I will be writing tomorrow.
Thank you for your interest.
Good night.
Friday, February 17, 2023
I believe the tests, however, ...
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By Emily Sanderson
Columbus. Ohio -
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said water test results (click here) show municipal water in East Palestine is safe to drink following a train derailment and chemical spill.
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency received results from their water sampling of the five wells that feed into East Palestine's municipal water system.
The results show no detection of contaminants associated with the derailment.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said water test results (click here) show municipal water in East Palestine is safe to drink following a train derailment and chemical spill.
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency received results from their water sampling of the five wells that feed into East Palestine's municipal water system.
The results show no detection of contaminants associated with the derailment.
East Palestine, Ohio water is from wells. It is highly unlikely underground wells were contaminated at the time of the incident. However, chemicals can leach into a water supply over time. The USA EPA will have guidelines to the frequency of testing necessary to continue to reassure residents the water is free of contaminants.
It is also advisable for all Americans to review their water quality and test at least annually. In the case of East Palestine, Ohio the water should be tested regularly until there is at least a year's worth of data that indicates the wells are completely safe.
Many counties across the country provide free water testing simply by asking so water at the tap can be reassuring. These tests are not a comprehensive test with all the potential contaminants listed with the federal regulations. Comprehensive tests such as this are done privately through a laboratory. In order to have more comprehensive water testing, the local legislature can pass ordinances for that purpose.
February 17, 2023
Cincinnati, Ohio - Greater Cincinnati Water Works (click here) officials are continuing to monitor the chemical contaminants traveling down the Ohio River following the train derailment in East Palestine.
Water works officials said out of an abundance of caution, they will be shutting off the Ohio River intake ahead of the anticipated arrival of the last detectable chemical concentration in the river.
While the water intake is shut off, GCWW will temporarily switch to water reserves, officials said.
This cautious approach by the City of Cincinnati is exactly correct. As the contamination moves in the Ohio River toward Cincinnati the contaminants are becoming more diluted by entering a larger body of water. Testing to follow the plume of contamination is the correct approach in understanding what is happening with the river.
Cincinnati is a large city and if they were forced to use bottled water there would be a problem with a sufficient supply. The city has water reserves that are not connected to the river and are considered safe. If the contaminants are not coming in touch with reserve water there is no reason to be alarmed.
Here again the city of Cincinnati will have to maintain water testing after returning to the use of the Ohio River. Be mindful of the idea that the contaminants are heavy and can fall through any surface waters to the sediment. The US Army Corps test most rivers on a five year basis and have historic information regarding water quality and sediment testing. If there is any doubt regarding the bottom of the Ohio River there are methods to test it.
Just briefly, the contaminants in the Ohio water.
Butyl acrylate appears as a clear colorless liquid with a sharp characteristic odor. Very slightly soluble in water and somewhat less dense than water. Hence forms surface slick on water.11.1.2Hazard Classes and Categories (click here) Page down to health and fire hazards.
Vinyl chloride is regulated in drinking water, food, and air. Because it is a hazardous substance, regulations on its disposal, packaging, and other forms of handling also exist. EPA requires that the amount of vinyl chloride in drinking water not exceed 0.002 milligrams per liter (mg/L) of water (0.002 ppm).
This is the chemical structure of 2-ethylhexyl acrylate. If the chemical structure of the listed chemical is different than the listing of ethylhexyl acrylate may be correct. It is not normally found in that formulation.
Critical evaluation (click here) of 2-ethylhexyl acrylate dermal carcinogenicity studies using contemporary criteria Also interesting:
Acrylates/Ethylhexyl Acrylate Copolymer (click here) is a copolymer of ethylhexyl acrylate and one or moremonomers of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid or one of their simple esters....
...Cosmetics and personal care products are not required to be tested for safety before being allowed on the market. The Skin Deep® scoring system was designed to help the public understand whether a product is safe to use or whether it contains ingredients of concern....
The environmental concerns along the path of these contaminants are going to include fish and wildlife that drink the water. The conservation groups along this path need to take any inventory of disturbed wildlife, including fish, tadpoles and frogs.
Thursday, February 16, 2023
No credible scientist advocates mitigation only. I know many of them.
Mitigation is about the immediate weather incidents accompanying the climate crisis. Mitigation is immediate survival and offers no solution to end the crisis. Ending the climate crisis is paramount to the outcomes of current generations and those to come. A crisis is meant to be ended.
STOP GREENHOUSE EMISSIONS!
By Damien Carrington
The world is at risk of descending into a climate “doom loop”, a thinktank report has warned. (click here)
It said simply coping with the escalating impacts of the climate crisis could draw resources and focus away from the efforts to slash carbon emissions, making the situation even worse.
The damage caused by global heating across the globe is increasingly clear, and recovering from climate disasters is already costing billions of dollars. Furthermore, these disasters can cause cascading problems including water, food and energy crises, as well as increased migration and conflict, all draining countries’ resources.
The researchers, from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) and Chatham House, said a current example of the impact of the climate crisis complicating efforts to reduce emissions and other action was the debate over whether keeping the global temperature rise below 1.5C – the international goal – was still possible.
Those arguing 1.5C was still possible risked perpetuating complacency that today’s slow pace of action was sufficient, the researchers said, while those arguing it was not possible risked supporting fatalism that little that could now be done, or “extreme approaches” such as geoengineering.
Avoiding a doom loop required a more honest acceptance by politicians of the great risks posed by the climate crisis, the researchers said, including the looming prospect of tipping points and of the huge scale of the economic and societal transformation required to end global heating. This should be combined with narratives that focused on the great benefits climate action brought and ensuring policies were fairly implemented....
Climate Tipping Points should be observed and reported on regularly.
The location of climate tipping elements (click here) in the cryosphere (blue), biosphere (green), and ocean/atmosphere (orange), and global warming levels at which their tipping points will likely be triggered.
Oh, well. There is always the summer 5ks.
By James Cook and Brendan Quealy
ACME — Changes have been made to the 47th annual North American Vasa (click here) this coming weekend because of current weather conditions and forecasts for the remainder of the week.
Vasa, one of the largest cross-country skiing events in the United States, will only be one day this year, with all of Sunday’s classic races canceled amid fear there won’t be enough snow.
“The weather forecast is pretty unpredictable,” Vasa Race Director Janice Davidson said. “Our (snow) base is pretty limited as it is.”
The Traverse City forecast from the National Weather Service calls for temperatures in the 40s and rain Thursday, which would dramatically shrink the already-limited amount of snow on the ground at Timber Ridge Resort in Acme, host of the annual series of races that draws thousands of participants. Wednesday also is predicted to be in the 40s.
Davidson said Saturday’s modified slate is being rebranded as a “Looptacular,” featuring courses all going on the same 6-kilometer loop at Timber Ridge....
A qualifying race for Iditarod was cancelled due to poor weather.
February 15, 2023
By Brandon Champion
Marquette, MI - Sled dog races set to take place in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (click here) have been canceled due to deteriorating weather conditions, the Upper Peninsula Sled Dog Association announced Wednesday.
Due to safety concerns, the UP200, Midnight Run and Jack Pine 30 set to depart from Washington Street in Marquette this weekend have been canceled.
“Safety is our top priority. Given the rain overnight, the impending flash freeze and the lack of snow in this week’s forecast, it would be irresponsible to encourage mushers, volunteers and spectators to be on the trail this weekend. We will make the best of a difficult situation,” said Darlene Walch, UPSDA president....
By Brandon Champion
Marquette, MI - Sled dog races set to take place in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (click here) have been canceled due to deteriorating weather conditions, the Upper Peninsula Sled Dog Association announced Wednesday.
Due to safety concerns, the UP200, Midnight Run and Jack Pine 30 set to depart from Washington Street in Marquette this weekend have been canceled.
“Safety is our top priority. Given the rain overnight, the impending flash freeze and the lack of snow in this week’s forecast, it would be irresponsible to encourage mushers, volunteers and spectators to be on the trail this weekend. We will make the best of a difficult situation,” said Darlene Walch, UPSDA president....
The video was last year. The cancellation is the first time in the history of the race.
There is the issue of the appropriate nature of the object and it's customers.
The fact the objects were immediately identifiable is a concern, too. The companies involved will no doubt want their equipment back and replacement for any damage, but, why weren't they readily identifiable? I don't understand how objects simply fly around the country without appropriate identification.
There is still the question as to what information is being gathered, for what reason and who are the customers to that information. It is all a question of national security.
By Joey Garrison and Michael Collins
...He said the intelligence community is "still assessing" objects (click here) that were shot down over Alaska, Canada's Yukon Territory and Lake Huron. "Nothing right now," he said, suggests the objects are tied to China’s spy balloon program, even though they were shot down about a week after the U.S. shot down a Chinese spy balloon off the Atlantic coast.
Biden said the intelligence community's "current assessment" is that the three objects were "most likely balloons tied to private companies, recreation or research institutions studying weather or conduct other scientific research."...
...He said the intelligence community is "still assessing" objects (click here) that were shot down over Alaska, Canada's Yukon Territory and Lake Huron. "Nothing right now," he said, suggests the objects are tied to China’s spy balloon program, even though they were shot down about a week after the U.S. shot down a Chinese spy balloon off the Atlantic coast.
Biden said the intelligence community's "current assessment" is that the three objects were "most likely balloons tied to private companies, recreation or research institutions studying weather or conduct other scientific research."...
Water quality is required in the USA in 2023.
February 16, 2023
By Jennifer Somers
By Jennifer Somers
St. Charles, Missouri -The City of St. Charles (click here) shut down another water well in the Elm Point Wellfield to maintain safe drinking water for its residents after detecting contamination.
The closure of City Well No. 7, announced Thursday morning, means that the city has shut down six of its seven wells due to traces of 1,2-dichloroethene and vinyl chloride. To combat a drinking water shortage, the city has been purchasing millions of gallons of water daily from the City of St. Louis instead of producing its own at a lower cost....
This tragedy could have been prevented. The railroad is responsible.
By Scott Dance and Justine McDaniel
Train derailment (click here) in East Palestine, Ohio photo from drone overflight
East Palestine, Ohio - Fear, uncertainty and anger (click here) are mounting among residents of this Ohio village after a train derailment and fire unleashed a glut of toxic chemicals on Feb. 3.
Officials have tried to assure locals that the town is safe to live in — a message imparted by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael S. Regan, who visited the village Thursday — but many say that’s only left them with more questions.
From the National Cancer Institute
Vinyl chloride exposure (click here) is associated with an increased risk of a rare form of liver cancer (hepatic angiosarcoma), as well as primary liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma), brain and lung cancers, lymphoma, and leukemia.
This accident could have been prevented. There are reports the train was experiencing mechanical problems the day before. This is not an issue of any long drawn out lawsuit that will result in a guilty verdict. The facts are known and the railroad is directly responsible for this tragedy. It could have been prevented.
By Benjamine Duer
...drone photo...
The lawsuit filed Wednesday by law firm Morgan & Morgan in U.S. District Court's Northern District of Ohio is one of six suits the railroad company is facing after the derailment near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border almost two weeks ago....
Wednesday, February 15, 2023
This only adds to the ingredients that are turning our teens into anti-social addicts.
By Amy Orben and Sarah Jane Blakemore
Depression, anxiety and suicidality (click here) have all sharply increased in adolescents over the past decade1. So, too, has the amount of time that young people spend online (see ‘Troubling trends’). Partly because of fears that there’s a link between these trends, governments around the world are under pressure to do more to regulate technology companies.
In the United Kingdom, the Online Safety Bill, currently being debated by Parliament, seeks to protect children from harmful content online. Last year, the European Union approved the Digital Services Act — which, among other things, has introduced tougher mandates requiring companies to remove illegal content from their websites. And in 2021, the US surgeon-general called for social-media companies to prioritize adolescent health and well-being at “all stages of product development”.
A difficulty facing policymakers, however, is that most of the scientific evidence on the impact of social media and other online activities on adolescent mental health is inconsistent. Some studies might report similar effects, such as small negative correlations between time spent on social media and measures of well-being, but researchers differ in how important they think such findings are.
There might be many reasons why psychologists, psychiatrists, computational scientists and others have failed to obtain a clearer picture of what is going on2. Many have called for more detailed, objective assessments of what activities users engage in during their time online — an issue being addressed in part by smartphone apps that track the amount of time people spend on certain platforms4. Others say that what makes any one person vulnerable to the negative impacts of social media needs to be better understood....
Tuesday, February 14, 2023
Ron DeSantis is a revivalist.
The Republicans have for a very long time sought to end any government program that benefited minorities.
I remember when President Obama was elected that was the Republican talking point, in that, the African Americans were equal with that election. In fact, that was simply another chapter. Each movement to equality of civil rights has garnered more and more freedom, quality of life and the end of racism. But, the struggle is hardly over.
While the election of President Barak Hussein Obama was a major page turner, it was not the end of the story to equality. It was a focus. I believe it was the Late Senator Harry Reid that stated as a candidate Obama was a light skinned black and he might actually have a chance to win. That was a racist statement by a man who was the leader of the Democratic Senators for some time. President Obama was the new reality. He was a focus. He had effect on the African American community and it was a good movement forward, but, it wasn't complete.
It seems ludicrous to me to write about DeSantis in the same entry as Obama, but, Ron DeSantis is the anti-Obama. How many times was the Affordable Care attacked as it was called Obamacare. The estrangement of Obamacare from the Affordable Care Act occurred. Some Americans would never purchase Obamacare, but, thought the Affordable Care Act was a good idea. The Republicans harassed Americans into believing those laws were different, when in fact it was the same law.
Ron DeSantis, no different than the Republican Right Wing is a throw back to other times in the USA when there were laws that did horrible things like making sure there was no anti-Klan movements or legislation. At the time when these horrible laws existed the Klan was burning crosses and hanging black people. But, they were a voting constituency.
The Republican Party is an anti-American party with the election and leadership of Trump. There has never been a more dangerous president for his anti-American sentiment that still exists today.
But, as to the DeSantis' throw back to the "good ole days" when racism felt like a well fitting ready for church service suit, he is just a fading enigma that is racism. He will have his day in the sun, but, inevitably he will disappear into the horizon of wrongful men that sought glory as an anti-American mired in judgement, ridicule and hate.
By Iram X. Kendi
As African American studies faces resistance, (click here) a conversation about the continued relevance of Carter G. Woodson’s 1933 book, The Mis-education of the Negro
A century ago, white segregationists were banning anti-racist books and “Negro studies” as well as punishing and threatening anti-racist educators all over Jim Crow America.
In response to these incidents, Woodson embarked on a new initiative to support educators and promote Negro history. In 1926, he founded Negro History Week, which officially became Black History Month 50 years later. And Woodson’s most important scholarly contribution, his 1933 book, The Mis-education of the Negro, highlighted the importance of teaching Black history....
Monday, February 13, 2023
This is the society we have given our children. Proud of it?
World Psychiatry. 2005 Jun; 4(2): 114–120.
Global suicide rates (click here) among adolescents in the 15-19 age group, according to the latest World Health Organization (WHO) Mortality Database, were examined. Data for this age group were available from 90 countries (in some cases areas) out of the 130 WHO member states. The mean suicide rate for this age group, based on data available for the latest year, was 7.4/100,000. Suicide rates were higher in males (10.5) than in females (4.1). This applies in almost all countries. The exceptions are China, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador and Sri Lanka, where the female suicide rate was higher than the male. In the 90 countries (areas) studied, suicide was the fourth leading cause of death among young males and the third for young females. Of the 132,423 deaths of young people in the 90 countries, suicide accounted for 9.1%. The trend of suicide rates from 26 countries (areas) with data available during the period 1965-1999 was also studied. A rising trend of suicide in young males was observed. This was particularly marked in the years before 1980 and in countries outside Europe. The WHO database is the largest of its kind and, indeed, the only information source that can currently be used for analysis of global mortality due to suicide. Methodological limitations are discussed....
Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among people age 15 to 24 in the U.S. (click here) Nearly 20% of high school students report serious thoughts of suicide and 9% have made an attempt to take their lives, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
Recent weeks have brought heartbreaking examples of this trend, including the March 1 death of Stanford soccer captain Katie Meyer, 22; and Ohio State football player Harry Miller’s revelations that he attempted suicide, shared his struggles with his coach and got help. Miller announced his medical retirement from football on March 10 in a Twitter post that’s been shared more than 10,000 times.
“This is not an issue reserved for the far and away,” wrote Miller. “It is in our homes. It is in our conversations. It is in the people we love.”...
Teen girls across the United States (click here) are “engulfed in a growing wave of violence and trauma,” according to federal researchers who released data Monday showing increases in rape and sexual violence, as well as record levels of feeling sad or hopeless.
Nearly 1 in 3 high school girls reported in 2021 that they seriously considered suicide — up nearly 60 percent from a decade ago — according to new findings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Almost 15 percent of teen girls said they were forced to have sex, an increase of 27 percent over two years and the first increase since the CDC began tracking it.
“If you think about every 10 teen girls that you know, at least one and possibly more has been raped, and that is the highest level we’ve ever seen,” said Kathleen Ethier, director of the CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health who said the rise of sexual violence almost certainly contributed to the glaring spike of depressive symptoms. “We are really alarmed,” she said....
Violence is a leading cause of death and nonfatal injuries among adolescents in the United States. Violence places the lives of adolescents at risk, and experiencing violence may be associated with mental health problems, diminished academic success, sexual risk behavior, and substance use.
The YRBS includes several measures of experiences of violence, including feeling unsafe at school, bullying, forced sex, and sexual violence by anyone. Two questions assessed experiences and perceptions of school safety, including being threatened or injured with a weapon at school during the past year and missing school because of safety concerns during the past 30 days. Two questions assessed bullying during the past year, including bullying at school and electronic bullying. Two questions assessed experiences of sexual violence, including whether students had ever been physically forced to have sex or forced by anyone to do sexual things....
March 15, 2022
By Sandy Cohen
Recent weeks have brought heartbreaking examples of this trend, including the March 1 death of Stanford soccer captain Katie Meyer, 22; and Ohio State football player Harry Miller’s revelations that he attempted suicide, shared his struggles with his coach and got help. Miller announced his medical retirement from football on March 10 in a Twitter post that’s been shared more than 10,000 times.
“This is not an issue reserved for the far and away,” wrote Miller. “It is in our homes. It is in our conversations. It is in the people we love.”...
February 13, 2023
By Donna St. George
Nearly 1 in 3 high school girls reported in 2021 that they seriously considered suicide — up nearly 60 percent from a decade ago — according to new findings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Almost 15 percent of teen girls said they were forced to have sex, an increase of 27 percent over two years and the first increase since the CDC began tracking it.
“If you think about every 10 teen girls that you know, at least one and possibly more has been raped, and that is the highest level we’ve ever seen,” said Kathleen Ethier, director of the CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health who said the rise of sexual violence almost certainly contributed to the glaring spike of depressive symptoms. “We are really alarmed,” she said....
This is not about competition or the pressure teens are under to succeed. This is about the level of violence teen girls are EXPOSED to as a part of their quality of life.
The YRBS includes several measures of experiences of violence, including feeling unsafe at school, bullying, forced sex, and sexual violence by anyone. Two questions assessed experiences and perceptions of school safety, including being threatened or injured with a weapon at school during the past year and missing school because of safety concerns during the past 30 days. Two questions assessed bullying during the past year, including bullying at school and electronic bullying. Two questions assessed experiences of sexual violence, including whether students had ever been physically forced to have sex or forced by anyone to do sexual things....
...In 2021, 7% of high school students were threatened or injured with a weapon, such as a gun, knife, or club, on school property during the past year. Asian students were less likely than students from most other racial and ethnic groups to be threatened or injured with a weapon at school. LGBQ+ students and students who had any same-sex partners were more likely than their peers to be threatened or injured with a weapon at school....
In this beating in New Jersey, the girls knew each other and the harassment was chronic. This is a lack of a value system that includes TOLERANCE of difference. There is no compassion or respect of "the other." There is just judgement, ridicule and hate. Judgement, ridicule and hate. Those are about the lowest common denominator in any society. Every American parent needs to ask themselves how we got here, because, something has to be done to rescue our youth from adulthood that will continue to be violent and full of hate for others; if they survive their teenage years.
Sunday, February 12, 2023
Putin has no respect for life, not even his own people.
Putin's head of intelligence is afraid of being assassinated, as well as his family, and finds it difficult to be completely frank with the genocidal maniac.
By Julia Mueller
Russia is likely suffering its highest casualty rate (click here) since the first week of war in Ukraine, according to a new intelligence update from the British Defense Ministry.
The average Russia casualties for the last week of warfare was 824 casualties each day, a figure U.K. Defense determined from daily statistics shared by Ukraine’s General Staff — a figure four times higher than what was reported between June and July of last year.
“The uptick in Russian casualties is likely due to a range of factors including lack of trained personnel, coordination, and resources across the front,” U.K. Defence concluded.
Russia suffered a daily average of as many as 1,140 casualties in February of last year, but that number starkly fell in the following months to less than 200 on average in mid-2022, according to a chart from the intelligence update.
Ukraine last week reported that more than 1,000 Russian soldiers were killed in a single day of fighting, raising the total throughout the war to more than 133,000.
Russia’s war on Ukraine will hit its first anniversary on Feb. 24, and Moscow appears to be amassing troops in preparation for an offensive to coincide with the one-year mark....
Russia is likely suffering its highest casualty rate (click here) since the first week of war in Ukraine, according to a new intelligence update from the British Defense Ministry.
The average Russia casualties for the last week of warfare was 824 casualties each day, a figure U.K. Defense determined from daily statistics shared by Ukraine’s General Staff — a figure four times higher than what was reported between June and July of last year.
“The uptick in Russian casualties is likely due to a range of factors including lack of trained personnel, coordination, and resources across the front,” U.K. Defence concluded.
Russia suffered a daily average of as many as 1,140 casualties in February of last year, but that number starkly fell in the following months to less than 200 on average in mid-2022, according to a chart from the intelligence update.
Ukraine last week reported that more than 1,000 Russian soldiers were killed in a single day of fighting, raising the total throughout the war to more than 133,000.
Russia’s war on Ukraine will hit its first anniversary on Feb. 24, and Moscow appears to be amassing troops in preparation for an offensive to coincide with the one-year mark....
By Susie Blann
Yevgeny Prigozhin said in a video interview released late Friday that it could take 18 months to two years for Russia to fully secure control of Ukraine's eastern industrial heartland of Donbas. He added that the war could go on for three years if Moscow decides to capture broader territories east of the Dnieper River.
The statement from Prigozhin, a millionaire who has close links to Russian President Vladimir Putin and was dubbed “Putin’s chef” for his lucrative Kremlin catering contracts, marked a recognition of the difficulties that the Kremlin has faced in the campaign, which it initially expected to wrap up within weeks when Russian troops invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24....
Ron DeSantis is a Nazi.
26, 2022
By Kat Bouza
Sen. Rick Scott (click here) was the only featured speaker at Turning Point USA's conference who openly condemned the display of swastikas and other Nazi imagery by a group of pro-DeSantis protestors...
February 12, 2023
by Ian Shapira
The organization’s heated remarks come after a statement last month from the Florida Department of Education’s spokeswoman, who said the AP class — now under a pilot program at about 60 public high schools nationwide — “lacks educational value and is contrary to Florida law,” and even implied that the class contained falsehoods. “If the course comes into compliance and incorporates historically accurate content, the Department will reopen the discussion,” said the spokeswoman, Cassie Palelis.
On Saturday, the College Board issued a response, saying it was time “to clear the air and set the record straight.” The group, which oversees the AP program and the SAT, said it regretted “not immediately denouncing the Florida Department of Education’s slander” and that its failure to speak up, “betrayed Black scholars everywhere and those who have long toiled to build this remarkable field.”...
The Chinese did this for a reason. It wasn't a benign interest. We have a right to defend our country.
President Biden and the USA military did the right thing. Passivity of such insults to our national security is not the direction to take. If this has been going on for some time, the question is why? A blind spot is one thing, but, any deliberate order to look the other way to keep the peace is something entirely different.
China is Russia's ally. What else is there to know?
By Allison Pecorin
The downing of a third high-altitude object (click here) -- this one over Canada, on Saturday -- only increases the urgency for Congress to get to the bottom of what appears to be a previously unknown surveillance program by the Chinese, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Sunday.
In an exclusive interview, Schumer told ABC "This Week" anchor George Stephanopoulos that "the bottom line is, until a few months ago, we didn't know of these balloons."
The suspected Chinese reconnaissance program also existed during the Trump administration but was only recently discovered by the U.S. intelligence and military communities, according to Schumer.
"It's wild we didn't know, isn't it?" Stephanopoulos said.
"It is wild that we didn't know, absolutely," Schumer said, adding, "Now they are learning a lot more."...
The downing of a third high-altitude object (click here) -- this one over Canada, on Saturday -- only increases the urgency for Congress to get to the bottom of what appears to be a previously unknown surveillance program by the Chinese, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Sunday.
In an exclusive interview, Schumer told ABC "This Week" anchor George Stephanopoulos that "the bottom line is, until a few months ago, we didn't know of these balloons."
The suspected Chinese reconnaissance program also existed during the Trump administration but was only recently discovered by the U.S. intelligence and military communities, according to Schumer.
"It's wild we didn't know, isn't it?" Stephanopoulos said.
"It is wild that we didn't know, absolutely," Schumer said, adding, "Now they are learning a lot more."...
Twitter
Octagonal, eh? The Chinese have a long history flying octagonal objects with a low radar profile. These objects have also been sighted over Bermuda.
Officials say this time the airborne object was at 20k feet and octagonal in shape. Radar detected something over Montana and Wisconsin and Michigan. Unknown if it had surveillance capability. Pres Biden ordered this 4th object shot down.
China is monitoring the world because it believes he has a right to do so considering they have port cranes in every country on Earth. China does not have a right to monitor the world. It is a blatant disregard of a country's sovereignty.
'Octagonal' object shot down by military aircraft over Lake Huron, US officials confirm (click here)
Another high-altitude object was shot down Sunday, this time over Lake Huron, three U.S. officials confirmed to ABC News. According to one of the officials, the object was shot down by a U.S. military aircraft.
This is a developing story and will be updated
At 2:45 p.m., a U.S. Air Force F-16 fired a sidewinder missile at the objects, the Pentagon said in a statement Sunday.
"Its path and altitude raised concerns, including that it could be a hazard to civil aviation. The location chosen for this shoot down afforded us the opportunity to avoid impact to people on the ground while improving chances for debris recovery. There are no indications of any civilians hurt or otherwise affected," North American Aerospace Defense Command said in a statement.
A senior administration official told ABC News that President Biden directed Sunday's object be shot down "out of an abundance of caution and at the recommendation of military leaders."...
Saturday, February 11, 2023
This is exactly what I have been writing about, racism in the emergency manager asset sale.
A city or town has value. It comes in many forms. The value of the land, the assets of the city, the investments in community interests like education. When Snyder sent Emergency Managers into Michigan cities they simply saw the balance sheet and not the long term goal of a better future for the city and it's people. The assets were viciously taken from the ownership of the cities and sold to pay off debts. Following the Emergency Managers there was far less value to the city.
There is no favorable bond rating for Flint, Michigan. There is nothing to assure anyone purchasing municipal bonds that Flint would be able to provide a reasonable return on investment.
Hurley Medical Center is probably the largest public corporation near Flint and it only carries a "BBB" rating (click here).
There were simply no long term plan for Flint. All the sales were punitive and without investment that would improve the value of Flint and it's future.
By Ron Fonger
Flint - A new study shows (click here) the value of Flint’s housing stock dropped following the city’s water crisis and says the stigma of the man-made disaster persisted with “no evidence of recovery.”
The study, “Economic Effects of Environmental Crises: Evidence from Flint, Michigan,” was published in the American Economic Journal: Economic Policy. It compared Flint’s housing prices to other distressed cities that were once industrial centers with declining incomes and populations since the 1970s as well as other Michigan cities that were also run by state-appointed emergency managers....
The study, “Economic Effects of Environmental Crises: Evidence from Flint, Michigan,” was published in the American Economic Journal: Economic Policy. It compared Flint’s housing prices to other distressed cities that were once industrial centers with declining incomes and populations since the 1970s as well as other Michigan cities that were also run by state-appointed emergency managers....
Sure, Wall Street loves fire sales, but, it left Flint empty of value. It is called corruption. The year long corruption cover up only to be exposed by media and explained away while children were brain damaged, women experienced miscarriages and people died.
June 2022
State-appointed receivers made temporary improvements to balance budgets and improve short-term liquidity, but failed or were simply unable to address the structural causes of Flint’s fiscal distress. The focus of Michigan’s takeover policy has been eliminating deficits, which has been primarily achieved through spending cuts. Other than cutting retiree benefits, policies imposed under receivership largely failed to have any measurable effect on Flint’s long-term solvency. In fact, it is likely that some problems like deferred infrastructure maintenance, which does not show up on basic financial statements, worsened as a result of budget cuts.
Absent state-level policy changes, particularly around revenue sharing, Flint will likely continue to struggle. Over the past several decades, Flint’s tax base has been hollowed out, as most of its wealth fled to surrounding suburbs, while its debt remained in place. But as a result of restrictive state policies, the City has very little autonomy to adjust its tax policies and is dependent on an underfunded State revenue sharing program. While the State could use the statutory portion of its revenue sharing program to recognize and remedy historical inequities, the program is chronically underfunded....
The people of Flint focused on clean, safe drinking water. Ironically, they have suffered a near week of having to boil water because of a water main break recently. But, the people cared about themselves and rightfully so, no one else even attempted to change their plight. They weren't able to solve their own problems because of their financial state. The people were low income and "just one more thing" was simply their reality.
In response to Flint's inability to improve it's financial state, there is now a website for investors.
The City of Flint, Michigan (Flint), (click here) today announced the rollout of its new investor transparency initiative to attract more investors to its municipal bond offerings. The City of Flint launched a new investor relations website, CityofFlintInvestors.com, to centralize the latest news, project updates, reports, and more related to Flint's bond programs.
"We're excited about launching this new investor relations program alongside BondLink. Technology like this enables us to be more transparent and tell our story about how we're making critical investments in public infrastructure, public health, environmental projects, and more throughout the City of Flint," said Robert J.F. Widigan, chief financial officer of the City. "We're proud of our work to improve our financial positions; we continue to focus our efforts toward addressing the unfunded pension liability, quickly deploying one-time ARPA dollars into our community wisely and equitably, and increasing transparency and better governance in how we report financial data."...
Normally municipal bonds are viewed as some of the best and most stable for investors. What Snyder did was corrupt, racist and cruel. There is no doubt as far as I am concerned. The Michigan Emergency Manager Law under Snyder (I remind how the voter referendum was to terminate the law) was destructive. It was never written or carried out to rescue Flint and set it on a solid path. The assets were sold to the highest bidder and Flint was abandoned to continue to flounder in providing a solid footing for education and city services.
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