Electric Cars Release Toxic Emissions

Electric vehicles release more toxic particles into the atmosphere and are worse for the environment than their gas-powered counterparts, according to a resurfaced study.

The study, published by emissions data firm Emission Analytics, was released in 2022 but has attracted a wave of attention this week after being cited in a Wall Street Journal op-ed Sunday.

It found that brakes and tires on EVs release 1,850 times more particle pollution compared to modern tailpipes, which have “efficient” exhaust filters, bringing gas-powered vehicles’ emissions to new lows.

Today, most vehicle-related pollution comes from tire wear.

As heavy cars drive on light-duty tires — most often made with synthetic rubber made from crude oil and other fillers and additives — they deteriorate and release harmful chemicals into the air, according to Emission Analytics.   READ MORE...

Tom Dooley

 

In The NEWS

US economy adds 275,000 jobs in February, exceeding expectations.
The latest figure marks the third straight month of job gains above 200,000 and is the 39th consecutive month of gains overall. Economists had estimated roughly 200,000 jobs for the month. The unemployment rate in February rose to 3.9% from 3.7% in the previous month. Average hourly earnings rose 0.1% month-over-month and 4.3% year-over-year.



US jury convicts ex-Honduran president on drug trafficking charges.
Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, 55, was found guilty of conspiring with drug traffickers and using his military and national police to import more than 1 million pounds of cocaine into the US since 2004. He was also found guilty of possessing and conspiring to possess weapons, including machine guns. Hernández, who faces up to life in prison, was the first elected Latin American leader to be tried in the US.



Pentagon report finds no evidence of UFO visits, hidden spacecraft.
The Defense Department released findings from a congressionally ordered review of decades of classified government programs related to unidentified anomalous phenomena, commonly known as UFOs. The report concluded there was no verifiable evidence of any sightings representing extraterrestrial activity, no extraterrestrial craft or bodies were recovered, and no program was authorized to reverse-engineer extraterrestrial technology. Read the report here.



FDA approves weight-loss drug Wegovy for reducing cardiovascular risks.
Adults with obesity and heart disease will now be able to use Novo Nordisk's Wegovy as a treatment for reducing cardiovascular risks. It is the first such approval from the Food and Drug Administration for a weight loss drug. The approval comes after a five-year study found Wegovy led to a 20% reduction in heart attacks, strokes, and cardiac arrest for obese patients over the age of 45 who have heart disease.



'Dragon Ball' creator and Japanese manga artist Akira Toriyama dies.
Toriyama died March 1 of a blood clot in his brain, according to an announcement Friday. Toriyama created "Dragon Ball" in 1984, which follows main character Son Goku, a martial arts trainee who goes on a journey in search of magical dragon balls to protect Earth from aliens. It has been considered one of the greatest manga series ever made (manga are comics or graphic novels from Japan) and was turned into several animated series, films, and video games.



Former President Donald Trump posts $91.6M bond in defamation case.
The bond allows Trump to cover $83.3M in damages that a jury awarded to writer E. Jean Carroll last month as he seeks to appeal the case. Carroll had accused Trump of making comments damaging to her reputation after she alleged he sexually abused her in the 1990s. The bond, once approved, will prevent Carroll's attorneys from collecting the damages from Trump while the appeal process plays out.

SOURCE:  1440 News

Mythology 101

 There are a few basic concepts that world mythologies try to explain:

• One - natural phenomenon
• Two - where humans came from
• Three - why are things the way they are
• Four - creation of the universe

For example:

1. All world mythologies have recorded the occurrence of a devastating flood.
2. All world mythologies have recorded gods coming down from the sky.
3. All world mythologies have tried to explain the constant battle between good and evil.
4. All world mythologies have demonstrated there is a life after death.
5. All world mythologies explain the power of the gods.
6. All world mythologies show the importance of heroism and honor.
7. All world mythologies have stories about gods mating with humans and their offsprings.
8. All world mythologies have stories of sacrifices made to appease the gods.

So, the question becomes...

Why do all world mythologies have these identical items in common?

We are talking about Chinese mythology, Greek/Roman mythology, Norse mythology, Christian mythology, Austrian mythology, and Native American mythology, and South American mythology...

I choose these mythologies because they are spread out all over the world and there was no chance of sharing stories except between the Greek and Roman which is why I combined them.

SO...  why do these different cultures have similar mythologies?

One obvious answer is that it was the SAME GODS FROM THE SKY that visited these various cultures and provided them with information to create their mythologies.

What is missing from these mythologies is:

• spacetime
• the immensity of the universe
• physics and theoretical physics
• astrology and astronomy
• dark matter and dark energy
• quantum mechanics

These items are missing because the so-called gods that visited earth (extraterrestrials) knew that the human beings back then, did not have the mental capacity to understand such things...  as a result, these underdeveloped human beings tried to describe what they saw in the best way they could...  and, this is precisely why THE BIBLE has so many discrepancies and why mythologies are taken as made-up stories that did not really happen...

And, we buy that analysis up to a point because if they were made up stories/tales, then why do all mythologies talk about the same kind of flood that the BIBLE claims really happened?

A Brief Life

The Dawn of Time

We finally know what brought light to the dark and formless void of the early Universe.


According to data from the Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes, the origins of the free-flying photons in the early cosmic dawn were small dwarf galaxies that flared to life, clearing the fog of murky hydrogen that filled intergalactic space.


"This discovery unveils the crucial role played by ultra-faint galaxies in the early Universe's evolution," says astrophysicist Iryna Chemerynska of the Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris.


"They produce ionizing photons that transform neutral hydrogen into ionized plasma during cosmic reionization. It highlights the importance of understanding low-mass galaxies in shaping the Universe's history."     READ MORE...

Down on the Corner

 

In The NEWS

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> The 96th annual Academy Awards set for Sunday (7 pm ET, ABC); see preview and predictions for every major category (More)

> Team USA will take on Brazil in the women's CONCACAF Gold Cup championship Sunday (8:15 pm ET, Paramount+) after topping Canada in penalty kicks in the semifinal (More) | Mike Tyson, 57, to face YouTube star Jake Paul, 27, in boxing match July 20 (Netflix) from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas (More)

> South by Southwest 2024 kicks off today from Austin, Texas; see full SXSW schedule of livestreamed panels, keynotes, interviews, and events (More) | Pop star Ariana Grande releases anticipated seventh album overnight (More)



Science & Technology
In partnership with Incogni

> James Webb Space Telescope spots the oldest "dead" galaxy observed to date; cosmic cluster appears to have stopped birthing new stars 13 billion years ago (More) | See the best images from the James Webb here (More)

> Satellite analysis suggests two dozen US coastal cities are sinking into the surrounding land by as much as 0.2 inches per year, exacerbating the effect of sea level rise; problem particularly acute near the Gulf of Mexico (More)

> Study finds stimulating gamma brain waves—fast electrical signals typically present during periods of intense focus—may help treat cognitive impairment associated with chemotherapy known as "chemo brain" (More)



Business & Markets
> US stock markets close higher (S&P 500 +1.0%, Dow +0.3%, Nasdaq +1.5%), with S&P 500 at record high (More) | European Central Bank keeps interest rates steady as inflation nears 2% target; could reassess rate cuts in June (More)

> Jobs report data released today expected to show slower job growth in February (More) | Layoffs last month rose to highest levels for the month of February since 2009, with tech sector accounting for one-third of layoffs (More)

> Rivian shares close up 13% after company reveals new electric vehicle models, including cheaper, midsize SUV, and announces over $2B in savings related to pausing plans to build Georgia plant (More)



Politics & World Affairs
> President Joe Biden delivers State of the Union address; key moments include plans to create a temporary port in Gaza for aid delivery and man escorted out for heckling (More) | Alabama Sen. Katie Britt (R) provides rebuttal; see highlights (More) | Centrist No Labels group expected today to vote to plan a third-party presidential bid; no candidates revealed as of yet (More)

> House panel unanimously advances bill barring TikTok (170 million US users) from app stores unless Chinese-based ByteDance divests; potential introduction on House floor (More) | Company sends pop-up messages to users, who flood House members with calls (More)

> More than 280 students kidnapped from northwest Nigeria, second mass kidnapping in the country in less than a week (More) | Haiti extends state of emergency amid ongoing gang attacks in capital.

SOURCE:  1440 News

Black History Month

 February 1, 2024 through March 1, 2024 is considered to be Black History Month...

DAMN...  I missed it...  completely forgot all about it...

But, even if I had remembered Black History Month, I would not have celebrated it.

WHY?

It is not because there are many famous black people to be remembered for their contribution to US culture and society...

No...  it is not because of that...

• It is because the BLACKS consider all whites to be white supremacists.
• It is because the BLACKS consider whites to be the only ones who are racists.
• It is because the BLACKS want to white taxpayer to pay for reparations since the blacks consider themselves to be the descendants of slaves and still want to hold whites responsible.
• It is because BLACK want Critical Race Theory (CRT) taught in school so that whites will grow up seeing themselves as BAD PEOPLE.
• It is because BLACKS want us to believe their lives are more important than the lives of white people.
• It is because BLACKS want an equal number of whites to be in prison, even if the crimes committed by blacks are more horrific.

Blacks only represent 12% of the overall population

Whites only represent 60% of the overall population

So, why are we celebrating BLACK HISTORY MONTH when we should be celebrating WHITE HISTORY MONTH?

ALSO...  what about: 

1. Hispanic History month
2. Mexican History month
3. Jewish History month
4. Italian History month
5. Greek History month
6. Irish History month
7. Native American History month
8. Veterans History month
9. Disabled Veterans History month
10. Female History month
11. Writers History month
12. Actors History month
13. Athletes History month
14. Law Enforcement History month
15. Fire Fighters History month

What's so damn special about BLACKS that they are given a month to celebrate their history when no one else receives that kind of attention?

Somewhat Political

Bird Not Seen in Twenty Years

Rediscovering a lost species is exciting, and important for boosting conservation efforts. However, it is not for the faint of heart. An international team of scientists traversed 75 miles of steep mountain terrain to capture the first recorded photos of a bird once considered lost. The yellow-crested helmetshrike (Prionops alberti) was listed as a ‘lost bird’ by the American Bird Conservancy because it hadn’t been seen by scientists in almost 20 years.

That did not deter a group of scientists from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). They embarked on a six-week expedition to the Itombwe Massif mountain range in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo alongside a group of Congolese researchers from the Centre de Recherche en Sciences Naturelles. The team trekked by foot for over 75 miles to survey all of the birds, amphibians, and reptiles they found along the way.     READ MORE...

Ticket to Ride

 

Have You Ever Seen the Rain

 

Signal Detected in Human Brain

Scientists have identified a unique form of cell messaging occurring in the human brain, revealing just how much we still have to learn about its mysterious inner workings.

Excitingly, the discovery hints that our brains might be even more powerful units of computation than we realized.


Back in 2020, researchers from institutes in Germany and Greece reported a mechanism in the brain's outer cortical cells that produces a novel 'graded' signal all on its own, one that could provide individual neurons with another way to carry out their logical functions.


By measuring the electrical activity in sections of tissue removed during surgery on epileptic patients and analyzing their structure using fluorescent microscopy, the neurologists found individual cells in the cortex used not just the usual sodium ions to 'fire', but calcium as well.     READ MORE...

Somewhat Political

 

In The NEWS

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> "Rust" armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in 2021 shooting death of the film's cinematographer Halyna Hutchins (More)

> Prosecutors drop charges against three memorabilia collectors who allegedly stole original lyrics from "Hotel California" and other Eagles hits (More)

> Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal to star in Broadway production of "Othello" set to open in 2025 (More)



Science & Technology
In partnership with EnergyX

> Digital Markets Act takes effect in EU member countries today; new law aims to prevent anticompetitive practices by internet "gatekeeper" companies like Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, and others (More) | See overview (More)

> Archaeologists discover 1.4-million-year-old stone tools in Western Ukraine, the oldest-known artifacts made by ancient humans found in Europe to date (More)

> Bees and chimpanzees demonstrate ability to learn behaviors based on the experience of others; pair of studies marks the first time the behavior, known as cumulative culture, has been observed outside of humans (More)



Business & Markets
> US stock markets close higher (S&P 500 +0.5%, Dow +0.2%, Nasdaq +0.6%) as Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell signals central bank is on track to cut interest rates this year (More) | US Securities and Exchange Commission approves scaled-back climate-risks disclosure rule for some public companies (More)

> New York Community Bancorp announces over $1B in equity investment from firms, including Steve Mnuchin's Liberty Strategic Capital, to shore up potential losses; shares fell 42% intraday before closing up 7% following the news (More)

> OpenAI senior leadership alleges Elon Musk wanted to merge Tesla with the AI company, citing emails in response to Musk's lawsuit accusing OpenAI of prioritizing profits over public good (More) | See OpenAI's public letter (More)



Politics & World Affairs
> House approves six spending bills allocating roughly $460B to partially fund the US government, sending legislation to Senate ahead of Friday's shutdown deadline; next partial shutdown deadline is March 22 (More) | Supreme Court to hear arguments in Trump's presidential immunity claim April 25 (More)

> At least two killed, six injured on Red Sea shipping vessel in first fatal attack by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels since start of Israel-Hamas war; Iran also says it is seizing oil cargo destined for Chevron Corp. (More) | Israel approves plan for 3,400 new homes in West Bank settlements (More) | See war updates (More)

> New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) to deploy 1,000 state police and National Guard members to curb subway crime; comes after Mayor Eric Adams (D) ordered a separate 1,000 officers last month following 45% yearly rise in crime in January (More)

SOURCE:  1440 News

Looking Through Older Eyes - Part III

I have a next-door neighbor who is Mexican by birth and legally immigrated to this country over 30 years ago.  I never asked him if he was an American citizen now and he never volunteered that information.

In a recent discussion about illegal immigration, he believed that our borders should be open to those who want to enter the USA in order to find a better life, even though they:

1. do not speak English
2. do not have any skills
3. do not have any education
4. broke the law to get here

Every person is entitled to their opinion whether you agree with them or not, however, if someone broke the law to get into this country, the odds are they will break the law again now that they are here.

But...   more importantly is the fact that because of their lack of education and skills, they will not get a job paying anything more than minimum wage and with those low wages, they will LIVE IN SLUM CONDITIONS HERE, just like they did before they came here.

And...  while they make be making more money here than they did previously, they will be sending most of that money back home.  That will leave them will less money which will increase the probability that they will continue to be living in slums.

Since...  there are about 10 million illegal immigrants who have already entered the USA, those numbers will collectively cause the QUALITY OF LIFE in the USA to decrease.

WHY?

Because they will consume more than they give back.  They will consume valuable resources from hospitals for instance when they are sick.  They come to this country WITHOUT IMMUNIZATONS which will but the rest of us in medical jeopardy.

We will give them clothes, food, and shelter that was designated for our own homeless citizens.

THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE...  will be Americans that simply do not want the illegal immigrants here and will begin treating them horribly.

As some of the illegal immigrants commit crimes, the animosity towards them will increase and justice will be taken into the hands of some of our citizens who feel that our government has discriminated against them because of all these illegal immigrants.

There will be lawlessness in some parts of our country.

How will we educated the children who do not speak English?

Will we hire teachers that speak both Spanish and English and fire those teachers that do not? 

Illegal Immigration has opened the door to all sorts of problem with which we will be dealing for decades.

UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE IS WHAT THIS IS CALLED...

Flamingos

 

Sports Betting Used to Pay Off Student Loans

In a desperate bid to pay off student loan debt, Gen Z college students have now turned to sports betting - despite many having little to no success.

As loan payments are due once again and the legalization of sports betting increases, young adults are now more willing to risk their money in hopes of striking gold.

In true Gen-Z style, they are now also documenting their entire betting process on social media in a 'joking' tone.

Megan Ortwein, a young TikToker has built her entire page on sports betting and once shared a 'joking' video of her relying on her projected wins to pay rent.

But Ortwein isn't the only young adults to go down the sports betting path.

Data from CivicScience shows about one-in-three US adults saying they have bet on sports games, rising to 47 percent among Millennials and 58 percent among Gen Z adults.     READ MORE...

Knockin' on Heaven's Door