April 16, 2024

Thanks to a genetic breakthrough, a rare rhino species may be rescued from extinction

Thanks to a genetic breakthrough, a rare rhino species may be rescued from extinction
New research from the San Diego Zoo using just 12 frozen cells suggests we can protect the northern white rhino

By MATTHEW ROZSA
Staff Writer
PUBLISHED APRIL 16, 2024 5:30AM (EDT)


(Salon) As humans continue to encroach on our planet, we are driving a mass extinction that some experts call a "biological holocaust." Since more and more species are dying, it creates an increasing number of genetic bottlenecks, which make animal and plant survival even more difficult.

Take for example the white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum), which can be divided into two sub-species that are genetically very similar — but one is relatively thriving while the other is on the brink of extinction.

Scientists using state-of-the-art genetics technology hope to change that — and their recent research published in the journal Evolutionary Applications suggests they might be able to pull it off.

Such a feat would not be unprecedented. The southern white rhinoceroses, which is currently the most abundant rhinoceros species in the world, had been culled down to a population of merely 50 to 200 individuals in the early 20th century. Thanks to rigorous conservation efforts, however, the southern white rhinoceros population had rebounded to roughly 20,000 individuals by 2014 (a surge in poaching around that time has since reduced their population to roughly 18,000). .............(more)

https://www.salon.com/2024/04/16/thanks-to-a-genetic-breakthrough-a-rare-rhino-species-may-be-rescued-from-extinction/

April 16, 2024

Donald Trump was already a mess -- now he's falling asleep during his own trial

Donald Trump was already a mess — now he's falling asleep during his own trial
Only a few hours into the New York hush-money trial, Trump couldn't stay awake. This guy's in big trouble

By AMANDA MARCOTTE
Senior Writer
PUBLISHED APRIL 16, 2024 6:00AM (EDT)


(Salon) "Study in contrasts" is an entirely inadequate phrase to describe the different experiences of President Joe Biden and Donald Trump over the weekend. Regardless of one's opinion about the conflict in the Middle East, there's no doubt that Biden spent Saturday overseeing an impressive multinational effort to shoot down hundreds of Iranian drones, preventing what could have been a devastating attack on Israel. Meanwhile, Trump spent Saturday night babbling for more than an hour at a crowd of thousands in Pennsylvania, who gamely ignored their leader's incoherence enough to cheer whenever he dropped some of the buzzwords they know so well from Fox News.

Trump has never been big on making sense, but close observers have noticed that he's suffering a rapid decline from his already low standards lately. Saturday was a particularly cringeworthy demonstration, with Trump frequently drifting off into nonsense and stumbling over his own words.

....(snip)....

Being in court every day is hard enough for normal people, but Trump is likely to make it much harder on himself with his bad personal habits, starting with his well-documented unwillingness to sleep like a normal person. While most of us were sound asleep at 5:30 on Monday morning, Trump was going full-tilt on Truth Social, with his usual mix of hysterical lies, poor grammar and random capitalization. He's also frequently known to post social media tirades at 2 or 3 o'clock in the morning.

....(snip)....

As rich as he claims to be, Trump lacks many of the resources other wealthy defendants, or even ordinary people, might have. He's 77 years old and doesn't take care of his health, probably because thinks doing that would be doing an admission that he's not the genetic superman he so often claims to be. Most people have a network of family and friends to rely on, but the people around Trump are mostly leeches and hangers-on, not folks who genuinely have compassion for him. He was eventually able to hire top-notch lawyers for this case, but that was a struggle. As the Washington Post reports, "most prominent white-collar practices have no interest in taking on such a controversial and combative client as Trump." .................(more)

https://www.salon.com/2024/04/16/donald-was-already-a-mess-now-hes-falling-asleep-during-his-own-trial/

April 16, 2024

"I wish I had been wrong": Miles Taylor on the dire threat of Trump 2.0

"I wish I had been wrong": Miles Taylor on the dire threat of Trump 2.0
Trump regime's anonymous whistleblower says the ex-president is now "more unhinged" and even more dangerous

By CHAUNCEY DEVEGA
Senior Writer
PUBLISHED APRIL 15, 2024 5:45AM (EDT)


(Salon) Donald Trump’s first criminal trial is finally scheduled to begin this week in Manhattan, on charges of paying hush money to adult-film performer Stormy Daniels. With three other criminal cases pending in Florida, Georgia and Washington, D.C., the corrupt ex-president faces at least the hypothetical possibility of incarceration, in addition to the hundreds of millions of dollars he already owes in civil penalties and legal expenses. As a practical matter, given Trump’s advanced age and his precarious political position, a prison sentence in any of these criminal trials would be likely to end his career in public life and amount to a de facto life sentence.

....(snip)....

These same so-called adults, such as former White House chief of staff John Kelly, are now admitting publicly that Trump’s danger to America and the world was far worse than was generally known. In a recent interview with CNN, Kelly confirmed that Trump had expressed admiration for Adolf Hitler.

Unlike many others at the highest levels of Trump’s regime, Miles Taylor, who served as chief of staff in the Department of Homeland Security, spoke out early about Trump's unfitness for office, as author of the 2018 New York Times “Anonymous” editorial. Since then, Taylor has written two books, “A Warning” and “Blowback: A Warning to Save Democracy from Trump’s Revenge.” His new paperback edition of “Blowback” has just been published, incorporating an argument that Trump's second administration will be far more competent and formidable in its assault on American democracy and the rule of law than the first one was.

....(snip)....

You recently emailed me to say that we need to talk because “things have changed” regarding the danger of Donald Trump. What did you mean by that?

.....I wish I had been wrong, but Donald Trump has borne out my predictions. Since the publication of "Blowback," he has let slip his true intentions again and again. Trump admitted he wanted to use the Justice Department against his enemies if re-elected, saying the “genie” had already been let “out of the box.” He admitted he would purge civil servants en masse, vowing “retribution” to “destroy the deep state” by “firing all of the corrupt actors in our National Security and Intelligence apparatus.” He admitted he would reinstate policies like the so-called travel ban to the United States that would be “even bigger than before.” He hinted that he would seek to deploy the military on U.S. soil to enforce his edicts. (“The next time, I’m not waiting.”) He even admitted he would govern like a dictator, at least on “Day One.” ................(more)

https://www.salon.com/2024/04/15/i-wish-i-had-been-wrong-miles-taylor-on-the-dire-of-20/

April 15, 2024

If you remember the 2008 documentary "Food, Inc.", there's now a Pt. II

OP's comment: The first one is one of my favorite documentaries. Looking forward to this one.

"The curtain was pulled back": The producers of "Food Inc. 2" on why transparency in food matters
Michael Pollan and Eric Schlosser say our food system still has some serious problems — but they can be fixed

By JOY SAHA
Staff Writer
PUBLISHED APRIL 14, 2024 1:29PM (EDT)


(Salon) “Food, Inc. 2,” the long-awaited sequel to the 2008 Oscar-nominated documentary "Food, Inc,” follows in the footsteps of its revelatory predecessor. The horrifying yet thought-provoking showcase, courtesy of directors Melissa Robledo and Robert Kenner, once again meshes science, data and emotions to illustrate how our industrialized food system has gotten worse nearly 15 years later.

Much of the focus is on corporate consolidation, which has become a dire problem amid a raging global pandemic that further weakened an already vulnerable system. Several meatpacking plants — notably Tyson Foods facilities — essentially transformed into COVID super spreaders due to corporate corruption and an executive order issued by the Trump administration. In particular, “Food, Inc. 2” spotlights a Tyson meat slaughterhouse based in Waterloo, Iowa, where 13,000 out of 25,000 workers tested positive for COVID. It’s just one of many examples of how corporate power continues to fuel disparities in various sectors of society: health, economics, the environment and so much more.

Special attention is also placed on ultra-processed foods, a new category of dangerous foods that have increased in popularity and consumption in recent years. Such foods (think ice cream, chips, candies, sweetened carbonated beverages and some breakfast cereals) currently make up an estimated 73% of the US food supply. Ultra-processed foods, the documentary reveals, are major money makers for big businesses. They aren’t mass-produced solely because they taste good. They’re primarily made for capitalistic motives.

In addition to Robledo and Kenner, “Food, Inc. 2” sees the return of journalists Michael Pollan and Eric Schlosser, this time as co-producers. The duo famously co-narrated the first film and has since covered the food system at large, including workers’ rights and antitrust law. Despite the troubling situation, Pollan and Schlosser are confident that the system can be changed for the better. The documentary itself ends on an inspiring note, urging viewers to visit a campaign website that includes ways to take immediate action. ............(more)

https://www.salon.com/2024/04/14/the-curtain-was-pulled-back-the-producers-of-food-inc-2-on-why-transparency-in-matters/

April 15, 2024

"I wish I had been wrong": Miles Taylor on the dire threat of Trump 2.0

"I wish I had been wrong": Miles Taylor on the dire threat of Trump 2.0
Trump regime's anonymous whistleblower says the ex-president is now "more unhinged" and even more dangerous

By CHAUNCEY DEVEGA
Senior Writer
PUBLISHED APRIL 15, 2024 5:45AM (EDT)


(Salon) Donald Trump’s first criminal trial is finally scheduled to begin this week in Manhattan, on charges of paying hush money to adult-film performer Stormy Daniels. With three other criminal cases pending in Florida, Georgia and Washington, D.C., the corrupt ex-president faces at least the hypothetical possibility of incarceration, in addition to the hundreds of millions of dollars he already owes in civil penalties and legal expenses. As a practical matter, given Trump’s advanced age and his precarious political position, a prison sentence in any of these criminal trials would be likely to end his career in public life and amount to a de facto life sentence.

....(snip)....

These same so-called adults, such as former White House chief of staff John Kelly, are now admitting publicly that Trump’s danger to America and the world was far worse than was generally known. In a recent interview with CNN, Kelly confirmed that Trump had expressed admiration for Adolf Hitler.

Unlike many others at the highest levels of Trump’s regime, Miles Taylor, who served as chief of staff in the Department of Homeland Security, spoke out early about Trump's unfitness for office, as author of the 2018 New York Times “Anonymous” editorial. Since then, Taylor has written two books, “A Warning” and “Blowback: A Warning to Save Democracy from Trump’s Revenge.” His new paperback edition of “Blowback” has just been published, incorporating an argument that Trump's second administration will be far more competent and formidable in its assault on American democracy and the rule of law than the first one was.

....(snip)....

You recently emailed me to say that we need to talk because “things have changed” regarding the danger of Donald Trump. What did you mean by that?

.....I wish I had been wrong, but Donald Trump has borne out my predictions. Since the publication of "Blowback," he has let slip his true intentions again and again. Trump admitted he wanted to use the Justice Department against his enemies if re-elected, saying the “genie” had already been let “out of the box.” He admitted he would purge civil servants en masse, vowing “retribution” to “destroy the deep state” by “firing all of the corrupt actors in our National Security and Intelligence apparatus.” He admitted he would reinstate policies like the so-called travel ban to the United States that would be “even bigger than before.” He hinted that he would seek to deploy the military on U.S. soil to enforce his edicts. (“The next time, I’m not waiting.”) He even admitted he would govern like a dictator, at least on “Day One.” ................(more)

https://www.salon.com/2024/04/15/i-wish-i-had-been-wrong-miles-taylor-on-the-dire-of-20/

April 13, 2024

Paris Olympics: River Seine pollution could cancel triathlon swimming

(NBC News) It is supposed to be the unique centerpiece of Paris 2024: swimming events held in the river Seine thanks to an environmental rejuvenation for this romantic but polluted waterway.

This week that aspiration was dealt a filthy reality check.

The president of the Paris Organizing Committee has admitted that the triathlon swimming section could be postponed or canceled if pollution levels are still too high. His comments came after a French charity warned that bacteria, including “pollution of fecal origin,” was far higher in the river than permitted with a little over 100 days to go.

This is despite France’s spending 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) on upgrading the city’s antiquated sewage system, which discharges waste into the river during periods of heavy rainfall. ...............(more)

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/olympics/paris-olympics-river-seine-pollution-cancel-triathlon-swimming-rcna147142

April 13, 2024

Rope-entangled right whale spotted off coast of New England

(Guardian UK) A North Atlantic right whale has been spotted entangled in rope off New England, worsening an already devastating year for the vanishing animals, federal authorities said.

Right whales number less than 360 and are vulnerable to entanglement in fishing gear and collisions with ships. The entangled whale was seen on Wednesday about 50 miles (80km) south of Rhode Island’s Block Island, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said.

The mammal has rope coming out of both sides of its mouth but its distant location is making it difficult for rescuers to help, the NOAA said.

“Given the long distance from shore, experts were unable to safely travel to the last known location during daylight to attempt a rescue,” a statement said. “NOAA Fisheries and our partners will monitor this whale and attempt to respond … if possible, as weather and safety conditions allow.” ....................(more)

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/apr/13/right-whale-new-england

April 13, 2024

It's a massive election year around the world too -- and democracy may be losing

It's a massive election year around the world too — and democracy may be losing
Nearly half the world is holding elections this year — but a new report suggests democracy is in big trouble

By PAUL ROSENBERG
PUBLISHED APRIL 13, 2024 9:00AM (EDT)


(Salon) Nearly half the world’s population live in countries that will hold national elections this year, the largest such proportion in more than a century. But the big picture is complicated: “Over half of the 60 countries holding national elections this year are experiencing a democratic decline, risking the integrity of the electoral process…. The worsening election quality is concerning, given the pivotal role elections play,” warns the V-Dem Institute in a press release announcing its 2024 report, titled “Democracy Winning and Losing at the Ballot.”

....(snip)....


The extraordinary wave of 2024 elections, which encompasses seven of the world’s 10 largest countries — Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Pakistan, Russia and the U.S. — along with other prominent nations such as Iran, Mexico, South Africa, South Korea and the U.K., comes as the erosion of democracy, or “autocratization,” in V-Dem’s language, continues in many different places.

Strikingly, the report includes two contrasting perspectives: a commentary from four investigators in the larger V-Dem Project argues that the current erosion of democracy “is fairly modest,” and calls for “a more measured tone,” while a special boxed section points in the opposite direction, highlighting a growing threat that V-Dem isn’t fully capable of measuring: the authoritarian-dominated BRICS bloc of nations, which allies the autocratic regimes of Russia, Iran and China with large Global South democracies such as Brazil and South Africa.

....(snip)....

The picture was very different after the end of the Cold War. There was a broad trend of democratization in the 1990s, largely resulting from relaxed great-power backing for autocratic allies, both in the former Soviet bloc and in regions where the U.S. had “backed or installed dictators, encouraged violent repression of left-wing elements, and sponsored anti-democratic armed groups,” as Fisher wrote. After 9/11, however, the U.S. revived it’s longtime support for autocratic allies, particularly in the Islamic world. ..............(more)

https://www.salon.com/2024/04/13/its-a-massive-year-around-the-world-too--and-democracy-may-be-losing/

April 13, 2024

Six rare sawfish deaths in 7 days have scientists baffled amid bizarre Florida fish behavior

CNN
—
The smalltooth sawfish, a critically endangered animal, is in even more danger than usual in the Florida seas. Six of the rare creatures washed up dead in the past seven days, officials reported Wednesday – a dramatic increase in mortality amid a mysterious die-off that has baffled scientists for months.

These animals that look like a shark with a chainsaw-like mouth, are a part of a group of fish called elasmobranchs that include rays, skates and sharks, and they can live for several decades under normal circumstances. Typically, about five mature adults are lost each year, mostly when they are accidentally caught in fisheries.

But so far this year, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said they’ve lost 38, according to Wednesday’s report, six of which came in just the previous week.

It is still a mystery as to why the sawfish have been dying in record numbers. But divers and anglers have also reported seeing a variety of other species behaving in a highly erratic manner: spinning in circles rather than swimming. Some sawfish, too, have been spotted spinning before dying. ,........(more)

https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/12/climate/sawfish-deaths-spinning-fish-florida/index.html

April 12, 2024

Trump's so-called "Virtues": More threats of violence against his enemies

Trump's so-called "Virtues": More threats of violence against his enemies
Trump's "astonishing" propaganda video gets short shrift in mainstream media. Is it cowardice or complacency?

By CHAUNCEY DEVEGA
Senior Writer
PUBLISHED APRIL 12, 2024 5:45AM (EDT)


(Salon) Last weekend, Donald Trump issued a new barrage of threats against Americans who decline to vote for him or who otherwise resist the resurgence of the MAGA movement.

This came in the form of a new video repeatedly shared on Trump's personal disinformation platform, Truth Social. Titled “Trump’s Virtues Part II,” it extols the virtues Trump notably lacks, basically declaring that the manifestly corrupt and multiply-indicted ex-president should be followed and obeyed unquestioningly and implying that dissent is unpatriotic because Trump is a warlord facing a state of emergency. This video was reportedly created by Tom Klingenstein, partner in a Wall Street investment firm and board chairman of the Claremont Institute, who is waging what he calls a personal “war” against “the existential threat of the woke regime.”

....(snip)....

In a post on X/Twitter, former federal prosecutor Joyce Vance described the video as “an utterly astonishing message for a candidate for the presidency to embrace. And, just a clue, it's not about virtues":



....(snip)....

Seen in a larger context, Trump’s sharing of this dangerous propaganda becomes even more ominous. Trump has repeatedly demonstrated his affinity for violence, his God complex and his antipathy for democracy. Numerous mental health professionals have argued since 2015 that he is an apparent sociopath, if not a full-on psychopath. ..............(more)

https://www.salon.com/2024/04/12/so-called-virtues-more-of-violence-against-his-enemies/