May 18, 2015. Massive Hail Storm in Texas.

This is where Pecos, Texas is located and 5 days ago this hail storm is what happened there. It was caught on video.

The next day another team of storm chasers caught still yet another odd storm/tornado on video. At one point the hail is at least 6 inches deep and increasing.

A man also walks across a pavement wearing a hard hat.

Tuesday, May 19, 2015, 12:07 - We started (click here for video which includes advocacy for a "Tornado Safety Plan" ) our day off in Abilene, TX and after some breakfast, we began our trek southwest along the I-20 toward Midland, TX. This was our "target" to start the day to get us into position for storms to fire. After waiting at a gas station in Midland for a couple of hours, storms began to develop near the NM-TX border. We started vectoring southwest toward Pecos, TX where the storm was.... 

The weather Channel has remarkable submissions from the people who lost their entire town to a tornado. At one point a teacher walks down the hall of a collapsed roof and some destroyed walls and her reaction is profound. There should be no elected officials even entertaining the words, "These folks are tough and they are good as recovering from these storms." The videos clearly show people unable to cope with their reality.

 

It 

The Earned Income Tax Credit is nice to help lift the income of the poor, however, it is Wall Street Welfare and it is not a substitution for a higher minimum wage.

There is very severe weather across the country. The flooding along the 'blue dots' is disasterous.

Kindly read the explanation (click here)  and examine the color code to understand where the severe flooding is occurring. Red dots on this map is the intuitive opposite of most ideas about the color red. In this instance the blue (probably to indicate water) is where the heaviest rains and flooding is occurring.

The information found on this map is 'REAL TIME' data. 

Click on the state of this government page at link above and it will show the distribution of danger in that particular state. 

These are record floods. No one, but, no one should be overlooking the fact people have to be evacuated. This is going to require the National Guard to attempt any rescue for those that have not be evacuated.

Police, sheriffs, deputy sherrifs and prison guards should be required to carry a pulse oximeter into any procedure where restraints are applied.

These are portable pulse oximeters. The mechanisms can be easily carried by police. When restraints are being applied in any way, the person being restrained should have their oxygen saturation checked. If the suspect and/or prisoner states, "I can't breath." immediately the oxygen saturation should be checked without delay of any kind.

When a pulse oximeter reads below 95% a person's oxygen saturation is compromised. At no point in time should the oxygen saturation level fall below 90%. If the oxygen saturation level falls to 85% the oxygen saturation level is completely compromised and all activity compromising the person restrained should stop.

A young black man will not have health consequences to cause a reading, as in COPD, that is related to chronic health issues opposed to asphyxiation. There is absolutely no reason for anyone to be threatened with death by police when in their custody. Should a reading of less than 95% should be provided with relief to allow them to breath better and immediately transported to an emergency room for further evaluation and intervention. 

In the case of Eric Garner the man needed a patent airway that was not crushed. That means a whole has to be performed to his neck below the crushed airway to insure air exchange. EMTs should be instructed in the procedure of providing a temporary tracheotomy to provide air exchange as the person is transported to the emergency room.

Not all the problems in Baltimore relate to the Freddie Gray murder.

There are nearly fifty percent less arrests in Baltimore because of crowds recording the actions of police. The Baltimore police asked for it. They have not had the confidence of the community that are under Big Brother surveillance. There is a lot more wrong with the policing relationship other than the death of Freddie Gray.

If the community is showing up at arrests, there is probably surveillance of the police band radio. These people are terrified of their police. There is no clear communication or advocacy for the people with the police. The communication between the police and community has to improve.

If there are fifty percent less arrests in Baltimore, maybe there should be. There are still arrests, but, less of them. The arrests that are happening might be the ones the community recognizes as necessary and important. There needs to be a Citizen-Police Board where complaints are brought to end the tensions with the community. 

The Freddie Gray murder was the spark that lit the flame. Not every action by police or the community is linked to the death of Freddie Gray. Those dynamics are now facing the court. He died in the custody of police in a heinous manner. That is a fact. How many other infractions exist in the community not caught on camera yet. The death of Freddie Gray was not a freak incident. There are others that have died in police vans. There is a lot wrong in Baltimore and until there are clear understandings and not an 'US and Them' relationship there will be problems. 

Senator Paul with the help of Seantor Heinrich has successfully defeated...

...procedural votes on both The American Freedom Act required a 60 vote majority and failed. The NSA provisions of the Patriot Act was defeated with less than a simple majority. Senator McConnell attempted short term extensions in several renditions of the with no success. 

The current idea is to bring the US Senate back to session on May 31 at 5PM for a vote on an extension of the Patriot Act before it expires midnight of June 1, 2015.

Highway extension to be passed this morning. The highway extension has been postponed until May 31st. The Senate was adjourned until May 31st at 5PM EDT.

Congratulations to Senator Paul and Senator Heinrich. Senator Paul was more than willing to forgo four of his six amendments to pass the Patriot Act, but, it was not allowed. The US Senate has successfully blocked the House NSA surveillance bill and the two month extension.

Majority leader McConnell is somewhat alarmed by the fact there is a high threat level overseas and the Patriot Act was not returned from it's sunset date.

The Senate is acting on a House bill for the renewal of the Patriot Act and it is not going over well in the US Senate.

Senator Mikulski is appalled the US Senate has been adjourned without renewal of the Patriot Act or at the very least voted for The American Freedom Act. She stated the thousands of people at the NSA were carrying out an important job to protect the USA's defense. She stated these people have been harassed in their private lives, including bullying of their children because of the work they did.

No one is dissolving FISA or Executive Order 12333. I suggest the people at the NSA and it's director review the importance of FISA and expect to fall back on it as the Patriot Act expires.

Senator Dick Durbin has objected to another extension of the Highway Bill and wants a six year program. He is consenting to a 60 extension but there is a six year program that is needed. He expects the full bill to be passed when the US Senate returns. The extension was approved for 90 days on a verbal consent. 

Most of the Senators have left the chamber.

Senator Mark Rounds has moved to Executive Session and nominations be submitted. All nominations passed.

The US Senate finally adjourned until 4PM May 26th. The further votes on the Patriot Act will not occur until May 31st to convene at 4PM.