All posts by nedhamson

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

Officials admit they may have separated family – who might be US citizens – for up to a year

ACLU calls revelation ‘horrific’ and blames administration’s poor execution of family separation policy

The Department of Justice (DoJ) told a federal judge Tuesday that it may have mistakenly separated a father and toddler who could both be US citizens for as long as a year, in the process of enforcing the Trump administration’s “zero-tolerance” immigration policy.

Related: Trump forced to reinstate ‘catch and release’ after court defeats

Continue reading…

Elon Musk hits out at Thai rescue chief who turned down mini-submarine offer – “I am important, you have to listen to me and think I am great! – LOL”

Entrepreneur Elon Musk calls into question the role of the man who turned down his offer of a hastily developed kid-size submarine to assist the rescue of 12 boys and their soccer coach from a Thai cave.

Source: Elon Musk hits out at Thai rescue chief who turned down mini-submarine offer

Rise of Italian populist parties buoys anti-vaccine movement

rise of idiocy in Italy!

4724.jpg?w=300&q=55&auto=format&usm=12&f

Backlash against sportsman’s post about his young daughter highlights lingering distrust

When Ivan Zaytsev, a volleyball player with Italy’s national team and an Olympic medallist, posted a picture of himself alongside his child on social media last week, it wasn’t intended to be a political statement.

His seven-month-old daughter had just received a vaccine and Zaytsev wanted to celebrate her bravery. But within seconds he was hit with a deluge of abuse from anti-vaccine activists. The attacks ranged from accusations of being bankrolled by pharmaceutical companies to chilling messages wishing for his child to contract a disease.

Continue reading…

Nevada prison illegally bought execution drugs, pharma company alleges

2352.jpg?w=300&q=55&auto=format&usm=12&f

Alvogen says the sedative midazolam, to be used in execution of Scott Dozier, was obtained through subterfuge

A multinational pharmaceutical company has accused the heads of Nevada’s prisons and health departments of conspiring to illegally buy one of its drugs to use in an execution on Wednesday.

A federal judge has called a hearing just hours before the killing is due to take place to listen to a demand by the drug manufacturer Alvogen for a block on the use of its sedative, midazolam, in putting to death Scott Dozier for murder.

Continue reading…

Clues in forest food web help predict Lyme risk | CIDRAP

Source: Clues in forest food web help predict Lyme risk | CIDRAP

To see if small mammalian predators influence tick infection rates, researchers placed camera traps at dozens of sites throughout Dutchess County in the summers of 2012 and 2013. Trap visitors included coyote, fox, bobcat, fisher, raccoon, and opossum. Then the investigators surveyed and tested ticks at the camera trap sites.

Locations with high predator diversity had lower infection prevalence of nymphal ticks than sites dominated by coyotes. Numbers of nymphal ticks were lowest where forest cover was higher, and bobcats, foxes, and opossums were associated with a reduction in tick infection.