Saturday, March 21, 2015


News Clips For The Day


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-orleans-instant-chaos-man-swinging-machete/

"Instant chaos" after man swings machete at airport
CBS/AP
March 21, 2015

Photograph – A man lies restrained on a stretcher after allegedly attacking TSA agents at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport on Friday, March 21, 2015, in Kenner, Louisiana.
 FARAH STOCKMAN

KENNER, La. -- A man sprayed wasp killer and swung a machete at TSA agents and passengers at the New Orleans international airport before an officer shot the man several times as people frantically scrambled away, authorities and passengers said.

Richard White, 62, approached the airport security checkpoint Friday evening, pulled out a can of the insecticide and began spraying both agents and several passengers standing in line before he then drew a large machete from the waistband of his pants, Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand said.

White began swinging the machete and a male TSA agent blocked the machete with a piece of luggage as White ran through a metal detector, Normand said.

"This guy comes running with a machete over his head, swinging it through security, and then he hops a bench and comes toward my wife and I, and I start swinging my suitcase at him, and he runs the other way, right into a TSA agent," passenger Mike Cross told CBS New Orleans affiliate WWL-TV.

After running through the detector, White was chasing a female TSA agent when Lt. Heather Slyve of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office drew her weapon. White continued to swing the machete as she approached, and she fired three rounds, striking him in the face, chest and leg, according to Normand.

A TSA agent also was struck in the arm by a bullet while running from White, authorities said, adding the agent's wound wasn't life-threatening.

White, who was wounded, was taken into surgery at a hospital overnight, Normand said. There was no immediate update early Saturday on White's condition.

Bystanders described minutes of panic and chaos at the airport in the New Orleans suburb of Kenner.

"Everyone was ducking for cover. It's New Orleans. I knew they (the gunshots) were coming from the security checkpoint area," said Garret Laborde, 31, a traveler trying to fly to Houston. "I immediately ducked down ... Then we waited."

He called the scene "instant chaos" with "screaming, lots of females screaming for a short period of time." Some bystanders ran to get out of the way and received minor cuts and bruises, the sheriff said.

Laborde said he remained down for several minutes. He said police then began rushing around the airport, telling everyone to duck and get back down, and that sirens went off and announcements could be heard for people to evacuate. He said the tension eased later and he was outside the airport when he saw a man being taken out on a stretcher.

Normand said investigators were trying to determine what White was doing at the airport. He said it did not appear that he was trying to get on a plane.

"At this point, we have only been able to determine that Richard White had a few minor arrests," said a sheriff's statement emailed early Saturday by agency spokesman Col. John N. Fortunato. He said authorities later found White's car outside the terminal and searched it.

Logan Tucker, 26, of Meridian, Mississippi, and Phillip Green, 33, of Houston, both headed to Houston for work as deckhands on a tugboat, said they were about 25 yards from where events unfolded.

"I heard the gunshots," Tucker said.

"It was pandemonium after that," Green said. "I took cover. I didn't want to become part of the story."

Green said they saw the machete and the suspect on the ground as they were leaving. The knife was about 14 inches long, he said.

He said he saw a TSA agent with an injury to her arm. "It was not something you expect in an airport, and I've traveled a lot," Tucker said.

But not all in the airport complex were aware of events.

Brett Leonard, whose flight from San Francisco landed in New Orleans shortly before the attack, said passengers in the baggage claim area had no indication of what happened until they walked outside after picking up their bags. He said dozens of police cars were parked outside the terminal with lights flashing, and a nearby police officer told him that someone had attacked a TSA officer moments before.

Leonard said he was put into a cab with several strangers as police tried to evacuate the area.

"It was just very confusing; we didn't know what was going on," Leonard said.




“A man sprayed wasp killer and swung a machete at TSA agents and passengers at the New Orleans international airport before an officer shot the man several times as people frantically scrambled away, authorities and passengers said.... Richard White, 62, approached the airport security checkpoint Friday evening, pulled out a can of the insecticide and began spraying both agents and several passengers standing in line before he then drew a large machete from the waistband of his pants, Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand said.... White, who was wounded, was taken into surgery at a hospital overnight, Normand said. There was no immediate update early Saturday on White's condition. Bystanders described minutes of panic and chaos at the airport in the New Orleans suburb of Kenner.... Normand said investigators were trying to determine what White was doing at the airport. He said it did not appear that he was trying to get on a plane. "At this point, we have only been able to determine that Richard White had a few minor arrests," said a sheriff's statement emailed early Saturday by agency spokesman Col. John N. Fortunato. He said authorities later found White's car outside the terminal and searched it.... Green said they saw the machete and the suspect on the ground as they were leaving. The knife was about 14 inches long, he said.”

Well, this doesn't so far appear to be a terrorist attack, but it is exciting. It would be interesting to know if this man has a political agenda – a US born Neo-Nazi, perhaps? Many poor white and not too well educated Americans believe in conspiracy theories about the federal government or are preparing for their home for the Apocalypse. He did go straight for the TSA officers, which may indicate hatred of authority.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/alzheimers-down-syndrome-drug-holds-promise/

Drug trial holds promise for Down syndrome, Alzheimer's
By JESSICA FIRGER CBS NEWS
March 21, 2015

Photograph – Patrick McGuire with his parents, Martha and Gerry, at Massachusetts General Hospital. The 19-year-old participated in a clinical trial for a drug initially developed for Alzheimer's disease.  MARYELLEN MCDONOUGH/MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL

Nineteen-year-old Patrick McGuire lives for video games, has crushes on girls, does chores and sometimes gets grounded by his parents when he doesn't follow their rules -- just like millions of other teens. But Patrick has some extra needs and health challenges that come with having Down syndrome.

Patrick has also taken part in a potentially groundbreaking experiment: testing a new drug that could help improve memory and cognition in people with Down syndrome and possibly patients with Alzheimer's.

When his parents, Martha and Gerry McGuire, first learned of the drug trial, they were interested right away. This wasn't because Patrick struggles more than his peers. Rather, it was because their son continues to surpass their expectations. His family wondered if the drug could give their son even more of an edge.

The McGuires, who live in Gardner, Massachusetts, first learned the news that their son would be born with Down syndrome 23 weeks into the pregnancy, after a blood test detected elevated proteins indicating the genetic disorder. An amniocentesis confirmed the diagnosis. The couple says that terminating was never an option for them.

"I think when we found out we definitely went through sort of a grieving process," said Patrick's father. "We were in denial, then we were upset about it and for that reason I personally like the idea of testing ahead of time, mainly because you get all of this emotional baggage out of the way. When Patrick showed up, we were pumped, we were psyched."

Down syndrome is a genetic condition that results when a fetus carries a full or partial extra copy of chromosome 21. Approximately 1 in every 691 babies in the U.S. is born with Down syndrome, according to the National Down Syndrome Society.

People with Down syndrome are at greater risk of a number of medical issues including heart defects, leukemia, infections, thyroid problems, and trouble with vision and hearing. One of the more tragic consequences is that people with Down syndrome also have a higher risk for Alzheimer's disease later in life.


Patrick's parents say he's been very lucky. He's a healthy young adult aside from some minor thyroid dysfunction and pesky skin issues. He's able to express himself verbally and reads if he can maintain interest and focus, his parents say.

There currently are no drugs approved for Down syndrome patients that address cognition and memory. The drug Patrick is helping to test would be the first.

Now in clinical trials, the drug called scyllo-inositol was initially developed as a potential treatment for Alzheimer's disease. It is derived from a naturally occurring sugar alcohol found in coconut palm plants. It's manufactured by Transition Therapeutic, and the company is also funding the testing.

Dr. Brian Skotko, a medical geneticist and co-director of the Down Syndrome Program at Massachusetts General Hospital, is one of the physicians spearheading this research. Skotko, who grew up with a sister who has Down syndrome, told CBS News that while researchers still don't fully understand the drug's mechanism of action, he and others believe it may prove to be therapeutic for both Down syndrome and Alzheimer's patients.

The drug prevents accumulation of beta-amyloid plaques, which is one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease. It also improves working memory. Skotko said research indicates that the formation of brain plaques linked to Alzheimer's disease are "encoded by genes located on chromosome 21."

"Since people with Down syndrome have three copies of chromosome 21 -- rather than the typical two -- scientists felt that targeting these plaques might be helpful to people with Down syndrome," said Skotko.

The drug has yet to earn approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for any purpose. Skotko said if it is proven to be effective for people with Down syndrome, the drug could work double-time -- that is, improve cognition and memory right now and stave off Alzheimer's disease later in life.

"For some adults with Down syndrome, an improvement in cognition could mean the difference, for example, between being able to live semi-independently versus living with significant supports," he said. "For others, an improvement in working memory might open up more job opportunities, leading to even more meaningful employment options."

This is certainly important to the McGuires, who have not ruled out the possibly that their son could eventually live somewhere other than the family home.

The McGuires first contacted the hospital's Down syndrome program when Patrick was 16 years old, but was told they'd have to wait until he turned 17 to enroll. Soon after his birthday, Patrick joined a small phase 2 clinical trial to test the drug's safety and also look for early clues that it could be effective.

"I was a little nervous, but felt that if this helps in the study of other kids with Down syndrome then we were all for it," said Patrick's mother. He took the drug for four weeks. The family can't really say whether the drug actually improved their son's memory function. However, Patrick did not experience any side effects, which indicates that he's a good candidate for a phase 3 trial, which will assess the drug's efficacy on a larger sample of patients with Down syndrome.

The next trial will involve 180 patients worldwide with Down syndrome, with 20 of these patients enrolled at Massachusetts General. This time around patients will take the drug for 10 months.

Maintaining a connection with Down syndrome drug research has also helped the McGuires gain access to some of the most prominent researchers and physicians in the field.

"We get more care specific to Down syndrome," explained Patrick's father. "I think we really want to pay back the way that we can. We can't finance any wings on hospitals but we can participate in studies; it's low-risk to us and a benefit for everyone who has similar conditions."




“Patrick has also taken part in a potentially groundbreaking experiment: testing a new drug that could help improve memory and cognition in people with Down syndrome and possibly patients with Alzheimer's.... Down syndrome is a genetic condition that results when a fetus carries a full or partial extra copy of chromosome 21. Approximately 1 in every 691 babies in the U.S. is born with Down syndrome, according to the National Down Syndrome Society.... People with Down syndrome are at greater risk of a number of medical issues including heart defects, leukemia, infections, thyroid problems, and trouble with vision and hearing. One of the more tragic consequences is that people with Down syndrome also have a higher risk for Alzheimer's disease later in life.... Patrick's parents say he's been very lucky. He's a healthy young adult aside from some minor thyroid dysfunction and pesky skin issues. He's able to express himself verbally and reads if he can maintain interest and focus, his parents say. There currently are no drugs approved for Down syndrome patients that address cognition and memory. The drug Patrick is helping to test would be the first. Now in clinical trials, the drug called scyllo-inositol was initially developed as a potential treatment for Alzheimer's disease. It is derived from a naturally occurring sugar alcohol found in coconut palm plants. It's manufactured by Transition Therapeutic, and the company is also funding the testing.”

I had a student with Down Syndrome in my high school class who was probably being “passed up” by the school, but he did sit in classes and when I talked to him he spoke sensibly. I remember him saying to me as we were all about to graduate that he was worried because he didn't have a job. He was in our senior play with me, though in a non-demanding role. I don't know how much understanding he had of his school subjects, but I think he was definitely “high functioning.” Patrick's mother stated in this article that he can read if he concentrates on it. See the following website for a list of actors who have the condition, a number of whom have won acting awards. http://www.bustle.com/articles/18792-7-stars-with-down-syndrome-celebrity-advocates-who-support-the-cause. There are also several news articles on the subject of a number of young people with this problem have graduated from college. I can see that being born with it is not necessarily a tragedy, as I used to think it was. Unfortunately, they do have a distinctive look about their face and body, and probably in all cases are the victims of bullying in school.




http://www.cbsnews.com/news/she-doesnt-need-a-pulse-2-nc-state-frats-accused-of-ugly-behavior/

"She doesn't need a pulse": 2 NC State frats accused of ugly behavior
CBS/AP
March 20, 2015

Photograph – Page from what appears to be a Pi Kappa Phi pledge book, found near the Raleigh campus, that appears to belong to the local chapter.  WRAL

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Two fraternities at North Carolina State University have been suspended - one for what appeared to be an offensive pledge book, the other for drug and sexual assault allegations - the latest chapters reprimanded in a wave of unseemly fraternity behavior around the country.

The national Pi Kappa Phi organization said Thursday it suspended its Raleigh chapter while it investigates derogatory comments attributed to members in a notebook found at a restaurant near campus. Separately, new details about a drug paraphernalia seizure surfaced in a search warrant in the investigation of sexual assault allegations at Alpha Tau Omega, which was suspended earlier this month.

Details about the North Carolina suspensions surfaced not long after shocking behavior at the University of Oklahoma and Penn State have put fraternities in the spotlight. At Penn State, police are investigating allegations members of Kappa Delta Rho used a private Facebook page to post photos of nude and partly nude women, some apparently asleep or passed out. At Oklahoma, Sigma Alpha Epsilon members were caught on video singing a racist song.

In Raleigh, CBS affiliate WRAL posted photos of a notebook attributed to Pi Kappa Phi brothers, including a list of members on the fraternity's website. The notebook included sexist and racially insensitive comments.

One comment said: "If she's hot enough, she doesn't need a pulse." Another said: "Man, that tree is so perfect for lynching."

"It will be short and painful, just like when I rape you," another page reads, according to WRAL.

WRAL said workers at the restaurant found the notebook that they described as a pledge book and showed it to the station.

"The written comments and quotes reported earlier this evening are offensive and unacceptable," said Pi Kappa Phi Chief Executive Officer Mark E. Timmes said in a news release. "These statements are inconsistent with the values of Pi Kappa Phi and will not be tolerated."

In the Alpha Tau Omega investigation, campus police Sgt. J.P. Dye wrote in a warrant obtained by multiple media outlets that officers seized drug paraphernalia and white powder during a search at the fraternity house.

A woman called police March 1 to say that she was sexually assaulted there. She also told officers that she had been offered drugs, including cocaine and that she had seen drugs being sold.

A digital scale and plastic bags were also found, according to the search warrant.

A campus police spokesman didn't immediately return a message from The Associated Press.

Wynn Smiley, Alpha Tau Omega's national chief executive officer, said the fraternity kicked out a pledge who had white powder and other drug paraphernalia in his room.

He had only been associated with the organization for less than a month, Smiley said in a phone interview.

Smiley said the national organization conducted its own investigation with a lawyer, staff member and alumni advisors, and the organization believes the woman was exaggerating about drugs being sold and the level of drug activity. He also questioned her credibility on the sexual assault allegation.

He acknowledged that the details in the warrant were shocking, but said they all appear to have been relayed by the woman to the investigator.

"It just didn't line up with what we were finding out," he said, adding that the chapter is continuing to cooperate with investigators.

An N.C. State spokesman said the university planned to issue a statement on the fraternities later Friday.




“Two fraternities at North Carolina State University have been suspended - one for what appeared to be an offensive pledge book, the other for drug and sexual assault allegations - the latest chapters reprimanded in a wave of unseemly fraternity behavior around the country.... In Raleigh, CBS affiliate WRAL posted photos of a notebook attributed to Pi Kappa Phi brothers, including a list of members on the fraternity's website. The notebook included sexist and racially insensitive comments. One comment said: "If she's hot enough, she doesn't need a pulse." Another said: "Man, that tree is so perfect for lynching." "It will be short and painful, just like when I rape you," another page reads, according to WRAL. WRAL said workers at the restaurant found the notebook that they described as a pledge book and showed it to the station.”

“Smiley said the national organization conducted its own investigation with a lawyer, staff member and alumni advisors, and the organization believes the woman was exaggerating about drugs being sold and the level of drug activity. He also questioned her credibility on the sexual assault allegation.” It seems that this fraternity intends to fight back against the woman's charges. The “pledge book,” however, is evidence of abusive behavior and attitudes toward women and other races. I am of the opinion that fraternities and some sororities are fronts for sometimes criminal misbehavior on the part of privileged young people, and and also that growing up with too much money tends to produce amoral young people. Many kids who are involved in bullying and other crimes – shoplifting for one – are coddled at home and taught by their parents to expect favorable treatment by the local law enforcement. Unfortunately, that does tend, too often, to happen.




http://www.cbsnews.com/news/indian-parents-scale-school-wall-to-help-students-cheat-on-exams/

Indian parents scale school wall to help students cheat on exams
CBS/AP
March 20, 2015

Photograph – In this Wednesday, March 18, 2015 photo, Indians climb the wall of a building to help students appearing in an examination in Hajipur, in the eastern Indian state of Bihar.
 AP PHOTO/PRESS TRUST OF INDIA, FILE

The incident has received widespread attention after Indian television footage showed parents and friends of students scaling the outer walls of school buildings to pass cheat sheets to students inside taking exams.

The Washington Post reported that photos and videos showing people scaling the school walls went viral in India on Thursday.

Cheating in India. #Bihar #HTpage11 pic.twitter.com/modaXzQo7C
— Aditya Kalra (@adityakalra) March 19, 2015

Parental guidance, Bihar style. Parents help class 10 students in large-scale cheating http://t.co/4L7xuOoVrQ pic.twitter.com/OI0iFEI8bd
— NDTV (@ndtv) March 19, 2015

More than 1.4 million 10th graders are taking the tests at more than 1,200 high schools across the state. They face tremendous pressure because they must pass the exams to continue their education.

Teachers and state education department officials supervising the examination caught hundreds of students who had smuggled in text books or scraps of paper for cheating.

"It's virtually impossible to conduct fair examinations without the cooperation of parents," said P.K. Shahi, Bihar's education minister. He said it was not possible to monitor the 6 million parents and others who accompany the students to the examination centers.

State authorities posted police at all schools where examinations were being held, "but we can't use force to drive away the parents," he said.

Nearly two dozen parents were detained after they were caught helping their children, but were released after several hours.

On Friday, the high court in the state capital, Patna, ordered the Bihar police chief to ensure that examinations are conducted in a fair manner.

State education authorities have canceled examinations held at four centers after they received reports of large-scale cheating.

Bihar School Examination Board Secretary Sriniwas Tiwari said students caught cheating could be barred from taking the exam for up to three years, ordered to pay a fine or even sent to jail.

Cheating seems to be particularly widespread in Bihar, although there have been no reports of anyone being sent to jail for the offense.




“The incident has received widespread attention after Indian television footage showed parents and friends of students scaling the outer walls of school buildings to pass cheat sheets to students inside taking exams.” Your really should go to the website above and look at this photograph. It's shameful conduct, but the picture is very funny. The test is one that is required for all students who will be allowed to continue beyond the 10th grade. … State authorities posted police at all schools where examinations were being held, "but we can't use force to drive away the parents," he said. Nearly two dozen parents were detained after they were caught helping their children, but were released after several hours.... Cheating seems to be particularly widespread in Bihar, although there have been no reports of anyone being sent to jail for the offense.”

There are some in this country who want to use standardized tests to send some lower qualifying students to a technical school. I am for having technical schools, but who goes to them should be up to the student and parent, not the government, and all US citizens should have a chance at a high school education at least. Too many young people are emotionally disturbed, causing them to fail in some of their courses. The teen years are fraught with such conditions, which is the real reason why they are likely to get into trouble with the law. An insecure teen is likely to join a gang or have problems with bullying on the school campus, causing them overall problems at achieving success. Kids who graduate to the school of federal prison often end up there because they have mental health issues and poor school grades. Rather than forcing those kids out of high school to take a job, they should be given tutoring and mental health care. If a good therapist or guidance counselor can “reach them” on the emotional level, he may be able to set them on a new path toward working harder in school, and intensive remedial courses in reading and math may improve their achievement level. Then they could go to college or a two year course of study like paralegal or medical assistant training.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/francis-predicts-he-wont-be-pope-for-long-says-he-misses-pizza/

Francis predicts he won't be pope for long, says he misses pizza
CBS/AP
March 13, 2015

VATICAN CITY -- Pope Francis on Friday marked the second anniversary of his surprise election by predicting that he won't be pope for long - and by calling a special Jubilee Year to focus the church on his top priority while he's still around: mercy.

"I have the sensation that my pontificate will be brief: Four or five years," Francis said in an interview with the Mexican broadcaster Televisa. "I don't know. Or two or three. Well, two have already passed!"

Francis has previously said he thought he'd be pope for two to three years and that the precedent set by Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI's resignation in 2013 shouldn't be considered exceptional.

Francis also said he didn't dislike being pope but that what he really missed was his freedom.

"The only thing I'd like to do is to be able to go out one day without anyone recognizing me and go get a pizza," he said, laughing.

At Mass later Friday, Francis announced a special Jubilee Year starting Dec. 8 to focus the church on forgiveness and mercy. It's only the 27th time in the history of the Catholic Church that there has been a Holy Year. The last one was called by St. John Paul II in 2000 to mark the start of the third millennium.

Holy Years allow the faithful to receive special indulgences, ways to repair the damage of sin beyond the absolution granted by going to confession. The year begins with the symbolic opening of the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica.

In his homily announcing the Jubilee, Francis said the church must always keep its doors open so no one is excluded from God's mercy.

"The bigger the sin, the greater must be the love that the church shows to those who convert," he said.

Francis covered significant ground in the Televisa interview, including the recent diplomatic incident he caused by referring to the "Mexicanization" of Argentina because of drugs.

He said Mexico has had many martyrs because of the religious persecution it has endured, and because of its "privileged" place in the church thanks to the role the beloved Virgin of Guadalupe plays in its popular faith.

"I think that the devil has punished Mexico with a lot of anger," Francis said, referring to the country's problems with violence and drugs. "I think the devil can't forgive Mexico."

CBS Radio News correspondent Anna Matranga reports that in just two years, Francis' popularity has come very close to that of Saint John Paul II.

A recent poll showed that nine out of 10 American Catholics approve of him, as do seven out of 10 Americans of all religions -- or none at all. Attendance at Vatican events has soared. In the Philippines in January, Francis presided over the biggest papal event in world history, drawing over 6 million pilgrims to a mass in Manila.

But some conservative Catholics say they're concerned that Francis may be eroding the Catholic identity.

"It is perhaps fair to say that while conservative Catholics are attracted to the personableness of Pope Francis, they are confused by many of the signals that he sends out in the areas of doctrine and morals: what are his intentions concerning marriage, divorce, remarriage, homosexuality, cohabitating couples?" asks one conservative priest who spoke to CBS News.




"I have the sensation that my pontificate will be brief: Four or five years," Francis said in an interview with the Mexican broadcaster Televisa. "I don't know. Or two or three. Well, two have already passed!" Francis has previously said he thought he'd be pope for two to three years and that the precedent set by Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI's resignation in 2013 shouldn't be considered exceptional. Francis also said he didn't dislike being pope but that what he really missed was his freedom. "The only thing I'd like to do is to be able to go out one day without anyone recognizing me and go get a pizza," he said, laughing. At Mass later Friday, Francis announced a special Jubilee Year starting Dec. 8 to focus the church on forgiveness and mercy.”

“Eroding the Catholic identity” – Will the pope be forced out of office? I do hope not, but if he truly misses his freedom to a sufficiently high degree, I empathize with him. He referred to the action of Pope Benedict who resigned rather than dying in office. That certainly should be allowed. In the US we believe that political office holders should have term limits. Perhaps popes should too.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/one-fifth-of-worlds-worst-coal-plants-are-in-u-s/

One-fifth of world's worst coal plants are in U.S.
By AMANDA SCHUPAK CBS NEWS
March 20, 2015

Photograph – Existing subcritical coal-fired power stations worldwide by carbon intensity, from the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment report "Stranded Assets and Subcritical Coal"  THE STRANDED ASSETS PROGRAMME/UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD

Data from a March report on coal energy production revealed some dirty truths about the state of coal in America.

Coal provides 40 percent of the world's electricity and of that, three quarters comes from inefficient and often aging power stations that require more fuel and water to generate the same amount of electricity as newer, better plants. Compared with the most modern stations, these so-called "subcritical" coal-fired power stations (SCPS) emit 75 percent more carbon pollution and use up 67 percent more water.

China holds the title for pumping out the most energy from plants that fall into this category, but right on its heels is the U.S., which accounts for more than one-fifth of the power generation from such facilities, according to a new report from the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment at the University of Oxford. Seventy-three percent of America's coal energy comes from subcritical plants.

The report also determined that of the 100 global companies with the greatest stake in these highly polluting subcritical plants, 29 are in the United States. AES Corporation, Southern Company, Duke Energy, NRG Energy, American Electric Power Co. and Berkshire Hathaway Energy make up six of the 20 top SCPS-holding companies in the world.

The report argues that in order to keep global temperatures from rising more than2 degrees C over what they were in preindustrial times -- the aim of a potential international deal to be sealed at climate talks in Paris later this year -- "it is necessary to close a quarter or 290 gigawatts (GW) of subcritical generation worldwide by 2020."

One study in Nature in January estimated that reaching the two-degree target would require keeping 92 percent of country's coal reserves completely untouched. Short of that, closing old, over-polluting, underperforming coal plants is a good preliminary move.
The average age of coal plants in the U.S. is 39 years old, compared with a world average of 21.

"Since SCPSs are the least efficient and most greenhouse gas intensive centralised generation technology, they are both vulnerable to regulation and a logical first step in any climate mitigation strategy," the authors of the Oxford paper wrote. "Furthermore, because subcritical plants typically represent the oldest part of nations' power generation portfolios, they may also represent a practical policy choice for closure by budget-constrained policymakers looking for cost-effective emissions reductions."

The report estimated that in the U.S., policies intended to curb greenhouse gas emissions will force the closure of at least 16 percent of SCPS capacity in 2015, and "proposed state-based GHG emission reductions promise to put further pressure on existing SCPSs." The analysis found that proposed regulations could affect $28 billion in industry value, "though immediate plant closures are expected to be minimal."

President Obama imposed regulations on coal plant carbon emissions in 2014, and Republican dissenters have accused the administration of waging a "war on coal." Next week, the Supreme Court will hear arguments against a 2011 EPA ruling limiting certain air pollutants from coal-fired power plants.




“Coal provides 40 percent of the world's electricity and of that, three quarters comes from inefficient and often aging power stations that require more fuel and water to generate the same amount of electricity as newer, better plants. Compared with the most modern stations, these so-called "subcritical" coal-fired power stations (SCPS) emit 75 percent more carbon pollution and use up 67 percent more water..... Seventy-three percent of America's coal energy comes from subcritical plants. The report also determined that of the 100 global companies with the greatest stake in these highly polluting subcritical plants, 29 are in the United States. AES Corporation, Southern Company, Duke Energy, NRG Energy, American Electric Power Co. and Berkshire Hathaway Energy make up six of the 20 top SCPS-holding companies in the world..... One study in Nature in January estimated that reaching the two-degree target would require keeping 92 percent of country's coal reserves completely untouched. Short of that, closing old, over-polluting, underperforming coal plants is a good preliminary move. he average age of coal plants in the U.S. is 39 years old, compared with a world average of 21.... "Furthermore, because subcritical plants typically represent the oldest part of nations' power generation portfolios, they may also represent a practical policy choice for closure by budget-constrained policymakers looking for cost-effective emissions reductions."

“President Obama imposed regulations on coal plant carbon emissions in 2014, and Republican dissenters have accused the administration of waging a "war on coal." Next week, the Supreme Court will hear arguments against a 2011 EPA ruling limiting certain air pollutants from coal-fired power plants.” The Koch brothers naturally want as much coal to be used as possible. To heck with the CO2 problem. I expect the Republicans to fight a plan to build a large number of new and more technologically advanced power plants, but it makes infinitely good sense. It will achieve an improved atmospheric condition in our environment, and it will give new and well-paid jobs to low skilled workers in every location around the US due to their construction. That would boost business and the economy as well, so the Republicans should like that, right?




http://www.huffingtonpost.com/daphne-eviatar/obama-says-he-should-have_b_6903706.html

Obama Says He Should Have Closed Guantanamo on Day 1 -- He Still Can
Daphne Eviatar 
Posted: 03/19/2015

Asked by a seventh-grade student from the Citizens Leadership Academy in Cleveland yesterday what advice he would give himself if he could go back to his first day in office, President Obama responded, "I think I would have closed Guantanamo on the first day." That got a round of applause.

He continued:

“I didn't because at that time, as you'll recall, we had a bipartisan agreement that it should be closed; my Republican opponent had also said it should have been closed. And I thought that we had enough consensus there that we could do it in a more deliberate fashion. But the politics of it got tough and people got scared by the rhetoric around it. And once that set in, then the path of least resistance was just to leave it open, even though it's not who we are as a country. It is used by terrorists around the world to help recruit jihadists. So instead, we've had to just chip away at it, year after year after year. But I think in that first couple of weeks we could have done it quicker.”

Fair enough. President Obama is right that the bipartisan consensus that Guantanamo should be closed quickly dissolved as soon as he made it a centerpiece of his agenda. Congress has since barred transferring any of the men indefinitely detained at the offshore U.S. prison in Cuba to the United States for trial or detention. But that's hardly the end of the story. President Obama can still make huge strides toward closing Guantanamo, even without Congress' help. Here's how.

While Obama has slowly stepped up transferring detainees already cleared by a multi-agency process for release from Guantanamo to other countries, his administration has dragged its feet on reviewing the 51 detainees who aren't yet cleared, out of the remaining 122. It's unconscionable that a process created by executive order in 2011 has reviewed the cases of only 13 detainees so far. When he created the Periodic Review Boards, President Obama said he intended for the cases of all detainees at Guantanamo to be reviewed within one year. Four years later, that still hasn't happened.

Of the 13 reviewed, eight have been cleared for transfer so far. (One case hasn't yet been decided.) Assuming a similar 66 percent of detainees are cleared by the reviews going forward, that would lead to 34 more detainees cleared for transfer and, after the cleared men's actual transfer, leave only 32 men imprisoned at Guantanamo -- including those serving military commission sentences. Surely at some point even Congress would decide it no longer makes sense to keep an entire prison, and its own separate dysfunctional quasi-justice system, open for only 32 people, and would allow their transfer to the United States for trial or continued imprisonment, if warranted. As it is, the Guantanamo detention center has already cost U.S. taxpayers more than $5 billion; the ongoing cost per detainee is more than $3 million per year and will only rise as more detainees are transferred. Meanwhile, the annual cost of detaining a terrorist at a maximum security prison in the United States is $34,000. Congress is now considering where to cut costs from the defense budget; closing Guantanamo is an easy place to start.

It's great that the president now sees he should have closed the notorious Guantanamo prison on Day 1. As he said yesterday, it continues to act as a powerful propoganda tool for terrorist recruitment -- a point national security experts,including some who helped created it, have been pointing out for years. But it's not too late for President Obama to act and let Guantanamo's closure stand as an important part of his legacy.

The last years of his historic presidency is not the time to "take the path of least resistance." As even seventh graders at the Citizens Leadership Academy surely know, now is the time to take a stand.




“Asked by a seventh-grade student from the Citizens Leadership Academy in Cleveland yesterday what advice he would give himself if he could go back to his first day in office, President Obama responded, "I think I would have closed Guantanamo on the first day." That got a round of applause. He continued: “I didn't because at that time, as you'll recall, we had a bipartisan agreement that it should be closed; my Republican opponent had also said it should have been closed. And I thought that we had enough consensus there that we could do it in a more deliberate fashion. But the politics of it got tough and people got scared by the rhetoric around it. And once that set in, then the path of least resistance was just to leave it open, even though it's not who we are as a country...” While Obama has slowly stepped up transferring detainees already cleared by a multi-agency process for release from Guantanamo to other countries, his administration has dragged its feet on reviewing the 51 detainees who aren't yet cleared, out of the remaining 122.”

This article seems to be saying two different things about the holdup on closing “Gitmo.” First, that Congressional Republicans are preventing it, and second that Obama could use his executive pen to do it right now. Which is the case, I wonder? I want to see it closed. I wouldn't like to see prisoners transferred to “black sites” around the world where they may be severely tortured, however. I think they should be tried in American courts and put into maximum security prisons here. That should be safe enough. Republicans argued against that some years ago because they feared that the men are a national security risk, as they may be let out of prison here. One of the problems with them, I think, is that they aren't all convicted criminals, but after some of the treatment they may have experienced at our hands in Gitmo, they probably are fully radicalized now. That is a dilemma. I'd like to see Obama take action and close Gitmo while he's in office. I would be prouder of him. What has happened on the issue looks like he backed down under pressure.