TRUMP CALLS IRAN BOMBARDMENT CONCUSSIONS HEADACHES SAYS THEY ARE NOT REAL INJURIES

Trump downplays seriousness of injuries in Iran attack after US soldiers treated for concussions

BY BRETT SAMUELS - 01/22/20 


PRIVATE BONE-SPURS

© Getty Images
President Trump on Wednesday minimized the injuries of several U.S. troops who suffered concussions during an Iranian missile attack on two Iraqi bases that house American personnel.

"I heard that they headaches and a couple of other things, but I would say and I can report that it’s not very serious," Trump told reporters at a press conference in Davos, Switzerland.

"I don’t consider them very serious injuries relative to other injuries that I’ve seen," he continued. "I’ve seen what Iran has done with their roadside bombs to our troops… I’ve seen people that were horribly, horribly injured in that area, in that war.


"No, I do not consider that to be bad injuries, no," he added, referring to the soldiers who were taken for treatment last week.

President Trump is asked about the Americans troops that were injured in the Iran missile attacks on bases in Iraq last week after previously saying that no Americans were injured. #WEF2020 https://t.co/88r3VMcJe9 pic.twitter.com/oxx0IdkZIP— CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) January 22, 2020

The president declared earlier this month that there were no casualties after Iran fired missiles at the bases housing U.S. forces on Jan. 8. But the Pentagon last week revealed 11 U.S. troops were evacuated from Iraq and taken to hospitals in Germany and Kuwait for treatment for concussions suffered during attack on Al Asad Air Base.

The Associated Press reported Tuesday night that additional U.S. troops were flown to Germany for closer evaluation for similar injuries, though the exact number was not known.

The Iranian missile attack came as a direct response to a U.S. drone strike that killed top Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani. The two countries appeared to step back from the brink of military conflict in the wake of the attacks, though tensions remain.

The Trump administration has faced intense pressure from lawmakers in both parties about its justification for the strike that killed Soleimani. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo initially said the general posed an "imminent threat" to American lives, and Trump later said he was targeted four U.S. embassies. But officials have struggled to justify both explanations.

The House passed a resolution earlier this month to rein in Trump's war powers with regards to Iran, and a similar Senate resolution appears to have the votes needed to pass.

MORE U.S. troops leave Iraq for medical treatment after Iranian missile attack, Pentagon says

Dan Lamothe 



Slides 3 of 50:
Slideshow by photo services










More U.S. service members have been transported out of Iraq for medical treatment and evaluations following Iran’s missile attack on military facilities there, the Pentagon said Tuesday, nearly two weeks after President Trump and defense officials initially said no one was hurt.

The Pentagon said Friday that 11 service members were transported out of Iraq for treatment and assessments. U.S. military officials declined to say on Tuesday how many more are receiving care but said “additional” troops had been sent to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany.

The officials left open the possibility that the number could increase in coming days.

“The health and safety of all service members is the greatest concern for all Department leadership and we greatly appreciate the care that these members have received and continue to receive at the hands of our medical professionals," U.S. Central Command said in a statement. “As medical treatment and evaluations in theater continue, additional service members have been identified as having potential injuries.”

The statement continued: "These service members -- out of an abundance of caution -- have been transported to Landstuhl, Germany for further evaluations and necessary treatment on an outpatient basis. Given the nature of injuries already noted, it is possible additional injuries may be identified in the future.”

The statement did not address the condition of the first 11 service members transported out of Iraq, and U.S. defense officials said Tuesday evening that they did not have more information about them to share.

© Qassim Abdul-Zahra/AP U.S. soldiers stand at a spot hit by Iranian missiles at Ain al-Asad air base in Iraq days after the Jan. 8 attack. (Qassim Abdul-Zahra/AP)The injuries surfaced after Iranian forces launched 11 missiles on Jan. 8 at Ain al-Asad air base west of Baghdad and one into the northern city of Irbil in retaliation for the U.S. killing of Iranian Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, who U.S. officials say was connected to the deaths of hundreds of U.S. troops over the last 20 years. More than 1,000 U.S. service members were at Al Asad at the time of the attack, U.S. defense officials have said.

The barrage left deep craters and charred wreckage in several locations on the Iraqi base. U.S. officials initially said no service members were killed or wounded, and signaled that the United States was not looking for additional armed conflict with Iran.

“No Americans were harmed in last night’s attack by the Iranian regime. We suffered no casualties. All of our soldiers are safe, and only minimal damage was sustained at our military bases,” Trump said soon after the attack.

But concussion-like symptoms -- which sometimes do not manifest themselves immediately -- have prompted an increasing amount of medical attention.

On Jan. 13, military officials at Al Asad told The Washington Post that “dozens” of service members were suffering from concussion-like symptoms. Jonathan Hoffman, the chief Pentagon spokesman, said Friday that the first three left on a regularly scheduled flight to Camp Arifjan in Kuwait on Jan. 10.

Eight more American service members left on another regularly scheduled flight to Landstuhl on Jan. 15. Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper was notified of the 11 patients that day, and defense officials disclosed the treatment that day, Hoffman said. Defense One first reported the evacuations that night.

Hoffman said Friday that Trump’s remarks to the nation the morning after the attack were “accurate," and reflected "truthful information that he received.” Initial reporting from U.S. commanders in Iraq to the Pentagon said no Americans had suffered loss of life, limb or eyesight, following Defense Department reporting requirements, he said.

---30---

WHAT THEY CALL CONCUSSION OR SERIOUS BRAIN TRAUMA WAS ONCE KNOWN AS SHELL SHOCK AND LAST CENTURY DURING THE BIG ONE WWI IT WAS AN EXECUTABLE OFFENSE ON THE BATTLEFRONT FOR COWARDICE

SEE  https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/search?q=WWI

SEE  https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/search?q=SHELL+SHOCK

SEE  https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/search?q=BATTLE+FATIGUE

Pollster: Environment, income inequality drive Sanders support among young voters

1/21/2020

Pollster Terren Klein says the environment and income inequality are the key issues that are attracting young voters in both Iowa and on a national level to Sen. Bernie Sanders's (I-Vt.) 2020 Democratic presidential campaign. 

Klein, who is the CEO of polling website College Pulse, noted Tuesday that college students tend to be more ideologically driven, compared to other voting demographics, and vote primarily on issues. 

“When we ask college students what issue is important to them in determining their vote, the number one issue by far is the environment,” Klein told Hill.TV. "In Iowa, it trends roughly the same — it's still the top issue." 

“What we do see is income inequality by far the second-most important issue among Iowa college students,” he added. 

Sanders leads the 2020 field among Democratic and Democratic-leaning students both nationally and in key early voting states like Iowa.

According to the Chegg-College Pulse weekly tracker, Sanders tops the Democratic primary field with support from 41 percent of young voters, which marks a 6-point gain since November.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) remained in second place at 21 percent among college students, dropping 3 points since November. Former entrepreneur Andrew Yang ticked up 1 percentage point to 12 percent. 

South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg and former Vice President Joe Biden each received 8 percent support.

This race is tighter in Iowa, where Warren trails Sanders by 6 percent among college students. A separate Chegg-College Iowa poll released last Tuesday shows Sanders in the No. 1 spot with 35 percent support among the state's college students. Warren follows with 29 percent support.

Buttigieg collected 19 percent support, putting him ahead of Yang's 9 percent. Biden, meanwhile, came in at just 5 percent.

Klein also pushed back against the notion that college students are not politically active. He predicted that they will be key to whoever wins November’s election, noting that they could be a factor in states like Iowa, where he estimates that one in every six Democratic voter is a college student.

“When you’re looking at the sheer quantity, we should give them the respect like we would any other demographic of that size and pay attention to them,” Klein told Hill.TV.


—Tess Bonn

VIDEO
https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/479156-pollster-environment-income-inequality-drives-sanders-support-among-young-voters?

Progressive commentator: NYT editorial board endorsement 'even dumber' than expected

Progressive commentator Maximillian Alvarez, a backer of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), criticized the New York Times editorial board on Tuesday over its dual endorsement of Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) in the Democratic Primary.

“Against all odds, The New York Times’s endorsement managed to be even dumber than we were all expecting,” Alvarez, a host of left-leaning podcast Working People, told Hill.TV. “It’s really mind blowing and really I commend them for it.”

“The New York Times just really doesn’t it — they really don’t get the stakes of our political moment,” he added.

Alvarez argued that working class people like himself don’t care about what “this paneled boardroom of elitist dweebs” think.

He instead pointed to endorsements that Sanders has received from National Nurses United, the United Teachers of Los Angeles and American Postal Workers Union of New Hampshire among others. 

“These are the unions that have endorsed Bernie Sanders and I take way more stock in those endorsements than I do in this dog and pony show,” he said.

Over the weekend, the Times broke with convention and endorsed Warren and Klobuchar in an effort to address what it described as the "radical and the realist models" voters are faced with by the 2020 Democratic field.

“If there were ever a time to be open to new ideas, it is now. If there were ever a time to seek stability, now is it,” it wrote. “That’s why we’re endorsing the most effective advocates for each approach. They are Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar.”

Both Klobuchar and Warren tweeted in reaction to the editorial endorsement with Klobuchar calling it an “honor” and Warren alluding to a remark she made during the Iowa debate.

“So, I guess @AmyKlobuchar and I are now both undefeated in elections and undefeated in New York Times endorsements!” Warren tweeted.

Warren said in last week’s debate that “the men on this stage have lost 10 elections,” while noting that she and Klobuchar had won all of their elections.

— Tess Bonn THE HILL

VIDEO

https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/479248-progressive-commentator-nyt-editorial-board-endorsement-even-dumber-than-expected?

RIGHT WING COMMENTATOR AGREES WITH PROGRESSIVE COMMENTATOR 
Hill.TV's Saagar Enjeti: NYT dual endorsement could hurt Warren, Klobuchar
Hill.TV host Saagar Enjeti on Tuesday ripped the the New York Times editorial board's dual endorsement of Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) for the Democratic nomination for president.

Hill.TV host Saagar Enjeti on Tuesday ripped the the New York Times editorial board's dual endorsement of Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) for the Democratic nomination for president.

Enjeti maintained that the dual endorsements aren't doing either of the senators any favors.

“Since the Times is itself a member of the moneyed elite, their endorsement and embrace of Warren is devastating,” Enjeti said. “It validates the central critique that she is herself not an ideologue and in reality would mostly masquerade as a far left cultural figure who issues woke executive orders every day of her presidency.”

Enjeti argued that endorsement could also potentially hurt Klobuchar, saying that they “see her as a witting heir to the moderate Democratic movement” solely because she “has been in the Senate awhile, says ‘Midwest’ a lot and is a woman."

Over the weekend, the the Times announced a dual endorsement of Warren and Klobuchar effectively breaking with convention.

In explanation of its decision not to throw its support behind a single candidate, the Times wrote that both senators address the "radical and the realist models" voters are faced with by the 2020 Democratic field.

“If there were ever a time to be open to new ideas, it is now. If there were ever a time to seek stability, now is it,” it wrote. “That’s why we’re endorsing the most effective advocates for each approach. They are Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar.”

The decision later drew some backlash on Twitter.

“The New York Times even Both Sides’d its endorsement,” said Jon Favreau, a director of speechwriting for former President Obama.

'Forever chemicals' found in drinking water at 34 additional locations: survey
THE HILL - 01/22/20 

© Getty Images

So-called “forever chemicals” have been discovered in drinking water at 34 previously-unknown locations, according to a report released Wednesday by the Environmental Working Group.

The environmental watchdog group found perfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, which are particularly resistant to breaking down in the environment and have been linked to numerous health problems, were found at some of the highest levels in Miami, New Orleans and Philadelphia, and indicate both the Environmental Protection Agency and previous reports by the EWG have underestimated the levels.

Researchers analyzed tap water samples in 44 locations in 31 states and Washington, D.C., and found only one location — Meridian, Miss. — with no detectable PFAS and only two locations — Seattle and Tuscaloosa, Ala. — with levels below that considered hazardous to humans, according to EWG. Utilities that test independently are not required to publicly report the results or make them available to the EPA or state water agencies.

The top five locations for PFAS levels were Brunswick County, N.C.; Quad Cities, Iowa; Miami; Bergen County, N.J. and Wilmington, N.C.

“Our results are meant to highlight the ubiquity of PFAS and the vulnerability of the nation’s drinking water supply to PFAS contamination,” EWG said in a statement. “They underscore what an expert at the Water and Environmental Technology Center at Temple University, in Philadelphia, said about PFAS contamination: ‘If you sample, you will find it.’ ”

Only two of the locations, Brunswick County and Quad Cities, had levels above the EPA's limit for PFOS and PFOA contaminants, the study found. Some states have set stricter limits on these chemicals.

On average, EWG found six to seven PFAS compounds at the tested sites. The health effects of such combinations on public health have not been heavily analyzed. “Everyone’s really exposed to a toxic soup of these PFAS chemicals,” David Andrews, a senior scientist at EWG and co-author of the report, told Reuters.

Parts of Australian capital evacuated due to bushfires
BY REBECCA KLAR - 01/22/20 

© Getty Images

Parts of Australia’s capital Canberra were reportedly briefly evacuated Wednesday due to the bushfires that have been devastating the country.

The suburbs near Canberra Airport were evacuated late Wednesday after a bushfire burned nearby, Reuters reported.

The fire was reported as “watch and act” around 4:50 p.m., local time; residents were warned to activate bushfire survival plans, and nearby roads were closed, according to the Canberra Times.

The fire was upgraded to an “emergency” level at 5:20 p.m. after crossing the Molonglo River and nearby residents were warned to leave immediately, according to the newspaper. It was reportedly later downgraded to “advice” level at 7:15 after it was brought under control.

There were no reports of damage or injuries, according to Reuters.

The wildfires across Australia have reportedly killed 29 people and about 1 billion animals, as well as burning 2,500 homes since Septembe

Utah bans LGBTQ 'conversion therapy' for children

BY ZACK BUDRYK - 01/22/20

© Cameron Lancaster


Utah has become the 19th state to ban so-called conversion therapy for LGBTQ children, one of the deepest red states to prohibit the practice, due in large part to support for the measure from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, according to NBC News.

The church, which includes the majority of the state legislature and about two-thirds of Utahns overall as members, backed the measure after it was satisfied it would contain exceptions for religious leaders, according to the network.

A ban on the discredited practice passing in such a conservative state has “really given people a lot of hope,” Shannon Minter, legal director for the National Center for Lesbian Rights, told NBC, citing similar ongoing efforts in states like Texas and Kentucky.
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State Rep. Craig Hall (R) said in a statement that the measure will “truly save lives” while protecting health care professionals. According to the network.

Gov. Gary Herbert (R) announced last November that he had directed the state’s Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing to file a rule with the same provisions after an earlier version of the ban failed to pass the state legislature over alterations made by social conservatives.

“I have learned much through this process. The stories of youth who have endured these so-called therapies are heart rending, and I’m grateful that we have found a way forward that will ban conversion therapy forever in our state,” Herbert said. “I’m grateful to the many stakeholders who came to the table in good faith, with never-ending patience.”

HOW COLD IS IT? 
Iguanas could fall from the trees in Florida




By Allison Chinchar, CNN Meteorologist 
Cold-stunned iguanas expected to fall from Florida trees 

© WPTV Iguana population

As the coldest air of the season spreads across the Eastern US, even some southern states are feeling the chill.

From Louisiana to the Carolinas, even down through Florida, temperatures are averaging 10 to 15 degrees below normal.

Freeze warnings and hard freeze warnings are in effect across Florida and Georgia through Wednesday morning.

Tuesday afternoon, the National Weather Service in Miami issued a rare forecast regarding cold temperatures but it was for iguanas. Yes, you read that correctly.

I - guan - as

"Don't be surprised if you see iguanas falling from the trees tonight," tweeted the Miami National Weather Service office.

The concern for people in South Florida is that these iguanas often sleep in trees, so when their bodies go dormant, they appear to fall from the sky onto streets, cars, pools, or even people walking around. And since iguanas are large -- adult males can reach 5 feet in length, and weigh up to 20 pounds -- this can be dangerous if one lands on top of you.

The invasive species can't handle cold temperatures very well because they are cold-blooded. In general, iguanas begin to get sluggish or lethargic once the temperature drops below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Once the temperature drops below 45 degrees Fahrenheit the iguanas go into a dormant or cold-stunned state. They appear to be dead, but they are not. They remain breathing with critical body functions still operating.

It is their body's way of protecting them until the temperature warms up back up above 50 degrees.

If those temperatures remain in the 40s for periods over eight hours, a significant number of those iguanas will die, especially the smaller ones.

"The temperature threshold for when iguanas begin to go into a dormant state depends greatly on the size of the iguana," explains Ron Magill, communications director for Zoo Miami. "Generally speaking, the larger the iguana, the more cold it can tolerate for longer periods."

He also demonstrates how even though extended periods of air temperatures in the 40s could lead to the demise of some iguanas. Many iguanas in South Florida have adapted to going deep into burrows where they stay insulated from the cold. They tend to also live close to large bodies of water, which tend to be warmer than the air temperatures, which help them survive short cold snaps.

Not everyone is concerned about the well-being of these iguanas, though. They are considered an invasive species, so some people are looking forward to an opportunity to rid their yards of these reptiles.

"I do know that there are several iguana hunters that are looking forward to this upcoming cold front as it will certainly facilitate them removing these invasive reptiles from the South Florida environment as they will not be able to run away!" Magill told CNN.

‘They’re not dead’: Falling iguana alert in Florida amid cold snap

January 22, 2020 By Agence France-Presse


Green iguanas are considered a nuisance in Florida, where they are blamed for causing considerable damage to everything from seawalls to sidewalks — not to mention menacing endangered butterflies and snails.

But the invasive species may have met their match in an unusual cold snap which sent thermometers plummeting in Florida, rendering the cold-blooded reptiles paralyzed.

“This isn’t something we usually forecast, but don’t be surprised if you see Iguanas falling from the trees tonight as lows drop into the 30s and 40s. Brrrr,” tweeted the National Weather Service in Miami. That is between -1 and 4 degrees Celsius.

Such conditions are unusual in the normally balmy US state, where winter temperatures typically don’t fall below 65 degrees Fahrenheit (18 degrees Celsius) or so.

Many people don’t have the proper heating at home or clothing to cope with the freezing temperatures — something also true of the state’s animals.

An infographic attached to the tweet added that although the cold-stunned creatures may appear to have met their end, “they are not dead.”

Last January, another cold front saw a similar deluge of frozen iguanas, with members of the public sharing pictures on social media, and bringing them home to defrost — something authorities discourage since the wild animals may attack humans once revived.

The species isn’t native to Florida but was brought in by travelers from Central and South America in the 1960s.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has declared open season on the iguanas, writing on its website that it encourages homeowners to remove them from their property, while killing them on public lands is permissible without a license.

Falling iguanas in the forecast: National Weather Service warns Floridians ice cold reptiles will tumble from trees

By STEPHANIE SIGAFOOS
THE MORNING CALL 
JAN 22, 2020 | 6:16 AM 

This isn’t something we usually forecast, but don’t be surprised if you see 
Iguanas falling from the trees tonight," the National Weather Service in Miami

 tweeted on Tuesday. (Martin Meissner/AP)

At 5 a.m. Wednesday morning, the National Weather Service forecast office in Miami had five active weather statements covering everything from wind chills to rip currents. None of them mentioned falling iguanas, but they probably didn’t need to. The ice-cold creatures had already taken over the internet.

“This isn’t something we usually forecast, but don’t be surprised if you see Iguanas falling from the trees tonight as lows drop into the 30s and 40s,” NWS Miami had tweeted on Tuesday afternoon. The post garnered more than 3,800 likes, 2,600 shares, and spawned headlines across the country and around the world.

Jan 21 - This isn't something we usually forecast, but don't be surprised if you see Iguanas falling from the trees tonight as lows drop into the 30s and 40s. Brrrr! #flwx #miami pic.twitter.com/rsbzNMgO01

— NWS Miami (@NWSMiami) January 21, 2020

Twitter reacted appropriately. One reply on the post asked, “So, is this an advisory, a watch, or a warning?” Another wondered, “Do iguana showers show up on Doppler (radar)?”
Even the New York Times got in on the fun with its take on the “Night of the Falling Iguanas. An Odd Forecast for South Florida.”

Temperatures in Miami had dropped to 42 degrees by Wednesday morning, with wind chills in the mid 30s. The cold is enough to stun the iguanas, which typically climb trees at night to roost, the communications director for Zoo Miami told the Times in 2018. When the temperature drops below 50, the reptiles enter a lethargic state and loosen their grip, commencing free fall.
Iguana accumulation of a trace recorded by Miami https://t.co/w0ZquRWEBl— Tomer Burg (@burgwx) January 22, 2020

‘They’re a Menace’
Floridians are no fans of iguanas. The bright green herbivorous lizards had their time in the spotlight last year when the Miami Herald documented the explosion of the “in-your-face invasive species” in South Florida.

Iguanas had been spotted in the wild across much of the state, the story said, pooping in pools, grazing in gardens, and shorting out power lines. They became such a problem that wildlife officials encouraged residents to “humanely kill green iguanas on their own property whenever possible.”

The edict sparked backlash from animal rights groups, and many iguanas were seemingly spared. The result, according to a story in The Washington Post, was the continued “erosion and degradation of infrastructure such as water control structures, canal banks, sea walls and building foundations."

Scientists say iguanas will eventually die off if a serious cold snap sticks around more than 72 hours, but that rarely happens in South Florida. In fact, temperatures were expected to bounce back into the 60s and 70s for the remainder of the week.

SEE It's so cold in Florida that Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park is also closed.  

Get ready for Enron II: Republicans are re-opening the energy market to underhanded dealing



Published 30 mins ago

on January 22, 2020


By Sarah Okeson, DCReport @ RawStory
- Commentary
Thanks for your support!
This article was paid for by reader donations to Raw Story Investigates.


Neil Chatterjee, head of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, is taking our nation back to pre-Enron days when the commission was so weak it didn’t even explicitly prohibit manipulating energy markets.

Under Chatterjee, a former Mitch McConnell aide, the number of new investigations was halved – to 12 – in fiscal 2019, compared with the previous year. The commission reached just two settlement agreements for $14 million, a sixth or less of the annual average for penalties since 2007.


“Several recent actions seem to indicate that the commission may not be fully committed to finding, stopping, and punishing manipulative acts that can stifle competition and result in unjust and unreasonable prices,” Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and four other Democratic senators wrote to FERC commissioners.

Chatterjee, who also previously lobbied for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, told senators that annual averages vary and dropped in part because of the effectiveness of FERC enforcement.

“Our focus and priority continues to be addressing market manipulation and protecting our markets,” Chatterjee said.

FERC is pursuing three cases that total about $85 million in penalties, interest and amounts the companies would have to repay.

Former President George W. Bush signed the Energy Policy Act after the bankruptcy of Enron, the Houston energy company that cooked its books to hide billions of dollars in debt. Enron’s former CEO, Jeffrey Skilling, who was convicted of insider trading and other charges, was released from prison in 2018

The Energy Policy Act gave FERC the power to fine companies up to $1 million a day per violation. Energy companies and trade associations such as the Electric Power Supply Association and Energy Trading Institute have argued in court that the fines should be thrown out because the commission is taking too long to assess penalties.

In May, the commission stopped issuing public notices about alleged violations, saying “the potential adverse consequences … for investigative subjects are no longer justified.” The commission voted in 2009 to issue public notices under former President Barack Obama.

FERC also eliminated its Division of Energy Market Oversight which was part of its enforcement efforts. The division oversaw our country’s natural gas and electric power markets and related energy and financial markets.

Chatterjee’s predecessor as chairman, attorney Norman Bay, had been the commission’s director of enforcement. He resigned in January 2017 after Trump named then-commissioner Cheryl LaFleur as the acting chair.

Before FERC enacted market behavior rules there was no explicit prohibition or definition of market manipulation in FERC rules, regulations or orders or statutes administered by the commission.

In fiscal 2018, FERC opened 16 investigations into market manipulation, the most for any year in the past decade, and recovered almost $150 million in civil penalties and disgorgement of profits.

China’s recent history of deadly epidemics

NOT THE FIRST TIME AT THE RODEO
January 22, 2020 By Agence France-Presse


China has been the origin of several major viral epidemics over recent decades, with the current outbreak of a new deadly coronavirus emerging in the central city of Wuhan.

A recap of the main epidemics:

– 2003: SARS –

The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome emerged in November 2002 in the southern Guangdong province.

Believed to be from bats, it was apparently transmitted to humans via civet cats sold for meat in wildlife markets

Also a “coronavirus”, so-named because of its crown-like appearance when seen under an electron microscope, SARS was highly contagious and caused acute and sometimes fatal pneumonia.
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From early 2003 it caused major panic across Asia, mainly in China, Hong Kong and Singapore. The World Health Organization (WHO) on March 12 issued a global health alert.


The SARS epidemic caused 774 deaths worldwide from more than 8,000 infections in around 30 countries. Eighty percent of the victims were in China and Hong Kong.

– 1997: Bird Flu A(H5N1) –

The A(H5N1) strain of bird flu claimed its first lives in Hong Kong in 1997, leaving six dead.

It resurfaced in 2003 in Southeast Asia, killing 282 people from 468 infections in 15 countries, according to a WHO toll.

But the virus was particularly dangerous for farmed fowl and almost all human cases were among people who had direct contact with infected birds.

Infections between people were extremely limited, even though there were fears the virus would evolve into an easily transmissible form, so bird flu was not considered a human epidemic.

– 1968: Hong Kong Flu –

A new influenza virus of the A type — among the three seasonal varieties — started spreading in Hong Kong from July 1968, going on to infect 500,000 people or 15 percent of the population.

It then moved into the rest of Asia, reaching the United States and Europe weeks later.

Considered the first pandemic of modern times, its spread was aided by the increase in international air travel.

The epidemic spurred major international mobilisation coordinated by the WHO. From November 1968 effective vaccines were developed.

The pandemic is estimated to have killed one million people, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

– 1957: Asian Flu –

The first cases of this variant of the flu, also a type A, were identified in February 1957 in China’s southwestern province of Guizhou. The virus spread throughout China and the rest of Asia and the world in the most serious pandemic since the Spanish flu of 1918.

It is estimated to have killed 1.1 million people, according to the CDC.


© 2020 AFP

Monty Python star Terry Jones has died at the age of 77

ANOTHER PYTHON SLITHERS OFF THIS MORTAL COIL 

January 22, 2020 By Agence France-Presse


Monty Python star Terry Jones has died at the age of 77, his family said in a statement on Wednesday, after a long battle with a rare form of dementia.

“Terry passed away on the evening of 21 January 2020 at the age of 77 with his wife Anna Soderstrom by his side after a long, extremely brave but always good-humoured battle with a rare form of dementia, FTD,” they said.

With Eric Idle, John Cleese, Michael Palin, Graham Chapman and Terry Gilliam, Jones formed Monty Python’s Flying Circus, whose anarchic humour helped revolutionize British comedy.

Born in Wales, Jones was also a film director and historian.