May 11, 2016


News and Views


Hill and Bernie


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/west-virginia-primary-2016-voters-and-the-democrats-hillary-clinton-bernie-sanders/

West Virginia primary voters and the Democrats
By MELISSA HERRMANN CBS NEWS
May 10, 2016, 10:20 PM

Live updates: West Virginia and Nebraska primaries; CBS News Election Center; GOP West Virginia results
Play VIDEO -- Sanders vows to beat Clinton, despite "steep hill" to victory
Play VIDEO -- Hillary Clinton's coal industry comment backfires on her


How did West Virginia primary voters compare with those in other states?

Voters delivered a consistent message during this primary season about what they thought was the most important issue facing the country: the economy and jobs.

This was the issue named as most important in all states to date except Vermont where the economy/jobs tied with income inequality. Tuesday, the majority of Democratic primary voters in West Virginia (56 percent) said the economy/jobs is the most important issue facing the country. This was the highest percentage in the Democratic primaries so far. Additionally, most (92 percent) West Virginia primary voters are worried about the direction the nation's economy is headed, including six in 10 who are very worried.

Clinton may be seen as a candidate who is interested in continuing Obama's policies. Democratic primary voters have been asked if the next president should generally continue Obama's policies, change to more liberal policies, or change to less liberal policies.

Most states found Democratic primary voters looking for a candidate to continue Obama's policies, with the strongest support in South Carolina (74 percent). Vermont and New Hampshire were the only states seeking a candidate with more liberal policies. Tonight was the first night to have a state, with West Virginia primary voters, with a plurality (40 percent) seeking less liberal policies. Of those, the majority supported Sanders.

The demographic profile of Clinton and Sanders support remained relatively consistent across states

Clinton has won the women's vote in almost all state primaries except New Hampshire, Vermont, and West Virginia, and she ran about even with Sanders in Wisconsin and Indiana.

Sanders has won the support of voters under age 30 in almost all states, including tonight in West Virginia, where 71 percent of Democratic primary voters supported Sanders. Clinton received the majority of support among young voters in Alabama (52 percent) and Mississippi (62 percent).

On the flip side, Clinton has won the support of voters 45 and older in all states except Vermont and New Hampshire. Tuesday night in West Virginia they are almost evenly divided in the exit poll results (Sanders 45 percent, Clinton 44 percent).

Self-identified Democrats have tended to support Clinton throughout the primary season in all states except New Hampshire, Vermont, and Wisconsin.

Tuesday night's results in West Virginia are close (Clinton 49 percent, Sanders 46 percent). Meanwhile, Sanders has had support from the self-identified independents in all states except Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. This continued with strong support among this group tonight. Of the one-third of West Virginia primary voters who self-identified as being independent, 61 percent supported Sanders. About 36 percent of Democratic primary voters are independents compared to 18 percent in 2008.



“Clinton may be seen as a candidate who is interested in continuing Obama's policies. Democratic primary voters have been asked if the next president should generally continue Obama's policies, change to more liberal policies, or change to less liberal policies. …. Tonight was the first night to have a state, with West Virginia primary voters, with a plurality (40 percent) seeking less liberal policies. Of those, the majority supported Sanders. …. Sanders has won the support of voters under age 30 in almost all states, including tonight in West Virginia, where 71 percent of Democratic primary voters supported Sanders. Clinton received the majority of support among young voters in Alabama (52 percent) and Mississippi (62 percent). …. Self-identified Democrats have tended to support Clinton throughout the primary season in all states except New Hampshire, Vermont, and Wisconsin. Tuesday night's results in West Virginia are close (Clinton 49 percent, Sanders 46 percent). Meanwhile, Sanders has had support from the self-identified independents in all states except Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. This continued with strong support among this group tonight. Of the one-third of West Virginia primary voters who self-identified as being independent, 61 percent supported Sanders. About 36 percent of Democratic primary voters are independents compared to 18 percent in 2008.”


I don’t understand why 40% in a coal mining state would support “less liberal policies” since union solidarity used to be a built-in feature of coal miners opinions. I also don’t understand why those who want Democratic policies to be “less liberal” than those of Obama would be supporting Sanders over Hillary. Perhaps those WV voters who take that position are minority voters who, in the case of black people, have supported Hillary over Sanders this year. They do very frequently follow a bloc vote policy, undoubtedly to increase their power at the polls.

Unfortunately lots of less liberal whites have moved over to the Republicans, leaving minorities even more important to the party. It is possible that those Hillary voters just don’t think Sanders can win. He does carry the “Socialist” label, but Hillary is widely distrusted on the basis of her perceived honesty and strong feminism. It is also understandable that some, especially minorities, don’t think he has been very actively supportive of socially liberal ideas, as opposed to economic. It is true that, to my observations, he seems to be primarily concerned with the problems of the poor and middle classes and with the dangerously high wealth gap between the income groups, more than with social legislation. My personal opinion, and perhaps his, is that if the economic differences were improved, the social class divide would be also. There would still be racism, religionism, educational/social skills and more, but those can be improved as the society becomes more tolerant and empathetic to individual differences. That has improved greatly since I was growing up, and with the efforts of groups like BLM and the ACLU will continue to become fairer to all. When Sanders realized (and quickly) that the BLM seemed to be against him rather than for him, he did speak up and voice his support of what they are doing. His failure to do that all along may cost him the nomination.

Some recent polls have shown that Sanders does have a higher predicted likelihood than that of Hillary to BEAT TRUMP, and that bolsters my opinion of how valid his Democratic Socialist and socially liberal position is. Beating Trump is, to me, the most important concern of all. A good many of us do not feel that Hillary has followed through on some of the “progressive” leanings of the old Democratic Party, may as Sanders has argued be uncomfortably close to Big Business and Wall Street, and maybe has leaned away from my/our goals as Liberal Democratic voters. She seems less “liberal” to me than Sanders since she has been running for President.

However it goes, Sanders is like the “dark horse” at the back of the pack. He may well surge forward and come out ahead. If not, I will logically and pragmatically vote for Hillary. Sanders did promise that he wouldn’t form a third party and become “a spoiler.” After the election, however, I would like to see real changes in how the “New Democrats” do business in general.



http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/elizabeth-warren-vp-nod-i-m-not-thinking-about-another-n572161

Elizabeth Warren on VP Nod: 'I'm Not Thinking About Another Job'
POLITICS
MAY 11 2016, 11:40 AM ET


Elizabeth Warren is declining to say whether she would consider running on the Democratic ticket with Hillary Clinton, insisting instead that she's focused on her current job and that Democrats still have to "get all of our nominations settled."

Asked during an interview with Mic whether or not she would consider serving as Hillary Clinton's vice president, Warren demurred, saying "I love my job. I'm here in the United States Senate doing exactly what the people of Massachusetts sent me here to do."

"This is something we've got to get all of our nominations settled on the Democratic side," she added. "For me, I'm going to keep doing my job every single day and I'm not thinking about another job."

Warren added that she has not spoken to Clinton recently.

The progressive Massachusetts senator is considered most ideologically aligned with Senate colleague Bernie Sanders, who shares her aggressive rhetoric on income inequality and Wall Street.

'But Warren has pointedly declined to endorse either candidate in the Democratic race, focusing instead on attacks aimed at presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump.



“Warren added that she has not spoken to Clinton recently. The progressive Massachusetts senator is considered most ideologically aligned with Senate colleague Bernie Sanders, who shares her aggressive rhetoric on income inequality and Wall Street. 'But Warren has pointedly declined to endorse either candidate in the Democratic race, focusing instead on attacks aimed at presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump.”


For myself I would happily have voted for Warren as President this year, and I do hope that whoever the nominee is will give serious thought to choosing her for VP. She’s a very sharp cookie and able to speak her mind without beating around the bush or making some kind of grotesque assault (“blood coming out…”). That’s one of the things I really want to see in a President. Of course some think that’s true of Trump. Let’s say that while that’s a major characteristic that is important, the person has to be a good citizen, widely educated, liberal and honest also.



http://www.nbcnews.com/health/kids-health/zero-tolerance-bullying-doesn-t-work-experts-say-n571326

Zero-Tolerance for Bullying Doesn't Work, Experts Say
by MAGGIE FOX
HEALTH
MAY 10 2016, 2:14 PM ET

Play -- Ordinance Fines Parents of Bullies 1:22
Play -- My Kid Would Never Do That
Related: "It's Bullying That Killed Me"
Related: Slurs, Beatings: Jewish Kids Tell About Bullying
Related: Five Things to Teach your Kid About Bullying


Zero-tolerance policies aimed at stopping bullying may actually backfire, a panel of experts said Tuesday.

Schools need to stop them now — and the federal government needs to organize better ways to stop both physical bullying and cyber bullying — because bullying is a serious national concern, according to a panel of experts commissioned by the National Academy of Sciences.

"Zero tolerance policies have not had an impact in keeping schools safer and could have adverse consequences," the expert panel said in its report on bullying across the United States.

There's not even enough research to be able to say how common bullying is, said the academy, a group of independent bodies that advise the federal government on scientific and medical policy issues.

"ZERO TOLERANCE POLICIES HAVE NOT HAD AN IMPACT IN KEEPING SCHOOLS SAFER AND COULD HAVE ADVERSE CONSEQUENCES."

"However, the prevalence data that are available indicate that school-based bullying likely affects between 18 and 31 percent of children and youth, and the prevalence of cyber victimization ranges from 7 percent to 15 percent of youth," the report reads.

"These estimates are even higher for some subgroups of youth who are particularly vulnerable to being bullied (e.g., youth who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender [LGBT], youth with disabilities)."

What is clear is that the problem is real, serious and that it's not simply a rite of passage.

"Bullying is not a normal part of childhood and is now appropriately considered to be a serious public health problem," according to the report by Frederick Rivara, a professor of pediatrics and epidemiology at the University of Washington and Seattle Children's Hospital, and his colleagues.

Bullying does not completely explain the high risk of youth suicide, the panel concluded, and it is impossible to say how much it influences school shootings.

"It is a factor, and perhaps an important one, but it does not appear to be the main influencing factor in a decision to carry out these violent acts," the report reads.

"SCHOOL-BASED BULLYING LIKELY AFFECTS BETWEEN 18 AND 31 PERCENT OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH."
But research is clear that bullying is psychologically harmful to both perpetrators and victims.

All 50 states and Washington, D.C. have bullying laws, but they vary a lot and are not necessarily rooted in what the research shows, the panel says.

"There is emerging research that some widely used approaches such as zero tolerance policies are not effective at reducing bullying and thus should be discontinued, with the resources redirected to evidence-based policies and programs," it said.

This should be organized from the top down, the experts recommended.

"The U.S Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, Justice, Agriculture, and Defense and the Federal Trade Commission, which are engaged in the Federal Partners in Bullying Prevention interagency group, should foster use of a consistent definition of bullying," they said.

The groups should meet annually, look at the research, and report to Congress and state legislatures.

Research shows that zero-tolerance policies do little or nothing to help the victims or perpetrators, and there's some evidence that people may not report bullying because of the fear of unfairly harsh punishment.

Plus there is growing evidence that the harshest discipline is unequally applied to blacks, Hispanics and other students of color, it said.

"The programs that appear most effective are those that promote a positive school environment and combine social and emotional skill-building for all students, with targeted interventions for those at greatest risk for being involved in bullying," the report reads.




“Schools need to stop them now — and the federal government needs to organize better ways to stop both physical bullying and cyber bullying — because bullying is a serious national concern, according to a panel of experts commissioned by the National Academy of Sciences. "Zero tolerance policies have not had an impact in keeping schools safer and could have adverse consequences," the expert panel said in its report on bullying across the United States.
There's not even enough research to be able to say how common bullying is, said the academy, a group of independent bodies that advise the federal government on scientific and medical policy issues. …. "These estimates are even higher for some subgroups of youth who are particularly vulnerable to being bullied (e.g., youth who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender [LGBT], youth with disabilities)." What is clear is that the problem is real, serious and that it's not simply a rite of passage. "Bullying is not a normal part of childhood and is now appropriately considered to be a serious public health problem," according to the report by Frederick Rivara …. "The U.S Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, Justice, Agriculture, and Defense and the Federal Trade Commission, which are engaged in the Federal Partners in Bullying Prevention interagency group, should foster use of a consistent definition of bullying," they said. The groups should meet annually, look at the research, and report to Congress and state legislatures. …. and there's some evidence that people may not report bullying because of the fear of unfairly harsh punishment. Plus there is growing evidence that the harshest discipline is unequally applied to blacks, Hispanics and other students of color, it said. "The programs that appear most effective are those that promote a positive school environment and combine social and emotional skill-building for all students, with targeted interventions for those at greatest risk for being involved in bullying," the report reads.”


When I was that age, there was too little attention in general paid to the problem of bullying, and the school management attitudes tended to be “don’t make waves,” or “toughen up,” but if the matter were to be addressed, they might expel the bully if physical harm was done (unless his parents were wealthy or on the school board), and that old idea that bullying is indeed a “rite of passage” was followed in many cases. Unfortunately, all that tended to mean was that the school will do nothing useful about it, as they “don’t want to give the school a bad name.” Nowadays they do, because parents are likely to sue.

We also did not have the kind of highly negative school atmosphere that does foster violence among the students. That came later, after schools were desegregated and there were more school consolidations to save money. As a result they have become so large that the individual student could easily be “lost in the crowd.” Like street violence in cities, too large a population tends to dilute group unity overall and break up the population into cliques or other armed camps – blacks against Hispanics or whites. In that kind of environment individuals simply cannot get to know enough of their peers well enough to form friendships, trust or even normal human bonds with very many of them. A sort of depersonalization often occurs causing that famous lack of empathy. They don’t know who to trust, they don’t want to offend their own “natural” groups by associating with another, and they don’t view “weaker” individuals as being worthwhile (mentally challenged, gay or crippled kids.) It is an easy step from that point to persecution and violence.

And then there is the often mentioned tendency of “good citizens” in that situation to refuse, or at any rate fail, to help in any way, even by merely speaking out against the assault or lesser form of bedeviling that is going on– the bystander effect. An article within the last few months mentioned school-based lessons, peer group discussions, and sensitivity training as having a positive effect. I believe in therapy, both group and individual, and this is probably the most important. Greater surveillance of what is actually happening in the hallways and grounds is very important, with the school resource officer, assistant principal or whoever is chosen going to the site and breaking the assault up. I would also like to mention that, as much as I tend to disapprove highly of bullying and bullies, they do very often have life problems with a parent, a history of being bullied themselves, or more serious problems that may lead to sociopathic personalities. They need mental health care. Some studies with young children showed that even kids as young as three years old or so DO evince evidence of feeling empathy for the underdog when abusive treatment happens, so they can “learn” to care about others, and at school age they are sufficiently old to start to “do the right things!”

In school that abuse is sometimes (or more often) actually coming from the teachers and administration, some of it intended to be “discipline,” but other times simple cruelty. A story not long ago of a teacher verbally berating and “shaming” kids in front of the class shockingly was in the news. The most disgusting thing in that story was that she was addressing kids from minority groups with abusive language based on their “differences.” An Islamic kid was actually called a “raghead” by the teacher. She did lose her job, but somehow the type of people who are being selected to teach in a case like that speaks very poorly for the school administration, and needs to be changed. What do we do when the school itself is doing despicable things?




http://www.cbsnews.com/news/father-in-case-of-toddler-chained-to-ground-surrenders/

Father in case of toddler chained to ground surrenders
By CRIMESIDER STAFF CBS/AP
May 11, 2016, 11:57 AM

Photograph -- Deandre Dorch CBS AFFILIATE KENS VIA GUADALUPE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE


SAN ANTONIO -- A third person wanted in a San Antonio child abuse case in which one toddler was chained to the ground and another tied to a door with a dog leash has surrendered to authorities.

Bexa County Sheriff's spokesman James Keith says 36-year-old Deandre Dorch surrendered to deputies at the county jail late Tuesday. He's charged with two counts of serious bodily injury to a child by omission.

Keith said Wednesday that Dorch is the father of several of the eight children found alone at the home about two weeks ago. Six were inside.

Deputies say Dorch and his wife, Porucha Phillips, were supposed to be caring for the two left in the yard. Phillips and the toddlers' mother, Cheryl Reed, have also been charged in the case.

The two children who were found outside, a boy and a girl, had suffered hundreds of scars and injuries from months, perhaps years, of abuse, a sheriff's official said Friday. Several piles of human feces were found nearby, and the boy was wet, indicating he was left in the rain.

Doctors who treated the children after they were found April 29 determined they had old injuries indicating a long period of abuse. One of them also was suffering from hypothermia and had a broken arm resulting from the way she was tied to a garage door using a dog leash, Bexar County sheriff's spokesman James Keith said.

Authorities initially said the children were 2 and 3 years old, but Keith says they may be a year older.

CBS/AP


“A third person wanted in a San Antonio child abuse case in which one toddler was chained to the ground and another tied to a door with a dog leash has surrendered to authorities. Bexa County Sheriff's spokesman James Keith says 36-year-old Deandre Dorch surrendered to deputies at the county jail late Tuesday. He's charged with two counts of serious bodily injury to a child by omission.”

One of my favorite books is Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens, in which the lead role first appears as a kid around 8 years old who is living on the street under conditions that I would like to think no longer exist, but when I see stories like this one, it’s clear that they do, and here in the USA. An earlier story said that luckily a neighbor heard on of the children crying incessantly and went out to investigate. Seeing the situation, she called the authorities. I’m so glad all six of the kids are in a protected situation now and that the adults – all of them – who were involved have been arrested. I am afraid, though, that they will never recover from the emotional scars of multiple kinds that have probably been inflicted upon them. I am also afraid that the “caretakers” will be given the old “slap on the wrist” that child molestation and neglect tends to bring in courts.



http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/zika-virus-outbreak/here-s-what-zika-virus-infection-looks-n572106

Here's What Zika Virus Infection Looks Like
by MAGGIE FOX
HEALTH ZIKA VIRUS OUTBREAK
MAY 11 2016, 11:01 AM ET

Photograph -- A 44-year-old man developed a painful rash when he became infected with Zika virus in Puerto Rico. Amit Garg, MD / Department of Dermatology, Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine
Related: Zika is Coming and We're Not Ready
Photograph -- A 44-year-old man developed a painful rash when he became infected with Zika virus in Puerto Rico. Amit Garg, MD / Department of Dermatology, Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine


The man's Zika infection started with a headache. Within a day, a red rash formed on his hands and arms and spread to his body. By the third day, the rash had moved all the way down his body and his feet were on fire.

A team of New York doctors who treated a Zika patient said the symptoms are distinctive — and they want doctors around the country to know what they look like so they can be on the lookout.

"Itching was not a major feature" for the unidentified patient, they wrote in their report, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association's JAMA Dermatology.

"The patient also noted that his eyes appeared 'bloodshot.' As the eruption faded on the upper body, it became more apparent on the lower body," they wrote.

Zika has spread explosively across tropical regions of South and Central America, as well as the Caribbean and South Pacific. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says around 500 people have come back from travel to Zika-affected areas infected with the virus — and predicts many more will come.

As mosquito season starts in the U.S., local outbreaks are possible in areas where Aedes aegypti mosquitoes circulate. That includes much of the south and spots as far north as Kansas City and New York City. The virus is sexually transmitted, too.

So medical professionals will need to be able to tell if someone has Zika, or some other infection.

"HE DEVELOPED JOINT PAINS INVOLVING THE WRISTS, KNEES, AND ANKLES ON DAY FOUR."

The virus appears to cause mild symptoms in most people. Even in those it makes sick, it's usually over in about a week.

For the patient in New Hyde Park on Long Island, New York, it was over in eight days.

"In February 2016, a 44-year-old man returned from a 6-day vacation in Puerto Rico. Within three days of his return, the patient experienced headache and lethargy," Dr. Amit Garg and colleagues at Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine wrote.

"On day three, the patient noted the eruption to be most pronounced on the knees and feet, and he described burning pain of the feet. He developed joint pains involving the wrists, knees, and ankles on day four."

A blood test did not detect Zika but a urine test did, Garg's team said.

The symptoms match reports from areas hard hit by Zika, including Brazil and parts of Puerto Rico. Some patients have fever and some do not. About 90 percent of those who have any symptoms at all report a raised, red rash that is often itchy or uncomfortable.

Zika's related very closely to dengue virus and to chikungunya. Both of those are noted for causing sometimes debilitating aches and pains, so it's not surprising that Zika would, too.

There's no treatment for Zika besides a drug such as Tylenol or acetaminophen to ease the pain. Ibuprofen and aspirin are not recommended because they could raise the risk of bleeding. One man in Puerto Rico died from bleeding after he had Zika.

Doctors want to watch for it because it can cause birth defects if pregnant women are infected, and it appears to sometimes cause neurological conditions such as the paralyzing Guillain-Barre syndrome, which usually puts patients into the hospital.



“The man's Zika infection started with a headache. Within a day, a red rash formed on his hands and arms and spread to his body. By the third day, the rash had moved all the way down his body and his feet were on fire. …. "Itching was not a major feature" for the unidentified patient, they wrote in their report, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association's JAMA Dermatology. "The patient also noted that his eyes appeared 'bloodshot.' As the eruption faded on the upper body, it became more apparent on the lower body," they wrote. …. "HE DEVELOPED JOINT PAINS INVOLVING THE WRISTS, KNEES, AND ANKLES ON DAY FOUR." The virus appears to cause mild symptoms in most people. Even in those it makes sick, it's usually over in about a week. …. A blood test did not detect Zika but a urine test did, Garg's team said. The symptoms match reports from areas hard hit by Zika, including Brazil and parts of Puerto Rico. Some patients have fever and some do not. About 90 percent of those who have any symptoms at all report a raised, red rash that is often itchy or uncomfortable. Zika's related very closely to dengue virus and to chikungunya. …. Ibuprofen and aspirin are not recommended because they could raise the risk of bleeding. One man in Puerto Rico died from bleeding after he had Zika.”


One thing I have often seen in lists of viral symptoms over various kinds is that the illness begins with a headache, fever, and often “a stiff neck.” Joint pain is also common. This one is related to dengue and chikungunya, which are similar to Ebola an article last year said. This one is not as deadly as Ebola, though the birth defects are shocking; and the fact that it is spread sexually is very alarming. Most people don’t know immediately that they are infected, and some are highly promiscuous. Several days ago when I saw a map of US cases it shocked me, especially in Florida. It is merely lucky that we haven’t had a local mosquito caused case so far. That is probably because we still have so few sick people or carriers that the mosquito which lands on your arm probably will not have just feasted on a Zika patient. It’s a matter of time.