1
Opinion
Madison’s Privacy Blind Spot
His brand of libertarianism is inadequate in an age of corporate surveillance.
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U.S.
Program to End Homelessness Among Veterans Hits Milestone in Arizona
Phoenix has become the first American city to end homelessness among veterans with long or recurrent histories of living on the street.
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Sports
Dennis Rodman in Rehab
Dennis Rodman checked into an alcohol rehabilitation center, his agent said. The agent declined to say which center would treat Rodman and how long he would be there.
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Technology
Disruptions: At CES, a Big Stage for Big Dreams but Fewer Surprises
In some ways, this year’s International CES, the technology trade show, was a far cry from the shows of old.
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Opinion
A Step Toward Restoring Voting Rights
Though flawed, a bipartisan bill would begin to undo the Supreme Court’s damage.
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Education
Arizona Hopes New Charter Schools Can Lift Poor Phoenix Area
A movement in Phoenix to open 25 high-performing schools in the next five years is focused on test scores in the growing Latino population.
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Science
Frozen Insects, Glowing Fish and a Futuristic Suit
NASA will keep the International Space Station in orbit through 2024, four years longer than planned, and Harvard researchers have developed an inexpensive carbon-based battery.
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U.S.
Sheriff and Judge Battle Over Medical Care in Jail
In Henderson County, when a judge sent a diabetic inmate to a clinic for medical treatment and ordered the county jail to follow doctor’s orders, an argument erupted over who was accountable for inmates’ health care.
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Science
List of Smoking-Related Illnesses Grows Significantly in U.S. Report
Long known to cause lung cancer and heart disease, smoking also causes diabetes, colorectal and liver cancers and erectile dysfunction, a new report from the United States surgeon general says.
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Automobiles
Ford Recalls Edge, Explorer and Vans; N.H.T.S.A. Upgrades Jeep Investigation
Ford recalls 28,000 Edge S.U.V.’s for fuel-system problem, 4,500 vans for windshield defect and 300 Explorers for steering issue.
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Opinion
Fukushima Radiation (Still) Poses No California Risk
Fresh coverage of the lack of radiation risk in California from the Fukushima disaster.FAQ: Radiation from Fukushima
Since mid-2011, I have worked with Japanese colleagues and scientists around the world to understand the scope and impact of events that continue to unfold today. In June 2011, I organized the first comprehensive, international expedition to study the spread of radionuclides from Fukushima into the Pacific, and I or members of my lab have participated in several other cruises and analyzed dozens of samples of water, sediment, and biota. In addition, I began my career in oceanography by studying the spread of radionuclides from Chernobyl in the Black Sea. These are a few of the most common questions that people have been asking me lately.
-Ken Buesseler, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
What is the state of fisheries off Japan and along U.S. West Coast?
The coastal fisheries remain closed in Japan near Fukushima, where there is a concern for some species, especially the bottom dwelling ones, which are being tested and many have been found to be above the Japanese government's strict limits for cesium in seafood. These contaminated fish are not being sold internally in Japan or exported. Because of the dilution that occurs even a short distance from Fukushima, we do not have a concern about the levels of cesium and other radionuclides in fish off the West Coast of the U.S.More about the state of Japanese fisheries (pdf).
Are fish such as tuna that might have been exposed to radiation from Fukushima safe to eat?
Seawater everywhere contains many naturally occurring radionuclides, the most common being polonium-210. As a result, fish caught in the Pacific and elsewhere already have measurable quantities of these substances. Most fish do not migrate far from home, which is why fisheries off Fukushima remain closed. But some species, such as the Pacific bluefin tuna, can swim long distances and could pick up cesium in their feeding grounds off Japan. However, cesium is a salt taken up by the flesh that will begin to flush out of an exposed fish soon after they enter waters less affected by Fukushima. By the time tuna are caught in the eastern Pacific, cesium levels in their flesh are 10-20 times lower than when they were off Fukushima. Moreover, the dose from Fukushima cesium is considered insignificant relative to the dose from naturally occurring polonium-210, which was 1000 times higher in fish samples studied, and both of these are much lower relative to other, more common sources, such as dental x-rays.More about the dose and associated risk (pdf) of radiation from Fukushima to marine life and humans.
Is there concern about other radionuclides, such as strontium-90?
The continued release of radionuclides from groundwater and leaking tanks at Fukushima nuclear power plants site needs to be watched closely, as the character or mix of radionuclides is changing. One example is the higher levels of strontium-90 contained in groundwater and storage tanks that are leaking into the ocean. Because strontium-90 mimics calcium, it is taken up by and concentrated in bones, where it remains for long periods of time (it has a half-life of 30 years and calcium/strontium is not replaced as quickly in the body as cesium). If leaks of strontium-90 continue, this radionuclide could become a larger concern in small fish such as sardines, which are often eaten whole. So far, however, evidence suggests that levels in fish of strontium-90 remains much lower than that of cesium-137.Is radiation exposure still a concern?
I stood on a ship two miles from the Fukushima reactors in June 2011 and as recently as May 2013, and it was safe to be there (I carry radiation detectors with me) and collect samples of all kinds (water, sediment, biota). Although radioactive isotopes in the samples and on the ship were measurable back in our lab, it was low enough to be safe to handle samples without any precautions. In fact, our biggest problem is filtering out natural radionuclides in our samples so we can measure the trace levels of cesium and other radionuclides that we know came from Fukushima.Where does radiation from Fukushima go once it enters the ocean?
The spread of cesium once it enters the ocean can be understood by the analogy of mixing cream into coffee. At first, they are separate and distinguishable, but just as we start to stir the cream forms long, narrow filaments or streaks in the water. The streaks became longer and narrower as they moved off shore, where diffusive processes began to homogenize and dilute the radionuclides. In the ocean, diffusion is helped along by ocean eddies, squirts, and jets that broaden, mix, and continue to dilute the cesium as it travels across the ocean. With distance and time, radionuclide concentrations become much lower in the ocean, something that our measurements confirm.More information about our oceanographic studies off Fukushima (pdf).
Are the continued sources of radiation from the nuclear power plants of concern?
The site of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant is an ongoing source of radionuclides (pdf) in to the ocean—something I've seen evidence of in my data and published about since 2011. Although the numbers sound large (300,000 gallons of water leaked or 20 trillion bequerels per liter), we calculated in 2011 when radiation levels were much higher than today that the dose to someone on a ship or in the ocean was not of concern. For the workers at the site, direct exposure from leaking storage tanks is of greater health concern because exposure from these concentrated sources is much higher. For the general public, it is not our direct exposure, but uptake by the food web and, hence, the potential for human consumption of contaminated fish that is the main health concern.Will radiation be of concern along U.S. and Canadian coasts?
Levels of any Fukushima contaminants in the ocean will be many thousands of times lower after they mix across the Pacific and arrive on the West Coast of North America some time in late 2013 or 2014. This is not to say that we should not be concerned about additional sources of radioactivity in the ocean above the natural sources, but at the levels expected even short distances from Japan, the Pacific will be safe for boating, swimming, etc.Is debris washing ashore on the US/Canadian West Coast of concern?
Debris washed out to sea by the tsunami does not carry Fukushima radioactive contamination—I’ve measured several samples in my lab. It does, however, carry invasive species, which will be of serious concern to coastal ecosystems on the West Coast.Have there been increased deaths as a result of radiation from Fukushima?
Reports of increased deaths are simply not true. Read this reasoned response in Scientific American to the most often-cited "scientific" paper about erroneously linking deaths to radiation from Fukushima. That article ends “This is not to say that the radiation from Fukushima is not dangerous (it is), nor that we shouldn’t closely monitor its potential to spread (we should).” I agree with that statement.Where can people go for reliable information?
Here are some other links I have passed to others.Fukushima's Radioactive Water Leak: What You Should Know
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2013/08/130807-fukushima-radioactive-water-leak/
Latest Radioactive Leak at Fukushima: How Is It Different?
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2013/08/130821-fukushima-latest-leak-how-is-it-different/
See also following article from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (w/ links to many others)
http://www.whoi.edu/oceanus/viewArticle.do?id=167749§ionid=1000
From the special issue of Oceanus Magazine devoted to the cause and impacts of Fukushima:
http://www.whoi.edu/oceanus/series/fukushima
Consider supporting our new Center for Marine and Environmental Radioactivity and check out CMER public education links, such as ABCs of radioactivity
http://www.whoi.edu/page.do?pid=119836
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U.S.
Cheating Accusations Among Officers Overseeing Nuclear Arms
Air Force officials said an investigation has revealed instances of cheating on proficiency tests by officers with the responsibility to launch nuclear weapons.
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Opinion
Sometimes ‘Nazi’ Is the Right Word
If Israel bans the word “Nazi,” “Seinfeld” will be verboten, too.
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N.Y. / Region
Remains Examined for Link to Missing Boy With Autism
The authorities were working to determine if human remains that washed ashore are those of Avonte Oquendo, 14, who disappeared more than three months ago.
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Sports
Record-Setting Night for a Patriot (Not Brady) Eliminates the Colts
LeGarrette Blount had four rushing touchdowns, leading New England to the A.F.C. championship game, the team’s eighth in the Tom Brady era.Broncos 26, Patriots 16
Manning Reclaims the Biggest Stage
By BILL PENNINGTON
Peyton Manning passed for 400 yards in the A.F.C. championship game and
will play in the N.F.L.’s finale for the first time in four years.
Seahawks 23, 49ers 17
Amid Cacophony, Defense Lifts Seattle
By BEN SHPIGEL
The Seahawks advanced to the Super Bowl, where their top-ranked defense
will match up with the top-ranked offense of the Denver Broncos.
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T:Style
Perfect Pairing | A.P.C. and Bonton Design Children's Wear That's Too Cool for School
Brought together by a classroom friendship at Paris’s hippest primary school, the French clothier and children’s retailer team up for a pint-sized capsule collection.
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World
South Africa: Rhino Killings Increase
The South African government reported Friday that poachers killed 1,004 rhinos in South Africa last year, up from 668 in 2012.
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Home & Garden
Where Are the Jellyfish, Exactly?
A rooftop swimming pool gives a Spanish vacation home its name.
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20
Automobiles
Wheelies: The 2015 F-150 in a 2014 F-150’s Clothing Edition
Ford sneaked a 2015 F-150 into the 2013 Baja 1000 by dressing it up as a 2014 model; Ford chief says lawmakers should protect consumer privacy.Court Victory Gives Blogger Same Speech Protections As Traditional Press
Posted
by
Soulskill
from the take-that-traditional-journalism dept.
from the take-that-traditional-journalism dept.
cold fjord writes "Reuters reports, 'A blogger is entitled to the same free speech protections as a traditional journalist and cannot be liable for defamation unless she acted negligently, a federal appeals court ruled on Friday. Crystal Cox lost a defamation trial in 2011
over a blog post she wrote accusing a bankruptcy trustee and Obsidian
Finance Group of tax fraud. A lower court judge had found that Obsidian
did not have to prove that Cox acted negligently because Cox failed to
submit evidence of her status as a journalist. But in the ruling, the
9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco said Cox deserved a
new trial, regardless of the fact that she is not a traditional
reporter. "As the Supreme Court has accurately warned, a First
Amendment distinction between the institutional press and other speakers
is unworkable."... Eugene Volokh, [a] Law professor who represented Cox,
said Obsidian would now have to show that Cox had actual knowledge that
her post was false when she published it. ... "In this day and age,
with so much important stuff produced by people who are not
professionals, it's harder than ever to decide who is a member of the
institutional press."' Further details are available at Courthouse News Service."
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/20/opinion/krugman-the-undeserving-rich.html?ref=paulkrugman
"Partly this reflects Upton Sinclair’s famous dictum: It is difficult to
get a man to understand something when his salary depends on his not
understanding it. But it also, I think, reflects distaste for the
implications of the numbers, which seem almost like an open invitation
to class warfare — or, if you prefer, a demonstration that class warfare
is already underway, with the plutocrats on offense."
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5
Business Day
For Italy, a Possible Path Out of Political Instability
A plan to change Italy's voting system offers the best hope for its long-dysfunctional government and its stagnant economy.
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U.S.
Sheriff and Judge Battle Over Medical Care in Jail
In Henderson County, when a judge sent a diabetic inmate to a clinic for medical treatment and ordered the county jail to follow doctor’s orders, an argument erupted over who was accountable for inmates’ health care.
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World
2 Are Wounded After Israel Unleashes Airstrike in Gaza
A Palestinian man and a boy were hurt after the Israeli military targeted an Islamic Jihad operative it said had been responsible for recent rocket fire in southern Israel.
10
Science
List of Smoking-Related Illnesses Grows Significantly in U.S. Report
Long known to cause lung cancer and heart disease, smoking also causes diabetes, colorectal and liver cancers and erectile dysfunction, a new report from the United States surgeon general says.
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Arts
Bulgarian Architects’ State-Sponsored Whimsy
An architect who studied abroad came home to Bulgaria, where he joined with others to enliven the city of Sofia with whimsical, low-cost public art projects.
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