All posts by nedhamson

Activist, writer, researcher, addicted to sharing information and facts.

Navy admiral ‘shocked’ by hateful comments in wake of decision to drop ‘seaman’ title – National | Globalnews.ca

One simply replaces “seaman” with “sailor” in the existing ranks. The other would do away with adjectives such as “able” and “leading” in favour of labels such as “sailor first class” and “sailor second class.” There is also be an option to suggest alternative terms.

The move to drop “seaman” comes amid a broader push by the military to become more reflective of Canadian society, which includes trying to recruit more women, visible minorities and members of the LGBTQ community while cracking down on hateful conduct. At the same time, navy officials have suggested the use of “seaman” has been a potential barrier for recruitment at a time when the Navy is short about 850 sailors. Officers have said they can manage the shortfall at the moment, but are worried about the longer-term implications.

Source: Navy admiral ‘shocked’ by hateful comments in wake of decision to drop ‘seaman’ title – National | Globalnews.ca

Judge rules that Seattle media must give unaired protest videos to police | king5.com – (Loser decision)

“It’s ludicrous. Journalists don’t work for law enforcement and never have,” she said. “We each have our specific roles in these kinds of stories. Journalists go out on the street and collect words and images to share with their audience. And law enforcement have their role which is to keep peace in order and allow for free expression on the streets during said protests. So journalists don’t work for law enforcement, law enforcement, don’t work for journalists. Each side has their own lane, and for very good reason. So this is really quite an overreach.” She called it a slippery slope. “Are they going to come at you again? And is it going to be a signal to other law enforcement in other jurisdictions that this might be a good strategy? So I do, I am concerned about that setting any kind of new precedent, especially in the midst of this very fraught and very elevated story,” she said. The Pacific Northwest Guild, the union that represents employees at The Seattle Times, said it was “alarmed” by Lee’s ruling. “We disagree in the strongest possible terms. This move by SPD and decision by Judge Nelson Lee undermines the credibility of local journalists and puts us at risk for dange

Source: Judge rules that Seattle media must give unaired protest videos to police | king5.com

Why COVID-19 is killing U.S. diabetes patients at alarming rates – Reuters

The virus targets the heart, lung and kidneys, organs already weakened in many diabetes patients. COVID-19 also kills more people who are elderly, obese or have high blood pressure, many of whom also have diabetes, studies show. On the microscopic level, high glucose and lipid counts in diabetes patients can trigger a “cytokine storm,” when the immune system overreacts, attacking the body. Damaged endothelial cells, which provide a protective lining in blood vessels, can lead to inflammation as white blood cells rush to attack the virus and may cause lethal clots to form, emerging research suggests.

Robert Washington, 68, knew his diabetes put him at risk from COVID-19. When his employer, Gila River’s Lone Butte Casino in Chandler, Arizona, reopened in May, he decided to keep working as a security guard so he could afford insulin.

Washington’s supervisors had assured him he could patrol alone in a golf cart, said his daughter, Lina. But once back at work, he was stationed at the entrance, where long lines of gamblers waited, most without masks, Robert told his daughter.

“He was terrified at what he saw,” Lina said.

He tested positive for the virus in late May and was admitted to the hospital days later. He died from complications of COVID-19 on June 11, his daughter said.

A week after Washington’s death, the casino again closed as COVID-19 cases exploded in the state. The casino did not respond to a request for comment.

“It’s hard to accept he is gone. I have to stop myself from wanting to call him,” said Lina, a sports anchor and reporter at a Sacramento, California, TV station. “A lot of these deaths were in some way preventable.”

Source: Why COVID-19 is killing U.S. diabetes patients at alarming rates – Reuters

In Cell Studies, Seaweed Extract Outperforms Remdesivir in Blocking COVID-19 Virus | News & Events

“What interests us is a new way of getting at infection,” said Robert Linhardt, a Rensselaer professor of chemistry and chemical biology who is collaborating with Dordick to develop the decoy strategy. “The current thinking is that the COVID-19 infection starts in the nose, and either of these substances could be the basis for a nasal spray. If you could simply treat the infection early, or even treat before you have the infection, you would have a way of blocking it before it enters the body.”

Source: In Cell Studies, Seaweed Extract Outperforms Remdesivir in Blocking COVID-19 Virus | News & Events

Pandemic Economic Stimulus Coming to an End — Rcooley123’s Blog

Some months ago, Congress passed and President Trump signed into law a fairly comprehensive package of measures designed to mitigate the economic difficulties resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic and the government’s reaction to it, such as it was. Now, many aspects of this package, designed to mitigate the deleterious aspects of the economic slowdown resulting […]

Pandemic Economic Stimulus Coming to an End — Rcooley123’s Blog

Amazon Announces Voter Suppression Documentary with Stacy Abrams – a top choice for VP run with Biden

Former gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, who lost to Georgia Governor Brian Kemp in an election rife with evidence of voter suppression, will feature in a new documentary about that same pervasive issue in America’s democracy premiering in September.

Source: Amazon Announces Voter Suppression Documentary with Stacy Abrams

Insufficient vitamin D increases risk of severe COVID-19, says new study

“The main finding of our study was the significant association of low plasma vitamin D level with the likelihood of COVID-19 infection among patients who were tested for COVID-19, even after adjustment for age, gender, socioeconomic status and chronic, mental and physical disorders,” said Dr. Eugene Merzon, head of Leumit’s Department of Managed Care and its leading researcher. “Furthermore, low vitamin D level was associated with the risk of hospitalization due to COVID-19 infection, although this association wasn’t significant after adjustment for other confounders.” 461206
Vitamin D has long been understood to impact immune response.