Thursday, November 5, 2020

Liquor thieves in England burrow hole in wall, steal $65G worth of booze from neighboring shop

Police in Nottinghamshire, England, recently arrested two men suspected of stealing around $65,000 worth of booze through a hole that one of them had burrowed through the wall of a liquor shop. They are still looking into exactly what was stolen, but at they believe it amounts to well over £50,000 worth of stock, according to a spokesperson of the Nottinghamshire Police following the arrest of one suspect. Authorities said one of the suspects first burglarized the downtown Nottingham liquor store on October 17th by burrowing through the wall of a neighboring vacant property and climbing down into the shop’s cellar to seize the booze. Another theft allegedly occurred on October 23rd, via the same neighboring property. Police were able to apprehend one of the suspects, a 39-year-old male while charging him with counts of burglary and criminal damage. Another 34-year-old man was also arrested in connection with the crime and charged with burglary. (Nottinghamshire Police)

Kanye West announces ‘Kanye 2024’ despite low percentage of votes in 2020 presidential election

Kanye West has his sights set on a 2024 presidential bid after a low turnout of votes in the 2020 presidential election. The 43-year-old rapper first announced his “Kanye 2020” campaign on Independence Day. He seemingly conceded from the race early yesterday in a now-deleted tweet, saying “WELP KANYE 2024”. However, Kanye West reiterated his motivation to run in the next presidential election by sharing an almost identical tweet that reads, “KANYE 2024.” Kanye West’s tweet includes a pic of his silhouette in front of a large screen with an electoral map. Kanye West received close to 60,000 votes in 12 states and his name did not appear on the ballot in all 50 states because he missed ballot deadlines. The rapper received the most votes in Tennessee, returns show his votes totaled 10,188 in the state. That resulted in 0.3% of votes in the state. He also received votes in Minnesota, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Utah and Vermont. He reportedly did not receive more than 0.4% of votes in a single state. (Fox News)

A new device that swabs earwax to detect a stress hormone may transform care for people battling depression and other stress-related conditions, researchers say

The team from University College London, among other institutions in Germany and Chile, sampled the technique in 37 participants. “Cortisol sampling is notoriously difficult, as levels of the hormone can fluctuate, so a sample might not be an accurate reflection of a person’s chronic cortisol levels,” according to the lead researcher and lecturer at the University College London. “Moreover, sampling methods themselves can induce stress and influence the results.” However, cortisol levels in earwax “appear to be more stable,” and the new device was said to make it easier for sampling and testing, as opposed to hair sampling, among other methods. Cortisol has been considered as a possible biomarker, or objective biological measure, for depression, but researchers have been stymied by challenges in accurately measuring cortisol levels. Hair samples were said to be a common technique but have some pitfalls: they are costly, time-consuming and can’t capture longer-term cortisol levels. The new earwax sampling device can be done at home, and it comes with a “brake” to stop the device from dangerously probing too far into the ear. In the preliminary study, the 37 participants tried different cortisol sampling methods, like a syringe procedure, said to be painful, and the new device, while researchers also took blood and hair samples. The researchers found that earwax samples yielded more cortisol than hair samples, and the new technique was the fastest and potentially cheapest method. If the device holds up to further scrutiny in larger trials, the researchers hope to transform diagnostics and care for millions of people with depression or cortisol-related conditions such as Addison’s disease and Cushing syndrome, and potentially numerous other conditions. The researchers also mentioned efforts using the device to detect coronavirus antibodies. (UCL)

We finally know what has been making fast radio bursts

Researchers announced they’ve solved one of the questions that has been nagging them over the past decade: what exactly produces the weird phenomena known as fast radio bursts (FRBs)? As their name implies, FRBs involve a sudden blast of radio-frequency radiation that lasts just a few microseconds. Astronomers didn’t even know that FRBs existed until 2007 but have since cataloged hundreds of them; some come from sources that repeatedly emit them, while others seem to burst once and go silent. Magnetars are an extreme form of a neutron star, a type of body that is already notable for being extreme. They are the collapsed core of a massive star, so dense that atoms get squeezed out of existence, leaving a swirling mass of neutrons and protons. That mass is roughly equal to the Sun’s but compressed into a sphere with a radius of about 10 kilometers. Neutron stars are best known for powering pulsars, rapidly repeating bursts of radiation driven by the fact that these massive objects can complete a rotation in a handful of milliseconds. Magnetars are a different type of extreme as they tend not to rotate as quickly, but have intense magnetic fields. They’re about a trillion times stronger than the Earth’s magnetic field, which is strong enough to distort the electron orbitals in atoms, effectively eliminating chemistry for any normal matter that somehow gets close to a magnetar. While the period of high magnetic fields only lasts a few thousand years before the fields dissipate, there are enough neutron stars to keep a regular supply of magnetars around. Their magnetic fields can power highly energetic events, either by accelerating particles or through magnetic disturbances driven by material shifting within the neutron star. (Ars Technica)

Jeffrey Epstein’s $22 million Palm Beach mansion will be demolished

The $22 million Palm Beach mansion owned by financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein will be demolished to make way for an even more expensive home, according to the developer who is buying it. The six-bedroom, 14,000-square-foot waterfront home with a staff house and pool house was previously owned by Epstein, who died while in prison in 2019 after being arrested on federal charges for allegedly running a sex-trafficking enterprise between his Manhattan home and his Palm Beach estate. The home was put on the market in July and the agent confirmed it is currently in contract for purchase. The owner said he intends to build an Art Moderne residence that he expects to be completed in the spring of 2022. He said he plans to put it on the market for around $40 million. (CNN)

Kentucky town elects dog as mayor: He’s ‘all ears’

The small community of Rabbit Hash, Kentucky, has elected a dog as its mayor. Wilbur Beast, a French bulldog, won the race with 13,143 votes, according to the Rabbit Hash Historical Society. That was the highest winning total ever for the position. He’s not the first “canine in chief” for Rabbit Hash. The Ohio River community of just a few hundred people has been electing dogs as its mayors for fundraisers since the 1990s. Rabbit Hash is known for its historic general store that dates back to the 19th century, but it was destroyed in a 2016 fire. The store has since been rebuilt, and the mayoral “election” is a fundraiser in which each dollar donated counts as a vote for the candidate of the donor’s choice. More than 22,000 votes were cast, which the historical society said was the highest total ever for one of its elections. (Cincinnatti)

Pet parrot saves owner from house fire in Australia by calling his name

A man in Brisbane, Australia, survived a house fire early Wednesday morning because his pet parrot sounded the alarm. The owner was asleep when his home caught fire just after 2:00am. The owner didn’t hear the smoke detector. Instead, he heard the parrot calling his name repeatedly. Officials said the owner’s home did have a smoke detector, but it didn’t go off before the parrot started calling his name. The Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Acting Inspector said that the fire crews were able to contain the fire before it spread to other properties. Investigators have declared the fire a crime scene and are looking into what caused it. In the meantime, the owner is glad that he and the pet parrot survived. (Australian Broadcasting Network)

Voters in Oregon supported decriminalizing small possessions of some street drugs like heroin and LSD — the first state to do so

Drug legalization efforts are moving forward in parts of the U.S. and not just marijuana. On election day (11/3), voters approved a series of initiatives seeking to decriminalize pot but some harder drugs, too. Taking center stage was Oregon, where voters supported decriminalizing small possessions of some street drugs like heroin and LSD, becoming the first state to do so. Those caught in possession would face a $100 fine instead of criminal prosecution, but that fine can be waived if the person agrees to attend a treatment program. Oregon also became the first state to legalize an ingredient in psychedelic mushrooms for therapeutic use. Licensed service providers will be able to administer psilocybin-producing mushroom and fungi products to people 21 years or older. Voters also gave their stamp of approval on a series of marijuana measures in five states:

• New Jersey, Arizona, Montana and South Dakota, voters say recreational marijuana can be legalized. Arizona is also allowing for certain convicted marijuana crimes to be expunged.
• Mississippi and South Dakota are moving forward with approval of marijuana for medical use.

In all, 15 states have now signaled approval for legalized weed. That’s up from zero just a decade ago. (Oregon Live)

FCC forces T-Mobile to pay $200 million fine for subsidiary Sprint’s fraud

T-Mobile has agreed to pay a $200 million fine to resolve an investigation into subsidiary Sprint, which was caught taking millions of dollars in government subsidies for “serving” 885,000 low-income Americans who weren’t using Sprint service. Sprint admitted the violations in September 2019, about six months before T-Mobile completed its purchase of Sprint. The Federal Communications Commission announced the $200 million settlement, which T-Mobile will pay to the US Treasury. The $200 million is in addition to money that Sprint previously agreed to pay back to the FCC’s Lifeline program, which provides $9.25-per-household monthly subsidies to companies that offer discounted telecom service to people with low incomes. Sprint had taken the money from Lifeline in violation of the “non-usage rule” that requires providers of free, subsidized plans to de-enroll subscribers who haven’t used their phones recently. When the FCC investigation was announced last year, the commission said that the 885,000 subscribers represent nearly 30 percent of Sprint’s Lifeline subscriber base and nearly 10 percent of the entire Lifeline program’s subscriber base. The FCC said that the $200 million “is the largest fixed-amount settlement the Commission has ever secured to resolve an investigation.” Sprint also “agreed to enter into a compliance plan to help ensure future adherence to the Commission’s rules for the Lifeline program,” the FCC said. (Federal Communications Commission)

Shoppers stock up on ammo on Election Day

Ammunition flew off store shelves around the country Tuesday (11/3) as the U.S. headed into the final day of voting. The National Shooting Sports Foundation announced earlier in the day that October’s U.S. gun sales blew past previous records. The firearm industry trade group said manufacturers had difficulty keeping up with the demand and predicted that results of the election could drive sales up even further. Sporting goods stores around the country have reported supply shortages amid a rush to buy. The spike in sales emerged just days after Walmart, the massive retail chain, briefly pulled, and then restored firearms and ammunition from its sales floors. (KTNV)

Delaware’s Sarah McBride becomes first transgender state senator in US

Democrat Sarah McBride won a state Senate race on Tuesday in Delaware, and would become the first openly transgender state senator in the country when sworn in. Sara McBride defeated Republican Steve Washington to win the seat that became open following the retirement of the longest-serving legislator in Delaware history. She won in a heavily Democratic district stretching from northern Wilmington to the Pennsylvania border, and joins several other transgender legislators around the country but will be the first transgender state senator. (NBC News)

North Dakota state Legislature candidate who died from coronavirus wins election

A 55-year-old man running as Republican candidate for North Dakota’s state Legislature 8th district, died in October of COVID-19, but has won his election Tuesday (11/3) night. The man died on October 5th after he had been sick with COVID-19 for several days. North Dakota’s Secretary of State said it was too late to remove him from the ballot as early voting had begun up to two weeks before his death. The state’s Attorney General previously said that if the candidate is elected to the post, the office would be deemed vacant. Under state law, a committee representing the party of the previous office-holder would fill the opening by appointment. Voters within the district are allowed to petition for a special election. (USA Today)

There’s a better way to worry

In these indisputably stressful times, anxious thoughts can prove harder to ward off. Yet, there are ways to worry more mindfully. Experts suggest we accept our worries by observing them neutrally before deciding whether they’re worth acting on or not. They also propose listing our worries and scheduling in time to dedicate to them, literally pop 30 minutes into the calendar, to reduce the hours spent worrying. Finally, plan times outside of worry where you can be fully present. (The New York Times)

Thursday Splashes Us With:

• Cash Back Day (First Thursday in November)
• Doughnut Day
• Firewood Day
• Love Your Red Hair Day
• Medical Cannabis Day
• Men Make Dinner Day (Must Cook, No BBQ Allowed!) (First Thursday in November)
• Play Monopoly Day
• World Tsunami Awareness Day