Intro To The HF Bands For Amateur Radio Episode 3 - HF BANDS

Source: Ham Radio Made Simply

#AmateurRadio #HFBands 

https://youtu.be/hgq9HDeMeJA 

 Marijuana is A Potential Risk to Teen Brains Predisposed to Schizophrenia

Neuroscience News October 25 2023

Summary: Researchers studied the effects of THC, marijuana’s main psychoactive compound, on adolescent mouse brains.

The study found THC-induced structural changes in microglia, specialized brain immune cells, possibly aggravating a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia. The mice treated with THC showed a 33% higher reduction in microglial cells in certain brain regions compared to control mice.

These findings shed light on the potential risks of marijuana use in teenagers, especially those with a genetic susceptibility to psychiatric disorders.

These findings shed light on the potential risks of marijuana use in teenagers, especially those with a genetic susceptibility to psychiatric disorders.

Key Facts:

The study discovered structural changes in the microglia of mouse brains exposed to THC during adolescence, which might worsen a genetic risk for schizophrenia.
Mice with a certain genetic mutation exposed to THC showed a 33% higher reduction in microglia in the brain’s prefrontal cortex compared to normal mice.

The genetically altered mice given THC scored 40% lower on social memory tests than their saline-treated counterparts.

Source: Johns Hopkins University

In a mouse study designed to explore the impact of marijuana’s major psychoactive compound, THC, on teenage brains, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers say they found changes to the structure of microglia, which are specialized brain immune cells, that may worsen a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia.

The findings, published Oct. 25 in Nature Communications, add to growing evidence of risk to brain development in adolescents who smoke or eat marijuana products.

# MarijuanaLinkToSchizophrenia

https://neurosciencenews.com/thc-teen-schizophrenia-24987/ 

@c6286e36 

 The British Army in Palestine
In the aftermath of the Second World War (1939-45), the British Army found itself stuck in the middle of a growing conflict between Arabs and Jews in Palestine. The momentous events that followed led to the creation of the State of Israel.

Promises

In 1917, in order to win Jewish support for Britain's First World War effort, the British Balfour Declaration promised the establishment of a Jewish national home in Ottoman-controlled Palestine.

However, the British had also promised Arab nationalists that a united Arab country, covering most of the Arab Middle East, would result if the Ottoman Turks were defeated.

When the fighting ended in 1918, with the Ottoman Empire defeated on every front, neither promise was delivered.

Mandate

In 1920, Britain assumed responsibility for Palestine under a League of Nations Mandate. During the next two decades, over 100,000 Jews entered the country.

The British Army's operations in Palestine during this period were mainly directed against militant Arab groups who were opposed to this mass Jewish immigration. Violence reached a height with the Arab Revolt of 1936-39.

Jewish homeland

The Holocaust had a major impact on the situation in Palestine. During the Second World War (1939-45), the British restricted the entry into Palestine of European Jews escaping Nazi persecution. Anxious to appease the Egyptians and oil-rich Saudis, they imposed a limit on Jewish immigration.

This provoked armed Jewish resistance, and eventually united those who looked to Britain for help in establishing their national homeland (the Haganah) and those who wished to use terrorism to drive the British out.

Terrorism

The main terrorist groups were Irgun Zvai Leumi (National Military Organisation) - ultimately led by future Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin - and an even more militant organisation, Lohamey Heruth Israel (Fighters for the Freedom of Israel) or LHI.

The British called LHI the Stern Gang after its leader, Abraham Stern, who was killed in a clash with the Palestine Police in 1942. In November 1944, LHI assassinated the British Minister for the Middle East, Lord Moyne.

Refugees

After the Second World War, 250,000 Jewish refugees were stranded in displaced persons camps in Europe. Despite the pressure of world opinion - in particular the repeated requests of US President Harry Truman - the British refused to lift the ban on immigration and admit 100,000 Jews to Palestine.

The Jewish underground forces now united. The Haganah had resisted attacking the British as long as they were fighting Nazi Germany. Now, their fighters allied themselves with Irgun and carried out several raids against the British.

Escalation

In late 1945, in response to full-scale riots in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, and bomb attacks on the railway system, British troops from the 1st Infantry and 6th Airborne Divisions had to be deployed in support of the civil police.

When the 3rd Infantry Division arrived in Palestine in 1947, the number of British troops deployed there had risen to about 100,000 - the majority of them National Servicemen.

Intelligence failure

Used to conventional fighting in Europe, British troops found it difficult to deal with the violent actions of Irgun and LHI.

The tactics used in the 1930s - curfews, searches and the guarding of key locations - were again put into place. But the Jewish groups enjoyed the support of the local Jewish population and the British found intelligence gathering particularly difficult.

apartment block in Haifa, 1947

Agatha

Despite this, the High Commissioner Sir Allan Cunningham decided to mount a major blow against the insurgents. On 28 June 1946, 17,000 British troops carried out Operation Agatha in Jerusalem. The Jewish Agency offices and other buildings were raided and arms caches discovered.

A large number of Jews suspected of terrorism were arrested. Anti-terrorist operations were primarily the responsibility of the Palestine Police. The Army's job was to support them, cordoning off villages or sectors of towns, and helping the police search them.

Deadlock

In September 1946, the British called a conference of Jewish and Arab leaders in London. When this ended in deadlock in February 1947, the Government announced it had decided to refer the problem to the United Nations.

Terrorist activity continued, leading to the introduction of martial law and stricter curfews.

Kidnap and bombings
British soldiers were frequently targets for attack and kidnap, often in retaliation for death sentences passed on members of Irgun and LHI. A typical insurgent operation was the bombing of the British Officers Club in Haifa, in which 30 people were killed and injured.

On 22 July 1946, Irgun fighters also blew up a wing of the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, killing over 90 people, including many civilians. This attack broke the fragile Haganah-Irgun partnership.

Ongoing attacks

On 31 March 1947, Irgun set light to the oil refinery at Haifa, starting a fire which blazed for three weeks. In May, it attacked the prison at Acre, freeing a large number of inmates.

On 29 July, in retaliation for the execution of three of their members, LHI kidnapped and hanged two British Army sergeants. They then booby-trapped the bodies so that the officer who cut them down was badly injured.

Withdrawal

In November 1947, the United Nations recommended the partition of Palestine and the establishment of separate Arab and Jewish states.

On 15 May 1948, Britain gave up her mandate. The British Army departed from Palestine leaving the Jews and the Arabs to fight it out in the war that followed. The campaign had cost around 750 British military and police lives.

The clasp ‘Palestine 1945-48’ was added to the General Service Medal and awarded to soldiers who served in Palestine between 27 September 1945 (the date a state of emergency was declared) and 30 June 1948 (when the last British troops departed).

#Israel #Palestine 

https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/conflict-Palestine#:~:text=In%201917%2C%20in%20order%20to,home%20in%20Ottoman%2Dcontrolled%20Palestine. 

 Will there be a phone alert on October 4?

Here's what to expect. Your electronic devices may alarm you on Wednesday — but there's a reason for that. A nationwide test of the federal emergency alert system will be broadcast at approximately 2:20 p.m. EDT to cellphones, televisions and radios across the United States.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/emergency-alert-test-october-4-2023-fema-fcc-cellphones-tvs-radios/#:~:text=Here's%20what%20to%20expect.,-By%20Emily%20Mae&text=Your%20electronic%20devices%20may%20alarm,radios%20across%20the%20United%20States. 

 California governor signs law to bolster eviction protections for renters

BY TRÂN NGUYỄN

Updated 8:28 PM PDT, September 30, 2023

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California’s Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law Saturday to bolster eviction protections for renters and close a loophole in an existing law that has allowed landlords to circumvent the state’s rent cap.

The move updates a 2019 landmark law that created rules around evictions and establishing a rent cap at 5% plus the inflation rate, with a 10% maximum.

Under the 2019 law, landlords can evict tenants for “at fault” or “no fault” reasons. “At fault” reasons include failure to pay rent on time. Under “no fault” rules, landlords can terminate leases by saying they need to move into units, make repairs or take the units off the rental market.

Renters’ advocates said some landlords have exploited the “no fault” evictions to get around the state’s rent cap. They pointed to a case in Santa Clara County in which a landlord evicted tenants, citing the need to move in relatives, but then re-listed the units at nearly double the price.

Under the new law, landlords moving into their units or renting to family also must identify the people moving in. In addition, the rental must be occupied within three months of eviction and they must live in the unit for at least a year. Those who evict tenants to renovate properties must include copies of permits or contracts, among other details, when serving eviction notices.

Landlords who do not follow through will have to allow evicted tenants to move back under the original lease terms.

“Today is a victory for all Californians,” said Michelle Pariset, director of legislative affairs at Public Advocates, the group that sponsored the legislation. “Through this law more of our neighbors will be able to stay in their homes!”

The law, which was authored by Democratic state Sen. María Elena Durazo, also allows the attorney general, local government and renters to sue landlords for wrongful evictions and illegal rent increases.

Proponents said they have worked with several local governments to tighten the loophole, but the new law will ensure landlords throughout the state can no longer abuse the system.

The bill faced fierce backlash earlier this year from powerful landlord groups, who said the changes went too far and successfully pressured lawmakers to eliminate a provision that sought to reduce the state’s rent cap to 5%.

#landlordtenantrightscalifornia

https://apnews.com/article/california-governor-eviction-protection-tenants-landlords-newsom-9dca9700c0a44d82f9d140c6c9f1e442 

 No one is safe’: France vows action as bedbugs sweep Paris

By Chris Liakos and Maya Szaniecki, CNN
Published 12:58 AM EDT, Sat September 30, 2023

CNN Paris

The French government has vowed action to “reassure and protect” the public as its capital Paris reports a “widespread” rise in bedbugs.

French Transport Minister Clement Beaune said Friday he would “bring together transport operators next week” to “undertake further action” to “reassure and protect” the public from the reported surge in the numbers of the blood-sucking insect.

The announcement comes as calls for government action from Paris officials and trade unions mount after several videos of bedbugs spotted in public transport and other locations such as cinemas have surfaced on social media.

Speaking to French TV station LCI on Friday, deputy mayor of Paris Emmanuel Gregoire called the phenomenon “widespread.”

“You have to understand that in reality no one is safe, obviously there are risk factors but in reality, you can catch bedbugs anywhere and bring them home,” he said.

Three years ago, the French government launched an anti-bedbug campaign, which includes a dedicated website and an information hotline, as numbers of the insect surged.

But Gregoire said that despite that plan, “there are 3.6 million people who come into Paris every day, and bedbugs do not stop on the outskirts of the city.”

An expert from France’s national health and sanitary body, Anses, said the problem was “an emerging phenomenon in France and almost everywhere in the world.”

“It’s mainly due to the movement of people, populations traveling, the fact that people stay in short-term accommodation and bring back bedbugs in their suitcases or luggage,” Johanna Fite from the Anses department of risk assessment told CNN.

She added there was an “escalation” in numbers because bedbugs were increasingly resistant to insecticides.

“We are observing more and more bedbug populations which are resistant, so there is no miracle treatment to get rid of them,” Fite said.

However, the Paris deputy mayor warned against “hysteria” over the issue, noting there had been an “increase in Parisians who are referring to the town hall’s information services for information on bedbugs”.

“Professional companies which intervene in residential areas are telling us that currently the proportion of interventions for bedbugs is atypical compared to normal and is increasing rapidly,” he said.

The news comes as Paris gets ready to host the 2024 Olympics Games, but officials say they are not worried.

“There is no threat to the Olympic Games,” Gregoire said.

“Bedbugs existed before and they will exist afterward,” he added, saying the games were an “opportunity” for everybody to work together on the issue.

#bedbugs #health #parisfrance 

https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/30/europe/france-bedbugs-paris-intl-hnk/index.html 

 Supreme Court to decide landmark Texas, Florida social media cases and more

Source: The Washington Post

By Ann E. Marimow and Cat Zakrzewski

Updated September 29, 2023 at 10:31 a.m. EDT|Published September 29, 2023 at 9:39 a.m. EDT

The Supreme Court said Friday it would wade into the future of free speech online and decide whether laws passed in Texas and Florida can restrict social media companies from removing certain political posts or accounts.

The justices’ decision to take the landmark social media cases came in an order that also added 10 other cases to the calendar for the Supreme Court term that begins Monday. Earlier, the high court had said it would tackle controversial issues involving gun regulations, voting rights and the power of federal agencies. Those cases will be heard as the justices face intense pressure from Democratic lawmakers to address ethics issues confronting some of their colleagues, including potential conflicts in some of the cases.

Tech industry groups, whose members include Facebook and Google’s YouTube, asked the court to block Texas and Florida laws passed in 2021 that regulate companies’ content-moderation policies. The companies say the measures are unconstitutional and conflict with the First Amendment by stripping private companies of the right to choose what to publish on their platforms.

The court’s review of those laws will be the highest-profile examination to date of allegations that Silicon Valley companies are illegally censoring conservative viewpoints. Those accusations reached a fever pitch when Facebook, Twitter and other companies suspended President Donald Trump’s accounts in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

attack on the U.S. Capitol.

The justices’ ruling could have significant implications for the future of democracy and elections, as Americans increasingly rely on social media to read and discuss political news. It could also have wide-ranging effects for policymakers in Congress and statehouses around the country as they attempt to craft new laws governing social media and misinformation.

As Congress has remained deadlocked on those issues, states are playing a larger role in governing digital privacy, artificial intelligence and social media. Democrats largely have argued that the companies are not doing enough to root out hate speech and other harmful content online, and they have passed laws in California and New York to force greater transparency of the companies’ rules and decisions.

Appeals court judges, all nominated by Republican presidents, have issued conflicting rulings on state authority to restrict a business’s ability to select, edit and arrange content that appears on its social media platform.

The Biden administration urged the Supreme Court to take the social media case and to prevent the Texas and Florida laws from taking effect.

“The act of culling and curating the content that users see is inherently expressive, even if the speech that is collected is almost wholly provided by users,” Solicitor General Elizabeth B. Prelogar told the justices.

“And especially because the covered platforms’ only products are displays of expressive content, a government requirement that they display different content — for example, by including content they wish to exclude or organizing content in a different way — plainly implicates the First Amendment.”

The First Amendment generally protects against government infringement on speech. Courts have also held that private companies, including newspapers and broadcasters, have the right to control the speech they publish and disseminate. That includes the right of editors not to publish something they don’t want to publish.

The Texas law, signed by Gov. Greg Abbott (R), allows state residents and the attorney general to sue large social media companies if they believe they were unfairly banned or censored from a platform. A similar Florida law would penalize social media companies for blocking a politician’s posts.

Last spring, in a 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court prevented the Texas law from taking effect while the litigation continues.

“Social media platforms have transformed the way people communicate with each other and obtain news,” Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. wrote in a dissent, joined by fellow conservatives, Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil M. Gorsuch. “At issue is a ground-breaking Texas law that addresses the power of dominant social media corporations to shape public discussion of the important issues of the day.”

Alito added: “It is not at all obvious how our existing precedents, which predate the age of the internet, should apply to large social media companies.”

Liberal justice Elena Kagan also dissented, but did not provide an explanation.

Tech trade groups Netchoice and the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) argue that if the laws take effect, they could have made it legally risky for tech companies to remove violent, hateful or indecent content. But leaving the content online could lead to user and advertiser boycotts of the services, the companies say.

The CCIA, which represents Meta, X and Google, called the order “encouraging” in a statement. “It is high time that the Supreme Court resolves whether governments can force websites to publish dangerous content,” said CCIA president Matt Schruers. “Telling private websites they must give equal treatment to extremist hate isn’t just unwise, it is unconstitutional, and we look forward to demonstrating that to the Court.”

In its order Friday, the justices agreed to hear 10 other cases, including a challenge to the FBI’s “no-fly” list that the government maintains to prevent terrorism suspects from boarding airplanes. The Biden administration asked the court to reverse a ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit that said an Oregon man’s challenge to his placement on the list could proceed even though the government had removed him seven years ago and had submitted a sworn declaration stating that he “will not be placed on the No Fly List in the future based on the currently available information.”

#freespeechonline #socialmedianews #ussupremecourt 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/09/29/supreme-court-social-media-florida-texas-google-facebook/ 

 MARCH 07, 2021

Executive Order on Promoting Access to Voting

The White House

BRIEFING ROOM

PRESIDENTIAL ACTIONS
    
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows:
    Section 1.  Purpose.  The right to vote is the foundation of American democracy.  Free and fair elections that reflect the will of the American people must be protected and defended. But many Americans, especially people of color, confront significant obstacles to exercising that fundamental right. These obstacles include difficulties with voter registration, lack of election information, and barriers to access at polling places.  For generations, Black voters and other voters of color have faced discriminatory policies and other obstacles that disproportionally affect their communities.  These voters remain more likely to face long lines at the polls and are disproportionately burdened by voter identification laws and limited opportunities to vote by mail.  Limited access to language assistance remains a barrier for many voters. People with disabilities continue to face barriers to voting and are denied legally required accommodations in exercising their fundamental rights and the ability to vote privately and independently.  Members of our military serving overseas, as well as other American citizens living abroad, also face challenges to exercising their fundamental right to vote.
     The Constitution and laws of the United States prohibit racial discrimination and protect the right to vote.  The Voting Rights Act of 1965 and other Federal statutes implement those protections and assign the Federal Government a key role in remedying disenfranchisement and unequal access to the polls.  In passing the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, the Congress found that it is the duty of Federal, State, and local governments to promote the exercise of the fundamental right to vote.  Executive departments and agencies (agencies) should partner with State, local, Tribal, and territorial election officials to protect and promote the exercise of the right to vote, eliminate discrimination and other barriers to voting, and expand access to voter registration and accurate election information.  It is our duty to ensure that registering to vote and the act of voting be made simple and easy for all those eligible to do so.
     Sec. 2.  Policy.  It is the policy of my Administration to promote and defend the right to vote for all Americans who are legally entitled to participate in elections.  It is the responsibility of the Federal Government to expand access to, and education about, voter registration and election information, and to combat misinformation, in order to enable all eligible Americans to participate in our democracy.
     Sec. 3.  Expanding Access to Voter Registration and Election Information.  Agencies shall consider ways to expand citizens’ opportunities to register to vote and to obtain information about, and participate in, the electoral process.
     (a)  The head of each agency shall evaluate ways in which the agency can, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, promote voter registration and voter participation.  This effort shall include consideration of:
(i)    ways to provide relevant information in the course of activities or services that directly engage with the public — including through agency materials, websites, online forms, social media platforms, and other points of public access — about how to register to vote, how to request a vote-by-mail ballot, and how to cast a ballot in upcoming elections;
(ii)   ways to facilitate seamless transition from agencies’ websites directly to State online voter registration systems or appropriate Federal websites, such as Vote.gov;
(iii)  ways to provide access to voter registration services and vote-by-mail ballot applications in the course of activities or services that directly engage with the public, including:
     (A)  distributing voter registration and vote-by-mail ballot application forms, and providing access to applicable State online systems for individuals who can take advantage of those systems; 
     (B)  assisting applicants in completing voter registration and vote-by-mail ballot application forms in a manner consistent with all relevant State laws; and
     (C)  soliciting and facilitating approved, nonpartisan third-party organizations and State officials to provide voter registration services on agency premises;
(iv)   ways to promote and expand access to multilingual voter registration and election information, and to promote equal participation in the electoral process for all eligible citizens of all backgrounds; and
(v)    whether, consistent with applicable law, any identity documents issued by the agency to members of the public can be issued in a form that satisfies State voter identification laws.
     (b)  Within 200 days of the date of this order, the head of each agency shall submit to the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy a strategic plan outlining the ways identified under this review that the agency can promote voter registration and voter participation.
     (c)  The Administrator of the Office of Electronic Government, Office of Management and Budget, shall, consistent with applicable law, coordinate efforts across agencies to improve or modernize Federal websites and digital services that provide election and voting information to the American people, including ensuring that Federal websites are accessible to individuals with disabilities and people with limited English proficiency.  As appropriate, the Administrator of the United States Digital Service may support agencies in implementing the strategic plans directed in subsection (b) of this section.
     Sec. 4.  Acceptance of Designation Under the National Voter Registration Act.  (a)  This order shall supersede section 3 of Executive Order 12926 of September 12, 1994 (Implementation of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993).
     (b)  Each agency, if requested by a State to be designated as a voter registration agency pursuant to section 7(a)(3)(B)(ii) of the National Voter Registration Act, shall, to the greatest extent practicable and consistent with applicable law, agree to such designation.  If an agency declines to consent to such designation, the head of the agency shall submit to the President a written explanation for the decision.
     (c)  The head of each agency shall evaluate where and how the agency provides services that directly engage with the public and, to the greatest extent practicable, formally notify the States in which the agency provides such services that it would agree to designation as a voter registration agency pursuant to section 7(a)(3)(B)(ii) of the National Voter Registration Act.
     Sec. 5.  Modernizing Vote.gov.  The General Services Administration (GSA) shall take steps to modernize and improve the user experience of Vote.gov.  In determining how to do so, GSA shall coordinate with the Election Assistance Commission and other agencies as appropriate, and seek the input of affected stakeholders, including election administrators, civil rights and disability rights advocates, Tribal Nations, and nonprofit groups that study best practices for using technology to promote civic engagement.  
     (a)  GSA’s efforts to modernize and improve Vote.gov shall include:
(i)    ensuring that Vote.gov complies, at minimum, with sections 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973;
(ii)   ensuring that Vote.gov is translated into languages spoken by any of the language groups covered under section 203 of the Voting Rights Act anywhere in the United States; and
(iii)  implementing relevant provisions of the 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act (Public Law 115-336).
     (b)  Within 200 days of the date of this order, GSA shall submit to the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy a strategic plan outlining the steps to modernize and improve the user experience of Vote.gov.
     Sec. 6.  Increasing Opportunities for Employees to Vote.  It is a priority of my Administration to ensure that the Federal Government, as the Nation’s largest employer, serves as a model employer by encouraging and facilitating Federal employees’ civic participation.  Accordingly, the Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall take the following actions within 200 days of the date of this order:
     (a)  coordinate with the heads of executive agencies, as defined in 5 U.S.C. 105, to provide recommendations to the President, through the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, on strategies to expand the Federal Government’s policy of granting employees time off to vote in Federal, State, local, Tribal, and territorial elections.  Such recommendations should include efforts to ensure Federal employees have opportunities to participate in early voting.
     (b)  Coordinate with the heads of executive agencies, as defined in 5 U.S.C. 105, to provide recommendations to the President, through the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, on strategies to better support Federal employees who wish to volunteer to serve as non-partisan poll workers or non‑partisan observers, particularly during early or extended voting periods.
     Sec. 7.  Ensuring Equal Access for Voters with Disabilities.  Within 270 days of the date of this order, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) within the Department of Commerce shall evaluate the steps needed to ensure that the online Federal Voter Registration Form is accessible to people with disabilities.  During that period, NIST, in consultation with the Department of Justice, the Election Assistance Commission, and other agencies, as appropriate, shall also an

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/03/07/executive-order-on-promoting-access-to-voting/ 

 Biden Can Expand Voting Access Through His Executive Order

Source: ACLU 

 Ceridwen Cherry Former Staff Attorney, ACLU Voting Rights Project

March 7, 2023

Fifty-eight years ago on March 7, television viewers saw 500 peaceful demonstrators in Selma, Alabama, teargassed and beaten by police. The marchers were protesting the murder of a young, unarmed Black man and the continued disenfranchisement of Black people in the South.

The brutal, unprovoked attack sparked national outrage, became known as “Bloody Sunday,” and was a catalyst of the voting rights movement. This march led to the signing and passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by Congress and President Lyndon B. Johnson.

On March 7, 2021 President Biden issued Executive Order 14019 Promoting Access to Voting, a visionary executive order that has the potential to make registration and voting more accessible for millions of Americans, including communities historically excluded from the political process. In the order, President Biden directed federal agencies to “consider ways to expand citizens’ opportunities to register to vote and to obtain information about, and participate in, the electoral process.”

In a democracy, governments at all levels should be doing everything they can to help eligible people register to vote.

In a democracy, governments at all levels should be doing everything they can to help eligible people register to vote. The voting access executive order is an important step toward achieving this goal because it gets the federal government involved in aiding with voter registration, just as state governments already do.

On the anniversary of Bloody Sunday and the two-year anniversary of this executive order, we acknowledge both that the administration and agencies have made progress, and that significant work remains. Building on its promising start, it’s time for the Biden administration and agencies to finish the job and fulfill the promise of the voting access executive order.

That’s why the ACLU, alongside a coalition of civil rights organizations, issued the report “Strengthening Democracy: A Progress Report on Federal Agency Action to Promote Access to Voting,” to highlight, at the agency level, what has been done and what is still needed to help ensure every eligible voter has robust, easy, and equal access to the ballot box.

On the anniversary of Bloody Sunday and the two-year anniversary of this executive order, we acknowledge both that the administration and agencies have made progress, and that significant work remains.

A few agencies have made noteworthy headway. For example, by accepting National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) designations for the tribal institutions it operates, the Department of the Interior has moved to ensure that eligible students who attend these institutions have regular access to high-quality voter registration. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has also begun working with state election officials to secure NVRA designations. And by incorporating voter registration into the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, the Treasury Department is helping to address persistent income-based gaps in voter registration by improving access to voter registration among people with low incomes.

However, most agencies have either made minimal progress on their initial strong commitments to expand voter access or have left important opportunities on the table. Our report highlights that most federal agencies have significant room for improvement in their implementation of the voting access executive order.

Here are a few examples of the most impactful actions agencies can take before the end of the year to implement the executive order:

1. The Department of Health and Human Services should add an effective voter registration opportunity to the application for benefits on HealthCare.gov by the next open enrollment period.

2. The VA should continue to work closely with election officials in Kentucky, Michigan, and Pennsylvania to finalize designation agreements under the NVRA to provide effective voter registration services to veterans who sign up for health care through the VA. Further, the VA should work to secure designations in additional states and follow through on its commitment to fully explore adding voter registration to its online benefits applications.

3. Indian Health Services should add a voter registration opportunity and assistance to patient interactions at Indian Health Services facilities.

4. The Department of Education should add a voter registration opportunity for applicants using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

5. The Bureau of Prisons, the agency within the Department of Justice which oversees federal prison facilities, and the U.S. Marshals Service, which oversees people in federal pre-trial custody, amongst other activities, can also fully implement the executive order. While both agencies have made efforts to improve voter access for eligible voters who are currently incarcerated in federal prisons or held in federal pre-trial custody, there is still more that can be done to ensure full implementation of systems facilitating civic engagement and access to the ballot. You can read more about the steps they can take here.

Both President Biden and the agencies must act over the next several months to make the most of this important executive order. If they do not, the voting access order will be a lost opportunity.

Given the likely impasse in Congress with federal voting rights legislation, fulfilling the promise of this order is the best way the federal government can help increase access to registration and voting. Agencies must work now to implement the order, so that the various agency programs will be operational in time for citizens to register and participate in federal elections in 2024.

https://www.aclu.org/news/voting-rights/biden-can-expand-voting-access-through-his-executive-order 

 Tammany Hall 2.0: Biden Turns Federal Agencies Into Get-Out-the-Vote Operation

Apr 18, 2023 

1. In March 2021, President Biden signed Executive Order 14019, aimed at turning federal agencies into a get-out-the-vote operation.

2. The details are sketchy since most federal agencies aren’t releasing their strategic plans to the media or watchdog groups.

3. Even Democrats should be leery of letting the federal government throw its weight around to improve the electoral prospects of the party in power.

The high voter turnout in the 2022 midterms smashed dire predictions from the left that election reforms, such as expanding voter ID requirements, would lead to “Jim Crow 2.0.”

But another type of “reform,” established by a 2021 presidential executive order, has yet to play out. If fully implemented in time for the 2024 elections, it may well lead to what should be called Tammany Hall 2.0.

Tammany Hall was the powerful Democratic political machine founded by Aaron Burr. It had a stranglehold on New York City politics until well into the 20th century. Similar organizations operated elsewhere: the Pendergast machine in Kansas City, the Daley machine in Chicago, the Long machine in Louisiana and the Curley machine in Boston, to name a few. But none had the raw political power or the national reach of Tammany Hall.

Big-city machines like Tammany Hall were notorious for twisting election laws. They used these tools to make it easier to win (or sometimes steal) elections, perpetuating one-party rule.

>>> American Elections Shouldn’t Be Bankrolled by Billionaires

The political machines of the past largely confined themselves to ruling state and local fiefdoms. But we’re about to see how it works at the federal level.

In March 2021, President Biden signed Executive Order 14019, aimed at turning federal agencies into a get-out-the-vote operation, and working with so far unnamed private organizations to do so. Don’t worry. The White House assures us this is nonpartisan.

“Agencies shall consider ways to expand citizens’ opportunities to register to vote and to obtain information about, and participate in, the electoral process,” the order says. “The head of each agency shall evaluate ways in which the agency can, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, promote voter registration and voter participation.”

Democrats failed to pass a sweeping federal takeover of elections in 2021 and 2022 when they controlled Congress. They are relying heavily on this executive order to do the job for them.

The details are sketchy since most federal agencies aren’t releasing their strategic plans to the media or watchdog groups.

According to the White House summary of agency plans, the Department of Homeland Security is required to focus on voter registration “at the end of naturalization ceremonies for the hundreds of thousands of citizens naturalized each year.” The Department of Justice is directed to “provide information about voting to individuals in federal custody, facilitate voting by those who remain eligible to do so while in federal custody, and educate individuals before reentry about voting rules and voting rights in their states.”

This is perhaps nominally more subtle than when Tammany Hall worked to get prisoners released to ensure they voted and even established a “naturalization mill” to instantly turn immigrants coming off boats into voters. As The Washington Post explained, Tammany Hall bosses “ushered hundreds of thousands on the Lower East Side and elsewhere into citizenship” to register to vote and keep Democrats in power.

The White House also noted that the Department of Agriculture would work with mortgage lenders to provide voter registration information, the Department of Health and Human Services would connect people with voting information, tools and resources, while the Department of Housing and Urban Development would provide registration information.

The more things change …

>>> Forget Open Borders. This Crazy Law Opens Voting Booths to Aliens

As noted in my book “The Myth of Voter Suppression,” political machines such as Tammany Hall thrived in part because they were the social service network at the time. The political bosses helped arrange citizenship for immigrants, provided emergency assistance, and hooked people up with jobs—all with the expectation that these people would pay them back by voting their way.

While in the minority, House Republicans made multiple inquiries about how the presidential order was being implemented. They were largely stonewalled. Now that they have regained majority status, they are expected to investigate the matter vigorously.

Even Democrats should be leery of letting the federal government throw its weight around to improve the electoral prospects of the party in power. In politics, nothing lasts forever. Eventually, a Republican could retake the White House and look fondly upon Mr. Biden’s executive order. Will Democrats give a future GOP president the benefit of the doubt for being nonpartisan in having the agencies he runs involved in elections?

Tammany Hall 2.0 should be defined more broadly than just Mr. Biden’s order. It must include the various private actors—such as election litigator Marc Elias, the Stacey Abrams-founded Fair Fight Action and the Brennan Center for Justice—that vigorously work to block any legal mechanism to stop voter fraud. Key to this is not just the politicians, but also the interest groups pumping money and propaganda behind the machine.

This piece originally appeared in The Washington Times

https://www.heritage.org/election-integrity/commentary/tammany-hall-20-biden-turns-federal-agencies-get-out-the-vote 

 Crocodiles Seen Guiding Dog to Safety in India And Scientists Don't Know Why

NATURE

28 September 2023

By REBECCA COHEN AND JENNY MCGRATH, BUSINESS INSIDER

A dog running from a pack of feral dogs dove into an even more dangerous situation when it took a swim in a crocodile-infested river. Instead of turning the dog into a snack, the crocodiles appeared to usher it to safety.

Researchers published images of the event in the August edition of the Journal of Threatened Taxa. They were studying the behavior of mugger crocodiles in the Savitri River in Maharashtra, India.

"These crocodiles were actually touching the dog with their snout" the researchers reported in the study, writing that the crocodiles "seemingly nudged and escorted [the dog] to safety."

While it may be surprising that the reptiles didn't jump at the opportunity for a seemingly easy meal, Chris Murray, a biologist with Southeastern Louisiana University, told Insider there are many reasons why the crocodiles may have let the dog pass.

They may have been full or felt too exposed to ambush the prey. Or they might have had negative experiences trying to eat dogs in the past, he said.

"You see these cost-benefit analyses occur in nature all the time when it comes to the ecology of feeding," Murray said.

He doesn't think the animals were displaying empathy, as the researchers suggest.

Some areas of coastal India and Sri Lanka have large populations of mugger crocodiles living near people, leading to some of the highest frequencies of attacks on humans anywhere in the world, Murray said. "So I find the compassion of crocodilians highly unlikely."

But he does agree with the paper's authors that humans often underestimate crocodiles' cognition.

Murray knows of instances of crocodilians using sticks to lure birds to land on them and engaging in communal feeding, helping other members of a group get food. He's also seen crocodilians seem to learn from past experiences.

"I think some of those things are predominantly anecdotal, obviously, and I have some of those anecdotes for myself," Murray said. "So I think that their cognitive ability – of assessing what's around and their memory – is far better than I think we give them credit for," he said.

"They're not just mean, lumbering reptiles," he said. But they're likely not taking pity on dogs in distress, either.

https://www.sciencealert.com/crocodiles-seen-guiding-dog-to-safety-in-india-and-scientists-dont-know-why 

 Free COVID test kits are back: Here’s how to get yours

https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2023/09/free-covid-test-kits-are-back-heres-how-get-yours 

 PEW RESEARCH CENTER JUNE 14, 2022

JOURNALISTS SENSE TURMOIL IN THEIR INDUSTRY AMID CONTINUED PASSION FOR THEIR WORK

3. Many journalists say social media helps at work, but most decry its impact on journalism

BY JEFFREY GOTTFRIED, AMY MITCHELL, MARK JURKOWITZ AND JACOB LIEDKE

The vast majority of U.S.-based journalists today use social media sites in their work. But even as they appreciate the ways it can be helpful with several reporting tasks, most journalists think social media is having a negative impact on journalism as a whole – and one-third report being harassed on these platforms by someone outside their organization.

Two-thirds of journalists surveyed (67%) say social media has a very (26%) or somewhat negative (41%) impact on the state of journalism in this country. Conversely, only about one-in-five (18%) characterize it as having a positive impact, including just 2% who say it is very positive.

Journalists recognize several ways social media can come in handy in their day-to-day work. Among journalists who use social media for their jobs, nearly nine-in-ten (87%) say it has a very or somewhat positive impact on their ability to promote stories, while about eight-in-ten say it helps their ability to connect with their audience and find sources for stories (79% each). Three-quarters of journalists who use social media find it helpful in identifying stories that should be covered.

While social media has a big presence in newsrooms, that is not the case for artificial intelligence (AI) – at least not yet. Just 8% of journalists surveyed say their news organization (or the main one they work for if they work for more than one) relies on content generated by computer programs using AI at least a little, including only 1% who say this is the case a lot. Fully 62% say their organization does not rely on AI at all, and 29% are unsure.

Most journalists who were harassed by someone outside their organization in the past year say it happened on social media

...One issue that concerns older journalists more than younger ones is the prospect of restrictions being imposed on the profession. Roughly two-thirds of journalists ages 65 and older (68%) and those 50 to 64 (63%) say they are extremely or very concerned about potential restrictions on press freedoms in America. Smaller yet sizable percentages of journalists under 30 (42%) and ages 30 to 49 (52%) share these concerns....

#Journalism #news #socialmedianews

https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2022/06/14/many-journalists-say-social-media-helps-at-work-but-most-decry-its-impact-on-journalism/ 

 60 Minutes-News Makers

California's controversial CARE Court brings mental health care into the courtroom

By CECILIA VEGA

SEPTEMBER 24, 2023 / 7:00 PM / CBS NEWS

On any given night, more than 170,000 people are living on California's streets or in its shelters. It is the largest homeless population in the country -- fueled by a lack of affordable housing and the state's failure to provide adequate mental health care. 

One-in-four has a serious mental illness.

It's a crisis that's bred fear in communities, as violent crimes rise. And this past week, Sacramento's top prosecutor sued California's capital city for allowing it to quote "collapse into chaos." 

That's the landscape Gov. Gavin Newsom says he's trying to change, starting this fall, with a controversial, new plan on track to cost billions. 

It's called CARE court because it brings mental health care into the courtroom. Now judges will order people to get help and counties to provide it under a new law that emphasizes accountability and consequences.

We met with Gov Newsom and found him to be fired up and fed up. 

Gov. Gavin Newsom: Change has its enemies. I get it. But one thing you cannot argue for, with all due respect to all the critics out there, is the status quo. You can't. And in the absence of alternatives, What the hell are we gonna do to address this crisis?

It is a crisis overwhelming cities across the country, but California has been hit the hardest.

And Gov. Gavin Newsom says it is desperation – born out of scenes like this… that drove the idea for CARE Court.

Cecilia Vega: You've used words like, "You're outraged." "You're disgusted by what's happening on the streets."

Gov. Gavin Newsom: I am. 'Cause I see what everybody else sees. I try to walk my kids to the park and have a difficult time navigating the sidewalk. It's a fail-first system, not a care-first system, which means you have to end up in the criminal justice system before finally someone provides support and a bed and a solution. We've gotta change that. And that's what we're doing. 

Here's how it will work: a person referred to CARE Court for a severe mental illness is evaluated. If they have an untreated psychotic disorder, like schizophrenia, a judge can order a mental health treatment plan including medication, therapy and a place to live. 

The governor believes the new civil court system will help thousands get off the streets – and make everyone safer by helping people before they become a danger to themselves or others. 

Cecilia Vega: You think CARE Court could be the solution that could save someone's life?

Gov. Gavin Newsom: I don't think it. I know it. It's very familiar what we're doing, even though it's novel and new and bold.

Cecilia Vega: Novel, new and bold. So it's an experiment?

Gov. Gavin Newsom: No. It's not. When people get their meds, when people get support, we know we can turn people's lives around. This is imminently solvable 

But what if someone ordered by a judge to get help doesn't think they need it? 

They'll have access to a public defender and *can* refuse treatment… they won't be sent to jail.

https://youtu.be/bhGfo-LDzRU

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/care-court-california-mental-illness-courtroom-plan-60-minutes-transcript/ 

 1,000-year-old fossils of 'alien' corpses displayed in Mexico's Congress as UFO expert testifies

By Euronews

Published on 13/09/2023 - 17:05•Updated 14/09/2023 - 15:35

The fossilised bodies presented in glass cases by journalist and UFO scientist Jaime Maussan at Mexico's parliament are said to be 1,000 years old.

The bodies of two alleged "alien" beings were exhibited before politicians in a special session of the Mexican Congress on Wednesday.

The fossilised bodies, presented by journalist and self-proclaimed UFO scientist - or ufologist - Jaime Maussan and displayed in glass cases, were retrieved from Cusco in Peru and are said to be 1,000 years old.

"These specimens are not part of the evolution of our world. They were not recovered from a UFO scrap. They were found fossilised in a diatom moss mine," Maussan said, testifying under oath.

The session in the Mexican Congress comes weeks after another in front of the US Congress, but this appearance was much more sensational in its content.

Maussen said the samples were analysed by the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and the scientists who managed to get DNA samples from the specimens and used radiocarbon testing to determine their age.

"We are not alone in the vast universe, we need to accept this reality," said Maussan, who argued that the public has the right to learn about non-human beings and technologies.

Maussen was accompanied at the session by former US pilot Ryan Graves and Avi Loeb, professor of astrophysics at Harvard University. Graves also presented evidence at a hearing in the US Congress in July.

It is now generally accepted in scientific and political circles that there are unusual phenomena that cannot be identified, but there are still deep disagreements about their origin.

Maussen gave testimony under oath but his claims have not been scientifically proven and has been associated with previous discoveries that have since been debunked.

He was involved in another high profile hoax in 2017 involving the discovery of fossilised remains in Nazca in Peru.

Maussan claimed the body, which had an elongated skull, was actually the mummifed corpse of an alien.

It was later revealed that the Nazca mummy was in fact a human child whose head had been bound by cloth, rope or boards in an ancient practice, according to fact-checking website Snopes.com

#aliens #extraterrestrials #spacealiens 

https://www.euronews.com/next/2023/09/13/1000-year-old-fossils-of-alien-corpses-displayed-in-mexicos-congress-as-ufo-expert-testifi 

 20-Year-Old Dies Of 'Fried Rice Syndrome' After Eating Leftover Pasta

By Dave Basner

Sep 8, 2023

Anyone who has eaten leftovers knows that sometimes they taste even better than the original meal they came from. In addition, leftovers are an easy meal to make - you can just heat them up and eat them. However, it turns out that leftovers can also be very dangerous, and even deadly. Sadly, that was the case for a 20-year-old student, who passed away after eating five-day-old pasta.

It's a case that was written about in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology a few years back, but has resurfaced due to some YouTube videos and Reddit posts. According to case reports, the student would make his meals for the week on Sunday so he wouldn't have to deal with it on the weekdays. One Sunday, he cooked up some spaghetti and put it in Tupperware containers so that days later, he could just add some sauce to it and reheat it.

After five days of the pasta sitting out on the counter at room temperature, he heated some up and ate it. He noted an odd taste to the food but figured it was just due to the new tomato sauce he was using. He went out to play some sports but after 30 minutes, he had to come home due to nausea, abdominal pain and a headache. Diarrhea and vomiting followed so he drank water and tried to sleep it off. The next day, after he didn't get out of bed for his classes, his parents checked on him and unfortunately, he had died.

Investigators who examined his body determined that he passed away at 4 a.m., ten hours after eating the spaghetti. His autopsy showed his liver had shut down and his death was caused by liver necrosis. Samples of the pasta and tomato sauce he ate were sent to the National Reference Laboratory for Food-borne Outbreaks, where they discovered significant amounts of a bacteria called Bacillus cereus. In most cases, the bacteria just causes diarrhea and vomiting, but there are extreme cases where it affects the liver and leads to the organ's failure.

The bacteria is best known for causing a type of food poisoning called "Fried Rice Syndrome," since rice is sometimes cooked and left to cool at room temperature for a few hours. During that time, the bacteria can contaminate it and grow. B. cereus is especially dangerous because it produces a toxin in rice and other starchy foods that is heat resistant and may not die when the food it infects is cooked.

B. cereus is scarily common too. Previously, an entire family got sick from it after eating eight-day-old pasta salad at a picnic. To prevent the bacteria from making you ill, just be sure any starchy food you consume hasn't been kept at room temperature for an extended period of time. When in doubt, you can try to cook it at a high temperature and attempt to kill off any bacteria, but your best bet is to just not eat it.

https://www.iheart.com/content/2023-09-08-20-year-old-dies-of-fried-rice-syndrome-after-eating-leftover-pasta/