Old Fucking Punk @lwriemen@librem.one

Chemical blends as possible alternative refrigerants identified

More than a dozen chemical blends could serve as alternative refrigerants that won't heat the atmosphere as much as today's refrigerants do, or catch fire, according to a new computational study.

Public opinion study in Europe shows drop in anti-immigration sentiment, among other changes | MIT News https://prismo.xyz/posts/3ab7e14f-c6fe-4e46-92bc-e9644675f2c3

Fossil zooplankton indicate that marine ecosystems have entered the Anthropocene

New research shows that the associations of marine plankton in the present are markedly different from those of pre-industrial times.

Trump’s Trade War with China Benefits Big Corporations—Not Ordinary Workers

Some events give extraordinary insights into the biases of the economics profession. The trade war with China clearly fit the bill.

10 Stats That Disprove Trump’s Claim We’re Enjoying the “Best Economy & Jobs EVER”

Last week, the Congressional Research Service (CRS), a nonpartisan branch of the Library of Congress, delivered its preliminary report on the far-reaching tax plan signed by President Donald Trump in December 2017. And despite Trump's frequent suggestions that his tax plan has led to the “Best Economy & Jobs EVER,” the CRS analysis indicates that the law has had limited overall impact—and delivered its benefits almost entirely to corporations and the rich. These findings are yet another example of how Trump’s bold economic claims belie the myriad challenges facing Americans. This month, In These Times collected 10 statistics that present a sobering vantage on American wealth since the Great Recession, revealing a nation defined by worsening inequality, stagnating wages and uneven economic development rather than universal prosperity. 

18.82% - Increase in gross domestic product (GDP) between 2007 and 2018
43.16% - Increase in corporate profits after taxes from 2007 to 2018, adjusted for inflation
65.97% - Increase in ratio of CEO-to-worker compensation from 2007 to 2017, adjusted for inflation
29.2% - Increase in productivity from 2007 to 2017
2.93% - Decline in how much of GDP workers took home between 2007 and 2017 
13.3% - Hourly pay increase from 2007 to 2017
$28 - Bonus from the 2017 Tax Cut and Jobs Act for each American worker, according to recent analysis by the CRS
53% - Taxpayers who will pay more in taxes by 2027, due to the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
3.1% - Decrease in civilian labor participation between 2007 and 2018 
43% - College graduates who reported being underemployed in their first job, as of 2018 
76% - Counties in the United States that had fewer small businesses in 2016 than they did in 2007

Man Not Charged in Stabbing of Person Removing Nazi Stickers - It's Going Down - https://itsgoingdown.org/denver-man-not-charged-after-stabbing/

Thinning forests, prescribed fire before drought reduced tree loss

Thinning forests and conducting prescribed burns may help preserve trees in future droughts and bark beetle epidemics expected under climate change, suggests a new study.

Colombia could lose 60% of land suitable for irrigated rice due to climate change

Without significant global reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, Colombia will have 60% less land suitable for rice production by the 2050s. Due primarily to increased temperatures and decreased rainfall -- as opposed to sea-level rise, which is the driver of projected change to rice production in some Asian countries -- the research shows suitable conditions will need to be found at higher elevations when low-altitude fields are too hot or dry for irrigated rice.

Manuka honey to kill drug-resistant bacteria found in cystic fibrosis infections

Manuka honey could provide the key to a breakthrough treatment for cystic fibrosis patients following preliminary work.

https://stackoverflow.com/ in Firefox right now:

A required TLS feature is missing. Error code:

MOZILLA_PKIX_ERROR_REQUIRED_TLS_FEATURE_MISSING

#oops

Why We Should All Be Using the Framework of Reproductive Justice

re•pro•duc•tive jus•tice

noun

1. The right to make decisions about child-bearing and childrearing free from economic, legal or social coercion

“The sin to me is bringing a child into this world and not taking care of them. The sin for me is that this state does not provide adequate care.” —Alabama state Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison (D), in response to legislation effectively banning abortion in her state

Is this the same as the right to choose?

Reproductive justice includes abortion rights, but it’s more than that.

A spontaneously formed Black women’s caucus coined the phrase “reproductive justice” to highlight two things at an Illinois Pro-Choice Alliance conference in 1994: first, that the movement’s narrow focus on the legal right to abortion ignored the need for accessible, affordable providers; and second, that poor women and women of color often face additional issues that jeopardize their ability to have and raise children in safe, supportive environments— from a history of forced sterilizations to police killings of Black youth.

Loretta Ross, a co-founder of leading reproductive justice group SisterSong, writes: “One of the key problems addressed by Reproductive Justice is the isolation of abortion from other social justice issues that concern communities of color: issues of economic justice, the environment, immigrants’ rights, disability rights, discrimination based on race and sexual orientation, and a host of other community centered concerns … directly affect an individual woman’s decision-making process.” 

What are the biggest threats to reproductive justice right now?

New “fetal heartbeat laws” (like Georgia’s) are incredibly dangerous, criminalizing abortion after just a few weeks; Alabama went even further, banning all abortions except when the life of the mother is threatened. “The human right of our own bodily autonomy is under attack,” says Monica Simpson, executive director of SisterSong. In response, the Illinois House recently passed what could become one of the country's most progressive abortion laws.

More broadly, reproductive justice is hindered by such issues as the high maternal mortality rate for Black mothers, the lack of gender-affirming healthcare for trans parents, the exclusion of undocumented immigrants from Medicaid, a punitive child welfare system that criminalizes parents for being poor, and the poisoning of children by lead in Flint, Mich., and elsewhere. 

What’s the path forward for reproductive justice?

It’s crucial to understand that reproductive oppression is both product and tool of other forms of oppression. Advocates often take an intersectional approach, positioning their struggle as tied up in the struggles for the decommodification of healthcare, prison abolition, immigrant rights, environmental justice and disability rights. The movement’s policy priorities include beating back new abortion restrictions, repealing the Hyde Amendment (which prevents federal tax dollars from funding abortions), a Medicare for All that covers full reproductive health services, and universal childcare. 

This is part of “The Big Idea,” a monthly series offering brief introductions to progressive theories, policies, tools and strategies that can help us envision a world beyond capitalism. For recent In These Times coverage of reproductive justice in action, see, "Interviews for Resistance: Reproductive Justice Is About Way More Than Abortion" and "Democrats’ Waffling on Abortion Rights Isn’t Just Wrong, It’s a Huge Political Mistake."

UAW Election at Volkswagen Set for June 12th-14th – Payday Report - http://paydayreport.com/uaw-election-at-volkswagen-set-for-june-12th-14th/

Early humans deliberately recycled flint to create tiny, sharp tools

A new study finds that prehistoric humans 'recycled' discarded or broken flint tools 400,000 years ago to create small, sharp utensils with specific functions. The artifacts were discovered at the site of Qesem Cave, located just outside Tel Aviv.

The #Albany #GDC and Upstate New York GMB of the #IWW have just kicked off a GoFundMe to raise funds to protect access to safe, legal abortions and to tell March4Life to go fuck themselves. Please consider pitching in:

https://www.gofundme.com/protect-abortion-rights?member=2315376&fbclid=IwAR1ZAahXzAS52MAsWQN6ybUVkROHCgTUjN7_30_wKWsGjFgZ0Sdho3t16zM

#solidarity #EnjoyTroy #schenectady

'Fettuccine' may be most obvious sign of life on Mars, researchers report

A rover scanning the surface of Mars for evidence of life might want to check for rocks that look like pasta, researchers report. The bacterium that controls the formation of such rocks on Earth is ancient and thrives in harsh environments that are similar to conditions on Mars, said a geology professor.

Energy drinks may increase risk of heart function abnormalities and blood pressure changes

Three to four hours after drinking 32 ounces of energy drinks, the heart's electrical activity was abnormal compared to drinking a placebo drink. Two different commercially available energy drinks produced the same results, suggesting that energy drinks as a class should be consumed with caution.

Climate driving new right whale movement

New research connects recent changes in the movement of North Atlantic right whales to decreased food availability and rising temperatures in Gulf of Maine's deep waters. Right whales have been showing up in unexpected places in recent years, putting the endangered species at increased risk. The study provides insights to this key issue complicating conservation efforts.

Black Economic Problems Are Pretty Similar to White Economic Problems

Alicia Garza, head of the Black Futures Lab, reports on the results of the Black Census Project, which she presents as “the largest independent survey of black people ever conducted in the United States.” Here’s a snippet from her New York Times op-ed: Nearly three in four respondents said they voted in the 2016 presidential […]

Former Infowars Writer Spoon-Feeds Right-Wing Trolls Their Own Garbage - http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/former-infowars-writer-spoon-feeds-right-wing-trolls-their-own-garbage/

American "representative democracy" is really either a plutocracy or oligarchy.

Mitch McConnell Confirms His Brain-Melting Hypocrisy Over the Supreme Court - https://splinternews.com/mitch-mcconnell-confirms-his-brain-melting-hypocrisy-ov-1835081331