How Is That Farm Aid Working Out For You -- Farmers?

Photo by Bec Ritchie on Unsplash

There are direct and indirect impacts of President Trump's Trade War with China.  Farmers are receiving aid instead of trade -- when the chant goes "Trade Not Aid" -- out of farmers mouths.  The farming aid that has been distributed has been done unequally as to impact some farmers more badly than others.  The take-home message is that farmers are deeply worried about the present state of farming in the Trump Era. 



Worrying has caused unnecessary amounts of anxiety which manifests itself in different forms of mental health.  Politico has reported that farmers are increasingly suffering greater mental health issues surrounding the state of the farming economy:

TESTER TAKES AIM AT FARM SUICIDE RATES: The Montana Democrat is pushing a new bill that would expand voluntary training for farm-facing Agriculture Department employees and promote mental health awareness through billboards, radio and TV ads, in an effort to bring down high rates of mental health problems in rural and agricultural communities. 

Tester, a farmer himself, told reporters on a conference call Wednesday that tough conditions in the farm economy are increasingly taking a mental toll on producers. "When you're sitting on a tractor for 10-14 hours a day and thinking about all the things that are going wrong in your life, it can screw with your head," he said, citing low commodity prices, high equipment costs, isolation and other stress factors.

"We're seeing bankruptcies go through the roof," Tester added. "We're seeing folks that are in crisis with more regularity than what we should be accepting."

He estimated that the legislation will cost $3 million in total. It would also direct Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to create a mental health taskforce with state and local officials.

Next steps: The measure is likely to go through either the Agriculture or HELP committees, and it could eventually reach the floor as a standalone bill or part of a broader legislative package, Tester predicted. "The problem we've had is that [Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell] hasn't taken many bills to the floor," he added.

Farmers are pretty tough people.  As my wife from the midwest remarks every time that we visit back in Nebraska, "Why would people want to live here?  It's a tough life with the weather."  Now, throw into the mix an economy running on an uncertain future under the Trump administration.  What is the product?  So far, mental health issues among other concerns with farmers.


Any way that the Trade War is viewed results in an adverse perspective.  Why would farmers not have difficulty during these times?  It is time that the greater government step in and start providing actual certainty instead of just lip service on TV.



Related Blog Posts:



Farmer's Perspective on Trump's Trade War: Interview

Surprise! American Consumers will pay for Chinese Tariffs!

China Raises Ante In Trade War With Threat Of Cutting Off Rare Metals To U.S.

"Trade Not Aid" -- A Shout out from Farmers to President Trump again

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Soybean Farmers Are Storing Too Much Soybean, Although Chemical Industry Is Greenlighting Trade Deals?


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Parameters: Tariffs Affect Trade In Both Directions -- In And Out Of The USA


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Ralph Nader: Will President Trump Implode with Lies Before He is Impeached?

Photo by History in HD on Unsplash

The Washington Post has kept a running tally on the number of lies that President Trump has said since coming into office.  And yes, the number is quite large.  I often wonder how he can lie so much.  Although, typically, when a person is a serial liar, a lie covers up the previous lie.  The only problem is that the string of lies can be quite consuming to keep track of.



Ralph Nader asks the question: Will He Implode with Lies Before He is Impeached?


Letter:

Trump—Will He Implode with Lies Before He is Impeached?

Donald Trump said he believes the Constitution lets him do “whatever I want as President.” In over two and a half years, Trump has been a serial violator of the Constitution, unmatched by any president in American history. Just about every day he is a constitutional outlaw.

Constitutional scholar Bruce Fein has documented twelve categories of major constitutional transgressions. Some are also statutory crimes. Many of these involve Trump overpowering the critical separation of powers that our founders rigorously established to assure that the president does not become a monarch like King George III.

The framers were very clear that Congress and only Congress can appropriate monies for the Executive branch to spend; that only Congress can declare war; that the president must faithfully execute the laws; and that the Congress has the full authority to investigate the executive branch for abuses, irregularities, illegalities, or the need for new laws. Trump totally defies Congressional subpoenas for documents and witnesses. That grave overthrow of constitutional government is alone enough for eviction from office.

When he is not openly violating the Constitution, Trump lies and commits impeachable offenses.

The most recent violation was in seeking from a foreign power—Ukraine—assistance in influencing our presidential election in his favor by investigating a major challenger—former Vice President Joseph Biden and his son. He dangled a $250 million military aid package (maybe more) to Ukraine by suspending it before speaking to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the telephone.

This “betrayal of his oath of office, betrayal of our national security, and betrayal of the integrity of our elections,” in Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s words, finally moved the reluctant House leader. After being AWOL on all the other serious, repeated flouting of constitutional behavior, she is now focusing on Trump and Ukraine.

Much has been reported about Trump’s chronic lying. He lies daily, sometimes hourly, with his tweets and public blather. The Washington Post has catalogued over 12,000 prevarications and false statements since January 2017. Not enough, however, has been made of the aggregate effects of such lying as a living. Trump creates illusions about himself, about his alleged achievements, and about conditions in the United States and world. He spreads constant lies and transmits the lies of others. Often these are monstrous lies, which slander innocent people and trick his supporters into believing him because they think no president could possibly lie like that to them. These are dangerous obsessions for a president.

Trump says he wants everyone to have “beautiful” health insurance, yet he pushes Congress to change Obamacare, stripping twenty million people of health insurance without any substitute program.

Trump brags about consistently defying Congressional statutes by dismantling federal agencies established to protect all Americans where they live, work, and raise their families. 

Trump says we have the cleanest air and water ever, yet his henchmen are running these agencies into the ground and repealing or weakening life-saving pollution controls. The result is more toxic air in your lungs, more child asthma, and dirtier drinking water.

Trump lies about voter fraud, about not using his office to enrich his business, and about all the new factories coming to the U.S. He even lies about the weather, damaging the credibility of the National Weather Service. He denies his sexual exploits and hush money payments. He rejects without evidence ten serious obstruction of justice actions documented in the Mueller Report.

Trump denies that his cuts in food stamps will leave over half a million children without a free school lunch. He denies that his tax cut overwhelmingly benefitted the super-rich and major corporations.

Trump says his nominees are extremely qualified. In reality, whether it is the EPA, the public lands agency, the Department of Labor, or the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Trump has chosen lawless people whose main qualification was urging the abolition or weakening of these federal law enforcers against corporate crimes and abuses.

Trump falsely says that climate disruption is not scientifically established, but a “Chinese hoax,” while our country in plain sight is being battered by record breaking heat waves, hurricanes, floods, droughts, and tornadoes.

Trump says coal, oil, and gas are better for America than wind power (which he says causes cancer) and solar energy, which are cheaper and safer.

Trump is actually increasing deadly greenhouse gases as a result and worsening the climate crisis that the Pentagon calls a national security risk.

Trump keeps promising to control soaring drug prices while refusing to get that job done.

Trump lies about the massiveness of his wealth, yet opposes any release of his tax returns.

Trump says brutal dictators are doing great for their people, ignoring the obvious facts.

Trump operates in a vast cocoon of falsity and refuses to read and consult with people who are not sycophants. This is an egomaniacal, narcissistic illusionist who could start wars, has his hand on the nuclear trigger, and believes he is about the law and Congressional controls.

Trump regularly calls legislators investigating him “sick,” “treasonous,” “crooked,” and “low-IQ.” Truthfully these are descriptions of him.

Trump, unlike Clinton who was impeached by the House in 1998, has successfully resisted testifying or being questioned under oath. He is a many sided fugitive from justice, one or more steps above of the law.

Pelosi is making a mistake if she doesn’t go forward with the full articles of impeachment against Trump. Relying on the Ukraine betrayal is not enough to counter the attack by Trump’s avalanche of lies, phony distractions, and possibly a “wag the dog,” desperation overseas.

We are truly living in an unprecedented time with President Trump.  Never before have we seen this behavior -- on this scale.  This behavior coming from the President of the United States is unsustainable.  The time has come to remove him from office.



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A Bill To Fight Rodents?

Photo by Mert Guller on Unsplash

A good friend of mine used to work in the extermination industry.  He worked at Ecolab.  An exterminator which scales to handle corporate (business) jobs best.  Over the time of his employment, he would constantly say, "It's not will they return Mike, but when.  We are constantly at war with rodents and pest inside of our houses (and businesses)."



The war on rats is so big in certain cities -- such as New York -- that a large discussion has prevailed over the last few years.  Recently, California has been invaded by a type of rat -- an invasive swamp rat -- Nutria.  The invasion has risen to the point of his bill receiving a hearing in the subcommittee of the House of Natural Resources Committee.  Yes, you read correctly, the Nutria will receive their own congressional hearing.



What is the problem with letting Nutria exist?  



If unattended to, a population of up to 250,000 Nutria could be present in just 5 years.  The invasive swamp rat can eat up to 25% of its body weight and have up to 200 babies a year.   The bill would appropriate around 7 million to study the destructive habits of Nutria along with management and education to the public.



The inhabitation of Nutria along river shores creates a problem for humans and plants.  Nutria love to eat plants which grow along rivers.  All around, the species is a problem which makes them an 'invasive species'.  Hunters like to kill Nutria for their fur -- which is not a reason to propagate the species.



Stay Tuned on this issue.

Gun Control: Generals Speak Out Against Firearms

Photo by Heather Mount on Unsplash

Gun Control is a hot button political issue.  No politician wants to run up against the National Rifle Association with its strong-arm tactics for controlling gun legislation in Congress.  How are they so successful in lobbying against Universal Background Checks?  I do not personally understand.  As a former military veteran, I tend to agree with the Generals portrayed in the video ad (for greater gun control).  It is that simple.  Watch the commercial which has our country's most coveted soldiers (Generals) who have sent soldiers into combat over the last 30 (plus) years.  What do they think about gun control?



The commercial on gun control is shown below:

The men in the video above have sent more soldiers into combat than any sitting Congressional leader in Congress.  Each of them brings a perspective on gun control which is unique and should be respected at the highest levels of government.  After all, each has had to make decisions with the lives of soldiers that any of us would not wish to do.  

There were three main points brought up in the video above:

1) Gun Control is not a binary decision.

2) There are some weapons out in a society that no one (civilian) should have access too.

3) There are some people out in a society that should not ever have access to weapons.

Not to mention that there have been more Americans killed in high school shootings in the last year --than have been killed in Afghanistan.  We, as a nation, have become desensitized to gun violence.  

The time has come to take action on this issue.  Call your State and Federal Politicians and demand that each of them support greater gun control legislation.  Universal Background Checks would not be a hindrance to anyone who should have access to a weapon.   The time to act is now.

Ralph Nader: 25 Ways the Canadian Health Care System is Better than Obamacare

Photo: Dan Page

Health Care is without a doubt one of the Top 5 political issues for the upcoming 2020 presidential elections.  Each of us (American citizens) should be interested in each plan being presented by presidential candidates.  That might entail large amounts of information to read over and consider.  The Democrats have tended to favor a system which reflects a 'single-payer system'.  I find myself confused when looking at different plans.

Luckily, consumer watchdog agencies and consumer groups have been considering all possibilities and writing about them in the popular media.  Not included in those descriptions are those written by consumer advocates such as Ralph Nader.  In light of that, Ralph Nader has written a brief note on the comparison between two systems-- the Canadian system and Obamacare:

Dear America:

Costly complexity is baked into Obamacare, and although it has improved access to healthcare for some, tens of millions of Americans still cannot afford basic medical care for their family. No healthcare system is without problems but Canadian-style single-payer — full Medicare for all — is simple, affordable, comprehensive and universal for all basic and emergency medical and hospital services.

In the mid-1960s, President Lyndon Johnson enrolled 20 million elderly Americans into Medicare in six months. There were no websites. They did it with index cards!

Below please find 25 ways the Canadian health care system — and the resulting quality of life in Canada — is better than the chaotic, wasteful and often cruel U.S. system.

Replace it with the much more efficient Medicare-for-all: everybody in, nobody out, free choice of doctor and hospital. It will produce far less anxiety, dread, and fear. Hear that, Congress and the White House!

Number 25:

In Canada, everyone is covered automatically at birth – everybody in, nobody out. A human right.

In the United States, under Obamacare, 28 million Americans (9 percent) are still uninsured and 85 million Americans (26 percent) are underinsured. Obamacare is made even worse by Trumpcare restrictions. (See Trumpcare by John Geyman MD (2019)).

Number 24:

In Canada, the health system is designed to put people, not profits, first.

In the United States, Obamacare has done little to curb insurance industry profits and in fact has increased the concentrated insurance industry’s massive profits.

Number 23:

In Canada, coverage is not tied to a job or dependent on your income – rich and poor are in the same system, the best guaranty of quality.

In the United States, under Obamacare, much still depends on your job or income. Lose your job or lose your income, and you might lose your existing health insurance or have to settle for lesser coverage.

Number 22:

In Canada, health care coverage stays with you for your entire life.

In the United States, under Obamacare, for tens of millions of Americans, health care coverage stays with you only for as long as you can afford your insurance.

Number 21:

In Canada, you can freely choose your doctors and hospitals and keep them.

In the United States, under Obamacare, the in-network list of places where you can get treated is shrinking – thus restricting freedom of choice – and if you want to go out of network, you pay dearly for it.

Number 20:

In Canada, the health care system is funded by income, sales and corporate taxes that, combined, are much lower than what Americans pay in insurance premiums directly and indirectly per employer.

In the United States, under Obamacare, for thousands of Americans, it’s pay or die – if you can’t pay, you die. That’s why many thousands will still die every year under Obamacare from lack of health insurance to get diagnosed and treated in time. The survivors are confronted with very high, often unregulated drug prices.

Number 19:

In Canada, there are no complex hospital or doctor bills. In fact, usually you don’t even see a bill.

In the United States, under Obamacare, hospital and doctor bills are terribly complex, replete with massive billing fraud estimated to be at least $350 billion a year by Harvard Professor Malcolm Sparrow.

Number 18:

In Canada, costs are controlled. Canada pays 10 percent of its GDP for its health care system, covering everyone.

In the United States, under Obamacare, costs continue to skyrocket. The U.S. currently pays 17.9 percent of its GDP and still doesn’t cover tens of millions of people.

Number 17:

In Canada, it is unheard of for anyone to go bankrupt due to health care costs.

In the United States, health-care-driven bankruptcy will continue to plague Americans.

Number 16:

In Canada, simplicity leads to major savings in administrative costs and overhead.

In the United States, under Obamacare, often staggering complexity ratchets up huge administrative costs and overhead.

Number 15:

In Canada, when you go to a doctor or hospital the first thing they ask you is: “What’s wrong?”

In the United States, the first thing they ask you is: “What kind of insurance do you have?”

Number 14:

In Canada, the government negotiates drug prices so they are more affordable.

In the United States, under Obamacare, Congress made it specifically illegal for the government to negotiate drug prices for volume purchases. As a result, drug prices remain exorbitant and continue to  skyrocket.

Number 13:

In Canada, the government health care funds are not profitably diverted to the top one percent.

In the United States, under Obamacare, health care funds will continue to flow to the top. In 2017, the CEO of Aetna alone made a whopping $59 million.

Number 12:

In Canada, there are no required co-pays or deductibles in inscrutable contracts.

In the United States, under Obamacare, the deductibles and co-pays will continue to be unaffordable for many millions of Americans. Fine print traps are everywhere.

Number 11:

In Canada, the health care system contributes to social solidarity and national pride.

In the United States, Obamacare is divisive, with rich and poor in different systems and tens of millions left out or with sorely limited benefits.

Number 10:

In Canada, delays in health care are not due to the cost of insurance.

In the United States, under Obamacare, patients without health insurance or who are underinsured delay or forgo care and put their lives at risk.

Number 9:

In Canada, nobody dies due to lack of health insurance.

In the United States, tens of thousands of Americans will continue to die every year because they lack health insurance or can’t pay much higher prices for drugs, medical devices, and health care itself.

Number 8:

In Canada, health care on average costs half as much, per person, as in the United States. And in Canada, unlike in the United States, everyone is covered.

In the United States, a majority support Medicare-for-all. But they are being blocked by lawmakers and their corporate paymasters.

Number 7:

In Canada, the tax payments to fund the health care system are modestly progressive – the lowest 20 percent pays 6 percent of income into the system while the highest 20 percent pays 8 percent.

In the United States, under Obamacare, the poor pay a larger share of their income for health care than the affluent.

Number 6:

In Canada, people use GoFundMe to start new businesses.

In the United States, fully one in three GoFundMe fundraisers are now to raise money to pay medical bills. Recently, one American was rejected for a heart transplant because she couldn’t afford the follow-up care. Her insurance company suggested she raise the money through GoFundMe.

Number 5:

In Canada, people avoid prison at all costs.

In the United States, some Americans commit minor crimes so that they can get to prison and receive free health care.

Number 4:

In Canada, people look forward to the benefits of early retirement.

In the United States, people delay retirement to 65 to avoid being uninsured.

Number 3:

In Canada, Nobel Prize winners hold on to their medal and pass it down to their children and grandchildren.

In the United States, a Nobel Prize winner sold his medal to help pay for his medical bills.

Leon Lederman won a Nobel Prize in 1988 for his pioneering physics research. But in 2015, the physicist, who passed away in November 2018, sold his Nobel Prize medal for $765,000 to pay his mounting medical bills.

Number 2:

In Canada, the system is simple. You get a health care card when you are born. And you swipe it when you go to a doctor or hospital. End of story.

In the United States, Obamacare’s 954 pages plus regulations (the Canadian Medicare Bill was 13 pages) is so complex that then Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said before passage “we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it, away from the fog of the controversy.”

Number 1:

In Canada, the majority of citizens love their health care system.

In the United States, a growing majority of citizens, physicians, and nurses prefer the Canadian type system – Medicare-for-all, free choice of doctor and hospital , everybody in, nobody out and far less expensive with better outcomes overall.

It’s decision time, America!

For more information, see Single Payer Action.

The better we educate ourselves on the similarities and differences between health care systems, the better-off each of us will be down the line in history.  Knowledge is power.  Power to provide health care to all of the citizens of the United States.



Related Blog Post:



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How Many Gallons Of Gas Differ Between Trump And Obama Administrations Emissions Standards?

Photo by Gab Pili on Unsplash

President Trump chose to take on the Middle East last weekend over oil and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia.  One report (a brief) drew my attention from Politico Energy regarding the difference between the Trump administration and the Obama administration's emissions standards.  Politico's reporter wrote that the difference in barrels of oil per day between emissions standards of both administrations was significant: 

The U.S. economy remains susceptible to the ebbs of the world's oil supply, Pro's Ben Lefebvre and Eric Wolff report . To be sure, U.S. and global oil inventories are ample and the dangers surrounding this weekend's attacks are being softened — for now — by the bounty of the decade-old fracking boom. But any sustained surge in oil prices, the pair reports, could create awkward questions about some of Trump's energy policies, including his plan to roll back automobile fuel efficiency standards, which would keep U.S. gasoline consumption about 500,000 barrels a day higher than it would be under the Obama administration's fuel efficiency rule.

Upon reading the difference of 500,000 barrels of oil a day, I was intrigued.  I started to wonder how many gallons of gas were equal to 500,000 barrels of oil.  From previous blog posts on this site, there are 42 gallons per barrel of oil.

Wow!  The difference between the two administration's policies is equal to 21 million gallons of gas a day.  If 21 million gallons of gas per day is multiplied by 365 days in a year, the total difference in gallons of gas is equal to 7,665,000,000 gallons per year.



President Trump assurance of the national oil supply should be received with caution.  Below are more blog posts showing the amount of oil the world has along with the amount of oil that the U.S. uses on an annual basis.



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What Technology Is Being Installed By 'Energy Transfer' To Prevent An Oil Spill?


Does Oil Demand Restrict The Amount Of Safety Regulation On Big Oil Companies?


How Does The Weight Of A Floating Oil Rig Compare To The Eiffel Tower?


Iraq Has Enough Oil To Support The World For 4 Years -- What?


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Farmer's Perspective on Trump's Trade War: Interview

Photo: Civil Eats

The current Trade War with China has gained legs and started showing signs of financial distress.  Regardless of what President Trump has said on news stations, the economy is under stress due to the Trade War.  Don't take my word for the impact on American farmers.  Below are two videos which highlight the devastating effects of a Trade War.



The video below was taken from an article in the 'Wall Street Journal' titled "How to Get Rid of Carbon Emissions: Pay Farmers to Bury Them"

The next interview that is included is a brief discussion between MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell and Mark Zandi along with Jonathan Alter.

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China Raises Ante In Trade War With Threat Of Cutting Off Rare Metals To U.S.

"Trade Not Aid" -- A Shout out from Farmers to President Trump again

Former FDA Director Asked Congress For Clarity Regarding CBD in Food Products


Soybean Farmers Are Storing Too Much Soybean, Although Chemical Industry Is Greenlighting Trade Deals?


How many cows are needed to generate 50,000 tons of beef exports?


Trade War Hurts Farmers -- From The Farmer's Mouth Directly


"Trade Not Aid" -- The Answer For Trade War!


Parameters: Tariffs Affect Trade In Both Directions -- In And Out Of The USA


Parameters: Steel And Aluminum Tariffs Are Not Isolated - They Are Tied To Trading Of Other Vital Goods

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President Trump Is Not A Weather Forecaster Nor A Scientist...Do Not Listen To Him

Photo: Washington Post

Throughout the last 2 and a half years, I have been trying to give President Trump the benefit of the doubt in any given situation.  I have looked at decisions and tried hard to see his perspective.  The last two weeks have been a roller-coaster of a ride for scientists and weather forecasters across the nation.  Those who are scratching their heads and wondering how the current events came to be.



Remember, Hurricane Dorian has wreaked havoc on the Bahamas.  The news has been filled with videos of the destruction.  In one scene, a Humvee is shown that was lifted up and propelled to land inside of a house.  That vehicle weighs on average around 6,600 lbs or 3 tons.  Imagine that vehicle being propelled into your living room. The storm has done an immeasurable amount of damage to regions traveled.

President Caught In A Lie?

On top of all of this horrible news, we have a president who chose to use old (outdated) weather information and broadcast that the state of Alabama would be hit.  The old data is shown below:

Photo: MSNBC Morning Joe

Upon closer inspection of the lower left-hand side of the weather map, the date of the infographic is shown.  Which is shown below and clearly states that the report is old:

On September 1st, President Trump sent out a 'tweet' shown below:

To which, the National Weather Service from Alabama immediately responded with the following 'tweet':

Next, he presented a poster from the National Hurricane Center and claimed that the state of Alabama would be hit.

A Great Story Never Dies Down...

Throughout the next week, the following weather map shown below would appear on ever national news channel.  If you look closely at the left-hand side of the white circle on the map, a black marker was used to extend the range of the storm to include the state of Alabama.

This is ridiculous.  This is an outright lie.  And still, President Trump continued to lie and say that the storm was going to hit the state of Alabama throughout the entire next week and a half.  What?



When the story did not die down but instead start to pick up the momentum, the Trump administration started to ramp up efforts to prove the president correct.



Why has the story grown legs over the last couple of weeks?



There are many reasons why the story has grown legs and continued to dominate the news cycle.  The first is that President Trump does not want to be perceived as wrong.  He is wrong.  Not only is he wrong in forecasting an incorrect fact, but his forecast is also illegal as shown below:

Last weekend, Jamie Pietruskia of the Washington Post, detailed in a perspective article the dangers of incorrect weather reporting.  She provided historical time points which pointed to widespread hysteria produced by incomplete forecasting.  Distorting weather facts can impact a wide range of industries from the manufacturing industry to the shipping industry not to mention farmers along with local government agencies.


As a result, Congress got involved to ensure that public information would be complete and accurate.  Which is why the current efforts by the Trump administration to undermine scientists and weather forecasters is so alarming.   Recently, the New York Times reported that the Commerce Department ordered the NOAA (National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration) to issue a response to the public which highlights that President Trump's forecast that Hurricane Dorian would have hit the state of Alabama was correct.  Yes, you read correctly.


The Trump administration continues to undermine science by holding the pervasive view that the President was correct and should be recognized as such.  There is an issue among many on which this stands to be a real danger to the public at large.



Above, I showed still images from the show 'Morning Joe' reporting on the incorrect weather forecasting.  The show was aired a week ago.  On that show, the weather forecaster who is shown in the pictures above highlighted the real dangers associated with the President's incorrect forecast.  He stated that the real adverse impacts of inaccurate reporting are:


1) The National Hurricane Center Maps are not for TV viewers but for Emergency Disaster Managers

2) During a given state of emergency, is the best use of the National Hurricane Center's time spent on clarifying the incorrect information coming out the of the highest office in the land?



The real problem with inaccurate information is that certain levers in local through the federal government are set in motion.  Levers which direct massive amounts of resources and money to be sent to specific geographic locations to respond to such disasters.  This means that massive amounts of money could be given to the state of Alabama when the true location is North Carolina or Florida.



All of this chaos is due to one man's inability to admit he was wrong?  What a disaster? President Trump needs to do what his job entails him to do -- preside over our nation.  He does not need to act like a scientist or a weather forecaster.  That is not what the American people elected him to do over the course of an elected term.  He needs to preside over national and international issues.  Just yesterday, US News and World Report still write about this disaster of reporting.  When will the chaos stop?  Have a good weekend.

Climate Change Continues To Threaten Coal Ash Flooding - Toxic Sites

Source: Southern Environment 

Capitalism is useful to a certain extent.  Investors enjoy good returns.  American citizens enjoy great consumer products.  Sounds great right?  Life is seemingly good.  Except, where the greed of the corporate world outweighs the potential health concern of the American citizen.  When the danger is placed on the American citizen at the benefit of the investor's 'bottom line' (earnings), there is a problem that needs to be addressed.  Addressed by regulatory bodies that report to Congress on an annual basis.



How often is that regulatory oversight enforced to ensure that the American citizen is without harm?


Last month, Politico unveiled a potential problem which could negatively impact the waterways of America's rivers (and creeks).  Reporting by Politico has shown the increasing threat of coal ash sites across America:

CLIMATE CHANGE HEIGHTENS TOXIC WASTE THREAT: More than 100 sites storing toxic ash created from burning coal are located in areas at high risk of flooding, a situation that will grow more dire as climate change supercharges rain, floods and storms, according to a POLITICO analysis by your ME host. At issue are coal ash ponds and landfills within the FEMA’s Special Flood Hazard Area, known as the 100-year floodplain. The sites in this area face greater exposure to storms and floods that can spill waste into adjacent waterways and contaminate groundwater.

Most sites are already polluting groundwater, but the Trump administration is trying to weaken federal rules issued in 2015 designed to prevent contamination. Those efforts, combined with concern about slow cleanups, lax enforcement of existing standards and increasing risk from climate change, worry environmentalists and scientists. “That should be part of the equation, whether or not it’s safe to leave them here or whether that ash should be moved and landfilled somewhere far from bodies of water,” said Ellen Cowan, a scientist at Appalachian State University who has studied coal ash spills across the country.

Industry, however, contends utilities can safely close coal ash sites and prevent pollution, even if the ponds and landfills are in high risk flood zones. "The question of how to close really is a site-specific decision and you need to take a look at the site characteristics, where the groundwater is, where surface waters are," said Jim Roewer, executive director of the Utility Solid Waste Activities Group, a coalition of electric utilities.

The map showing the locations across the United States is shown below:

The infographic above shows just over 100 sites with potential coal ash ponds which could be a potential danger given a terrible storm.  Storms that are potentially weaker than recent Hurricanes which causes significant concern.  When will the public wake up to the reality? There is a side of the corporate world which does not have our (the public) interest at stake?



Therefore, the regulatory agencies are the last hope of mitigating such a threat.  For that to occur, a discussion along with solutions regarding the real risks posed by climate change needs to happen.



Contact your local politician and express concern.  Ask about potentially dangerous sites such as those shown above in your area.  Are you aware of any?  Does your local government know of any?  Ask friends?  Someone has knowledge of potential dangers within a given space.  Get educated and demand action.



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Does a Scientist grieve differently than another person?

Photo by Amplitude Magazin on Unsplash

I was recently made aware of a fiction author whose narrative of a new book was based on an interesting question regarding scientists and emotions.  The author Nell Freudenberger wrote a book about a female astrophysicist with the intention of answering the following question:


Does a scientist grieve loss differently than another person?



During her exploration, she interviewed many physicists for the content of her book.  She encountered one in which she asked the question above:

I wanted to write about a scientist who experiences a loss and how she approaches grief. I thought she would experience grief in a more scientific or rational way than the rest of us do. But by the time I got to the end of the book, I thought she might be prone to the same sort of magical thing we all have around loss and grief. I asked Imre if there was some part of daily life that he approached differently because he was a physicist. It took him a long time to think of something and he said finally, “Well, maybe flying, I’m not afraid of flying because I know how airplanes work and the risks involved. It’s much scarier to me to get into a car.” I did start to believe that a part of Helen could, if not believe in a ghost, at least question the events that are happening around her friend’s death in the same way that you or I might do—the same sort of magical thinking where the phone rings and you think maybe it’s the person calling, even though you know the person’s gone.

I am here to follow up with more information.  I am a scientist.  I go to the bathroom.  I have to eat occasionally when I am not working or playing.  I have to exercise to relieve stress.  I have anxiety at times.  I can laugh and cry.  I love to watch people when I am sitting at commercial venues.   Yes, I am human just like you.


Remember, we are all scientists at heart.

Ralph Nader: Labor Day and the Lost Opportunities for Labor Discussions

Photo: ABC News

The long weekend just passed.  One of several holiday weekends throughout the year which are celebrated by U.S. Citizens.  Typically, these weekends are viewed upon as 'day's off' to celebrate a given holiday or observe a special day.  Moreover, the observance is really a day of shopping, drinking, or just relaxing in the backyard by the swimming pool.  What we should ask ourselves is the following question:



How often have you been at a celebration on Labor Day and engaged in a discussion of relevant Labor Policies?

Ralph Nader reflects in his newsletter on the lost opportunity for journalists to engage in a discussion surrounding labor policies which need attention:

Chuck Todd, Labor Day, and Getting Serious

Labor Day has come and gone. To most people it’s a day off and a splash of sales. The symbolism and meaning that inspired this national holiday back in 1894 has long since dissipated. Labor Day parades are affairs of the past, with very few exceptions, and those that still exist are facing dwindling participation – in the era of Donald the corporatist, no less.

Part of this neglect stems from major unions and their large locals. Labor leaders, year after year, miss the opportunity to speak through the local and national media about what’s on their mind regarding the state of workers today. I have urged labor leaders to develop a media strategy for Labor Day, since it is their one big day to give interviews and submit op-eds. Having major events or demonstrations on the needs of working families would invite coverage.

Even the usual excuse that the corporate press is not that interested goes away on Labor Day. The major labor chiefs just don’t take advantage of this yearly opportunity. That is one reason why over the years, raising the minimum wage; adopting card checks for union-desiring workers; pressing for full Medicare for All; and repealing the notorious, anti-union Taft Hartley Act of 1947 have remained at such low visibility.

On the other hand, the editors and reporters are not exactly reaching out for, say, interviews of Richard Trumka, the former coal miner who rose through the ranks and became the head of the AFL-CIO labor federation in Washington, DC. Trumka vs. Trump has a nice ring to it, but someone has to hit the bell.

This Labor Day, The Washington Post and the New York Times had touching stories of workers in various jobs from a human interest point of view. There was little space devoted to labor policies, labor reforms, worker safety, the persistent private pension crisis, and the huge power imbalance in labor/management relations.

NBC’s Meet the Press, anchored by Chuck Todd, is symptomatic of the media’s indifference to showcasing Labor leaders on Labor Day.

Chuck Todd, the quick witted former citizen organizer, has lost control of his show to his corporate masters in New York City. He cannot even stop them from replacing his show entirely on the few Sundays when the NBC profiteers think there are more profits showing a major tennis, golf, or soccer tournament. My repeated complaints about this blackout to NBC chief, Andrew Lack, or to the corporatist chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, have received no reply.

Obviously, Chuck is working in a tough environment for any self-respecting journalist. But this past Sunday, Meet the Press reached a new low from its beginnings under the news-savvy Lawrence Spivak over 70 years ago. Meet the Press has become a ditto-head to the regular news shows’ saturation coverage. Todd covered Hurricane Dorian and the shootout in Texas, along with whether Joe Biden is too old for the Presidency. Repetitious and dull – he added nothing new for the audience.

The shrinking range of Meet the Press has been going on for some years. It focuses, with other network shows, on questioning politicians or their surrogates – sometimes the same guests on multiple shows – about inconsistencies, gaffes, thoughtless statements, or current political controversies. We don’t need to see yet another round with Trump’s Kellyanne Conway, who plays with Todd’s sharp questions.

The NBC corporate masters tell or signal to Todd who he can invite for his roundtable. He should never have corporatists from the American Enterprise Institute without having people from the Economic Policy Institute, Public Citizen, or Common Cause.

Brit Hume, before he went over to Fox, once told me that the real purpose of the Sunday shows was to let the Washington politicians have their say so they stay off the back of the networks. That was his way of explaining why the questions put to them were not as tough or deep as they could be.

Todd can be a tough questioner, but he is trapped in a cul-de-sac of predictability, trivia, and redundancy that demeans his talents.

Along with the other Sunday morning network news shows, Todd stays away from the all-important civic community – historically and presently the fountainhead for our democratic society. It is hard to name any blessing of America, great or small, that did not start with the work or demands of citizens. Improved civil rights and liberties, safer consumer products, workplace conditions and environments, nuclear arms treaties, and much more began this way. Citizen groups continue as watchdogs, documenting, litigating, lobbying, and pushing the powers that be on behalf of the American people.

In 1966, I was invited on Meet the Press by the legendary Lawrence Spivak to first highlight, on Sunday national TV, what needs to be done about unsafe cars. That helped auto safety action to move faster in Congress. The civic leaders of today are largely shut out from these forums. Civic startups cannot reach larger audiences and shape the politics of the day.

None of this is unknown to Chuck Todd. He has allowed his hands to be tied with golden handcuffs. One can almost sense his impatience with his roundtable guests spouting guarded opinions or conventional speculations suited to their current careers. But Chuck is very polite with them and his interviewees. As he has said, if you really go after these guests, they won’t come back next time. But why such a small pool? There are plenty of other fresh, courageous, accurate voices he can invite “next time.”  It’s that his corporate bosses won’t let him.

Todd has much more potential than to continue his increasingly trivialized, though sometimes temporarily sensationalized, role as an anchor of a withering show “brought to you by Boeing.” He should request reassignment or resign for more significant journalistic challenges. He really doesn’t need the money anymore.

In addition to enjoying time off of work, there are issues which are unanswered in the labor sector today, which could be discussed around the kitchen table while eating a celebratory meal.  From equal pay for men/women to safe working conditions at workspaces, plenty of issues remain on the table for discussion heading into the future.



As an example, consumers expect healthy food to be sold at stores around the United States.  Last December, Congress had to intervene in the beef industry and recall beef which was tainted with Salmonella.  This was in part in response to the unknown fact that the beef industry is not held to a standard of selling Salmonella free meat.  That is right, the beef industry is allowed to sell us (consumers) Salmonella tainted beef.  What?  Yep.



The beef industry is not alone in selling tainted products with Salmonella.  Chicken processing plants were under the microscope earlier in the year.  News broke about products contaminated with Salmonella sold by poultry manufacturers.  Part of the issue might be linked to the unsafe working conditions at poultry plants.



Previously, in 2017, poultry manufacturers were asking Congress to allow processing line speeds to be increased over the limit (safe limit) of 140 birds per minute.  Under such unsafe conditions, workers health is at stake along with the products coming off of the processing line into the kitchen of American consumers.  That is not right.  These are just a few of the many unresolved issues which could be discussed on Labor Day.



Our inability to tackle such problems does not make them go away.  Awareness is part of the issue at hand.  Each American who is educated on such matters produces more aware customers.  Customers who will go out and think critically about the food that they purchase.  Further, discussing the issues which remain unanswered allows us to start to elevate the matter to a stage which might gain national attention.  No discussion equates to no action.  A debate on such issues needs to happen today.

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