DeSantis, his legislature and administration is about the Republican nomination for president.

DeSantis is trying to harvest Trump supports in demonstrating he can get the job done.

In the wake of his ambitions Florida is becoming a problem. The latest extremist bid includes a no permit gun ownership. In other words, other than what is brought on by federal laws, there are no regs or concerns from the State of Florida. It shows.

March 24, 2023
By Lorena Inclan

This time, the scene of the crime (click here) was the entrance ramp to the Palmetto southbound near Northwest 36th Street.

Images showed a white BMW SUV riddled with bullets as Florida Highway Patrol investigated the crime that led to a major backup on the highway.

Retired Miami-Dade police major and attorney Ignacio Alvarez said there are two logical reasons that could spark this violence.

“It could be some type of retaliation, or it could be just simple road rage,” Alvarez said

Earlier this month, NBC 6 covered two highway shootings in Broward County on I-95. In one of the shootings, a man suffered life-threatening injuries.

And back in November 2022, Broward County was once again the scene of what deputies called a road rage incident that left a preschool teacher dead....

DeSantis was elected in 2019 and drug arrests have been on the decline ever since across Florida.

2014 there were 624.9 drug arrests per 100,000 persons. 2020 there were 316.8 drug arrests per 100,000 persons. That means there is less trafficking interference and more cartel merchandise making its way into the country. That nigh level of arrests is consistent across that entire space of time 2014 to 2019. There was an enormous drop off as soon as he became Governor of Florida.

Anyone protecting the Rule of Law that receives death threats needs protection as well as their families.

March 24, 2023

By Jonathan Dienst, Dareh Gregorian and Laura Jaffett

The FBI and NYPD (click here) are investigating a letter containing a death threat and white powder that was mailed to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, whose office is investigating former President Donald Trump, law-enforcement sources told NBC News.

The letter was addressed to Bragg and said, "ALVIN: I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!” the sources said. It contained a small amount of white powder.

There were no evacuations or injuries, officials said.

It was the latest in what a senior law enforcement source described as "several hundred threats" aimed at Bragg and his office in recent weeks. A couple dozen of the messages were considered to be directly threatening serious harm to Bragg, the source said....

US House Republicans…

 …have no right to tamper with local government or prosecutors or investigations. There are States Rights and Republicans in DC are overreaching past the US Constitution when it comes to prosecutions of former President Trump.

The US House is a legislative branch. The DOJ is the Executive Branch office responsible for the Rule of Law. 

McCarthy needs to stop grand standing to raise money for Congressional races. I think there is a need for an ethics investigation to the motive of the US House overreach.

Agreed. There should be a law. And funding besides.

 

March 21, 2023

THINK OF THE worst invasive species you know. (click here) Kudzu: smothering trees and houses, growing a foot a day. Burmese pythons: stripping the Everglades of small animals. Asian carp: hoovering streams clean of plankton and swimming toward the Great Lakes.

They all came from somewhere else, arrived with no natural predators, outcompeted local flora and fauna, and took over whole ecosystems. But they all have their limitations: Kudzu dies in a hard freeze, carp can’t tolerate salt water, and pythons can’t cover long distances very fast. (Thankfully.)

Now imagine a species with all those benefits—foreign origin, no enemies—and no roadblocks to dominance: One that is indifferent to temperature, comfortable in many landscapes, able to run a lot faster than you, and muscular enough to leave a big dent in your car. That describes any of the possibly 6 million feral hogs in the United States, the most intractable invasives that most people have never heard of....

Frank Figliuzzi makes an excellent point, when will Trump end his money making rallies?

March 21, 2023

By Frank Figliuzzi, MSNBC Columnist

In a Truth Social post (click here) on Saturday in which he claimed he’ll be arrested by New York officials Tuesday for hush money he paid adult film star Stormy Daniels, former President Donald Trump called for his supporters to “PROTEST, TAKE OUR NATION BACK!” Trump’s post is one of the reasons we need to be concerned about whether in response to any of the criminal investigations he faces, violent extremists will mobilize on his behalf as they did Jan. 6, 2021....

There will most probably be confrontation, especially with counter protesters. There will be police dangers as well with Trump rallies and protests. The protections at the US Capitol that were put in place after the insurrection of January 6, 2021 need to be maintained and strengthened. President Biden and Vice President Harris need the best protection we can give them, too. 

There is absolutely no doubt Donald John Trump intended for the rally on that day to end in violence insurrection at the US Capitol while disrupting the proceedings to bring in the next freely elected president. The US Justice Department should not be afraid of the truth and bring charges against Trump for his attack on his own Secret Service to get to the insurrection to lead it to complete the violence he expected.

Trump's presidency brought violence to this country as well as a compromised national security by insulting NATO and seeking to make it weaker while allowing breaches in national security with Russia and quite possibly China.

US Justice also needs to add to the list the very fact Trump sought to undermine support for Ukraine. His oath of office was violated.

March 21, 2023
By Wesley Parnell

New York - Demonstrators (click here) who want a Donald Trump indictment far outnumbered MAGA supporters Tuesday morning outside the Manhattan Criminal Court, where the former president is expected to be charged as early as Wednesday.

The pro-indictment protesters gathered in front of the building where Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is investigating Trump over a hush-money payment made to Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign....

No Labor Unions - No Middle Class

The Republicans will begin to act against the Michigan return to sanity. They will investigate and hold hearings and try to pin all sorts of criminal content on unions and their leaders.

In the past, unions have been corrupted by power and money. There is no doubt about that, but, they were always found out. Unions are powerful because people within a democracy are powerful.

I worked as a shop steward in a nurses union. There was never any corruption. There was concern for the profession and the professionals. The union also collected dues at a reduced amount for those that did not join the union. Why? Because non-union employees benefited from the unions negotiations and their quality of life was no different than those paying full dues.

If corruption ever exists with union leadership, there needs to be investigations to keep everyone honest. But, where unions are acting in the best interest of the people they represent at bargaining tables, they deserve the confidence in knowing their union dues will keep the offices humming and the lawyers paid.

March 21, 2023
By Lauren Gibbons

Michigan Democrats (click here) approved prominent labor bills and sent them to the governor

Right-to-Work repeal would end a 2012 law that prohibits compulsory union dues or fees

Prevailing wage restoration guarantees union-scale wages on government-funded construction jobs

Lansing - Michigan Democrats on Tuesday voted to repeal the state’s Right-to-Work law and restore prevailing wage rates, targeting major Republican labor practices despised by unions.

The bill package — House Bills 4004 and 4007 and Senate Bills 6 and 34 — cleared both chambers Tuesday. The House voted through the Senate legislation in party-line votes, and amended versions of the House bills were approved later Tuesday afternoon.

The legislation now moves to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat who has signaled she will sign the bills.

Democrats pushed the bills through the Legislature over protests from Republicans, who contend the changes will make Michigan less competitive for employers....

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Wall Street wants their profit margin back.

I have just one question.

Just one.

When is the great Xi going to broker a peace with Taiwan?

 

Good shooting.

A little practice goes a long way. The International Criminal Courts should note these Russian missiles were intended to kill more Ukrainians in very vulnerable cities where people currently feel safe. The Ukrainian military did the right thing and destroyed the danger before it occurred.

It may be wise to encourage families with children to flee the area simply because of the determination and ruthlessness exhibited by Vladimir Putin's plans for them. It will create refugees, but, the children will be safe and parents will still be able to raise them. There are too many Ukraine orphans.

March 21, 2023
By Ashish Dangwal

On March 20, (click here) Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR) claimed that an explosion in the Crimean city of Dzhankoi destroyed “multiple” Russian Kalibr cruise missiles as they were being transported by rail.

These Russian cruise missiles were reportedly meant to be employed by the Kremlin’s Black Sea fleet. Russia has regularly utilized sea-launched Kalibrs to attack civil infrastructure.

On its Telegram channel, the GUR claimed, “An explosion in the city of Dzhankoy in the north of the temporarily occupied Crimea destroyed the Russian ‘Kalibr NK’ cruise missiles during their transportation by railway.”

The explosions on Monday, which occurred roughly 90 miles from the front lines, accelerated “Russia’s demilitarization” process and helped to prepare “the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea for de-occupation,” according to the GUR, which did not specify the precise cause of the explosions.

Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine’s interior ministry, shared footage he claimed showed the city’s railway station area. The footage depicts a single loud, scorching detonation followed by a column of smoke in the night sky....

As sad as it is…

 …President Biden is correct to deport Russians seeking asylum. The Russian government is ruthless and even if given asylum, individuals would be threatened as would be their families to act against Americans. The best example is Maria Butina, a benign figure involved with political structures in the USA that elected Donald Trump.

Russia is currently making dual citizenship of Russian citizens nearly a criminal act. Russians are pressured to make choices to ensure their loyalty to Putin. Russians seeking asylum are risking their lives and the lives of their families.

Russians seeking asylum are never adequately protected. Never. There is a trust issue with asylum seeking Russians and it is not their fault. The problem is the Russian government and its long arm of hatred of free nations of people.

It is a very false sense of security for Russians seeking asylum away from Putin. It is best if they find other ways of being safe like refusing to commit genocide.

Russians within the borders of free people is a national security consideration, as if Trump wasn’t enough of one.

Nord Stream Pipeline Explosion

There is an article in “Wired” magazine that tries to nail down through open source data what exactly happened.

Let me propose a different way of looking at it that seems more realistic, at least to me. We have been looking at external explosions as a means of sabotage. I have very sincere doubts about that.

Undersea pipelines are tough stuff. The composition of the pipe requires Ni Steel, aerogel insulation, carbon steel casing and concrete weight coating. There is also the issue of seawater.

Let’s just think about the saltwater surrounding the pipeline. For every 100 feet down there is one atmosphere of pressure on that pipeline. It is also cold and dense water and very dark. 

If an explosive charge was carried out on the exterior of the pipeline the seawater would absorb some that energy. So, putting an explosive charge on top or under a very well constructed cylinder would be highly inefficient and could possibly fail.

If the pipeline was sabotaged it would probably be set inside the pipeline and not externally. Examining the remains of the pipeline might indicate the direction of the explosion in relation to the integrity of the material itself. The steel would show an explosion from the inside out or the outside in.

I don’t think there is enough information and guess work is highly irrelevant. No one can lay the blame on anyone through speculation. I think there must be far more forensics of the pipe to know where to look.

Two of the most stupid, brutal men in the world.

March 20, 2023

By Rachel Pannett, Leo Sands, Kelly Kasulis Cho, Robyn Dixon and lily Kuo

Chinese leader Xi Jinping (click here) arrived in Moscow on Monday for three days of talks, in the strongest show yet of support for Russia since its invasion of Ukraine. Beijing has billed the state visit as a peace mission, which comes as a welcome show of solidarity for an increasingly isolated Moscow. Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin are styling themselves as the leaders of a new world order — and their alignment is based largely on shared opposition to U.S. power.

Officials around the world are eyeing the trip for signs it could provide Putin with a morale boost and a tacit endorsement of his brutal war. In an article published in a Russian newspaper ahead of the visit, Xi said Beijing has “always taken an objective and impartial position” on the year-old Ukraine conflict and made “efforts to promote reconciliation and peace negotiations.” Putin, meanwhile, said Russia is “open to a political and diplomatic resolution” to the war....

Communists are stuck in a two class system of inhumanity, the oppressors and the oppressed, and engage in fear in international relations regardless of it's idiocy.

Argentina is a passive, beautiful, lush part of the world where there is no conflict. Unless. The Argentine government is convinced the Falklands are a place to begin an invasion of the Free World.

The Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) are a remote South Atlantic archipelago. With rugged terrain and cliff-lined coasts, its hundreds of islands and islets are home to sheep farms and abundant birdlife. The capital, Stanley, sits on East Falkland, the largest island. The town's Falkland Islands Museum has themed galleries devoted to maritime exploration, natural history,

Quite frankly, I think the Brits have been good neighbors. They need to stop playing politics at home with it. Seriously. The Brits should consider giving it Belize status.

March 17, 2023
By Gabriel Honrada

China may be close to clinching a huge weapons sale to Argentina (click here) involving fighter jets and armored vehicles, a deal that would give Beijing military clout in a region traditionally seen as America’s sphere of influence.

This week, South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that Argentina’s Ambassador to China Sabino Vaca Narvaja and Argentinian Defense Minister Jorge Taiana met in Buenos Aires recently to discuss defense cooperation plans with China, which includes the possible purchase of JF-17 fighter jets, 8×8 armored vehicles and military personnel exchanges.

SCMP mentions that the JF-17, which China co-produces with Pakistan, is a potential candidate to fill the Argentine Air Force’s longstanding fighter gap. The Chinese fighter is reportedly competing against India’s HAL Tejas, Russia’s MiG-35 and secondhand Danish F-16s....

This military armament ideology of the communists is exactly the example that is needed to prove how completely stupid they are.'

Argentina has no reason to arm itself like this. Neither does South Africa. The southern hemisphere is mostly ocean. It is a highly wild ocean water, too. The one true ally the USA has in the southern hemisphere is Australia. The history of Australia and China has been one of primarily peace, cooperation in international enforcement regarding the drug trade and economic benevolence. UNTIL. Recently.

Xi has escalated international tensions beyond repair. Now, countries enjoying a good quality of life and enormously satisfying benevolent governance have to increase their military prowess because the communists, post Trump, have decided now is their only opportunity for world domination.

There is no reason to dominate international air space with a communist takeover of Argentina and South Africa.  Antarctica is currently nothing more than a benevolent scientific study of Earth and its place in the universe. There is very important work taking place in Antarctica, but, that will end too as the world divides and enters into a forever war stance.

BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) is broken forever. China and Russia will be economically ostracized from the very democracies that nurtured their transition to capitalism in anticipation of a lasting peace and ever increasing quality of life of their people.

This is complete betrayal by Russia and China of the world order headed into peace and prosperity. There is no going back. Wall Street made their money and now they need a rude awakening to the reality China is not interested in wealthy men or international monetary policy. China likes controlling it's internal economy with two currencies. Their international currency won't be needed by the Free World anymore.

I don't know what is going to come out of the meeting of Putin and Xi, but, whatever makes the newspapers will be nothing but communist propaganda designed to harness the sympathies of democratically governed peoples. There won't be any worthwhile international resolve to Ukraine as China only seeks to increase global dependency on it's military machines. 

France's Macron is correct. It is necessary to increase the retirement age to 64. It is a huge paradigm change for France and it is painful, however, President Macron is not blind to the future of the Free World and what it sill take to shore up it's securities, especially national securities and international alliances.

Here is the reality that should exist. Xi should be facilitating Putin's arrest. 

Dr. Mona would like to have Flint families supported in a project leading to a national model.

...In 2021, (click here) 1,205 women died of maternal causes in the United States compared with 861 in 2020 and 754 in 2019. The maternal mortality rate for 2021 was 32.9 deaths per 100,000 live births, compared with a rate of 23.8 in 2020 and 20.1 in 2019 (Table)....

March 15, 2023
By Ron Fonger 

Flint - The pediatrician (click here) whose research helped end the Flint water crisis has a prescription for fixing the city’s sky-high childhood poverty rate -- cash allowances for every expectant mother and every child during their first year of life.

Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha is pushing to create a first-of-its-kind citywide pilot program called Rx Kids, a demonstration project for the nation that would provide all expectant mothers a one-time prenatal allowance of $1,500 and all families with infants a $500 monthly payment.

“We would like to give every pregnant mom and every infant in Flint ... an allowance -- an unconditional cash allowance -- that they can spend to help raise their family because it is hard to raise a family,” Hanna-Attisha told the Flint City Council during its meeting on Monday, March 13....

With a continuing increase in the maternal death rate, why won't anti-abortion advocates also in favor of a continuing monthly check for parents?

March 14, 2023

It’s been less than two months (click here) since tax season started. And Jaqueline Marcelos, who leads the free tax clinic at the Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA) in San Francisco, has already heard the same concern from dozens of families: Why has my tax refund changed so much?

"Many clients are coming here thinking that this year they're going to get the same refund as last year," Marcelos said. One client, she says, qualified to receive thousands of dollars in her return when filing in 2022 — but this year she’ll actually end up owing money to Uncle Sam.

What changed? Among other things, the extended child tax credit from 2022 has ended, and many parents and caregivers are seeing a major drop in their tax refund....

The Child Tax Credit lifts children out of poverty. There is still a strong disparity in the earning ability of women compared to me and more so by ethnic delineation.

The women's-to-men's earnings ratio (click here) varied by race and Hispanic ethnicity. White women earned 82.2 percent as much as their male counterparts, compared with 94.1 percent for Black women, 78.5 percent for Asian women, and 87.6 percent for Hispanic women.

On average women are earning only 85 cents to every $1.00 men are earning. The ethnic/racial disparity is a national disgrace.

March 9, 2023
Juliana Kaplan and Ayelet Sheffey

A view of the White House decorated in Halloween theme after U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden greeted trick-or-treaters during a Halloween event on the South Lawn of the White House October 31, 2022 in Washington, DC.

President Joe Biden's funding wish list is out (click here) — and it has some good news for parents.

On Thursday, Biden unveiled his budget proposal for fiscal year 2024, which outlines his investment priorities in every federal agency for the upcoming year. It aims to cut the deficit by nearly $3 trillion over ten years, and it includes a revival of his previous tax proposals, like a minimum billionaires tax and higher corporate tax — as well as the restoration of the expanded Child Tax Credit.

Biden's American Rescue Plan gave $3,000 per child to families with children over the age of six, and $3,600 per child to families with children under the age of six. The ARP also paid out the tax credit in monthly checks, rather than as part of an annual tax refund.

However, the expansion of that credit expired in December 2021 due to Republican opposition and pushback from conservative Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin. Now the president wants to restore the program fully....

Water and food security is a problem in nearly every corner of the world, the Middle East is no different.

The USA military very early on stated water security is going to be a problem. That is playing out in international relations and building relationships that work for the people.

March 16, 2023

The Ministry of Water and Irrigation (click here) on Thursday launched the National Water Strategy 2023-2040 to serve as a long-term plan to achieve water security in Jordan.

The strategy outlines the government's goals and plans to achieve water security in line with His Majesty King Abdullah's vision, tackling issues such as water scarcity, population growth and climate change, said Minister of Water and Irrigation Mohammad Najjar, deputising for the prime minister, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Noting that Jordan's per capita share of water currently stands at less than 61 cubic metres per year, Najjar highlighted Jordan's need for new water sources, optimal management of current water resources, water security and sustainable development.

Najjar noted that non-conventional water sources, including the National Water Carrier Project and wastewater treatment for agriculture, are essential components of Jordan's efforts to boost water supply and sustainability.

He highlighted the potential of non-conventional water sources to decrease water loss, improve water supplies and provide water for industrial, agricultural, and tourism projects.

The minister emphasised the importance of building an effective management system, tackling climate change and minimising groundwater depletion.

The strategy aims to reduce water losses, install modern smart meters and control systems and improve water sector governance, management and operation via modernising water sector institutions, streamlining processes and saving costs, he said....

16 March 2023

Minister of Water and Irrigation Mohammad Najjar (click here) confirmed that Israel supplied Jordan with about 100 million cubic meters of water in 2022.

Among the 100mcm of water that entered Jordan last year, about 35 million through the 'peace treaty', and about 50 million additional ones outside the treaty were purchased, and about 10 million are stored in Sea of Galilee.

Jordan and the Israeli occupation signed a declaration of intent to rehabilitate and improve the environment and water system of the Jordan River and the Dead Sea, on the sidelines of the Sharm el-Sheikh climate summit.

A quarter of Jordan's water resources are shared with neighbouring countries, according to Ibrahim Hiyasat, advisor to the Minister of Water and Irrigation.

The Secretary-General of the Jordan Valley Authority, Manar Mahasneh said that the water supply to Jordan outside the treaty (50mcm) over a period of 3 years began in May 2021 and it will end in May 2024.

March 16, 2023

...This invention by the Technion researchers consists of a unique wind turbine, (click here) that does not require any electricity for it to run, and is cheap and easy to use and maintain.

The electric energy consumed today by desalination processes stands at about 3.5 kilowatt-hours (kWh) for each cubic meter of water. For the sake of illustration, approximately 4% of all electric energy produced in Israel in 2015 was used for desalination.

 
In addition to the high environmental costs of such vast energy consumption – energy which is produced in Israel mainly by burning fossil fuels – the need for so much electricity keeps the technology of desalinating and purifying water beyond the reach of over a billion people around the world who have no access to clean drinking water.

At the core of the new invention lies a turbine not known by many – the vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT). This turbine rotates around an upright axis (to visualize the movement of the turbine blades, imagine a man running around an electric pole), unlike the more familiar wind turbines, whose axis is horizontal....

Of course the real answer is for normal rainfall to return along with far more reduction of greenhouse gases.

With the serious issues facing the Middle East, it doesn't make sense that Saudi Arabia has chosen to create tensions with Israel. These tensions aren't even about delicate issues, this is about tourism.

13 March 2023

A man rides his bicycle past a mosque in the Circassian village of Kfar Kama in the northern Galilee region, on December 21, 2022.

...Saudi Arabia (click here) refused to issue visas for an Israeli delegation to a UN event honoring spots picked as the world’s top rural tourist destinations for 2022, Israeli officials confirmed to The Times of Israel on Sunday.

The delegation was representing the Circassian town of Kfar Kama in the Galilee region of northern Israel, which was selected in December as an international “tourist village” by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

The town, whose 3,500 residents are Muslim, was named among 32 villages from 22 countries including Morocco, Italy, Jordan, Mexico, Peru and others....

Israel is doing a lot of good work in regard to conservation and clean waterways.

28 December 2022
By Sue Surkes

...Water authorities (click here) on Tuesday inaugurated an innovative project to pipe desalinated water into the Sea of Galilee in order to maintain the lake’s water level during dry years even as its waters fill growing regional demands.

One of the lowest-lying bodies of water on Earth, the Sea of Galilee is Israel’s largest freshwater lake and its emergency water store.

It is the first time in the world that desalinated water is being used to replenish a lake....

13 June 2022

In the Jordan Valley, (click here) reconstructed changes of the Sea of Galilee level have shown sharp fluctuations of the water elevation during the Holocene. In this paper, we provide new data originating from the excavations of Kursi Beach archaeological site located on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee and compare them with other data gathered from the archaeological site of Magdala, located on its western shore. Our data yield to constrain Sea of Galilee level changes between the Iron Age II (10th–9th centuries BCE) and the Crusader period (11th–12th centuries CE), a period of high interest for the archaeological community. We demonstrate that water level was around -212 to -210 m mean sea level (msl) for the Iron Age II period. Lake level rose to -208/-209 m msl during the Late Hellenistic/Early Roman period. Water level remained low (<-213/-214 m msl) from the Byzantine to the Crusader period (from 5th to 12th centuries CE). Our data provide new knowledge for the understanding of variations in the Sea of Galilee level in antiquity. We highlight that water level fluctuations must have been key factors taken into account in the habitation pattern.

20 February 2023
By Sue Surkes

Ten environmental organizations (click here) said Monday that they have joined forces to campaign for the rehabilitation of the Jordan River and the Dead Sea.

The Dead Sea has been shrinking dramatically in recent years and is currently about half the size it was in 1976. Currently at 436 meters (1,430 feet) below sea level, it is dropping by 1.1–1.2 meters (45–48 inches) each year.

The umbrella body, called From the Point of View of the Sea, includes several not-for-profits already involved in water issues, such as Dead Sea Guardians, EcoPeace, the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, EcoOcean, Zalul, and the Negev Desert-focussed Sustainable Desert, as well as Lobby 99, a crowd-funded legal organization that is following the impending renewal of the state franchise to mine minerals from the Dead Sea. The student-based Green Course has also joined, as has Life and Environment, the umbrella body for all of Israel’s green groups....

This area of the world was never this parched. Besides being capable of producing food and water for populations of people, there were lush areas. Ethiopia, as an example, was a lush rainforest (click here).

In order to have rain there has to be water vapor. All the water vapor needed for rainfall globally cannot come from the oceans and travel far distances. The rainforests are a place where water vapor is produced through evapotranspiration of plants and ultimately into the air to create clouds and rain. These areas must be returned to Earth's ecosystems to return the planet back to it's natural state. 

Currently, there is  only one way to return these regions of vital importance to a contributing element of a healthy climate of the troposphere and that is desalination and restoration of rivers and lakes. There is no other feasible way. Countries that accept the challenge of the climate crisis work with scientists to end the crisis and begin to heal Earth.

22 June 2022
By Sue Surkes

...The Dead Sea’s issues (click here) have been exacerbated by mineral mining operations that pump its water into massive evaporation pools to its south. The mining lease has been enshrined in law for nearly seven decades, but in the coming years the government will finally have a chance to reopen the contract, and possibly help slow the Dead Sea’s decline.

In the meantime, the Environmental Protection Ministry called this week for the government to set a target below which the level of the Dead Sea will not be allowed to fall. This was one of a slew of recommendations in a draft policy document issued for public comment.

It’s unclear whether such a target will win cabinet approval. But even if it does, serious questions remain regarding how, and if, Israel can keep the Dead Sea from dwindling further....

Israel is amazing in other ways. They have a new method of detecting contamination in water.

March 15, 2023

The Israeli startup (click here) that invented a connected toilet clip-on device that uses AI for continuous, 100 percent passive urine analysis now is developing a mobile kit to detect chemical and biological contaminants in lakes and natural water sources in Israel.

The unique optical system is being developed by Olive Diagnostics for national water carrier Mekorot to improve the monitoring and analysis of water sources.

The development agreement, which includes an investment by Mekorot in Olive Diagnostics, was signed following a series of successful tests in the early detection of chemical and biological micro-contaminants in treated wastewater reservoirs....

The deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran had to occur for the kingdom. Iran is backing the militias in the Middle East attacking Saudi Arabia, so finding a path to end these aggressions is a goal for Saudi Arabia.

For Iran this is a no brainer. The protests in Iran (click here) are continuing and are exacerbated by economic deprivation. Saudi money is going to return an economy to Iran and with that Shi'ite Muslims in Iran hope the protests will end and bring the people back to the flock.

March 16, 2023
By Parisa Hafezi, Aziz El Yaakoubi and James Pomfret

...Iran denied involvement. (click here) Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Saudi Arabia's Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan has said that Saudi investments into Iran could now happen quickly.

Saudi Arabia cut ties with Iran in 2016 after its embassy in Tehran was stormed during a dispute between the two countries over Riyadh's execution of a prominent Shi'ite Muslim cleric.

Hostility between the two powers had endangered stability in the Middle East and fuelled regional conflicts including in Yemen, Syria and Lebanon.

Asked whether the Saudi-Iran deal might fray, Wang Di, a senior Chinese diplomat involved in the talks in Beijing, told reporters the rapprochement was a process without expectations that all issues would be solved overnight.

"The important thing is for both sides to have the sincerity to improve ties," he said, according to state Xinhua news agency reporter Yang Liu on Twitter....

What is concerning is why would relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia change? If China has brokered a peace deal that will also serve as an economic engine in Iran, why is Israel considered a point of contention? It has nothing to do with Israel.

It appears China is attempting a power play that also includes ostracizing Israel from international relationships of long time friends.

July 11, 2022

Saudi Arabia (click here) has taken a complex approach to the recognition of Israel by several Arab countries in the Abraham Accords. It has a long history of clandestine cooperation with Israel against mutual enemies. Recently, it has said public recognition of Israel will come only if there is movement to resolve the Palestinian conflict and create a two-state solution. But the kingdom has tolerated and even abetted the development of diplomatic and military ties between some of its closest allies and Israel....

China appears to be attempting to divide the Middle East into allies of the communists or allies of the Free World. That type of division will not serve to bring peace to the region, but, invite more instability and a definite approach to a larger war of choice by China and Russia.

Israel has the right values for land and water in this climate crisis environment. It is a country with great talents that produce peaceful products that can stem disease. There is absolutely no reason for Israel to be regarded as a threat to the Middle East. There is no doubt there is a continued conflict with Palestine, but, taking that to a larger global venue is a mistake. 

March 16, 2023

Ramallah, Palestinian Territories — Israeli forces (click here) on Thursday killed four Palestinians including a teenager in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry said, the latest deadly raid on Jenin.

The Israeli forces said they "neutralised" two suspects accusing them of "terrorist activities".

The Palestinian health ministry said 23 others had been wounded in the raid in the northern West Bank city, five of them seriously....

If China is sincerely interested in peace in this area of the world, why then is Israel left out of the peace solution. If Israel can be at the same table to bring about a peaceful Middle East, that would have to include the Palestinians. China is going to Russia to broker a unilateral peace that only Russia has to agree to, it is basically doing the same thing in the Middle East without all parties involved in a solution. 

February 3, 2023
By Anshel Pfeffer

Benjamin Netanyahu's sixth government (click here) is only five and a half weeks old and we’re already into week 5 of the protests against its plan to drastically weaken the Supreme Court and fundamentally change the nature of Israel’s limited and fragile democracy.

It was a fifth weekend of mass protests in Tel Aviv and other cities, somewhat overshadowed by a bizarre social media post by a retired air force officer. According to Col. Zeev Raz, “If a prime minister stands up and assumes dictatorial powers, he's a dead man. It’s as simple as that.”...

Israel is facing political divisions no different than the rest of the Free World. It is time for Israel to ask who benefits from these divisions and when will be the right time to end such issues. The Netanyahu government needs to limit it's attacks on it's own democracy and realize there are larger issues outside of Israel that need to be front and center of the attention of it's government to unify it and end these divisions. I believe China is a threat to Israel. The time is now to prevent any further tensions with any of it's neighbors. 

The International Criminal Court…

 …did the right thing in issuing an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin. He is directly responsible for ordering the invasion into Ukraine killing, maiming, and displacing millions of Ukrainians, including children.

It should be noted that a vast number of Russians do not approve of the invasion and do not share Vladimir Putin’s values in regard to the deaths of so many including their own sons. At the onset of the invasion, many of the Russian military soldiers had no knowledge of the war they were marching into or the deaths they were to cause.

The land that is Ukraine is some of the most agriculturally productive in the world and control of it means control of millions, if not billions of peoples’ food supply.

The current government of Ukraine has regarded the rest of the world as customers to their commodities. That freedom of trade is a reassurance of a good supply to the countries in the world that requires it. It would be very dangerous to allow a change of governance to Russia considering the blatant brutality of this Putin regime.

Last I read of Vladimir Putin’s whereabouts was a self-exile to his armored train. If the armor of the train is the same as Russian tanks, a 50 caliber bullet through the engine block should stop it.

Earth matters.

 

The Secretary of Defense is not the only one pushing the existential threat of the climate crisis into clear view.

There are plenty of people in the environmental community and movement that wants this to happen. There will be independent businesses that will roll out this initiative to find and mitigate the leaks. The petroleum industry has been grossly negligent in all aspect of the climate that began decades ago with lies to the public. This effort will work and methane will be controlled to end it's very severe threat to our Earth's climate.

March 13, 2023

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) (click here) today announced nearly $47 million in funding for 22 research projects to advance the development of new and innovative measurement, monitoring, and mitigation technologies to help detect, quantify, and reduce methane emissions across oil and natural gas producing regions of the United States. Methane emissions are the second largest contributor to climate change—only carbon dioxide ranks ahead of methane as a greenhouse gas source. The selected projects will help to ensure an efficient, resilient, and leak-tight U.S. natural gas infrastructure and support President Biden’s U.S. Methane Emissions Reduction Action Plan and the Biden-Harris Administration climate goal of a net-zero emissions economy by 2050.

“Methane is a much more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, making methane reduction a critical part of our nation’s long-term climate solution,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “The projects announced today will help DOE accelerate the deployment of technology that detects and reduces methane emissions across the oil and gas sector—our largest source of industrial methane—leading to long-lasting health and environmental benefits for communities across the country.”...

The Ohio methane leak was one of the largest in the country's history, but, it was exceeded by Aliso Canyon blowout. There is no excuse for any of this, except, laziness by the industry and lack of government oversight to protect the people. Protecting the people is the FIRST job of government, not the massaging of profits through gross government negligence.

A little-known gas well accident in Ohio (click here) appears to have led to one of the largest methane leaks in U.S. history, according to a recent study.

Using data from a satellite that monitors the entire planet for methane leaks and emissions, the study estimated that a gas well in Powhatan Point, damaged during a drilling operation in February 2018, leaked methane at a rate of 120 metric tons an hour for nearly 20 days. The emission rate of the Ohio leak was twice that of a widely reported 2015 gas leak at Aliso Canyon in California, and the amount of methane released was estimated to be more than some European countries emit in a typical year, according to the study....

This is also negligence of the natural resources of the United States of America. These natural resources of the USA belong to the people. The leases provided to industry to use our country's natural resources aren't strong enough to end the negligence allowed for the sake of profiteering. Why are leaks allowed to occur? Because no one says they can't. This level of negligence of the people's natural resources must end and companies held responsible in the very place they covet, the leases. The restrictions on methane leaks, all the nasty toxins of oil wells, dangerous explosions that kill employees and filthy water used by fracking can be stopped with simple words in leases and the strength of the rule of law to punish lawbreakers and jail their responsible parties including CEOs. If the rule of law was exercised and made to be vigilant over these abuses, the abuses would stop. This is all a part of environmental justice. Giving companies free reign over our nation's natural resources is wrong!

19 July 2019
By Sid Perkins

Natural gas, long touted as a cleaner burning alternative to coal, has a leakage problem. (click here) A new study has found that leaks of methane, the main ingredient in natural gas and itself a potent greenhouse gas, are twice as big as official tallies suggest in major cities along the U.S. eastern seaboard. The study suggests many of these fugitive leaks come from homes and businesses—and could represent a far bigger problem than leaks from the industrial extraction of the fossil fuel itself.

"This is an issue that people tend to ignore when trying to estimate methane emissions," says Kathryn McKain, an atmospheric scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Earth System Research Laboratory in Boulder, Colorado, who wasn't involved in the new research. When compared with the global amount of natural and human-driven methane emissions, she notes, "These emissions are small, but they're preventable."...

Naysayers are grossly out of step with most people regarding climate.

10 March 2023
By George Monbiot

In 2014, (click here) the Guardian asked me to nominate my hero of the year. To some people’s surprise, I chose Russell Brand. I loved the way he energised young people who had been alienated from politics. I claimed, perhaps hyperbolically, he was “the best thing that has happened to the left in years” (in my defence, there wasn’t, at the time, much competition).

Today, I can scarcely believe it’s the same man. I’ve watched 50 of his recent videos, with growing incredulity. He appears to have switched from challenging injustice to conjuring phantoms. If, as I suspect it might, politics takes a very dark turn in the next few years, it will be partly as a result of people like Brand....

It is unfortunate Russell Brand has become corrupt when it comes to his statements about climate, but, he is a growing group of people identified as incompetent in their messaging or down right corrupt.

Environmental Justice is taking hold. The concept has developed over the past seven years. First, it was ignored as nothing but noise makers, but, today it carries clout with voters of effected communities. Environmental Justice is more the the climate, but, it weighs in from time to time, when storms over take drainage and people die in basement apartments.

16 March 2023

The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (click here) will bring many forms of fallout. One of the most obvious consequences is that the biggest banks – Chase, Citi, Wells Fargo, Bank of America – will probably get even bigger. That is why we’re joining protests across the United States outside hundreds of those banks’ branches on Tuesday, 21 March: if they’re going to hold that much power over the planet’s economy, we need them to recognize and help with our great crises. We need them not to do what they did last century, which is to ignore or exacerbate our deepest troubles....

Real people are suffering due to the lack of status of their communities in a larger picture. These communities add up to voter rolls that have become aware of their own power to change the trajectory. There is also an administration in DC listening and willing to do the work to turn the corner on adverse outcomes due to environment of living conditions.

This is just one example of the work the Biden/Harris administration is conducting to change quality of life for all Americans.

March 8, 2023

Washington - Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (click here) announced the availability of $16 million for two new grant opportunities to support states and Tribes in providing technical assistance to businesses seeking to develop and adopt pollution prevention (P2) practices that advance environmental justice in underserved communities. EPA has published two Request for Applications for P2 investments, which were made possible by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, including the Pollution Prevention Grant: Environmental Justice in Communities, and the Pollution Prevention Grant: Environmental Justice Through Safer and More Sustainable Products programs.

“For too long, underserved communities have suffered the harmful effects of pollution across the country,” said EPA Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Deputy Assistant Administrator for Pollution Prevention Jennie Romer. “President Biden’s investment in America is supercharging our efforts to protect more communities than ever before. These new grants will advance environmental justice by equipping American businesses with resources that save money, prevent pollution at the source, reduce the use of hazardous materials, and cut climate pollution.”

The United States produces billions of pounds of pollution each year and spends billions of dollars per year controlling this pollution. Preventing pollution at the source, also known as P2 or source reduction, rather than managing waste after it is produced, is an important part of advancing a sustainable economic and environmental infrastructure....

This is from the White House and it is all based in facts. There are two major legislative accomplishments by this administration that is pushing the country toward a better energy future.

March 9, 2023

...In signing the Inflation Reduction Act last year, (click here) the President also secured the largest investment to advance energy security and combat climate change in American history—all while lowering energy costs for the American people. The Administration is continuing to implement the Inflation Reduction Act, which is already galvanizing our clean energy transition and making clean and energy efficient technologies more affordable for American families. At the same time, the Administration has launched numerous initiatives to accelerate America’s clean energy future and advance environmental justice—from jumpstarting an electric transportation future that is Made in America, to announcing new climate-smart agriculture and forestry initiatives, to investing in the places that kept America’s lights on for generations, to implementing the President’s Justice40 Initiative that ensures 40 percent of the benefits of Federal investments in climate and clean energy are delivered to disadvantaged communities. The Budget invests in clean energy across America, bringing jobs to rural communities and cities, leaving no one behind....

This movement to better energy sources is not new. Some of these initiatives are spring boarding off the Obama White House energy initiatives. So, this is a strong position from which real change is occurring and Americans can plot a better future for their children. The Climate Crisis is a threat to the future and Americans are taking it seriously.

Is climate an existential threat? The USA military says it is and that has been the case for more than a decade now.

April 22, 2021
By David Vergun

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke today at the Leaders Summit on Climate. (click here)

"Today, no nation can find lasting security without addressing the climate crisis. We face all kinds of threats in our line of work, but few of them truly deserve to be called existential. The climate crisis does," he said, adding that "climate change is making the world more unsafe and we need to act."...

The USA military is backing up it's focus with issues of environmental justice, too. It is calling forward those in the military exposed to burn pits and the water at Camp LeJune. The USA military is taking responsibility for environmental threats no matter the source. One example is the use of biofuels for jets. Yes, jets. The USA military was among the first to make climate a priority and why? Because it is a national security issue and has been for some time.

So, people like Russell Brand may be making a lot of noise, but, people are more in tune with the truth of climate and less willing to listen to the noise makers.

Now is the time for the energy paradigm change. It can't happen fast enough.

March 16, 2023
By Herman K. Trabish

Federal clean energy supports in the August 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, or IRA, (click here) could transform the U.S. economy, analysts widely agree.

By December, announcements for “over $40 billion” in new capital were committed to over 13 GW of new clean energy, and 20 manufacturing facilities representing over 6,850 new jobs, the American Clean Power Association, or ACP, reported in December.

But by March 1, nearly 4,000 comments submitted to the U.S. Treasury Department by clean energy advocates and analysts had requested clarification on how investors can be certain of qualifying for the IRA’s new and extended tax credits, grants, and programs....

American consumers are not souring on banking because of SVB.

March 15, 2023

A customer (click here) stands at an ATM machine at a Bank of America office in Burbank, California August 19, 2011.

Bank of America Corp. (click here) mopped up more than $15 billion in new deposits in a matter of days, emerging as one of the big winners after the collapse of three smaller banks dented confidence in the safety of regional lenders.

The inflows offer a first glimpse into the deluge of deposits that made its way to the country’s largest banks as customers fearful of a spreading crisis sought refuge in the firms seen as too big to fail.

The money flowing into the second-largest US bank was described by people with direct knowledge of the matter, who asked not to be identified as the information isn’t public....

Communists

Sometimes they are reasonable leaders looking for peaceful co-existence with the Free World. They understand the benefits of peace, like focusing on domestic issues that increase citizens quality of life. They understand under the shield of peace international relations are about trade and growing a country’s wealth. They value peaceful venues like the Olympics and the World Cup and the pride those venues bring to the people. Icons of competition that translate into childhood dreams of being a great representative to the sports and country. Participating in trials that reveal greater human accomplishment.

Then there are the ideologues. Putin and Xi are ideologues. Nothing else matters except the global rule of an ideal regime that kills who they have to and want to, in order to ensure communism lives on forever or at least until the sun supernovas. 

The reason the Russian jet dumped fuel was to hide the operation and the crash and loss of the drone would be a mystery and proof of inferior American weaponry. The Russians are afraid of the USA and hide their aggression so the world thinks it all an unfortunate failure of technology.

There are comments and articles I read stating the arming of the Free World is sending the wrong signal and is guaranteeing a path to unthinkable war.

The only way democracy and freedom exists is through strength and overwhelming ability of citizens as soldiers, housewives, professionals of all venues of human imagination and application and even great businesspersons that can lead the wealth and growth of a country.

The world has witnessed a genocide upon an entire country of people. There is no limit for the entire world to prepare for an unthinkable war. No one in this world wants it, either. There is only one path forward. We did not choose it, but, we will end it.