It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Friday, July 17, 2020
CT Scan of Siberian Mummy Reveals Wounds and Tattoos
Tuesday, July 14, 2020
ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA—The Siberian Times reports that scientists at Russia’s State Hermitage Museum have taken a CT scan of a mummified head dated to between the third and fourth centuries A.D. Discovered in 1969 in a burial house made of larch logs in the Oglakhty burial ground, the masked mummy head belongs to the Tashtyk culture of Siberia’s Yenisei River Valley. “The computer scan allowed us to see, so to say, three layers—the layer of the mask, the layer of the face without the mask, and the layer of the skull,” said museum curator Svetlana Pankova. The scan revealed brown hair and a sutured wound beneath the gypsum death mask, which was painted red with black stripes. The scar, which travels from the left eye to the left ear, is thought to have been sewn after death, perhaps to repair a wound so that the mask would fit properly. Pankova said there is also a hole in the left side of the mummy’s skull, which is also thought to have been made after death in order to remove the brain and prepare the body for burial. “Expert analysis shows the hole was made by a series of blows with a chisel type or hammer type tool,” she explained. The scan also revealed the presence of tattoos on the body, the first to be found on a Tashtyk mummy. To read about tattoos adorning mummified members of the Pazyryk culture uncovered in Siberia, go to "Ancient Tattoos: Iron Age Mummy."
Iron Age Mummy November/December 2013 Culture: Pazyryk Location: Russia Date: Fourth to Third centuries B.C. (The State Hermitage Museum)
Some of the most spectacular tattoos in the ancient world have been found adorning Iron Age mummies unearthed in the Altay Mountains of Siberia. There, a series of tombs dug into permafrost preserved the remains of nobles from a nomadic people today known as the Pazyryk Culture. On the skins of these mummies were intricate tattoos, depicting both mythical and real animals in action: running, stalking victims, or twisting in an S-shape, which scholars call “the pose of agony.”
Archaeologist Sergey Yatsenko of the Russian State University for the Humanities says the animal most commonly found was a monster that took the form of a wild goat with an eagle’s beak and a panther’s tail. This creature appeared on the upper part of the right shoulder of most of the mummies. On the left shoulder, the Pazyryk people sported the depiction of a tiger or a wild ram. A rooster poised for battle was frequently tattooed on noblemen’s forefingers, and a group of goats or rams often marched along their lower legs.
Yatsenko points out that Greek accounts of the period stress that “barbarians” in Eurasia never went nude or even semi-nude in public, so most of these tattoos would probably have never been seen by others. Why endure the long and painful process of getting such dramatic tattoos if they were always covered? “I think they were for magical protection,” says Yatsenko, whose favorite Pazyryk tattoos are abstract designs found on the hands of a man who was probably a shaman. “Those tattoos were probably his spiritual weapons.”
President Donald Trump held a campaign rally-style event at the White House on Thursday to brag about deregulating everything, including dishwashers.
After declaring that various things are “like nobody’s ever seen before,” Trump said that before his presidency people had to push the dishwasher button over and over and over again. Now, however, dishwashers have more water in them.
“We made it so dishwashers now have a lot more water, and in many places, in most places of the country, water is not a problem. It’s called rain,” Trump said.
Most of Texas, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, California and half of Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Arizona and the Dakotas are in a drought according to the “U.S. Drought Monitor.”
He later revisited his resistance to water conservation by ranting against showerheads.
"Showerheads, you take a shower, the water doesn't come out. You want to wash your hands, the water doesn't come out. What do you do? Do you stand there longer or take a shower longer?" – the president on deregulation — Katie Rogers (@katierogers) July 16, 2020
In the past, the president has revealed that “people” must flush the toilet as much as ten times Emo Trump vs Toilets
Meanwhile, cases of COVID-19 have expanded and deaths are at nearly 140,000. See the video below: "We made it so dishwashers now have a lot more water, and in many places, in most places of the country, water is not a problem … it's called rain" – Trump is out here doing a "The Price is Right" episode and whining about wimpy lib faucets that don't have enough water pressure pic.twitter.com/3zDoAsKTlq — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 16, 2020
Donald Trump turns the White House into a rally venue again by posing under a Trump-branded crane to boast about 'deregulating' showers, dishwashers and lightbulbs and rant against Joe Biden claiming he will 'abolish the suburbs' Event staged on the South Lawn of the White House included a large crane and two Chevy pickup trucks Trump blasted regulations including those that govern shower-heads and dishwashers Claims people that do dishes run the machine three times 'You take a shower, the water does not come out' Also complained people run dishwashers three consecutive times Says he brought back 'old fashioned incandescent light bulbs' Said his plans will protect suburbs from being 'obliterated by Washington'
President Donald Trump held another campaign-style at the White House Thursday, where he touted efforts to slash regulations in areas ranging from clean water to fair housing – all staged under a crane bearing his name and holding giant weights.
As he extolled the benefits of regulatory cuts, Trump repeatedly attacked rival Joe Biden as he did at an hour-long event in the White House Rose Garden Wednesday, drawing howls from critics for the use of the taxpayer-funded building.
Thursday's event featured two new Chevy pickup trucks – one red, and one blue. A crane with a 'Trump Administration' banner had three weights suspended over the red truck, with three weights stacked in the blue truck in prop meant to illustrate the burden of regulation. President Donald J. Trump speaks during an event on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 16 July 2020. It included two large Chevy trucks and a crane that said 'Trump Administration'
As he read through his remarks on a teleprompter, the president delivered one of his trademark riffs about poor water pressure, which he tied to regulatory issues.
He complained about the annoyance of poor water pressure in the home, only this time instead of focusing on toilets, as he has in the past, he spoke about showers and dishwashers.
'We are bringing back consumer choice in home appliances so that you can buy washers and dryers, shower-heads and faucets,' Trump said.
He complained about regulations intended to reduce water consumption.
REGULATED: About 200 attendees were seated in rows. There were two large bottles of hand sanitizer and a military band playing 'Georgia' and 'God Bless America'
Vice President Mike Pence waits of an event on regulatory reform to begin on the South Lawn of the White House, Thursday, July 16, 2020, in Washington IS MIKE PENCE INDICATING THAT HAND SANITIZER IS GOOD LUBE? President Donald Trump walks past weights and a crane after delivering remarks on Rolling Back Regulations to Help All Americans on the South Lawn at the White House on July 16, 2020 in Washington,DC The event featured about 200 people who clapped during the president's remarks
'My hair has to be perfect' says Trump
Trump blames destruction of suburban areas on Democrats
'So shower-heads, you take a shower, the water does not come out. You want to wash your hands, the water does not come out. So what do you do? You just stand there longer? Because my hair, I don't know about you, but it has to be perfect,' Trump said, drawing laughs and a smattering of applause.
'Dishwashers, you didn't have any water, so you – the people that do the dishes, you press it and it goes again. And you do it again and again. So you might as well give them the water because you'll end up using less water. So we made it so dishwashers now have a lot more water and in many places, in most places of the country, water is not a problem. They don't know what to do with it. It's called rain.'
Trump also said he brought back 'old fashioned incandescent light bulbs.'
There was a regulatory push beginning in the George W. Bush administration to phase-out the 100-watt bulb and steer Americans toward energy efficient alternatives.
'I brought them back. They have two nice qualities: they're cheaper and they're better. They look better, they make you look so much better. That's important to all of us,' Trump said, blasting regulations that mandated compact fluorescent and LED bulbs.
As at Wednesday's event, Trump delivered slashing attacks on Biden, the 'green new deal,' 'socialist' Sen. Bernie Sanders, and radicals he said wanted to both take down and rename the Washington Monument.
He also delivered a pointed attack on Democrats regarding the suburbs – a political battleground where Trump has been hemorrhaging support among college-educated white women.
'They want to defund and abolish your police and law enforcement while at the same time destroying our great suburbs. The suburb destruction will end with us next week,' Trump claimed, following losses of GOP House seats in 2018 in the suburbs.
'I will be discussing the AFFH rule. The AFFH rule,' Trump stressed, pointing to a fair-housing regulation he called 'a disaster.'
'And our plans to protect the suburbs from being obliterated by Washington Democrats, by people on the far left that want to see the suburbs destroyed, that don’t care.'
'People have worked all their lives to get into a community and now they’re going to watch it go to hell. Not going to happen. Not while I’m here,' Trump said.
Trump said his administration eliminated '25,000 pages of job destroying regulations.'
Trump briefly tied regulations to the coronavirus that is ravaging the world, and is causing a spike in Florida that has his campaign scurrying to re-format his August convention.
'We have taken more than 740 actions to suspend regulations that would have slowed our response to the China virus,' Trump, said, using terminology that some term a slur.
Trump referred to the 'Biden-Bernie plan' to abolish cash bail. 'Think of that. Bail. No problem. They killed somebody - let 'em out,' Trump said, mischaracterizing proposals the two candidates proposed.
Cash bail systems allow some people to pay before trial, while those who can't get the money must remain incarcerated – but people accused of the most violent offenses are in many cases detained.
'They want to get rid of prison. They don't think anybody should go to prison,' Trump said.
Trump regularly tarred his opponents as 'socialists,' and cast them as in league with 'unelected bureaucrats that don't know what they're doing.'
Trump promised a 'very exciting eight weeks' of 'things that nobody has even contemplated, though about, thought possible.’
'Eight weeks, I think Mike we can honestly say nobody's ever going to see eight weeks like we're going to have,' Trump predicted.
Because we really have. We're taking on immigration. We're taking on education. We're taking on so many aspects of things that people were hopelessly tied up in knots in Congress … But you'll see levels of detail and you'll see levels of thought that a lot of people believed very strongly we didn't have in this country.
A New York Times analysis concludes the Trump Administration has reversed or revoked 68 environmental regulations to date.
They include Obama era regulations on emissions from power plants and rollbacks of carbon dioxide emissions from cars trucks.
Parked in front of the White House for the event were the two trucks. One had a banner that said '40 Years of Regulatory Burden.' The other had one saying '4 Years of Regulatory Freedom.'
Trump pledged to 'never return to the days of soul-crushing regulations.'
Trump wasn't shy about delivering direct attacks on Biden from the South Lawn of the White House.
'Our entire economy and our very way of life are threatened by the Biden plan to transform our nation,' he said.
He had an aesthetic complaint about Biden's call for zero-emissions from new homes and buildings.
'Destroying the look of the home, the beauty of the home.'
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany pushed back at complaints about using the White House for politicking when asked about Wednesday's event.
She was asked if there was 'any place in the White House where you think politics is inappropriate.'
'Where do you draw the line?' a reporter asked, pointing to Trump hosting a campaign team meeting in the Cabinet Room last month and then his Tuesday Rose Garden speech.
McEneny said the Hatch Act didn't apply to the president and vice president and then challenged the reporter who said he wasn't specifically asking about the legislation that limits federal employees from participating in political activities.
'What your real problem was was the fact that the president gave a very, good, powerful speech from the Rose Garden,' McEnany said, moving on to another question IF YOU ARE HAVING A MOMENT OF DEJA VU YOU ARE FORGIVEN.
Trump: Energy-efficient light bulbs make me look orange
The Lead 09/13/2019
During a speech in Baltimore, President Donald Trump went after environmental initiatives like eliminating plastic straws and energy-efficient light bulbs. CNN's Kaitlan Collins reports.
Dec 20, 2019 - Consumers have complained about the quality of light from some compact fluorescent bulbs, but the newer generation of “halogen incandescent” ...
Dec 20, 2019 - The Trump administration just overturned a ban on old-fashioned lightbulbs. The move, which could raise U.S. energy costs by $14 billion and ..
Dec 27, 2019 - Trump Administration Rolls Back LED Light Bulb Standards. “The bulbs do not last long enough for the energy savings to surpass the higher ...
Nov 7, 2019 - California and other states take aim at Trump's reversal of light bulb ... The phase-out of ordinary incandescent bulbs — those Edison-style ...
Apr 21, 2019 - President Trump's decision to impose tariffs on imported washing machines has had an odd effect: It raised prices on washing machines, ...
President Donald Trump’s White House tried to hold a rally to denounce regulations, using two large pick-up trucks, one red and one blue. The blue one was “weighed down” by the “regulations,” where the red one was not. The problem, however, is that the trucks looked exactly the same with and without the alleged “weight.”
On South Lawn, WH seeks to make a political point by setting up a crane lifting the weights of regulation from the bed of a "red" truck, while showing the burden of regulations weighing down a "blue" truck. pic.twitter.com/OoWmRPnWum — Mark Knoller (@markknoller) July 16, 2020
The failure by the White House to properly illustrate their point was another point of humor for those watching on Twitter. It served as a metaphor for a president who can’t even tell the difference between a success or a failure.
Meanwhile, the country was reaching 140,000 dead Americans due to the coronavirus.
See the comments below:
And an overview of our PPE shortage — Eric Barnes (@ericcbarnes) July 16, 2020
Not accurate until the red truck burst into flame, spewing toxic smoke into the air while being being towed through the nearest park by Vladimir Putin, running over Americas while Trump and the Republicans rob the corpses of the victims. — Robbie "Always In Quarantine" Wallis (@Robbie_Wallis1) July 16, 202
Not accurate until the red truck burst into flame, spewing toxic smoke into the air while being being towed through the nearest park by Vladimir Putin, running over Americas while Trump and the Republicans rob the corpses of the victims. — Robbie "Always In Quarantine" Wallis (@Robbie_Wallis1) July 16, 202
Because why should we tell companies they can't use lead and arsenic in everything. /s — GeekGirlForever (@scifichick25) July 16, 2020
I’d respect him more if he just said “I like trucks. Here are some trucks I like.” — James Felton (@JimMFelton) July 16, 2020
Trump wanted to play with trucks. This is a shitshow of epic proportions all while ignoring the pandemic that destroyed the economy. Trump's idea of lifting regulations is to shift the burdens of pollution on to those unable to protect themselves so millionaires like Trump profit — lawhawk #maskingforafriend (@lawhawk) July 16, 2020
This addresses the Covid pandemic how exactly? — katieRN (@katieRN) July 16, 2020
(Trump earlier in the day, playing with Tonka Trucks in the Oval Office) "I like Trucks. I want Trucks in the Rose Garden today! Let's say a Red Truck and a Blue Truck. And a Crane! HONK HONK!" — Trumpy Trumpy (parody) (@outofcontroljb) July 16, 2020
There is actually a story about toy trucks in Mary Trumps book. You should give it a read .
Not joking btw. There is actually a story about how Donald used to torment his younger brother by hiding his favorite toy truck. — Cole Neuman
Did my tax dollars pay for this? 'Cause I swear this looks like a campaign ad to me. — Kate Eads (@KateEads) July 16, 2020
WTF??? He can’t even make the point he’s trying to make. Everything about this is absurd. Trucks? Is he selling them too? — Voodoo Trump (@BestTrumpVoodoo) July 16, 2020
For this to be accurate, the crane needs to replace the weights of regulation on the "red" truck with 137,000 dead bodies. #PressBriefing — Social✽Fly (Gov Cuomo's #StayAtHome Girlfriend) (@socflyny) July 16, 2020
Geezus this is embarrassing and unprofessional and insane and just reeks of desperation and ineptitude. — Ashlie Weeks (@ashlie_weeks) July 16, 2020
Wow in the middle of a pandemic. And if it were accurate, the red truck would be Russian, on fire, full of holes, with a cargo of vials of fatal diseases, all about to explode, and the driver would not survive. — Professor Wolfenstein
His base doesn’t understand that the regulations are in place to protect workers and consumers. Deregulation saves corporations money, doesn’t create more jobs or higher pay, just makes the rest of us less safe and less healthy. — Tons of Collusion & Obstruction (@VoteBlue_2020) July 16, 2020
Is this why Trump has been ignoring Russia's bounties on U.S. troops? Because he's playing with trucks outside in the White House sandbox? https://t.co/Gkzyqo8iGL — VoteVets (@votevets) July 16, 2020
Thursday, July 16, 2020
This key detail from Maddow’s interview with Mary Trump could have ‘enormous significance’
MSNBC’s “The Rachel Maddow Show” on Thursday broadcast an interview with Mary Trump, the president’s niece who just published a blockbuster tell-all book.
“By the time that The Times story came out, did you know what they had?” Maddow asked. “Did you know that — sort of the explosiveness of the alleged misdeeds that they were going to uncover thanks to what you gave them?”
“I had no idea,” she replied.
“It wasn’t just that people in my family did these things that they shouldn’t have done, but these were my aunts and uncles who also happened to be my trustees and clearly I didn’t benefit from the role that they were supposed to play in protecting my financial interests when I was younger,” she explained.
Asha Rangappa, a former FBI special agent who is a CNN analyst, said that part of the interview could have “enormous significance
Here is the thread Rangappa posted explaining why she identified the interaction as an important:
2. A “trustee,” is a term with legal significance. Someone who acts as a trustee has a FIDUCIARY DUTY — in Mary Trump’s case, to act in her interest (she is the “beneficiary” of the estate being administered). In other words, they need to take steps to maximize *her* benefit 2/*** — Asha Rangappa (@AshaRangappa_) July 17, 2020
4. The NY AG found that the Trump Foundation — run by Donald and his eldest three kids — violated their FIDUCIARY DUTY to the donors to that trust, using that money to benefit themselves rather than the causes they were meant for. The Foundation was shut down.
6. Everything that Barr is doing, at Trunp’s behest, is a violation of Trump’s FIDUCIARY DUTY, to the American people, to take care that the laws be FAITHFULLY executed. @jedshug and others have written about the fiduciary duty imposed by the word “faithfully” in Art. II — Asha Rangappa (@AshaRangappa_) July 17, 2020
8. In case it’s not clear, as President, Trump is effectively a “trustee” for the American people, who are the “beneficiaries.” More ads/questions/talking points need to be framed in this way to fully highlight how he has violated and abused his power and the public trust. — Asha Rangappa (@AshaRangappa_) July 17, 2020
Mary Trump says she was "utterly blown away" by the NY Times reporting on Pres. Trump's taxes: "The financial devices that my family used to cover up certain things they were doing were not easily decipherable…These were my aunts and uncles who also happened to be my trustees."pic.twitter.com/Zy7KMfGh1P — MSNBC (@MSNBC) July 17, 2020
*** THIS IS A SERIOUS POINT FOR CIVIL COURT, AS SOMEONE WHO HAS WORKED ON TRUSTS AND TRUSTEESHIP WHAT ASHA SAYS ABOUT FIDUCIARY DUTY IS CORRECT AND CLEAR IN THE LAW IN CANADA AND THE USA.
'The president wants schools to reopen - science shouldn't get in the way'
GETTING KIDS IN THE CLASSROOM
PUTS PARENTS BACK TO WORK
MAKING AMERICA'S BILLIONAIRES RICHER
Trump press secretary says 'science should not stand in the way' of schools reopening
The fresh effort to send children back to classrooms comes despite a new poll showing most Americans do not think it is safe.
Friday 17 July 2020 The White House press secretary has revived Donald Trump's calls for schools to reopen, saying "the science should not stand in the way of this".
Echoing the president's push for pupils to return to classrooms, Kayleigh McEnany said "we don't think children should be locked up at home, with devastating consequences".
"You know, the president has said unmistakably that he wants schools to open, and I was just in the Oval talking to him about that, and when he says open, he means open in full - kids being able to attend each and every day at their school. The science should not stand in the way of this."
She claimed "many medical experts" had said it was safe for children to attend schools, before later adding: "The science is on our side here, and we encourage localities and states to just simply follow the science."
Ms McEnany also said a study had indicated that the risk to children from COVID-19 was "far less" than that from seasonal flu.
Despite Donald Trump's urgings, a new poll has shown only one in four Americans thinks it is safe for public schools to reopen this autumn as US coronavirus cases climb.
Four in 10 parents said they would probably keep their children at home if classes resume, the Reuters/Ipsos survey indicates.
The July 14-15 national online poll was conducted as the US's 13,000 school districts grappled with how to safely resume instruction after closing in the spring as infections spread.
Only 26% of American adults said they thought it was safe for schools in their community to bring students back, while 55% felt they were not safe, and 19% were not sure.
New coronavirus infections are now climbing in 40 states, while 22 states have either paused or reversed efforts to reopen their economies, according to Bank of America.
Florida reported a single-day record of 156 deaths, along with nearly 14,000 new cases, reflecting a broader trend this week that has seen the national death rate spike.
The seven-day rolling average for new deaths has risen to 730, up more than 21% from a week ago.
AFTER SAYING Trump press secretary says 'science should not stand in the way' of schools reopening SHE SAYS
Covid 19 coronavirus: Kayleigh McEnany argues science favours reopening schools in the US
THAT'S BECAUSE THE DOCTOR SHE QUOTES IS PRO PRIVATIZED HEALTH CARE
17 Jul, 2020
'Science shouldn't stand in the way of this' - White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany as Trump pushes to reopen schools in the pandemic.
White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany has been roasted over an awkwardly worded quote in which she said science "should not stand in the way" of the United States reopening its schools.
Ms McEnany's boss, US President Donald Trump, has been pushing hard for schools to reopen, despite the accelerating spread of the coronavirus throughout the country.
The US has recorded more than 70,000 new infections on multiple days this week. The state of Florida alone is identifying more cases each day than some countries have recorded during the entire pandemic. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany speaks during a press briefing at the White House today. Photo / AP
Nevertheless, last week Mr Trump pressured the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to relax its recommendations for how schools can safely reopen, calling the agency's guidelines too "tough and expensive". The CDC advice said schools should maintain proper social distancing, clean their facilities, avoid sharing objects between students and stop serving communal meals in their cafeterias.
Mr Trump has threatened to cut off funding for schools that stay closed, though he doesn't actually have the power to follow through.
In Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and many other countries, SCHOOLS ARE OPEN WITH NO PROBLEMS. The Dems think it would be bad for them politically if U.S. schools open before the November Election, but is important for the children & families. May cut off funding if not open!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 8, 2020
The subject came up during today's White House media briefing.
"The President has said unmistakably that he wants schools to open. And I was just in the Oval Office talking to him about that. And when he says open, he means open in full – kids being able to attend, each and every day, at their school," Ms McEnany told reporters.
"The science should not stand in the way of this."
She went on to quote Dr Scott Atlas, a physician who works for the Hoover Institution think tank. Dr Atlas has slammed Mr Trump's political opponents for claiming that reopening schools will help the virus spread. HE IS PRO AMERICAN HEALTHCARE PRO PRIVATE MARKET DELIVERY OF HEALTH CARE *** "I'm not sure how many times it has to be said, but the risk of children from this disease and the fatality is nearly zero," Dr Atlas told Fox News on Monday. "The risk to children of a significant illness (from coronavirus) is far less than from the seasonal flu. This is totally antithetical to the data."
He labelled concerns about opening schools "hysteria", and said people "all over the world" were "stunned that we are willing to just simply destroy our children on some bizarre notion that's completely contrary to the science".
Ms McEnany also highlighted a study from the medical journal JAMA Pediatrics, which found coronavirus is severe "far less" frequently in children than in adults, and concluded kids are at "far greater risk" from influenza.
The journal also recently published an article arguing the "profound consequences" of closing schools "cannot be overlooked". Those consequences include "regressions in academic gains, heightened depression and anxiety symptoms, greater digital dependence and numerous unmet social needs". BUT SHE DID NOT SAY WHERE HER QUOTE IS FROM JAMA IS A BIG JOURNAL LOTS OF ARTICLES, AND SOME EVEN ARE CONTRADICTORY
"The science is very clear on this," Ms McEnany said.
"The science is on our side here, and we encourage localities and states to just simply follow the science, open our schools.
"It's very damaging to our children. There is a lack of reporting on abuse, there are mental depressions that are not addressed when students are not in school. Our schools are extremely important, they're essential, and they must reopen."
In context, it's clear that Ms McEnany was arguing the science supports Mr Trump's push to reopen schools. But her quote that the science "should not stand in the way" seemed to suggest the opposite.
Naturally, that is the quote everyone on the internet has pounced on.
"Science should not stand in the way of this.” Is the defining quote of the Trump administration’s response to coronavirus. https://t.co/QkXI0DVVzZ— Elie Mystal (@ElieNYC) July 16, 2020
So is "science on our side" or "science should not stand in the way of this"? She said both. https://t.co/XiHAVcY9Q1— Michael McFaul (@McFaul) July 17, 2020
Okay so which is it.. listen to science or don't listen to science? The health of our children and educators shouldn't be put at risk just because POTUS can't make up his mind on which science to listen to.pic.twitter.com/l6BOfUYACm— Phil Arballo (@PhilArballo2020) July 16, 2020
"The SCIENCE SHOULD NOT STAND in the Way" of KILLING CHILDREN Forcing them to go to School in a Pandemic, infecting Communities. Are you insane?!?? You want to ignore scientific facts?!? Trump & Kayleigh McEnany 🤬 WATCH THIS⬇️ pic.twitter.com/zMYMotaX9x— DanielNewmaη 404-737-1636 (@DanielNewman) July 16, 2020
Yes the science is very clear on this, it predicts that if you open schools in communities with high levels of virus transmission teachers, staff, bus drivers will get sick. But if you first create a plan to greatly reduce virus transmission you can do things like reopen schools https://t.co/KO8j0gGDq9— Prof Peter Hotez MD PhD (@PeterHotez) July 16, 2020
Former White House physician Ronny Jackson, who is now a Republican political candidate, backed up Ms McEnany during an interview with Fox News Radio.
"If they're going home and they've got elderly parents or grandparents, we've got to make considerations for that, they've got to be careful," Dr Jackson conceded.
"But we shouldn't be worried about the kids when they go to school. They are not the concern here."
Ms McEnany herself called the reaction to her comments "a case study in media bias".
Case Study in Media Bias:
I said: “The science is very clear on this...the science is on our side here. We encourage our localities & states to just simply follow the science. Open our schools.”
But leave it to the media to deceptively suggest I was making the opposite point! https://t.co/vlxk3zRsgh— Kayleigh McEnany (@PressSec) July 16, 2020
She found an unlikely defender in the form of CNN anchor Jake Tapper, a frequent critic of the Trump administration.
"I think she was trying to say the science shouldn't stand in the way because the science is on our side," Tapper told his viewers.
"I don't know that all of the science is on their side. Certainly, this White House, their respect for science knows bounds, let's put it that way. But I think that's what she was getting at."
He urged people to read the Press Secretary's "entire comment".
"She's arguing that the science is on the side of those who want to open them. She cites the JAMA study. I'm not taking a position on the matter, but be fair."
In Excellent Health: Setting The Record Straight On America’s Health Care By Scott W. Atlas Stanford (CA): Hoover Institution Press, 2011 359 pp.; $24.95
EXCERPT
The main body of In Excellent Health is a lengthy and impressive recapitulation of published research on health care quality by Scott Atlas of Stanford University and the Hoover Institution. Atlas, a practicing specialist in diagnostic radiology and neuroradiology as well as a topnotch medical researcher on how different nations’ health systems compare in terms of their levels of performance, is also a health policy adviser for Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign.
Atlas provides an antidote for any readers who might have overdosed on one too many critiques of US health care, and his databased arguments about the many achievements of our nation’s health system provide necessary balance to an often one-sided “debate.” Unfortunately, when it comes to the overall book, the whole is less than the sum of its parts. The author’s primary discussion of how the United States stacks up compared to other major countries in treating serious illnesses seems disconnected from the disappointing policy reform recommendations in the closing chapter.
A basketball scout might describe Atlas as a hard-nosed, full-court-press defender of the private market side of the US health care system. His vigorous case for the high quality of American medicine is overloaded with citations to evidence in peer-reviewed articles. Indeed, In Excellent Health provides a onestop shopping mall for market-friendly researchers and policy advocates.
The book argues relentlessly for the propositions that the most important role of health care is to diagnose and treat serious diseases, and that the United States excels in producing superior outcomes despite a heavy burden: It contains a higher percentage of people who previously smoked cigarettes or are obese—two long-term biological risk factors—than any other country in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
That same basketball scout might note that after Atlas finishes playing defense and gains possession of the health reform ball, he does not make a smooth transition in calling the plays on offense. He brushes over the conflicts and contradictions between his diagnosis (US health care quality and outcomes are terrific!) and his health reform treatment plan (costs are exploding, and we have to get the government out of the health insurance business). In other words, if we are so good at health care in this country, why does Atlas nevertheless recommend major structural reforms for the US health system?
The Scott Atlas view of health care does not examine wide variations in the cost and quality of health services within and across different geographic regions and market areas in the United States. His objective is to rebut previous comparisons of other nations’ health systems with American-style medicine, although he really focuses almost exclusively on comparisons made by the World Health Organization (WHO)
Microplastic particles shed by car wheels and brake pads are being transported through the atmosphere to the Arctic and could hasten melting of the ice caps
About 138,000 tons of microplastics from tyres enter the oceans each year
About 47,000 tons of plastics find their way to remote snow and ice regions
When it hits snow covered areas it acts to absorb sunlight and warm the area
Wear and tear from tyres and brake pads is contributing to the melting of the ice caps thanks to tiny particles of plastic spreading around the world, study finds.
Researchers from the Norwegian Institute for Air Research and the University of Vienna studied levels of road microplastics and the way they spread from cities.
They founds 138,000 tons of tiny plastic particles from road traffic entering the atmosphere ends up in the ocean, but 47,000 tons falls on snow and ice.
These tiny pieces of plastic act to darken snow covered surfaces in places like the Arctic and lead to more sun light being absorbed and the ice and snow melting.
These tiny pieces of plastic act to darken snow covered surfaces in places like the Arctic and lead to more sun light being absorbed and the ice and snow melting
Researchers from the Norwegian Institute for Air Research and the University of Vienna studied levels of road microplastics and the way they spread from cities
Tyres are made from a range of materials including plastics and over time they are worn down and the plastic particles are pushed out into the atmosphere.
It's thought up to six million tons of particles are shed from vehicles alone - with most falling close to roadsides rather than going into the atmosphere.
Some are then washed up in rain and go into the sea via river systems, but researchers found thousands of tons of tiny pieces are being blown further.
As the global production rate of new plastic products continues to increase, ever greater quantities evade waste collection and recycling and enter the environment.
However, the ecological and environmental consequences of rising plastic pollution are poorly understood, according to the Norwegian team behind the study.
'We also know too little about how microplastic particles travel from where they are produced to all ends of the world,' they explained.
Nikolaos Evangeliou and colleagues looked into road microplastics that are produced from tyre wear and brake wear and compared them to simulations of atmospheric transport to determine the dispersion of these pollutants.
The majority of traffic-induced microplastics comes from densely populated regions like the US, Northern Europe and the heavily urbanised areas of Southeast Asia.
They looked at the density of roads around the world and used that to work out how microplastics from tyres spread around the world and where they are deposited.
These tiny pieces of plastic act to darken snow covered surfaces in places like the Arctic and lead to more sun light being absorbed and the ice and snow melting
They found that microplastics that are 2.5 micrometers and smaller in size were transported through the atmosphere and into the ocean or on to the ice.
They estimate that 138,000 tons per year of road microplastics end up in the world's oceans and about 47,000 tonnes on tons snow- and ice-covered surfaces.
MICROPLASTICS FOUND IN WHEAT AND VEGETABLES
Microplastics are being absorbed through plant roots and end up in our food, a Chinese study found.
The Chinese Academy of Sciences looked at particles in food sources.
Microplastics have become ubiquitous leading to concern about the impact on human health.
In a new study, researchers found these plastic pieces had contaminated edible plants by entering the roots.
'Cracks at the emerging sites of new lateral roots of lettuce and wheat crops can take in microplastics from the surrounding soil and water.
'Those microplastics can then be transferred from the roots up to the edible parts of the crop,' they found.
'This is concerning', says Evangeliou. 'Microplastic particles travelling to snow and ice-covered regions such as Greenland and the Arctic may darken the surface, thus decreasing surface albedo. This could again hasten melting.'
Albedo is a measure of how much of the light hitting a surface is reflected without being absorbed - snow covered areas help to reflect sunlight and cool the Earth.
Dark surfaces or matter, such as microplastics, lowers this reflectivity, so that the ice absorbs more heat.
Lower albedo will in turn lead to increased melting of ice and snow, and then again to even lower reflectivity – a self-reinforcing loop.
Study co-author, Andreas Stohl from the University of Vienna, said these particles include toxic materials that pose a real risk to humans and wildlife.
He has called on tyre manufacturers to find ways of creating new tyres that shed fewer particles in a bid to reduce microplastics.
Microplastics are being found in more locations around the world, including a recent study that discovered pieces of plastic in the edible parts of wheat and lettuce.
The World Health Organization says there an urgent need to find out more about the impact of microplastics on human health with some evidence suggesting it can weaken the immune system.
Tyre firms have pushed back against previous claims that tyre wear is contributing to microplastic pollution and could be harmful to human health.
The industry published at least ten studies over the last decade suggesting that they present 'no significant risk to humans and the environment'.
Scientist find toxic microplastics in one-in-six Red Sea fish
URBAN FLOODING IS FLUSHING MICROPLASTICS INTO THE OCEANS FASTER THAN THOUGHT
Urban flooding is causing microplastics to be flushed into our oceans even faster than thought, according to scientists looking at pollution in rivers.
Waterways in Greater Manchester are now so heavily contaminated by microplastics that particles are found in every sample - including even the smallest streams.
This pollution is a major contributor to contamination in the oceans, researchers found as part of the first detailed catchment-wide study anywhere in the world.
This debris - including microbeads and microfibres - are toxic to ecosystems.
Scientists tested 40 sites around Manchester and found every waterway contained these small toxic particles.
Microplastics are very small pieces of plastic debris including microbeads, microfibres and plastic fragments.
It has long been known they enter river systems from multiple sources including industrial effluent, storm water drains and domestic wastewater.
However, although around 90 per cent of microplastic contamination in the oceans is thought to originate from land, not much is known about their movements.
Most rivers examined had around 517,000 plastic particles per square metre, according to researchers from the University of Manchester who carried out the detailed study.
Following a period of major flooding, the researchers re-sampled at all of the sites.
They found levels of contamination had fallen at the majority of them, and the flooding had removed about 70 per cent of the microplastics stored on the river beds.
This demonstrates that flood events can transfer large quantities of microplastics from urban river to the oceans.
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