FLYING SAUCERS ON THE ATTACK
Harold Wilkins 1954
the real criminal and dangerous nature of the UFO before Jacques Vallee and John Keel .... A great work of the 50's
and.... funniest fake early "UFOs" caught on camera, why not
Wednesday, April 14, 2021
HOW WE GOT HERE
Topics computers, history, internet, SRI, arpanet, Jacques Vallee, NSA
Language English
The Network Revolution
Confessions of a Computer Scientist
Berkeley: And/Or Press 1982
published in both hardcover and paperback
Illustrated, 213 pages, bibliography.
HOW WILL THE GROWTH OF COMPUTER NETWORKS CHANGE THE WAY YOU LIVE AND LOVE AND WORK AND PLAY?
WHAT DO THE COMPUTER TECHNOLOGISTS REALLY KNOW ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THEIR CREATIONS ON SOCIETY?
HOW WILL COMPUTER POWER AFFECT YOUR PERSONAL POWER AT THIS CRUCIAL MOMENT IN HUMAN HISTORY- TODAY, AS THE COMPUTERS LINK UP?
The Network Revolution, the personal view of an erudite, compassionate insider who helped shape this technology, penetrates behind the scenes to reveal the human side of computer science as it has never been shown before.
Jacques Vallee writes in nontechnical language. He takes the mystery out of the technology and shows how computer science has suddenly put humanity at a major crossroads. The choices which will shape our future are being made right now. This book and its readers will influence those decisions
The Network Revolution
Confessions of a Computer Scientist
Berkeley: And/Or Press 1982
published in both hardcover and paperback
Illustrated, 213 pages, bibliography.
HOW WILL THE GROWTH OF COMPUTER NETWORKS CHANGE THE WAY YOU LIVE AND LOVE AND WORK AND PLAY?
WHAT DO THE COMPUTER TECHNOLOGISTS REALLY KNOW ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THEIR CREATIONS ON SOCIETY?
HOW WILL COMPUTER POWER AFFECT YOUR PERSONAL POWER AT THIS CRUCIAL MOMENT IN HUMAN HISTORY- TODAY, AS THE COMPUTERS LINK UP?
The Network Revolution, the personal view of an erudite, compassionate insider who helped shape this technology, penetrates behind the scenes to reveal the human side of computer science as it has never been shown before.
Jacques Vallee writes in nontechnical language. He takes the mystery out of the technology and shows how computer science has suddenly put humanity at a major crossroads. The choices which will shape our future are being made right now. This book and its readers will influence those decisions
by Jacques Vallee
Topics Jacques Vallee, internet, arpanet, SRI, Stanford Research Institute
Collection opensource
http://www.jacquesvallee.net/heart_of_the_internet.html
The Heart of the Internet
by Jacques Vallee, Ph.D.
An Insider's View of the Origin and
Promise of the On-Line Revolution
Jacques Vallee was among the engineers and visionaries who set up the Internet, hoping to connect people--not control them--through information. For a few years, it seemed that this dream was being realized. But after the dot com crash of 2001, much of the Web's information flowed into the media giants and corporate conglomerates, leaving millions of Net denizens without true freedom of choice. And then there is the threat of government snooping. . . .
All is not lost, but it is time for public and private actions to rebuild the dream and win back our freedom. In The Heart of the Internet, Vallee:
* reconstructs the history of computer technology and destroys a few myths...
* uses first-person recollections and notes to describe the series of breakthroughs that transformed computers from calculating machines to universal platforms for new media;
* describes the internet in today's marketplace, pressured on the one hand by commercial interests seeking to influence not merely our purchases but our thoughts, and on the other by governmental obsession to harness the whole system to its own narrow definitions of security--sacrificing our privacy and possibly our freedom in the process;
* states a set of principles for network citizens and suggests how we can create new standards for Internet usage.
United Airlines unveils plan to fund more sustainable jet fuel made from trash
By Tracy Rucinski and Ankit Ajmera
By Tracy Rucinski and Ankit Ajmera
Reuters/CHRIS HELGREN
A United Airlines passenger jet takes off with New York City as a backdrop
(Reuters) -United Airlines said on Tuesday it has partnered with global firms including Nike Inc and Siemens AG in an "Eco-Skies Alliance" to finance use this year of about 3.4 million gallons of low-carbon, sustainable aviation fuel derived from trash.
Though tiny compared with the 4.3 billion gallons of jet fuel that United consumed in 2019 prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the amount triples the roughly 1 million gallons of sustainable fuel it has used each year since 2016.
Airlines have used sustainable fuel since 2008 as part of efforts to reduce outright emissions, but so far this represents barely 1% of the fuel used worldwide, industry groups say.
Chicago-based United named 11 of more than a dozen global partners for the plan but did not disclose the cost, or how much each would contribute.
Air transport accounts for 2%-3% of greenhouse gas emissions, the French aerospace association said on Tuesday. Environmental groups argue the sector's overall contribution is higher.
Partners include companies with corporate or cargo deals with United, like Nike, Siemens, Palantir and Japan's Takeda Pharmaceutical Co.
United said the project gives customers a way to help reduce the environmental impact of flying beyond buying carbon offsets and could help create more of a market for sustainable aviation fuels.
"We'll see how it develops," Chief Executive Scott Kirby told reporters. "I think there's a huge appetite for it."
The airline industry has focused more broadly on the purchase of carbon offsets to reduce the environmental impact of flying, pending the arrival of new technology to meet the sector's goal of halving net emissions by 2050 versus 2005.
Environmental critics say offsets do not directly address climate goals and mask the problem of ongoing jet emissions.
United, which along with some other carriers has said it wants to cut net emissions more aggressively by 100% by 2050, has criticized offsets and announced a recent investment in "carbon-capture" technology. It has invested in a sustainable aviation fuel producer called Fulcrum BioEnergy
(Reuters) -United Airlines said on Tuesday it has partnered with global firms including Nike Inc and Siemens AG in an "Eco-Skies Alliance" to finance use this year of about 3.4 million gallons of low-carbon, sustainable aviation fuel derived from trash.
Though tiny compared with the 4.3 billion gallons of jet fuel that United consumed in 2019 prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the amount triples the roughly 1 million gallons of sustainable fuel it has used each year since 2016.
Airlines have used sustainable fuel since 2008 as part of efforts to reduce outright emissions, but so far this represents barely 1% of the fuel used worldwide, industry groups say.
Chicago-based United named 11 of more than a dozen global partners for the plan but did not disclose the cost, or how much each would contribute.
Air transport accounts for 2%-3% of greenhouse gas emissions, the French aerospace association said on Tuesday. Environmental groups argue the sector's overall contribution is higher.
Partners include companies with corporate or cargo deals with United, like Nike, Siemens, Palantir and Japan's Takeda Pharmaceutical Co.
United said the project gives customers a way to help reduce the environmental impact of flying beyond buying carbon offsets and could help create more of a market for sustainable aviation fuels.
"We'll see how it develops," Chief Executive Scott Kirby told reporters. "I think there's a huge appetite for it."
The airline industry has focused more broadly on the purchase of carbon offsets to reduce the environmental impact of flying, pending the arrival of new technology to meet the sector's goal of halving net emissions by 2050 versus 2005.
Environmental critics say offsets do not directly address climate goals and mask the problem of ongoing jet emissions.
United, which along with some other carriers has said it wants to cut net emissions more aggressively by 100% by 2050, has criticized offsets and announced a recent investment in "carbon-capture" technology. It has invested in a sustainable aviation fuel producer called Fulcrum BioEnergy
.
Reuters/KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI
United Airlines president Scott Kirby speaks at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago
"While we know that aircraft are never going to be completely decarbonized, we are not going to use offsets as the way to get to 100% green," Kirby said.
Airline association IATA says life cycle greenhouse emissions from sustainable fuel can be at least 80% lower than normal fuel and are the only medium-term option for curbing emissions growth, since airlines cannot yet switch to electric planes.
Delta Air Lines has said it plans to replace 10% of its jet fuel, currently refined from fossil fuel, with sustainable aviation fuel by the end of 2030.
While using waste avoids taking land from food production, environmental groups like Transport & Environment say such supplies are limited and face competition from other sectors.
(Reporting by Tracy Rucinski in Chicago and Ankit Ajmera in BengaluruEditing by Tim Hepher and Matthew Lewis)
"While we know that aircraft are never going to be completely decarbonized, we are not going to use offsets as the way to get to 100% green," Kirby said.
Airline association IATA says life cycle greenhouse emissions from sustainable fuel can be at least 80% lower than normal fuel and are the only medium-term option for curbing emissions growth, since airlines cannot yet switch to electric planes.
Delta Air Lines has said it plans to replace 10% of its jet fuel, currently refined from fossil fuel, with sustainable aviation fuel by the end of 2030.
While using waste avoids taking land from food production, environmental groups like Transport & Environment say such supplies are limited and face competition from other sectors.
(Reporting by Tracy Rucinski in Chicago and Ankit Ajmera in BengaluruEditing by Tim Hepher and Matthew Lewis)
Companies, European leaders call on US to halve emissions by 2030
About 300 companies and dozens of European leaders on Tuesday called on the U.S. to cut its greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 below 2005 levels.
About 300 companies and dozens of European leaders on Tuesday called on the U.S. to cut its greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 below 2005 levels.
Getty Images Companies, European leaders call on US to halve emissions by 2030
Signatories of the business letter include tech giants Apple, Google and Microsoft, as well as other major companies like Walmart and Starbucks.
"We ... call on you to adopt the ambitious and attainable target of cutting GHG emissions by at least 50% below 2005 levels by 2030," they wrote in an open letter to President Biden.
"A bold 2030 target is needed to catalyze a zero-emissions future, spur a robust economic recovery, create millions of well-paying jobs, and allow the U.S. to 'build back better' from the pandemic," the companies added.
Specifically, they called for investing in clean energy, energy efficiency and clean transportation, as well as better agricultural practices and removing carbon from the air.
In addition, more than 20 members of the European Parliament, as well as European CEOs and other leaders signed onto a letter Tuesday making a similar statement.
"The climate crisis has no political colour, no borders, and no vaccine will prevent us from its impact," said the letter, which was led by Pascal Canfin, chair of the European Parliament's Environment committee.
"We, European political decision makers, CEOs, business organisations, trade unions and think tanks, call the United States to fulfil its ambitions by adopting a climate goal of reducing by at least 50% GHG emissions by 2030 (compared to 2005 levels)," it continued.
The calls come as the U.S. prepares to release its updated commitment to the Paris agreement, called a Nationally Determined Contribution, next week.
The Biden administration is expected to exceed the Obama-era goal of reducing emissions by 26 to 28 percent by 2025.
Several environmental groups have similarly called for a 50 percent reduction by 2030 as the Biden administration strives for net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Signatories of the business letter include tech giants Apple, Google and Microsoft, as well as other major companies like Walmart and Starbucks.
"We ... call on you to adopt the ambitious and attainable target of cutting GHG emissions by at least 50% below 2005 levels by 2030," they wrote in an open letter to President Biden.
"A bold 2030 target is needed to catalyze a zero-emissions future, spur a robust economic recovery, create millions of well-paying jobs, and allow the U.S. to 'build back better' from the pandemic," the companies added.
Specifically, they called for investing in clean energy, energy efficiency and clean transportation, as well as better agricultural practices and removing carbon from the air.
In addition, more than 20 members of the European Parliament, as well as European CEOs and other leaders signed onto a letter Tuesday making a similar statement.
"The climate crisis has no political colour, no borders, and no vaccine will prevent us from its impact," said the letter, which was led by Pascal Canfin, chair of the European Parliament's Environment committee.
"We, European political decision makers, CEOs, business organisations, trade unions and think tanks, call the United States to fulfil its ambitions by adopting a climate goal of reducing by at least 50% GHG emissions by 2030 (compared to 2005 levels)," it continued.
The calls come as the U.S. prepares to release its updated commitment to the Paris agreement, called a Nationally Determined Contribution, next week.
The Biden administration is expected to exceed the Obama-era goal of reducing emissions by 26 to 28 percent by 2025.
Several environmental groups have similarly called for a 50 percent reduction by 2030 as the Biden administration strives for net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
'Deeds, not words': mining firms reshape boardrooms as investors demand sustainability
By Helen Reid
By Helen Reid
REUTERS
4/13/2021
Reuters/David Gray FILE PHOTO: A stacker unloads iron ore onto a pile at a mine located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Under fire after a string of high-profile disasters, mining firms are shaking up their boardrooms in response to criticism that they are failing to meet their own environmental, social, and governance standards
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Under fire after a string of high-profile disasters, mining firms are shaking up their boardrooms in response to criticism that they are failing to meet their own environmental, social, and governance standards
.
© Reuters/David Gray FILE PHOTO: A sign adorns the building where mining company Rio Tinto has their office in Perth, Western Australia
Shareholders are demanding change from an industry whose reputation has been battered by deadly collapses of mine waste storage facilities in Brazil, and Rio Tinto's destruction of sacred rock shelters in Australia.
Shareholders are demanding change from an industry whose reputation has been battered by deadly collapses of mine waste storage facilities in Brazil, and Rio Tinto's destruction of sacred rock shelters in Australia.
Reuters/Pilar Olivares FILE PHOTO: A view shows the company logo of Brazilian mining company Vale SA at its headquarters in downtown Rio de Janeiro
Companies are responding with changes to the structure and skillset of their senior management - a shift investors and governance experts say is sorely needed to mitigate risk in an inherently hazardous industry.
"The level of understanding and capability at board level is insufficient at the moment in the mining sector, and it doesn't yet in our view support the transition of these companies to best practice," Andy Jones, metals and mining lead at investment manager Federated Hermes, said.
Brazil's Vale SA - keen to show its dedication to safety and sustainability after two tailings dam failures in less than four years - recently announced the biggest shakeup in its board since it was privatized in 1997.
Seven of the 13 members of the new board set for approval this month have extensive experience in ESG and sustainability-related issues, up from five previously. The company has also added requirements for nominees to have experience in community relations.
Companies are responding with changes to the structure and skillset of their senior management - a shift investors and governance experts say is sorely needed to mitigate risk in an inherently hazardous industry.
"The level of understanding and capability at board level is insufficient at the moment in the mining sector, and it doesn't yet in our view support the transition of these companies to best practice," Andy Jones, metals and mining lead at investment manager Federated Hermes, said.
Brazil's Vale SA - keen to show its dedication to safety and sustainability after two tailings dam failures in less than four years - recently announced the biggest shakeup in its board since it was privatized in 1997.
Seven of the 13 members of the new board set for approval this month have extensive experience in ESG and sustainability-related issues, up from five previously. The company has also added requirements for nominees to have experience in community relations.
Reuters/Ricardo Moraes FILE PHOTO: The debris of the municipal school of Bento Rodrigues district, which was covered with mud after a dam owned by Vale SA and BHP Billiton Ltd burst, is pictured in Mariana
AngloGold Ashanti last year appointed as a non-executive director a mining governance adviser to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Kojo Busia, after the board identified the need to increase its efficacy in ESG oversight, it told Reuters.
Barrick Gold also bolstered its ESG credentials with the appointment of World Bank executive director Anne Kabagambe to its board in November, highlighting her experience in international development.
Some miners have also begun tying executives' and directors' bonuses directly to measurable ESG outcomes. Rio Tinto has connected 15% of executives' annual bonuses to ESG metrics for the first time
AngloGold Ashanti last year appointed as a non-executive director a mining governance adviser to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Kojo Busia, after the board identified the need to increase its efficacy in ESG oversight, it told Reuters.
Barrick Gold also bolstered its ESG credentials with the appointment of World Bank executive director Anne Kabagambe to its board in November, highlighting her experience in international development.
Some miners have also begun tying executives' and directors' bonuses directly to measurable ESG outcomes. Rio Tinto has connected 15% of executives' annual bonuses to ESG metrics for the first time
.
Reuters/Ricardo Moraes FILE PHOTO: A man works on the cleaning of a house flooded with mud after a dam, owned by Vale SA and BHP Billiton Ltd burst, in Barra Longa
Bonuses for the director of Vale's executive board for safety are calculated based only on health, safety, and sustainability indicators.
But companies must also improve internal reporting and foster a culture of openness if the industry is to prevent a repeat of past mistakes, governance experts say.
"The remuneration is obviously key in terms of setting incentives, but that on its own doesn't work unless the board is getting the quality of information and there is a spirit of independent thought and challenge," said Joanna Hewitt, a partner at law firm Baker McKenzie in London who advises companies on corporate governance.
For boards to exercise proper oversight, directors need access to information that bypasses management, Daniel Smith, a governance advisor with CGI Glass Lewis, told Reuters last November.
To achieve that, a specialist heritage advisor reporting directly to the board could be appointed, or a board could have an ESG subcommittee responsible for stakeholder management, including of traditional owners, he said.
To help investors track their progress, mining companies must publish more data on issues like community engagement, water and air quality, and rehabilitation and closure plans, said Charlotte Valeur, founder of governance advisory firm Global Governance Group.
As a result of investor pressure, more mining companies are reporting so-called scope 3 emissions data, a measure of downstream CO2 emissions by metal consumers. Data transparency is key, says Valeur.
"It has to be deeds, not words," she said. "What it's easy to do is have some fluff - but what we want is hard numbers."
(Reporting by Helen Reid in Johannesburg, Melanie Burton in Melbourne and Marta Nogueira in Rio de Janeiro; Writing by Helen Reid; Editing by Amran Abocar and Jan Harvey)
Bonuses for the director of Vale's executive board for safety are calculated based only on health, safety, and sustainability indicators.
But companies must also improve internal reporting and foster a culture of openness if the industry is to prevent a repeat of past mistakes, governance experts say.
"The remuneration is obviously key in terms of setting incentives, but that on its own doesn't work unless the board is getting the quality of information and there is a spirit of independent thought and challenge," said Joanna Hewitt, a partner at law firm Baker McKenzie in London who advises companies on corporate governance.
For boards to exercise proper oversight, directors need access to information that bypasses management, Daniel Smith, a governance advisor with CGI Glass Lewis, told Reuters last November.
To achieve that, a specialist heritage advisor reporting directly to the board could be appointed, or a board could have an ESG subcommittee responsible for stakeholder management, including of traditional owners, he said.
To help investors track their progress, mining companies must publish more data on issues like community engagement, water and air quality, and rehabilitation and closure plans, said Charlotte Valeur, founder of governance advisory firm Global Governance Group.
As a result of investor pressure, more mining companies are reporting so-called scope 3 emissions data, a measure of downstream CO2 emissions by metal consumers. Data transparency is key, says Valeur.
"It has to be deeds, not words," she said. "What it's easy to do is have some fluff - but what we want is hard numbers."
(Reporting by Helen Reid in Johannesburg, Melanie Burton in Melbourne and Marta Nogueira in Rio de Janeiro; Writing by Helen Reid; Editing by Amran Abocar and Jan Harvey)
Elizabeth Warren says the government should fire student loan servicer Navient, which should fire its CEO
asheffey@businessinsider.com (Ayelet Sheffey) 4/13/2021
3
Sen. Elizabeth Warren said Navient CEO John Remondi should be fired at a hearing on Tuesday.
Navient, one of the largest student loan servicers, has been accused of misleading borrowers.
Remondi said the allegations are untrue and "not necessarily based on facts."
Navient CEO John Remondi was at Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts' first hearing on student debt relief. Warren told Remondi that he should be fired for misleading student loan borrowers, but that wasn't all.
"The federal government should absolutely fire Navient, and because this happened under your leadership, Navient should fire you," Warren told Remondi during the hearing.
Warren, as the chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Economic Policy, called 11 witnesses to testify at the hearing to discuss the impact of student debt on borrowers, racial justice, and the economy.
Warren said in her letter to Remondi inviting him to testify at the hearing that while Navient currently services federal loans to 5.6 million borrowers and holds over $58 billion annually in federally guaranteed Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) loans, it also has "been a contributor to the problem, with a decade-long history of allegations of abusive and misleading practices aimed at student loan borrowers."
She added that between 2009 and 2019, Navient has been accused or fined for "actions that ripped off borrowers," including the improper marketing of loans and failing to notify borrowers of their rights.
And an ongoing Consumer Financial Protection Bureau investigation found evidence that Navient "systematically steered thousands of borrowers who were having difficulty paying their loans into plans that were worse for the borrowers - but more profitable for Navient."
In February, three student loan borrowers filed a legal action against Navient, arguing that Navient owed them over $45,000 in overpayments that the company had wrongfully collected after their student loans had been discharged. This followed an Education Department ruling that Navient must repay the government $22 million in overcharged student loan subsidies.
In response to Warren's questioning on investigations into Navient, Remondi said his job is "obviously to comply with the rules and laws, and we work hard to make sure all borrowers successfully manage their loans."
"These allegations are not true," Remondi said. "They're accusations and not necessarily based on facts," he added.
Also testifying at the hearing were Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, Maura Healey, the attorney general of Massachusetts, and James Steeley, president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency.
asheffey@businessinsider.com (Ayelet Sheffey) 4/13/2021
3
© Provided by Business Insider Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Sen. Elizabeth Warren said Navient CEO John Remondi should be fired at a hearing on Tuesday.
Navient, one of the largest student loan servicers, has been accused of misleading borrowers.
Remondi said the allegations are untrue and "not necessarily based on facts."
Navient CEO John Remondi was at Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts' first hearing on student debt relief. Warren told Remondi that he should be fired for misleading student loan borrowers, but that wasn't all.
"The federal government should absolutely fire Navient, and because this happened under your leadership, Navient should fire you," Warren told Remondi during the hearing.
Warren, as the chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Economic Policy, called 11 witnesses to testify at the hearing to discuss the impact of student debt on borrowers, racial justice, and the economy.
She added that between 2009 and 2019, Navient has been accused or fined for "actions that ripped off borrowers," including the improper marketing of loans and failing to notify borrowers of their rights.
And an ongoing Consumer Financial Protection Bureau investigation found evidence that Navient "systematically steered thousands of borrowers who were having difficulty paying their loans into plans that were worse for the borrowers - but more profitable for Navient."
In February, three student loan borrowers filed a legal action against Navient, arguing that Navient owed them over $45,000 in overpayments that the company had wrongfully collected after their student loans had been discharged. This followed an Education Department ruling that Navient must repay the government $22 million in overcharged student loan subsidies.
In response to Warren's questioning on investigations into Navient, Remondi said his job is "obviously to comply with the rules and laws, and we work hard to make sure all borrowers successfully manage their loans."
"These allegations are not true," Remondi said. "They're accusations and not necessarily based on facts," he added.
Also testifying at the hearing were Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, Maura Healey, the attorney general of Massachusetts, and James Steeley, president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency.
Biden could wipe out 84% of the federal student-debt pile by canceling $50,000 per person
asheffey@businessinsider.com (Ayelet Sheffey)
4/13/2021
© Provided by Business Insider recep-bg/Getty Images
DOE data shows canceling $50,000 in student debt per person would erase debt for 84% of federal borrowers.
It shows that canceling $10,000 per person would erase debt for 35% of them, Yahoo Finance reports.
The DOE and DOJ are reviewing Biden's authority to cancel $50,000 in student debt.
Democratic lawmakers are continuing to push for President Joe Biden to cancel $50,000 in student debt per person, and new data from the Department of Education may have helped them make their case to the president.
A DOE analysis obtained by Yahoo Finance on Monday found that $50,000 in student-loan forgiveness per person would erase the entire debt for 36 million - or 84% - of the roughly 43 million borrowers in the US with federal loans, while $10,000 in forgiveness would erase the entire debt for 15 million - or 35% - of those borrowers.
The data also showed that 9.4 million of the 36 million borrowers who would benefit from a $50,000 loan cancelation are at risk of default, meaning they could fail to repay the loans. Also, 4.4 million borrowers, each holding an average of $48,000 in student debt, have had loans for more than two decades since graduation. Another 10.7 million borrowers have held their loans for over a decade.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer have led efforts in calling on Biden to cancel $50,000 in student debt per person using executive powers, but the president has argued he does not have the authority to cancel $50,000, and he said he would welcome legislation to cancel $10,000 per person.
In response to Biden's comments, Warren said in a press call last month: "We have a lot on our plate, including moving to infrastructure and all kinds of other things. I have legislation to do it, but to me, that's just not a reason to hold off. The president can do this, and I very much hope that he will."
Biden has since asked the Justice Department and the Education Department to review his authority to use executive action to cancel student debt, and White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in early April that the $50,000 cancelation figure hasn't been ruled out.
The DOE data comes ahead of Warren's Senate Banking hearing on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the burden of student debt.
"I graduated from a state school that cost $50 a semester," Warren said on Twitter on Monday. "That opportunity is simply not out there today. Two out of every three people who go to a state school today have to borrow money to graduate. That is not how we build a future. #CancelStudentDebt.
A DOE analysis obtained by Yahoo Finance on Monday found that $50,000 in student-loan forgiveness per person would erase the entire debt for 36 million - or 84% - of the roughly 43 million borrowers in the US with federal loans, while $10,000 in forgiveness would erase the entire debt for 15 million - or 35% - of those borrowers.
The data also showed that 9.4 million of the 36 million borrowers who would benefit from a $50,000 loan cancelation are at risk of default, meaning they could fail to repay the loans. Also, 4.4 million borrowers, each holding an average of $48,000 in student debt, have had loans for more than two decades since graduation. Another 10.7 million borrowers have held their loans for over a decade.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer have led efforts in calling on Biden to cancel $50,000 in student debt per person using executive powers, but the president has argued he does not have the authority to cancel $50,000, and he said he would welcome legislation to cancel $10,000 per person.
In response to Biden's comments, Warren said in a press call last month: "We have a lot on our plate, including moving to infrastructure and all kinds of other things. I have legislation to do it, but to me, that's just not a reason to hold off. The president can do this, and I very much hope that he will."
Biden has since asked the Justice Department and the Education Department to review his authority to use executive action to cancel student debt, and White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in early April that the $50,000 cancelation figure hasn't been ruled out.
The DOE data comes ahead of Warren's Senate Banking hearing on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the burden of student debt.
"I graduated from a state school that cost $50 a semester," Warren said on Twitter on Monday. "That opportunity is simply not out there today. Two out of every three people who go to a state school today have to borrow money to graduate. That is not how we build a future. #CancelStudentDebt.
Pope asks US bishop to resign after coverup investigation
ROME — A bishop in Minnesota resigned Tuesday at the request of Pope Francis after he was investigated by the Vatican for allegedly interfering with past investigations into clergy sexual abuse, officials said.
The Vatican said Francis accepted the resignation of Crookston Bishop Michael Hoeppner and named a temporary replacement to run the diocese. Hoeppner is 71, four years shy of the normal retirement age for bishops.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Crookston said the pontiff asked Hoeppner to resign following the Vatican probe, which it said arose from reports that the bishop "had at times failed to observe applicable norms when presented with allegations of sexual abuse involving clergy."
The Vatican and U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops simultaneously announced Hoeppner’s resignation and the appointment of the Most Rev. Richard E. Pate, the retired bishop of Des Moines, as a temporary administrator without commenting on the reason for the change.
The diocese of Crookston counts nearly 35,000 Catholics in northern Minnesota.
The Vatican had tasked St. Paul-Minneapolis Archbishop Bernard Hebda with conducting a preliminary investigation. Last year, Hebda's office announced that the Holy See had authorized a more in-depth probe.
Hoeppner is accused of stating that a priest was fit for ministry despite allegedly knowing the priest had abused a 16-year-old boy in the early 1970s. The victim, Ron Vasek, later sued the diocese, alleging that Hoeppner blackmailed him into retracting his allegations against Monsignor Roger Grundhaus. The lawsuit was settled for an undisclosed sum in 2017.
Hoeppner was the first bishop known to be investigated by the Vatican under a 2019 law that Francis approved laying out the procedures to conduct preliminary investigations against bishops accused of sex abuse or coverup.
He has said in sworn testimony that he was trying to protect the victim's confidentiality by stating that Grundhaus was fit for ministry. He has said Grundhaus continues to deny Vasek's allegations.
Hebda's office said the investigation took 2,000 hours, involved interviews with 38 people and that Hoeppner was interviewed more than once. The resulting reports totalled 1,533 pages, including recommendations, and were reviewed by two lay experts who determined the probe was thorough and had been “conducted in a fair and impartial manner," the archdiocese said.
A survivor advocacy group, SNAP, said it was pleased with the outcome, but said Francis could have simply fired Hoeppner rather than asked him to resign.
“While the result is the same, we feel that a stronger message would have been sent by ousting Bishop Hoeppner instead of asking him to leave, as there is a difference in forcing someone out versus asking them to remove themselves," SNAP said.
Grey whale off Vancouver Island given antibiotics after lesions found around tag site
VANCOUVER — Canadian and American officials say they're monitoring a grey whale after lesions were spotted in the same area where a satellite tag was attached by researchers.
The breath samples are being studied for fungal culture, as well as viral and bacterial content, but results will take two to three weeks, he said.
Martin Haulena, a veterinarian with the Vancouver Aquarium and Marine Mammal Rescue Centre, said there's likely bacterial inflammation around the tag but the antibiotics are mainly designed to prevent a more serious spread.
"Their purpose is to prevent an overwhelming secondary and systemic infection," Haulena said.
The whale was tagged Sept. 8 by researchers with NOAA Fisheries, said Sharon Melin, program manager of its California Current Ecosystems Program.
The tags are designed so that the whale's body will reject them over time and heal over, a process that can take from one month to over a year.
Safety protocols, including sterilization of the tag before deployment, were followed, another official said.
The lesions were spotted both around the tag and on the opposite side of the animal on March 16 by a NOAA contractor.
A panel of scientists determined on March 31 that the lesions do not pose an imminent danger to the animal's health, Melin said.
"The consensus of the panel was that the lesion around the tag site was within the range of reaction that would be expected as the body extruded the tag, however it was unusual compared to other records of whales tagged with similar tags," Melin said.
The panel does not know if the lesions on the other side of its body are related to the ones around the tag, she said.
NOAA said in a statement that it is hopeful that once the tag falls off, the tissue around the site will heal.
Satellite tags are an important part of the way scientists learn about the whales' migration, habitat, feeding and breeding areas, as well as identifying where they share the waters with humans, Melin said.
There are about 20,000 whales in the entire Eastern North Pacific grey whale population, including this whale's small group. The larger group has fully recovered from the historic whaling era and was taken off the endangered species list in the United States in 1994.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 13, 2021.
Amy Smart, The Canadian Press
VANCOUVER — Canadian and American officials say they're monitoring a grey whale after lesions were spotted in the same area where a satellite tag was attached by researchers.
© Provided by The Canadian Press
Officials said during a joint news conference Tuesday they've taken the whale's breath sample and given it antibiotics, and it appears to be active and doing well in the waters off Vancouver Island.
Photos show the tag protruding from a patch of the whale's flesh, which appears white around the foreign object.
"The whale is fairly robust, it's feeding," said Marjorie Mooney-Seus, a spokeswoman for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the United States, which administered the tag.
"It is behaving normally and making quite long trips up and down the coast of Vancouver Island."
The animal is part of a small group of about 250 grey whales that spend their summers in the waters off British Columbia and Washington state.
The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada designated the Pacific Coast Feeding Group endangered in 2017 and the pod is under consideration for protection under the Species at Risk Act. It is not considered endangered in the United States.
Stephen Raverty, a veterinary pathologist with the B.C. government's Animal Health Centre, said the whale is being monitored for the same type of fungal infection linked to a tagging that killed an endangered orca in 2016.
NOAA temporarily suspended its tagging program after the death of the whale known as L95.
"Fungi is certainly a consideration in this case as well, however there's no real way to determine whether there is a fungal infection involved in this site," Raverty said.
Officials said during a joint news conference Tuesday they've taken the whale's breath sample and given it antibiotics, and it appears to be active and doing well in the waters off Vancouver Island.
Photos show the tag protruding from a patch of the whale's flesh, which appears white around the foreign object.
"The whale is fairly robust, it's feeding," said Marjorie Mooney-Seus, a spokeswoman for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the United States, which administered the tag.
"It is behaving normally and making quite long trips up and down the coast of Vancouver Island."
The animal is part of a small group of about 250 grey whales that spend their summers in the waters off British Columbia and Washington state.
The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada designated the Pacific Coast Feeding Group endangered in 2017 and the pod is under consideration for protection under the Species at Risk Act. It is not considered endangered in the United States.
Stephen Raverty, a veterinary pathologist with the B.C. government's Animal Health Centre, said the whale is being monitored for the same type of fungal infection linked to a tagging that killed an endangered orca in 2016.
NOAA temporarily suspended its tagging program after the death of the whale known as L95.
"Fungi is certainly a consideration in this case as well, however there's no real way to determine whether there is a fungal infection involved in this site," Raverty said.
The breath samples are being studied for fungal culture, as well as viral and bacterial content, but results will take two to three weeks, he said.
Martin Haulena, a veterinarian with the Vancouver Aquarium and Marine Mammal Rescue Centre, said there's likely bacterial inflammation around the tag but the antibiotics are mainly designed to prevent a more serious spread.
"Their purpose is to prevent an overwhelming secondary and systemic infection," Haulena said.
The whale was tagged Sept. 8 by researchers with NOAA Fisheries, said Sharon Melin, program manager of its California Current Ecosystems Program.
The tags are designed so that the whale's body will reject them over time and heal over, a process that can take from one month to over a year.
Safety protocols, including sterilization of the tag before deployment, were followed, another official said.
The lesions were spotted both around the tag and on the opposite side of the animal on March 16 by a NOAA contractor.
A panel of scientists determined on March 31 that the lesions do not pose an imminent danger to the animal's health, Melin said.
"The consensus of the panel was that the lesion around the tag site was within the range of reaction that would be expected as the body extruded the tag, however it was unusual compared to other records of whales tagged with similar tags," Melin said.
The panel does not know if the lesions on the other side of its body are related to the ones around the tag, she said.
NOAA said in a statement that it is hopeful that once the tag falls off, the tissue around the site will heal.
Satellite tags are an important part of the way scientists learn about the whales' migration, habitat, feeding and breeding areas, as well as identifying where they share the waters with humans, Melin said.
There are about 20,000 whales in the entire Eastern North Pacific grey whale population, including this whale's small group. The larger group has fully recovered from the historic whaling era and was taken off the endangered species list in the United States in 1994.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 13, 2021.
Amy Smart, The Canadian Press
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