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Kalki Jayanti 2020: Know history and significance of the spiritual day – Republic World – Republic World

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

Kalki Jayanti 2020 will take place on July 25, Saturday.Kalki Jayanti remembers the expected arrival of Kalki. Kalki, also known as Kalkin, is the tenth incarnationor avatarof Lord Vishnu. It is believed that his birth ends theKali Yuga, the final of the four eras (Satya Yuga,Treta Yuga,Dvapara Yuga, andKali Yuga)in the eternal cycle of living within theSanatan Dharma. This processafterward, starts a new cycle with Satya Yuga.Check out the history and significance of the day.

Also Read |Gayatri Jayanti images to send to your friends and family and wish them on this day

Kalki Jayanti marks the birth of Lord Vishnu's tenth avatar Kalki. As per Hindu texts, theGaruda Puranaliststen avatars. Kalki isdescribed as the avatar who appears at the end of theKali Yuga. This incarnation of Vishnu is believed to endthe darkest, decaying and uncontrolled stage of the Kali Yuga (period) to removeadharmaand ushers in theSatya Yuga, while riding a white horse with a fiery sword.

He restarts a new cycle of time andis described as a warrior in the Puranas.The divination of the Kalki avatar is not only believed by the followers of theVaishnavismsect of Hinduism (Sanatan Dharma) but bySikhismas well, as the last Avatar inDashavatara, the ten avatars ofVishnu, who is the chief deity in Vaishnavism.Devotees of Lord Vishnu consider that the event will take place on the sixth day in the Hindu calendar inShravan month. Lord Vishnu puja is done on this day and people observe fast too.

Also Read |Gayatri Jayanti meaning, significance, and celebration in 2020

Kalki Jayanti is celebrated in several different religions in Hinduism. According to some writings Kalkiwould be taking birth in the village of Shambala, to a devoted Brahmin named Vishnuyasha. This event will happen 427,000 years from now as the Kali Yuga nears to an end. In some holy writings, Kalkiwould also symbolise the eight supreme virtues of the Godhead.

On this day, devotees are expected to observe fast. They also reciteand chant Vishnu Sahasranama, Narayana Mantra and other mantras 108 times. Believers perform pooja starting with the chanting of Beej mantra which is then followed by offering a seat to the Lord (asana).

In the further process,the Lord's idol is washed spiritually with water and panchamrit. 108 recital of Lord Vishnu's name is observed with the offering of flowers, lamps and incense. Devotees also donatefood to Brahmins as well as to the needy ones.

Also Read |Gayatri Jayanti quotes you can send to your friends and family

Also Read |Dhumavati Jayanti 2020: Meaning, Significance, and Celebration

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Kalki Jayanti 2020: Know history and significance of the spiritual day - Republic World - Republic World

Choosing The Way of Peace | Messy Spirituality-Choosing The Way of Peace – Patheos

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

The Jewish people of Jesus day were living under the occupation of Rome. There were soldiers with weapons on every street corner of Jerusalem. There were whispers of a violent uprising to come in which Israel would purge their land of their Roman oppressors. Jesus comes into this culture with admonitions for people to love their enemies, turn the other cheek, and to carry their oppressors backpack two miles instead of the one mile required by law.

In a culture of fear and violence, Jesus preached a way of love and peace.

Jesus knew that a violent uprising against the most powerful empire on the face of the earth would result in Israels desolation (which it ultimately did in 70 A.D). He urged His followers not to be consumed with fear but to be led by love-even for their enemies.

The way of fear is the broad path that leads to violence and destruction. They bomb us. We bomb them. They kill our soldiers. We kill their citizens. We repay evil for evil taking an eye for eye until the whole world goes blind. Following the way of fear will always and only lead us to pain.

The way of love is the narrow path-taken by only a few-that leads to peace. To a world living in fear, Jesus teaches us to live out of peace within. The cycle of violence must end somewhere so Jesus taught His followers to be that ending point. He taught them to be ready to absorb violence but to never return it. This is, of course, the philosophy that got Jesus Himself killed along with several of his followers as violence cannot stand the presence of one who owes it nothing.

Jesus suffered no delusions that everyone would join the movement to form some sort of utopian society built upon love and peace. He specifically warned that following the way of love would divide brother against brother and even parents against their own children. There is always a price to be paid for choosing peace in a world addicted to violence. Manymaybe even mostpeople will not understand. They will call it pacifism. They will quote Edmund Burke emphatically reminding us that all it takes for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing. They will remind you that Jesus told His followers to buy swords and swear that Jesus wouldnt actually expect us to sacrifice our own lives to live non-violentlybut thats exactly the life He calls us to.

Following Jesus isnt about saying a prayer so that we can live forever in a mansion in the sky after we die. Its not even about following Biblical principles so we can have a successful, happy life here on earth. And it certainly isnt even about being a patriotic citizen of whatever country we happen to be born into. Following Jesus is about loving God, our neighbors (including our enemies), and all of creation. Its a new way to be human. Its about living together in peace. Its about choosing to see the image of God in every member of the human family. Its about choosing love over fear and finding peace within no matter what is happening around us.

Every personand every generationmust choose its own path. Humanity has generally chosen the way of fear and destruction for most of the last century. But its never to late to plot a different course. The choice remains ours to make. We can choose the narrow way of Jesus or the broad, bloody path of empire.

Which will you choose?

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Choosing The Way of Peace | Messy Spirituality-Choosing The Way of Peace - Patheos

Global TMS(Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) Coil Market 2020 Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trend and Forecast to 2025 – Red & Black…

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

In Global TMS(Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) Coil Market 2020 by Manufacturers, Type and Application, Forecast to 2025, the global market has been comprehensively analyzed and the results are presented in the market report published. The overview of the global TMS(Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) Coil industry is extensively researched in the report. The report spotlights on market size, market share, market segmentation, significant growth drivers, and market competition. The report reveals the market revenue earned by the different companies operating in the market. The research provides a detailed breakdown of the major aspect of the companies such as financial aspects, research including development. The report analyzes each segment in the market as well as opportunities.

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All the market players functioning in the global TMS(Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) Coil market are profiled in detail in the report. The list includes all the major players along with the distributors, retailers, and suppliers information. Details of the market players MAG & More, ANT Neuro, Magstim, MagVenture, Deymed, Brain Latam Co are also incorporated in the market report. Additionally, a detailed study of business strategies for the growth of the market market-leading players has been offered within the report.

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Market segmentation by application: TMS(Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) Coil has been Hospital, Clinic, Others

The study provides an in-depth overview of country-level break-up classified as potentially high growth rate territory, countries with the highest market share in past and current scenario. Some of the regional break-up classified in the study are: North America (United States, Canada and Mexico), Europe (Germany, France, United Kingdom, Russia and Italy), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia and Australia), South America (Brazil, Argentina), Middle East & Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt and South Africa)

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Global TMS(Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) Coil Market 2020 Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trend and Forecast to 2025 - Red & Black...

Racin’ Today Dillon Answers ‘Haters’ With Victory In Texas – RacinToday.com

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

Austin Dillon snapped a long winless streak when he won at Texas Motor Speedway last Sunday, and a statement win it was. (Photos courtesy of NASCAR)

By John Sturbin | Senior WriterRacinToday.com

FORT WORTH, Texas Austin Dillon did his pop-pop proud, and zinged his critics, after leading a 1-2 sweep for Richard Childress Racing in Sundays 24th annual OReilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

The 30-year-old grandson of team-owner/NASCAR Hall of Famer Childress, Dillon withstood three restarts in the latter stages of the 334-lap NASCAR Cup Series race while battling rookie teammate Tyler Reddick and Cup champions Joey Logano of Team Penske and Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing.

Not bad for a silver-spoon kid, right? Ill take that, said Dillon, a sarcastic reference to a label put on him by Kevin Harvick during his tenure at RCR. Tyler Reddick, he raced me clean. 1-2 for RCR _ this has been coming. Weve had good cars all year (thanks to crew chief) Justin Alexander and my whole crew.

Dillons third career Cup victory snapped an 88-race winless streak and returned the No. 3 Chevrolet made famous by seven-time series champion Dale Earnhardt (six at RCR) to Victory Lane.

Way to go Austin, Im so proud of you, Childress said over Dillons in-car radio during his cool-down lap around TMS high-banked/1.5-mile oval. Dillons margin of victory over Reddick, a two-time Xfinity Series champion, was 0.149-seconds.

Dillons Cup resume includes victories in two of NASCARs premier events _ his first win in the Coca-Cola 600, NASCARs longest race, at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2017 and the 2018 Daytona 500, NASCARs season-opening Super Bowl at Daytona International Speedway. Dillon also has nine career wins in the Xfinity Series and seven career wins in the Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series. He is the 2011 Truck Series champion and the 2013 Xfinity Series champ.

Still, the first words out of his mouth post-race were directed at his so-called haters.

The Cup field took the green flag in front of actual live fans at TMS last weekend. How many fans? It didnt matter, TMS officials said.

Its OK, man.Sports are sports, Dillon said. You got to have someone you dont like.Maybe its just my background, where I come from.But I got a lot of people that love me, too.It doesnt bother me at all really.They can either get on the bandwagon and love meits OK.Its part of sports.Haters are going to hate sometimes, but well be all right.

Austin and younger brother Ty, the sons of RCR General Manager/former journeyman driver Mike Dillon, are the backbone of Childress family-oriented team based in Welcome, N.C. Childress, whose old-school/hardscrabble background was a perfect business match with Earnhardt, has no problem defending family.

You know, I think you get in the No. 3 car behind Dale Earnhardt, people think your granddaddy gave you this, said Childress, a 2017 NASCAR HOF inductee. He earned it no different than Ty Dillon.They had to earn their right to drive their cars.I think that may be a little bit of it.

We didnt give Austin the cars he needed (last year). Chevy has really worked hard and put together a great car for us.

Ill never forget 98 when Dale Earnhardt came and said, I want to retire, its me. I said, No, it isnt, Dale.We havent given you the cars.^ Cap E famously went on to win the 1998 Daytona 500 to kick-off NASCARs 50th anniversary season.

Dillon took the lead from Reddick for the first time on a restart on Lap 312 following the eighth caution on Lap 308. Alexander decided to take only left side tires and fuel during that stop.

What a call by Justin, Dillon said. Lefts had freed my car up all day.I was tight.When we put the lefts on, it was the call we needed to go on and win the race. I mean, Justins done a great job all year of putting us in good positions when it comes to track position.All three of my Cup wins are with Justin.Love the guy.I cant thank him enough for everything hes done for me and my family. Hes been putting great products out there.

He deals with me.Im not the easiest individual in the world to deal with.I can get cranky from time to time.Its just because Im passionate and Im a grinder.I feel like I can go out there and compete week and week out with these guys. This was a huge win for our company, RCR, ECR, everybody that supports us.It was really cool. It was nice to also have the ball in my court, to dictate the end of the race.

Caution No. 9 flew on Lap 320 and No. 10 was waved on Lap 330. The RCR teammates held serve on the final restart on Lap 332 as former series champions Logano and Busch squabbled for third with the former rounding out the podium.

Yeah, I had to change it up a couple of times, said Dillon, driver of the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Off Road Camaro ZL1 1LE. Definitely had to earn it. I changed it up. I waited the second one and I went on the last one. So, it worked out for me good.

Dillon led twice for a total of 22 laps, including the last 10. Reddick also led twice, for five laps. Dillon and Reddick, 24, gave RCR its first 1-2 Cup finish since Clint Bowyer and Jeff Burton placed 1-2 at Talladega Superspeedway in 2011 for the organizations 109th win.

What a great day for Richard Childress Racing, said Reddick, driver of the No. 8 Cat Oil & Gas Camaro overseen by crew chief Randall Burnett. This organization is working so hard and to have a 1-2 finish like we did is incredible. We really couldnt ask for much more than what we got today. One spot better would have been great, but the recovery this team made today was huge. Were racing for the big picture of making the Playoffs, so we have to race smart. Days like this will help us get there.

Reddick is 17th in points, 12 behind William Byron and the No. 24 Axalta Chevy fielded by Hendrick Motorsports for the 16th and final Playoff qualifying position with eight regular season events remaining.

Sundays victory secured Dillon a spot in NASCARs 10-race postseason Playoffs that includes the AAA Texas 500 weekend here Oct. 24-25.

Next up on a Cup schedule revised because of the COVID-19 pandemic is Thursday nights Super Start Batteries 400 Presented by OReilly Auto Parts at the 1.5-mile Kansas Speedway. NBC Sports Network will televise the 267-lapper at 7:30 p.m. (EDT) with radio coverage on MRN and SiriusXM Channel 90.

There has been no practice or qualifying in NASCARs three national touring series since the sports return at Darlington Raceway on May 17. On Wednesday, NASCAR announced the remainder of the 2020 season will continue to operate under that procedure.

The current format has worked well in addressing several challenges during our return to racing, Scott Miller, NASCAR Senior VP, Competition, said in a statement. Most importantly, we have seen competitive racing week-to-week. NASCAR will adjust the starting lineup draw procedure for the Playoff races and will announce the new process at a later date. Miller said this decision was made after discussions with our race teams and the broader industry, certainly including NBC Sports Group.

Dillon was treated for dehydration post-race via a couple IVs in the TMS infield care center. He and his peers battled extreme temperatures during the 501-miler that included a red flag stoppage of 11 minutes, 29 seconds after a grinding, 12-car crash along the front stretch on Lap 220. Ambient temperatures reached 96 degrees with a sauna-like heat index of 102-105 inside the cockpit.

That didnt deter Logano and Busch from pressing the RCR teammates down the stretch. Logano, the 2018 Cup champion, finished third in his No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford Mustang. Busch, the two-time/reigning Cup champ, finished fourth in the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry.

Harvick, the series point leader and winner of four races this season, placed fifth in the No. 4 Mobil 1 Ford fielded by Stewart-Haas Racing. Harvick exited Texas with a 91-point lead over Ryan Blaney of Team Penske. Blaney won the first two stages and led a race-high 150 laps in his No. 12 Menards/Maytag Ford en route to a seventh-place finish.

Sundays race was the first major sporting event conducted in Texas with fans in attendance since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March, when this race originally was booked. Under guidelines issued by Gov. Greg Abbott, TMS was allowed to accommodate up to 50 percent of its listed capacity of 135,000, including suites.

TMS President/General Manager Eddie Gossage continued to be coy when asked to provide a crowd estimate Sunday. But during an in-race interview in the Press Box, Gossage said he would not be offended if the crowd count was listed somewhere between 15,000 and 20,000.

These are the folks that want to be here, said Gossage, wearing a face mask. We never were trying to set an attendance record. I told yall (media) that youre going to turn on the TV and go, Nobodys there! And the truth is theres a pretty good number here. But still, its a massive place. I was downstairs when they opened the gates and everybody seemed happy and everybody had masks on and was distancing.

Dillon parked the nose of his Camaro against the front stretch wall near the starters stand and celebrated with an extended burnout directed at the fans. Felt really good.I think it would have been awkward without them, Dillon said. Thats why I parked it right in front of them and let them smell that smoke, the burnt rubber.Everything I did was for those fans.I think they loved it.

I also gave the (checkered) flag away to a little kid.He had a Kyle Busch shirt on.I told him he needed to get a new shirt.Hopefully, I transferred him over.

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Racin' Today Dillon Answers 'Haters' With Victory In Texas - RacinToday.com

Neurostimulation may herald a new treatment for depression – The Conversation CA

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

Depression is a growing problem in Canada and elsewhere, and one of the most important public health issues today, says the World Health Organization (WHO). The COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing containment measures have had an impact on the mental health of Canadians and have created conditions that are associated with increased rates of suicide.

Unfortunately, front-line treatments for depression, such as psychotherapy and medication, remain ineffective for a large portion of patients receiving care.

However, a new type of treatment is promising: neurostimulation. Here, a technician in a clinic directs a magnetic coil and delivers a few hundred electromagnetic pulses to a specific area of the brain. Treatments are painless, involve no surgery or significant side-effects and take less than an hour a day. The results are impressive. But is this too good to be true?

As a professor of neuroscience in the department of biology at the University of Ottawa and an affiliated researcher at the Krembil Research Institute in Toronto, my research in nonlinear physics has led me to the incredible complexity and richness of biological systems, especially in neuroscience.

Using mathematics and the power of numerical computation, it is possible to better understand not only how the brain works at the cellular level but also how its vast network is organized and what may be lacking because in presence of diseases, such as depression. This can help identify new avenues for treatment and test their effectiveness through simulations. Its a huge task that Im working on in collaboration with an interdisciplinary team of researchers around the world.

During the past decade, medical treatments involving neurostimulation, or cerebral electromagnetic stimulation, have resurfaced in neuroscience and psychiatry.

After the murky days of electroconvulsive therapy and other techniques, which had rather bad press, electrical or magnetic stimulation of neurons is attempting a comeback, using a much more sophisticated approach and much lower electrical currents. As a result, neurostimulation is becoming increasingly important in the treatment of depression, and its effectiveness seems to surpass that of medication in many patients.

Methods such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) are safe and painless alternatives to traditional pharmacological treatments. In addition, they have virtually no side-effects and offer new insights into the manipulation and control of cognitive processes.

Recent meta-analyses have identified positive and lasting effects of TMS neurostimulation treatments on patients with depression, some of whom experienced benefits up to one year after treatment.

These treatments are now approved by many regulatory agencies and the clinical use of neurostimulation is on the rise in many countries. In particular, portable TMS devices are in development and in the process of being approved by Health Canada for wider, accessible deployment. These devices would allow patients to treat themselves at home, without having to go to the clinic every day as is currently the case.

However, a major challenge remains: how to control brain activity accurately. What areas and types of magnetic signals should be used to relieve patients symptoms? For despite amazing results and promising advances, the mechanisms of neurostimulation remain poorly understood. Why?

TMS uses a coil to create a magnetic field that induces electric currents in the brain. Neurons are cells that communicate by means of repeated electrochemical impulses; the brain is an organ with essentially electrical functions. Magnetic fields can therefore influence the dialogue between different areas of the brain and in theory restore or balance their function.

The brain, composed of billions of neurons with continuously changing dynamics, is an incredibly complex network. Neurostimulation therefore poses quite a problem for researchers and clinicians, such as where to stimulate and how. The problem is so great that many advances are being made empirically using the trial-and-error method.

Mathematics is involved in this interdisciplinary adventure. What if, through mathematical models of brain circuits, we could understand how stimulation influences neurons and how its effects propagate?

By integrating brain imaging data such as magnetic resonance and electroencephalograms, mathematics can be used to create numerical simulations to better understand the influence of neurostimulation on neuronal activity. Its a promising approach that could indeed allow us to unravel the mystery of considering the brain as a pendulum!

To better understand, lets go back a bit.

The activity of neurons in the brain is far from being random and irregular. On the contrary, the neurons in certain parts of the brain co-ordinate their activity and react at the same time. They synchronize. This synchronization of the neurons in the brain appears in the magnifying glass of medical imaging as waves, or very characteristic oscillations, which are also called brain rhythms.

Brain activity oscillates like a pendulum and this constant to-and-fro movement allows us to see neuronal processes in action. Like ripples on a pond, brain rhythms are dynamic, changing according to our cognitive states. They will be different during a sustained mental effort, during physical activity and during sleep or meditation.

Researchers believe that brain waves are involved in the majority of brain processes. It is also these same rhythms that seem to be lacking in many neurodegenerative diseases. They are absent, too strong or too slow.

What if we could control these rhythms with the help of neurostimulation? This is the emerging hypothesis put forward by some neurostimulation researchers. Using advanced mathematics and computer simulations, they want to understand how co-ordination between networked neurons can be influenced and to what extent electromagnetic stimulation can be used to control brain rhythms and to develop treatments for neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinsons, schizophrenia and depression.

This research may lead to a better understanding of the role of these rhythms in brain function, the code used by neurons to communicate with each other and a better understanding of what is lacking in certain diseases. It may also allow us to use neurostimulation to increase the computational capacity of these neural networks, thereby increasing cognitive abilities and creativity. Science fiction? Maybe but not completely.

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Neurostimulation may herald a new treatment for depression - The Conversation CA

Coronavirus: Fifa gives Safa the power to extend the 2019-20 PSL season – Goal.com

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

The country's FA has been at loggerheads with the league over the restart of the season but the current campaign may go on beyond August 31

The South African Football Association (Safa) has received a response from Fifa advising them that they have the powers to extend the date of completion of the 2019-20 PSL season.

In a statement releasedon Wednesday, Safa said the season can be extended in terms of the Transfer Management System (TMS).

This means the suspended season can go beyond theAugust 31 deadline set by the PSL.

"The world football governing body, Fifahas written to the South African Football Association (Safa) advising them that they can extend the completion of the current Premier Soccer League season in terms of the Transfer Management System (TMS)," reads the statement.

Furthermore, Fifa mandatedSafa to amend the start of the upcoming season as well as the registration of new players.

"In the same context, Fifahas given Safathe mandate to amend the start of the PSL next season (2020/2021) and this may require the Association to amend the registration periods provided in the TMS."

Safa published part of the statement as sent to them by Fifa, and it reads as follows:

"As such, the association concerned should extend the end date of the ongoing season in the TMS, to reflect the match schedule. This may also require the association to amend the registration periods provided in the TMS."

Safa acting CEO Tebogo Motlanthe said the association was pleased with the clarification from Fifa and assured the country that the referees will be ready come August 1.

"We are glad with the clarification we got from Fifaand we have already started preparation of the referees. They will arrive at the camp in batches and I want to assure everyone that the match officials will be ready, come 1 August 2020 when the PSL kicks off,"said Motlanthe.

Last week, Safa rejected PSL's proposed return date of July 18, stating that the match officials were not ready and fit enough to complete the season.

The country's FA further resolved that referees be mandated to a 14-day fitnessand medical tests, a compromise on their side as Fifa requires match officials to undergo a three-week intense training programme before they can be deemed ready to resume work.

Safa offered to cover the costs of the 110 match officials which includeaccommodation, transportation and the conducting of tests.

Article continues below

It is unclear at this stage if the PSL will accept Safa's proposed return date of August 1 but the league said in its response that Dr Irvin Khoza would re-engage all the stakeholders on the association's position.

Weekendreports suggested the PSL was considering cancelling the campaign as it feels it would not have enough time to playthe remainingof the matches.

The league is expected to hold a board of governors meeting this week to plot the way forward for the current season which has been suspended since mid-March.

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Coronavirus: Fifa gives Safa the power to extend the 2019-20 PSL season - Goal.com

Worthless Coin McAfee Says He Never Believed Bitcoin Would Hit $1M – Cointelegraph

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

In July 2017, John McAfee said he would eat his own dick if Bitcoin does not hit $500,000 within three years. Today, BTC is hovering at a mere $9,130 and its price must increase by more than 5,376% to meet McAfees prediction.

John McAfee tweets he would eat his dick if Bitcoin doesnt hit $500k. Source: John McAfee Twitter

In general, Bitcoin quite clearly got nowhere near $500,000 in the past three years. Not only that, but McAfee is also seemingly backtracking from his $1 million per BTC prediction.

Last year, McAfee said he is positive Bitcoin goes to $1 million. He said negativity around the cryptocurrency market was overblown, especially considering Bitcoin was in the mid-$10,000s.

But on July 19, 2020, McAfee said:

Not going to get out of it. I never believed Bitcoin would hit $1 mil. It's absurd. Its an old, tired, worthless coin. I just wanted to eat my dick on TV. Wait for it.

Since mid-2019, the price of Bitcoin dropped from around $13,900 to $9,100. Following the 34% drop in a 12-month period, McAfee no longer feels confident about his $1 million BTC prediction.

In July 2019, McAfee said:

Bitcoin is at the mid 10's and people worry. LMFAO!! Why do you pay attention to weekly fluctuations? Look at the past few months FFS! It's rising drastically. I'm still positive about my $1 mil BTC price by the end of 2020. Alt coins like MTC and Apollo will rise ten times more.

Contrary to expectations, it also seems McAfee was referring to the end of 2020 as the prediction date for $500,000 per Bitcoin.

When several cryptocurrency enthusiasts questioned him about the subject, McAfee cited a website called dickening.com. The website says McAfee promised to eat his own dick if BTC does not hit $1 million by December 31, 2020.

McAfee said that it is well documented his bet was for Dec. 31 of this year, not July 2020. When asked about the bet, he reaffirmed that he would follow through with his bet if BTC does not hit $500,000.

He said:

It's well documented that I will eat my dick on Dec 31st 2020, not in July of this year. Google the bet. The In three years was a reference to that date. The originator of this tweet did not research it. Will I eat it? You bet! Myself, or, perhaps, a subcontractor:)

Max Keiser, the host of The Keiser Report and Bitcoin investor, sarcastically said McAfee must now be recovering at the hospital after honoring the bet.

John McAfee honored his bet, made three years ago, to bite off his dick if Bitcoin wasnt at $500,000 GOOD NEWS: Hes doing well at the hospital and expected to make a full recovery, Keiser said.

Of course, McAfees track record shows that his predictions should be taken with a grain of salt. For instance, his facetious U.S. Presidential campaign now appears to be inactive. Then in May 2020, McAfee questioned his own price prediction, leaving many confused.

Nevertheless, for McAfee to win the bet, BTC price would now have to gain at least 10,000% over the next five months.

Worthless Coin McAfee Says He Never Believed Bitcoin Would Hit $1M - Cointelegraph

How to watch NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance rover launch live online – Space.com

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

NASA's Mars-bound Perseverance rover is ready to blast off! You can watch the groundbreaking mission launch Thursday (July 30) live online as well as on TV, cable and satellite and get in on the action over social media.

Perseverance, which we've nicknamed "Percy," is set to lift off July 30 at 7:50 a.m. EDT (1150 GMT) on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The mission will launch the rover to Jezero Crater on the Martian surface, where Perseverance is expected to land on Feb.18, 2021 after a seven-month journey.

You can watch the Mars rover launch live here and on Space.com's homepage, courtesy of NASA TV, beginning at 7 a.m. EDT (1100 GMT). But NASA's live webcasts, which will include some behind-the-scenes moments for the mission, won't be the only place you can enjoy the launch.

Thanks to the magic of social media, the agency has created a number of ways that anyone can get involved with the event from home. Read on for a timeline of NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance rover webcasts through July 30, and how to join in via social media.

In Photos: NASA's Mars Perseverance rover mission to the Red Planet

For the launch, NASA is inviting the public to participate online and through social media. The agency is hosting a virtual NASA Social event, rolling out fun augmented reality filters on social media apps (you can find Instagram augmented reality filters of Mars here, Mission Control here and a 3D rover here), educational and fun tool kits for students and they've invited the public to submit videos to potentially be a part of the live launch broadcast, take a souvenir photo in a "Mars Photo Booth" and send your name to Mars!

You can even participate in the launch in virtual reality with a VR launch broadcast with Oculus on Facebook. Additionally, you can explore "Percy" in 3D with an interactive NASA tool that lets you really get up close and personal with the Mars-bound rover. Check out related activities and lesson plans for students here and here, and a "Mars 2020 STEM [Science Technology Engineering and Math] Toolkit" here.

On social media, the agency is using the hashtag #CountdownToMars to celebrate the event.

More than 112,000 people registered to be our virtual guests for NASAs SpaceX Demo-2 test flight launch in May, which was the first time the agency had offered this type of launch experience to the public, NASA Associate Administrator for Communications Bettina Incln said in an agency statement. For our Mars 2020 Perseverance rover launch, we hope even more people will join us as we #CountdownToMars!

With this mission, "Percy" will parachute down into Jezero Crater and is set to spend roughly two Earth years rolling around and exploring the Martian surface. With a robotic arm, a suite of high-resolution cameras and a variety of advanced scientific instruments, the rover will gather data to help scientists explore any possibly habitable environments on the planet, any signs of ancient, microscopic life and the rover will take samples that might one day travel to Earth with a future mission.

To watch history unfold, you can check out the broadcast on NASA's website here in addition to the NASA TV channel if your cable or satellite provider carries it. NASA will stream coverage of the launch online via YouTube, Twitter and other social media channels, and is holding a virtual #launchAmerica event with video tours and other features for the public to watch.

Here's a full list of the NASA streams available:

While launch coverage begins at 7 a.m. EDT (1100 GMT), NASA will have "Percy" coverage on NASA TV all week. Follow along for updates and all things Mars with the schedule below:

Monday, July 27 (All times in EDT)

1 p.m. Mars 2020 Pre-Launch News Conference

3 p.m. Mars 2020 Mission Engineering/Science Briefing

Tuesday, July 28

2 p.m. Mars 2020 Mars Sample Return Briefing

4 p.m. Mars 2020 Mission Tech and Humans to Mars Briefing

Thursday, July 30

7 a.m. Mars 2020 Perseverance launch broadcast

11:30 a.m. Mars 2020 Perseverance post-launch news conference

NASA has until Aug. 15 to launch Perseverance toward Mars and still reach the Red Planet on Feb. 18. Visit Space.com for complete coverage of the Mars 2020 mission.

Email Chelsea Gohd at cgohd@space.com or follow her on Twitter @chelsea_gohd. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.

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How to watch NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance rover launch live online - Space.com

From Earth to Mars: Rosalind Franklins centenary of science – YubaNet

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

July 23, 2020 If Rosalind Franklin had had a birthday wish, she probably never would have dreamed of having her name roving on Mars.

As the world celebrates the 100th anniversary of the prominent scientist behind the discovery of the structure of DNA tomorrow, theExoMars rovernamed after her prepares to leave her symbolic footprint on the Red Planet.

The robotic explorer will drill down to two metres into the martian surface to sample the soil, analyse its composition and search for evidence of life buried underground. The mission is set for launchin 2022.

Rosalind Franklin was a leading crystallographer, who looked into how atoms are arranged. She produced the best double helix image of DNA strands with X-rays, and that transformed our world, leading to the biggest advance in biology in the past century DNA technology, says Jim Naismith, director of theRosalind Franklin Institute, a national research centre for life sciences in the UK.

She was not an undiscovered gem in her time, but a really influential scientist for her pioneering work in viruses. We regard her as the first structural biologist of viruses, adds Jim.

The scientists working to send ESAs Rosalind Franklin rover to Mars do not expect to find either DNA or viruses on our neighbouring planet. DNA molecules and viruses are probably too fragile to last for four billion years on the ground, explains Jorge Vago, ESAs ExoMars project scientist.

But we hope that our rover will help write a new page in Mars exploration by allowing us to study organic molecules at depth, and perhaps find some suggestive traces of past life, says Jorge.

Rosalind Franklins legacy lives on a hundred years after her birth on planet Earth. Born on 25 July 1920, her family is touched by the worldwide recognition of her scientific work.

Many people have this vision of a solitary woman who was robbed of a Nobel Prize and was never acknowledged for helping discover the structure of the DNA helix, says her niece, also named Rosalind Franklin in her memory.

She is committed to fighting off that conflictive image and representing her legacy bringing her out as a woman with a place in history. She inspires me to think that all of us, as individuals, have the power to make a difference.

Dr Franklin was on a trip to America when she had difficulty fastening her skirt over her swollen stomach the first sign of an advanced ovarian cancer. She died two years later at 37 years old, working almost to the very end of her life.

A series of online talks and events, including acommemorative coin, is underway around the globe to celebrate the centenary of this woman of integrity who went after scientific discovery for the betterment of humankind, as her niece described her from her home in California, US.

Rosalind believes her aunt would have loved the ExoMars team spirit. The work of ESA engineers on the rover struck me they really do it for the results, not for themselves. This is what Rosalind Franklin was all about: commitment and dedication to science, she said after avisitto ESAs technical centre in the Netherlands last year.

The scientist never conceived science as a race for awards.

AsMars explorationprepares for an international reawakening this year, the ExoMars mission that would have marked Dr Franklins centenary had to be postponed because tests to make all components of the spacecraft ready for the Mars adventure needed more time to complete.

On top of that, the coronavirus pandemic has halted the completion of several tests and verifications since March 2020.

The fitness of the Rosalind Franklin rover to launch to the Red Planet in 2022 is currently being assessed during the qualification and acceptance review by ESA and dozens ofindustrial partners.

The rover successfully proved it can endure martian conditions during the environmental test campaign completed earlier this year in Toulouse, France.

The flight model awaits a more robust set of solar panels at Thales Alenia Space in Turin, Italy. In the same city is a full-scale model of Rosalind Franklin.

A team of engineers will simulate the roaming of the laboratory on wheels from theRover Operations Control Centre(ROCC) at ALTEC, right next to one of Europes largest Mars yards.

While the ExoMars rover tunes up its gear and software for the challenges ahead, parachute tests are expected to resume in October in Oregon, US.

Further tests on the electrical and mechanical elements of the spacecraft will take place in Cannes, France, also in the autumn.

TheExoMars programmeis a joint endeavour between the Roscosmos State Corporation and ESA. Apart from the 2022 mission, it includes the Trace Gas Orbiter launched in 2016. The TGO is already both delivering important scientific results obtained by its own Russian and European science instruments and relaying data from NASAs Curiosity Mars rover and InSight lander. The module will also relay the data from the ExoMars 2022 mission once it arrives at Mars.

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From Earth to Mars: Rosalind Franklins centenary of science - YubaNet

Kevin Hart and the UAE join forces for ‘Mars Shot’ contest – Space.com

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

Comedian and actor Kevin Hart has partnered with the United Arab Emirates for the "Mars Shot" contest to "make your wildest dreams come true," Hart explains in a video on the contest website.

"Mars Shot" is a global digital campaign that invited people from around the world to apply to "share one inspiring dream for a chance to make it happen," the contest's website reads. "Unleash your imagination and reach for the stars. Let's make the impossible, possible," it continues.

"I am now in a position in my life where I'm all about inspiring, motivating, dreaming, accomplishing," Hart explained in a video on the site. He went on to explain that he partnered with the UAE, which just successfully launched its first interplanetary mission, a Mars orbiter called Hope, for this initiative, which asks people around the world to dream up their own "Mars Shot."

A "Mars Shot," Hart explained, "means dreaming so big that you can't see it here. That dream is so big that it's out there where Mars is. It's way, way out there."

"Whatever you think that your dream is, I want you to take a step past that. Take a step past that dream and go bigger," he said.

Related:The UAE's Hope Mars orbiter: Here's 6 things to knowMore:The United Arab Emirates' Hope mission to Mars in photos

For the contest, applicants submitted videos of themselves explaining what their "Mars Shot," or big idea for the world, is and why they should win.

Of these applicants, 15 were chosen and the public was given the chance to vote for who they wanted to win and whose "Mars Shot" they wanted to see executed. these applicants are a number of artists, storytellers and more.

One of these 15 finalists is actually a space chef analog astronaut Sian Proctor whose "Mars Shot" is to "eliminate hunger and food waste on Earth," by using space food technologies.

Voting for these finalists ends today (July 25), and on Aug. 5, three winners will be announced. And what do they win? Well, according to Hart, they win their "Mars Shot" dream.

"My partners and I will do what we do best: make it happen," he explained.

You can vote for your favorite finalist here.

Email Chelsea Gohd at cgohd@space.com or follow her on Twitter @chelsea_gohd. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.

NASA’s Mars 2020 rover will seek signs of ancient life – UPI News

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

Pilots Troy Asher and Stu Broce walk out of NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center's hangar toward the flight line in Palmdale, Calif., on June 17, 2020. In addition to aeronautics research, Flight Operations personnel support such missions as the Mars Perseverance Rover, slated to launch in July 2020. Photo by Lauren Hughes/NASA | License Photo

Engineers observed the first driving test for the Perseverance rover in a clean room at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., on December 17, 2019. Photo courtesy of NASA

Much of Mars is covered by sand and dust, but in some places, stacks of sedimentary layers are visible. In this image, exquisite layering is revealed emerging from the sand in southern Holden Crater. Sequences like these offer a window into Mars' complicated geologic history. Holden Crater once was a candidate landing area for the Curiosity Mars science laboratory, and still is an intriguing choice today. Photo courtesy of NASA | License Photo

Engineers and technicians insert 39 sample tubes into the belly of the rover at the Kennedy Space Center on May 20, 2020. NASA's upcoming Perseverance rover mission will collect the first samples from another planet for return to Earth by subsequent missions. In place of astronauts, the Perseverance rover will rely on the most complex, capable and cleanest mechanism ever to be sent into space, the Sample Caching System. Each tube is sheathed in a gold-colored cylindrical enclosure to protect it from contamination. Perseverance will carry 43 sample tubes to the Red Planet's Jezero Crater. Photo courtesy of NASA | License Photo

This NASA artist's concept depicts the Ingenuity Mars helicopter, which was prepared for launch from Florida in summer 2020, on the surface of Mars. Image courtesy of NASA

The Perseverance rover undergoes processing at a payload servicing facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on February 14, 2020. Initial processing took place on February 13, one day after a C-17 aircraft, with the rover aboard, touched down at the Launch and Landing Facility at the space center. Photo courtesy of NASA

The head of the Perseverance rover's remote sensing mast is seen in the Spacecraft Assembly Facility's High Bay 1 at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., on July 23, 2019. The rover contains an armada of imaging capabilities, from wide-angle landscape cameras to narrow-angle, high-resolution zoom lens cameras. Photo courtesy of NASA | License Photo

The Opportunity rover used its navigation camera for this northward view of tracks the rover left on a drive from one energy-favorable position on a sand ripple to another in 2010. NASA announced on February 13, 2019, that one of the most successful and enduring feats of interplanetary exploration was at an end after almost 15 years exploring the surface of Mars. The Opportunity rover stopped communicating with Earth when a severe Mars-wide dust storm blanketed its location in June 2018. Photo courtesy of NASA | License Photo

The Curiosity rover finds an ancient oasis of a network of cracks in this Martian rock slab called "Old Soaker" that might have formed from the drying of a mud layer more than 3 billion years ago. The view spans about 3 feet, left to right, and combines three images taken by the MAHLI camera on the arm of Curiosity rover. Photo courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

The small spherules on the Martian surface in this close-up image are near Fram Crater, visited by the Opportunity rover during the 84th Martian day, or sol, of the rover's work on Mars on April 19, 2004. The area shown is 1.2 inches across. These are examples of the mineral concretions nicknamed "blueberries." Opportunity's investigation of the hematite-rich concretions during the rover's three-month prime mission in early 2004 provided evidence of a watery ancient environment. Photo courtesy of NASA | License Photo

The Opportunity rover's shadow was photographed by the rover's front hazard-avoidance camera as the rover moved farther into Endurance Crater in the Meridiani Planum region of Mars on July 26, 2004. Photo courtesy of NASA | License Photo

This scene from the panoramic camera (Pancam) on the Opportunity rover looks back toward part of the west rim of Endeavour Crater that the rover drove along, heading southward, during the summer of 2014. The vista merges multiple Pancam exposures taken on August 15, 2014, during the 3,754th Martian day of Opportunity's work on Mars. Photo courtesy of NASA | License Photo

Mars InSight team members Kris Bruvold (L) and Sandy Krasner react after receiving confirmation that the Mars InSight lander successfully touched down on the surface of Mars. They are inside the Mission Support Area at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., on November 26, 2018. InSight, short for Interior Exploration Using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is a Mars lander designed to study the "inner space" of Mars -- its crust, mantle and core. Photo by Bill Ingalls/NASA | License Photo

This image was acquired by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter on April 18, 2017. A close-up in enhanced color produces a striking effect, giving the impression of a cloud-covered cliff edge with foamy waves crashing against it. The reality is that the surface of Mars is much dryer than our imaginations might want to suggest. This is only a tiny part of a much larger structure -- a crater that has been infilled by material more resistant to erosion than the rocks around it, surrounded by bluish basaltic dunes. The edge of these elevated, light-toned deposits are degraded, irregular and cliff-forming. Photo courtesy of NASA | License Photo

The foreground of this scene from the mast camera on the Curiosity rover shows purple-hued rocks near the rover's late-2016 location on lower Mount Sharp. The scene's middle distance includes higher layers that are future destinations for the mission. Photo courtesy of NASA

A new map of Mars' gravity, derived using Doppler and range tracking data collected by NASA's Deep Space Network from three NASA spacecraft in orbit around Mars -- Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Odyssey and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter -- is the most detailed to date, providing a revealing glimpse into the hidden interior of the Red Planet. This view of the Martian gravity map shows the Tharsis volcanoes and surrounding flexure. The white areas in the center are higher-gravity regions produced by the massive Tharsis volcanoes, and the surrounding blue areas are lower-gravity regions that might be cracks in the crust. Photo courtesy of NASA | License Photo

Expedition 46 Commander Scott Kelly of NASA (C) is carried into a medical tent after he landed in the Soyuz TMA-18M spacecraft in a remote area near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, on March 2, 2016. Kelly completed an International Space Station record year-long mission to collect valuable data on the effect of long-duration weightlessness on the human body that will be used to formulate a human mission to Mars. Photo by Bill Ingalls/NASA | License Photo

Dark narrow streaks, called "recurring slope lineae," emanate from the walls of Garni Crater on Mars, in this view constructed from observations by the HiRISE camera on the Reconnaissance Orbiter on September 28, 2015. The dark streaks are hypothesized to be formed by flow of briny liquid water on Mars. The image was produced by first creating a 3D computer model (a digital terrain map) of the area based on stereo information from two HiRISE observations, and then draping an image over the land-shape model. The vertical dimension is exaggerated by a factor of 1.5 compared to horizontal dimensions. Photo by NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona | License Photo

The Opportunity rover's robotic arm, called the "instrument deployment device," at upper left, is seen as it continues to traverse Mars on November 26, 2014. Photo courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech | License Photo

A United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy launches NASA's Orion Spacecraft on its "Exploration Flight Test" from Launch Complex 37 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., on December 5, 2014. The unmanned mission will test the systems on NASA's newest spacecraft during a 4 1/2-hour, two-orbit flight. NASA's plans for Orion include flying future manned missions on voyages to deep space exploring asteroids and eventually Mars. Photo by Joe Marino-Bill Cantrell/UPI | License Photo

The Curiosity rover uses the camera at the end of its arm in April and May 2014 to take dozens of component images combined into this self-portrait "selfie" where the rover drilled into a sandstone target called "Windjana" on the Martian surface. Most of the component frames of this mosaic view were taken during the 613th Martian day of Curiosity's work on Mars on April 27, 2014. Photo courtesy of NASA | License Photo

The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution Mission (MAVEN) spacecraft undergoes final preparations at the Kennedy Space Center, Fla., on September 27, 2013. MAVEN will be launched by an Atlas 5 rocket scheduled for liftoff on November 18, 2013. The Lockheed Martin spacecraft will orbit the planet Mars for one year after completing a 10-month journey through space. The mission is to explore how the sun has affected Mars' upper atmosphere and ionosphere. Photo by Joe Marino-Bill Cantrell/UPI | License Photo

This image comparison was taken August 6, 2012 by the Hazard-Avoidance camera on the Curiosity rover before and after the clear dust cover was removed. Curiosity, which successfully landed on the Martian surface on August 6, 2012, was equipped with a host of sensors, cameras and an onboard chemistry lab. Photo courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech/Malin Space Science Systems | License Photo

Technicians look over the the Curiosity rover during inspections at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's NASA Mars Science Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. Curiosity, a mobile robot for investigating Mars' past or present ability to sustain microbial life, was launched on November 26, 2011. Photo courtesy of NASA | License Photo

This false-color view is the first observation of a target selected autonomously by the NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity on Mars on the 2,172nd Martian day, or sol, of its mission, March 4, 2010. NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity used newly developed and uploaded software to choose a target from a wider-angle image and point its panoramic camera to observe the chosen target through 13 different filters. Images taken through three of the filters are combined into this false-color view of the rock, which is about the size of a football. Photo courtesy of NASA | License Photo

The half-mile-wide Victoria Crater in the Meridiani Planum region of Mars, photographed by the HiRISE camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, is seen on July 18, 2009. Colors have been enhanced to make subtle differences more visible. Photo courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona | License Photo

NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander's Surface Stereo Imager took this image on on June 8, 2008. It shows two trenches dug by Phoenix's Robotic Arm, each trench is about 3 inches wide. Soil from the right trench, informally called "Baby Bear," was delivered to Phoenix's Thermal and Evolved-Gas Analyzer on June 6. The trench on the left is informally called "Dodo" and was dug as a test. This view is presented in approximately true color by combining separate exposures taken through different filters of the Surface Stereo Imager. Photo courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona/Texas A&M University | License Photo

In this artist's conception, the Phoenix Mars Lander, which was launched in August 2007 as the first project in NASA's Mars Scout missions, landed on Mars on May 25, 2008. The mission's plan is to land in icy soils near the north polar permanent ice cap and explore the history of the water in these soils and any associated rocks, while monitoring polar climate.The spacecraft and its instruments are designed to analyze samples collected from up to 20 inches deep using its robotic arm. The arm extends forward in this artist's concept of the lander on Mars. Image courtesy of NASA | License Photo

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope took this close-up of Mars when it was just 55 million miles away on December 17, 2007. Mars will be at its brightest on December 24, 2007 as it aligns directly opposite of the sun, and will not be as visible for another nine years.This color image was assembled from a series of exposures taken within 36 hours of Mars' closest approach with Hubble's Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2. Photo courtesy of NASA/ESA/Hubble Heritage Team | License Photo

A new space explorer, Phoenix, is pictured in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 10, 2007. The Phoenix will launch aboard a Delta II rocket to Mars and will dig in the soil and ice in the arctic region of the planet. Both the rocket and spacecraft are undergoing final preparations for the mission. Photo by Kim Shiflett/NASA | License Photo

Children play with a meteorite fragment from Mars at the National Air and Space Museum's Mars Day celebration in Washington on July 21, 2006. The event marks the 30th anniversary of the landing of the Viking 1 craft on the Red Planet on July 20, 1976. Photo by Eduardo Sverdlin/UPI | License Photo

The Viking II Lander landed September 3,1976, some 4,600 miles from its twin, Viking I. This image from Viking II shows the boulder-strewn field of red rocks reaching to the horizon nearly 2 miles from the spacecraft on Mars' Utopian Plain. Scientists believe the colors of the Martian surface and sky in this photo represent their true colors. Photo courtesy of NASA | License Photo

A Lockheed Martin Atlas V rocket launches NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Satellite from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on August 12, 2005. The Orbiter will take highly detailed images of the surface of Mars after a seven-month journey to the Red Planet. Photo by Joe Marino-Bill Cantrell/UPI | License Photo

The surface of Mars is seen in this photo mosaic using both visible and infrared images recorded by the Mars Odyssey Spacecraft from August 2004. Photo courtesy of NASA | License Photo

Spirit reached out its arm to meet with the Martian soil for the first time on January 16, 2004. Its Microscopic Imager, one of four instruments at the end of the rover's arm, took the highest resolution image of the Martian surface to date. Throughout the mission, this instrument will act as a geologist's hand lens, providing close-up views of rocks and soils. Photo courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech | License Photo

President George W. Bush addresses those gathered at NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C., to announce his plans to expand the space program, on January 14, 2004. The president's plans include increased funding to send humans back to the moon, and eventually, to Mars. Photo by Michael Kleinfeld/UPI | License Photo

This section of the first color image from the Spirit rover has been further processed to produce a sharper look at a trail left by the one of rover's airbags. The drag mark was made after the rover landed and its airbags were deflated and retracted. Scientists have dubbed the region the "Magic Carpet" after a crumpled portion of the soil that appears to have been peeled away (lower left side of the drag mark). Rocks also were dragged by the airbags, leaving impressions and "bow waves" in the soil. The mission team plans to drive the rover to this site to look for additional clues about the composition of the Martian soil. This image was taken by Spirit's panoramic camera. Photo courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell | License Photo

JPL engineers played Bob Marley's "Get Up, Stand Up" in the control room as they watched new images confirming that the Spirit rover successfully stood up on its lander, a major step in preparing for egress on January 9, 2004. This image from the rover's front hazard avoidance camera shows the rover in the final stage of its stand-up process. Photo courtesy of NASA NASA/JPL-Caltech | License Photo

The second of two NASA Mars Rovers is driven over staggered ramps to test the suspension's range of motion before launch. The first of the rovers, Spirit, is scheduled to land on Mars on January 3, 2003. Photo courtesy of NASA | License Photo

A Boeing Delta rocket lifts off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, carrying NASA's Mars Rover "Spirit" on a seven-month journey to Mars on June 10, 2003. This is the first of two rovers planned to be launched to the Red Planet, signaling NASA's return after six years. Photo by Joe Marino-Bill Cantrell/UPI | License Photo

This is a false-color image of the surface of Mars as taken by the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter, an instrument aboard NASA's Mars Global Surveyor and released on May 27, 1999. It is the first 3D imagery of the Red Planet. This high-resolution map represents 27 million elevation measurements gathered in 1998 and 1999. The massive Hellas impact basin in the Southern Hemisphere, lower left, is nearly 6 miles deep and 1,300 miles across, and is surrounded by a ring of material that rises 1.25 miles and stretches 2,500 miles from the basin center. Photo courtesy of NASA | License Photo

Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has discovered an enormous cyclonic storm system raging in the northern polar regions of Mars on May 19, 1999. Nearly four times the size of the state of Texas, the storm is composed of water ice clouds like storm systems on Earth, rather than dust typically found in Martian storms. This image has been processed to bring out additional detail in the storm's spiral cloud structures. Photo by Jim Bell, Steve Lee, Mike Wolff/NASA | License Photo

Former Astronaut Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin Jr., the second man on the moon, stands besides a full-scale model of the Mars Viking I Lander with its digging arm extending to the surface, in Pasadena, Calif., on July 28, 1976. UPI File Photo | License Photo

On July 20, 1976, at 8:12 a.m. EDT, NASA received the signal that the Viking I Lander successfully reached the Martian surface. This major milestone represented the first time the United States successfully landed a vehicle on the surface of Mars, collecting an overwhelming amount of data that would soon be used in future NASA missions. Upon touchdown, Viking I took its first picture of the dusty and rocky surface and relayed the historic image back to Earthlings eagerly awaiting its arrival. Viking I, and later Viking II Orbiter, collected an abundance of high-resolution imagery and scientific data, blazing a trail that will one day take humans to Mars. Photo courtesy of NASA | License Photo

NASA's Mars 2020 rover will seek signs of ancient life - UPI News

Singer Bruno Mars marks 10 years of ‘Just The Way You Are’ – The Star Online

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

Multi-awarded singer-songwriter Bruno Mars is celebrating the tenth year since the release of his hit song Just The Way You Are, his first single ever.

The artiste took to Facebook on Tuesday (July 21) to greet the song a happy birthday as he gave fans a dose of nostalgia by sharing a screenshot of his release announcement a decade ago.

Ill never get tired of singing this song. I dedicate it to all of you today. Happy B-Day Just The Way You Are. #10YearsYoung, Mars said.

The said screenshot is of his tweet posted on July 20,2010, which read, My Official First single out NOW on [ITunes]! Just The Way You Are.. I hope yall like it.. And to all my fans you guys are AMAZING! I LOVE U.

Other than being his debut single, Just The Way You Are is also the lead song for his first album ever, Doo-Wops & Hooligans.

Through the song, Mars was able to take home his first-ever Grammy Award in 2010 for Best Male Pop Performance. He has since won 10 more Grammy Awards and been nominated 27 times in several categories throughout the years.

Just The Way You Are was certified diamond last year by the Recording Industry Association of America after moving at least 10 million units between sales and streams, as per Forbes on Jan 24,2019. Philippine Daily Inquirer/Asia News Network

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Singer Bruno Mars marks 10 years of 'Just The Way You Are' - The Star Online

Hybrid products could drive first wave of cell-based meat launches, predicts Higher Steaks as it unveils pork belly, bacon prototypes -…

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

By weight, the pork belly prototypes contain 50% muscle cells grown in a bioreactor (without the use of bovine serum) and 50% plant-based proteins and fats; while the bacon contains 70% muscle cells and 30% plant-based materials.

Were already seeing hybrid burgers and nuggets [combining conventional and plant-based meat from US meat giants such as Tyson Foods and Perdue Farms], and I absolutely think youll see this with cell-based meat as well, said co-founder and CEO Benjamina Bollag, who was speaking to FoodNavigator-USA shortly afterbiotech research lab 3D Bioprinting Solutions unveileda collaboration with KFC to bring hybrid nuggets containing 80% plant-based materials to the Russian market.

Combining cell-based meat - which will likely enter the market in small quantities at a premium price - with plant proteins and fats, could help startups enter the market with more affordable products and ease consumers into the concept, she said, although Higher Steaks longer-term ambition is to make 100% cell-based products cost competitive.

Higher Steaks is using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS), which behave like embryonic stem cells in that they can replicate/proliferate extensively (without having to keep going back to the original source) and differentiate into multiple cell types such as muscle and fat, said Bollag,a chemical engineer who co-foundedHigher Steaksin 2017 with stem cell scientist Dr. Stephanie Wallis and Prof. David Hay, chair of tissue engineering at the Center for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Edinburgh.

Stem cell scientist Dr Ruth Faram has since joined as head of R&D, while Dr James Clark, formerly CTO at Predict Immune, recently joined as chief science officer to help the startup scale up its technology, she added.

Right now, the team is still exploring whether it makes most sense to grow these cell types separately and combine them at the end to make products, or to co-culture them, said Bollag, who could not go into details as the company has filed a provisional patent covering its innovations, but claims that it has some compelling IP that will help it differentiate itself in the nascent cell-based meat industry.

Were working on a portfolio of patents to reinforce this main patent. Were still working out which is the best method to use at scale, but our next prototypes will include fat [from animal cells rather than plants]if not more cell types [as well as muscle] in the mix.

However, the process of reprogramming adult stem cells to behave like embryonic master cells does not involve genetic engineering, a key factor for any company trying to enter the European market, stressed Bollag, who anticipates bringing products to market in 2-5 years, perhaps beginning in high-end restaurants in the EU, where cell-cultured meat would be considered a novel food and therefore subject to pre-approval under the Novel Food Regulation.

We have some more work to do before we would submit a Novel Food application, and then it might take another year and a half [for the approval process]

She added:Were a technology company, so well launch on a small scale, but for a larger scale launch, we want to partner with larger organizations to leverage their expertise in distribution, packaging and consumer insights and so on and then the productscould be [launched under]our brand or their brand or a co-brand.

She would not go into details on materials Higher Steaks is exploring as scaffolding (edible structures upon which firms can seed cells in order to grow more 3D structures), but said Higher Steaks is testing several materials.

There are also a lot of new companies popping up sending us their scaffolds to test, which is really exciting.

As for finding alternatives to fetal bovine serum that can serve as cost-effective growth media (ie. food for the cells), she said: We have very clear pathways on how to get the cost down of both the growth media [to help the stem cells proliferate] and the differentiation media [to signal them to differentiate and mature into different cell types such as fat, muscle etc].

One of the things is reducing the number of growth factors you need, and there are specific things were working on internally, but there are also a lot of companies working in this space so its an area for collaboration.

The decision to focus on pork was made for multiple reasons, said Bollag, who is currently backed by some very supportive angel investors: Pork supply is under significant threat because of African swine fever and on top of that, a lot of antibiotics used[in meat production]are used in pork and poultry, and one of the main challenges we are trying to address is antibiotic resistance.

Pork is also used in a ton of processed products such as sausages that are easier to create [in bioreactors]than something like a [beef]steak. Its also genetically similar to humans, so its easy to adapt the work that has been done on the medical side[to large scale cell-based meat production].

As to what to call meat cultured from animal cells, Bollag says shes happy with the terms cell-based meat, and cultivated meat, adding: Its really about finding something that works for consumers and regulators but doesnt alienate the meat producers but also describes the product accurately.

Cell-based meat: From the laboratory to the market

Despite all the hype, most startups in the space are still working in a laboratory (as opposed to a factory), although several have recently raised more substantial sums (Memphis Meats: $161m,BlueNalu: $20m,Future Meat Technologies: $14m,Wild Type: $12.5m,Aleph Farms: $12m,Meatable: $10m) to support the construction of pilot-scale facilities.

Maastricht-basedMosa Meat which is gearing up for a small scale commercial launch in 2022 assuming it has cleared regulatory hurdles - recently joined forces with Nutreco (which has invested an undisclosed sum in the firm along with Lower Carbon Capital) to work on growth media; San Diego-basedBlueNaluhas also partnered with Nutreco and aims toproduce small quantities of product for commercial launch in late 2021; while Jerusalem-basedFuture Meat Technologiesplans to release hybrid products in 2021 and a second line of 100% cell-based ground meat products suitable for burgers and nuggets at a cost ofless than $10 per pound in 2022.

However, the recent$161m investment in Memphis Meats- which says it has a pretty clear pathto achieving cost parity with conventional meat has given the whole sector a confidence boost, says Krijn de Nood, CEO at Dutch cell-based meat startupMeatable.

Its a huge positive for the industry, it shows there are very serious investors that have done their due diligence and think this is really going to happen.

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Hybrid products could drive first wave of cell-based meat launches, predicts Higher Steaks as it unveils pork belly, bacon prototypes -...

Trump campaign moving forward with opening centers in communities of color amid pandemic – ABC News

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

President Trumps re-election team is moving forward with plans to open over a dozen retail properties for voter outreach in communities of colorcommunities that have been disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus as the pandemic surges around the country.

The team is looking to resume its previously announced plans to open community centers across battleground states like Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, and North Carolina --places where there have also been significant spikes in COVID-19 cases.

Public health experts such as Dr. Shad Marvasti, director of Public Health and associate professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine Phoenix told ABC News it would be irresponsible to open these centers during the height of the pandemic.

"Right now it's not advisable to have any type of activity that's not necessary, where people are interacting indoors, particularly in communities of black and brown that have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, Marvasti said. They are getting hospitalized and dying at much higher rates than white Americans. I think it's irresponsible to expose them by having yet another touch point of people interacting in close settings which we know is higher risk in terms of transmitting the virus."

People holding "Blacks for Trump" signs gather along Southern Boulevard as President Donald Trump's motorcade returns to Mar-a-Lago from the Trump International Golf Club located in West Palm Beach, Jan. 18, 2020

The Republican National Committee and the Trump campaign will look to open 15 Black Voices for Trump Community Centers this Summer in several cities across the country such as Philadelphia, Cleveland, Greensboro, Milwaukee, Charlotte and the host city for the former RNC National Convention Jacksonville, Florida.

RNC Senior Communications Advisor for Black Media Affairs Paris Dennard said that the plan for these centers is to get them in accordance with guidance from local officials.

It is based upon local guidance from mayors and what it can be deemed essential and non-essential etc, but the plan is to get those things opened up this summer, Dennard said.

The Trump campaign is also trying to make up ground since the coronavirus epidemic has since significantly hindered not only the campaigns Black Voices for Trump retail shops plans, delaying their openings.

The Trump campaign has invested millions in efforts to reach voters of color over the last year through both television and digital advertisements, including a $10 million Super Bowl ad, and launching multiple coalitions including Black Voices for Trump and Latinos for Trump.

A supporter of the US president hold signs reading "Latinos for Trump" as they attend a "Keep America Great" rally at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas on Oct. 17, 2019.

The centers are places where the Trump campaign staffers would sell merchandise like hats that have the word woke--appropriating a term that signals racial awareness -- on them while also working to register voters while pitching them on the presidents economic record and criminal justice reform bill.

Perhaps more crucially, a key element of the presidents economic pitch to voters of color has evaporated as the pandemic has sent unemployment rates soaring, disproportionately harming communities of color.

RNC Regional Communications Director of Hispanic Outreach Andres Malave said target locations for the centers have been identified all over the state of Florida and the southwestern part of the country for the Latinos for Trump coalition.

Director of Strategic Initiatives for Arizona Trump Victory, Jeremiah Cota shared an image last week showing off a new retail space where a Latinos for Trump center is set to open in Phoenix, Arizona. Trump Victory is ready to launch the first ever #LatinosForTrump community center in the heart of South Phoenix!, Cota wrote.

The Trump campaigns plans to open a new retail spot in Phoenix, Arizona comes as the coronavirus pandemic in the state shows cases slightly decreasing but so is testing. Arizona had its two deadliest days of the pandemic this past week.

President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference about his administration's response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic at the White House on July 23, 2020, in Washington.

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey announced earlier this month that Arizona bars, gyms and theaters are to be closed again as well as large gatherings were restricted.

Phoenix, Arizona is a heavily populated community of color with 42.6% of residents Latino and 2.6% African American according to 2019 United States Census estimates.

All across the country the coronavirus pandemic has disproportionately impacted communities of color.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, non-Hispanic black persons, Hispanics and Latinos, and American Indians/Alaska Natives, evidence points to higher rates of hospitalization or death from COVID-19 than among non-Hispanic white persons.

An extensive ABC News, FiveThirtyEight and ABC-owned television stations review found that it was significantly harder to get coronavirus testing in those black and brown communities.

Public health experts have repeatedly said that testing and tracing were key strategies in controlling outbreaks across the country.

Malave said that everyone in the centers and everyone that comes in will be following local and state guidelines.

We follow all local and state guidelines to ensure our field teams, volunteers, and everyone we are working with and sharing our message with can celebrate President Trumps re-election efforts safely," Malave said.

The presidents renewed push to woo voters of color comes amid racial tensions in the county that have boiled over following the death of George Floyd, leading to nation-wide protests calling for racial justice also while being down in national polling.

In late May President Trump tweeted when the looting starts, the shooting starts, a phrase was used by Miami Police Chief Walter Headley using it speaking about violent crime in the segregated city during the civil rights movement in 1967.

Headley said Miami hadn't "faced serious problems with civil uprisings and looting because I've let the word filter down that when the looting starts, the shooting starts," according to the Miami Herald. "We don't mind being accused of police brutality," Headley added.

Headley was also known for cracking down on communities of color with policing policies like stop-and-frisk and his use of patrol dogs.

In a recent ABC News/Washington Post poll, the results found that Trump has gone from an 18-point lead among white registered voters to a minimal four points now, while 94% of Black registered voters support Biden.

With regards to handling race relations in the country, Biden leads by 25 points, 58-33%.

Earlier this month, the ABC News/Ipsos poll found that 92% of black Americans and 83% of Hispanics disapprove of Trumps handling of race relations.

Despite his position in the polls, Malave said that these coalitions and centers can pay dividends for the re-election for Trump to better his outreach and messaging to communities of color.

So I think it's a really great opportunity right now to continue to drive our message in this community. We have a really solid deck of Latinos for Trump advisory board members from all over the country, Malave said.

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Trump campaign moving forward with opening centers in communities of color amid pandemic - ABC News

2020 Crises Confront Trump With An Outage In The Power Of Positive Thinking – NPR

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

President Donald Trump arrives for a news conference at the White House, Thursday, July 23, 2020, in Washington. Evan Vucci/AP hide caption

President Donald Trump arrives for a news conference at the White House, Thursday, July 23, 2020, in Washington.

President Trump has long been a champion of what's been called positive thinking the power to make things that you want to see happen actually happen.

"Affirm it, believe it, visualize it, and it will actualize itself:" Such mantras have characterized much of the Trump story from his childhood, when he first absorbed it from the man who first spoke it, Norman Vincent Peale.

Peale was a minister and author much admired by Trump's father. His most famous book, The Power of Positive Thinking, sold millions of copies in multiple languages and helped spawn a self-help movement and industry that has flourished ever since.

The Trumps attended Peale's Marble Collegiate Church on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, and Peale officiated at the first of Donald Trump's three marriage ceremonies.

Read more here about Peale and his legacy.

It has been argued that Trump stands as the single most successful practitioner to date of Peale's philosophy. Surely his careers as a builder and businessman, TV reality show star and media-dominating politician seemed to prove what Peale preached: "What the mind can conceive and believe, and the heart desire, you can achieve."

Emulating Peale's ferocious focus on attitude probably helped Trump plow ahead when his presidential prospects seemed hopeless just weeks before Election Day in 2016. The candidate appeared behind in polls and a now-infamous audio recording revealed his toxic comments about women.

But: "There are no hopeless situations," Peale had counseled, "only people who take hopeless attitudes."

Obstacles, Peale taught, should never be a deterrent: "You will find they haven't half the strength you think they have."

Until this year, it is possible Trump took this literally. Arguably, he was getting away with it far more often than not.

He seemed to have been experimenting with this parallel universe approach all his life. It was not just the ups and downs of his business and personal life. It was his dogged insistence that there had only been ups and never any downs. He seemed to be demonstrating that an individual truly could ignore obstacles, defy norms and scoff at official rules and still succeed.

Impeachment? What impeachment?

Even impeachment was not a wall that stopped him but rather a hurdle he managed to clear with the help of his party in the Senate.

Still, never is a long time, and the year 2020 has ultimately brought greater challenges than impeachment.

Our present moment compounds the coronavirus pandemic, ensuing quarantines and economic strains and the moral crisis prompted by the nationally witnessed killing of George Floyd by police.

For months, Trump has tried to deny or minimize the gravity of all of these events. Yet they loom as large as ever and perhaps larger.

In an insightful Politico essay in October 2017, political analyst Michael Kruse found Peale's imprint on every phase of Trump's career. But near the end, Kruse noted that Trump's success story remained unfinished, like an study in which some results have yet to be counted.

"From a scientific perspective," Kruse wrote, "Trump is an incomplete experiment."

Kruse then quoted the self-help author Mitch Horowitz, who called Trump's story an example of what, in at least the short run, "you can attain through self-help, through self-assertion and people's willingness to believe what they think that they see."

To which Kruse added: "Trump's version of his own reality, some insist, ultimately will crash against something more real."

And that something might well be the COVID-19 crisis and the sequence of events that has followed.

Irresistible force v immovable object

Watching the president this week as he renewed his late-afternoon briefings on the virus, we all saw a man much altered from the one who convened similar sessions in the early spring.

For one thing he was alone, no longer surrounded by a posse of doctors and research scientists and responsible officials arrayed on stage in the White House briefing room.

Beyond that, the lone figure of the president seemed besieged and becalmed.

He admitted the situation would get worse before it got better. He gave ground on the mask requirement. He cancelled the Republican National Convention's final night speeches and celebration in Jacksonville, Florida a concession to the persistence of the virus he'd earlier hoped would go away by Easter and insisted had passed its peak in April.

So what happens when positive thinking fails? What happens when the power goes out? In common experience, when the power goes out, it gets darker.

Trump's critics and opponents say that is exactly what we are seeing in America today.

Unable to conquer the combination of pandemic effects and civil unrest by the force of his will and a Twitter blizzard of "alternative facts," Trump is now turning to a set of alternative powers.

In June he sent out law enforcement officers to clear peaceful protesters from the street and park in front of the White House. In July he sent federal officers to police portions of selected cities including Portland, Chicago, Albuquerque and Kansas City where he found the performance of local officials unsatisfactory.

Initial efforts to justify this as the protection of federal property in downtown Portland convinced no one. The White House now says the federal officers from the Department of Homeland Security, the Drug Enforcement Administration and elsewhere within the Justice Department are going in on behalf of "law and order."

But that is not the perspective of local and state officials, who have not been consulted or even informed in some cases prior to federal officers arriving in camouflage and helmets, wielding wartime weapons and taking street protesters into custody.

The intrusion of these officers is not absolutely unprecedented, but it is exceedingly rare in the peacetime history of this country. As such it is a test of what the legal system will bear, and what the American public will accept.

Former Sen. Gary Hart, a Colorado Democrat, wrote in The New York Times this week that there are documents setting forth emergency powers for a president in the event of a nuclear war or another catastrophe, such as a pandemic.

These alleged powers have not been made public, nor have they been approved by a vote of Congress or blessed by the judicial branch.

A federal officer fires crowd control munitions at Black Lives Matter protesters at the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse on Friday, July 24, 2020, in Portland, Ore. Noah Berger/AP hide caption

A federal officer fires crowd control munitions at Black Lives Matter protesters at the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse on Friday, July 24, 2020, in Portland, Ore.

Some things are known

But some information about these secretive documents has been gathered by researchers and lawyers at the Brennan Center for Criminal Justice at New York University Law School.

That has built a fire under Hart, now 83, one of two surviving members of the Senate investigating committee that revealed in the 1970s the serial abuses by the U.S. intelligence agencies in the Cold War. Hart recalls that in March of this year, Trump himself alluded to powers he thinks he has "that people don't even know about."

It is time, Hart says, that the relevant documents are brought to light and subjected to public debate. Absent such an airing, any president might feel free to invoke secret emergency powers suspending at least some citizens' rights under the Constitution in a moment of emergency.

For Trump, a moment of emergency might include the apparent rejection by the voters in his re-election year.

Among the key takeaways from the interview the president gave Fox News anchor Chris Wallace last week was a flat refusal to promise he would "accept the results" of the election on Nov. 3.

He would not say yes or no. He wanted to wait and see how things went.

After all, losing one's re-election bid might seem to pose an obstacle to a second term but Trump may believe that obstacle might not be half as strong as it appeared.

Originally posted here:

2020 Crises Confront Trump With An Outage In The Power Of Positive Thinking - NPR

American carnage: how conservative media amplify Trump’s theme of chaos – The Guardian

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

Mayors across the United States have rejected Donald Trumps election-season depiction of their cities as awash in violence, and media coverage of peaceful protests in Portland and elsewhere has belied the presidents claims of widespread anarchy.

But for Americans who mainly consume conservative media, Trumps latest evocation of an American carnage, with a shocking explosion of shootings, killings, murders and heinous crimes of violence is as plain as the news flashing across the screen.

The stars of conservative cable TV programs and the biggest conservative news sites and social media accounts have echoed and amplified Trump since he declared himself your president of law and order in an appearance outside the White House in early June.

Over the last week, however, alarm over the security of Americas cities has intensified on the conservative airways.

These vicious, violent, hate-filled, anti-American protesters are also attacking federal buildings, Rush Limbaugh said on his radio show last week. How many stores and parks and statues and public buildings have been destroyed recently by rioters? the Fox News host Tucker Carlson asked last month. Reign of street terrorists, the conservative radio host Mark Levin tweeted with a story about the removal and defacement of statues and monuments.

The Republican senator Tom Cotton, who has been calling for a military crackdown in US cities for two months, found a welcome outlet this week for his message on Sean Hannitys Fox News program, one of the countrys most-watched.

If federal troops are brought in and then of course the mayors and the governors, theyre not stopping the anarchists, and theres chaos in the streets and then they have to fire to protect themselves or others, who gets the blame for that? Hannity asked, describing a scenario in which troops fired on protesters.

Well ultimately the blame lies with the criminals, Cotton replied.

Political analysts see Trumps efforts to create the impression of widespread social unrest which only he can solve as part of a long-shot re-election strategy. Trump trails rival Joe Biden by double digits in polling averages including in key swing states.

Conservative media could help Trump to create an impression of chaos at least for their conservative audience. Media consumption habits have shown strong correlation with basic world outlook. An Axios-Ipsos poll published on Tuesday found that a 62% majority of Fox News watchers believe that statistics tracking US coronavirus cases are overblown, while 48% who reported no main news source thought so. Only 7% of CNN and MSNBC watchers thought so.

Trump has blamed Democrats for creating the climate of chaos he relies on conservative media to help him amplify. Im going to do something that, I can tell you, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office this week.

Because were not going to let New York and Chicago and Philadelphia and Detroit and Baltimore and all of these Oakland is a mess. Were not going to let this happen in our country. All run by liberal Democrats.

US mayors have disputed that depiction, urging the Trump administration to stop treating protesters like criminals and accusing the White House of an abuse of power.

Mayors from 15 of the largest American cities addressed a letter to the attorney general, Bill Barr, and the acting homeland security secretary, Chad Wolf, on Monday.

The murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis sparked a national uprising and reckoning, the letter said. The majority of the protests have been peaceful and aimed at improving our communities.

Where this is not the case, it still does not justify the use of federal forces. Unilaterally deploying these paramilitary-type forces into our cities is wholly inconsistent with our system of democracy and our most basic values.

Officials warn it will take months to implement Trump’s reduced unemployment benefits – Business Insider – Business Insider

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

The White House announced last week it wants to end the $600 weekly unemployment checks Americans' have received during the pandemic and replace them with payments of up to 70% of a worker's previous wages.

But the National Association of State Workforce Agencies warned Congress that it would take the majority of states between 8 and 20 weeks to transition to this more complex method of calculating individuals' benefits, according to a memo obtained by NPR.

Under President Donald Trump's proposed system, Americans' average weekly federal unemployment would drop to about $200.

State unemployment systems have already struggled to meet the demand of the approximately 30 million Americans currently on unemployment, in part because of outdated technology. Officials say switching to a system based on partial wage reimbursement would involve a more complicated and time-consuming process of gathering information about every unemployed person's former wages.

Trump's Department of Labor told Congress in May that it "strongly" opposed unemployment based on previous wages because it would be "exceedingly difficult if not impossible to implement."

Republicans have for months warned that the $600 unemployment payments, which were passed in March under the CARES Act and expire next week, will discourage many Americans from going back to work. But prominent economists who've studied the issue in recent weeks say there's no significant evidence the elevated benefits are discouraging workers from getting new jobs. Economists also say the cut in unemployment could mean millions of fewer jobs are created in the coming year.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows insisted last week that the technological issues won't prevent timely delivery of unemployment going forward.

Democrats are pushing to extend the $600 unemployment benefits and argue that reducing or delaying the elevated cash assistance will have devastating ripple effects on Americans and the economy.

"With their outdated technology, it would take states weeks to implement any change to the $600 boost," Sen. Ron Wyden, the ranking Democrat on the Finance Committee, said last week. "This would cause significant disruption. The only option that ensures families can pay August rent is extending the $600."

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Officials warn it will take months to implement Trump's reduced unemployment benefits - Business Insider - Business Insider

US Senate primary in Tennessee pits Trump’s candidate against conservative insurgency – CNN

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

Bill Hagerty was expected to coast to his party's nomination after the President endorsed him a year ago. But with less than two weeks to go before the Republican primary election, Trump's former US ambassador to Japan is facing a fierce challenge marked by a late infusion of ad spending, high-profile endorsements and rallies crisscrossing the state.

Dr. Manny Sethi and Hagerty traded attacks in separate phone interviews on Thursday, directly aiming their messages at the Republicans who will decide the August 6 primary.

Hagerty depicted Sethi, an orthopedic trauma surgeon at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, as a "phony conservative" who supported Trump only when it was "convenient." Sethi fired back that Hagerty, who founded a private equity firm, is a "Washington insider" and a "Mitt Romney Republican."

The primary will test the power of Trump's endorsement in the deep red state, as his political standing has deteriorated over his handling of the coronavirus crisis. It resembles the political battles of the past, with libertarian and tea party-aligned conservatives taking on party leaders and the GOP establishment in divisive primaries that at times threatened their party's hold on critical Senate seats.

Sethi's campaign has been bolstered by the support of Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, who appears in an ad for the Protect Freedom PAC, which has dropped more than $800,000 in the race -- more than any other outside group, according to Kantar's Campaign Media Analysis Group.

"The race was a bit of a sleeper," said Paul, who went to medical school with Sethi's medical partner and believes the candidate will "stand up when leadership wants to spend too much money."

"Really in the last couple of weeks, things have really sprung his direction," Paul added.

While Sethi has the backing of Paul, Texas' Sen. Ted Cruz and former Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina -- a trio who frequently battled party leaders in Senate races during the Obama years -- Hagerty has the support of Trump and Sens. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee and Tom Cotton of Arkansas.

GOP sources said Paul's tactics have annoyed Tennessee Republicans, particularly Blackburn. In an ad running in the state, Paul, staring into the camera, says: "Tennessee is too conservative a state to keep sending Democrats in Republican clothing to represent Tennessee."

The ad angered Blackburn, multiple sources said. When asked if she thought Paul's and Cruz's efforts in the state were helpful, Blackburn replied, "Probably not."

Tennessee's Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander, whose retirement has sparked the primary fight, told CNN that Paul's ad "basically says Tennesseans need to stop electing Democrats dressed as Republicans. So, I don't wear a dress ... and my voting record in support of Trump is 90% and his is 69%."

Party leaders are watching the primary developments closely, as they cannot afford to jeopardize a Senate seat in a state Trump carried by 26 points in 2016.

"I'll acknowledge the polls have gotten tighter, but we're going win Tennessee," said Indiana's Sen. Todd Young, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which is officially neutral in the primary.

A deep red state

The winner of the Republican primary will be favored to win the Senate seat in this deeply conservative state. In 2018, Blackburn beat Phil Bredesen, a popular former Democratic governor, by more than 10 points. There are 15 Republicans on the ballot for the Senate nomination in 2020, including Hagerty, Sethi and two other doctors, George Flinn and Byron Bush.

Nevada's Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, who chairs the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said she would not speculate on whether the Democrats would have a better shot at winning the general election if Hagerty loses. "I just know that we have a good candidate and we'll go from there," she said.

Since June, the GOP campaigns and other conservative groups have spent more than $9 million on TV, digital and radio ads, about 10 times what they spent in the previous seven months of the campaign, according to the Campaign Media Analysis Group. In the past week, radio host Mark Levin and Blackburn have gotten off the sidelines, respectively endorsing Sethi and Hagerty. And on Friday, two Republicans with presidential ambitions -- Cruz and Cotton -- respectively campaigned with Sethi and Hagerty in several rallies across the state.

"We need strong conservatives and we need fighters," Cruz told CNN. Asked if Trump made a mistake in backing Hagerty, Cruz said: "I think Dr. Manny is by far the better choice."

At a rally in Clarksville, Tennessee, on Friday, Cotton mentioned Hagerty's support during a firestorm of controversy following an op-ed the senator had written in the New York Times, arguing that a president has the authority to use the military to quell civil unrest in America.

"Bill Hagerty stood with me," Cotton said. The senator also argued that Hagerty will stand up to China, too.

Trading barbs as they court the conservative base

In the interview with CNN, Hagerty sought to distance himself from associations with establishment Republicans and attacked Sethi for not doing more to help Trump get elected. While the former ambassador strongly supported Romney during the 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns, Hagerty indicated that he has since had a change of heart.

"You've got senators like Mitt Romney, who, frankly, have lost their way," Hagerty told CNN, pointing to Romney's decision to march with Black Lives Matter protesters following the police killing of George Floyd. Hagerty called BLM "a Marxist organization" that is "against the nuclear family" and "anti-Semitic."

"If you disagree with them, they don't hesitate to use violence," Hagerty said. "That's not the kind of group that I think our leaders should be standing with."

When asked what he thought of Alexander, the former governor and long-serving senator, Hagerty said, "Senator Alexander is somebody that I don't agree with." He pointed out that Alexander opposed Trump's decision to withdraw from the World Health Organization for allegedly being too influenced by China. Hagerty added that he agrees with Trump on the need to reopen schools, alleging that Alexander has "taken a different position." Alexander, chairman of the Senate committee that oversees education policy, has been reticent to offer dictates from Washington to fully open up schools, as Trump has done.

"Tennesseans can trust me to stand with Senator Blackburn and President Trump," said Hagerty. "That's been my track record."

Alexander told CNN he doesn't know if there's a candidate "who President Trump has more respect for than Bill Hagerty" and pointed out that Blackburn's endorsement will also help Hagerty in the primary.

"My experience is Tennesseans didn't elect me to tell them how to vote," Alexander said.

Pushing back on attacks for being insufficiently supportive of Trump, Sethi pointed out that he had given $10,000 to a Tennessee Republican Party victory account in 2016 and noted that Hagerty had first supported former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush in the presidential race.

"We are on the verge of a historical upset in Tennessee politics of finally defeating the Republican establishment in Tennessee," Sethi said. "I think it's the first time that a true conservative can win here in a US Senate race."

There appears to be little disagreement between the two candidates on how to address the coronavirus crisis. Hagerty called Trump's response to the pandemic "excellent," while Sethi said Trump has "done the best that you could really do in this situation" and blamed the "left-wing media" and others who "want him to fail."

In their interviews, the two candidates spent much of their time attacking each other or defending themselves from the slights made by the other.

Hagerty said Sethi donated to ActBlue, the online portal for Democratic candidates. His $50 donation was made a dozen years ago to support a family friend, Sethi said.

Hagerty charged that Sethi had applied for a White House fellowship, a nonpartisan program, under President Barack Obama. Sethi countered that Hagerty had served on the President's Commission on White House Fellowships under both Republican and Democratic administrations.

Sethi took Hagerty's attacks as a positive sign for his campaign.

"I think we're winning," Sethi told CNN. "Based on the fact that they're throwing everything but the kitchen sink at us, I think they're in deep trouble, and they know it."

Hagerty also projected confidence before Election Day. He said Democrats are "pushing us off the cliff into socialism" by proposing policies like "Medicare for All," the Green New Deal and "doing away with law enforcement altogether."

"I'm so dismayed by weak-kneed Republicans that will not stand up to this, that won't be the strong voice that we need," Hagerty said.

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US Senate primary in Tennessee pits Trump's candidate against conservative insurgency - CNN

Trump’s vow to send federal officers to US cities is election ploy, critics say – The Guardian

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

Donald Trump has vowed to send federal officers to several American cities led by Democrats in what critics say is an attempt to play the law and order card to boost his bid for re-election.

The presidents threat came after a federal crackdown on anti-racism protests in Portland, Oregon, that involved unmarked cars and unidentified forces in camouflage.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday, Trump identified New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, Baltimore and Oakland as places in need of federal agents, describing those cities mayors as liberal Democrats.

Were sending law enforcement, he said. We cant let this happen to the cities.

Singling out Chicago, where more than 63 people were shot, 12 fatally, over the weekend, Trump pivoted to an attack on his election rival, Joe Biden. And you add it up over the summer this is worse than Afghanistan, by far. This is worse than anything anyone has ever seen. All run by the same liberal Democrats. And you know what? If Biden got in, that would be true for the country. The whole country would go to hell. And were not going to let it go to hell.

Struggling against Biden in the opinion polls, Trump has leaned into a dark and divisive theme reminiscent of his fellow Republican Richard Nixon in 1968. I am your president of law and order, he declared in the White House Rose Garden on 1 June, shortly before park police and national guard troops fired teargas and chased peaceful protesters from Lafayette Square so he could stage a photo op outside a historic church.

Since then he has repeatedly and falsely accused Biden of planning to defund the police and effectively surrender cities and suburbs to violent criminals. The conservative Fox News network, meanwhile, has been giving emphasis to coverage of inner-city violence rather the coronavirus pandemic.

Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, said: He took longer than I thought he would to start emphasising law and order. But I bet he starts at the convention. Its going to be one of the key themes of the convention. These crazy liberals are causing problems again.

Such a strategy is certainly a candidate for explaining the fresh crackdown in major cities, Sabato added. Ill tell you what it really is, though. It is an unmistakeable hint of what a second Trump term will be like. Therell be no hesitation to do any of this.

The Trump administration sent federal officers into Portland after weeks of protests there over police brutality and racial injustice that followed the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May. Last week, videos showed unidentified federal personnel taking people off the street and driving them away in black minivans.

Mark Morgan, acting commissioner of US Customs and Border Protection, defended the actions in a tweet on Sunday: Law and Order a cornerstone of American society is under siege in Portland.

On Monday the Chicago Tribune newspaper reported that the Department of Homeland Security was making plans to deploy about 150 agents in the city where police defending a statue clashed with demonstrators on Friday.

Lori Lightfoot, the mayor of Chicago and a Democrat, told the Associated Press: I have great concerns about that in particular, given the track record in the city of Portland. I have talked to the mayor of Portland [and] we dont need federal agents without any insignia taking people off the street and holding them, I think, unlawfully.

Political leaders in Oakland, California, were quick to condemn Trumps suggestion federal agents could deploy to their city. Oakland needs Covid relief not troops from our president, Mayor Libby Schaaf said in a statement. He should stop slandering diverse, progressive cities like Oakland in his racist dog whistles and divisive campaign tactics.

Stay away from Oakland, tweeted the Democratic congresswoman Barbara Lee.

The issue has laid bare the binary choice for voters in November. Democrats, warning of a threat to civil liberties, called for Chad Wolf, acting secretary of Homeland Security, to quit. Congressman Don Beyer of Virginia said Wolf was overseeing authoritarian abuses that betray our bedrock principles and would horrify our nations Founders.

He added: Ordering the occupation of US cities, seeking the escalation of violence, and intentionally risking American lives over peaceful protests and graffiti is unfathomable and unacceptable. Secretary Wolf must resign immediately or be fired.

The House committee chairmen Jerry Nadler, Adam Smith and Bennie Thompson said in a joint statement: The Trump administration continues to weaponize federal law enforcement for its own agenda. Like we saw in Lafayette [Square], rather than supporting and protecting the American people, we are witnessing the oppression of peaceful protesters by our own government.

Not only do their action[s] undermine civil rights and sow fear and discord across the country, but in this case, they sully the reputation of members of our armed forces who were not involved.

And the congresswoman Rashida Tlaib of Michigan wrote on Twitter: Theyll have to arrest me first if they think theyre going to illegally lay their hands on my residents.

The sinister events in Portland have renewed fears about creeping authoritarianism from Trumps White House.

Laurence Tribe, a constitutional law professor at Harvard University, has called for peaceful civil disobedience. Stormtrooper tactics have no place in a free society, he said. The apparent deployment of the military for domestic law enforcement violates the Posse Comitatus Act in the absence of a genuine insurrection, and the claim that such deployment is genuinely necessary to preserve order does not meet the laugh test.

The administration is violating the first amendment on a regular basis now, thereby endangering all our liberties.

Trump's vow to send federal officers to US cities is election ploy, critics say - The Guardian

President Donald Trump Tweetstorm The Sunday Edition – Deadline

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

President Donald Trump is once again out on the links today at his Trump National Golf Course in Sterling, VA.

His golfing partner on the day is Sen. Lindsey Graham, according to the report from the White House Press Pool, which is evidently having less fun than President Trump. The pool report notes the assigned press is holding on the sunny, sweltering sidewalk outside the Italian restaurant at the nearby strip mall.

Before heading out to golf, the Commander-in-Tweet had two messages for his constituents. The President warmed up with an all-caps vow to Make America Great Again!

He then explained his thinking on the situation in Portland, Oregon, where street protests have taken place for more than 50 straight days. The President has deployed federal agents to protect property there, much to the chagrin of local politicians.

We are trying to help Portland, not hurt it. Their leadership has, for months, lost control of the anarchists and agitators. They are missing in action.

The President noted, These were not merely protesters, these are the real deal!

Well update the communications as more roll in. The tweetstorm so far:

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President Donald Trump Tweetstorm The Sunday Edition - Deadline

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