Thursday, February 6, 2020

President Donald J. Trump, You’re “NOT Fired”

In a very historic vote to impeach United States President, Donald Trump, the Senate voted yesterday (2/5) to not remove him from office. The vote went as:

Article 1: 52-48 “Not Guilty”

Article 2: 53-47 “Not Guilty”

The Senate voted to acquit President Trump on both articles of impeachment against him. The chamber first handily voted down the article alleging abuse of power, 52 – 48, affirming an outcome that was widely expected essentially since the trial’s start on January 21st. Minutes later, they voted 53-47 against the second article, alleging obstruction of Congress. The effort to remove Trump from office needed the support of at least two-thirds (or 67 members) of the GOP-controlled body to carry, but Utah Senator Mitt Romney was the only one of the 53 Republicans in the chamber to buck party lines and vote to convict. No president has ever been removed from office via impeachment. (New York Post)

High school tests new start time

In an attempt to help students work around part-time jobs and family responsibilities, a Lansing, Michigan, high school is experimenting with a new school day for some of its students: 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Officials at Eastern High School hope that it might replace the “agrarian-based 19th-century school day”. According to a recent Science Advances study, students with later school start times saw their final grades increase by 4.5%, while going in later also helped combat depression, and memory and cognition impairment. (NPR)

China’s coronavirus DID come from bats

Bats are likely the cause of coronavirus from China after scientists find the virus is 96 per cent identical to one found in the animals. The virus, which has killed 362 people so far, was believed to have transferred to humans from an animal, but identifying which one has been challenging. Now, using samples from seven patients with severe pneumonia caused by the coronavirus, scientists have found striking similarities to coronavirus found in bats. The DNA is also 79.5 per cent identical with the deadly SARS coronavirus, which suggests vaccines for the now non-existent virus may help with this epidemic. Global cases have risen above 17,450, higher than the total recorded cases of the SARS virus that killed some 800 people in 2002 and 2003. Although scientists stress the animal source of the recent outbreak in China is yet to be officially declared, experts have confirmed a wholesale animal market in Wuhan city is to blame. (Daily Mail)

Montana firefighter says she was axed over racy Instagram pics

A 27-year-old Montana firefighter claims she was fired for posting provocative workout photos to her Instagram account. She is formerly a part-time firefighter paramedic with Evergreen Fire Rescue who filed a wrongful termination claim with the department alleging that the officials fired her because of her gender and singled her out over her social media use. She currently has about 139,000 Instagram followers that see her as a personal trainer and posts videos of herself working out in the gym, shooting her gun and snowboarding. The trouble began for her back in July 2018 when an Evergreen Fire District board member claimed a “concerned citizen” contacted him about her social media activity. Since then, she was reprimanded about 20 times over her social media posts, her superiors scolding her over how she looked in her uniform, and her workout attire both at the fire station and her personal gym. Someone even complained that her standard-issue women’s pants were too provocative, so the department issued her men’s uniform pants, she claimed. In a February 2019 Instagram post, she is shown standing in front of a fire truck wearing an Evergreen Fire Rescue T-shirt and tight-fitting dark blue pants. “My face when someone mentions how I’m ‘provocative’ in professional attire,” she posted, with a laughing emoji. “If you’re a female in this field, especially an attractive or curvy girl, you’re GOING TO be ridiculed. You’re going to be mocked, made fun of, talked about poorly, judged by looks.” She said her male colleagues have posted similar content. She was sacked last August because she left photos of herself in uniform and other content related to her work online after being asked to remove them within five days, she said, but didn’t take them down at the advice of a lawyer who said that she didn’t have to, because the department did not have a written “standard social media policy.” Now, she is studying for her flight paramedic test and says she hopes to encourage other women dealing with similar issues at work. (New York Post)

Resetting your brain

A groundbreaking non-invasive treatment could hold the key to finding relief for those with autism, ADHD, depression, and PTSD, among other conditions. MeRT is a groundbreaking upgrade from the older neuromodulation treatments. Neurologists now look at each patient’s brain activity from an EEG to decide exactly what frequency of pulses to send and precisely where it’s needed. Researchers at the Brain Alignment Institute say this takes the treatment a step further by looking at each patient’s gut health and hormones. “The whole process is to get your brain talking again. It’s to get it to sync with every neuron in your brain,” they say. The treatment is not just for kids with autism. A lot of Athletes are turning to MeRT. Patients can literally see how their brain is performing differently by doing another EEG, usually after 6 weeks of daily treatments lasting around 45 minutes each. One of the first things patients usually notice- sleeping better. MeRT treatment is FDA approved to treat some cases of depression, so insurance will sometimes cover it. The costs ranges from $14,000 to $16,000. Numerous clinical studies are underway. (Fox 25)

Study: Yes, the drivers of those luxury cars that cut you off really do suck

A new study finds that many owners of high-status luxury cars are actually jerks. “The answers were unambiguous: self-centered men who are argumentative, stubborn, disagreeable and unempathetic are much more likely to own a high-status car such as an Audi, BMW or Mercedes,” say the researchers in a press release. The study surveyed 1,892 Finnish car owners and also analyzed their personality types, an idea inspired by researchers observation that the drivers “most likely to run a red light, not give way to pedestrians and generally drive recklessly and too fast were often the ones driving fast German cars” such as BMWs, Mercedes, and Audis. The knew that previous studies found luxury car drivers more likely to ignore traffic rules and drive “unethically,” but it was unclear why: Was wealth corrupting their behavior? A professor of social psychology at the University of Helsinki instead asked what types of people own these cars. Sure enough, he found that less cooperative, less kind, and less considerate men often drive high-status cars. “The same traits also explain why such people break traffic regulations more frequently than others,” they say. Researchers found no connection between female self-centeredness and luxury cars. The study also found that conscientious men and women (people who are organized, ambitious, respectable, and often high-performing) are also frequent owners of high-status cars, likely reflects an appreciation for quality and an urge to present a self-image of classy reliability. You can probably tell the difference by whether or not they’re speeding, weaving through traffic, and cutting off pedestrians. (Fast Company)

New, deadly drug called “gray death” found in Louisiana; officials say just touching it could kill you

A new, deadly drug is being found in Louisiana for the first time. Officials say the drug is so powerful, just touching it could kill you. They’re calling this super drug “gray death.” “The public recognizes a lot of the drugs that we deal with. This is a new one,” spokesperson for the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office said. “Gray death” is heroin that has been cut with Fentanyl and it is deadly. “Be aware of the color. It looks like chunks of concrete,” the spokesman warned. “Gray death” first started appearing in Alabama and Georgia in 2017. It then moved to Ohio and Pennsylvania. Now, deputies say it’s in Louisiana. “You don’t want to touch this. If it all possible, you don’t even want to put it on your hands,” officials say. The drug is reportedly 10,000 times more potent than morphine. Just touching the drug could kill you. Officials say if you come across this drug, you should not pick it up or even touch it. Instead, you should report it to authorities. The first sample of “gray death” in Louisiana was recently recovered from suspects from the Lake Charles area who were traveling through St. Mary Parish. (KLFY)

Alphabet shows its hand

In a bid to boost transparency, Google parent Alphabet has for the first time disclosed its financial data for units including YouTube and cloud computing. YouTube exceeded $15 billion in annual revenue last year, while Cloud looks set to bring in $10 billion this year. Meanwhile, the company posted $46.1 billion in sales for the fourth quarter, short of analysts’ expectations for $46.9 billion. It’s the first earnings report from the tech giant since former Google CEO Sundar Pichai took over as chief executive in December. (The Wall Street Journal)

Factories kick back into gear

Factories kicked into a higher gear last month, as a gauge of U.S. manufacturing signaled renewed expansion. The Institute of Supply Management’s monthly survey showed new orders and output leading the biggest uptick in activity since 2013. The sector had been contracting since July amid a trade war and depressed business investment. But while some of that pressure has lifted, according to the institute, the impact of the coronavirus has yet to come. (Bloomberg)

An 8-year-old boy paid off the lunch debt for his entire school by selling $5 keychains

An 8-year-old boy from Vancouver, Washington wanted to help his schoolmates. With his handmade keychains that go for $5 each, he raised $4,015 to erase the lunch debt of students from his school and six others. It all started because the student wanted to do something special for “Kindness Week” at his school. With the help from his parents, he thought about projects that would truly reflect kindness after being inspired by San Francisco 49ers player Richard Sherman. The cornerback, who previously played for the Seattle Seahawks, donated more than $27,000 to cover students’ lunch debt. The boy said he decided to make keychains because, “I love keychains. They look good on my backpack.” Once word of his keychains and his heartwarming cause got out, people from all over the country started sending in their requests for one of the custom keychains. They sent keychains to Alaska, Rhode Island, Minnesota, Arizona, all over the country, his parents said. “There was one lady who said she wanted $100 worth of keychains so that she could just hand them out to people. … There were several people who bought one keychain and gave a hundred bucks. It was absolutely amazing how much support the community showed for his whole project,” he added. With the help of not only his parents, but also his grandparents, he made and sold more than 300 keychains, which allowed him to deliver a check for the $4,015 to Franklin Elementary last week. Of that amount, $1,000 will go to the school to pay off the $500 lunch debt and for any future debt incurred. The rest will go to six other nearby schools, which will get $500 each to clear their own lunch debts. (CNN)

Should SATs determine college entry?

Several universities across the country are rethinking their use of SAT exam results in their admissions process. With around $30 billion a year given in merit aid by higher-learning institutions — often based on a student’s SAT or ACT result — some schools are also questioning whether they should continue to use these scores to determine scholarship awards. And as colleges seek more diversity in their student bodies, critics say that wealthy students with college-educated parents often outperform their peers and thus may skew the competition for aid. (The Wall Street Journal)

Thursday Cuts Through The Bravo Sierra With:

• Canadian Maple Syrup Day
• Dry Bean Day
• International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation
• International Frozen Yogurt Day
• Lame Duck Day
• National Sweater Day (First Thursday)
• Play Monopoly Day