Daily Threat Assessment
The good, the bad, and the scary
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CHRIS CHRISTIE WILL NOT PUT UP WITH YOUR 'SHARIA LAW' BALONEY
The New Jersey governor recently defended his appointment of 47-year old Muslim lawyer Sohail Mohammed to the state bench – in fine style. [TPM]
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Veggies getting less healthy?
Vegetables in 1950 were far richer in essential nutrients than they are today, Grist reports, citing a 2004 study by a University of Texas scientist. By 1999, for instance, the amount of calcium in string beans had dropped by 43 percent. The study found similar decreases in other vegetables for key nutrients like calcium, iron, phosphorus, riboflavin, and ascorbic acid. The likely reason is is "selective breeding:" growers and scientists have focused on producing crops with high yields, without considering the effect on nutrient content. [Grist]
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Perry's prayerfest #Fail
Texas Gov. Rick Perry's August 6 prayerfest, The Response, was supposed to fill Houston's 71,000-capacity Reliant stadium, but only 8,000 attendees have RSVP'd. The event has been controversial from the start, attracting a slew of participants with fundmentalist, homophobic and even vaguely neo-Nazi views, and even very conservative politicians have declined to attend. [AP]
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Food stamp use at all-time high
As of May, a record 45.8 million Americans were receiving food stamps through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Only two-thirds of eligible citizens actually apply for SNAP money, meaning there are many more Americans who need help putting food on the table. [Daily Kos]
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Homophobic hate group has to pay its taxes
The IRS has revoked the tax-exempt status of Americans for the Truth About Homosexuality, an organization that "[endeavors] to report information on the LGBT movement that is ignored by the liberal, pro-homosexuality 'mainstream' media," according to its website. The organization is listed by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a hate group, and for good reason – its founder Peter LaBarbera says that the the "homosexual agenda" is "demonic manipulation." [TPM]
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Fukushima radiation levels hit deadly high
Lethal levels of radiation have been detected in small pockets of Japan's shuttered Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, according to plant operator Tokyo Electric Power. While Fukushima workers are only allowed to be exposed to 250 millisieverts of radiation per year, these radiation-heavy areas contain more than 10 sieverts per hour. "Recovery work at the plant should not be rushed to meet schedules and goals as that could put workers in harm's way," an Osaka University engineering professor told reporters. "We are past the immediate crisis phase and some delays should be permissible." [Guardian]
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Ground turkey linked to salmonella outbreak
Stay away from the turkey burgers at your next barbeque: the Centers for Disease Control has blamed one death and 76 illnesses since March across 26 states to salmonella poisoning from ground turkey. The latest reported cases occurred in mid-July, with cases occurring every month since early March, but the USDA has not yet issued a recall. Bioethnicist Art Caplan wonders why the government has not yet warned the public. "The moral duty is to really get the word out as soon as you have evidence of a problem," he told reporters. "That's their first and primary value – not industry, not any other goal." [ABC News]
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Lithuanian mayor clears bike lanes – with a tank
Arturas Zuokas, mayor of Vilnius, Lithuania, wanted to make a statement against cars illegal parking. So he took to the streets … in an armored tank … and ran over a Mercedes sitting in a bike lane. You can bet that motorists will adhere to Vilnius' traffic laws, in fear of having their cars utterly wrecked. [Washington Post]
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Fox News attacks Obama for Ramadan statement
President Obama issued a statement on August 1st "on the occasion of Ramadan," offering his "best wishes to Muslim communities in the United States and around the world." The following day, Fox and Friends co-hosts slammed Obama for making "an absolutely lovely statement regarding Ramadan" but doing "nothing big" for Easter, "Christianity's holiest, most sacred holiday." However: Not only does Obama host an annual Easter Egg Roll and party on the White House Lawn, he devoted his weekly address to the holiday and hosted an additional Easter Prayer Breakfast this year. [Media Matters]
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U.S. manufacturing slips
The gauge that measures manufacturing activity in the U.S. dipped to its lowest rate in two years. Last month's factory index from the Institute for Supply Management's stood at 50.9, down from 55.3 in June; numbers lower than 50 signal contraction. These figures indicate that the much-touted recovery in manufacturing may have been oversold. [Bloomberg]
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Robot seals comfort elderly quake survivors
The residents of Japan's Suisoyen retirement home are still coping with the the aftermath of March's earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis, but now they have some help from two robotic plush seals. An electronics firm lent the home the rechargeable furry companions in the wake of the triple crisis, and the seniors turn to them daily for comfort. "If I hold onto this, it doesn't matter if there's a typhoon outside, I still feel safe," said one 85-year-old woman. [Reuters]
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Crying provides no psychological benefit
Having a good cry is supposed to be a cathartic experience, improving your mood afterwards. However, according to a study out of the University of South Florida, "crying is not nearly as beneficial as people think it is." Nearly two-thirds of the all-female participants experienced no mood improvement after a crying jag, while 9 percent actually felt worse. Study authors suggest that it's not the act of crying that helps alleviate sadness, but rather the social support and affection the act elicits from others. [TIME]
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D.C. repays Bush protesters
The Washington, D.C. government finally settled a class-action suit brought by 70 protesters arrested during a demonstration on the night of George W. Bush's second inauguration in 2005. After cars were damaged and buildings spray-painted, the D.C. police chief called for the arrest of the protesters; however, the most recent ruling found that specific individuals could not be tied to the crimes. The protesters will now receive $250,000 in damages and legal fee reparations. [Washington Post]
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Rep. Lamborn's "tar baby" gaffe
While appearing on the Caplis and Silverman radio show late last week, Republican Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO) had some strong words for President Obama. "I don't even want to be associated with [Obama]," he said. "It's like touching a tar baby and you're stuck, you're part of the problem now. You can't get away." The term "tar baby" is often considered a slur towards African Americans; the Oxford English Dictionary says it's a derogatory term used for "a black or a Maori." [ThinkProgress]
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Nature inspiring innovative design ideas
Biomimicry is the science of using designs found in nature to create a new product or solve a human problem. The latest examples are more intelligent than ever. Scientists are studying mosquitoes, which are able to sting humans undetected, to develop needles that deliver shots painlessly; the kingfisher's unique head and beak shape were taken as a model for train design; and hippos are being studied to devise a long-lasting sunscreen-cum-bug repellent, since, thanks to the unique structure of their sweat molecules, they spend all day in the sun without getting burnt or attracting bugs. [Washington Post]
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Cali police arrest 100 in pot sting operation
Over 100 people were arrested – and more than 1,500 pounds of weed seized – in a major operation to target illegal marijuana growers in California's "Emerald Triangle." Police targeted public land in the raid, which cannot be used to grow marijuana (even though medical marijuana is legal in the state). Of those arrested, 25 are already facing federal charges. [BBC]
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Texas Planned Parenthood firebombed, media doesn't notice
A Planned Parenthood clinic in McKinney, Texas was hit with a Molotov cocktail on Tuesday (thankfully after closing time, so no one was hurt). The clinic may not provide abortions, but protesters had gathered outside earlier that day regardless. The firebombing received no attention from traditional media or cable news channels, instead making waves on Twitter. Given how much attention is usually paid to terrorist activities by the American media, the relative quiet surrounding the incident in Texas is incredibly disconcerting. [Salon]
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One-third of food is wasted worldwide
Worldwide, about one-third of food we produce is lost or wasted, according to the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization. Fruits, vegetables and roots were the most frequently wasted, says the report. But other foods are often left over too – uneaten food accounts for 20 percent of the carbon emissions associated with meat and dairy production. Environmentally-friendly chefs suggest applying the "nose-to-tail" trend of meat eating to fruits and vegetables, adopting a "stem-to-root" style of cooking that utilizes the whole plant. [Grist]
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Whale puts on "thank you" performance for its rescuers
A team of researchers freed a large humpback whale from a nylon net in the Sea of Cortez, and the whale showed its gratitude in grand fashion. Over the course of an hour, the whale jumped and dove more than 40 times, putting on a show for the researchers from the Great Whale Conservancy. "It was a magnificent life form… which was really on the brink of death… just showing its joy of being alive," said the director of the Conservancy. [ABC News]
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Heat wave stresses dairy cows
The super-hot weather that hit the East Coast last week wasn't just oppressive for the region's human residents – New York dairy farmers report that milk production is down by almost a third thanks to heat stress on cows. Cows are grazing, eating and drinking less thanks to the weather, which means their milk production is down too. Farmers have tried to help the animals by installing fans and rubber mats, but experts say that cows prefer temps around 50 degrees, not 90. [Gothamist]
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Awesome "green" billboards unveiled
Ricoh, an innovative Japanese office supplies company, has released the first "green" billboards in New York, London and Sydney. Entirely powered by wind and solar power, the billboards feature 96 solar panels and five wind turbines. They only light up when they have the energy to do so. Of course, Ricoh's billboards only advertise the billboards themselves, but the technology could bring sustainability to Times Square and other advertising hotspots. [TreeHugger]
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Mountaintop-removal mining linked to high cancer rates
West Virginia communities exposed to mountaintop-removal mining face cancer rates far higher than non-mining communities, according to a new WVU study. Nationally, 3.9 percent of Americans are cancer survivors but, in West Virginia, the rate is as high as 9.4 percent. Communities near surface mining sites can count 14.4 percent of their populations as cancer survivors. This study comes a month after a report that found a higher incidence of birth defects in these same areas; the coal industry blamed that correlation on inbreeding. [Mother Jones]
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Colon cleaning actually not so good for you
Claims that colon cleansing is good for you? According to Georgetown University scientists, they're full of crap. The researchers reviewed studies on colonics from the past decade and found that the supposed health benefits – weight loss, eliminating toxins and promoting general well-being – are actually false. Instead, colon cleansing is more likely to cause jaundice and dehydration. "The road to wellness does not necessarily go through your rectum," says one of the researchers on the study. [New Scientist]
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GOLDFISH SURVIVE 134 DAYS AFTER EARTHQUAKE
Two New Zealand goldfish survived more than four months trapped in their tank in an off-limits area of the capital, Christchurch, after an earthquake in February. The fish, Shaggy and Daphne, were in a large tank and had plenty of weeds to munch on, but there are signs they may have made it through by eating the other fish in the tank. [BBC]
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'DISEASE OF KINGS' ON RISE IN AMERICA
In the past half century the incidence of gout in the U.S. has more than doubled. Long regarded as an elite affliction caused by overeating and drinking, the disease, a form of localized arthritis, now affects 8 million Americans, according to a new study. Researchers see a link between gout and the spread of obesity and hypertension. "It's only going to grow," says one. [Scientific American]
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special ops chief warns of "al-Qaeda 2.0"
Osama bin Laden's death may have dealt al-Qaeda an "uppercut to the jaw," says the head of U.S. special operations forces, but "al-Qaeda 2.0" could soon be on the rise. Adm. Eric T. Olson said that the organization's new iteration is likely to be "more westernized, with dual passport holders [and] fewer cave dwellers." [AP]
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Cell phones not carcinogenic after all?
In May, the World Health Organization warned that cell phone use "possibly" causes cancer, with children especially vulnerable. However, a new study, written up in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, shows that a large and immediate risk of cellphones causing brain tumors in children can be excluded." [Wall Street Journal]
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FBI NOT SO ENLIGHTENED ON ISLAM
A leaked FBI training manual for rookie agents explains, among other things, that Muslims engage in a "circumcision ritual," that the "Arabic mind" is "swayed more by words than ideas and more by ideas than facts," and that Islam "transforms [a] country’s culture into 7th-century Arabian ways." Used as recently as 2009, the PowerPoint briefing also recommends a book by one of Norwegian terrorist suspect Anders Behring Breivik's favorite anti-Muslim authors. [Wired]
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EATING FROG LEGS TO EXTINCTION
Frog legs are a popular delicacy at home and abroad – 2,280 tons are imported into the U.S. alone, for a total of between 450 million and 1.1 billion frogs. This demand for frogs may be contributing to the animal's eventual extinction, according to a new study. [Scientific American]
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AL QAEDA'S NEW FUNDRAISING DRIVE
Cash-strapped Al Qaeda in Iraq has begun to seek new fundraising angles. The terror group has traditionally paid the bills through robberies and contributions from other Qaeda affiliates, but increasingly insurgents are looking to extort money from foreign companies, particularly oil, construction, transportation, and media outlets. [Guardian]
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EX-HOMELESS KID HELPS AT-RISK YOUTH
Nineteen-year-old Orayne Williams was abandoned at age 12, and for the next few years he bounced around New York City homeless shelters. But this didn't stop him graduating high school with honors and winning a full scholarship to college. Now he has founded a nonprofit to help "youth break free from the cycles of homelessness, incarceration, poverty and failure" through mentoring and workshops. "If I can do it, [others] can do it," he told reporters. [GOOD]
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RODEO WITH SHEEP: YEE-BAAA!
Mutton-busting, the pint-sized rodeo offshoot that features sheep instead of bulls, is taking off across the country. No longer confined to rural areas, the sport has gained popularity across the country with three-to-ten-year olds competing for glory. In an age where "we sanitize our kids' hands every 30 seconds," says mutton-busting parent Meredith Templin, "I think it builds character." [New York Times]
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DOLPHINS MAY HOLD CLUES TO HEALING
When dolphins get shark bites, they are able to heal quickly and nearly painlessly. That's thanks to compounds in their blubber which act as natural antibiotics and keep wounds from getting infected, and stem cells that help to rebuild damaged tissue. Now, scientists at Georgetown University are studying dolphins' unique ability to recover, hopeful they can apply their findings to human healing. [NPR]
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Only human brains shrink with age
Human brains, unlike those of chimpanzees and other close primate relatives, don't age well. Even a healthy human brain will shrink by 15 percent from its maximum size by age 80, and humans are more prone to brain-shrinking age-related diseases, such as dementia and Alzheimer's. [BBC]
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South African man wakes up in morgue
After suffering an apparently fatal asthma attack on Sunday, an 80-year-old South African man was brought by his family to a morgue, where, 21 hours later, he awoke, screaming, in a locked refrigerated compartment. He was transferred to a hospital and then released to his family. The South African health department called on health officials to confirm that patients are really dead before bringing them to morgues. [AP]
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3D CAN MAKE YOU SICK
3D movies may be all the rage, but for some viewers the in-your-face images can cause nausea, headaches and eye fatigue. Scientists attribute the effect to "vergence-accomodation," the difficulty eyes have in focusing on the screen at the same time they're trying to gauge the depth of the 3D content being viewed. [NPR]
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Racial wealth gap has widened
The wealth gap between whites and minorities has only grown wider in recent years, according to U.S. Census data. The median wealth of whites in 2009 was $113,149, 20 times the net worth of blacks and 18 times that of Hispanics. In 1995, the ratio was 7:1 in both cases. [BBC]
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Versace bans jean sandblasting
Ever wonder how distressed, faded jeans got that sandblasted look? That's right – from being sandblasted. Workers – toiling in places like Turkey and Bangladesh – fire sand at the jeans under high pressure. Problem is, the sand is mixed with silica, a carcinogen. And so, in response to pressure from a group called the Clean Clothes Campaign, big-name designers are starting to drop the technique, Versace being the latest. [TreeHugger]
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Heat wave may drive up corn prices
The recent stifling heat across the country, in addition to making life unpleasant for humans and animals, has scorched corn crops. As a result, we can expect reduced harvests and higher prices not only for corn but also for meat and dairy products, since corn is the key ingredient in livestock feed. [NPR]
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Huge body of water discovered – in space
NASA scientists have discovered the the largest water mass ever, 100 times bigger than all of the oceans combined. Just one catch: the water was found 12 billion light years away in a quasar, a black hole which sucks in matter at a high rate. The discovery, says one scientist, is a "demonstration that water is pervasive throughout the universe." [TreeHugger]
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U.S. has wasted billions in Iraq and Afghanistan
The United States has spent $200 billion on contracts and grants in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001. Unfortunately, owing to misuse and inadequate monitoring by federal agencies, $34 billion of it has been wasted, a congressional study has found. [Reuters]
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Al Qaeda yucks it up over Weinergate
The current issue of Al Qaeda's in-house magazine, Inspire, features a full-page ad mocking disgraced former Rep. Anthony Weiner. The congressman landed on Qaeda's shit list by campaigning, successfully, to get videos by radical American cleric Anwar al-Awlaki's pulled from YouTube. As payback, the ad calls the former lawmaker "an angry Weiner head," and bears the signoff, "This ad was brought to you by A Cold Diss." [TIME]
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Koch and Exxon pay to write laws
Koch Industries and Exxon Mobil are among the companies that co-author model legislation with elected officials and policy analysts, Bloomberg reports. In exchange for forking over around $35,000, they get to team up with lawmakers in a policy institute called the American Legislative Exchange Council. The beauty of ALEC is that it's not subject to the same transparency requirements as lobbyists. As a former Democratic state lawmaker puts it, "It's an end-run around transparency and disclosure laws." [Bloomberg]
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God still well regarded
Opinion surveying outfit Public Policy Polling recently took the time out from the 2012 race to gauge voter approval of the most entrenched incumbent: God. The Divine Creator came out well, they found, with an approval rating of 52 percent. [New York Magazine]
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Pilot whales beach in Scotland
A rescue team succeeded in "refloating" 44 pilot whales that had beached in the estuary of a sea loch in the Scottish Highlands over the weekend, while another 25 died on shore. Caught in low tide, the whales were discovered on their sides in a pile, breathing in sand. A scientist told reporters, "The stranding of one or two animals would possibly cause distress and the others in the group would try to assist the stranded individuals and themselves get into trouble." [Guardian]
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RUSSIA ADMITS BEER IS NOT FOOD
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has signed a bill classifying beer as alcoholic. Until now, anything containing less than 10 percent alcohol has been considered food in Russia, where alcohol consumption is at twice the critical level established by the World Health Organization. The move, part of a package of measures to combat alcohol abuse, permits the government to control the sale of beer the same way it does spirits. [BBC]
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BEAR'S HEAD FREED FROM JAR AFTER THREE-WEEK ORDEAL
In late June, the Tennessee wildlife agency received word of an adult black bear wandering around rural Cocke County with its head stuck inside a large, plastic food container. It took officer Shelley Hammonds three weeks to track the bear down, during which time the animal went without food. Once freed, the bear made speedy recovery, and was then released into Cherokee National Forest, reports The Chattanoogan, "far away from any garbage containers." [Treehugger]
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Al QAEDA PLANS RECRUITMENT CARTOON FOR KIDS
An al-Qaeda affiliate plans to release an animated cartoon aimed at recruiting children to the cause of global jihad. Scenes reportedly show show young boys in battle fatigues taking part in raids, killings and terror plots. "It's a Disney-like film … that tells stories of the Prophet, stories of holy wars and anti-Western propaganda," a former jihadi tells AP. However, he adds, "I think it could backfire. Families will be angry that al-Qaida is directing this at their children." [AP]
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ANTI-MUSLIM SENTIMENT UP SINCE BIN LADEN DEATH
When U.S. Navy Seals killed Osama Bin Laden in May, some dared to hope the virulent anti-Muslim sentiment that arose after 9/11 would die with him. But no. A new survey finds that Americans' fear and distrust of Muslims has actually increased since the Al Qaeda leader's death. Even more surprising, the survey found the biggest shift among political liberals and moderates, whose views became more like those of conservatives. [Good]
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CHINA BUMPS HARRY FOR COMMUNIST EPIC
The Chinese screening of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 has been delayed by two weeks in favor of an an big-budget political epic celebrating the 90-year-old Communist party. This is progress, a Chinese film journalist tells the Guardian. "At least the Communist party no longer requires its members to go to the cinema for certain movies." [Guardian]