 1.31°C (2.36°F). The 10 warmest Marches have all occurred since 1990, with Marches of 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2020 having a global land and ocean surface temperature departure from average above 1.0°C (1.8°F). The March 2020 global land and ocean surface temperature departure tied with February 2020 and December 2015 as the third highest monthly temperature departure from average in the 1,683-month record. Only February and March 2016, when a strong El Niño was present in the tropical Pacific Ocean, had higher temperature departures.
March 2020 marked the 44th consecutive March and the 423rd consecutive month [35.25 years] with temperatures, at least nominally, above the 20th century average.
•••••
GOP Ohio state lawmaker refuses to wear face mask because faces are the 'likeness of God'
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/496086-gop-ohio-state-lawmaker-refuses-to-wear-face-mask-because-faces-are-the
According to the Bible, God made our whole body in Its image, so obviously we shouldn't cover it up with clothes.
By Aris Folley - 05/04/20 09:52 PM EDT
A Republican Ohio state representative cited his religious beliefs to explain why he would not wear a mask as recommended by Gov. Mike DeWine (R) to help limit the spread of the novel coronavirus.
“This is not the entire world,” state Rep. Nino Vitale wrote in a lengthy Facebook post on Monday morning. “This is the greatest nation on earth founded on Judeo-Christian Principles.”
“One of those principles is that we are all created in the image and likeness of God. That image is seen the most by our face. I will not wear a mask,” he continued.
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Irish dig deep to support virus-hit native Americans, repaying 150-year-old debt
https://news.yahoo.com/irish-dig-deep-support-virus-201156553.html
David Millward
,The Telegraph•May 3, 2020
Donations to native American tribes who have been badly hit by the coronavirus crisis are flooding in from Ireland as they repay a debt dating back to the 19th-century potato famine.
At least 41 people have fallen victim to Covid-19 in the Navajo nation, with the spike in cases partly attributed to a water crisis. An estimated 40 percent of the Navajo do not have running water at home, and a drought in the south-west has exacerbated the difficulties.
As the crisis intensified, the Navajo and Hopi families set up a GoFundMe campaign to raise cash to pay for bottled water.
Already more than $1.3 million has been raised with donations flooding in from Ireland. The generosity dates back to a gesture made in March 1847 when the Choctaw Tribe, which was gradually re-establishing itself in Oklahoma having been ousted from its ancestral lands in Mississippi, heard news of the Irish Potato Famine across the Atlantic.
Meeting in a building in Skullyville, Oklahoma, the Choctaw were asked to dig deep for people thousands of miles away they had never met. They did, and donations poured in.
Now, 173 years later, the gesture has been repaid with donors from Ireland opening their wallets to help.
"The Choctaw and Navajo First Nation people helped the Irish during the Great Famine, despite their own suffering," wrote Michael Corkery, who donated $200.
"When I learned about it, I never forgot it; they know all people are the same in the end, and showed such decency and humanity. It's history now, but we are still grateful. Thank you!"
David Millward
,The Telegraph•May 3, 2020
Donations to native American tribes who have been badly hit by the coronavirus crisis are flooding in from Ireland as they repay a debt dating back to the 19th-century potato famine.
At least 41 people have fallen victim to Covid-19 in the Navajo nation, with the spike in cases partly attributed to a water crisis. An estimated 40 percent of the Navajo do not have running water at home, and a drought in the south-west has exacerbated the difficulties.
As the crisis intensified, the Navajo and Hopi families set up a GoFundMe campaign to raise cash to pay for bottled water.
Already more than $1.3 million has been raised with donations flooding in from Ireland. The generosity dates back to a gesture made in March 1847 when the Choctaw Tribe, which was gradually re-establishing itself in Oklahoma having been ousted from its ancestral lands in Mississippi, heard news of the Irish Potato Famine across the Atlantic.
Meeting in a building in Skullyville, Oklahoma, the Choctaw were asked to dig deep for people thousands of miles away they had never met. They did, and donations poured in.
Now, 173 years later, the gesture has been repaid with donors from Ireland opening their wallets to help.
"The Choctaw and Navajo First Nation people helped the Irish during the Great Famine, despite their own suffering," wrote Michael Corkery, who donated $200.
"When I learned about it, I never forgot it; they know all people are the same in the end, and showed such decency and humanity. It's history now, but we are still grateful. Thank you!"
Monday, May 04, 2020
Longtime Amazon VP Tim Bray just quit in dismay, calling the company 'chickens---' for firing workers who criticized it
https://news.yahoo.com/longtime-amazon-engineer-quit-dismay-111341522.html
https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-engineer-resigned-treatment-warehouse-whistleblowers-2020-5
Charlie Wood
May 4, 2020
A longtime Amazon engineer and vice president said he "quit in dismay" over Amazon's firing of whistleblowers who raised concerns about warehouse employees scared of contracting COVID-19.
Writing on his personal blog, Tim Bray said that remaining in his job "would have meant, in effect, signing off on actions I despised." He said his last day at the company was May 1.
"I quit in dismay at Amazon firing whistleblowers who were making noise about warehouse employees frightened of COVID-19," he wrote.
"What with big-tech salaries and share vestings, this will probably cost me over a million (pre-tax) dollars, not to mention the best job I've ever had, working with awfully good people. So I'm pretty blue."
Bray described the firing of activists as "chickenshit."
The tech giant has fired multiple employees who criticized working conditions at its warehouses.
•••••
https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-engineer-resigned-treatment-warehouse-whistleblowers-2020-5
Charlie Wood
May 4, 2020
A longtime Amazon engineer and vice president said he "quit in dismay" over Amazon's firing of whistleblowers who raised concerns about warehouse employees scared of contracting COVID-19.
Writing on his personal blog, Tim Bray said that remaining in his job "would have meant, in effect, signing off on actions I despised." He said his last day at the company was May 1.
"I quit in dismay at Amazon firing whistleblowers who were making noise about warehouse employees frightened of COVID-19," he wrote.
"What with big-tech salaries and share vestings, this will probably cost me over a million (pre-tax) dollars, not to mention the best job I've ever had, working with awfully good people. So I'm pretty blue."
Bray described the firing of activists as "chickenshit."
The tech giant has fired multiple employees who criticized working conditions at its warehouses.
•••••
What will pandemic bring for workers?
May 4, 2020
Some who have looked at past pandemics think we may end up with working people in a better position than they have been. I am feeling doubtful about this, because this pandemic is focusing on killing the elders, not so much people still in the workplace. Past pandemics killed many younger people, reducing the size of the workforce, and so that those who survived has more bargaining power. And we will need fewer workers to provide goods and services to retired people because there will be fewer of them, relative to younger people.
Colorado man planning armed protest against state's coronavirus restrictions arrested for pipe bombs
https://abcnews.go.com/US/colorado-man-planning-armed-protest-states-coronavirus-restrictions/story?id=70491370
By Clayton Sandell
May 4, 2020, 12:18 PM
A Colorado man arrested after federal agents allegedly discovered pipe bombs in his home had also been helping organize an armed protest demanding the state lift its coronavirus restrictions, an official briefed on the case tells ABC News.
•••••
By Clayton Sandell
May 4, 2020, 12:18 PM
A Colorado man arrested after federal agents allegedly discovered pipe bombs in his home had also been helping organize an armed protest demanding the state lift its coronavirus restrictions, an official briefed on the case tells ABC News.
•••••
Trump Fires Inspector General Ahead of Damning Whistleblower Complaint About Bogus Coronavirus Cures
https://theintercept.com/2020/05/04/rick-bright-hhs-whistleblower-coronavirus/
Sharon Lerner
May 4 2020, 2:54 p.m.
On Friday, while Rick Bright was in the process of filing what promises to be a damning whistleblower complaint to the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, President Donald Trump announced that he was firing the inspector general, Christi Grimm, and nominating a handpicked replacement.
Two weeks ago, Bright, who, as deputy assistant secretary for preparedness and response for HHS, oversaw the government’s purchase and funding of vaccines, treatments, and tests for the coronavirus, said he had been forced out of his job because he refused to cave to pressure to adopt scientifically unproven treatments for Covid-19.
“I believe this transfer was in response to my insistence that the government invest the billions of dollars allocated by Congress to address the COVID-19 pandemic into safe and scientifically vetted solutions, and not in drugs, vaccines and other technologies that lack scientific merit,” wrote in a statement released by his lawyers, as The Intercept reported at the time.
•••••
While Trump’s enthusiasm, which sent online demand for the drug surging 1,000 percent, has since fizzled, he has now put his faith in another drug: Gilead Pharmaceutical’s remdesivir. On Friday, Trump met with Gilead CEO Dan O’Day to announce that the Food and Drug Administration would be giving the drug emergency use authorization as a treatment for Covid-19.
“We’re going to be having some really incredible results,” Trump predicted.
•••••
While incredible results usually precede FDA authorization, with remdesivir, that has changed. The decision was made based on a single study, the results of which have yet to be made public in their entirety but are said to show that Covid-19 patients who received the drug tended to recover more quickly. While the study showed a benefit, it was modest and only about the amount of time it took patients to recover;
•••••
The approval comes as Gilead, which paid out $874 million in cash dividends to shareholders and made $1.3 billion in stock buybacks in the first quarter of this year, has sharply increased its lobbying. The company, whose former top lobbyist, Joe Grogan, is a member of the White House coronavirus task force, spent $2.45 million on lobbying in the first quarter of 2020, up from $1.86 million in the first quarter of last year.
•••••
•••••
•••••
•••••
Third Russian Doctor Falls From Hospital Window After Coronavirus Complaint
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2020/05/04/third-russian-doctor-falls-from-hospital-window-after-coronavirus-complaint-a70176
May 4, 2020
A paramedic who complained about being forced to work despite contracting coronavirus is in critical condition after he fell from a hospital window in western Russia this weekend, local media reported.
This is at least the third incident in which a Russian healthcare professional has plunged from a hospital building under mysterious circumstances in the past two weeks. The two previous doctors have died from their injuries.
Alexander Shulepov is in critical condition with a skull fracture after falling from the second floor of a rural hospital where he was being treated for Covid-19, the local crisis center told the Vesti Voronezh outlet Saturday.
Shulepov, 37, and his colleague filmed a video on April 22 complaining that the chief doctor of the Novaya Usman village hospital forced him to work despite the fact that he tested positive for Covid-19.
A second video appeared three days later in which Shulepov denied his initial “emotional” claims. His colleague Alexander Kosyakin reportedly faces criminal charges for spreading “fake news” about the virus, which carries a prison sentence of up to five years under a recently passed federal law.
•••••
May 4, 2020
A paramedic who complained about being forced to work despite contracting coronavirus is in critical condition after he fell from a hospital window in western Russia this weekend, local media reported.
This is at least the third incident in which a Russian healthcare professional has plunged from a hospital building under mysterious circumstances in the past two weeks. The two previous doctors have died from their injuries.
Alexander Shulepov is in critical condition with a skull fracture after falling from the second floor of a rural hospital where he was being treated for Covid-19, the local crisis center told the Vesti Voronezh outlet Saturday.
Shulepov, 37, and his colleague filmed a video on April 22 complaining that the chief doctor of the Novaya Usman village hospital forced him to work despite the fact that he tested positive for Covid-19.
A second video appeared three days later in which Shulepov denied his initial “emotional” claims. His colleague Alexander Kosyakin reportedly faces criminal charges for spreading “fake news” about the virus, which carries a prison sentence of up to five years under a recently passed federal law.
•••••
French doctors say they found a Covid-19 patient from December
https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/04/health/france-coronavirus-december-death-intl/index.html
No surprise, given the nature of infectious diseases, and the fact that this is a new virus in humans, and people were not looking for it at first. It would have been surprising if it were not circulating before it was first diagnosed.
By Maggie Fox, CNN
Updated 8:35 PM ET, Mon May 4, 2020
There's new evidence that the coronavirus may have been in France weeks earlier than was previously thought.
Doctors at a Paris hospital say they've found evidence that one patient admitted in December was infected with Covid-19. If verified, this finding would show that the virus was already circulating in Europe at that time -- well before the first known cases were diagnosed in France or hotspot Italy.
"Covid-19 was already spreading in France in late December 2019, a month before the official first cases in the country," the team at Groupe Hospitalier Paris Seine in Saint-Denis wrote in a study published Sunday in the International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents.
•••••
Researchers in the US have also started finding evidence that the virus was infecting and killing people earlier than the country's first reported cases.
•••••
"One sample was positive taken from a 42 year old man born in Algeria, who lived in France for many years, and worked as a fishmonger," the team wrote. "His last trip was in Algeria during August 2019."
The man had not been to China, and one of his children had also been sick, the team reported.
•••••
For people with diabetes and COVID-19, blood sugar control is key
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-05/cp-fpw050120.php
News Release 1-May-2020
Cell Press
A study reported in the journal Cell Metabolism on April 30 adds to the evidence that people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) are at greater risk of a poor outcome should they become infected with the virus that causes COVID-19. But there is some encouraging news: people with T2D whose blood sugar is well controlled fare much better than those with more poorly controlled blood sugar.
•••••
News Release 1-May-2020
Cell Press
A study reported in the journal Cell Metabolism on April 30 adds to the evidence that people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) are at greater risk of a poor outcome should they become infected with the virus that causes COVID-19. But there is some encouraging news: people with T2D whose blood sugar is well controlled fare much better than those with more poorly controlled blood sugar.
•••••
LSU Health study suggests nicotine exposure alone leads to pulmonary hypertension
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-05/lsuh-lhs050120.php
News Release 1-May-2020
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center
New Orleans, LA - A study conducted by a team of researchers at LSU Health New Orleans has shown for the first time that chronic exposure to inhaled nicotine alone increases blood pressure (hypertension), in both the body's general circulation and in the lungs that can lead to pulmonary hypertension. The study also found that nicotine-induced pulmonary hypertension is accompanied by changes in the size, shape and function (remodeling) of the blood vessels in the lung and the right lower chamber of the heart. Results are published in the May 2020 issue of Hypertension
•••••
News Release 1-May-2020
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center
New Orleans, LA - A study conducted by a team of researchers at LSU Health New Orleans has shown for the first time that chronic exposure to inhaled nicotine alone increases blood pressure (hypertension), in both the body's general circulation and in the lungs that can lead to pulmonary hypertension. The study also found that nicotine-induced pulmonary hypertension is accompanied by changes in the size, shape and function (remodeling) of the blood vessels in the lung and the right lower chamber of the heart. Results are published in the May 2020 issue of Hypertension
•••••
Second wave of locust invasion and floods to shake East Africa economies
https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/news/ea/Locust-invasion-floods-to-shake-East-Africa-economies/4552908-5540474-w58529/index.html
By LUKE ANAMI
Saturday May 2 2020
The East African Community secretariat will set aside emergency funds to turn tides against floods and locusts.
While floods are wreaking havoc across the region, a swarm of locusts is expected to once again invade Kenya through Ethiopia.
This will deal a double blow to food security in a region that is already grappling with widespread economic disruption from the coronavirus pandemic.
•••••
This comes in the wake of an announcement by the Food and Agriculture Organisation, warning that a new generation of locusts is set to enter East Africa in June.
FAO’s resilience team leader for Eastern Africa Cyril Ferrand is concerned that the desert locust will eat seedlings and young plants, leaving no chance for crops to mature.
•••••
FAO warns that it will be too late to stop the locusts from spreading in less than six months, thereby inviting starvation to millions.
FAO is also concerned that the chemicals used will kill wildlife and damage food supplies.
•••••
At the same time, Lake Victoria Basin countries of Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania have been receiving abnormally heavy rainfall since October 2019 causing flooding and water levels rising in the lake.
tags: extreme weather, severe weather
By LUKE ANAMI
Saturday May 2 2020
The East African Community secretariat will set aside emergency funds to turn tides against floods and locusts.
While floods are wreaking havoc across the region, a swarm of locusts is expected to once again invade Kenya through Ethiopia.
This will deal a double blow to food security in a region that is already grappling with widespread economic disruption from the coronavirus pandemic.
•••••
This comes in the wake of an announcement by the Food and Agriculture Organisation, warning that a new generation of locusts is set to enter East Africa in June.
FAO’s resilience team leader for Eastern Africa Cyril Ferrand is concerned that the desert locust will eat seedlings and young plants, leaving no chance for crops to mature.
•••••
FAO warns that it will be too late to stop the locusts from spreading in less than six months, thereby inviting starvation to millions.
FAO is also concerned that the chemicals used will kill wildlife and damage food supplies.
•••••
At the same time, Lake Victoria Basin countries of Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania have been receiving abnormally heavy rainfall since October 2019 causing flooding and water levels rising in the lake.
tags: extreme weather, severe weather
Millionaires to reap 80% of benefit from tax change in US coronavirus stimulus
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/15/tax-change-coronavirus-stimulus-act-millionaires-billionaires
Amanda Holpuch in New York
Wed 15 Apr 2020 13.57 EDT
Millionaires and billionaires are set to reap more than 80% of the benefits from a change to the tax law Republicans put in the coronavirus economic relief package, according to a non-partisan congressional committee.
The change – which alters what certain business owners are allowed to deduct from their taxes – will allow some of the nation’s wealthiest to avoid nearly $82bn of tax liability in 2020.
Nearly 82% of the benefits from the tax law change will go to people making $1m or more annually in 2020, according to an analysis by the joint committee on taxation (JCT). Overall, 95% of individuals who benefit from the change make $200,000 or more.
Taxpayers will lose nearly $90bn from the change, which suspends a restriction introduced in the 2017 tax bill.
The change allows owners of businesses known as pass-through entities to lower their taxes by deducting as much as they want against income unrelated to the business.
Before, owners of pass-through entities could deduct a maximum of $250,000 in losses from non-business income such as stocks and bonds. This limitation was introduced in the 2017 law to offset other tax benefits going to firms.
•••••
Because of the suspension, the JCT estimated 43,000 people making $1m or more would owe a total of $70.3bn less in taxes in 2020. Less than 3% of the benefits from the change will go to Americans earning less than $100,000 a year.
Steve Rosenthal, a tax expert at the Tax Policy Center, a non-partisan thinktank, told the Washington Post hedge-fund investors and owners of real estate [eg., Trump] would benefit most from the change.
•••••
“It’s a scandal for Republicans to loot American taxpayers in the midst of an economic and human tragedy,” Whitehouse said in a statement. “This analysis shows that while Democrats fought for unemployment insurance and small business relief, a top priority of President Trump and his allies in Congress was another massive tax cut for the wealthy.”
Amanda Holpuch in New York
Wed 15 Apr 2020 13.57 EDT
Millionaires and billionaires are set to reap more than 80% of the benefits from a change to the tax law Republicans put in the coronavirus economic relief package, according to a non-partisan congressional committee.
The change – which alters what certain business owners are allowed to deduct from their taxes – will allow some of the nation’s wealthiest to avoid nearly $82bn of tax liability in 2020.
Nearly 82% of the benefits from the tax law change will go to people making $1m or more annually in 2020, according to an analysis by the joint committee on taxation (JCT). Overall, 95% of individuals who benefit from the change make $200,000 or more.
Taxpayers will lose nearly $90bn from the change, which suspends a restriction introduced in the 2017 tax bill.
The change allows owners of businesses known as pass-through entities to lower their taxes by deducting as much as they want against income unrelated to the business.
Before, owners of pass-through entities could deduct a maximum of $250,000 in losses from non-business income such as stocks and bonds. This limitation was introduced in the 2017 law to offset other tax benefits going to firms.
•••••
Because of the suspension, the JCT estimated 43,000 people making $1m or more would owe a total of $70.3bn less in taxes in 2020. Less than 3% of the benefits from the change will go to Americans earning less than $100,000 a year.
Steve Rosenthal, a tax expert at the Tax Policy Center, a non-partisan thinktank, told the Washington Post hedge-fund investors and owners of real estate [eg., Trump] would benefit most from the change.
•••••
“It’s a scandal for Republicans to loot American taxpayers in the midst of an economic and human tragedy,” Whitehouse said in a statement. “This analysis shows that while Democrats fought for unemployment insurance and small business relief, a top priority of President Trump and his allies in Congress was another massive tax cut for the wealthy.”
A 12-year-old whose coronavirus nightmare began with unusual stomach pains and her lips turning blue
https://news.yahoo.com/12-old-whose-coronavirus-nightmare-145932182.html
Sophia Ankel)
,Business Insider•May 2, 2020
A 12-year-old who was on a ventilator for four days after being diagnosed with the coronavirus said that she "died and came back", the Associated Press reported.
Juliet Day from Covington, Louisiana was discharged on April 15, after spending ten days in the Oschner Medical Center in Jefferson — four of which were on a ventilator.
When the 12-year-old first started developing coronavirus symptoms, they were different from those usually experienced by adults.
Day's mother, Jennifer, said her daughter did not have any breathing problems but was vomiting and experiencing severe stomach pain instead. Jennifer, who is also a radiologist, first thought her daughter was suffering from appendicitis but became alarmed when her lips starting turning blue and her limbs went cold.
•••••
Juliet ended up in the emergency room of a nearby hospital, where she suffered a heart attack. Doctors had to perform CPR on her for two minutes before she came back to life, and she was immediately airlifted to a larger hospital in Jefferson, which is roughly 40 miles away.
•••••
She has since made a full recovery, with doctors saying that her heart is functioning normally again and that she will have a "totally normal life."
•••••
Sophia Ankel)
,Business Insider•May 2, 2020
A 12-year-old who was on a ventilator for four days after being diagnosed with the coronavirus said that she "died and came back", the Associated Press reported.
Juliet Day from Covington, Louisiana was discharged on April 15, after spending ten days in the Oschner Medical Center in Jefferson — four of which were on a ventilator.
When the 12-year-old first started developing coronavirus symptoms, they were different from those usually experienced by adults.
Day's mother, Jennifer, said her daughter did not have any breathing problems but was vomiting and experiencing severe stomach pain instead. Jennifer, who is also a radiologist, first thought her daughter was suffering from appendicitis but became alarmed when her lips starting turning blue and her limbs went cold.
•••••
Juliet ended up in the emergency room of a nearby hospital, where she suffered a heart attack. Doctors had to perform CPR on her for two minutes before she came back to life, and she was immediately airlifted to a larger hospital in Jefferson, which is roughly 40 miles away.
•••••
She has since made a full recovery, with doctors saying that her heart is functioning normally again and that she will have a "totally normal life."
•••••
The Hospital CEOs Keeping Seven-Figure Salaries as Frontline Workers Go Without Pay
https://news.yahoo.com/frontline-workers-going-without-pay-090122282.html
Emily Shugerman
,http://www.thedailybeast.com/•May 2, 2020
In one of the largest ironies of the coronavirus pandemic, thousands of health-care workers across the country have had their wages cut and hours slashed as profitable elective procedures are put on hold. Hospital CEOs have called these measures “painful” and “difficult,” though necessary to make up for millions of dollars in lost revenue. But some executives don’t seem willing to share in the suffering.
Last month, executives at Denver Health received bonuses of up to $230,000, just days after asking hospital workers to reduce their hours or take time off. At the University of Kentucky—which boasts some of the highest-paid administrators in the country—the college president has refused to take a pay cut, despite furloughing 1,500 medical workers. And executives at McLaren Health Care in Michigan have agreed to cut their salaries by just 2 percent—an amount employees facing furloughs called “a slap in the face.
•••••
Hospital CEO salaries have been ballooning for years. According to a study published in Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research, the average hospital CEO’s salary increased 93 percent in the decade between 2005 and 2015. In the same time frame, the average health-care worker’s salary increased just 8 percent. The average hospital CEO made $3.1 million dollars a year in 2015, according to the study. The average nurse, meanwhile, made $75,510.
•••••
Hospitals around the country have seen a decline in revenue due to restrictions on elective procedures, which can generate up to 80 or 90 percent of some hospitals’ income. (Even in the epicenter of the pandemic, academic hospital systems in New York City have reported up to $450 million in losses.) Because of this, executives at some hospitals have agreed to reduce their salaries—or even forgo them completely—while the crisis persists.
•••••
At Tenet Healthcare, where thousands of workers have been furloughed, CEO Ron Rittenmeyer recently pledged to give 50 percent of his salary to an employee assistance fund over the next three months. At the same time, however, the Dallas Morning News reported that Rittenmeyer’s pay package increased by 62 percent last year, due largely to stock awards. The board voted to increase his base pay by another $300,000 this February.
•••••
Emily Shugerman
,http://www.thedailybeast.com/•May 2, 2020
In one of the largest ironies of the coronavirus pandemic, thousands of health-care workers across the country have had their wages cut and hours slashed as profitable elective procedures are put on hold. Hospital CEOs have called these measures “painful” and “difficult,” though necessary to make up for millions of dollars in lost revenue. But some executives don’t seem willing to share in the suffering.
Last month, executives at Denver Health received bonuses of up to $230,000, just days after asking hospital workers to reduce their hours or take time off. At the University of Kentucky—which boasts some of the highest-paid administrators in the country—the college president has refused to take a pay cut, despite furloughing 1,500 medical workers. And executives at McLaren Health Care in Michigan have agreed to cut their salaries by just 2 percent—an amount employees facing furloughs called “a slap in the face.
•••••
Hospital CEO salaries have been ballooning for years. According to a study published in Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research, the average hospital CEO’s salary increased 93 percent in the decade between 2005 and 2015. In the same time frame, the average health-care worker’s salary increased just 8 percent. The average hospital CEO made $3.1 million dollars a year in 2015, according to the study. The average nurse, meanwhile, made $75,510.
•••••
Hospitals around the country have seen a decline in revenue due to restrictions on elective procedures, which can generate up to 80 or 90 percent of some hospitals’ income. (Even in the epicenter of the pandemic, academic hospital systems in New York City have reported up to $450 million in losses.) Because of this, executives at some hospitals have agreed to reduce their salaries—or even forgo them completely—while the crisis persists.
•••••
At Tenet Healthcare, where thousands of workers have been furloughed, CEO Ron Rittenmeyer recently pledged to give 50 percent of his salary to an employee assistance fund over the next three months. At the same time, however, the Dallas Morning News reported that Rittenmeyer’s pay package increased by 62 percent last year, due largely to stock awards. The board voted to increase his base pay by another $300,000 this February.
•••••
Sunday, May 03, 2020
Biden wins Kansas primary conducted with all-mail balloting
https://www.13abc.com/content/news/Biden-wins-Kansas-primary-conducted-with-all-mail-balloting-570156981.html?ref=981
By JOHN HANNA AP Political Writer |
Posted: Sun 10:15 AM, May 03, 2020 |
Updated: Sun 2:40 PM, May 03, 2020
Joe Biden has overwhelmingly won a Democratic presidential primary in Kansas that the state party conducted exclusively by mail because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The former vice president had been expected to prevail in Saturday's vote and capture a majority of the state’s delegates to the Democrats’ national nominating commission. Biden took 77% of the vote.
Biden won 29 delegates and Sanders got 10, inching Biden closer to the number of delegates he needs to clinch the Democratic nomination. He has a total of 1,435 delegates and needs 1,991 to win the nomination on the first ballot at the party’s national convention this summer, a threshold Biden is likely to reach in June after many states postponed their primaries. Sanders has 984 delegates, according to the count by the Associated Press released Sunday.
•••••
The contest also featured ranked-choice voting, allowing voters to pick more than one candidate and rank them. The lowest vote-getter — Gabbard in this case — was then eliminated, and her votes redistributed to the other choices in a second round if voters listed a second choice. That process continued until only candidates with at least 15% of the vote remained, eventually only Biden and Sanders.
•••••
By JOHN HANNA AP Political Writer |
Posted: Sun 10:15 AM, May 03, 2020 |
Updated: Sun 2:40 PM, May 03, 2020
Joe Biden has overwhelmingly won a Democratic presidential primary in Kansas that the state party conducted exclusively by mail because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The former vice president had been expected to prevail in Saturday's vote and capture a majority of the state’s delegates to the Democrats’ national nominating commission. Biden took 77% of the vote.
Biden won 29 delegates and Sanders got 10, inching Biden closer to the number of delegates he needs to clinch the Democratic nomination. He has a total of 1,435 delegates and needs 1,991 to win the nomination on the first ballot at the party’s national convention this summer, a threshold Biden is likely to reach in June after many states postponed their primaries. Sanders has 984 delegates, according to the count by the Associated Press released Sunday.
•••••
The contest also featured ranked-choice voting, allowing voters to pick more than one candidate and rank them. The lowest vote-getter — Gabbard in this case — was then eliminated, and her votes redistributed to the other choices in a second round if voters listed a second choice. That process continued until only candidates with at least 15% of the vote remained, eventually only Biden and Sanders.
•••••
"I'm starving now": World faces unprecedented hunger crisis
https://news.yahoo.com/im-starving-now-world-faces-224051093.html
They were already in danger because of climate disruption and locust swarms.
Debora Patta
,CBS News•May 2, 2020
The coronavirus pandemic has left the world facing an unprecedented hunger crisis. The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) has warned that by the end of the year, more than 260 million people will face starvation – double last year's figures.
"In a worst-case scenario, we could be looking at famine in about three dozen countries," warned WFP director David Beasley. He said the world could face multiple famines "of biblical proportions within a few short months."
Oil prices have collapsed, tourism is drying up, and overseas remittances – foreign workers transferring money to their families in other countries – on which many people depend for survival, are expected to decline sharply.
There's "a real danger that more people could potentially die from the economic impact of COVID-19 than from the virus itself," Beasley said.
•••••
"I'm afraid of getting sick, and I'm afraid of starving."
•••••
Trump rips George W. Bush after he calls for unity amid coronavirus outbreak
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/495843-trump-rips-george-w-bush-after-he-issues-call-to-unite-amid
By Justin Wise - 05/03/20 08:28 AM EDT
President Trump on Sunday took aim at George W. Bush after the former Republican president issued a call to push partisanship aside amid the outbreak of the novel coronavirus.
In a three-minute video shared on Twitter on Saturday, Bush urged Americans to remember "how small our differences are in the face of this shared threat."
"In the final analysis, we are not partisan combatants. We are human beings, equally vulnerable and equally wonderful in the sight of God," Bush said. "We rise or fall together, and we are determined to rise."
In an early morning tweet on Sunday, Trump called out Bush for his failure to support him as he faced an impeachment trial earlier this year over his alleged dealings with Ukraine. He cited apparent comments from Fox News anchor Pete Hegseth, who asked why Bush didn't push for "putting partisanship aside" amid the trial.
"He was nowhere to be found in speaking up against the greatest Hoax in American history," Trump said.
•••••
By Justin Wise - 05/03/20 08:28 AM EDT
President Trump on Sunday took aim at George W. Bush after the former Republican president issued a call to push partisanship aside amid the outbreak of the novel coronavirus.
In a three-minute video shared on Twitter on Saturday, Bush urged Americans to remember "how small our differences are in the face of this shared threat."
"In the final analysis, we are not partisan combatants. We are human beings, equally vulnerable and equally wonderful in the sight of God," Bush said. "We rise or fall together, and we are determined to rise."
In an early morning tweet on Sunday, Trump called out Bush for his failure to support him as he faced an impeachment trial earlier this year over his alleged dealings with Ukraine. He cited apparent comments from Fox News anchor Pete Hegseth, who asked why Bush didn't push for "putting partisanship aside" amid the trial.
"He was nowhere to be found in speaking up against the greatest Hoax in American history," Trump said.
In other words, Trump defines not supporting the president of your own party as showing partisanship? Crazy.
•••••
Unexpected outcome in Wisconsin: Tens of thousands of ballots that arrived after Election Day were counted, thanks to court decisions
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/unexpected-outcome-in-wisconsin-tens-of-thousands-of-ballots-that-arrived-after-voting-day-were-counted-thanks-to-court-decisions/2020/05/03/20c036f0-8a59-11ea-9dfd-990f9dcc71fc_story.html
By Amy Gardner,
Dan Simmons and
Robert Barnes
May 3, 2020 at 5:40 p.m. EDT
Early last month, voters in Wisconsin navigated a dizzying number of rule changes governing the state’s spring elections as officials tussled over the risks of the novel coronavirus, prompting a backlog of absentee ballot requests and fears that many would not be able to participate.
But in the end, tens of thousands of mail ballots that arrived after the April 7 presidential primaries and spring elections were counted by local officials, a review by The Washington Post has found — the unexpected result of last-minute intervention by the U.S. Supreme Court.
In Milwaukee and Madison alone, the state’s two largest cities, more than 10 percent of all votes counted, nearly 21,000 ballots, arrived by mail after April 7, according to data provided by local election officials.
The surprising outcome after warnings that many Wisconsinites would be disenfranchised amid the pandemic was the result of a largely unexamined aspect of the court’s decision that temporarily changed which ballots were counted. Because of the order, election officials for the first time tallied absentee ballots postmarked by Election Day, rather than just those received by then — underscoring the power of narrow court decisions to significantly shape which votes are counted.
In Milwaukee and Madison alone, the state’s two largest cities, more than 10 percent of all votes counted, nearly 21,000 ballots, arrived by mail after April 7, according to data provided by local election officials.
The surprising outcome after warnings that many Wisconsinites would be disenfranchised amid the pandemic was the result of a largely unexamined aspect of the court’s decision that temporarily changed which ballots were counted. Because of the order, election officials for the first time tallied absentee ballots postmarked by Election Day, rather than just those received by then — underscoring the power of narrow court decisions to significantly shape which votes are counted.
•••••
Republicans, meanwhile, say they are prepared to spend millions of dollars to oppose these efforts, arguing that extending ballot deadlines creates an opportunity for fraud. Some have also been open in their view that higher turnout could harm them politically. On March 30, President Trump said that if Democratic efforts to expand mail balloting succeeded, “you’d never have a Republican elected in this country again.”
•••••
The five conservative justices sided with the GOP, issuing an opinion on the eve of in-person voting that a blanket extension of the deadline would improperly allow voters to cast their ballots after April 7. Instead, they said ballots had to be postmarked by Election Day — effectively imposing a new standard.
•••••
The Supreme Court’s order also led officials to reject ballots that would have been counted if the rules had not changed.
In 13 cities where the data was available, at least 4,500 ballots were thrown out that would have been tallied under the lower court judge’s ruling, The Post found.
•••••
For instance, thousands of ballots with missing voter signatures, witness signatures or witness addresses were rejected across the state, which legally requires such information.
It’s a sign of the barriers facing voters who are unaccustomed to voting by mail — and of the particular challenge that witness requirements present during a pandemic, especially for those who live alone and are unwilling to seek out contact with another person.
•••••
Thousands of ballots were rejected because of postmark issues, The Post’s examination found. Hundreds were rejected because of a late postmark, but many hundreds more showed no postmark or an illegible one. In Milwaukee, that number was 390, and city election officials chose to count those ballots anyway. Most other localities discarded such ballots, even though many may have been posted on time.
Several election officials said that some post offices do not use postmarks with dates but that their hands were tied by the high court’s ruling.
•••••
By Amy Gardner,
Dan Simmons and
Robert Barnes
May 3, 2020 at 5:40 p.m. EDT
Early last month, voters in Wisconsin navigated a dizzying number of rule changes governing the state’s spring elections as officials tussled over the risks of the novel coronavirus, prompting a backlog of absentee ballot requests and fears that many would not be able to participate.
But in the end, tens of thousands of mail ballots that arrived after the April 7 presidential primaries and spring elections were counted by local officials, a review by The Washington Post has found — the unexpected result of last-minute intervention by the U.S. Supreme Court.
In Milwaukee and Madison alone, the state’s two largest cities, more than 10 percent of all votes counted, nearly 21,000 ballots, arrived by mail after April 7, according to data provided by local election officials.
The surprising outcome after warnings that many Wisconsinites would be disenfranchised amid the pandemic was the result of a largely unexamined aspect of the court’s decision that temporarily changed which ballots were counted. Because of the order, election officials for the first time tallied absentee ballots postmarked by Election Day, rather than just those received by then — underscoring the power of narrow court decisions to significantly shape which votes are counted.
In Milwaukee and Madison alone, the state’s two largest cities, more than 10 percent of all votes counted, nearly 21,000 ballots, arrived by mail after April 7, according to data provided by local election officials.
The surprising outcome after warnings that many Wisconsinites would be disenfranchised amid the pandemic was the result of a largely unexamined aspect of the court’s decision that temporarily changed which ballots were counted. Because of the order, election officials for the first time tallied absentee ballots postmarked by Election Day, rather than just those received by then — underscoring the power of narrow court decisions to significantly shape which votes are counted.
•••••
Republicans, meanwhile, say they are prepared to spend millions of dollars to oppose these efforts, arguing that extending ballot deadlines creates an opportunity for fraud. Some have also been open in their view that higher turnout could harm them politically. On March 30, President Trump said that if Democratic efforts to expand mail balloting succeeded, “you’d never have a Republican elected in this country again.”
•••••
The five conservative justices sided with the GOP, issuing an opinion on the eve of in-person voting that a blanket extension of the deadline would improperly allow voters to cast their ballots after April 7. Instead, they said ballots had to be postmarked by Election Day — effectively imposing a new standard.
•••••
The Supreme Court’s order also led officials to reject ballots that would have been counted if the rules had not changed.
In 13 cities where the data was available, at least 4,500 ballots were thrown out that would have been tallied under the lower court judge’s ruling, The Post found.
•••••
For instance, thousands of ballots with missing voter signatures, witness signatures or witness addresses were rejected across the state, which legally requires such information.
It’s a sign of the barriers facing voters who are unaccustomed to voting by mail — and of the particular challenge that witness requirements present during a pandemic, especially for those who live alone and are unwilling to seek out contact with another person.
•••••
Thousands of ballots were rejected because of postmark issues, The Post’s examination found. Hundreds were rejected because of a late postmark, but many hundreds more showed no postmark or an illegible one. In Milwaukee, that number was 390, and city election officials chose to count those ballots anyway. Most other localities discarded such ballots, even though many may have been posted on time.
Several election officials said that some post offices do not use postmarks with dates but that their hands were tied by the high court’s ruling.
•••••
Trump Moves To Replace Watchdog Who Reported Medical Shortages
https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/05/02/849642036/trump-moves-to-replace-watchdog-who-reported-medical-shortages?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20200502&fbclid=IwAR3Ck8oTGMmGMbdorZiFX-1vpv62gpU5URdDVRKXhxdRZNNxGR1OQHIimvk
Jason Slotkin
May 2, 20208:15 PM ET
President Trump is moving to replace the Department of Health and Human Services watchdog whose office found severe shortages of medical supplies in hospitals as COVID-19 cases surged.
In a Friday night announcement, the White House named Jason Weida as its nominee to take the permanent inspector general post currently occupied by Christi Grimm, who's been in that role in an acting capacity since January.
A longtime staffer with Health and Human Services, Grimm was leading the inspector general's office in April when it issued a report chronicling testing delays — up to seven days in some cases — as well as severe shortages of supplies in hospitals amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Hospitals reported that they were unable to keep up with COVID-19 testing demands because they lacked complete kits and/or the individual components and supplies needed to complete tests," the survey of 323 hospitals found. "When patient stays were extended while awaiting test results, this strained bed availability, personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies, and staffing."
The report also recalled how one hospital had even resorted to making its own disinfectant.
Trump reacted to the report by calling its findings "wrong," asking to know the name of the inspector general and suggesting the report was politically motivated. He later took to Twitter to castigate Grimm and the report even further.
•••••
The nomination of Weida — currently an assistant U.S. attorney — marks the latest replacement of a high-level watchdog by the president. A month ago, he fired the inspector general who raised concerns that eventually led to his impeachment. Days later, he removed the inspector general charged with overseeing the government's coronavirus response bill.
•••••
Jason Slotkin
May 2, 20208:15 PM ET
President Trump is moving to replace the Department of Health and Human Services watchdog whose office found severe shortages of medical supplies in hospitals as COVID-19 cases surged.
In a Friday night announcement, the White House named Jason Weida as its nominee to take the permanent inspector general post currently occupied by Christi Grimm, who's been in that role in an acting capacity since January.
A longtime staffer with Health and Human Services, Grimm was leading the inspector general's office in April when it issued a report chronicling testing delays — up to seven days in some cases — as well as severe shortages of supplies in hospitals amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Hospitals reported that they were unable to keep up with COVID-19 testing demands because they lacked complete kits and/or the individual components and supplies needed to complete tests," the survey of 323 hospitals found. "When patient stays were extended while awaiting test results, this strained bed availability, personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies, and staffing."
The report also recalled how one hospital had even resorted to making its own disinfectant.
Trump reacted to the report by calling its findings "wrong," asking to know the name of the inspector general and suggesting the report was politically motivated. He later took to Twitter to castigate Grimm and the report even further.
•••••
The nomination of Weida — currently an assistant U.S. attorney — marks the latest replacement of a high-level watchdog by the president. A month ago, he fired the inspector general who raised concerns that eventually led to his impeachment. Days later, he removed the inspector general charged with overseeing the government's coronavirus response bill.
•••••
Masks and Emasculation: Why Some Men Refuse to Take Safety Precautions
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/masks-and-emasculation-why-some-men-refuse-to-take-safety-precautions/?fbclid=IwAR0Wwh7BDs082E84cCMSOB75nsr64fg1rTN4g-nhmM13E_uUcthLCfDYT5s
By Peter Glick on April 30, 2020
On April 28, Vice President Mike Pence visited the Mayo Clinic, but could not bring himself to comply with their safety protocols and don a mask. His behavior mimics President Donald Trump’s prior refusal to wear a mask even as he urged Americans to do so. Pence said he wanted to be able to look health care workers in the eye, and Trump simply said, “I'm choosing not to do it.”
Why the reluctance to model safe behavior? My research with Jennifer Berdahl and others suggest one critical reason, which is that appearing to play it safe contradicts a core principle of masculinity: show no weakness. In short, wearing a mask emasculates.
The refusal to wear a mask undermines the message that the rest of us should take safety precautions. But that’s the least of the problem. Leaders who are more concerned with preserving a macho public image put our lives at risk as they prove their manhood by showing resistance to experts’ opinions, hypersensitivity to criticism and constant feuding with anyone who seems to disagree with them.
•••••
In addition to poor decision-making, our research shows that masculinity-obsessed leaders create dysfunctional organizations that fall apart when times get tough. The leader’s need to seem infallible and defensiveness create a Game of Thrones environment where subordinates constantly compete to curry the leaders’ favor. When everyone is looking out for number one, it becomes unlikely that they will all pull together effectively when a crisis hits.
•••••
All three—Trump, Johnson and Bolsonaro—not only publicly minimized the risks posed by coronavirus to prove their masculine credentials, but delayed or failed to implement safety measures that could have spared unnecessary deaths. By contrast, female leaders were more likely to listen to the experts, taking immediate preventative action. For example, New Zealand, led by Prime Minister Jacinda Arden, has minimized the death toll and all but quashed the virus.
•••••
Not all male leaders are more concerned with projecting a macho image than with saving lives. Captain Brett Crozier, who commanded the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, prioritized his sailors’ well-being when coronavirus broke out. He persisted in seeking necessary help after dismissive superiors suggested he and his crew tough it out. Similarly, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has focused on achieving a communal goal, minimizing the number of COVID-19 deaths, doing whatever it takes to accomplish the mission.
•••••
By Peter Glick on April 30, 2020
On April 28, Vice President Mike Pence visited the Mayo Clinic, but could not bring himself to comply with their safety protocols and don a mask. His behavior mimics President Donald Trump’s prior refusal to wear a mask even as he urged Americans to do so. Pence said he wanted to be able to look health care workers in the eye, and Trump simply said, “I'm choosing not to do it.”
Why the reluctance to model safe behavior? My research with Jennifer Berdahl and others suggest one critical reason, which is that appearing to play it safe contradicts a core principle of masculinity: show no weakness. In short, wearing a mask emasculates.
The refusal to wear a mask undermines the message that the rest of us should take safety precautions. But that’s the least of the problem. Leaders who are more concerned with preserving a macho public image put our lives at risk as they prove their manhood by showing resistance to experts’ opinions, hypersensitivity to criticism and constant feuding with anyone who seems to disagree with them.
•••••
In addition to poor decision-making, our research shows that masculinity-obsessed leaders create dysfunctional organizations that fall apart when times get tough. The leader’s need to seem infallible and defensiveness create a Game of Thrones environment where subordinates constantly compete to curry the leaders’ favor. When everyone is looking out for number one, it becomes unlikely that they will all pull together effectively when a crisis hits.
•••••
All three—Trump, Johnson and Bolsonaro—not only publicly minimized the risks posed by coronavirus to prove their masculine credentials, but delayed or failed to implement safety measures that could have spared unnecessary deaths. By contrast, female leaders were more likely to listen to the experts, taking immediate preventative action. For example, New Zealand, led by Prime Minister Jacinda Arden, has minimized the death toll and all but quashed the virus.
•••••
Not all male leaders are more concerned with projecting a macho image than with saving lives. Captain Brett Crozier, who commanded the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, prioritized his sailors’ well-being when coronavirus broke out. He persisted in seeking necessary help after dismissive superiors suggested he and his crew tough it out. Similarly, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has focused on achieving a communal goal, minimizing the number of COVID-19 deaths, doing whatever it takes to accomplish the mission.
•••••
U.S. drops to 45 in ranking of countries based on freedom of the press
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/us-drops-to-45-in-ranking-of-countries-based-on-freedom-of-the-press-2018-04-25?mod=mw_share_facebook&fbclid=IwAR1a_tazBbQxtMKFtGTiHAouGmlkTEyFz1PV404MfdPPSyQ0kVS1b7puXWg
By Sally French
Published: April 26, 2018 at 1:38 p.m. ET
So much for that First Amendment right to freedom of the press. The U.S. has dropped to spot 45 in this year’s ranking of countries based on press freedom, conducted by NGO Reporters Without Borders.
The survey ranked 180 countries based on factors such as pluralism, media independence, media environment and self-censorship, legislative framework, transparency, and the quality of the infrastructure that supports the production of news and information. The index is compiled via a questionnaire distributed to experts based on both quantitative data and qualitative analysis.
The U.S. dropped two spots on this year’s list. The report specifically calls out new leadership under President Donald Trump as the driver behind the U.S.’s fall.
“A media-bashing enthusiast, Trump has referred to reporters as ‘enemies of the people,’ the term once used by Joseph Stalin,” the report says. Trump has also attempted to block White House access to multiple media outlets, routinely uses the term “fake news” in retaliation for critical reporting, and has called for revoking certain media outlets’ broadcasting licenses.
•••••
Coming in at the top spot for the second year in a row is Norway, followed by Sweden. Other notable countries in the ranking include Russia at spot No. 148, and China, at spot No. 176. In last place? North Korea.
•••••
By Sally French
Published: April 26, 2018 at 1:38 p.m. ET
So much for that First Amendment right to freedom of the press. The U.S. has dropped to spot 45 in this year’s ranking of countries based on press freedom, conducted by NGO Reporters Without Borders.
The survey ranked 180 countries based on factors such as pluralism, media independence, media environment and self-censorship, legislative framework, transparency, and the quality of the infrastructure that supports the production of news and information. The index is compiled via a questionnaire distributed to experts based on both quantitative data and qualitative analysis.
The U.S. dropped two spots on this year’s list. The report specifically calls out new leadership under President Donald Trump as the driver behind the U.S.’s fall.
“A media-bashing enthusiast, Trump has referred to reporters as ‘enemies of the people,’ the term once used by Joseph Stalin,” the report says. Trump has also attempted to block White House access to multiple media outlets, routinely uses the term “fake news” in retaliation for critical reporting, and has called for revoking certain media outlets’ broadcasting licenses.
•••••
Coming in at the top spot for the second year in a row is Norway, followed by Sweden. Other notable countries in the ranking include Russia at spot No. 148, and China, at spot No. 176. In last place? North Korea.
•••••
Potential treatment for Covid-19
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/02/who-us-just-reported-deadliest-day-for-coronavirus.html
William Feuer
Published Sat, May 2 2020
•••••
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use authorization for Gilead Sciences’ remdesivir drug to treat Covid-19, President Donald Trump announced Friday.
The EUA means that remdesivir has not undergone the same level of review as an FDA-approved treatment, according to a fact sheet from the agency on the drug. However, doctors will be allowed to use the drug on patients hospitalized with the disease even though the drug has not been formally approved by the agency.
The intravenous drug has helped shorten the recovery time of some hospitalized Covid-19 patients, new clinical trial data suggests. Without other proven treatments, health-care workers will likely be considering its use.
The FDA previously authorized the emergency use of malaria drugs chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine to treat Covid-19. However, it later issued a warning against taking the drugs outside a hospital or formal clinical trial setting after it became aware of reports of “serious heart rhythm problems” in patients.
•••••
William Feuer
Published Sat, May 2 2020
•••••
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use authorization for Gilead Sciences’ remdesivir drug to treat Covid-19, President Donald Trump announced Friday.
The EUA means that remdesivir has not undergone the same level of review as an FDA-approved treatment, according to a fact sheet from the agency on the drug. However, doctors will be allowed to use the drug on patients hospitalized with the disease even though the drug has not been formally approved by the agency.
The intravenous drug has helped shorten the recovery time of some hospitalized Covid-19 patients, new clinical trial data suggests. Without other proven treatments, health-care workers will likely be considering its use.
The FDA previously authorized the emergency use of malaria drugs chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine to treat Covid-19. However, it later issued a warning against taking the drugs outside a hospital or formal clinical trial setting after it became aware of reports of “serious heart rhythm problems” in patients.
•••••
The US just reported its deadliest day Sat. for coronavirus patients as states reopen, according to WHO
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/02/who-us-just-reported-deadliest-day-for-coronavirus.html
William Feuer
Published Sat, May 2 2020
The United States just had its deadliest day on record due to the coronavirus as states across the country begin to ease restrictions meant to curb the spread of the virus, according to data published by the World Health Organization.
The U.S. saw 2,909 people die of Covid-19 in 24 hours, according to the data, which was collected as of 4 a.m. ET on Friday. That’s the highest daily Covid-19 death toll in the U.S. yet, based on a CNBC analysis of the WHO’s daily Covid-19 situation reports.
Before May 1, the next highest U.S. daily death toll was 2,471 reported on April 23, according to the WHO. State officials have previously warned that data on Covid-19 deaths are difficult to analyze because they often represent patients who became ill and were hospitalized weeks ago.
•••••
Dozens of states have unveiled reopening plans and several, including Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas, have already begun to allow nonessential retailers to reopen.
•••••
Some cities, such as New York City, have struggled to gain a complete understanding of the Covid-19 death toll. Many patients die at home and others are attributed to heart attacks or other conditions that might have been exacerbated by Covid-19, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said last month.
Further complicating the system for reporting Covid-19 deaths is that the mortuary system in hard-hit cities like New York is overwhelmed by the surge of victims. Funeral homes, caught in the middle of the bottleneck, have had to store corpses in refrigerated trucks, or in some cases whatever storage unit they can find.
The CDC warns that all data right now is “provisional” and the agency might not have a more accurate count until December of next year.
•••••
William Feuer
Published Sat, May 2 2020
The United States just had its deadliest day on record due to the coronavirus as states across the country begin to ease restrictions meant to curb the spread of the virus, according to data published by the World Health Organization.
The U.S. saw 2,909 people die of Covid-19 in 24 hours, according to the data, which was collected as of 4 a.m. ET on Friday. That’s the highest daily Covid-19 death toll in the U.S. yet, based on a CNBC analysis of the WHO’s daily Covid-19 situation reports.
Before May 1, the next highest U.S. daily death toll was 2,471 reported on April 23, according to the WHO. State officials have previously warned that data on Covid-19 deaths are difficult to analyze because they often represent patients who became ill and were hospitalized weeks ago.
•••••
Dozens of states have unveiled reopening plans and several, including Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas, have already begun to allow nonessential retailers to reopen.
•••••
Some cities, such as New York City, have struggled to gain a complete understanding of the Covid-19 death toll. Many patients die at home and others are attributed to heart attacks or other conditions that might have been exacerbated by Covid-19, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said last month.
Further complicating the system for reporting Covid-19 deaths is that the mortuary system in hard-hit cities like New York is overwhelmed by the surge of victims. Funeral homes, caught in the middle of the bottleneck, have had to store corpses in refrigerated trucks, or in some cases whatever storage unit they can find.
The CDC warns that all data right now is “provisional” and the agency might not have a more accurate count until December of next year.
•••••
Saturday, May 02, 2020
Fossil fuel firms linked to Trump get millions in coronavirus small business aid
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/may/01/fossil-fuel-firms-coronavirus-package-aid
Emily Holden in Washington
Fri 1 May 2020 08.16 EDT
US fossil fuel companies have taken at least $50m in taxpayer money they probably won’t have to pay back, according to a review of coronavirus aid meant for struggling small businesses by the investigative research group Documented and the Guardian.
A total of $28m is going to three coal mining companies, all with ties to Trump officials, bolstering a dying American industry and a fuel that scientists insist world leaders must shift away from to avoid the worst of the climate crisis.
The other $22m is being paid out to oil and gas services and equipment providers and other firms that work with drillers and coal miners.
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More than 40 Democratic lawmakers have argued that fossil fuel companies should not get any assistance under the coronavirus aid package.
Some Democrats have also warned the forgivable loans being made under Congress’ Paycheck Protection Program could be a transparency disaster.
Banks and lending institutions are distributing the money, so the government says it cannot track recipients in real time. The loans revealed have been made public only through news reports and securities filings by publicly-traded companies, although the Federal Reserve has committed to issuing monthly reports.
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The industry aid comes as the Trump administration is reportedly considering a broader bailout for oil and gas corporations, which were already under pressure before the coronavirus and have watched oil prices nosedive because of a global price war and low demand for gasoline. The US government could make loans to oil and gas companies, essentially making taxpayers investors in the industry.
The Federal Reserve on Thursday also announced changes to its lending rules that could help indebted petroleum firms.
“The idea that oil workers are getting a paycheck is great,” said Jamie Henn, a spokesman for the Stop the Money Pipeline campaign who co-founded the environment group 350.org. “The worry is that the money’s going to the top and not going to filter down.”
The $50m already paid to fossil fuel companies is a small fraction of the the $2.1tn Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, known as the Cares Act. But the total assistance to the industry is likely much larger than can currently be tallied and will continue to grow.
•••••
Emily Holden in Washington
Fri 1 May 2020 08.16 EDT
US fossil fuel companies have taken at least $50m in taxpayer money they probably won’t have to pay back, according to a review of coronavirus aid meant for struggling small businesses by the investigative research group Documented and the Guardian.
A total of $28m is going to three coal mining companies, all with ties to Trump officials, bolstering a dying American industry and a fuel that scientists insist world leaders must shift away from to avoid the worst of the climate crisis.
The other $22m is being paid out to oil and gas services and equipment providers and other firms that work with drillers and coal miners.
•••••
More than 40 Democratic lawmakers have argued that fossil fuel companies should not get any assistance under the coronavirus aid package.
Some Democrats have also warned the forgivable loans being made under Congress’ Paycheck Protection Program could be a transparency disaster.
Banks and lending institutions are distributing the money, so the government says it cannot track recipients in real time. The loans revealed have been made public only through news reports and securities filings by publicly-traded companies, although the Federal Reserve has committed to issuing monthly reports.
•••••
The industry aid comes as the Trump administration is reportedly considering a broader bailout for oil and gas corporations, which were already under pressure before the coronavirus and have watched oil prices nosedive because of a global price war and low demand for gasoline. The US government could make loans to oil and gas companies, essentially making taxpayers investors in the industry.
The Federal Reserve on Thursday also announced changes to its lending rules that could help indebted petroleum firms.
“The idea that oil workers are getting a paycheck is great,” said Jamie Henn, a spokesman for the Stop the Money Pipeline campaign who co-founded the environment group 350.org. “The worry is that the money’s going to the top and not going to filter down.”
The $50m already paid to fossil fuel companies is a small fraction of the the $2.1tn Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, known as the Cares Act. But the total assistance to the industry is likely much larger than can currently be tallied and will continue to grow.
•••••
Friday, May 01, 2020
British doctors warn some Chinese ventilators could kill if used in hospitals
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/british-doctors-warn-chinese-ventilators-could-kill-if-used-hospitals-n1194046
April 30, 2020, 4:30 AM EDT / Updated May 1, 2020, 10:41 AM EDT
By Alexander Smith
Senior British doctors have warned that 250 ventilators the United Kingdom bought from China risk causing "significant patient harm, including death," if they are used in hospitals, according to a letter seen by NBC News.
The doctors said the machines had a problematic oxygen supply, could not be cleaned properly, had an unfamiliar design and a confusing instruction manual, and were built for use in ambulances, not hospitals.
The British case is not an isolated one, and it comes as a stark example of a procurement problem that has plagued many countries as the coronavirus has spread throughout the world.
•••••
April 30, 2020, 4:30 AM EDT / Updated May 1, 2020, 10:41 AM EDT
By Alexander Smith
Senior British doctors have warned that 250 ventilators the United Kingdom bought from China risk causing "significant patient harm, including death," if they are used in hospitals, according to a letter seen by NBC News.
The doctors said the machines had a problematic oxygen supply, could not be cleaned properly, had an unfamiliar design and a confusing instruction manual, and were built for use in ambulances, not hospitals.
The British case is not an isolated one, and it comes as a stark example of a procurement problem that has plagued many countries as the coronavirus has spread throughout the world.
•••••
Ocean warming is causing massive ice sheet loss in Greenland and Antarctica, NASA study shows
https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/01/us/nasa-ice-sheet-loss-climate-change-trnd/index.html
By Mallika Kallingal, CNN
Updated 1:43 PM ET, Fri May 1, 2020
He told NASA, "We now have a 16-year span between ICESat and ICESat-2 and can be much more confident that the changes we're seeing in the ice have to do with the long-term changes in the climate."
•••••
He told NASA, "We now have a 16-year span between ICESat and ICESat-2 and can be much more confident that the changes we're seeing in the ice have to do with the long-term changes in the climate."
•••••
The NASA study also looked at ice shelves: the floating masses of ice at the downstream end of glaciers. The researchers found ice shelves are losing mass in West Antarctica, where many of the continent's fastest-moving glaciers are located as well, according to NASA.
NASA explains that ice that melts from ice shelves doesn't raise sea levels, since it's already floating -- just like an ice cube already in a full cup of water doesn't overflow the glass when it melts. But the ice shelves provide stability for the glaciers and ice sheets behind them.
"It's like an architectural buttress that holds up a cathedral," says Helen Amanda Fricker, a glaciologist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego, and co-author of the Science paper.
She told NASA, "The ice shelves hold the ice sheet up. If you take away the ice shelves, or even if you thin them, you're reducing that buttressing force, so the grounded ice can flow faster."
This study was conducted over 16 years and published online in Science April 30.
By Mallika Kallingal, CNN
Updated 1:43 PM ET, Fri May 1, 2020
He told NASA, "We now have a 16-year span between ICESat and ICESat-2 and can be much more confident that the changes we're seeing in the ice have to do with the long-term changes in the climate."
•••••
He told NASA, "We now have a 16-year span between ICESat and ICESat-2 and can be much more confident that the changes we're seeing in the ice have to do with the long-term changes in the climate."
•••••
The NASA study also looked at ice shelves: the floating masses of ice at the downstream end of glaciers. The researchers found ice shelves are losing mass in West Antarctica, where many of the continent's fastest-moving glaciers are located as well, according to NASA.
NASA explains that ice that melts from ice shelves doesn't raise sea levels, since it's already floating -- just like an ice cube already in a full cup of water doesn't overflow the glass when it melts. But the ice shelves provide stability for the glaciers and ice sheets behind them.
"It's like an architectural buttress that holds up a cathedral," says Helen Amanda Fricker, a glaciologist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego, and co-author of the Science paper.
She told NASA, "The ice shelves hold the ice sheet up. If you take away the ice shelves, or even if you thin them, you're reducing that buttressing force, so the grounded ice can flow faster."
This study was conducted over 16 years and published online in Science April 30.
Smoking during pregnancy results in an increased risk of asthma even in adulthood
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-04/uoh-sdp043020.php
News Release 30-Apr-2020
University of Helsinki
A recently completed study indicates that smoking by pregnant mothers caused roughly an 1.5-fold asthma risk in their offspring at the ages between 31 and 46.
•••••
News Release 30-Apr-2020
University of Helsinki
A recently completed study indicates that smoking by pregnant mothers caused roughly an 1.5-fold asthma risk in their offspring at the ages between 31 and 46.
•••••
Alternate light 5 times more effective in detecting bruises on victims of color
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-04/gmu-alf043020.php
News Release 30-Apr-2020
With COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, rates of domestic abuse have increased; improved procedures are needed to detect bruises for people of color; a George Mason study found alternate light was 5 times better at detecting bruises on diverse skin tones
George Mason University
Bruise detection and diagnosis is currently conducted by sight, under regular light, and bruises are often difficult to see on victims of violence depending on their skin color and the age of their injury.
As a result, individuals with dark skin tones are at a significant disadvantage in having their injuries properly identified and documented. This can have a significant impact on both medical and legal outcomes for victims of violence. For example, strangulation, a violent act often perpetrated during intimate partner violence, is now charged by many states as a felony. Detecting bruises associated with these dangerous offenses can provide important evidence towards prosecution.
•••••
They found that using alternate light was five times better at detecting bruises on victims across a variety of skin tones than white light. Results of the study were published in the Journal of Forensic Sciences.
•••••
News Release 30-Apr-2020
With COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, rates of domestic abuse have increased; improved procedures are needed to detect bruises for people of color; a George Mason study found alternate light was 5 times better at detecting bruises on diverse skin tones
George Mason University
Bruise detection and diagnosis is currently conducted by sight, under regular light, and bruises are often difficult to see on victims of violence depending on their skin color and the age of their injury.
As a result, individuals with dark skin tones are at a significant disadvantage in having their injuries properly identified and documented. This can have a significant impact on both medical and legal outcomes for victims of violence. For example, strangulation, a violent act often perpetrated during intimate partner violence, is now charged by many states as a felony. Detecting bruises associated with these dangerous offenses can provide important evidence towards prosecution.
•••••
They found that using alternate light was five times better at detecting bruises on victims across a variety of skin tones than white light. Results of the study were published in the Journal of Forensic Sciences.
•••••
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