HUMOR - New Jersey's Christie

Post beach closure flap.

ANTI-SCIENCE - The Florida Law

"Two Sad Ironies In Florida Passing Its 'Anti-Science' Law" by Marshall Shepherd, Forbes 7/1/2017

COMMENT:  Mr. Shepherd, you don't understand, the members of the legislator and the Governor likely flunked science in high school.

It is officially called Florida House Bill 989, and it was signed into law by Florida Governor Rick Scott on June 26th, 2017 after passing both chambers of the house.  According to the National Center for Science Education's website:

• With the law now in place, any county resident — not just any parent with a child in the country's public schools, as was the case previously — can now file a complaint about instructional materials in the county's public schools, and the school will now have to appoint a hearing officer to hear the complaint.

Does this mean that some "Joe or Jane" public can file a complaint if they think schools should be teaching that the Earth is flat and not an oblate spheroid?  Many of the affidavits filed in support of the bill complained about evolution and climate change being taught.  One even complained that they have seen global warming being taught as a reality.  Hellooooo000, it is a reality.  Numerous credible sources show that our climate system is warming, and even many conservatives are now acknowledging the threat.  Sea level doesn't care about "red" and "blue," it just rises.  This week one of the climate doubter's signature arguments was dealt a blow.  A new study by some of the pioneering satellite climate scientists found that their measurements of warming had been underestimated.  What struck me about the Florida law is that there are two sad ironies with this so-called "Anti-Science" Law.

Florida is particularly vulnerable to climate change.  This first irony has implications for life and property.  This week arguably the most comprehensive study estimating economic damage from climate change was published in one of the world's top peer-review journals, Science.  The study examined economic damage as a function of crime, energy, storms, human mortality, and labor.  A key finding is that there is an economic cost of about 1.2% of gross domestic product (GDP) for every 1°C rise in temperature.  They also found that Southern states in the United States are most vulnerable, particularly Florida.  A map of the most economically-vulnerable counties can be found by clicking this link.  My colleague Pam Knox also made me aware of more detailed maps showing each contributing factor.  I have worked as a scientist developing major satellite missions, but it does not take a rocket scientist to understand why Florida is so vulnerable.  It is a peninsula state vulnerable to increasing sea level rise, saltwater intrusion in its drinking water supply, and hurricanes.  Joe Romm recently wrote an excellent analysis of climate change being the nightmare scenario for Florida's Coasts.  Florida Congresswoman Schultz opined last month in the Miami Herald

Human activity is contributing to climate change.  Its effects, expected to only worsen over time, are happening right now in South Florida.  Hiding from that reality will not change it.  And if the near-universal conclusions of climate scientists aren't enough for him (referring to President Trump's exit from the Paris climate agreement) perhaps he should consult with the property appraisers or insurance companies in South Florida who are already factoring sea level rise into their home value assessments.....Ask any of my constituents about an experience they've recently had with flooding, and you'll likely get a lengthy story.  Listen to enough stories about South Florida's ever-increasing king tides, and you'll hear about fish swimming in the streets.

Florida has been a leader in science.  The other irony comes from reflecting on some of the greatest science and technology achievements in history.  NASA is a national treasure, and I was privileged to work at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center for twelve years as a scientist working on Earth science related missions.  As I left NASA to join the faculty at the University of Georgia, people were stunned that I was leaving NASA.  It is that awesome.  One of the interesting things as I reflect on from my NASA days is that people would always ask me if I worked at Kennedy Space Center.  My answer was always no.  NASA has several different space centers around the United States, and they all have different specialities.  As I reflect on this new Florida law, it is almost a slap in the face to a state that so many associate with scientific greatness and the space program.  It is also now hosts several private enterprises like Space X, which are pushing the boundaries of science and technology.  These companies will need a scientifically literate workforce not students spewing fringe theories.  This Florida law sends a dangerous message about sound science and would make me nervous if I was a parent sending a child into this type of situation.

Such a law opens up so many "cans of worms" that another commentary could be written on that topic.  We are currently in a time period where opinions and beliefs mean more than facts.  If you stand on the top of your roof, do no get too close to the edge because there is still gravity whether you believe so or not.  As I write this, CBS News is reporting that the current White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) is unstaffed and there is currently no person appointed as White House Science Advisor.  There is still no NASA Administrator appointed either.  We have officials at the Department of Energy that dispute published science that people from both sides of the aisle acknowledge.  We have an EPA Administrator calling for silly "red and blue" team climate reviews when science journals, conferences, the National Academies, and others already provide sound mechanisms for independent review.

Pay attention to what is going on with science education and policy at the local, regional, and national levels because our kids and their future depend on our diligence now.

And perhaps the ultimate irony as someone suggested in a tweet, it adds more layers of process and government intervention.....For more on this travesty, one of my former professors at Florida State, University, Dr. Paul Ruscher, blogged his thoughts, and it is worth the read.

POLICING IN AMERICA - Seattle Says NO to Attorney General

"Seattle sticks to Obama-era police reforms amid review" PBS NewsHour 7/8/2017

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  Attorney General Jeff Sessions has ordered a sweeping review of police reforms initiated under the Obama administration, suggesting a potential rollback in federal oversight of police nationwide.  One city still committed to reform is Seattle.  Special Correspondent Joanne Elgart Jennings reports on how the reforms, five years in the making, have been received.

OPINION - Brooks and Marcus 7/7/2017

"Brooks and Marcus on Trump meeting Putin, Republicans diverging on health care" PBS NewsHour 7/7/2017

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post columnist Ruth Marcus join Judy Woodruff to discuss the week's news, including the long and private first face-to-face meeting between President Trump and Russian President Putin, the President's rhetoric about Western civilization under siege, and the prospects for the Republican effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.

JUDY WOODRUFF (NewsHour):  Now, another look at the major news of this week, both foreign and domestic, from today's pivotal meeting between two presidents, to new developments with the Senate GOP's health care plan.

Here to provide analysis of all that and more is Brooks and Marcus.  That's New York Times columnist David Brooks and Ruth Marcus, deputy editorial page editor for The Washington Post.  Mark Shields is away this week.

Welcome to you on both.

So, the lead story today, of course, President Trump meets President Putin.

David, all eyes on this meeting, the body language, what did they say.  And then we have these conflicting reports coming out afterwards.  What do we make of it?

DAVID BROOKS, The New York Times:  Well, it was sort of normal for a Trump administration event.  He did raise the meddling issue, which is a good thing.

And so it seemed a little like, from the talking points, they hit Syria, they hit all the prints a U.S. President would talk to with a Russian president.  It seemed a bit like a normal meeting, which is a good thing.

The abnormal part to me is how small it was, that there are only four people and then the two translators in the room, no H.R. McMaster, no national security adviser, which is an oddity.  And that gives them maximum flexibility to say whatever they want in the room and not have it reported out of the room.

And that's what makes the point about what they were saying about the meddling or anything else totally mysterious.  Apparently, there were no note-takers in the room.  And so it leaves a big void in what they actually said and whether Trump really accepted the fact that Putin claims he didn't meddle.

And so it's just a big void that wouldn't exist if you had the normal complement of people in the room and the normal note-takers in the room, and you had some actual look into what sort of what was happening in there.

JUDY WOODRUFF:  A long meeting, Ruth, but a lot of questions.

RUTH MARCUS, The Washington Post:  Long meeting, a lot of questions.

And normal is not the way I would describe it.  And I think I should start by the way President Trump started with Vladimir Putin, which is, it's an honor to be here with both of you.  That is a true honor.

I thought for President Trump to say — and I understand we have diplomatic niceties — it wasn't an honor to be with someone who has attacked and jailed dissidents and killed dissidents in his country, who has invaded other countries, and who has tried to interfere in an American election.

And I think that simply to accept that, oh, it's great, at least he raised the question of Russian interference, but we don't know — and never will probably — precisely what he said, is really defining the Presidency down.

That should have been a given that he was going to raise that.  And that it wasn't a given, they left but on tenterhooks, and that the day before, he was still saying, well, nobody really knows for sure what happened, and seemed more eager to blame President Obama for not doing enough, to question whether the intelligence community gets it right, to tweet today about John Podesta, Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman, and say, why didn't he turn over the server, just really underscores to me the abnormality of the situation.

DAVID BROOKS:  I have successfully defined deviancy so far down …

(LAUGHTER)

(CROSSTALK)

RUTH MARCUS:  Well, that's the point of normalizing, right?

DAVID BROOKS:  Yes.  Well, that's fair.

JUDY WOODRUFF:  But, David, was using the term honor going too far?

DAVID BROOKS:  I think no normal person would say that.

(LAUGHTER)

DAVID BROOKS:  But, on the other hand, I'm willing to give diplomatic latitude to that.  There are a lot of people in a lot of diplomatic circumstances.

And I'm sure, if we went back and looked at how other Presidents speak, you're trying to establish a relationship with a bad guy.  Now, and you say things.  And so I give latitude toward that.

The question is whether Donald Trump recognizes that Vladimir Putin is a bad guy.  That's the larger question here than whether he used the word honor.  And I guess there's no indication that he regards Putin as in any way a bad guy.

JUDY WOODRUFF:  Does it matter, Ruth, whether the President accepted Putin's denials?  Or are we just — we're going to be left wondering about this forever.

RUTH MARCUS:  Well, Secretary of State Tillerson said that they basically agreed it didn't make sense to relitigate this, actually one of my favorite words.  And maybe that's true.

The important point is that, since before the election, Donald Trump has been denying that this happened.  He has seemed entirely unconcerned with figuring out whether it happened and with expressing the outrage that any American President should be expressing that it did happen.

And now I think we're supposed to be satisfied that there is this joint working group on cyber-security.  So, I have a modest proposal.

(LAUGHTER)

RUTH MARCUS:  If we're going to have a joint working group on cyber-security, let's combine that with the election fraud commission, and we can really get to the bottom of everything.

DAVID BROOKS:  Say we had a normal President.  It's actually an interesting political problem.  What do you do with Russia?

Do you say, you interfered with our elections, you're interfering with all these elections across Europe, we're not dealing with you until you behave by some standards of normalcy?  And that's a morally satisfying position that, as a columnist, would be fun.

But there are actually a lot of issues you have got to deal with Russia on.  And so this is perpetually the problem with rogue regimes.  You have got to — you deal with them and then you don't deal with them.  And even if we had a normal administration, it would be tough to know how to treat Vladimir Putin.

TRUMP DIPLOMACY - G20 Summit

"Trump and Putin’s closed-door meeting yields contradiction on election meddling" PBS NewsHour 7/7/2017

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held their first face-to-face meeting since Mr. Trump took office on Friday during the G20 Summit, discussing Syria and North Korea, as well as Russian meddling in the 2016 election.  Judy Woodruff learns more from special correspondent Ryan Chilcote.

"West must engage with Russia, but can’t be ‘business as usual,’ says U.K. defense secretary" PBS NewsHour 7/7/2017

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  President Trump plans to meet with British Prime Minister Theresa May at the G20 Summit, where they'll likely discuss the fight against the Islamic State, the role of NATO and more.  U.K. Defense Secretary Michael Fallon joins Judy Woodruff to discuss Russian election meddling, the promise of a Syrian cease-fire and how to counter the threat of North Korea.

"Global security and trade dominate G20 Summit" PBS NewsHour 7/8/2017

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  World leaders from 20 nations concluded their annual summit in Hamburg, Germany, on Saturday, a gathering that was dominated by discussions on trade as well as North Korea’s weapons testing.  The meetings also drew tens of thousands of demonstrators who protested a range of issues.  NewsHour Special Correspondent Ryan Chilcote joins Hari Sreenivasan from Germany.

HEALTH - Public Housing

"A public housing project where healthy living is the foundation" PBS NewsHour 7/7/2017

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  In downtown Denver, a recently built public housing project is designed to foster healthy living, with access to nutritious food, access to doctors and ease of exercise.  Jeffrey Brown reports.

AMORALITY - Evangelical Christian Hobby Lobby

Ah!  Another so-called Christian that actually worships a false god, money.

"Why Hobby Lobby is in trouble for importing artifacts" PBS NewsHour 7/6/2017

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  Hobby Lobby, the national arts-and-crafts supply chain, illegally imported thousands of ancient relics from the Middle East, according to the Justice Department.  The family-owned, Evangelical Christian company must now turn over rare clay tablets and artifacts that likely once came from Iraq.  William Brangham learns more from Deborah Lehr of George Washington University.

TRUMP DIPLOMACY - Poland

IMHO:  Trump has no diplomatic policy for America, he has only a policy to pump-up his ego.

"In Poland, Trump chides Russia on eve of Putin meeting" PBS NewsHour 7/6/2017

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  President Trump began his second overseas trip in Poland by doing something he was criticized for not doing on his first, [this time] offering America's full commitment to the NATO alliance.  The President also declared that the West would triumph over its many adversaries, offering his sharpest condemnation yet of Russia.  Special correspondent Ryan Chilcote joins Judy Woodruff from Hamburg for more.

"What did European allies hear in Trump’s Poland speech?" PBS NewsHour 7/6/2017

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  As a presidential candidate, Donald Trump downplayed the importance of NATO and the role of the European Union, while promoting improved U.S.-Russia ties.  On Thursday, President Trump tried to reassure European allies that his administration is in sync with them.  Judy Woodruff talks to Karen Donfried and Paula Dobriansky, two former state department officials, about Trump on the world stage.

MAKING SEN$E - Utica, New York

"What happened when this struggling city opened its arms to refugees" PBS NewsHour 7/6/2017

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  After decades of decline, the city of Utica, New York, is growing again, thanks in part to its reputation as "the town that loves refugees."  And their basic reason for loving refugees is simple:  An influx of new residents and workers have helped keep its economy afloat.  But are there also downsides to an refugee-driven recovery?  Economics correspondent Paul Solman reports.

NORTH KOREA - Verses the United States

"U.S. calls for global diplomatic effort to punish and sway North Korea" PBS NewsHour 7/5/2017

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  North Korea's Tuesday missile launch crossed the intercontinental threshold the U.S. had been hoping to prevent.  At the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday, the U.S. tried to rally the world to punish and isolate the regime.  Meanwhile, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un insisted he will never negotiate away his missile and nuclear programs.  Nick Schifrin reports on the American response so far.

"Could new economic pressure change North Korea’s ambitions?" PBS NewsHour 7/5/2017

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  When it comes to facing the threat of North Korea, there are no easy answers and few good options.  Could new economic sanctions change the trajectory of the country’s?  Judy Woodruff gets views from John Mearsheimer of the University of Chicago, and David S. Cohen a former CIA and Treasury Department official.

NEWSHOUR SHARES - CoverGirl's Nura Afia

"How a Muslim-American glamour girl became the new face of CoverGirl" PBS NewsHour 7/5/2017

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  In our NewsHour Shares moment of the day, Nura Afia went from watching YouTube videos as a young mother, to becoming a fashion video blogger with an international following, to being named CoverGirl's first Muslim brand ambassador.

BEERS - What the Buzz is All About

"From the wing of a wasp, scientists discover a new beer-making yeast" PBS NewsHour 7/4/2017

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  If you enjoy a beer on a summer day, you can thank yeast, the microbes that ferment sugar into alcohol and give beer its character.  After innumerable generations of using just two types of yeast, a lab in North Carolina has discovered a new yeast that produces a variety of flavors, and it comes from the weirdest source, bees.  Science producer Nsikan Akpan reveals what the buzz is all about.

RELATED:

"New studies shed light on insecticide’s effect on bees, economic consequences of climate change" PBS NewsHour 7/5/2017

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  Neonicotinoids, the popular insecticide used in agriculture, can be harmful to bees, according to new papers.  Science correspondent Miles O’Brien joins Hari Sreenivasan to discuss some important findings and analyses on that story, as well as a recent study that looked at the economic consequences of climate change.

TRUMP AGENDA - Poisoning of the Environment Legal Setback

"Trump’s rollback of Obama-era rules hits setback in court" PBS NewsHour 7/4/2017

Also note that methane is explosive.

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  The Environmental Protection Agency cannot delay implementation of a rule limiting methane emissions from new oil and gas drilling wells, according to an appeals court ruling on Monday.  William Brangham speaks with Juliet Eilperin of The Washington Post about the obstacle for the Trump administration’s efforts to reverse environmental regulations and the wider implications.

NEWSHOUR SHARES - What?! Cricket in U.S.

"Can cricket go mainstream in the U.S.?" PBS NewsHour 7/4/2017

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  In our NewsHour Shares moment of the day, the second most popular sport in the world [cricket] is starting to catch on in the United States -- with a little help from some devotees who grew up playing it in other countries.

STUDENT REPORTING - California's Channel Islands National Park

"How this remote national park made a mammoth discovery" PBS NewsHour 7/4/2017

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  California's Channel Islands National Park is the site of a recent mammoth discovery: a pygmy mammoth skull, to be precise.  This report was produced as part of our Student Reporting Labs by students from Etiwanda High School in Southern California.

AGENTS FOR CHANGE - Clubfoot

"This simple correction for clubfoot is a life changer for kids in India" PBS NewsHour 7/3/2017

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  Clubfoot, a treatable birth defect that can bring pain and social isolation, is often not treated in the developing world.  But a treatment developed a half century ago by a doctor in Iowa is less invasive, less expensive and less painful than the corrective surgery that was once required.  Special correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro reports on how a charity is trying to bring the cure to children in India.

NEWSHOUR BOOKSHELF - "House of Names"

"Colm Toibin sees the ‘origin of all civil wars’ in this Greek tragedy" PBS NewsHour 7/3/2017

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  In the new novel "House of Names," one of today's leading contemporary writers looks back to the Trojan War and Greek mythology for inspiration.  Colm Toibin joins Jeffrey Brown to discuss why he wanted to write a novel about a family drama in ancient Greece and the connection to civil wars in our own time.

POLITICS MONDAY - Civility and Trust

"How Americans see civility and trust in today’s politics" PBS NewsHour 7/3/2017

IMHO:  Republicans, ALL they want is a win for their draconian agenda.

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  Most Americans believe civility is getting worse since President Trump was elected, according to a new poll.  Judy Woodruff talks to Tamara Keith of NPR and Stuart Rothenberg of Inside Elections about the results of the latest PBS NewsHour/NPR/Marist poll, the President’s continued attacks against the media and the continuing battle over health care on Capitol Hill.

RELATED:  "New poll: 70% of Americans think civility has gotten worse since Trump took office" by Laura Santhanam, PBS NewsHour 7/3/2017

DOCUMENTARY - Buena Vista Social Club: Adios

I have two of there albums (CDs), love their music.



Their world hit first album: "Buena Vista Social Club" (full album)

THE RESISTANCE - Lady Rachel Maddow, House Stark

House Stark - Game of Thrones