In the news, Monday, February 3, 2020

________

FEB 02      INDEX      FEB 04

________

________

from BBC News (UK)

Second Mexico monarch butterfly activist found dead
A second activist campaigning for the conservation of monarch butterflies and the woods in which they hibernate has been found dead in Mexico. Raúl Hernández worked as a tour guide at a butterfly sanctuary in Michoacán state. His body, which bore signs of beatings and a head injury, was found two days after the funeral of Homero Gómez. Mr Gómez managed a monarch butterfly sanctuary in the same state and had received threats, his family said.

________

from The Spokesman-Review

Newspaper in Spokahttps://www.spokesman.com/stories/2020/feb/03/man-killed-in-shooting-in-mcdonalds-parking-in-nor/ne, Washington

Getting There: With City Line coming, STA plans expanded service elsewhere; plus, double-decker buses to Cheney?
A Spokane Transit Authority proposal would put double-decker buses on the busy route between Spokane and the home of Eastern Washington University in 2022.

Faith and Values: What overwhelms us is what brings us closer to God
by Steve Massey

Man killed in shooting in McDonald’s parking lot in northeast Spokane
Police responded to the McDonald’s at 3416 N. Market St. at about 1:15 a.m. after a woman called 911 saying her friend had been shot, according to a news release. The woman also said the shooter was still at the scene.

Then and Now: East Trent Bridge – about to be replaced – once set the standard for bridges in Spokane
The East Trent Bridge, called the East Olive Bridge when it was built in 1910, is scheduled for a complete replacement after 110 years of service. The Washington State Department of Transportation is currently considering new designs for the replacement and work could start in the spring of this year.

China opens coronavirus hospital; Seattle-area man released from hospital
China said Tuesday the number of infections from a new virus surpassed 20,000 as medical workers and patients arrived at a new hospital and President Xi Jinping said “we have launched a people’s war of prevention of the epidemic.”

UN health agency tackles misinformation over virus outbreak
The World Health Organization chief has traveled a dozen times to monitor the Ebola response in violence-marred eastern Congo. But when he planned to visit China’s capital last week over a new viral outbreak emerging from central Hubei province, his daughter got worried. The account exemplifies the fine line WHO officials are navigating between fear about the new coronavirus and hopes of increasing international preparedness about an outbreak that has taken more than 360 lives and infected at least 17,238 people in China since late December – and could become a pandemic. So far, growth has been exponential in China, but elsewhere cases remain under 150, scattered across nearly two dozen countries.

Study is halted as HIV vaccine fails test in South Africa
The latest attempt at an HIV vaccine has failed, as researchers announced Monday they have stopped giving the experimental shots in a major study. The study had enrolled more than 5,400 people since 2016 in South Africa, a country with one of the world’s highest HIV rates. Last month, monitors checked how the study was going and found 129 HIV infections had occurred among the vaccine recipients compared with 123 among those given a dummy shot, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

________

In the news, Sunday, February 2, 2020

________

FEB 01      INDEX      FEB 03

________

________

from CNN

Thousands of artifacts were taken when Hawaii's monarchy was overthrown. Now, some have returned home to Iolani Palace
About 150 years ago, Iolani Palace was a place fit for a king. Literally. The palace was home to the Hawaiian monarchy. It was where kings and queens would hold official functions, receive dignitaries from around the world and lavishly entertain guests, according to its website. But in 1893, the US government overthrew the monarchy. Thousands of items were auctioned off and sent away from their rightful homes. This month, a step was made to correct history.

________

from DW News (Deutsche Welle)

Broadcasting & Media Production Company in Bonn, Germany

Wuhan medic: 'Many more infections than official numbers show'

In Wuhan, patients are being transferred to a new 1,000-bed hospital that officials hope will help to isolate the virus's spread. But one medical technician says they are overwhelmed and cannot handle all the cases.

________

from The Spokesman-Review

Newspaper in Spokane, Washington

The Dirt: Project to relocate historic Rose Apartments progresses
The East Central Community Organization’s plans to relocate the historic Rose Apartments are moving forward. The organization filed an environmental review with the Washington state Department of Ecology to move the Rose Apartments from 1726 E. Third Ave. to 1816 E. Fourth Ave. Also: The city of Spokane is reviewing a permit for MultiCare Deaconess Hospital to build an MRI room addition. The estimated $1.2 million addition will house a new MRI machine designed to increase patient comfort

Leonard Pitts Jr.: Hillary Clinton was right
Surely you remember the “basket of deplorables.” That was Hillary Clinton’s 2016 characterization of some Donald Trump supporters. Observers saw it as a major gaffe, and conservatives erupted in hot, “How dare you!” indignation at the idea there was anything deplorable about voting for a lying, racist, misogynistic, vagina-grabbing deadbeat. Few people, if any, dared point out the obvious. Which is that Clinton was right.

Rural nursing shortages leave critical access hospitals in tough spots
While there are many rewards to working at a small, critical-access hospital, those hospitals are having trouble attracting nurses. The entire region and, indeed, the nation are facing nursing shortages. But small towns like Davenport feel those staffing holes more acutely than many other areas. At the heart of the issue for all health care facilities is a lack of capacity in the nursing educational pipeline. While plenty of people want to become nurses, the colleges and universities that educate and train them have had difficulty finding enough qualified instructors to teach them and sufficient clinical opportunities for those future nurses to get experience.

________

In the news, Saturday, February 1, 2020

________

JAN 31      INDEX      FEB 02

________

________

from The Spokesman-Review

Newspaper in Spokane, Washington

‘Rapid growth and unmet transportation needs’ make Idaho roads more dangerous, official says
Idaho’s roads are becoming increasingly dangerous with distracted drivers and a growing number of motorists, the director of the Idaho Department of Transportation said. “Drivers are more distracted than ever before,” Brian Ness told state lawmakers on a budget-setting committee Friday. “And I think technology may be to blame for much of that.”

Brexit no detour for migrants hoping to cross Channel to UK
Migrants and refugees waiting by the French side of the English Channel say Brexit hasn’t derailed their determination to cross over to pursue better lives in Britain. Mingled alongside police officers in the French port of Calais, hundreds of people live in squalid conditions and watch for a boat or truck to carry them to their dreams as stowaways.

Sue Lani Madsen: Populist movement growing in Washington amid every tax increase
On how overreach out of Olympia is fueling bi-partisan push back by Restore Washington and "Legislation by the People, for the People.”

________

from Sputnik

RIGHT-CENTER BIAS, MIXED, Broadcasting & Media Production Company out of Moscow, Russia

'Their Interests Are Aligned': Soros Claims Facebook's Zuckerberg is Helping Trump Win 2020 Election
Hungarian-American billionaire activist George Soros has repeatedly launched offensives against Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg for not being held accountable for the platform’s content and maximising profits at the expense of users. Facebook head Mark Zuckerberg should be removed from controlling the company “one way or another”, outspoken Hungarian-American, pro-liberal activist, and hedge fund manager George Soros warned, citing concerns that the CEO’s leadership of the firm could help US President Donald Trump get re-elected.

________

In the news, Friday, January 31, 2020

________

JAN 30      INDEX      FEB 01

________

________

from BBC News (UK)

Coronavirus: how quarantine has fought disease through the ages
In China's Hubei province, over a dozen cities are in lockdown in the hope of preventing further cases of the new Coronavirus. And Western countries are putting people returning from Wuhan, the city at the centre of the outbreak, into enforced isolation for up to two weeks. Quarantine has long been used to prevent the spread of diseases. The term itself comes from the first known example of the isolation method. As the Black Death raged through Europe in the 14th century, Venice enforced a rule where ships had to anchor for 40 days before crew and passengers were allowed to come ashore. The waiting period was named "quarantino", which derives from the Italian for 40.

________

from The Heritage Foundation
RIGHT BIAS,  MIXED  American conservative think tank based in Washington, D.C.

Sacrificing Public and Private Health Insurance for "Medicare for All"
Medicare for All poses a very big question: Is the promise of universal health insurance under a new government health program worth the deliberate destruction of all other public, private and employer-based coverage? A majority of House Democrats are co-sponsoring legislation to outlaw virtually all Americans’ public and private health insurance and replace it with a new government plan. In the Senate, Sen. Bernie Sanders’s "Medicare for All” bill (S. 1129) would accomplish the same objective. Americans must fully grasp the necessary trade-offs—the sacrifices—they would have to make if Congress were to create and run such a massive program. Congress can—and should—take a different approach. It should enact policies that will give individuals and families much greater control over their health care dollars and decisions, and compel health insurers and medical professionals to compete and deliver high quality care at competitive prices.

Democrats Plan to Tax Savings; Republicans Should Do the Opposite
While the first Trump tax cut raised savings rates for families, helping them build bigger nest eggs would give them better protection. The left's proposed remedy to the savings crisis is to charge even higher taxes on private savings and make Americans even more reliant on government programs. Universal Savings Accounts are a natural fit for Trump's populist, pro-growth agenda.

America Should Help Transform Central Europe
Americans looking to keep our nation free and prosperous should do everything they can to assure that our global “neighborhoods” remain stable and secure. Our transatlantic neighborhood includes Central, as well as Western, Europe—from Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia westward. Once again, it’s the time for the U.S. to take a creative step to better its transatlantic neighborhood. It would make a big difference in Europe's future—and ours.

A Brexit from Government Schooling: Toward Education Freedom in the United Kingdom
Freed of the shackles of the EU, Brexit offers a valuable window of opportunity for the United Kingdom, America’s closest friend and ally, to reassess and rethink existing policy in a whole range of areas, from defense and foreign policy to immigration and cybersecurity. Brexit offers tremendous opportunities for innovation not only in the security and intelligence arenas, but also in the vital field of education. The British government, as well as the devolved governments of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, can take significant steps toward education freedom, adopting market-based ideas that advance educational access for students and greater parental choice, as well as increased local control over schools. Restructuring the financing of education in the U.K. to allow for education choice is consistent with a broader desire for more locally determined policy. British officials should harness the enthusiasm for local control that catalyzed Brexit and pursue an education savings account for every single child in the U.K. The principles of education savings accounts—subsidiarity, competition, and parent-directed accountability—are the framework of a family-centered education system.

At $23 Trillion, the U.S. National Debt Already Exceeds the Size of the U.S. Economy
The Congressional Budget Office—Washington’s trusted fiscal watchdog—expects the federal government to hit $1 trillion-dollar mark in deficit this year. Growing benefit spending is the core driver of America’s deficits and debt. Federal debt that’s too high and rising compromises income growth, leaving us all poorer. That $23 trillion figure fails to account for massive unfunded obligations facing the U.S. government through programs such as Social Security and Medicare.. This so-called fiscal gap, which measures the difference between projected revenues and spending over the long-run, threatens future generations with ten times the current debt burden. All of this is happening while America is experiencing one of the longest economic expansions in the country’s history with unemployment at historic lows, wages rising (especially for those with lower incomes), and an economy that continues growing and expanding despite headwinds. That’s exactly the problem. It is simply unprecedented for the American nation to shoulder such high levels of deficits and debt at a time of relative peace and economic prosperity.

________

from HumanProgress.org

Education Website

Stuff of Progress, Pt. 8: Disinfectants

Chemical disinfection has helped to reduce child mortality, improve life expectancy and dramatically change our collective standard of living. Inexpensive and ubiquitous, chemical disinfectants preserve and prepare our food, clear and clean our water, notably improve our hygiene, and help to eliminate infectious bacteria and viruses that would otherwise shorten and immiserate life. Modern disinfectants hold at bay the illnesses that historically killed half of all children.

________

from The Lancet

International family of medical journals, founded in 1823

Nowcasting and forecasting the potential domestic and international spread of the 2019-nCoV outbreak originating in Wuhan, China: a modelling study
Since Dec 31, 2019, the Chinese city of Wuhan has reported an outbreak of atypical pneumonia caused by the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). Cases have been exported to other Chinese cities, as well as internationally, threatening to trigger a global outbreak. Here, we provide an estimate of the size of the epidemic in Wuhan on the basis of the number of cases exported from Wuhan to cities outside mainland China and forecast the extent of the domestic and global public health risks of epidemics, accounting for social and non-pharmaceutical prevention interventions.

________

from NBC News (& affiliates)

LEFT-CENTER BIAS

New DNC debate rules open door for Mike Bloomberg to make stage
For the Feb. 19 debate hosted by NBC News/MSNBC in Las Vegas, the party scrapped requirements that candidates have tens of thousands of individual donors.

________

from Psephizo  (blog)

Why is Franklin Graham being turned away?
Paul Eddy writes: Franklin Graham’s UK Tour sought to reach eight cities with the gospel in 2020.  As of today, three out of the eight venues, the O2 in London, Liverpool and now Sheffield have refused to sign contracts with Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA,) and others may well follow. Is this an attack on the Gospel and free speech in our country?  Or, are there simpler, but significant lessons to learn from this for the Church, and indeed, for itinerant evangelists working with churches in the UK and further afield?

________

from Reuters

International news agency headquartered in London, England

Billionaires bombard U.S. presidential campaign with hundreds of millions in cash
Two billionaire Democratic presidential hopefuls, Michael Bloomberg and Tom Steyer, collectively spent about $389 million last year on their campaigns, more than the rest of the remaining Democratic field combined, according to disclosures filed on Friday.

________

from The Spokesman-Review

Newspaper in Spokane, Washington

After 103 years watching over Otis Orchards, 60-foot tower comes crashing down
At 2:30 a.m. Saturday, Pierre Soffe awoke to the loudest noise he had ever heard. A thunderous avalanche shook his house, broke a window and terrified both him and his cat. When he put on his coat and went outside to see what had happened, he found that a 60-foot-tall river-rock tower that had watched over Otis Orchards for more than a century had collapsed.

________

from VICE

Europe Just Voted in Favor of Making iPhone and Android Use the Same Charger

The move makes it more likely the iPhone will have to use USB-C, and would cut down on lots of charging cable waste.

________

In the news, Thursday, January 30, 2020

________

JAN 29      INDEX      JAN 31

________

________

from Ars Technica

DOD tester’s report: F-35 is still a lemon
Inaccurate gun, cybersecurity issues, and poor reliability found by testing director.

________

from CBS News (& affiliates)

Warrant Issued For BU Researcher Who Allegedly Worked As Agent For Chinese Government
BOSTON (CBS) – The FBI released a wanted poster for Yanqing Ye, a woman accused of working on behalf of the Chinese government while she was studying in the Boston University Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biomedical Engineering. Ye is wanted for acting as an agent of a foreign government, visa fraud, making false statements and conspiracy.

________

from Conciliar Post

CATHOLICISM: WHAT YOU’D EXPECT

From the perspective of the Catholic Church, ‘Christianity’ and ‘Catholicism’ are only distinct concepts due to the unfortunate appearance of heretical and schismatic sects, some of which have split off from the original Church while remaining close enough to Church doctrine to be considered broadly ‘Christian’. These groups, in the words of Jerome, ‘tear the robe of Christ’ by keeping some elements of divine doctrine while rejecting others. In their hands, the seamless weave of Catholic truth is torn and refitted according the private interpretations and preferences of man.

________

from DW News (Deutsche Welle)

Broadcasting & Media Production Company in Bonn, Germany

Coronavirus: WHO declares global health emergency
The UN's health arm said the move was to protect countries with "weaker health systems." However, the WHO also said there was no reason for measures that unnecessarily interfere with international travel and trade.

________

from FEE (Foundation for Economic Education)

RIGHT-CENTER BIAS, HIGH, non-profit organization

Why Super Bowl Halftime Performers Get Paid $0 to Play

The Super Bowl halftime show benefits both the NFL and the artists who perform, even if the performers aren't receiving checks.

________

from The Mercury News

Newspaper · Broadcasting & Media Production Company in San Jose, California

Gold! Treasure lost at sea in 1857 shipwreck goes on display in California
More than $50 million worth of gold bars, coins and dust that’s been described as the greatest lost treasure in U.S. history is about to make its public debut in California after sitting at the bottom of the ocean for more than 150 years. The 3,100 gold coins, 45 gold bars and more than 80 pounds (36 kilograms) of gold dust recovered from the wreckage of the S.S. Central America steamship are now sitting in a makeshift laboratory just south of Los Angeles.

________

from Mises Institute
RIGHT-CENTER BIAS, MIXED

Why Democracy Doesn't Give Us What We Want
That Americans are in the throes of a crisis in democracy has become a commonplace refrain of late. I have noticed that almost all such commentary treats political democracy, implicitly or explicitly, as the ideal.

________

from The Spokesman-Review

Newspaper in Spokane, Washington

________

from Sputnik

RIGHT-CENTER BIAS, MIXED, Broadcasting & Media Production Company out of Moscow, Russia

Stage Set for Brexit as Boris Johnson Withdrawal Deal Clears Final Hurdle Ahead of Friday Exit Date
On 29 January the European Parliament approved the UK Withdrawal Agreement. If similarly approved in a vote by the European Council on Thursday, the United Kingdom will officially leave the EU on midnight on Friday, entering an 11-month transition period , with the deadline of 31 December for Britain and Brussels to hammer out a free trade deal.

________

from USA Today

I'm the pro-life Democrat who confronted Pete Buttigieg. He's pushing out valuable voters.
I support all the major Democratic causes of our day. But my party won't tolerate any dissent on abortion, and it is driving away voters like me.

________

In the news, Wednesday, January 29, 2020

________

JAN 28      INDEX      JAN 30

________

________

from DW News (Deutsche Welle)

Broadcasting & Media Production Company in Bonn, Germany

Countries evacuate citizens from China as coronavirus infections rise
Thousands of foreigners are among those quarantined in Wuhan as countries scramble to evacuate their citizens from China. The number of confirmed cases in the deadly viral outbreak has risen to nearly 6,000.

________

from Reason Magazine

Magazine in Los Angeles, California

Socialist Venezuela Proposes To Privatize Its Collapsing Oil Industry
In 2007, Venezuela's Bolivarian socialist government under President Hugo Chavez seized without compensation the assets of several private American oil production and service companies then operating in that country. In the succeeding years, socialist efficiency has had its totally predictable effects on the Bolivarian Republic's oil industry—it's cratered. Chavez's hapless successor, President Nicolas Maduro, is now reportedly proposing to sell a majority stake in, and give control of the country's state-owned oil company, Petroleos de Venezuela SA, to private international oil companies. This offer may be less than tempting to Big Oil since the Bolivarian Republic still owes billions to the oil companies whose property it seized 10 years ago.

________

from scoop.me

international news sharing platform with headquarters in Vienna, Austria

Finland ends homelessness and provides shelter for all in need
In Finland, the number of homeless people has fallen sharply. The reason: The country applies the “Housing First” concept. Those affected by homelessness receive a small apartment and counselling – without any preconditions. 4 out of 5 people affected thus make their way back into a stable life. And: All this is cheaper than accepting homelessness.

________

from The Spokesman-Review

Newspaper in Spokane, Washington

________

from Sputnik

RIGHT-CENTER BIAS, MIXED, Broadcasting & Media Production Company out of Moscow, Russia

Rouhani Describes Trump’s Middle East Initiative as ‘Most Despicable Plan of Century’
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani described US President Donald Trump’s recently-announced Middle East peace initiative as the “most despicable plan of the century.” On Tuesday, Trump laid out his so-called deal of the century alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington, setting the terms for a future peace deal between Israelis and Palestinians. Netanyahu has supported the deal, while Palestinian politicians have condemned the agreement, vowing to reject it unequivocally.

Erdogan Slams Trump's Mideast Peace Plan, Urges US to Deliver F-35s
On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump unveiled his peace plan for the Middle East aimed at resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Trump's Mideast peace plan is "absolutely unacceptable", Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said. "Jerusalem is sacred for Muslims. The plan to give Jerusalem to Israel is absolutely unacceptable. This plan ignores Palestinians' rights and is aimed at legitimising Israel's occupation," Erdogan said, as quoted by CNN Turk broadcaster.

________

In the news, Tuesday, January 28, 2020

________

JAN 27      INDEX      JAN 29

________

________

from The Guardian (UK)

George III's vast collection of military maps goes online
George III may never have left the south of England or fought on a battlefield, but he explored the world through a vast collection of military maps that are now being made available online, offering extraordinary insight into the art of warfare and mapping. Highlights include two-metre-wide maps of the American War of Independence. Known as the king who lost America, George followed the steady erosion of his hold on American colonies from the comfort of his library at Buckingham House, now Buckingham Palace.

Wales to ban parents smacking their children from 2022
A move to ban parents from smacking children has been approved by the Welsh assembly and is expected to come into force in 2022 following a £2m awareness campaign. Supporters said it was a historic day for Wales and would stop mothers and fathers using physical violence as punishment, but opponents argued it could criminalise loving parents.

________

from Idaho State Journal

Newspaper in Pocatello, Idaho

First female F-35B pilot is member of Shoshone-Bannock Tribes
Sen. Mike Crapo has honored a Shoshone-Bannock Tribal member who became the first female F-35B jet fighter pilot. Crapo, R-Idaho Falls, submitted a Congressional Record Statement honoring U.S. Marine Capt. Anneliese Satz of Boise on Sept. 9.

________

from NBC News (& affiliates)

LEFT-CENTER BIAS

Klobuchar: Voters should 'evaluate' Bloomberg on debate stage
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said Tuesday that she's open to seeing former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg join the Democratic Party's presidential debate stage so that voters will have a way to see how he stacks up against the rest of the field.

________

from The Spokesman-Review

Newspaper in Spokane, Washington

________

In the news, Monday, January 27, 2020

________

JAN 26      INDEX      JAN 28

________

________

from AIER | American Institute for Economic Research

FDR and Stalin Planned the Future of the World
Stalin felt stronger than ever at the Yalta conference. In the eyes of Western leftists, the Soviet Union offered the hope of a bright socialist tomorrow, where toiling workers ruled in place of capitalist profit mongers, and want and worry were to be vanished through the miracle of government central planning. In the early 1930s, FDR said that he admired the fact that the Soviet people “all seem really to want to do what is good for their society instead of [like Americans] wanting to do for themselves.” In 1945, when he came back from the Yalta Conference, the President told members of his cabinet that he found in Stalin’s nature “the way in which a Christian gentleman should behave.”

________

from The Spokesman-Review

Newspaper in Spokane, Washington

Then and Now: Riblet Mansion
The historic home built by Royal N. Riblet on a rock outcropping overlooking the Spokane River Valley, is one of Spokane’s most recognizable homes. It is now called the Cliff House Estate by its owners, Arbor Crest Wine Cellars.

________