Robert F. Kennedy Jr. believes the CIA had a role in assassinating his uncle, President John F. Kennedy -- part of RFK Jr.'s motivation for pushing his daughter-in-law, Amaryllis Fox Kennedy, for deputy CIA director, Axios has learned. read more
The decision by Christopher A. Wray, the F.B.I. director, to step down comes after President-elect Donald J. Trump announced his intention to replace him with a longtime loyalist, Kash Patel, before Mr. Wray's 10-year term expired. read more
The Arctic just experienced its second-hottest year on record. And concerningly, the region's tundra has transitioned from being a sink for carbon to a source of emissions as permafrost thaws, releasing carbon dioxide and methane. read more
When disaster strikes, our nation depends on both public and private healthcare providers to be ready to help those in need on their worst days. Healthcare workers exhibit an unwavering commitment to saving lives during a crisis. Yet, what happens when healthcare providers themselves become victims? Severe weather events can devastate not only communities but also the hospitals and public health infrastructure serving them.
With the H5N1 bird flu virus spreading quickly across animals in the US, experts are on high alert for signs of human-to-human transmission. Such a jump could become far easier with just a single mutation, according to new research. read more
@#3 ... The purpose of the 1st Amendment is to protect unpopular speech. ...
... from suppression by the government.
But there have been limits associated with that.
Permissible restrictions on expression
www.britannica.com
... Despite the broad freedom of expression guaranteed by the First Amendment, there are some historically rooted exceptions. First, the government may generally restrict the time, place, or manner of speech, if the restrictions are unrelated to what the speech says and leave people with enough alternative ways of expressing their views. Thus, for instance, the government may restrict the use of loudspeakers in residential areas at night, limit all demonstrations that block traffic, or ban all picketing of people's homes.
Second, a few narrow categories of speech are not protected from government restrictions. The main such categories are incitement, defamation, fraud, obscenity, child pornography, fighting words, and threats. As the Supreme Court held in Brandenburg v. Ohio (1969), the government may forbid "incitement""speech "directed at inciting or producing imminent lawless action" and "likely to incite or produce such action" (such as a speech to a mob urging it to attack a nearby building). But speech urging action at some unspecified future time may not be forbidden.
Defamatory lies (which are called "libel" if written and "slander" if spoken), lying under oath, and fraud may also be punished. In some instances, even negligent factual errors may lead to lawsuits. Such exceptions, however, extend only to factual falsehoods; expression of opinion may not be punished even if the opinion is broadly seen as morally wrong. ...
@#5 ... Xi's sending someone else instead. Ouch ...
That's the way it is currently looking.
China's Xi not expected at Trump's inauguration
www.cbsnews.com
... Chinese President Xi Jinping is not expected to travel to Washington next month as an inauguration guest of President-elect Donald Trump, according to two sources familiar with the planning. CBS News was first to report that Trump had personally invited Xi to the swearing-in ceremony shortly after Election Day.
China's ambassador to the U.S. and his spouse are expected to attend the Jan. 20 event, as is standard practice. Sources told CBS News that additional officials from Beijing may join them. ...
Trump on China's Xi: 'We love each other' (2020)
www.politico.eu
Apparently, not.
Remember Manfred Mann from the 60's?
There was a quite successful pop tune that was all across the radio dials back in the day...
Manfred Mann - Do Wah Diddy Diddy (1964)
www.youtube.com
Well, Manfred Mann evolved from that pop-oriented tidbit into Manfred Mann's Earth Band.
And, in the 70's they got serious.
And released this, which I heard only on college radio back then...
Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Be Not Too Hard (1974)
www.youtube.com
Lyrics excerpt ...
...
Be not too hard for life is short
And nothing is given to man
Be not too hard if he's sold or bought
For he must do the best he can
Be not too hard when he blindly dies
Fighting for things he does not own
Be not too hard when he tells lies
Or if his heart is sometimes stone
Be not too hard for soon he'll die
Often no wiser than he began
Be not too hard for life is short
And nothing is given to man
Be not too hard when he blindly dies
Fighting for things he does not own
Be not too hard when he tells lies
Or if his heart is sometimes stone
...
Stranglers - Skin Deep (1984)
www.youtube.com
Lyrics excerpt...
...
Many people tell you that they're your friend
You believe them, you need them for what's round the river bend
Make sure that you're receiving the signals they send
'Cos brother, you've only got two hands to lend
Maybe there's someone who makes you weep
And some nights loom up ahead when you're asleep
Some days there's things on your mind you should keep
Sometimes, it's tougher to look than to leap
Better watch out for the skin deep
Better watch out for the skin deep
(Better watch out) Watch out for the skin deep
(Better watch out) Watch out for the skin deep
Better watch out for the skin deep
One day the track that you're climbing gets steep
Your emotions are frayed, and your nerves are starting to creep
Just remember the days as long as the time that you keep
Brother, you better watch out for the skin deep
...
81% of U.S. adults -- versus 46% of teens -- favor parental consent for minors to use social media (October 2023)
www.pewresearch.org
... More than 40 states and the District of Columbia are suing Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, alleging its platforms purposefully use addictive features that harm children's mental health.
Amid this news, U.S. adults and teens are more likely to support than oppose requiring parental consent for minors to create a social media account and requiring people to verify their age before using these platforms, according to a pair of new Pew Research Center surveys. But adults are far more supportive than teens of these measures, as well as limiting how much time minors can spend on social media. ...
@#60 ... Precedent is a cop is justified in using deadly force if he feels threatened. ...
Is that the policy that should apply in this scenario, or is it the usual deflection attempt of your current alias?
US Capitol Police investigation clears officer who shot and killed Ashli Babbitt during January 6 insurrection (2021)
www.abc.net.au
... The officers used furniture to try to barricade the glass doors separating the hallway from the Speaker's Lobby to try to stave off the rioters, who kept trying to break through those doors, smashing the glass with flagpoles, helmets and other objects.
At the same time, Ms Babbitt tried climbing through one of the doors where the glass was broken out.
The officer, inside the Speaker's Lobby, then fired a single round from his service weapon, striking Ms Babbitt in the shoulder, prosecutors said.
Capitol Police said its office of professional responsibility determined "the officer's conduct was lawful and within department policy".
The officer will face no internal disciplinary action.
The policy says an officer should only use deadly force when they reasonably believe their actions will be in defence of human life. ...
Monarch Butterflies - Migration and Overwintering
www.fs.usda.gov
... The annual migration of North America's monarch butterfly is a unique and amazing phenomenon. The monarch is the only butterfly known to make a two-way migration as birds do. ...
Where Do Monarchs Go?
Monarchs in Eastern North America have a second home in the Sierra Madre Mountains of Mexico. Monarchs in Western North America overwinter in California. ...
Flyways
Traveling South
Eastern North American monarchs fly south using several flyways then merge into a single flyway in Central Texas. It is truly amazing that these monarchs know the way to the overwintering sites even though this migrating generation has never before been to Mexico! ...
@#26 ... So giving a homeless guy a sandwich to make sure he doesn't spend the $5 bucks I'd have given him on booze is actually cruel in your mind? ...
How $750 a month changed the lives of a group of homeless people in California (December 2023)
www.usatoday.com
... Can putting money directly in the hands of people experiencing homelessness make a difference? A new California study on basic income suggests it can.[emphasis mine]
Ben Henwood, a professor at the University of Southern California Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, partnered with the nonprofit Miracle Messages to give 103 people in the San Francisco Bay area and Los Angeles County $750 per month for a year. The six-month report is preliminary, but Henwood said the findings provide insight into ways to help address the problem.
"They're just segments of the population given the income disparities, that despite having jobs and working, they're not making enough to just afford basic needs and they're getting priced out of the housing market," he said.
Miracle Messages CEO and founder Kevin F. Adler said the $2.1 million study grew out of a pilot program from the nonprofit that gave 14 unhoused people $500 per month. In that study, he said the funds donated funds allowed two-thirds of the people to secure housing.
"What we've seen is most of the money being spent on a mix of housing and food security," Adler said. "We've also had folks use money for family emergencies, child care, and other basic needs." ...
House Republicans Pass a Hot Potato on Healthy Federally Subsidized Meals (2014)
time.com
... House Appropriators awoke Thursday to an op-ed in the New York Times by Michelle Obama warning them not to pass legislation that she says weakens healthy standards for school lunches passed in 2010.
"[S]ome members of the House of Representatives are now threatening to roll back these new standards and lower the quality of food our kids get in school," the First Lady wrote.
"They want to make it optional, not mandatory, for schools to serve fruits and vegetables to our kids. They also want to allow more sodium and fewer whole grains than recommended into school lunches." ...
@#11 ... Trying to escape one's current reality is nothing new. ...
Yeah, but children apparently becoming addicted to social media?
Escaping a current reality is one thing, but why?
That's a whole different question, one which you seem to be avoiding.