Grizzlies Get a Reprieve

Grizzly bears living in western Wyoming received a reprieve from a federal Court of Appeals when it ruled that federal officials had to consider the impact of continued cattle grazing  in the mountainous region.  The court asked the wildlife officials to consider limiting the number of female grizzlies that could be killed for preying on livestock.  The ruling sides with environmental groups who sued the US Fish and Wildlife Service in 2020 for female grizzly deaths.

Grizzlies have made a remarkable comeback since they were listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. They are still on the list of protected species, but population growth as much as tenfold since the 1970s have put them in increasing contact with humans.  Grizzly deaths have significantly increased in the Green River headwaters of the Wind River range. In 2019 the Forest Service granted a ten year lease extension that allows 9,000 head of cattle to graze 270 square miles of the Bridger-Teton National Forest.  Under the grazing plan, managers could kill up to 72 bears over ten years, or double the number killed in the previous two decades.  Environmentalists objected, saying that female grizzlies are key to the species success since they bear responsibility for reproduction.  The plaintiffs expressed satisfaction with the Tenth Circuit decision after loosing in the district court.  Previous grazing plans put limits on the number of female bears that could be killed, but the latest plan contained no distinction between the sexes. The panel deemed the plan "arbitrary and capricious" for not considering the impact of killing females. The three member panel also included a requirement that livestock wranglers carry bear spray, to reduce the number of deadly encounters with the big bears.

P-113

In another positive wildlife story, a cougar living in the Simi Hills of Southern California, hemmed in by Los Angeles freeways and tracked by wildlife biologists, has given birth to three healthy cubs.  A five year old mountain lion labeled P-77  has been tracked via a radio telemetry collar since 2019.  She has successfully crossed both the 101 and 118 freeways according to the National Park Service, and has made the patch of forest her adult home.  The female cubs, labeled P-113, 114, 115 were found at about 24 days old.  The photo of one of the cubs shows the characteristic blue eyes of a young lion.  Her father is not known to biologists.  The new births are welcomed given the number of recent mortalities among local lions.  The National Park Service has been studying the Santa Monica Mountains population since 2002 to understand how the cougars coup with an intensely fragmented environment. Santa Monica National Recreation Area is one of only five Mediterranean ecosystems in the world.

Supremes Strike Again

The conservative Court struck another blow against environmental protection by significantly limiting the scope of the Clean Water Act.  On Thursday conservative Justice Alito writing for the majority, ruled in Sackett v. EPA that the Act does not apply to wetlands near water bodies unless they are connected at the surface.  The opinion flies in the face of hydrological science, ignores several decades of prior interpretation of the term "adjacent" and curtails authority of the EPA to enforce the requirements of the law. Conservative policy activists, developers and agriculturalists hailed the decision as a victory for property owners,  The Sackett were represented by the Pacific Legal Foundation, funded in part by the Koch Bros. and Sarah Scaife. It will have major negative impacts on the nation's water quality according to experts.

The case was brought by homeowners who did not want to suffer the oversight of EPA for a "soggy residential lot" on which they wanted to build.  The wetland in question was separated from Priest Lake by a road.  The owners started to fill in the bog in 2007 with sand and gravel until they were ordered to stop and restore the land. Instead the wealthy couple sued the EPA. There was near unanimous agreement that the soggy lot was beyond regulation, but the Court split 5-4 on removing the EPAs authority over wetlands not connected to jurisdictional water bodies at the surface.  Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh joined the minority on this issue.  It was the second time recently the Court has limited the EPA's jurisdiction.  In June it ruled to limit the ability of the agency to restrict power plant emissions contributing to global warming.  

This Court clearly wants to undo the administrative framework of agency regulations governing a wide range of subjects from climate to finance to public health using a legal rubric of a "clear statement" from Congress to delegate authority to administrative agencies.  It used a close cousin of this doctrine known as the "major question doctrine" to invalidate regulation of power plant emissions.  Legal observers note that this doctrine was rarely used prior to this Court, but is a "pop-up" rule utilized recently by conservatives who are anti-regulation.  Environmentalists are calling on Congress to explicitly include adjacent wetlands in an amendment to the Clean Water Act.

Corporate Welfare at Work

Repugnants drone on about out-of-control federal spending except when it comes to corporate welfare and the DOD.  Case in point: Hanford Nuclear Waste Site.  Hanford was the facility for the nation's WWII nuclear weapons production as part of the Manhattan Project. Consequently it is now the nation's most contaminated waste site. Clean up began in 1980 and is still far from complete.  In fact boiling radioactive sludge is leaking out of an underground tank, B-109.  Another leaking take B-211 has been contaminating the ground water and soil since at least 2011 when the leak was discovered.  One hundred and seventy seven underground storage tanks are six decades past their useful life hold 56 million gallons of highly radioactive sludge.  The waste threatens the Columbia River and make the area, half the size of Rhode Island, off-limits to the public. Cleaning up Hanford is estimated to take $677 billion with $177 billion. Each year $2 billion is funneled to the clean up, the costs are embedded in the Department of Energy's budget since remediation is an imperative both parties endorse.  Both the Senate and House appropriations committees recently asked President Biden for more money for the Hanford budget.

The privately owned construction behemoth and prime contractor, Bechtel, is unable to stop the leaks.  It's record of contract performance is particularly bad.  Yet year after year it receives tax dollar for its contract to build a vitrification plant to encapsulate radioactive material that has a half-life of 250,000 years.  Despite working on the plant for twelve years, the waste treatment facility has not processed a single drop of radioactive waste. Estimates put the plant's construction cost at $20 billion, and operating costs at $60 billion.  A very lucrative tab to be running with Uncle Sam.  In 2018 the Energy Department excoriated Bechtel for its shoddy work and lack of corrective actions on the waste treatment project.  In 2020 Bechtel and AECOM Energy and Construction paid $58 million in fines for overcharging the government for extended overhead.  In 2016 the companies paid $125 million for using substandard materials.  Finally in 2019 the Inspector General downgraded performance ratings to "marginal".  Despite these rip-offs, Bechtel continues to get its contracts renewed, probably because no other competent company wants the business.

One of the reasons federal spending seems to be skyrocketing is the lack of accountability and oversight over contractors getting fat on federal largest.  No doubt Hanford needs to be made safe. The corroding  storage tanks also produce hydrogen, which could explode producing nuclear fallout on the level of Chernobyl.  Hanford polluted as a national sacrifice zone in the cause of winning a world war. Consequently remediation is the nation's responsibility.  But the clean up could be accomplished with a lot more efficiency.

TWIT: Hit Him Again!

credit: Rivers
BC Idonwanna sez: Election 2024 is night of living dead!

Trump cannot keep his slanderous mouth shut, so E. Jean Caroll sued him again this time for $10 million. The Orchre Menance called Ms. Caroll a "wack job" and denied knowing her during the CNN town hall broadcast and on his web platform.

Other important events TWIT: Steward Rhodes, leader of the Oath Keepers militia group, was sentenced to 18 years for seditious conspiracy. The prosecution asked for twenty-five, but they got the judge to agree to a sentence enhancement for "terrorism".  Judge Mehta told Rhodes at the sentencing hearing,“I dare say, Mr. Rhodes – and I never have said this to anyone I have sentenced – you pose an ongoing threat and peril to our democracy and the fabric of this country,” A second leader from Florida, Kelly Meggs, was given a twelve year sentence. The convicted felons hope for a pardon from the leader, who is still at large.

Jack Smith may be coming to an end of his investigation of the Mar-a-Lago Papers case according to reports. It seems his prosecutors have interviewed everybody at the resort including housekeepers and maintenance staff about what they know of the classified documents stashed by Individual One. It is undeniably clear he did not fully cooperate with the grand jury when it subpoenaed him in May 2022 to return government records. His staff practiced moving boxes of documents before the subpoena was even received. Boxes were moved by valet Walt Nauta and another staff person one day before the DOJ visited the resort to collect the government records. Smith is inquiring into what his motives were for hoarding classified material. He issued a subpoena to the Trump Organization for financial records, apparently looking for a nexus between classified documents Individual One kept in his desk, and business dealings with the Saudis.

The Saudi Royal family has invested in Trump golf courses through its sovereign fund. LIV Golf is 93% owned by the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund. This year Trump golf courses will host three tournaments for LIV Golf. It is no wild speculation to think he may have shown classified material to Saudi representatives visiting his Florida office. Witnesses have testified under oath that he kept classified material in the open on his desk, and showed it to aides and visitors. Some of the classified records he illegally hoarded relate to Iran's nuclear weapons program, which the Saudis would undoubtably be interested to see since Iran is a sworn enemy of the Kingdom. If he did reveal classified information to a foreign government, it would be a serious violation of the Espionage Act, as well as provide a pecuniary motive for his seemingly quixotic refusal to turn over all government records in his possession when the government demanded them. Trump's lawyers are clearly worried about the Papers Case. They asked in a letter to Attorney General Garland to speak to him about the prosecution.

Fanni Willis is gearing up to indict Trumpilini for election interference and RICO charges in Georgia. An indictment is expected to be handed down in August or September. Trump will make history as the only presidential candidate running for office while a criminal defendant. District Attorney Willis has made a reputation for her use of Georgia's Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organization statute. She indicted 35 Atlanta school teachers charged with falsifying test results, and the rapper Young Thug and his alleged gang. Willis hired a known expert on RICO prosecutions, John E. Floyd who wrote the book, to be part of her team of prosecutors According to a Brooking Institution analysis, Trumpillini could be charged with election fraud, forgery, making false statements, and witness tampering. Georgia has precedent for bringing a RICO prosecution against public officials; RICO is no longer just for the Tony Sopranos of the world. It could not happen to a nicer guy!

Of course the ultimate criminal case against the former guy is the January 6th Conspiracy. The investigation is on-going, but does not appear to be close to a conclusion given the breath of the attempted coup and the number of people involved. Prosecuting Trumpilini for leading an attempt to overthrow a national election is a historically momentous prosecution fraught with political overtones. Smith has to get it right the first time.

credit: B. Day

Minnesota Joins Election Compact

The count is now 205 with the addition of Minnesota to the Interstate Voting Compact.  The nation is within shouting distance of the magic 270 electoral votes.  It is possible that USA could exceed that number by 2028.  As US Person told you before {16.04.2007}, the Compact is the only realistic way the anachronistic Electoral College, which facilitated the attempted MAGA Coup of 2020 can be effectively eliminated.  If the 270 vote level is reached by eight more states joining, then the presidency will be decided by a national popular vote, as it properly should be.  Nevada, Maine and Michigan control 25 electoral votes and are in control of Democratic legislatures.  Michigan is set to join later this year. Maine may join next year, followed by Nevada if a 2026 referendum approves joining. Five more states controlling 40 or more electoral votes must be won by state Democrats.  Not an impossible task, but certainly difficult. See the map, below:  

The 100 Year Old War Criminal

Yes, that's right. Henry Kissinger turns 100 this weekend. He has lived an elite, high-profile life of exclusive social events, dating Hollywood starlets, and receiving prestigious awards, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1973 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977. And while he is known for leading the Paris peace talks that ended the Vietnam War, he has a much darker reputation--"Dark Brandon"-- that has been ignored in the last half century since the end of America's most unpopular and controversial war. The Intercept has posted a series of articles concerning his role in Nixon's secret war in Cambodia.  Newly released archive documents show a monstrous bombing campaign on a neutral nation that killed upwards of 150,000 civilian Cambodians living along the Vietnam-Cambodian border [map], a figure much higher than previously reported. Kissinger himself admitted to only 50,000 civilian casualties during the campaign. The US flew over 230,000 sorties over Southeast Asia. Besides killing innocents in great numbers, the secret campaign did not succeed in suppressing communist insurgency. The Khmer Rouge grew from a small force of fewer than 10,000 in 1969 to over 200,000 troops and militia in 1973 using the bombing campaign as recruiting propaganda.

Nixon came to power promising to end the war in Vietnam. But in December 1970 he expanded it by attacking Cambodian border areas [map], allegedly in pursuit of the NVA and Viet Cong seeking sanctuary in the neighboring country. He called Kissinger in a rage demanding, "everything that can fly to go in and crack the hell out of them". Minutes later National Security Advisor Kissinger was on the phone with his military aide, General Haig, relaying the order for attack. Planning for a military campaign had begun two years earlier, just one month after Nixon took office. Kissinger has never been held to account for his participation in what Christopher Hitchens labeled in his book, "The Trial of Henry Kissinger", war crimes. In 2002 an Australian human rights activist attempted to secure an arrest warrant from a British court in 2002 under the Geneva Convention of 1957. Slobodan Milosevic, the former Yugoslav President, was on trial for war crimes. The court refused to issue a warrant citing insufficient evidence. Kissenger has enjoyed imputinty for his actions for five decades. The bombing of civilians by the American military can be traced from the Cambodian campaign to the later warfare in Lybia, Somalia, Yemen and Afghanistan. [Peter Sellers as "Dr. Strangelove"]

The new evidence shows villagers in the boarder zone were intensely bombed and strafed by US aircraft, sometimes everyday. One survivor recalls that a US helicopter gunship attacked unarmed farmers working in the rice fields. Surviving military records of the various operations in the border zone are sparse; the military campaign was a secret operation to avoid adverse US public reaction. Some records were falsified to maintain secrecy. American planes taking off on missions to bomb South Vietnam were rerouted in midair to their real targets in Cambodia. Records were altered to show that the sites authorized to be bombed actually were bombed, while evidence of the real bombing runs was destroyed. General Creighton W. Abrams, commander of US forces in Vietnam at that time, told Congress that a furnace dedicated to the destruction of this evidence “burned probably 12 hours a day.” One operation is prominent for its brutality: Operation Menu, B-52 bombing runs against the border region. Another survivor recalls a B-52 strike on the village of Por in which "everything was destroyed". He lost 17 members of his family in the air raid. In the village of Mroan half the residents, about 250 people, were wiped out. Kissenger approved each one of the 3,875 sorties in a region he told an inquiring journalist was "essentially unpopulated". There are more  harrowing examples of the human devastation caused by US bombing raids and ground incursions in the Intercept post. In January 1971 Congress passed the Cooper-Church amendment outlawing US ground operations in Cambodia, but US military incursions did not stop. The Nixon administration lied about their military activity.

Kissenger did all of this for a man he did not respect, and for a cause he thought was lost after his first visit to Vietnam. He declared after his political mentor Nelson Rockefeller lost the nomination that, "Nixon is not fit to be President". Yet he persisted in his support of Nixon's policies of an 'honorable end' to the war that prolonged it and killed millions. His rationale was apparently that US prestige and power wouild suffer irreparable damage if it simply withdrew from the conflict. An interesting footnote to history is that Hillary Clinton wrote in her review of  Kissinger's book, "World Order", that she considers him a friend.

COTW: EV Performance Improving

The chart shows that the median range of electrical vehicles has almost quadrupled in the space of a decade.  Electric vehicles are still expensive despite government tax credits for their purchase. Gas powered cars will still be around in 2050, as people hold on to their conventional cars longer. The average age of light vehicles is now 12.5 years, an all-time high.  There is an argument that running your gas-powered car longer will reduce the impact of mining for battery components, and pollution from manufacturing new EVs, as well as allowing time for the industry to mature.  California, the state with the most vehicles, has banned their sale after 2035. EVs can be expected to last 15 to twenty years; most new ones come with an eight year or 100,000 mile (federal minimum) manufacturer's warranty,  

Ion batteries degrade over time, becoming less efficient and powerful; it is an unavoidable fact of battery chemistry.  Studies based on Nissan's Leaf and Telsa S, which have been on the road for a decade have shown that vehicle batteries are holding up well.  Renault-Nissan Energy Services estimated in 2019 its Leaf batteries could last as long and twenty-two years. There have been two recalls for battery replacement in only two models, Chevrolet Bolt and Hyundai Kona.  This chart shows reported battery replacement by 15,000 owners:

credit: Recurrent

If you are considering buying an EV, you may be doing so partially based on environmental concerns.  One question to ask is, what is your prospective manufacturer doing with used batteries?  A ion battery may be too weak to power a vehicle, but can still hold enough electric charge to do other work.  Nissan estimates that a twenty-year old cell could store 40% of its original energy capacity.  Plans are still being made by manufacturers for reusing a massive amount of discarded batteries as EV fleets age.  These batteries contain toxic materials as well as reusable materials and should not be disposed of carelessly, if EVs are to maintain their clean and sustainable energy reputation.

 

TWIT: Ignorance Is Not a Defense

credit: P. Bagley

Trumpillini has consistently claimed that as POTUS he "automatically" declassified documents when they were transferred to his possession from the White House.  Ignorance of the law is not a legal defense.  Not only that, there is now evidence in the public domain that the National Archives communicated to Trump and his lawyers during his presidency the proper way to declassify classified material.  Sixteen records from the National Archives will be transmitted next week to the Special Counsel investigating the Mar-a-Lago papers case showing that Der Leder and his aides were fully informed about how classified material should be handled.  Eighteen former White House officials have called his claim of omnipotence, "bull***t".

Further, the Presidential Records Act does not contemplate "a negotiation" in regard to custody of presidential records. His repeated claims of "negotiation" may be erroneously based on Nixon's initial refusal to turn over his presidential papers. Since that time the Presidential Records Act (1978) was passed making all presidential records public property. Willful violation of the Act is potentially a criminal violation under 18 USC Sec. 2071. Col. Oliver North of Iran-Contra fame was prosecuted under this provision. One of Trumpillini's attorneys in the papers case resigned after Trump blew-up the veracity of the attorney's written statements to Congress in an interview with CNN.  In sum, Trump was warned but he did it anyway.

Rudy Giuliani has been sued by a former aide for sexual abuse, and unpaid wages, among other lurid claims.  In her complaint the former employee alleges that Giuliani asked her if she knew of anyone that needed a pardon.  He could get one for $2 million, which Giuliani would share with the President.  Giuliani has denied the allegation.  Bill Barr is not sure if the allegation is false.

credit: J. Darkow
BC Idonwanna sez: Need pardon--trade here!

Ukraine: Another Korea?

It is certainly within the realm of possbile outcomes to Putin's War on Ukraine. US officials see the possiblity of the conflict begin put into a "deep freeze" with both sides ceasing military operations, but neither side admiting to defeat or ending the war permanently. The 50+ year cease fire on the Korean Pennisula is the leading example of such an outcome. While not preferable, a long term cease fire would be politically acceptable to the United States and its western allies since no one in that camp wants a prolonged hot war. Officials confirmed they are planning for this end game. The long-touted Ukraine counteroffensive is unlikely to completely dislodge Russia from eastern Ukrainian territory, if it occurs, and an invasion of Crimea is simply too complex and costly for Ukraine to execute successfully.  Recall that Putin invaded Ukraine in a "special operation" when Ukraine was politically unable to resist. At a minimum, Ukraine needs to regain access to the Azov Sea and its ports before agreeing to any prolonged ceasefire.  That will require sufficient men and material to defeat 150,000 entrenched Russian troops. A difficult mission for any political leader to undertake.  Interstate wars that last more than a year historically last on average a decade with sporadic conflict. (e.g. Iran-Iraq War 1980-1990)

the ruins of Bakhmut

Contingency planning in war is normal. The US administration stresses that the shooting war will continue for some time, and during that time NATO has Ukraine's back. JCS Chair, Gen. Mark Milley, has repeatedly stated he thinks the war will end in a negotiated settlement. Transfers from exisiting US weapon stockpiles have decreased in recent months, while aid packages to purchase weapons from manufacturers has increased, indicating a shift in policy planning to the long-term. The imminent threat to Ukraine's existence as a nation has abated for now; its increased military capabilities are exhibited in its robust air-defense around Kyiv. (29 of 30 missiles in latest barrage claimed downed including hypersonic Kinzhal cruise missiles)  President Zelensky recently stated his nation needs more time and weaponry to launch its offensive, but his western allies are becoming skeptical while the carnage continues.

 *Daily Kos offers some hypothetical tactical moves Ukraine could make in an attempt to re-take Crimea.  While all good ideas (shipping interdiction, long-range missile strikes on ground targets, low-level air strikes against Black Sea Fleet ships launching Kalibr missiles, etc) these will not eliminate the need for ground forces to invade and occupy the peninsula.  Russia has too many high value military installations, as well as a large portion of ethnic Russians living there to abandon it without a fight.  Think of Crimea as a geographic castle, which if put to the siege, will resist until the walls are breached.  Sufficiently large airborne or amphibious assaults are beyond Ukraine's current military capability.  See below.  Only one practical land bridge to Crimea exists: the 5km wide Perekop Peninsula.   Defensive forces have been guarding it since the Greeks.  There is a large isthmus-wide ditch and earthen wall built by the Tartars in the late Middle Ages.  It has been used since then by both German and Soviet troops.  Although crossable by modern armor vehicles, it will certainly slow an advance especially if zeroed by Russian artillery and airstrikes.  And there are three more lines of defense beyond it.  Gen. Manstein's dismounted storm troopers took 1,000 casualties successfully beaching Soviet defensive lines in five days. The battle for Bakhmut has lasted eight months.  

 Then there is the citadel of Sevastopol with its naval and airbases.  Armed forces of Ukraine have already suffered an estimated 100,000+ casualties. Liberating Crimea could easily cost upwards of another 100,000, despite marginal advantages in western-supplied weapon systems, and assuming the war remains conventional. There are unconfirmed reports that teams of partisan saboteurs are operating in Belgorad Oblast, Russia.  A nuclear artillery storage facility is located just north of  Belgorad. and could be a target. 

 Color US Person skeptical.  F-16s will not win the war--blood and guts might. US Person is not opposed to allowing Ukraine to eventually use numerous F-16s, Grippens, Rafaels, or Typhoons supplied by European allies.  The 4.5G  F-16 model is being replaced by 5G fighters by some nations in the western alliance.  It takes time and resources to properly train fighter pilots and establish a logistical infrastructure to fight an advanced aircraft effectively.  For now (18 mos.), Ukraine should put its Air Force to the maximum effective use using familiar equipment, supplied western munitions, and existing logistics.  To repeat, the MiG-29 is not entirely obsolete, but is aging since its introduction in 1983.  Yes, its radar is outranged by more modern units.  But the Fulcrum was built to counter the F-16, no mean feat.

most of the Ukrainian Navy--the Yuri Olefirenko

Listen to the Birds

Scientific research has shown that interacting with Nature is good for your body and your mind.  Two studies published last year in Scientific Reports find that birdsong is good for our mental health.  US Person always enjoys listening to birdsong outside his window at dawn even if he is immersed indorvielle The dawn chorus has noticeably lessening over the last two decades, so he makes an effort to maintain a yard space hospitable to birds. A graduate of Max Planck Institute for Human Development and an author of one of the studies says, “The special thing about birdsongs is that even if people live in very urban environments and do not have a lot of contact with nature, they link the songs of birds to vital and intact natural environments.”

For the tech obsessed, one study should be of special interest.  Researchers asked 1300 participants to collect information about their environments and well being using an APP on their smart devices three times a day.  They were not told what type of information the researchers were interested to obtain. The data set collected showed that hearing or seeing birds persistently improved mental well being.  US Person can personally attest to this effect as young child laying ill in hospital bed when he listened to cardinal sing outside his room window.  He still recalls that special moment, as it seemed the bird was singing to him.  An author of this study from Kings College London said the bird effects works with patients experiencing depression too.

If you listen to recorded birdsong for six minutes with headphones, you also experience the healing effect of their song. Two hundred ninety-five study participants listened to recordings of traffic noise or birdsong.  Those listening to birdsong experienced lessened levels of anxiety and paranoia.  Going out into Nature to hear birdsong and view green landscapes reduces rumination, which is linked to depressive states and mental illness.  Even if your frontier stops at your lot lines you can enjoy the health benefits of Nature and her singing creatures.

The Last of Her Kind

These extinction stories are very sad, and there will be more of them in the future. The last female Yangtze soft-shell turtle (Rafetus swinhoei) was found dead in April in Dong Mo Lake, northern Vietnam.  Only two males are known to survive, one in a nearby lake and another in Suzhu zoo.  Conservation efforts by Asian Turtle Program, an NGO, have been underway for several years without success.  Now only finding another wild female will allow hope for this species. Females can lay clutches of up to thirty eggs.

an 1873 illustration

The Yangtze turtle was once found in China's Red River basin, lower Yangtze River and norther Vietnam. The usual threats reduced it to just a few individuals hanging on in isolated waterbodies.  Its possible that a few more remain hidden from humans in Vietnam and Laos. In Vietnamese mythology, it represents the god Kim Qui, who helped the Vietnamese overthrow a millennium of Chinese rule. According to legend Emperor Le Loi returned a magic sword to the god in Lake Hoam Kiem in Hanoi after using it to expel the Chinese.  A Yangtze turtle survived in the lake until 2016; today there are no gods in Lake Hoam Kiem.

The nearest living relative is the Euphrates soft-shell turtle (Rafetus euphraticus), which is also endangered.  A problem is the lack of funding for searching for potential mates.  Compared to the amounts spent on elephant and tiger conservation, very little money is expended on turtle recovery.  There is little time left to rescue critically endangered species like the Yangtze turtle.  Scientists estimate that the extinction rate for all species now is perhaps a 1,000 times higher than previously occurred on Earth.

TWIT: He's Baaaack!

Update: Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts introduced a bill to expand the Supreme Court by four new justices.  He told gathered reporters that the nation cannot afford to wait until a radicalized Supreme Court hands down decisions altering the foundations of liberal democracy.  He said Congress has constitutionally expanded the court in the past and can do it again.

CNN gave the Ochre Menace a nationwide platform allowing him to broadcast his destructive propaganda in a so-called New Hampshire town hall packed with MAGAites.  Attempts by the interviewer to confront him with the facts were puny and ineffective.  He still spews the myth of a stolen election and his ad hominem attacks were cheered on by the audience.  If CNN thought it was performing a public service they were sadly disabused by his performance.  Trumpillini has an amazing ability to maintain his delusional world view and communicate its putrid contents to his cult followers.  He told Repugnants in Congress to go ahead and cause a default if Biden does not agree to massive cuts in spending.  

A default would cause enormous economic problems and undoubtably crash Wall Street.  Nonetheless, he minimized the effect of a default by saying it might only might cause "a bad day or week".  Of course the unspoken comment is that Trumpillini would benefit politically from holding the economy hostage.  He also said he was inclined to pardon people who stormed the Capitol on his behalf.  Moderate Senator Mitt Romney said Trump is, "untethered to the truth and untethered to the constitutional order. "  Why then is he allowed to continue his campaign of hate and lies? It is inexplicable, except for the fact that our national government is exceedingly dysfunctional. 

credit: Britt
Wackydoodle axes: Civil war?

Wisconsin's first primary debate is in August, just in time for Fani Willis' anticipated indictment of Der Leder for election interference in Georgia.  Coincidence?  Somehow US Person doubts that, but perhaps he is being too cynical about 'Merican politics.  Look at the chart:

Wisconsin is in a pivotal position when it comes to Electoral College math along with Georgia and Arizona.  Biden won Wisconsin with only 0.6% of the popular vote.  Four of the last six presidential elections have been decided by less than 1% in that state.  It seems that Meritt Garland has decided to wait out an indictment of Trump for his numerous crimes, and let the ignorant masses decide what to do with the man who would be king.

EU Adopts New Deforestation Rule

In what could be a significant new rule for reducing climate change, the EU agreed to adopt a law banning products that contribute to deforestation. The list of products companies will have to certify do not contribute to more deforestation since 2021 so they may be traded in the 27 member countries is familiar. Palm oil, cattle, wood, coffee, cocoa, rubber and soy together with products derived from these comodoties like chocolate and printed paper are subject to banning if not certified. A forested area the size of ten soccer fields disappears every minute according to the World Resources Institute. Without the new regulations, the EU would be responsible for the loss of forest the size of Luxembourg every year. Between 1990 and 2020 the UN Food and Agriculture Organization about 1.6 million square miles of forest has been lost

Loonkito Tragically Killed

Livestock herders in Kenya have killed ten lions. One of the ten killed last week was Kenya's oldest wild lion, a male named Loonkito, who wandered out of Amboseli National Park in search of food.  The lions killed eleven goats.  The deaths have government officials worried as it indicates a sharp escalation in human-lion conflict. Tourism minister Malonza traveled to the Mbirikani area to ask villagers to not spear lions, but to call wildlife services.  The government offers compensation for livestock killed by wild animals.

A tremendous drought in East Africa that has caused the death of uncounted numbers of animals are making owners less tolerant of predation.  Predators are struggling to find enough wild prey to survive, making  cattle, goats and pigs attractive targets.  Loonkito had a long life, as wild lions rarely live past fifteen years.

The Revenge of Clarence Thomas

Here is a fact that cannot be denied:  The Repugnants have spent the last 50 years packing the Supreme Court.  Since 1970 they have appointed 42 justices compared to 12 by the Democrats. Two of the last right -wing Presidents who lost the popular vote appointed five of the nine seats.  If Democrats do not do something to alter the membership of the Court, one study says it will not be until 2065 that there will be a Democratic leaning majority on the nation's highest bench.

Dithering about the ethicality of expanding an already packed Supreme Court is counterproductive.  If Democrats had played the same kind of judicial hardball the Repugnants did, Meritt Garland might be sitting on the bench now instead of heading a Justice Department for which he is ill-suited.  Repugnants rammed anti-choice candidate Amy Barrett through in just a few days before the 2020 election, but they would not address Garland's appointment eight months before the 2016 election.  Former Justice Ruth Ginsberg put career over the nation's best interests by refusing to retire from the bench when Democrats were in control of Congress.  Senator Diane Finestein has returned to Washington, DC, but her prolonged absence from the Senate Judiciary Committee caused by illness has stalled Democratic efforts to put more progressives in the federal judiciary.  The Democrats have been played as chumps by Repugnant realpolitik.  As a result, a conservative Court has assaulted some of the most significant progressive legislation in this nation's history ranging from reproductive and voting rights to cleaner air and water.

Expanding the Court is the cleanest and quickest way to correct this dangerous imbalance.  The Court has not always been composed of nine justices.  Prior to Reconstruction Congress altered the size of the Court pursuant to its powers under the Constitution.  During the Civil War it reached a maximum size of ten after the Judiciary Act of 1789 originally set its membership at six.  Scrupulous concerns over constitutional propriety have led this country into a judicial crisis exacerbated by the lack of enforceable ethical norms for sitting justices.  The Supreme Court is no longer viewed as an impartial body by the public.  It is time to face this reality and correct the institution's obvious political bias embodied in Justice Clarence Thomas, spawn of a racist society.

COTW: A Well Regulated Militia?

Texas Governor Abbott has stated that war weapons in the hands of civilians are not the problem in his state, but mental health is.  If you look at this chart you can see that Texas is among the states that spend the least on mental health care per capita along with Idaho and Alabama.  So yes, there is a mental health problem in Texas--allowing high velocity, semi-automatic rifles to be sold to anybody over 18 is crazy.  

Need US Person point out that other advanced countries have mental health issues; those are not unique to Texas. What is unique is the easy civilian access to semi-automatic weapons designed for military use. [see map] This tragic situation is directly reflected in mass shooting statistics in which the United States leads the world. USA! USA! USA!

TWIT: The Commission

credit: E. Wexler

US Person has been telling you since 2020 that the Ochre Menace's autogolpe attempt extended to all three branches of the federal government. Now, direct evidence of Congress members supporting his coup plot has surfaced as a result of discovery in the Dominion Voting Systems civil lawsuit against Fox (Fake) News.  Among others, Senator Ted Cruz went from disparaging Trump as "Commander in Twit" and a prolific liar in the primaries to supporting the plot to discredit duly elected members of the Electoral College voting for Joe Biden. Their scheme was to substitute a fake "commission" to decide who should win the 2020 election.  

This incredibly incriminating evidence comes in a private conversation the Senator had with CNN 'personality' Maria Bartilomo.  Apparently Ms. Bartilomo's off-record conversations she had with Trump supporters and campaign staff were taped.  Her producer, Abby Grossberg, has some ninety of these taped conversations in her possession.  They have been subpoenaed by Special Counsel Jack Smith.  When Bartilomo asked Cruz who would decide the election if Biden's electors were rejected, the Senator confidently replied that "a commission" would report on the status of a state's electors.  Cruz did not specify the composition of such a commission, or what federal law authorized such an extraordinary device.  No such provision is made in the Constitution.   The fact is, that Cruz's conspiracy line is extra-constitutional and illegal.  This inconvenient fact did not faze the deluded fanatics plotting to install a man considered to be a danger to the Republic for a second term.

A post a Daily Kos poses several question prompted by this revelation of Cruz's involvement in an attempted overthrow of the federal government.  US Person will give his answers here.  Were people at Fox part of the coup attempt?  Several prominent employees at Fox certainly knew of the plot.  Obviously Bartilomo did, and probably Tucker Carlson among others.  Whether they actually acted in pursuance of the plot is not known at this juncture.  However, Tucker Carlson continued to broadcast the Big Lie of election fraud even after the claims were discredited in courts of law.  Was Justice Clarence Thomas involved?   He probably had guilty knowledge of the planning through his wife, Ginni, a reactionary activist who actually called state officials to encouraged them to put forward alternate slates of electors.  He no doubt Injustice Thomas was counted upon to give favorable rulings in any 2020 election cases reaching the US Supreme Court.  Did any of the 147 members of the House voting with eleven Senators to not certify the results know?  Almost certainly a few of those did, but have not yet been identified.  Leading suspects are: Matt Gatz, Marjorie Taylor Green, Jim Jordan, and Don Johnson.  Watch this space.

Cougars Feed Prey in the Forest

Persecuted for centuries as pests or worse, beasts dangerously inimical to man, the role of cougars in healthy ecosystems is finally being understood by science.  This long overdue development may lead to their being spared humanity's current unwillingness to live in harmony with Nature. Pumas (Puma concolor) are thought to be still declining in number according to Panthera, the conservation group, but at least they are no longer widely exterminated by bounty hunters, frightened farmers, or government agents in the United States.  Mountain lions are loosing habitat at an alarming rate, so their future is uncertain.

A recent study by Panthera near Yellowstone NP adds to our knowledge of the predator's positive role in ecosystem health. Cougars are known to hunt in favored areas that suit their stalk and ambush style.  A dozen mountain lions could produce 220,000 pounds of carrion scattered about the landscape. The rotting flesh provides nutrients to the soil, which in turn promotes the growth of nitrogen-rich plants that herbivores need to survive.  This nutrient cycling is a positive feedback loop that benefits both prey species and the big cats. [graph credit, Billings Gazette.] The study was published in the journal, Landscape Biology.  

Lions studied were fitted with location collars.  Between 2014 and 2018, 174 kill sites were found.  An average kill rate for the 50 lions was 54 ungulates per cat, which created 482 nutrient "hotspots" over an average lifespan of nine years.  Pumas tend to eat only about a third of the animal they kill, leaving the rest for carnivores lower down on the food chain. The scientists could assess how much decomposing flesh at the kill site added nutrients by analyzing soil samples.

Cougars have exceptional hunting skills and they tend to hunt in the same areas over time.  Females in Yellowstone Park kill once a week while males often kill larger species every 11 to 13 days. These hunting grounds are therefore "fertilized" in somewhat the same way human hunters plant crops to attract desired prey. [see graph above] There is no recognizable intention involved in the nutrient cycle in which the catamounts play a crucial role, but like everything else in Nature, the cycle works to support life on Earth.

TWIT: More Evidence of Corrupt Intent

BC Idonwanna sez:  "Ye shall know them by their fruits": rape, defamation,
fraud, corruption, deceit, hate, perversion, theft, violence and death.

Update:  Eight fake electors have taken immunity deals from DA Fani Willis in the Georgia election interference case.  Indications are that an indictment is forthcoming this summer.  Meanwhile™ The Georgia governor signed a bill that places Georgia district attorneys under the control of the state legislature, which is dominated by Repugnants.

{04/05/2023}A second consultant hired by Trumpilini has testified that he found no fraud in the 2020 election and informed Trump of the findings before the end of 2020.  The first set of consultants, Berkeley Research Group, produced a twenty-nine page report that concluded there was no material fraud affecting the election.  The second group at Simpatico Software Systems also found no indications of fraud. Kevin Block, the founder told The Washington Post,“Every fraud claim I was asked to investigate was false.”

Block received a subpoena from the Special Counsel investigating the coup attempt in an apparent broadening of the investigation of Der Leader and his gang of election deniers into possible federal wire fraud crimes.  Trump used false claims of election fraud to raise $250 million in donations ostensively to litigate the bona vides of the election. Almost all of this money went directly to Trump. Not only Trump was aware of the consultants' findings, but also Mark Meadows and other campaign staff.  Nevertheless they buried the reports and continued to make false claims of election fraud.  It may be the first time in history that a campaign for the presidency was run as a 'long con' money-making scheme.

Four members of right-wing militia group, the "Proud Boys" were found guilty of seditious conspiracy on Thursday.  The convictions bring the total number of sedition convictions to ten--six against the leaders of the "Oath Keepers". Other militia participants in the violet riot of January 6th have been convicted of serious federal crimes include conspiracy to obstruct official government proceedings. In closing arguments, prosecutors placed the former president—a figure the Proud Boys, described as "foot soldiers for the right" at trial, revered since his first days in the White House—at the heart of the story told to the jury. However, the maximum leader of the RICO remains uncharged, and free to further undermine US democracy. But the mounting evidence of his corrupt intent to overthrow the elected government and profit from his autogolpe will increase the political pressure on Jack Smith and timid Meritt Garland to throw the book at the Ochre Menace.

credit: P. Chappatte
BC Idonwanna sez: He make Dark Brandon look good!

   

The Fight Over the Lesser Prairie Chicken

The lesser prairie chicken,Tympanuchus pallidicinctus, is on the lips of politicians in Congress. That is because Congress members want to take the bird, considered vulnerable to extinction by the IUCN due to loss of habitat, off the endangered species list. Senator Roger Marshall(R) of Kansas showed his colleagues a video of its mating ritual, which was a hit. Now it seems everyone is talking about the bird in the halls. Marshall wants to de-list the bird because its legal status hampers energy development. Last year the Biden administration placed the New Mexico and Texas populations on the endangered list and the northern population in southern and western Kansas on the vulnerable list. [map]

These designations reignited a decades long debate over the fate of this member of the grouse family. On Wednesday night, 49 senators voted to disapprove the agency designation. Marshall was able to sway Joe Manchin, renegade Democrat from West Virginai, by arguing that the bird already has enough protection under state and local laws, and that its decline is due to the persistent drought in the western part of his state. Marshall claims he likes the bird, having grown up hunting them as a boy, but federal regulation makes it too difficult for economic interests including wind farm development.  

President Biden said he would veto the bill if it passes in the Repugnant controlled House of Representatives. Intervention is scientifically required argues the administration since the bird has disappeared from 85-90% of its historic range. It serves as an indicator species for our grasslands' health continued the administration, and loosing it to extinction would undermine other speicies conservation efforts. The Department of Interior proposed creating a Lesser Prairie Chicken Preserve as a National Monument, but no congressional action was taken on the proposal.  National Monuments have become a bête noir for small g conservatives who hold them up as examples of big government interference. 

Weekend Music: RIP Gordon Lightfoot

Gordon Lightfoot's music defined US Person's coming of age. Some of Gordon's recordings are in his mental tape recorder. Gordon's lyrics are on par with Bob Dylan's, but with less obscurity. "Canadian Railroad Trilogy", his tribute to Canadian nation building, could serve as a national anthem. But this ballad (Released 1970) is perhaps my theme song, along with the Beatles' "Penny Lane". He will be missed.

Here is what a recording artist says about the song:

Next to Fail: First Republic

Update: California bank regulators shut down First Republic bank early Monday morning and placed it in receivership with he FDIC. Shortly thereafter the failed bank was purchased by JP Morgan, the bank of bankers. Morgan now owns all of the deposits and most of the assets of First Republic as a result of the distress sale, which has been criticized as an example of weak regulation. As part of the deal Morgan will share the transaction losses with the FDIC and pay the agency $10.6 billion. The agency admits its insurance fund will take a $13 billion hit.  

With estimated assets of $291.1 billion as of April 15th, First Republic is the second largest bank failure in US history, surpassed only by Washington Mutual in 2008. Morgan also bought Washington Mutual. "This is getting near the end of it, and hopefully this helps stabilize everything,” Morgan CEO Jammie Dimon told reporters. The New York Federal Reserve said financial conditions had "deteriorated sharply" in in its regions in an April summary of broader economic conditions.  According to one study in March, US banks are carrying $1.7 trillion in unrealized losses on their books, which is only slightly less than the total equity in the banking system of $2.1 trillion in 2022.  Banks hedge against the njmjnmn interest rate risk of their investments and loans with deposits.  This system works as long as there are no bank runs and hedging is managed properly.

After the GAO blamed bank regulators in part for the Silicon Valley collapse, federal regulators are anxiously watching the action at San Francisco's First Republic Bank. Bank shares have fallen by 90% this year The slide was triggered by a bad earnings report.  Shares are now worth just $3 and change after hitting a peak of $220 in late 2021. Federal Reserve, US Treasury, and FDIC officials are meeting with banking people to flesh out a rescue plan for the failing institution. The planning could result in an FDIC takeover, and sale of discounted bank assets according to business media reports.  Losses would be covered by banks subscribing to the insurance program and not taxpayers.  JP Morgan and a group of other banks infused First Republic with $30 billion in time deposits, but apparently that was not enough cash to counteract the crisis.

Wealthy depositors began withdrawing money from First Republic during the panic created by the failure of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank in March. The bank reported outflows of $100 billion in the first quarter of this year.  The bank said it had to replace the withdrawn money with interest-bearing money from the Federal Reserve. Low-interest loans and investments in a high-interest environment are plaguing the bank in a similar way to the conditions that brought down Silicon Valley and Signature.  Like those banks, its business focus was on high net worth individuals and their businesses. More than two-thirds of its deposits surpassed the FDIC’s $250,000 insurance limit. The bank's slogan is, "It's a privilege to serve you." How fickle the rich!

Canada Still Allows Seal Slaughter

Canada opened another seal slaughter season last month.  It continues to subsidize a dying industry much like Japan's continued support for commercial whaling.  Demand for seal products worldwide has dropped precipitously, but Canada's rational for subsidizing the slaughter is employment for displaced cod fisherman.  Cod fishing off Canada' east coast was shut down in 1992 due to over-exploitation.  There is no scientific evidence to support the inhuman killing of harp seals.  It was man, not seals that fished the cod population to near extinction.  The same over fishing and dams are responsible for the Pacific salmon's decline.  The government support is therefore entirely political, intended to distract the public from its mismanagement of a natural resource.. 

In 2009 the EU conducted a study of seal hunts around the world from an animal welfare perspective.  After this study it banned non-indigenous seal products from its market.  Canada fought against this ban and lost its appeal in 2014.  It has spent millions in litigation and attempting to find markets for seal products to little avail.  The number of seals killed annually has fallen to its lowest level since the 1980s.  So why does Canada continue to prop-up the slaughter with increased quotas and financial aid?.  There is evidence that Canadians have had enough.  Labrador and Newfoundland, where most of the killing takes place, sued a seal skin processor for failing to return a $1 million bailout from 2015.  The seal skin chair covers in the House of Assembly were replaced.  Despite the public disapproval fishing unions continue to pressure the government to keep the hunt alive.  Help harp seals survive by signing a petition asking Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to end the inhuman killing of seals for a market that no longer exists.