Scarlet Tanager is an indicator species for New York State.

SONGS

Males sing a series of slurred whistles separated by short pauses that can sound quite similar to (but shorter than) American Robin, typically lasting 2–4 seconds.

CALLS

Both males and females give a dry, clicking pit-ti-tuck, adding extra syllables if agitated. During territorial disputes they may give a whining chew.

It's Sunday Afternoon

February 5, 2020
By Bob Duchesne

I don’t know (click here) if this is good news or bad news, but it’s certainly news. The ink is barely dry on a new scientific report about spring bird migration. Birds are returning to their nesting grounds earlier now, due to climate change. The good news: some species are adapting. The bad news: they are probably not adapting fast enough.

This latest study looked at 24 years of weather radar data, which is able to follow migration patterns across the entire continent. A team of scientists from Colorado State University, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the University of Massachusetts documented that birds are now passing migration checkpoints earlier than they did 20 years ago. Furthermore, the biggest changes appear to be happening in areas that are warming fastest....

Imagine Dragons - "Birds" Live (Acoustic / TRF Gala 2019)

Birds by Imagine Dragons (click here for official website - thank you)

Two hearts, one valve

Pumpin' the blood, we were the flood

We were the body and
Two lives, one life
Stickin' it out, lettin' you down
Makin' it right

Seasons, they will change
Life will make you grow
Dreams will make you cry, cry, cry
Everything is temporary
Everything will slide
Love will never die, die, die

I know that ooh, birds fly in different directions
Ooh, I hope to see you again

Sunsets, sunrises
Livin' the dream, watchin' the leaves
Changin' the seasons
Some nights I think of you
Relivin' the past, wishin' it'd last
Wishin' and dreamin'

Seasons, they will change
Life will make you grow
Death can make you hard, hard, hard
Everything is temporary
Everything will slide
Love will never die, die, die

I know that ooh, birds fly in different directions
Ooh, I hope…

There is a cow killer in Oregon on federal land and no one seems to take jurisdiction.

This is legitimate and fairly benign use of federal land. There are one or more people involved in killing cows. A GoPro camera at the watering tank costs a whole lot less than than a lost cow does.

Wrong is wrong and this is just wrong. If people don't want federal land used for ranching then what do they want it used for? It is somewhat silly to let it lie fallow. Ranchers rent the land legitimately all the time. What is the issue? If the cows are doing damage to the land that is a legitimate complaint to make about the problem, but, this is not the way to do it.

February 6, 2020
By Anna King

...“I wonder if they wanted us to find it to spook us. (click here) I don’t know,” he said.

Wiberg said there were a few thrash marks where the cow had moved around on the ground.

One other detail was strange.

Wiberg got really sick after he touched the dead cow.

“He was throwing up,” said Clancy Roth. “We don’t know if he got a flu bug, or ate something – but he went out there looked at that cow and touched her and then that night he wasn’t fine.”

Clancy Roth says that Wilberg was the only person from the ranch who got sick, and the only one who touched the cow....

This is what occurs when the USA does not stand up for Palestine.

The West Bank has never been invaded by Israel before, it has always been Gaza.

February 8, 2020
By Maayan Lubell

Jerusalem - Israel (click here) has begun to draw up maps of land in the occupied West Bank that will be annexed in accordance with U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed peace plan, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday....

It appears to me that Trump is steading Netanyahu so his lies at the podium are good lies. Believable lies. Two of the world's most powerful leaders and no one can believe a word they say.

The annexation of the West Bank is in the Trump Peace Plan. He has no provisions for the Palestinians or a Palestinian homeland.

February 6, 2020
By Bel Trew

While the controversial plan (click here) initially received a warm response from some Gulf states, criticism is now increasing

Donald Trump’s Middle East peace plan is facing a new wave of criticism from world bodies, including the EU and some Gulf states that initially welcomed the deal, over fears it ignores Palestinian rights.

They also expressed concern that it green-lights Israel’s plan to imminently annex areas of the occupied West Bank.

Mr Trump’s efforts to kickstart the stagnant peace process last week were at first met with relatively positive comments from European and some Arab countries, who urged the Palestinians to give negotiations a chance.

What unfortunate circumstances, the USA is supposed to have been invading Iran by now. Oops. Does that make the deaths of Iranian generals premeditated murder? They have never been shown to be an imminent danger to the USA.

February 7, 2020
By Bel Trew

Israeli security forces during clashes with Palestinians following a raid in the Bethlehem area this morning in search of a suspect wanted for a car-ramming attack earlier in Jerusalem that left several people injured

Four Palestinians have been killed (click here) and over a dozen Israeli soldiers wounded during a 24-hour surge in violence just days after Donald Trump revealed his divisive peace plan for the region.

The Israeli parliament called a special session for Monday to discuss the recent wave of attacks while the country’s army said it was deploying additional combat troops in the occupied West Bank.

The Palestinian presidency meanwhile blamed the “environment [of] tension” on a “dangerous” escalation by Israel as well as Mr Trump’s deal. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to find those responsible for the violence, adding “terrorism will not defeat us, we will win.”

Get rid of the cowards. No wonder the USA has the military it has.

Only one US Senator has the guts to say it like it is?

Donald John Trump is an illegitimate president. He was elected in 2016 in an election tainted by Russian propaganda and remains in office because of the fear of being primaried. There is no way Trump is going to throw mud at a US Senator that is already on the ballot. The US Republican Senate primaries begin in March and run through September (click here).

BECOME A WRITE-IN BALLOT.

Those US Senators have to go and the breed of US Senator that cannot defend the USA Constitution should be soundly removed from office. That is a traitor. 

Trump will pull the same baloney he did last time in 2016 with US Senate candidates. Don't let him get away with it. While people vote with their pocketbooks, there have been some very close calls with national security that cannot be repeated including a sincere attempt to start a war with Iran.

February 5, 2020

One senator (click here) says he knows the real reason why Republicans acquitted President Donald Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress: Fear.

That’s what Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, wrote in a New York Times op-ed published Wednesday afternoon, shortly after Trump’s impeachment trial ended.

“There’s an old Russian proverb: The tallest blade of grass is the first cut by the scythe,” Brown wrote. “In private, many of my colleagues agree that the president is reckless and unfit. They admit his lies. And they acknowledge what he did was wrong. They know this president has done things Richard Nixon never did. And they know that more damning evidence is likely to come out.”

So why then, vote to acquit Trump, even if the Republican agenda would have remained intact under a President Mike Pence?

“Fear has a way of bending us,” Brown said, noting his colleagues’ concerns of raising the ire of Fox News, conservative radio hosts, Twitter followers, and, of course, Trump himself, and losing their seat in the next election.

“They stop short of explicitly saying that they are afraid,” Brown wrote, “ We all want to think that we always stand up for right and fight against wrong. But history does not look kindly on politicians who cannot fathom a fate worse than losing an upcoming election.”

Dr. Li Wenliang was a Whistleblower. It is time China step into freedom of speech with an understanding there are people with a conscience.

When people of conscience are denied the opportunity to bring forth alarming concern for the well being of self or others, they will become activists and outspoken anyway. If China wants to reduce a negative image, which seems a silly pursuit to me, it needs a path for people of conscience to speak truth to power.

Dr. Li was brilliant. There was no shame in what his reporting said. He is now dead because of the lack of actions by China. China and the world is now deprived of his brilliance. Why? This should not have happened to him. He was one of China's best and he is gone. That is a national shame.

February 8, 2020

The doctor (click here) who was among the first to warn about the coronavirus outbreak in late December — only to be silenced by police — died Friday after becoming infected with the virus, the hospital treating him reported.

The death of the 34-year-old doctor, Li Wenliang, set off an outpouring of grief and anger on social media, with commenters on social media demanding an apology from the authorities to Li and his family.

Last week, Elsie Chen, a New York Times researcher working with correspondents Chris Buckley and Steven Lee Myers, interviewed Li. He caught the virus from a patient and was hospitalized when Chen interviewed him Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, via the WeChat social media platform.

Here are some edited and condensed excerpts from the interview.

Q: When did you first realize that this new virus was highly contagious? It seemed that you hadn’t taken any precautions when you were infected.

A: I knew it when the patient I came in contact with infected her family, and I was infected right afterward. Thus I discovered it was highly contagious. The patient had no symptoms, so I got careless....            

Remember this? Census 2010 (click here)

The 2020 Census is not being mailed this time. THERE IS NO PAPER TRAIL. 

The 2020 Census is ALL ONLINE. 

That's right folks, the US Government will have the electronic fingerprint of every computer that signs on to complete the census beginning April 1, 2020 and running until July 2020.

It is called invasion of privacy. It is also DATA MINING. The GOP will have the electronic signatures of every computer in every household in the country, including handheld devices. How much is the USA government going to make on the sale of the information?

There is a way of dealing this, in that a Census Worker can come to the household with a hand held device that is provided by the US Census Bureau. The questions can be answered without using a personal computer or handheld. Does anyone realize how long it will take to canvas homes individually? If the American people decide to go on strike and not answer the online census because of privacy, it will take a long time to complete it.

Does anyone know what a mess this is going to be? The entire country DOES NOT HAVE BROADBAND.

Donald J. Trump has already failed to deliver a quality 2020 Census with all Americans in mind.

January 23, 2015
By Nichole Dobo

Not only does home access to high-speed Internet service (click here) vary by state, it also varies within states. Some metropolitan areas far out-pace neighboring towns; some well-connected cities have pockets of poor access in certain neighborhoods....

Julia Gillard's 'misogyny speech' in full (2012) | ABC News (click here for New Yorker article - thank you)

Column: Trump impeachment backfires and Nancy Pelosi meltdown (click here)

The impeachment did not backfire, but, those that feel Trump was right might see it that way. The impeachment was necessary and is a label Trump can not erase. The impeachment alone revealed a president out of control and willing to do anything to attempt to win a re-election.

I have never heard a Congressman referred to as having a meltdown. Speaker Nancy Pelosi was reading Trump's speech while he was giving it. She knew before the words came out of his mouth that it was nothing but lies. She had to politely wait until the end of the stump speech to show the audience and her members the disdain that exists for liars.

You will excuse me, but, the State of the Union is not a political speech, it is a REPORT on the country. THE COUNTRY, not Trump. As of today, after listening to that rubbish, the USA still doesn't know the state of the union. Every Congressperson should have demanded clarification on the falsehoods laid out so brazenly before the entire country.

AT LEAST SPEAKER PELOSI HAD THE GUTS TO LET ALL THOSE WATCHING THAT THE STATE OF THE UNION SPEECH JUST DELIVERED WAS RUBBISH!

Confirmed cases of coronavirus in the USA. (click here) 

February 7, 2020
By Sara G. Miller and Jiachuan Wu

As the coronavirus (click here) continues to spread in China, U.S. health officials are closely monitoring for cases in the United States.

This map will be updated as more cases in the U.S. are confirmed. As of Feb. 7, there were 12: six in California, two in Illinois, and one each in Arizona, Washington state, Massachusetts and Wisconsin....

The pictures coming out of China are somewhat disturbing. There are rows and rows of hospital beds, but, no evidence of treatment, so much as isolation. Additionally, the governor of Hubei states the shortage of supplies is about barrier methods to keep the healthy from being contaminated by the ill. Yesterday 86 people died (click here). Yesterday it was 75. Are these hospitals only supplying clean sheets for the ill detected to have the coronavirus? What measures are being taken so that every patient has a chance to live?

WUHAN, Feb. 5, 2020 -- Patients infected with the novel coronavirus are seen at a makeshift hospital converted from an exhibition center in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Feb. 5, 2020. The first makeshift hospital converted from an exhibition center in China's epidemic-hit Wuhan city began accepting patients Wednesday. The hospital can provide about 1,600 beds to infected patients.

The vice governor of Hubei province (click here)  said that the region's supply of medical goods had improved but could still tighten if the epidemic worsens.

Speaking at an evening press briefing in Wuhan, Cao Guangjing said Hubei's major providers of protective gear - such as masks and protective suits - had all returned to work on February 7 but some smaller plants had still not fully resumed production.

"The shortage still exists," but may end if there is a turning point in the crisis, Cao said. "If the numbers keep rising, the tightness will continue and may increase."

Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg is receiving endorsements.

This was under the radar. I don't recall his name coming up in the press during the Flint Water Crisis. Not that it is over, but, this endorsement of Michael Bloomberg is a surprise.

Additionally, he received an endorsement in the way of a future vote by the Former Secretary of the Navy. Of course, Trump fired him first for standing against the pardon of a US Navy Seal. Trump is pathetic.

February 7, 2020
By Zahra Ahmed

Flint - Karen Weaver (click here) has endorsed Michael Bloomberg for president because he will “lead the country in the right direction," she said.

The former Flint mayor met Bloomberg in 2016 in the midst of the city’s water crisis. Weaver said that experience showed her what Bloomberg did for the city.

“I got to see first-hand what he did not only for Flint but for mayors all over the country," Weaver said. “He used his voice, power and money to make things better. I’m excited to go around the country and speak on behalf of him and to help make him becoming president a reality. I think he’s long overdue for this country and I believe he will lead us in the right direction.”...

These audio reports are interesting. 

January 15, 2020

Today on Stateside, (click here) it’s been four years since the state announced a criminal investigation into the Flint water crisis. We talked to two journalists who covered the crisis about lessons learned on government accountability and public health. Plus, the state of Michigan files suit against some of the biggest names in corporate America over PFAS contamination. We'll hear about how a similar case played out in Minnesota. 

Listen to the full show above or find individual segments below.

State of Michigan is suing 17 defendants seeking damages for PFAS contamination.The defendants include industrial giants 3M and DuPont. Michigan Radio’s Steve Carmody filled us in on the details of the lawsuit, which the state announced on Tuesday.

Minnesota's case against 3M could give clues for what's ahead in Michigan suit...

Rarely do I bring an article forward from the "Washington Examiner," but, this is exceptional.

It appears the impeachment and trial has opened the discussion as to "what the heck are we doing to ourselves?" 

I think the point brought up in this editorial is more than interesting. The president has a right to a national security team he trusts, but, what is Trump's definition of trust? 

Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman should be formerly recognized by his superiors for rising to defend and protect the USA's Constitution and a trusted ally. If Trump actually is looking for a trusted member of the National Security Council it would be Alexander Vindman. He is highly trustworthy and did follow procedure and policy when concerned about Ukraine. The way Lt. Col. Vindman is properly assessed in this matter is to ask him to continue to do a good job and bring shortcomings by the president to his attention.

When William Jefferson Clinton was impeached and allowed to stay in office, he didn't become self-serving and high handed nor did he make a political show of it; he apologized to the country and there was no firing of anyone along the way. He respected people for their loyalty to the country and for doing what they perceived as the right thing. 

With the firing of Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman out of the White House only raises more concerns for the country and it's Constitution.

LOYALTY IS NOT TRUST.

February 7, 2020
By Tom Rogan

A president (click here) has the right to a national security team he trusts. A president also has the responsibility to put the best interests of the nation before his own.

Firing Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman on Friday, Trump acted as is his right but abandoned his responsibility.

To be sure, Vindman has become an inherently partisan figure. The moment the Army officer raised concerns about the propriety of a July White House meeting on Ukraine and later a July phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, he risked entering an inherently political space. That became inevitable once the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives launched impeachment proceedings.

Still, there is little evidence that Vindman acted outside the established reporting procedures in raising his concerns, and Vindman's service record as an Army officer suggests that he is first and foremost a patriot. We pay our military officers to make very tough calls in the nation's best interest. Vindman believed, credibly, that he was doing so....

If Bill Barr is going to micromanage the FBI then that needs investigation for continued corruption and challenged in the courts. Trump is not only corrupt, he is a criminal. The rule at the DOJ stating a president cannot be charged with crimes has to end. It is one thing to be chasing skirts, which is a civil and ethical matter, but, it is quite another to criminally coercing a world leader and violate federal law and conduct. Trump directly violated law the assaulted the power of the legislature. That level of tolerance is inappropriate and dangerous to the US Constitution.

Catholicism at work.

Speaker Pelosi is a very religious woman. She is above reproach. If she states she prays for the president then she does.

Speaker Pelosi does not abandon her faith and invokes a discussion about many aspects of religion when asked. She has always stated that Congress has worked to protect the lives of women and to eliminate abortions at every turn, including birth control. She has always stated, it is important women have access to safe health services.

Life always comes first with Speaker Pelosi and the quality of life is as important.

Impeached President Trump has picked a fight with a Speaker he should be seeking to work with at a National Prayer Breakfast. He is an abhorrence to many in this country. He needs to be seeking forgiveness and treating the Speaker as an esteemed member of Congress is a good place to start.

...“It will be their 61st vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act, (click here) and they will of course be wanting to defund Planned Parenthood, destroy the Affordable Care Act, dismantle newfound health security for millions of Americans,” she continued.

“It doesn’t have to be this way,” Pelosi emphasized. “Instead we could be working together recognizing a Republican Congress, a Democratic president, the ability for Democrats to use their leverage legislatively to have compromise for the good of the American people. That’s what Pope Francis told us to do.

“He said leaders should have transparency. That would be wonderful – openness, he said. He used the word openness and pragmatism, and he said we have to move forward for the good of the people. Let’s in the spirit of Francis do that,” she added.

Pelosi was referencing the Pope’s September 24th speech before Congress in which he praised “openness and pragmatism” as qualities of a good leader, although it was in the context of countries resuming dialogue....

It is unfortunate the Iowa Caucus was disrupted by a bad app, but, I am relieved in a way that the app did fail. I think the elections in the USA already have too much electronic infrastructure. We don't need it. There is not an election on record that involved electronic infrastructure that was carefree and accurate.

If Iowa's lesson is to matter, it is that the paper trail is more important than ever.

The US Legislature needs to play a greater role in the visits of foreign dignitaries.

I have noticed, especially when a foreign dignitary is involved, that Trump loves to be the center of attention and does most if not all the talking when the media is present. That isn't a matter of attention that Trump is seeking, he is blocking the media from talking to the person in the OTHER CHAIR. Trump is corrupt. He demands to CONTROL the message to the media and does not allow the person in the OTHER CHAIR a chance to communicate. I would love to hear the real issues spoken by the people carrying the message to the USA.

The USA Congress needs to play a larger role when foreign dignitaries visit Washington, DC. Members of the US House and US Senate should receive them to understand their visit more clearly. The US Congress maintains the budget for the USA and it is THEY that will provide funding for military assistance and/or domestic programs.

In the case of Ukraine, there should have been no interruption in funding that cost lives in Ukraine's military. Ukraine needs to make it clear the harm done during the time the funding was held exclusively by Trump. The Ukraine President won't want to do that thinking his only contact that matters is Trump. He will pander to Trump's demands for dialogue.

The president of Ukraine, regardless of the year and who was in office, should have had a strong relationship with at least one US House member and one US Senator. If he had that "back-up" when the funding was delayed a Whistleblower would not be necessary and an investigation could have begun immediately. Additionally, if legislation were needed to end the shortfall of funding in case the POTUS decided unilaterally to break the law in favor of Russia and his own politics, it could begin immediately and urgently.

The problem with Trump's obstruction of Ukraine funding is that he didn't have a baby sitter. Impeached President Donald Trump can't be left alone. The Executive Branch is in shambles and he is the direct reason.

When the USA is funding foreign governments for whatever reason it is, there need to be Congress persons involved AS A RESOURCE to be sure the needs are clear and carried out in the legislation. Additionally, Congresspersons can act against an irreverent president such as Impeached President Trump.

The impeachment of Trump is real. Changes have to occur in order to maintain our democracy and that of the countries the USA cares about. Impeach President Trump cannot be trusted and it is a fact. Because the Republicans ran their particular brand of politics and exonerated a deeply corrupt Impeached President Trump doesn't mean the status quo is a healthy one. There needs to be Congress persons involved with foreign dignitaries when they visit Washington, DC.

Those allies that come to Washington, DC for a visit should be encouraged to meet with other states and their governors and mayors. Sister cities should be encouraged and perhaps insisted upon. Presidents and Prime Ministers of allies should be welcome in any place in the USA. Security can be an issue, but, I am confident it can be accomplished even in soliciting help from the FBI and Secret Service. I am sure the USA is capable of working with foreign security agents to bring "the real" USA to all those we consider allies.

It isn't as though it hasn't been done before.

November 5, 2005
By Jill Lawless

New Orleans - Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, (click here) the Duchess of Cornwall, flew into New Orleans on Friday for a brief glimpse of the ravaged city and a chance to meet a few of the hundreds of thousands of people whose lives were turned upside down by Hurricane Katrina.

The couple, after a ceremony at the airport to greet their flight from Washington, went to the impoverished Lower Ninth Ward, which was all but obliterated when water breached one of the levees that protected the city.

Standing atop a patched 20-foot levee, they shook their heads in disbelief at the destruction: splintered homes, chunks of concrete, overturned cars. The couple also met residents and rescue workers.

Tommy and Gloria Jones, who lost their house in the disaster, presented Charles and Camilla with a gift of a Mardi Gras doll and a picture frame....

What occurred with Ukraine can never happen again. I understand Impeached President Trump espoused hatred toward other political leaders at the National Prayer Breakfast. Really?

The USA needs leadership and there are perfectly wonderful people in the US Congress capable of stepping into that breach. I strongly suggest they do so. I know I look forward to more legislation from US Senator Romney.

The time is now to protect the USA Constitution in whatever way the people and Congress can, including assurances to allies.

This is how a country fails it's people. Speaker Pelosi and US Senator Mitt Romney needs to take on the vicious attacks.

What does Ingraham think she is doing? She is driving hatred. She isn't interested in the well being of the USA democracy, but, only her own pocketbook.

The USA Constitution was disregarded by the US Senate in the case of the Impeached President Trump. That is a real title for him. He is now the Impeached President Trump. Ingraham completed ignored the fact Trump is impeached. Evidently, Trump and Ingraham haven't learned a thing. They are still fomenting hate to drive the vote.

Do we really want hate driving the vote in the USA?

February 5, 2020
By Victor Garcia

Laura Ingraham (click here) took aim at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for her demeanor during the State of the Union address and eventually tearing up President Trump's speech as he concluded before she focused on Utah Senator Mitt Romney who was the only Republican to vote guilty along with Democrats at the Senate impeachment trial.

"Last night, [Pelosi] showed the world who she really is," Ingraham said on "The Ingraham Angle" Wednesday. "A woman left with little else, but her own sour puss, facial expression and a paper ripping stunt. She let her anger get the best of her, and her white suit didn't make her look any more angelic. It was the color of surrender."...

China has a coronavirus population of 28,000 diagnosed with 75 dead yesterday.

Economic gains belong to the Democrats, not Trump.

In the USA, the more circulating cash (liquidity) the more vibrant the consumer economy. The party responsible for that are the Democrats. The Democratic Party is and has been addressing income inequality and the minimum wage. Any increase in income by Americans can thank the Democrats for carrying out “The Good Fight.”

Absolutely it is the Democrats since President Obama and his post global economic collapse policies. The Democrats are responsible for strong funding of the Small Business Administration as well. And why? Because small businesses proved to be the strongest entity in the USA economy during the global economic collapse. They lost the least asset value and they rebounded twice as quickly as medium and large businesses. The USA economy is strongest when Americans are paid well and small businesses are healthy.