Sunday, May 4
In The NEWS
White House proposes cutting $163B in federal budget.
The proposal would cut federal spending from nondefense discretionary programs, including those related to the environment, renewable energy, education, and foreign aid, by 23% to the lowest level since 2017. In contrast, the proposal would increase military spending by 13% to over $1T and funding for Homeland Security by nearly 65% to $175B. The plan outlines the administration's fiscal priorities and will undergo debate in Congress before any measures are enacted. See details of the proposal here.
CDC reports 216 child deaths this flu season, the most in 15 years.
The 2024-25 flu season has seen the highest number of pediatric deaths since the 2009-10 H1N1 global flu pandemic and surpasses last year’s total of 207 deaths. The rise coincides with a drop in childhood flu vaccination rates, which have fallen from roughly 64% five years ago to 49% this season, with vaccination coverage varying widely by state. See how the seasonal flu shot works here.
Ireland fines TikTok $600M for sending EU user data to China.
The fine comes after a four-year investigation found the video-sharing platform's transfers of user data to China violated EU data privacy laws and lacked sufficient transparency. Ireland’s data watchdog—the EU's lead regulator for TikTok—ordered the company to fix the issues within six months. TikTok plans to appeal, arguing recent security improvements were overlooked.
Gregg Popovich, NBA's winningest coach, steps down as Spurs coach.
The 76-year-old Popovich stepped down as head coach of the San Antonio Spurs after 29 seasons, concluding his coaching career with an NBA-record 1,422 wins and five championships. He will continue with the Spurs as team president of basketball operations following health issues, including a stroke in November, which led to his absence for most of the 2024-25 season.
Prince Harry loses bid to reinstate security on visits to UK.
Harry had tried to challenge the UK government's decision to reduce his security after he left royal duties and moved to the US. The Court of Appeal ruled the decision-making process was lawful and found no legal grounds to overturn the government's choice to provide him security on a case-by-case basis rather than automatically granting the same level of protection as senior royals.
SOURCE: 1440 NEWS
Religions
.jpg)
There are twelve major religions in the world today...
- Christianity
- Islam
- Buddhism
- Hinduism
- Judaism
- Jainism
- Confucianism
- Taoism
- Sikhism
- Shinto
- Baháʼí
- Zoroastrianism
What do they have in common
- belief in a higher
- sacred texts
- moral and ethical guidelines
- the golden rule
- rituals and worship
- sacred places and pilgrimages
- community and fellowship
- life after death
- guidance from religious leaders
- symbols and iconography
- striving for enlightenment or salvation
- influence on society and culture
So, how do we know which religion/belief is correct?
If there is ONE CREATOR, why did that CREATOR give us TWELVE RELIGIONS with TWELVE COMMONALITIES?
Is there a Jesus figure among these TWELVE RELIGIONS"
- Christianity – Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah, and the central figure of the faith.
- Islam – Jesus (Isa) is a revered prophet and the Messiah, but not divine.
- Judaism – Jesus is seen as a historical figure, but not the Messiah or Son of God.
- Hinduism – Some Hindus view Jesus as a holy teacher or even an avatar of God.
- Buddhism – Jesus is often regarded as a wise teacher, similar to a Bodhisattva.
- Sikhism – Jesus is respected as a saint and teacher of truth.
- Baháʼí – Jesus is considered a divine manifestation of God.
- Confucianism – Jesus is acknowledged as an important prophet and the Messiah.
- Zoroastrianism – Jesus is sometimes recognized as a prophet, but not central to the faith.
- Jainism – Jesus is not a central figure, but his teachings on peace and morality are respected.
- Shinto – Jesus is not a part of traditional Shinto beliefs.
- Taoism – Jesus is not a central figure, though some Taoist interpretations appreciate his wisdom.
Why is Jesus present in all these religions as well as a Creator or Supreme Being, or God, if they were all about something different?
It would seem like to me that there are similarities because there are supposed to be similarities. We are ONE HUMAN RACE, with different cultures, different societies, different languages BUT ONE RELIGION with different variations to suit these different societies and cultures.
Have you ever asked yourself why CHRISTIANITY have so many denominations if they are all about God and Jesus?
Have you ever asked yourself why if Jesus was a JEW, that the JEWISH faith does not accept him as their SAVIOR, but Christianity does?
Underwater Volcano Reveals Thousands of Giant Living Eggs in Breathtaking Discovery That Terrifies Marine Scientists
In an extraordinary revelation beneath the ocean, a mysterious underwater volcano has divulged thousands of giant, vibrant eggs. Dubbed “mermaid’s purses,” these eggs belong to the elusive Pacific white skate, a marine species shrouded in mystery.
This rare discovery, located off the coast of Vancouver Island, Canada, underscores the hidden wonders of our ocean’s depths and the surprising ecosystems that thrive in such extreme environments.
As researchers delve into this underwater marvel, they uncover secrets that could reshape our understanding of marine biodiversity and the life cycles of deep-sea creatures.
Saturday, May 3
Robert Reich
Where will we go from here? | The Coffee Klatch for May 3, 2025
With Heather Lofthouse and yours truly, Robert Reich
At A Glance
Bookkeeping
> 27%: The percentage of managers globally who were engaged at work last year, down from 30% in 2023.
> $340K: The approximate value of 15 pounds of gold found in the Czech Republic.
> 466 years: The age of the oldest domestic cat remains found in the US in a 1559 Spanish shipwreck off the Florida coast.
Browse
> A statistical analysis of the greatest karaoke songs of all time.
> Ranking Europe's 50 best beaches.
> Tennessee Titans seek artists to help decorate new stadium.
> The 75 most iconic "Star Wars" quotes.
> New snail species with cubist shell named after Picasso.
Listen
> The history and science of low- or no-alcohol beverages.
Watch
> How Hollywood movie cars are built.
> Inside a California home made from the mountain it stands on.
Long Read
> What was American food like before the FDA?
> How understanding yourself, as the ancient Greeks advised, increases happiness, empathy, and success in modern life.
> ... and an argument for how resilience—in nature, business, and life—comes not from efficiency but from having wiggle room.
Most Clicked This Week: Forbes' list of the richest person in every state.
In The NEWS
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> The 78th Annual Tony Award nominations announced with "Death Becomes Her," "Maybe Happy Ending," and "Buena Vista Social Club" leading with 10 nominations apiece (More)
> Sean "Diddy" Combs turns down plea deal on sex trafficking and racketeering charges; jury selection is set to begin Monday (More)
> Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Michael Bolton reveals brain cancer diagnosis (More) | "Rust" released in theaters today, three and a half years after the on-set shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins (More)
Science & Technology
> OpenAI CEO Sam Altman debuts his biometric eyeball-scanning cryptocurrency World in six US cities; users reportedly visit Apple-like physical stores to enroll (More) | Learn more about cryptocurrency (More)
> Facial microbiome study reveals how different strains of C. acnes develop and populate on the skin during teenage years; findings may help lead to more effective probiotic defenses against acne (More)
> An individual California sea lion becomes the only known nonhuman mammal capable of high-precision rhythmic beats; analysis opens questions on other animals' ability to measure time (More)
Business & Markets
> US stock markets close higher (S&P 500 +0.6%, Dow +0.2%, Nasdaq +1.5%) (More) | Reddit shares rise 6% in after-hours trading after posting strong Q1 results and upbeat sales forecast fueled by digital ad spending (More)
> Amazon beats Q1 expectations, reports 19% year-over-year revenue growth in online ad business; shares fall on light Q2 guidance (More) | Apple tops Q2 earnings and revenue estimates, thanks to iPhone demand (More, Apple 101) | McDonald's reports largest US same-store sales drop since 2020 due to lower foot traffic (More)
> Kohl's fires CEO Ashley Buchanan after external probe found he violated ethics policies by arranging lucrative business deals to benefit a romantic partner (More) | Trump family's stablecoin chosen for $2B Abu Dhabi investment in Binance (More)
Politics & World Affairs
> Federal judge blocks Trump administration from using the 18th-century Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelans without a court hearing; ruling does not block deportation of migrants under the Immigration and Nationality Act (More)
> Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. requires placebo-controlled trials to test all future vaccines (More) | Agency invests $500M into a project aiming to develop a universal flu vaccine (More)
> Iran-US nuclear negotiations postponed as the US unveils new sanctions on Iranian-linked companies (More)
SOURCE: 1440 NEWS
Spring
.jpg)
Most of us like the Spring and Fall of each year where the weather is mind and the environment around us is changing. Some of us like the heat and humidity of summer while others like the cold and snow of winter. For the most part, our likes and dislikes are predicated upon where we grew up, although they change as we grow old with many older couples in the north move south when they retire.
For me, I have always been in the south, if you consider Northern Virginia in the south, with a break of four years in the hot but dry climate of Cairo, Egypt from 1962-1966. It was there that I attended high school, growing up away from the bad influences of an American high school. I went to school with sons and daughters of diplomats from fifteen different countries and it was their influences that molded me.
As I grow older, I find that not only do I like the south because of its lifestyle and low cost of living but because of its mild and short winters. As a result, where we live in the south only has 10-12 weeks of cold weather and maybe (just maybe) 3-5 weeks or really cold weather.
This leaves us with FORTY WEEKS of relatively great weather.
Spring can start in the middle of March and Fall can last until the end of December.
With that said, Spring is my favorite season not just because nature is growing back out of winter, but because of the warm but not too warm temperatures and the lack of humidity. As my wife and I grow older, humidity and freezing cold really bothers us.
In the spring, the trees and bushes start to grow back after being trimmed in the fall. The leaves on the trees start to grow out. We begin to see squirrels and rabbits moving through the yards. Birds of all kinds are out, letting everyone know where they are. We plant flowers, put out our deck furniture, and plant our vegetable from which we will eat most of the summer, freezing what we cannot eat for the winter.
Spring brings the pollen but that does not seem to bother me as much as it does my wife. What bothers me are the bees and the insects and mosquitos that bite me, causing me to wear long pants and long sleeve shirts when I work outside.
BUT EVEN THEN... this is the time of the year I prefer...
US scientists discover never-before-seen quantum ‘species’ in twisted material
Quantum mechanics governs the world of fundamental particles, where we can see a variety of quantum phenomena that emerge due to the collective behavior of particles like electrons.
These exotic quantum states are unusual, behaving differently from anything we know, and only emerge under extreme conditions like low temperatures or high pressures. Most of these exotic quantum states remain theoretical, as they are hard to produce due to the fragility and delicacy of the quantum world.
Now, researchers from Japan and the US have observed several previously unseen quantum states in a two-dimensional material. These materials join the growing list of what the researchers call a quantum zoo.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)