http://www.kiro7.com/news/trending-now/pedestrian-fatalities-up-in-states-with-legal-marijuana-study-says/708506264
By: Boston25News.com
Updated: Feb 28, 2018
A report released Wednesday reveals the number of people being hit and killed by cars is on the rise, specifically in states where it’s now legal to sell marijuana.
•••••
In the seven states that have legalized recreational marijuana, pedestrian fatalities went up more than 16 percent in the first six months of 2017, versus the same time period in 2016.
That’s in direct opposition to all other states, which, collectively, saw about a 6 percent decrease in pedestrian fatalities in that same time.
The study was performed by the Governor's Highway Safety Association.
•••••
tags: drug abuse
Wednesday, February 28, 2018
Tuesday, February 27, 2018
Democrats furious Trump didn’t tell NSA chief to fight Russian meddling
by Adam Edelman
Feb. 27, 2018
A top intelligence official said Tuesday that the U.S. is "probably not doing enough" to combat Russian attempts to interfere in American elections — prompting the fury of several Democratic lawmakers — and acknowledged that he'd not been directed by President Donald Trump to do more to stop such meddling by Moscow.
At a U.S. Cyber Command hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Adm. Mike Rogers, the director of the National Security Agency, said he had not been given the authority by Trump, or Defense Secretary James Mattis, his direct boss, to strike at Russian cyberoperations against the U.S.
Rogers admitted that Russian President Vladimir Putin had likely concluded there was "little price" to pay for trying to disrupt U.S. elections.
•••••
Later Tuesday, the White House, responding to Rogers' assertion that Trump has not directed him to combat Russian meddling, said the administration didn't stop him from doing anything, either.
•••••
Stronger storms mean new 'category six' scale may be needed
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/feb/22/category-six-storms-cyclones
Eleanor Ainge Roy
Wed 21 Feb 2018 23.13 EST
Last modified on Thu 22 Feb 2018 17.00 EST
The increasing strength, intensity and duration of tropical cyclones has climate scientists asking whether a new classification needs to be created: a category-six storm.
The Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale currently runs in severity from one to five, with five describing near-total destruction.
But climate scientists meeting at a conference in the New Zealand city of Wellington have floated the idea of creating a category six to reflect the increasing severity of tropical cyclones in the wake of warming sea temperatures and climate change.
Asian typhoons becoming more intense, study finds
Read more
Climatologist Michael Mann, the director of the Earth system science center at Penn State University said the current scale could be viewed as increasingly outdated.
“Scientifically, [six] would be a better description of the strength of 200mph (320km/h) storms, and it would also better communicate the well-established finding now that climate change is making the strongest storms even stronger,” he said.
He pointed out that category five was previously considered the highest category necessary because it led to essentially total destruction of human infrastructure. But that was no longer true owing to sturdier construction
“Since the scale is now used as much in a scientific context as it is a damage assessment context, it makes sense to introduce a category six to describe the unprecedented strength 200mph storms we’ve seen over the past few years both globally [Patricia] and here in the southern hemisphere [Winston].”
•••••
Eleanor Ainge Roy
Wed 21 Feb 2018 23.13 EST
Last modified on Thu 22 Feb 2018 17.00 EST
The increasing strength, intensity and duration of tropical cyclones has climate scientists asking whether a new classification needs to be created: a category-six storm.
The Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale currently runs in severity from one to five, with five describing near-total destruction.
But climate scientists meeting at a conference in the New Zealand city of Wellington have floated the idea of creating a category six to reflect the increasing severity of tropical cyclones in the wake of warming sea temperatures and climate change.
Asian typhoons becoming more intense, study finds
Read more
Climatologist Michael Mann, the director of the Earth system science center at Penn State University said the current scale could be viewed as increasingly outdated.
“Scientifically, [six] would be a better description of the strength of 200mph (320km/h) storms, and it would also better communicate the well-established finding now that climate change is making the strongest storms even stronger,” he said.
He pointed out that category five was previously considered the highest category necessary because it led to essentially total destruction of human infrastructure. But that was no longer true owing to sturdier construction
“Since the scale is now used as much in a scientific context as it is a damage assessment context, it makes sense to introduce a category six to describe the unprecedented strength 200mph storms we’ve seen over the past few years both globally [Patricia] and here in the southern hemisphere [Winston].”
•••••
Monday, February 26, 2018
Links
More flooding expected along the Ohio River in week of deadly weather
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ohio-river-flooding-deadly-storms-rain-extreme-weather-today-2018-02-26/
Humans changed the ecosystems of Central Africa more than 2,600 years ago
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/ggph-hct022218.php
Reforesting US topsoils store massive amounts of carbon, with potential for much more
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/uom-rut022218.php
New research published today in Nature Ecology & Evolution demonstrates the extraordinary value of Earth's remaining intact forests for addressing climate change and protecting wildlife, critical watersheds, indigenous cultures, and human health.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/wcs-ssc022218.php
Global levels of ethane and propane in the atmosphere have been underestimated by more than 50%, new research involving scientists at the University of York has revealed.
These hydrocarbons are particularly harmful in large cities where, through chemical reactions with emissions from cars, they form ozone - a greenhouse gas which is a key component of smog and directly linked to increases in mortality.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/uoy-gff022618.php
Children from low-income neighborhoods had a higher mortality rate and higher hospital costs after heart surgery compared with those from higher-income neighborhoods, found a national study of more than 86,000 kids with congenital heart disease. The magnitude of the neighborhood effect, which persisted even after accounting for race, type of insurance, and hospital, was similar for children of all disease severities.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/cumc-kfl022018.php
Almost all adolescents in an economically disadvantaged urban population exposed to tobacco smoke
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/aafc-aaa022018.php
Fear and hoping: Adding hope to health messages may motivate better behaviors
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/ps-fah022218.php
Being raised in greener neighborhoods may have beneficial effects on brain development
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/uoc--bri022218.php
Study: Police use of force is rare, as are significant injuries to suspects
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/wfbm-spu022318.php
At most US maternity units, women in labor are put on nil per os (NPO) status--they're not allowed to eat or drink anything, except ice chips. But new nursing research questions that policy, showing no increase in risks for women who are allowed to eat and drink during labor.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/wkh-ico022318.php
Simplified talk therapy helps ease chronic pain for disadvantaged populations
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/acop-stt022018.php
Cardiac arrest survival greatly increases when bystanders use an automated external defibrillator
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/aha-cas022118.php
A lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet, which includes eggs and dairy but excludes meat and fish, and a Mediterranean diet are likely equally effective in reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke, according to new research in the American Heart Association's journal Circulation.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/aha-vam022118.php
Residents who lived near vacant land that had been restored reported a significantly reduced perception of crime and vandalism as well as increased feelings of safety and use of outside spaces for socializing, according to a new study at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. Police reports matched these perceptions showing significant reductions in overall crime, including gun violence, and nuisances.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/cums-rca022218.php
Immune system activation in pregnant women can shape brain development in their babies
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/chla-isa022218.php
Researchers find low magnesium levels make vitamin D ineffective
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/aoa-rfl022318.php
NIH researchers find a potential treatment for disorders involving excess red blood cells
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/nksn-nrf022318.php
New study shows repurposing leukemia drugs may prevent melanoma metastasis
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/uok-nss022618.php
Eating a diet that emphasizes vegetables, fruit and whole grains it may lead to a reduced risk of depression, according to a study by researchers at Rush University Medical Center.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/rumc-dda022618.php
Sea Level Rise Damaging More U.S. Bases, Former Top Military Brass Warn
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/26022018/sea-level-rise-military-bases-damaged-national-security-risk-report-admirals-generals
He's A Republican. But will Vote Democratic And Support Impeachment
http://www.wbur.org/cognoscenti/2018/02/22/extreme-solutions-rich-barlow
Check offenders for history of head injuries, experts say
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/uoe-cof022318.php
Public Release: 26-Feb-2018
Check offenders for history of head injuries, experts say
University of Exeter
Offenders should be routinely checked for signs of past head injuries, researchers say.
When a person enters the justice system, there is an "opportunity" to screen them for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), which could help to better support their medical needs.
TBI is linked to greater violence and to problems when in prison, so better support could help to reduce the likelihood of offending or re-offending, and reduce the societal costs of incarceration.
The call comes from researchers who reviewed existing evidence and concluded that young people with TBI are at greater risk of early, more violent offending.
They propose that this may be because TBI can compromise the neurological functions for self-regulation and social behaviour, and increases risk of behavioural and psychiatric disorders.
The study also found that young offenders with TBI are particularly at risk of self-harm and suicidal behaviour.
•••••
Public Release: 26-Feb-2018
Check offenders for history of head injuries, experts say
University of Exeter
Offenders should be routinely checked for signs of past head injuries, researchers say.
When a person enters the justice system, there is an "opportunity" to screen them for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), which could help to better support their medical needs.
TBI is linked to greater violence and to problems when in prison, so better support could help to reduce the likelihood of offending or re-offending, and reduce the societal costs of incarceration.
The call comes from researchers who reviewed existing evidence and concluded that young people with TBI are at greater risk of early, more violent offending.
They propose that this may be because TBI can compromise the neurological functions for self-regulation and social behaviour, and increases risk of behavioural and psychiatric disorders.
The study also found that young offenders with TBI are particularly at risk of self-harm and suicidal behaviour.
•••••
A Wave of Corporate Propaganda Is Boosting Trump’s Tax Cuts
https://www.thenation.com/article/a-wave-of-corporate-propaganda-is-boosting-trumps-tax-cuts/
By Joshua Holland
February 23, 2018
Three major business groups alone—the US Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Realtors, and the Business Roundtable—spent $56 million in the last three months of 2017 lobbying Congress to give them a massive tax cut. According to Public Citizen, 6,243 lobbyists—more than half of the total number of active lobbyists in DC—worked on the bill, which works out to 11 for each and every lawmaker in Congress.
For their effort, they got massive, permanent cuts to the corporate-tax rate. Republicans had talked about closing loopholes so that their cuts wouldn’t blow up the deficit, but that fell by the wayside, and in the end we’ll mostly be financing this huge giveaway through public debt.
Now many of the corporations that lobbied for the bill are trying to make what began as a historically unpopular law more palatable with a series of high-profile announcements crediting the tax cuts for investments that they’d already planned to make or touting one-time bonuses for workers.
•••••
Disney made headlines when it announced that it would give 125,000 theme-park workers a $1,000 bonus as a result of the cuts, but now the company is threatening to withhold those payouts from its unionized workers if they don’t accept an offer for a new contract with a 50-cent hourly wage increase—an offer the union rejected in December.
•••••
An analysis by Morgan Stanley earlier this month found that “only 13% of companies’ tax cut savings will go to pay raises, bonuses and employee benefits,” while “43% will go to investors in the form of stock buybacks and dividends.” That’s a very different picture than the one being painted by companies like Walmart, ExxonMobil, and Disney.
•••••
There’s a reason businesses are eager to tout purported benefits of the tax law for workers. “They know that the American public is deeply opposed to giving big tax breaks to corporations,” says Frank Clemente, executive director of Americans for Tax Fairness, says. “Everything the business community does in the normal course of business is going to be spun as a result of the tax breaks because they were reading the same polls that we were reading, and they knew that they needed to change this dynamic.”
The tax bill itself incentivized companies to announce bonuses right away. Because of a quirk written into the law, corporations could deduct bonuses if they announced them in 2017, but not if they offered them—or higher wages—in 2018.
•••••
By Joshua Holland
February 23, 2018
Three major business groups alone—the US Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Realtors, and the Business Roundtable—spent $56 million in the last three months of 2017 lobbying Congress to give them a massive tax cut. According to Public Citizen, 6,243 lobbyists—more than half of the total number of active lobbyists in DC—worked on the bill, which works out to 11 for each and every lawmaker in Congress.
For their effort, they got massive, permanent cuts to the corporate-tax rate. Republicans had talked about closing loopholes so that their cuts wouldn’t blow up the deficit, but that fell by the wayside, and in the end we’ll mostly be financing this huge giveaway through public debt.
Now many of the corporations that lobbied for the bill are trying to make what began as a historically unpopular law more palatable with a series of high-profile announcements crediting the tax cuts for investments that they’d already planned to make or touting one-time bonuses for workers.
•••••
Disney made headlines when it announced that it would give 125,000 theme-park workers a $1,000 bonus as a result of the cuts, but now the company is threatening to withhold those payouts from its unionized workers if they don’t accept an offer for a new contract with a 50-cent hourly wage increase—an offer the union rejected in December.
•••••
An analysis by Morgan Stanley earlier this month found that “only 13% of companies’ tax cut savings will go to pay raises, bonuses and employee benefits,” while “43% will go to investors in the form of stock buybacks and dividends.” That’s a very different picture than the one being painted by companies like Walmart, ExxonMobil, and Disney.
•••••
There’s a reason businesses are eager to tout purported benefits of the tax law for workers. “They know that the American public is deeply opposed to giving big tax breaks to corporations,” says Frank Clemente, executive director of Americans for Tax Fairness, says. “Everything the business community does in the normal course of business is going to be spun as a result of the tax breaks because they were reading the same polls that we were reading, and they knew that they needed to change this dynamic.”
The tax bill itself incentivized companies to announce bonuses right away. Because of a quirk written into the law, corporations could deduct bonuses if they announced them in 2017, but not if they offered them—or higher wages—in 2018.
•••••
Links
Antarctica's king penguins 'could disappear' by the end of the century
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/feb/26/antarcticas-king-penguins-could-disappear-by-the-end-of-the-century
West Virginia might consider legal action to strong-arm its striking teachers
[republicans prate about "freedom" when it comes to things like allowing business to pollute, but they are fond of forced labor for public employees.]
http://theweek.com/speedreads/757553/west-virginia-might-consider-legal-action-strongarm-striking-teachers
All of West Virginia’s public school teachers are on strike
West Virginia’s teachers are the 48th-lowest-paid in the country.
Thousands of teachers, parents, and supporters descended on West Virginia’s Capitol in Charleston on Thursday and Friday to protest. “
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/2/24/17048162/west-virginia-teacher-strike-public-schools
Republican tax cuts will hurt Americans. And Democrats will pay the price
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/nov/20/republican-tax-cuts-democrats
Children Struggle To Hold Pencils Due To Excessive Use Of iPads
http://www.techtimes.com/articles/221878/20180226/children-struggle-to-hold-pencils-due-to-excessive-use-of-ipads.htm
Beech trees are booming in the woodlands of the northeastern United States amid a changing climate, however, scientists warned this is not a good thing.
http://www.techtimes.com/articles/221889/20180226/beech-trees-are-booming-in-forests-because-of-climate-change.htm
New Report on Emerging AI Risks Paints a Grim Future
https://gizmodo.com/new-report-on-ai-risks-paints-a-grim-future-1823191087
Sunday, February 25, 2018
Links
Record Atmospheric Moisture Feeding Central U.S. Flooding
https://www.wunderground.com/cat6/record-atmospheric-moisture-feeding-central-us-flooding
Summer in February! 80° in Massachusetts, 78° in NYC
https://www.wunderground.com/cat6/summer-february-80-massachusetts-78-nyc
Global Warming Linked to Severe Weather
https://www.ucsusa.org/global-warming/science-and-impacts/impacts/global-warming-rain-snow-tornadoes.html#.WpHMFOeQw2w
Cincinnati flooding: 70 structures flooded in Clermont County, river to crest tonight, a record rainy day
https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2018/02/25/cincinnati-flooding-day-record-rainfall-worsens-road-flooding-prompts-water-rescues/370447002/
3 dead after tornado, flooding from central U.S. storms
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-severe-weather-arkansas-kentucky-20180225-story.html
One Teacher’s Brilliant Strategy to Stop Future School Shootings—and It’s Not About Guns
https://www.rd.com/advice/parenting/stop-bullying-strategy/#.WopkbPgsQtQ.facebook
A legal scholar lambastes a Truthout article claiming that the Second Amendment was for preserving slave-patrol militias.
https://www.theroot.com/2nd-amendment-passed-to-protect-slavery-no-1790894965
Conservatives amplified Russian trolls 30 times more often than liberals in 2016
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/2/24/17047880/conservatives-amplified-russian-trolls-more-often-than-liberals
Is the USA more free and open than the UK? Is there something that one can do only in the USA and not in the United Kingdom?
https://www.quora.com/Is-the-USA-more-free-and-open-than-the-UK-Is-there-something-that-one-can-do-only-in-the-USA-and-not-in-the-United-Kingdom
Over 100 Charges, 19 People and 3 Companies: The Mueller Inquiry, Explained
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/23/us/politics/mueller-investigation-charges.html
Global Warming Linked to Severe Weather
https://www.ucsusa.org/global-warming/science-and-impacts/impacts/global-warming-rain-snow-tornadoes.html#.WpHMFOeQw2w
Saturday, February 24, 2018
Links
Fears grow as rightwing billionaires battle to erode US union rights
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/feb/24/rightwing-billionaires-union-rights
East Coast Shatters Temperature Records, Offering Preview to a Warming World
Summer-like temps in February, extreme rainfall, a snow drought. This is happening more often—and in line with what scientists warn to expect with climate change.
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/21022018/february-record-high-temperature-east-coast-arctic-climate-change-nws
The Soul-Crushing Legacy of Billy Graham
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/the-soul-crushing-legacy-of-billy-graham-w517067
If you live in Florida, doctors say climate change is already affecting your health
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/environment/article199310404.html
The evolution of a one-time climate 'skeptic'
https://www.yaleclimateconnections.org/2018/02/the-evolution-of-a-one-time-climate-skeptic/
Lead and Other Toxic Metals Found in E-Cigarette ‘Vapors’
https://www.jhsph.edu/news/news-releases/2018/study-lead-and-other-toxic-metals-found-in-e-cigarette-vapors.html
Feb. 23, 2018
America Public Media's Marketplace just had a piece on why the recovery from the great recession was so slow. They mentioned the possibility of "secular stagnation", and Trump's blaming it on Obama. No mention of the fact that the republican Congress deliberately blocked most of President Obama's attempts to stimulate the economy, in hopes it would result in their own party gaining the presidency. They are loyal to their big donors.
Doctors Said Immunotherapy Would Not Cure Her Cancer. They Were Wrong.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/19/health/ovarian-cancer-immunotherapy.html
http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/375195-job-ad-reveals-work-of-russian-troll-farm-employees
Come the Recession, Don’t Count on That Safety Net
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/20/business/economy/recession-safety-net.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
Examples of Russian Facebook fake ads.
https://www.ajc.com/news/world/did-you-fall-for-these-fake-ads-how-russian-trolls-got-into-your-facebook-feeds/q1BxFh6iIfIb0SgxAutKcP/
Absolute poverty: when necessity displaces desire
http://microeconomicinsights.org/absolute-poverty-necessity-displaces-desire/
Increasing inequality
https://thefuturescentre.org/trend-card/increasing-inequality
Last updated: 4 March 2016
•••••
Income inequality has a tendency to negatively impact subsequent economic growth and can result in a range of health, social and environmental problems. It can also hinder the adoption of sustainable strategies and behaviours such as climate mitigation and adaptation.
•••••
A 2016 report by Oxfam reports that 62 people now own as much wealth as 3.5 billion of the world’s poorest people, who make up 50% of the world’s population. The number of super-rich individuals has increased by 44% since 2010 and tax havens have helped corporations and such individuals stash away an estimated US$7.6 trillion, depriving governments of US$190 billion in tax revenue every year.
On the other hand, half the world’s wealth (defined as the value of assets including property and stock market investments, but excludes debt) is now in the hands of just 1% of the population. According to Credit Suisse, a person needs only US$3,210 in savings to be in the wealthiest 50% of world citizens. About $68,800 secures a place in the top 10%, while the top 1% have more than $759,900.
•••••
Rising income inequality within countries means there is greater potential for social unrest.
•••••
Extremely impoverished people are at most risk from climate change, water scarcity, flooding, limited access to energy and land degradation. This is mainly because they have the fewest resources to adapt or recover quickly from shocks and they often live on the most vulnerable land that tends to be the most affordable, such as homes along creeks that flood or on hillsides prone to landslides, or farmland with limited water access. These issues will continue to have a disproportionate impact on the world’s poorest people, and could form reinforcing feedback loops unless solutions to eradicate poverty and increase resilience are undertaken in earnest.
•••••
Last updated: 4 March 2016
•••••
Income inequality has a tendency to negatively impact subsequent economic growth and can result in a range of health, social and environmental problems. It can also hinder the adoption of sustainable strategies and behaviours such as climate mitigation and adaptation.
•••••
A 2016 report by Oxfam reports that 62 people now own as much wealth as 3.5 billion of the world’s poorest people, who make up 50% of the world’s population. The number of super-rich individuals has increased by 44% since 2010 and tax havens have helped corporations and such individuals stash away an estimated US$7.6 trillion, depriving governments of US$190 billion in tax revenue every year.
On the other hand, half the world’s wealth (defined as the value of assets including property and stock market investments, but excludes debt) is now in the hands of just 1% of the population. According to Credit Suisse, a person needs only US$3,210 in savings to be in the wealthiest 50% of world citizens. About $68,800 secures a place in the top 10%, while the top 1% have more than $759,900.
•••••
Rising income inequality within countries means there is greater potential for social unrest.
•••••
Extremely impoverished people are at most risk from climate change, water scarcity, flooding, limited access to energy and land degradation. This is mainly because they have the fewest resources to adapt or recover quickly from shocks and they often live on the most vulnerable land that tends to be the most affordable, such as homes along creeks that flood or on hillsides prone to landslides, or farmland with limited water access. These issues will continue to have a disproportionate impact on the world’s poorest people, and could form reinforcing feedback loops unless solutions to eradicate poverty and increase resilience are undertaken in earnest.
•••••
Friday, February 23, 2018
Absolute poverty: when necessity displaces desire
20 February 2018 Authors: Robert Allen (New York University, Abu Dhabi)
•••••
There already exists a widely recognized metric for measuring poverty–the World Bank’s famous $-a-day poverty line. However, this measure does not account for differences in basic needs across countries. For example, the clothing, housing, and heating needs for a poor person living in a cold northern country are very different from what is needed for a poor resident of a warm southern country, and the prices of these goods vary across developed and undeveloped nations.
•••••
The World Bank poverty lines account for differences in prices across countries, but there is no allowance for differences in needs. In my paper, I explore an alternative approach to setting a poverty line that specifies a reference budget defined in terms of the basic needs for each country.
•••••
Basic needs include food and non-food goods like clothing, fuel, and housing. I compute the poverty line for twenty countries using data from 2011. The countries in the sample range from very poor countries south of the Sahara to the USA, UK, and France. Many Asian countries including China and India are included. My line comes closest to matching the WBPL for the sub-Saharan countries. In other cases, I compute higher lines reflecting differences in dietary regimes, climate, and real estate markets.
•••••
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals require the World Bank to use its poverty line to track the number of poor people in every country–not just the developing countries that it has been focusing on. It is imperative, therefore, to define the poverty line in a way that allows clothing and heating, for instance, to vary with the temperature. The clothing and fuel needed to survive the winter in Niger are not enough to survive in New York.
•••••
Another surprising result is that the BNPL indicates there are millions of people living in absolute poverty even in the richest countries–0.6% of the population in France, 1% in the UK, and 1.5% in the USA.
•••••
Thursday, February 22, 2018
The Economic Roots of the Rise of Trumpism
John Komlos
Jan. 2018
Donald Trump won the election in 2016 largely because enough voters in three states, all in the Rustbelt, who had voted for Barack Obama in both 2008 and 2012, switched their vote from Democratic to Republican. Economic dislocations played a cruc ial role in these swing states or democratic strongholds to persuade many voters to take the dramatic step to vote for an anti-establishment candidate even if that meant a leap of faith into the unknown. The sources of the dislocation were the development of a dual economy characterized at one end by low and stagnating wages, increasing debt, downward social mobility, declining relative incomes, and the hopelessness accompanying them while at the other end of the income distribution the economy was simply booming. This was longer than a three -decade process that started with Reaganomics and its tax cuts that privileged the rich and conferred immense wealth, and its concomitant, political power, on them. Reaganomics also accelerated the decline in the power o f unions which had supported the middle class. The process continued under Bill Clinton’s administration and its continuing both financial deregulation and of hyper -globalization. George Bush continued to pamper the superrich with his tax policies. The process culminated with Barack Obama’s bailing out the superrich and his benign neglect of Mainstreet.
•••••
Real median household income in Ohio, Wisconsin, and Michigan is still $5,900, $6,000, and $9,300 below its level at the end of the 20th century.
•••••
Links
Flooding in a lot of places in the Americas, including the U.S.
Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Ohio, Ontario Canada, W. Virginia., Brazil, Bolivia, Kentucky, Virginia, Argentina
http://floodlist.com/america
East Coast Shatters Temperature Records, Offering Preview to a Warming World
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/21022018/february-record-high-temperature-east-coast-arctic-climate-change-nws
People find comfort listening to the same songs over and over, study finds
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-02-people-comfort-songs.html
Living in Switzerland ruined me for America and its lousy work culture
https://getpocket.com/explore/item/living-in-switzerland-ruined-me-for-america-and-its-lousy-work-culture-987981365
What's Actually Behind Cape Town's Water Crisis
https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2018/02/cape-town-water-crisis/553076/
What this provisional data appears to show is that when isolated people who have health problems are supported by community groups and volunteers, the number of emergency admissions to hospital falls spectacularly.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/feb/21/town-cure-illness-community-frome-somerset-isolation
One cigarette a day 'increases heart disease and stroke risk'
[Of course, this implies second hand smoke damages health.]
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-42802191
Hackers stole more than half a billion dollars in cryptocurrencies from Japanese exchange Coincheck last week — and experts say investors can expect more such attacks.
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/29/after-500-million-japan-cryptocurrency-theft-heres-how-to-keep-yours-secure.html
Wednesday, February 21, 2018
Links
Climate change 'will push European cities towards breaking point'
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/feb/21/climate-change-will-push-european-cities-towards-breaking-point
Much work needed' to make digital economy environmentally sustainable
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/feb/20/much-work-needed-to-make-digital-economy-environmentally-sustainable
How to Raise a Sweet Son in an Era of Angry Men
[I've seen women tell their little boys "Be a big boy, don't cry", when they are hurt or scared. Then women complain because men are insensitive.]
http://time.com/5045028/raising-boys-faith-salie/
Kratom linked to dozens of illnesses from salmonella
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kratom-salmonella-fda-cdc-warning/
Ozone at lower latitudes is not recovering, despite Antarctic ozone hole healing
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/icl-oal020218.php
New fuel standards will decrease childhood asthma cases
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/uod-nfs020618.php
Increased UV from ozone depletion sterilizes trees
Evidence links volcanoes to Earth's largest mass extinction 252 million years ago
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/uoc--iuf020118.php
Geologist James Kennett and colleagues provide evidence for a massive biomass burning event at the Younger Dryas Boundary
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/uoc--tbb020718.php
A combination of archival and experimental studies indicates that exposure to air pollution, either physically or mentally, is linked with unethical behavior such as crime and cheating. The experimental findings suggest that this association may be due, at least in part, to increased anxiety.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/afps-pam020718.php
Thousands of lives would be saved each year, and many more serious illnesses avoided, if U.S. counties met standards set by the American Thoracic Society for the two most important air pollutants
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/ats-tol020718.php
A major new study confirms that a diet high in fruit and vegetables is better for the planet than one high in animal products. The study also finds that organic food provides significant, additional climate benefits for plant-based diets, but not for diets with only moderate contribution from plant products
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/f-ofp020518.php
Small gold mines in Senegal create high mercury contamination
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/du-sgm020818.php
Global warming could cause key culinary crops to release seeds prematurely
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/cp-gwc020718.php
Twenty-five years of satellite data confirm rising sea levels
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/uosf-2os020718.php
Lightning Helps Fertilize The Soil
https://indianapublicmedia.org/amomentofscience/lightening-helps-fertilize-soil/
http://www.biology-pages.info/N/NitrogenCycle.html
Lightning storms less likely in a warming planet, study suggests
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/uoe-lsl021218.php
By 2100, arid cities will suffer from more severe heat waves than temperate cities
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/puww-b2a021318.php
This Lady Scientist Defined the Greenhouse Effect But Didn’t Get the Credit, Because of Sexism
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/lady-scientist-helped-revolutionize-climate-science-didnt-get-credit-180961291/#dsyiJGVrwHkT3Pd6.99
Pride tops guilt as a motivator for environmental decisions
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/puww-ptg021318.php
Estrogens in treated wastewater that find their way into temporary wetlands known as vernal pools persist for weeks or even months, according to researchers, who suggest that persistence may have implications for these critical aquatic habitats.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/ps-ppo021318.php
Fracking tied to reduced songbird nesting success
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/aosp-ftt020718.php
A study by Indiana University researchers shows that excess emissions -- which occur with plant shut-downs, start-ups and malfunctions, and not just in connection with natural disasters -- can make serious contributions to overall air pollution.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/iu-em021318.php
Thermal blankets melt snow quickly
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/acs-tbm021418.php
Chemical products that contain compounds refined from petroleum, like household cleaners, pesticides, paints and perfumes, now rival motor vehicle emissions as the top source of urban air pollution
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/uoca-cai020718.php
Genetics makes Asians, Europeans susceptible to dengue shock syndrome
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/p-gma020718.php
Short kids may have higher future stroke risk
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/aha-skm020918.php
Rapid pollution increases may be as harmful to the heart as absolute levels
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/esoc-rpi021318.php
Eating yogurt may reduce cardiovascular disease risk
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/oupu-eym021418.php
New guideline warns pain benefits of medical cannabis overstated
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/uoaf-ngw021418.php
tags: drug abuse
Elementary school children who read below grade level may have challenges with their eyesight even if standard tests show they see 20/20,
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/uow-eel021418.php
A drug commonly used to control high blood pressure may also help prevent the onset of type 1 diabetes in up to 60 percent of those at risk for the disease, according to researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and the University of Florida in Gainesville.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/uoca-rfe021518.php
Women with asthma who only use short-acting asthma relievers take longer to become pregnant than other women, according to international research led by the University of Adelaide.
However, the study of more than 5600 women in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Ireland also shows that women with asthma who use long-acting asthma preventers conceive as quickly as other women.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/uoa-aml021518.php
Not being aware of memory problems predicts onset of Alzheimer's disease
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/mu-nba021518.php
Early introduction of peanuts into the diet can prevent the development of peanut allergy in high-risk infants
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/wkh-rpa021518.php
Affordable Care Act lowered uninsured rate for cancer survivors
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/wkh-aca021518.php
Romantic relationships buffer gay and lesbian youth from emotional distress
Romantic involvement was associated with higher psychological distress for bisexual individuals, however, the study also showed.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/nu-rrb021518.php
Hearing loss is common after infant heart surgery
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/chop-hli021518.php
New research in mice has found that a father's stress affects the brain development of his offspring. This stress changes the father's sperm, which can then alter the brain development of the child.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/uoms-nri021218.php
Women who work as cleaners or regularly use cleaning sprays or other cleaning products at home appear to experience a greater decline in lung function over time than women who do not clean
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/ats-wwc021318.php
High levels of microplastics found in Northwest Atlantic fish
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/f-hlo021618.php
Contemporary population estimates suggest that like cigarette-only smokers, current cigar-only and pipe-only smokers have a higher risk of dying from cancers known to be caused by tobacco, and cigarette and cigar smokers have a higher risk of death from any cause compared with people who never used tobacco.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/jn-aor021518.php
Biodiversity loss raises risk of 'extinction cascades'
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/uoe-blr021618.php
Electrical implant reduces 'invisible' symptoms of man's spinal cord injury
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/uobc-eir021618.php
In Jan. 2014, Russian predicted Trump would become president.
https://politics.myajc.com/news/opinion-blogs/opinion-here-curious-thing/m14AxcrUgHZNmB6y6kA6SO/
January 2018: Earth's 5th Warmest January on Record
https://www.wunderground.com/cat6/january-2018-earths-5th-warmest-january-record
Dr. Jeff Masters · February 19, 2018
January 2018 was the planet's fifth warmest January since record keeping began in 1880, said NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) on Tuesday. NASA also rated January 2018 as the fifth warmest January on record, with the only warmer Januarys being 2016, 2017, 2007 and 2015. Global ocean temperatures during January 2018 were the fifth warmest on record, and global land temperatures were the eighth warmest on record. Global satellite-measured temperatures in January 2018 for the lowest 8 km of the atmosphere were the tenth warmest in the 40-year record, according to the University of Alabama Huntsville (UAH) and RSS.
•••••
La Niña conditions remained over the equatorial Pacific during the past month, said NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center (CPC) in its February 8 monthly advisory. They predicted that the current weak La Niña event that began in August 2017 is near its end, with a 55% chance that it will transition to a neutral state during the March – May timeframe.
•••••
Arctic sea ice extent during January 2018 was the lowest in the 39-year satellite record, beating the record set in January 2017, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). Near-surface air temperatures (about 2,500 feet above sea level) were unusually high over the Arctic Ocean in January, with nearly all of the region 3 degrees Celsius (5 degrees Fahrenheit) or more above average. Antarctic sea ice extent in January 2018 was the second lowest on record, behind the record set in 2017.
•••••
Dr. Jeff Masters · February 19, 2018
January 2018 was the planet's fifth warmest January since record keeping began in 1880, said NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) on Tuesday. NASA also rated January 2018 as the fifth warmest January on record, with the only warmer Januarys being 2016, 2017, 2007 and 2015. Global ocean temperatures during January 2018 were the fifth warmest on record, and global land temperatures were the eighth warmest on record. Global satellite-measured temperatures in January 2018 for the lowest 8 km of the atmosphere were the tenth warmest in the 40-year record, according to the University of Alabama Huntsville (UAH) and RSS.
•••••
La Niña conditions remained over the equatorial Pacific during the past month, said NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center (CPC) in its February 8 monthly advisory. They predicted that the current weak La Niña event that began in August 2017 is near its end, with a 55% chance that it will transition to a neutral state during the March – May timeframe.
•••••
Arctic sea ice extent during January 2018 was the lowest in the 39-year satellite record, beating the record set in January 2017, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). Near-surface air temperatures (about 2,500 feet above sea level) were unusually high over the Arctic Ocean in January, with nearly all of the region 3 degrees Celsius (5 degrees Fahrenheit) or more above average. Antarctic sea ice extent in January 2018 was the second lowest on record, behind the record set in 2017.
•••••
Tuesday, February 20, 2018
Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders, and Jill Stein all appear to have been helped by Russian election interference
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/2/16/17021248/russian-election-interference-sanders-stein-trump
By Rachel Wolfe Feb 16, 2018
Friday afternoon, the Justice Department released an indictment that’s part of the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election led by special counsel Robert Mueller.
The indictment outlines the lengths Russia went to influence the election in favor of Donald Trump and against Hillary Clinton — including by supporting Bernie Sanders (and, later, Jill Stein).
The Russian operations on social media were meant to communicate derogatory information about Hillary Clinton and other candidates, including Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio. And they were supposed to support Sanders and Trump.
“Use any opportunity to criticize Hillary and the rest (except Sanders and Trump—we support them),” they were directed, according to the indictment.
•••••
Around September 14 in 2016, for example, one “account specialist” of a Russian-controlled Facebook group called “Secured Borders” was reprimanded for having a “low number of posts dedicated to criticizing Hillary Clinton.”
The specialist was also told, “it is imperative to intensify criticizing Hillary Clinton.”
Later on, Russian operatives used accounts they controlled — including an account called “Woke Blacks” and “Blacktivist” — to urge Americans to vote for third-party candidates or not to vote at all. “Choose peace and vote for Jill Stein,” one such message read. “Trust me, it’s not a wasted vote.”
•••••
By Rachel Wolfe Feb 16, 2018
Friday afternoon, the Justice Department released an indictment that’s part of the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election led by special counsel Robert Mueller.
The indictment outlines the lengths Russia went to influence the election in favor of Donald Trump and against Hillary Clinton — including by supporting Bernie Sanders (and, later, Jill Stein).
The Russian operations on social media were meant to communicate derogatory information about Hillary Clinton and other candidates, including Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio. And they were supposed to support Sanders and Trump.
“Use any opportunity to criticize Hillary and the rest (except Sanders and Trump—we support them),” they were directed, according to the indictment.
•••••
Around September 14 in 2016, for example, one “account specialist” of a Russian-controlled Facebook group called “Secured Borders” was reprimanded for having a “low number of posts dedicated to criticizing Hillary Clinton.”
The specialist was also told, “it is imperative to intensify criticizing Hillary Clinton.”
Later on, Russian operatives used accounts they controlled — including an account called “Woke Blacks” and “Blacktivist” — to urge Americans to vote for third-party candidates or not to vote at all. “Choose peace and vote for Jill Stein,” one such message read. “Trust me, it’s not a wasted vote.”
•••••
Newborn survival rates in US only slightly better than in Sri Lanka
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/feb/20/newborn-babies-survival-rates-us-united-states-slightly-better-sri-lanka
Please contribute to The Guardian, so they can continue to operate w/o a pay wall.
Karen McVeigh
Tue 20 Feb 2018 01.00 EST
Last modified on Tue 20 Feb 2018 10.16 EST
The risk of dying as a newborn in the US is only slightly lower than the risk for babies in Sri Lanka and Ukraine, according to Unicef.
A report by the UN children’s agency found that five newborn babies die around the world every minute, or about 2.6 million every year. The figure is described as “alarmingly high”, particularly as 80% of these deaths are from preventable causes.
•••••
The risk of dying as a newborn, which is closely linked to income level of countries, varies enormously. Babies born in Japan, Singapore and Iceland stand the best chance of survival, while those in Pakistan, Central African Republic and Afghanistan face the worst odds, according to the report, which looks at the 10 most dangerous places to be born.
A baby born in Pakistan is almost 50 times more likely to die within its first month of life than a baby born in Japan, it found.
But a country’s income explains only part of the story. In Kuwait and the United States, both high-income countries, the newborn mortality rate is 4.4 and 3.7 per 1,000 live births, only slightly better than Sri Lanka and Ukraine, where the rate is 5.3 and 5.4.
•••••
Across the world, babies born into the poorest families are 40% more likely to die in the first month than those born into the richest.
•••••
The report notes that eight of the 10 most dangerous places to be born are in sub-Saharan Africa, where pregnant women are much less likely to receive assistance during delivery due to poverty, conflict and weak institutions.
Rwanda, a low-income country, has halved its newborn mortality rate in the last two decades, due to strong health systems, from 41 in 1990 to 17 in 2016.
Babies born to mothers who have had no education face almost twice the risk of dying than those born to mothers with secondary education, it said.
'I don't live any more': Zika takes a heavy toll on families in Brazil
Read more
More than 80% of newborn deaths are due to prematurity, complications during birth, or infections such as pneumonia and sepsis. Such deaths can be prevented with access to trained midwives, clean water, disinfectants, breastfeeding within the first hour, skin-to-skin contact and good nutrition.
However, the report points out, while there are 218 doctors, nurses and midwives in Norway per 10,000 people, that ratio falls to one per 10,000 in Somalia.
•••••
Monday, February 19, 2018
Links
Ozone at lower latitudes is not recovering, despite Antarctic ozone hole healing
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/icl-oal020218.php
New fuel standards will decrease childhood asthma cases
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/uod-nfs020618.php
Increased UV from ozone depletion sterilizes trees
Evidence links volcanoes to Earth's largest mass extinction 252 million years ago
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/uoc--iuf020118.php
Geologist James Kennett and colleagues provide evidence for a massive biomass burning event at the Younger Dryas Boundary
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/uoc--tbb020718.php
A combination of archival and experimental studies indicates that exposure to air pollution, either physically or mentally, is linked with unethical behavior such as crime and cheating. The experimental findings suggest that this association may be due, at least in part, to increased anxiety.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/afps-pam020718.php
Thousands of lives would be saved each year, and many more serious illnesses avoided, if U.S. counties met standards set by the American Thoracic Society for the two most important air pollutants
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/ats-tol020718.php
A major new study confirms that a diet high in fruit and vegetables is better for the planet than one high in animal products. The study also finds that organic food provides significant, additional climate benefits for plant-based diets, but not for diets with only moderate contribution from plant products
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/f-ofp020518.php
Small gold mines in Senegal create high mercury contamination
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/du-sgm020818.php
Global warming could cause key culinary crops to release seeds prematurely
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/cp-gwc020718.php
Twenty-five years of satellite data confirm rising sea levels
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/uosf-2os020718.php
Lightning Helps Fertilize The Soil
https://indianapublicmedia.org/amomentofscience/lightening-helps-fertilize-soil/
http://www.biology-pages.info/N/NitrogenCycle.html
Lightning storms less likely in a warming planet, study suggests
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/uoe-lsl021218.php
By 2100, arid cities will suffer from more severe heat waves than temperate cities
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/puww-b2a021318.php
This Lady Scientist Defined the Greenhouse Effect But Didn’t Get the Credit, Because of Sexism
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/lady-scientist-helped-revolutionize-climate-science-didnt-get-credit-180961291/#dsyiJGVrwHkT3Pd6.99
Pride tops guilt as a motivator for environmental decisions
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/puww-ptg021318.php
Estrogens in treated wastewater that find their way into temporary wetlands known as vernal pools persist for weeks or even months, according to researchers, who suggest that persistence may have implications for these critical aquatic habitats.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/ps-ppo021318.php
Fracking tied to reduced songbird nesting success
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/aosp-ftt020718.php
A study by Indiana University researchers shows that excess emissions -- which occur with plant shut-downs, start-ups and malfunctions, and not just in connection with natural disasters -- can make serious contributions to overall air pollution.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/iu-em021318.php
Thermal blankets melt snow quickly
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/acs-tbm021418.php
Chemical products that contain compounds refined from petroleum, like household cleaners, pesticides, paints and perfumes, now rival motor vehicle emissions as the top source of urban air pollution
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/uoca-cai020718.php
Genetics makes Asians, Europeans susceptible to dengue shock syndrome
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/p-gma020718.php
Short kids may have higher future stroke risk
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/aha-skm020918.php
Rapid pollution increases may be as harmful to the heart as absolute levels
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/esoc-rpi021318.php
Eating yogurt may reduce cardiovascular disease risk
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/oupu-eym021418.php
New guideline warns pain benefits of medical cannabis overstated
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/uoaf-ngw021418.php
tags: drug abuse
Elementary school children who read below grade level may have challenges with their eyesight even if standard tests show they see 20/20,
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/uow-eel021418.php
A drug commonly used to control high blood pressure may also help prevent the onset of type 1 diabetes in up to 60 percent of those at risk for the disease, according to researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and the University of Florida in Gainesville.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/uoca-rfe021518.php
Women with asthma who only use short-acting asthma relievers take longer to become pregnant than other women, according to international research led by the University of Adelaide.
However, the study of more than 5600 women in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Ireland also shows that women with asthma who use long-acting asthma preventers conceive as quickly as other women.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/uoa-aml021518.php
Not being aware of memory problems predicts onset of Alzheimer's disease
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/mu-nba021518.php
Early introduction of peanuts into the diet can prevent the development of peanut allergy in high-risk infants
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/wkh-rpa021518.php
Affordable Care Act lowered uninsured rate for cancer survivors
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/wkh-aca021518.php
Romantic relationships buffer gay and lesbian youth from emotional distress
Romantic involvement was associated with higher psychological distress for bisexual individuals, however, the study also showed.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/nu-rrb021518.php
Hearing loss is common after infant heart surgery
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/chop-hli021518.php
New research in mice has found that a father's stress affects the brain development of his offspring. This stress changes the father's sperm, which can then alter the brain development of the child.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/uoms-nri021218.php
Women who work as cleaners or regularly use cleaning sprays or other cleaning products at home appear to experience a greater decline in lung function over time than women who do not clean
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/ats-wwc021318.php
High levels of microplastics found in Northwest Atlantic fish
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/f-hlo021618.php
Contemporary population estimates suggest that like cigarette-only smokers, current cigar-only and pipe-only smokers have a higher risk of dying from cancers known to be caused by tobacco, and cigarette and cigar smokers have a higher risk of death from any cause compared with people who never used tobacco.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/jn-aor021518.php
Biodiversity loss raises risk of 'extinction cascades'
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/uoe-blr021618.php
Electrical implant reduces 'invisible' symptoms of man's spinal cord injury
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/uobc-eir021618.php
In Jan. 2014, Russian predicted Trump would become president.
https://politics.myajc.com/news/opinion-blogs/opinion-here-curious-thing/m14AxcrUgHZNmB6y6kA6SO/
Sunday, February 18, 2018
Links
Intelligence Agencies Warn of Climate Risks in Worldwide Threat Assessment
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/13022018/climate-change-conflict-disasters-worldwide-threat-assessment-intelligence-agencies-refugees
The Pain-Relieving Response to Being Rejected or Excluded
http://community.today.com/parentingteam/post/am-i-invisible-the-pain-relieving-response-to-being-rejected-or-excluded_1518190386?cid=sm_fbn_pt
Dog food brands recalled over possible euthanasia drug
The FDA said its preliminary evaluation of the testing results of Gravy Train samples indicated the low levels found were unlikely to pose a health risk to pets.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/18/health/dog-food-pentobarbital/index.html
Anger causes Violence
http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2014/04/anger_causes_violence_treat_it_rather_than_mental_illness_to_stop_mass_murder.html
Saturday, February 17, 2018
Links
If We Want Kids to Stop Killing, the Adults Have to Stop, Too
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/taibbi-parkland-florida-school-shooting-gun-control-nra-w516850
The media exaggerates negative news. This distortion has consequences
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/feb/17/steven-pinker-media-negative-news
The chemicals in common cleaning sprays could be detrimental to your respiratory system, according to a new report.
[My health is much better since I retired and am not wxposed to the cleaners and "air fresheners" I was forced to breathe at work.]
http://www.ajc.com/news/study-common-household-chore-just-damaging-smoking-cigarettes-day/Chr8aAPKCZxx7COYFLiWwO/
West Virginia gov. declares State of Emergency after heavy rainfall
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/west-virginia-state-of-emergency-weather-rain-forecast-today-02-17-2018/
Flu vaccine works better than feared, but it's still not great
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/flu-vaccine-works-better-feared-it-s-still-not-great-n848351
Covert Russian propaganda flooded Twitter after the Parkland shooting to stoke America's raw divides.
https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/russian-trolls-flood-twitter-after-parkland-shooting-n848471
Friday, February 16, 2018
Links
Special counsel indicts Russian nationals for interfering with U.S. elections and political processes
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/02/16/special-counsel-indicts-russian-nationals-election-interference/345720002/
Parental Use of Corporal Punishment in Europe
[Behaviour and emotional probems are FAR higher in children whose parents frequently use physical punishment.]
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4326463/
tags: child abuse
Bat Swarms Tracked by Weather Radar Reveal Earlier Migration as Planet Warms
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/14022018/bat-migration-climate-change-texas-agriculture-weather-radar-global-warming-animal-impact
Trump's gas tax would wipe out 60% of tax cut benefit for individuals, analyst estimates
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/15/trumps-gas-tax-would-wipe-out-60-percent-of-tax-cut-benefit.html
Gas Tax Revenue Isn't What It Used to Be
https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2018-02-15/gas-taxes-aren-t-paying-the-bills-for-roads-anymore
We could choose to have a kinder, less mean society. Other societies do so. A sociologist who studied many countries said that the U.S. is the most personally competitive, with people feeling they have to be THE winner, or they are a loser. Trump exemplifies this. This affects how people relate to and treat children. And we have more violence, as well as more people in jail. (Although the rate of violence has been decreasing for a couple of decades.)
I feel very sad for the victims of the Florida school shooting. I also feel sad for the shooter. Someone who does this is miserable. If we cared about children and helped them, we and our children would be safer.
Trump Proposes Deep Cuts In Detecting Disease Outbreaks Worldwide
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2018/02/12/585119417/trump-proposes-deep-cuts-in-detecting-disease-outbreaks-worldwide
Florida school shooting suspect linked to white supremacist group: ADL
http://abcnews.go.com/US/florida-school-shooting-suspect/story?id=53092753
Cuban embassy staff had concussion-like injuries, doctors say
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/cuban-embassy-staff-had-concussion-injuries-doctors-say-n848291
Borneo Has Lost 100,000 Orangutans Since 1999
https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/02/15/585983258/borneo-has-lost-100-000-orangutans-since-1999
FCC watchdog investigates chairman's role in easing way for Sinclair's acquisition of Tribune Media, congressman says
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-fcc-ajit-pai-sinclair-tribune-media-20180215-story.html
Ultra-processed foods 'linked to cancer'
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-43064290
This new text bomb crashes most Mac and iOS apps with a single unicode symbol
https://techcrunch.com/2018/02/15/iphone-text-bomb-ios-mac-crash-apple/?ncid=mobilenavtrend
Last February, Trump signed a bill making it easier for people with mental illness to buy guns
Republicans rolled back even the most modest gun regulations
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/2/15/17016036/trump-guns-mental-illness
Insider trading has been rife on Wall Street, academics conclude
https://www.economist.com/news/finance-and-economics/21736561-one-study-suggests-insiders-profited-even-global-financial-crisis-another
Thursday, February 15, 2018
Spanking Children Leads to Domestic Violence?
Written by Leah Campbell on January 11, 2018
•••••
Over the years, spanking has been the topic of quite a few research studies.
Researchers have said the disciplinary tactic can increase mental illness, make children more aggressive later in life, and even lead to less gray matter in a child’s brain.
The latest research, published in The Journal of Pediatrics, concludes that children who have been spanked have an increased risk of becoming perpetrators of domestic violence in adulthood. This increase was found even when control
•••••
“physical violence typically results in fear. Which may stop a child from repeating the behavior. They’re afraid, so they avoid engaging in whatever challenging behavior it was that produced that fear. But you aren’t actually teaching the child anything. Even if you add a conversation after the spanking, as an adult, you’re modeling physical violence as a means to an end to get a child to change their behavior. We need to think about the message that sends kids: Hitting can be used to get someone else to do what you want.”
Instead, she says, “Parents need to teach their kids to have better emotional control. And they teach that by modeling it themselves.”
•••••
tags: child abuse
Successful weight loss could be hampered by chemical compounds lurking in everyday products in your house,
https://www.livescience.com/61768-chemicals-food-wrappers-nonstick-pans-weight-gain.html
By Tereza Pultarova, Live Science Contributor | February 15, 2018
Successful weight loss could be hampered by chemical compounds lurking in everyday products in your house, a new study finds.
The study, published Feb. 13 in the journal PLOS Medicine, focused on a group of chemicals called perfluoroalkyl substances, or PFASs, that are sometimes referred to as "obesogens" because of their effects on weight.
PFASs have been used for more than 60 years in various industries — including in non-stick pans and food packaging — and have since contaminated water resources and made their way into the food chain, according to the study. For example, many shellfish contain the chemicals, said Qi Sun, assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and senior author of the study. But they can also leach into food from wrappers and can even enter a person's body through contact with treated carpets and textiles.
Previous studies have shown that PFASs have been linked to obesity, among other health problems, the study said.
"What we observed is that those chemicals … may determine how much weight people regain after dieting," Sun told Live Science. "More specifically, we found that higher levels of those chemicals [in a person's body] were associated with faster weight regain after dieting."
•••••
Interestingly, the PFAS concentrations didn't affect the people's ability to lose weight, the study found. Once the trial ended, however, those with higher levels of PFASs in their system appeared to have a harder time keeping the pounds off, and the effect was worse in women. (The study, however, did not prove-and-effect; rather, it found an association between PFASs and weight gain.)
In addition, the researchers found that "PFAS levels were also associated with a lower resting metabolic rate," Sun said. "If you have a lower resting metabolic rate, your resting metabolism is slow, [so] you are not able to burn too much energy, [and] that's why you gain weight."
•••••
In addition to weight gain, PFASs have been linked to a number of other conditions, including cancer, hormone disruption, high cholesterol and immune system dysfunction, according to the study.
•••••
By Tereza Pultarova, Live Science Contributor | February 15, 2018
Successful weight loss could be hampered by chemical compounds lurking in everyday products in your house, a new study finds.
The study, published Feb. 13 in the journal PLOS Medicine, focused on a group of chemicals called perfluoroalkyl substances, or PFASs, that are sometimes referred to as "obesogens" because of their effects on weight.
PFASs have been used for more than 60 years in various industries — including in non-stick pans and food packaging — and have since contaminated water resources and made their way into the food chain, according to the study. For example, many shellfish contain the chemicals, said Qi Sun, assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and senior author of the study. But they can also leach into food from wrappers and can even enter a person's body through contact with treated carpets and textiles.
Previous studies have shown that PFASs have been linked to obesity, among other health problems, the study said.
"What we observed is that those chemicals … may determine how much weight people regain after dieting," Sun told Live Science. "More specifically, we found that higher levels of those chemicals [in a person's body] were associated with faster weight regain after dieting."
•••••
Interestingly, the PFAS concentrations didn't affect the people's ability to lose weight, the study found. Once the trial ended, however, those with higher levels of PFASs in their system appeared to have a harder time keeping the pounds off, and the effect was worse in women. (The study, however, did not prove-and-effect; rather, it found an association between PFASs and weight gain.)
In addition, the researchers found that "PFAS levels were also associated with a lower resting metabolic rate," Sun said. "If you have a lower resting metabolic rate, your resting metabolism is slow, [so] you are not able to burn too much energy, [and] that's why you gain weight."
•••••
In addition to weight gain, PFASs have been linked to a number of other conditions, including cancer, hormone disruption, high cholesterol and immune system dysfunction, according to the study.
•••••
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
Links
3 Trump properties posted 144 openings for seasonal jobs. Only one went to a US worker.
https://www.vox.com/2018/2/13/16466542/trump-h-2b-guest-workers
Proposed Food Stamp Cuts Would Hit Military Families
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2017/05/24/proposed-food-stamp-cuts-would-hit-military-families.html#.WoDzjKYhIhg.facebook
Medicaid Cuts May Force Retirees Out of Nursing Homes
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/24/science/medicaid-cutbacks-elderly-nursing-homes.html
Ants Rescue Their Companions By Licking Their Wounds
https://www.i4u.com/2018/02/127173/ants-rescue-their-warriors-licking-their-wounds
ICE Lawyer Charged With Stealing Immigrants' Identities To Commit Bank Fraud
https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/02/14/585768681/top-ice-lawyer-charged-with-stealing-immigrants-identities-to-commit-bank-fraud
Trump proposes eliminating federal funding for PBS, NPR
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-proposes-eliminating-federal-funding-for-pbs-npr/ar-BBJ2Jcb
Republicans in Nevada are seeking to recall two senators who were elected in 2016 -- without alleging any wrongdoing on the part of the senators.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/07/politics/nevada-senate-recall/index.html
By Eric Bradner
Feb. 7, 2018
Democrats are going to court in Nevada on Wednesday to try to stop a recall election that they fear could lead to new efforts to wipe out legislative majorities across the country.
Republicans in Nevada are seeking to recall two senators who were elected in 2016 -- without alleging any wrongdoing on the part of the senators.
Why oust Sens. Joyce Woodhouse and Nicole Cannizzaro? Because both are Democrats, and if the GOP can flip two seats, it will take control of the state Senate.
If the recall effort succeeds, it could provide a model to flip legislatures across the nation in the 20 states that allow the process, putting all narrowly divided legislative bodies in those states at risk.
•••••
Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval, a popular Republican, has opposed the recall effort, telling The Nevada Independent it would set a "dangerous precedent."
"It's never happened before, but it probably will likely become another typical arrow in the quiver for both parties," Sandoval said. "I hope it doesn't, but again, if it's successful, and the voters do recall these individuals, I can't see why all of them wouldn't use it going forward."
•••••
By Eric Bradner
Feb. 7, 2018
Democrats are going to court in Nevada on Wednesday to try to stop a recall election that they fear could lead to new efforts to wipe out legislative majorities across the country.
Republicans in Nevada are seeking to recall two senators who were elected in 2016 -- without alleging any wrongdoing on the part of the senators.
Why oust Sens. Joyce Woodhouse and Nicole Cannizzaro? Because both are Democrats, and if the GOP can flip two seats, it will take control of the state Senate.
If the recall effort succeeds, it could provide a model to flip legislatures across the nation in the 20 states that allow the process, putting all narrowly divided legislative bodies in those states at risk.
•••••
Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval, a popular Republican, has opposed the recall effort, telling The Nevada Independent it would set a "dangerous precedent."
"It's never happened before, but it probably will likely become another typical arrow in the quiver for both parties," Sandoval said. "I hope it doesn't, but again, if it's successful, and the voters do recall these individuals, I can't see why all of them wouldn't use it going forward."
•••••
Seniors will pay the price for Trump’s Medicare cuts
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/seniors-will-pay-the-price-for-trumps-medicare-cuts-2018-02-14
Ironic, since older people are the biggest supporters of Trump.
I suggest reading the whole article at the following link. I don't want to infringe on their copyright, or I would include the whole article. It is very informative.
Published: Feb 14, 2018
•••••
Trump’s plan includes $554 billion in cuts to Medicare, the federal health care program that provides insurance to 55 million Americans who are over age 65 or living with disabilities. The program helps ensure that every American can afford doctor’s appointments, medications, and life-saving treatments after they retire or when they are no longer able to work.
While some of the proposed changes to Medicare would target reimbursements for doctors to ensure they are not charging too much and would pass rebates along to beneficiaries directly, other program savings come from picking winners and losers around changes to the program’s prescription drug coverage.
•••••
The budget also includes billions in cuts to Social Security insurance and disability benefits, $1.4 trillion in Medicaid cuts, and drastic cuts to nutrition and housing assistance programs that help struggling families and seniors keep food on the table.
•••••
The president is proposing such deep cuts because he needs someone to pay for the massive tax giveaways to the wealthy and Wall Street in his tax bill that have increased the deficit by over $1 trillion.
•••••
Administration’s Budget Proposal Includes $1.4 Trillion in Medicaid Cuts
https://ccf.georgetown.edu/2018/02/12/administrations-budget-proposal-includes-1-4-trillion-in-medicaid-cuts/
Note that Medicaid pays for many people in nursing homes.
February 12, 2018 Andy Schneider
The Administration today released a budget proposal for the fiscal year that starts on October 1 (FY 2019).
•••••
We don’t even have a federal budget for the fiscal year that ends on September 30; once that gets sorted out (hopefully by March 23, the next drop dead date), that FY 2018 budget will likely be the placeholder (via a Continuing Resolution) for FY 2019 until after the mid-term elections on November 6.
There is an important reason to understand the Administration’s Medicaid FY 2019 budget proposal: it could well be back in play next spring. To get ready, here’s what you need to know.
The Administration is proposing to cap federal Medicaid payments to states and to cut federal Medicaid spending by $1.439 trillion – that is trillion with a “t” – over the ten year period 2019 – 2028. [1] That is about 26% of what the Administration projects federal Medicaid spending would otherwise be, and within shouting distance of the $1.455 trillion cost of the tax cuts enacted in December.
Of course, you wouldn’t know it from reading the Administration’s budget narrative.
•••••
But let’s be clear: that’s just the opening bid. It assumes federal spending increases at the rate of the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U). Once a cap is in place, it can – and almost certainly will – be dialed down by future Congresses (CPI-U minus 0.5, CPI-U minus 1.0, etc.) to extract additional federal spending cuts at the expense of states and localities.
•••••
Tuesday, February 13, 2018
Links
The foods that can help and harm your brain
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/feb/12/its-not-just-in-the-genes-the-foods-that-can-help-and-harm-your-brain
Chemicals in packaging, carpets and non-stick pans 'may contribute to obesity'
Studies have also linked compounds called perfluoroalkyl substances to cancer, high cholesterol and immune problems
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/feb/13/chemicals-in-packaging-carpets-and-non-stick-pans-may-contribute-to-obesity
Miami could be underwater in your kid’s lifetime as sea level rise accelerates
At the current rate of melting, the world's seas will be at least 2 feet higher by the end of the century compared to today
https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/science/2018/02/13/sea-level-rise-accelerating-around-world/333140002/
Microplastics have been found in some of the most remote and uncharted regions of the oceans raising more concerns over the global scale of plastic pollution.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/feb/12/microplastics-pollute-most-remote-and-uncharted-areas-of-the-ocean
Trump's Infrastructure Plan Is Actually Pence's—And It's All About Privatization
http://www.newsweek.com/2017/09/15/donald-trump-infrastructure-plan-mike-pence-privatization-658403.html
White House proposes 25 percent cut to EPA funding
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/373433-white-house-proposes-nearly-25-percent-in-cuts-to-epa
The EPA debunked Administrator Pruitt’s latest climate misinformation
Until Pruitt deleted the EPA climate webpages.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2018/feb/12/the-epa-debunked-administrator-pruitts-latest-climate-misinformation
Trump budget would cut health department by 21 percent
http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/373452-health-department-would-see-21-percent-cut-under-trump-budget-proposal
US teacher dies after opting out of costly flu medicine
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43039036
Marijuana users' self-proclaimed holiday is linked with a slight increase in fatal U.S. car crashes, an analysis of 25 years of data found.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/marijuanas-420-holiday-tied-rise-fatal-car-crashes-53020612
tags: drug abuse
Sea Levels Are Surging at Faster and Faster Rates as Antarctica and Greenland Melt, Satellite Data Reveals
http://www.newsweek.com/sea-level-rise-has-rapidly-accelerated-1992-melting-ice-and-its-not-803326
The president proposes shifting large chunks of money from the space station, satellites studying a warming Earth and a major space telescope toward a multi-year $10.4 billion exploration plan aimed at returning astronauts to the moon in about five or six years.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/trump-wants-nasa-out-of-space-station-by-2025-businesses-in/2018/02/12/33717d9e-101d-11e8-a68c-e9374188170e_story.html?utm_term=.97d53897269a
Trump Administration Wants To Decide What Food SNAP Recipients Will Get
https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2018/02/12/585130274/trump-administration-wants-to-decide-what-food-snap-recipients-will-get
Top 5 Worst Religious Clichés for People in Pain
https://katebowler.com/top-5-worst-religious-cliches-people-pain/
Trump wants to privatize the International Space Station
Ted Cruz blames the idea on “numskulls” over at the Office of Management and Budget.
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/2/11/17001610/international-space-station-privatize-trump-nasa
Trump Sold a $40 Million Estate to a Russian Oligarch for $100 Million—and a Democratic Senator Wants to Know Why
http://www.newsweek.com/trump-sold-40-million-estate-russian-oligarch-100-million-and-democratic-802613
Monday, February 12, 2018
Trump budget seeks cuts to domestic programs, Medicare, favors military and wall
Ginger Gibson, James Oliphant
Feb. 12, 2018
President Donald Trump proposed a budget on Monday that calls for cuts in domestic spending and social programs such as Medicare and seeks a sharp increase in military spending and funding for a wall on the Mexican border.
While running for president in 2016, Trump pledged to leave popular benefit programs such as Medicare and Social Security untouched, but his new budget proposal would reduce Medicare spending by $236 billion over the next 10 years.
•••••
There is little chance of those cuts becoming real, as presidential budgets are rarely enacted by the U.S. Congress, which controls federal purse strings. Instead, the budget allows the White House to lay out its priorities for the year.
•••••
Trump takes aim at blue states in infrastructure plan
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/02/12/trump-infrastructure-blue-states-transit-405993
Another ploy to transfer wealth to the power elite.
State and local taxes are regressive, with people paying a larger percentage of income in taxes the smaller their income. Shifting the spending formula for infrastructure to 80% paid by state and local government will increase this unfairness.
And the proposal for "private" investment means toll roads and bridges, which is extremely regressive, and can make roads too expensive for lower-income people to afford to use.
And blue states tend to pay more federal taxes than they get back, the opposite is true for republican states that are largely rural. Trump's plan would increase this unfairness.
By DANA RUBINSTEIN and RYAN HUTCHINS
02/12/2018
Major transportation projects in blue states may be in jeopardy in President Donald Trump’s 10-year infrastructure plan, which critics say favors little-populated rural areas to the detriment of urban America.
The White House isn’t being coy about where its priorities lie in the $1.5 trillion proposal, released Monday: Of the $200 billion in actual federal investment called for in the 10-year plan, one-quarter would go to rural areas for purposes as diverse as sewers, highways, airports and broadband. But only 14 percent of people in the U.S. live in non-metropolitan areas.
•••••
"That's a very clear message that urban America is not of very much consequence, and, ironically, it's urban America that needs most of the infrastructure money," said Martin Robins, the founding director of Rutgers University's Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center in New Jersey.
•••••
And it emphasizes finding ways to augment government funding with private sector money, which detractors say would invariably result in more tolls or other passenger fees. It's a tough assignment for public-transit projects that have little prospect of making money.
•••••
he Trump administration wants to rely on local governments and private operators to do the heavy lifting, even as those same local governments — particularly in high-tax blue states — are grappling with the budgetary implications of Trump's tax code changes that took effect last month.
"The Republican tax bill was specifically designed to extract wealth from places that vote Democratic and shift it to places that vote Republican, and so that makes it extremely difficult for us to self-tax to make up for the cuts that are coming from the federal government," said Gabriel Metcalf, president and CEO of SPUR, a San Francisco Bay area-based urban policy think tank.
Trump's plan plays to his base in rural and small-town America, where nearly two thirds of voters chose him in 2016 over Democrat Hillary Clinton. He campaigned on promises of improving job prospects for the parts of the country where they have been dim.
•••••
Sunday, February 11, 2018
Koch-backed group fights paid sick leave laws as flu sweeps US
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/feb/11/paid-sick-leave-koch-brothers-nfib
Please consider donating to The Guardian to help them continue their investigative reporting without a pay wall.
Renée Feltz
Sun 11 Feb 2018 06.00 EST
This week marks 25 years since Bill Clinton signed the Family and Medical Leave Act, which gives US workers the right to unpaid time off to care for themselves and close family members.
It took another decade for some to win paid sick leave, when San Franciscans approved a ballot initiative in 2006 for private employees to earn an hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked. Similar measures now benefit 14 million workers in 32 municipalities and nine states.
Paid sick leave advocates cite studies showing flu infection rates decrease in cities where workers earn sick days, and that parents who cannot take leave are two times more likely to send their sick children to school. They also point to a 2012 poll of restaurant servers and cooks that revealed two-thirds had served or cooked food while ill, threatening the health of their co-workers, customers and the companies that employ them.
But with a flu epidemic currently raging across the US, potential new sick leave measures are facing opposition from the same Koch Brothers-backed lobbying group that led the legal assault on Obamacare.
When Maryland lawmakers moved last month to override the governor’s veto of a bill allowing 700,000 workers to earn sick leave, the state’s director of the National Federation of Independent Business – the Koch-backed group – complained it would create job-killing costs and mandate “devastating sanctions” for failure to comply.
On Thursday, the NFIB backed a failed attempt to delay the law, which went into effect on Sunday.
Now it wants Austin city council members to vote no this Thursday on an ordinance that would make the Texas liberal enclave the first city in the south to require paid sick leave from private employers.
Past tax records reveal most of the NFIB’s funding comes from Freedom Partners, whose nine-member board includes eight current or former key figures at Koch Industries and other Koch entities. More than 95% of the candidates it backs are Republican.
While its representatives are often quoted in the media as proponents of small businesses, the group refuses to release its donor list and tends to lobby for policies that benefit billionaires and corporate interests.
•••••
Upping the stakes, NFIB’s Texas Executive Director, Will Newton, has promised to pursue state-level a “pre-emptive” law against paid sick leave next year. Seven states have already enacted similar measures drafted by the American Legislative Exchange Council, which critics call a corporate bill mill.
•••••
Meanwhile, during a press conference on Tuesday to announce the death of two children from the flu this season in New York City, the health commissioner touted the city’s paid sick leave law as a way to get people with the virus to stay home.
The measure passed in 2014, but a report released last month found fewer than half of low-income workers had heard of it.
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