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Fetterman holding first public campaign event since stroke

Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman will hold a Senate campaign rally on Aug. 12, his first event since suffering a stroke shortly before his May victory in the Democratic primary.

Fetterman’s campaign rally will be held in Erie County, located in the northwestern corner of the state. 

“Erie County is Pennsylvania’s most important bellwether county,” Fetterman said in a release. “I’ve visited Erie dozens and dozens of times in the past, and I am honored and proud to be returning to the campaign trail here.” 

Fetterman told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette last month in his first interview since having his stroke that he feels “really good” and has “no physical limits.” He said he understands words properly, has no memory loss and walks four to five miles per day. 

Fetterman said in the release that he won Erie County in the Democratic primary with 80 percent of the vote and received three times the raw vote count in the county that Mehmet Oz, his Republican opponent, received in the GOP primary. 

“Before the 2020 election, I said that if I could know one single fact about the results, I could tell you who was going to win Pennsylvania,” he said. “Whoever wins Erie County will win Pennsylvania.” 

The Senate seat is being vacated by the retiring Sen. Pat Toomey (R), who has held the seat since 2011. 

The RealClearPolitics polling average shows Fetterman leading Oz by an average of 8.7 percentage points. He led by 11 points in a Fox News poll taken late last month. 

Democrats view the seat as a prime pickup opportunity as they attempt to hold, or even expand, their control of the Senate.

Source: TEST FEED1

Exposure to wildfire pollution contributes to negative health effects in children

Air pollution has long been associated with worsening symptoms of respiratory disease including asthma and COPD. Now, new research out of the University of California-Davis, suggests air pollution — resulting in part from wildfires — is linked with a marker of ill health effects among the state’s children. 

Researchers assessed blood samples from 100 healthy children between the ages of 9 and 11 and used data from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to measure levels of fine particulate matter near their homes. 

“Particulate matter contains microscopic solids or liquid droplets that are so small that they can be inhaled and cause serious health problems,” according to the EPA. Wildfires often lead to increased fine particulate matter in the air.

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Children exposed to higher levels of this pollutant exhibited elevated markers of inflammation, such as interleukin 6 in their blood. This marker is associated with increased risks of diabetes and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. 

Greater exposure to air pollution was also associated with lower cardiac autonomic regulation which can impact how hard hearts pump blood and how fast they beat, researchers found. 

Children in particular are at increased risk of negative health effects due to their developing organs and systems, authors wrote. Children’s increased ratio of lung surface area to body weight could also play a role in increased susceptibility. 

In total, 27 children had inflammation markers in their blood, measured during significant fires.

“By examining daily and monthly levels of particulate matter in relation to children’s inflammation and autonomic physiology, this study further demonstrates the immediate consequences of exposure to air pollution, which may increase risk of future disease,” said co-author Anna M. Parenteau, a doctoral student at the University of California-Davis department of psychology, in a press release.

“As climate change continues to impact children and families, it is paramount to understand the impact of environmental contaminants such as air pollution on children’s physiology,” Parenteau added.

Researchers hope studies on the detrimental impacts of environmental contaminants will prompt policy changes advancing long-term population health. 

Source: TEST FEED1

Former WWE star Glenn ‘Kane’ Jacobs wins second term as mayor in Tennessee county

Glenn Jacobs, a former WWE wrestler known during his career as “Kane,” won reelection to a second term as mayor of Knox County, Tenn., on Thursday. 

Jacobs (R) defeated his Democratic opponent, labor organizer Debbie Helsley, with about 55 percent of the vote. Jacobs has branded himself as a libertarian and opposed COVID-19 restrictions like mask mandates as mayor, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel. 

Knox County is the third most populous in the state and includes the city of Knoxville. 

Jacobs told WATE, a Knoxville-based ABC affiliate, that his next term will be a continuation of his first with a focus on education and workforce development. 

“With the global economy moving in the direction of innovation, we have to keep up with that,” he said. 

The News Sentinel reported that the county is solidly Republican, but Helsley had an impressive showing. Helsley said that Democrats “moved the needle” 12 percentage points, which she said she is proud of and shows Knoxville, home to the University of Tennessee, is moving in a new direction.

Jacobs was elected mayor for a first term in 2018 with almost two-thirds of the vote.

Source: TEST FEED1

Fires put California’s forest offset program at risk of collapse

Wildfires are threatening to wreck a key part of California’s climate mitigation plans: the trading of carbon “offsets” pulled from the atmosphere into the state’s forests, a new study has found.

The ravages of destructive fire have destroyed enough of the state’s “buffer pool” of forests that California’s offset programs are at risk of insolvency, according to a study published on Friday in Frontiers in Forests and Global Change.

The findings call into question the use of forest-based financial tools to counterbalance the emission of planet-heating greenhouse gasses.  

“Fossil CO2 emissions have permanent consequences, but carbon stored in trees won’t last forever,” Danny Cullenward, the policy director at climate research nonprofit CarbonPlan, said in a statement.

The scientists cautioned that any fossil fuel emissions dependent on California’s existing forest offset program need to stop now, as those forests cannot be guaranteed to remain standing.

California’s forest carbon offset program requires companies to guarantee that their trees — and the carbon that makes them up — would remain intact and out of the atmosphere for 100 years, according to the state’s Air Resources Board.

In particular, California’s forest offset program depends on an intact “buffer” of trees that can be substituted for losses in the forests that companies have paid to protect —  a form of tree-based “self-insurance” for the loss of other tree-based assets.

These backup landscapes have lost nearly 20 percent of their carbon in just a decade, the scientists found.

Those losses have brought the program to the point that a single disease- or insect-related die-off would wreck the program.

“In just 10 years, wildfires have exhausted protections designed to last for a century,” said co-author Oriana Chegwidden, a research scientist at CarbonPlan.

“It is incredibly unlikely that the program will be able to withstand the wildfires of the next 90 years, particularly given the role of the climate crisis in exacerbating fire risks,” she added.

That’s a problem because the point of California’s forest carbon offset program — like other such systems — is that the protection and growth of those forest reserves was supposed to counterbalance, as well as license, the burning of fossil fuels by industry, as ProPublica reported last year.

Previous studies by CarbonPlan already suggested that this math didn’t work out, creating tens of millions of “ghost credits” that generated no actual climate benefits.

Companies that purchased these credits were allowed to release more greenhouse gas pollution than they otherwise would have.

“Our work shows that California’s forest offsets program increases greenhouse gas emissions, despite being a large part of the state’s strategy for reducing climate pollution,” Cullenward told ProPublica at the time.

If those forest stocks cannot be guaranteed to remain standing, that would wreck the assumption of “permanent” storage that the whole system rests on.

“The problems we observe here aren’t unique to the California program and raise broader concerns about the integrity of offsets’ permanence claims,” concluded co-author Freya Chay, a program manager at CarbonPlan.

Source: TEST FEED1

Texas woman charged with holding 17 immigrants hostage in home

AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) – A Texas woman has been accused of holding 17 undocumented immigrants hostage in her home.

Manuela Magdalena Jimon Castro, 30, of Friona, was charged in Amarillo Federal Court with “alien harboring,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas.

Castro, along with a family member, allegedly partnered with an illegal immigrant smuggling operation to hold “undocumented individuals hostage at their home,” according to the Attorney’s Office.

The Attorney’s Office also said while Castro and the family member held the hostages, they threatened to “deprive them of food and water” and refused “to allow them to leave until they paid $11,000 to $12,000 or ‘worked off’ the debt.”

Officials were tipped off after California law enforcement received a tip from a woman who alleged that her sister was “being held for ransom in Texas.” Other law enforcement officials then spoke with another person who claimed they were previously detained in the home, according to the Attorney’s Office.

In a search of Castro’s house, officials said they discovered 17 undocumented immigrants, including two minors.

According to the Attorney’s Office, the individuals allegedly admitted that they had entered the county “illegally with smugglers” and said they believed they had to stay at the home in Friona until they paid their “entrance fees.”

The release said that if Castro is convicted, she faces up to five years in federal prison.

Source: TEST FEED1

US Chamber applauds Sinema, attacks stock buyback tax

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Friday cheered Sen. Kysten Sinema (D-Ariz.) for softening her party’s corporate minimum tax measure but criticized a new stock buyback tax proposal included in the Inflation Reduction Act. 

In a deal to appease Sinema, Senate Democrats on Thursday evening agreed to modify the 15 percent minimum corporate tax so that manufacturers can take advantage of accelerated depreciation rules to buy equipment. They also agreed to gut changes to carried interest taxes — a win for private equity executives — and enact a 1 percent excise tax on stock buybacks.

The nation’s largest business group said that Sinema “deserves credit” for fighting for changes to the minimum tax, arguing that it would have hurt growth and innovation, but warned that the stock buyback tax would damage investor returns.  

“Unfortunately, the new excise tax on stock buybacks will only distort the efficient movement of capital to where it can be put to best use and will diminish the value of Americans’ retirement savings,” U.S. Chamber chief policy officer Neil Bradley said in a statement. 

Democrats introduced the stock buyback tax to make up for the revenue lost by removing carried interest and modifying the minimum tax. They couldn’t afford to lose enough funding that the bill wouldn’t significantly reduce the deficit, a key priority for Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.).

Companies on the S&P 500 bought back a record $882 billion in stock last year to reward shareholders. Critics of the practice say that companies should instead use that money to create more U.S. jobs or pay their workers better. 

Sinema fought for changes to the minimum corporate tax — which applies only to companies with $1 billion or more in annual income that currently pay less than small businesses — after intense lobbying from manufacturers and Arizona business groups. 

“We are glad to hear that accelerated depreciation provisions are removed, but we remain skeptical and will be reviewing the revised legislation carefully,” National Association of Manufacturers president and CEO Jay Timmons said in a statement, noting that the group still opposes the bill’s drug pricing provisions.

Source: TEST FEED1

Pelosi was right to go to Taiwan — China’s threats are hollow

The White House seems to be making a habit of self-deterrence. It ordered the premature departure from the Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan out of fear that the Taliban would interfere with the August 2021 withdrawal of American forces from that country. As a result, fleeing Afghans had but one option: to travel to Kabul Airport with its single runway, and far too many of them were left behind. 

Similarly, the administration held off for months before sending HIMARS rockets and other high-technology systems to Ukraine for fear of a Russian nuclear response. Had those systems been dispatched earlier, Ukraine might have given up far less territory to Moscow’s invaders.

In the same vein, fear of escalating tensions with Beijing led the White House to oppose House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s brief trip to Taiwan. In this case, however, Pelosi (D-Calif.) defied both the Biden administration’s opposition and China’s militaristic bluster and went ahead with her visit. She was right to do so. As many observers pointed out, the United States could not allow China to determine which Americans would be permitted to visit the island democracy.

Now, however, there are those who assert that China will retaliate in the aftermath of Pelosi’s visit, possibly by slowly choking off trade with Taiwan. The fearmongers may be overstating their case once again. China’s Xi Jinping has much to risk if he were to threaten the viability of the island.

Xi certainly is aware that there is a rare and strong consensus in Congress in terms of both hostility toward China and support for Taiwan. The bipartisan majorities in both the Senate and House that supported the passage of the CHIPs Act, which seeks to maintain American hi-tech superiority and reduce reliance on overseas supply chains by funding domestic semiconductor manufacturing, was a reflection of congressional concern about China’s growing aggressiveness. 

The similar bipartisan support for Pelosi’s visit highlighted the reality that both Democrats and Republicans are equally opposed to any Chinese attempt to undermine Taiwanese democracy.

Xi surely knows that taking any military action in order to strangle the island could lead to not only an American military response but also an economic one. Washington could raise Trump-era tariffs to even higher levels. It could impose bans on a wider array of Chinese products. It could sanction Chinese manufacturers. Japan might follow suit, at least to some extent, as could Britain. Should the latter two countries do so, South Korea and Australia might join them.

China could retaliate, but it would not win a trade war. Xi recognizes that his country’s economic position is not strong; it is getting weaker by the day. China has an $800 billion funding challenge that has resulted from a rickety real estate sector, reduced revenues for local governments, and overreliance on inefficient state-owned enterprises. The Chinese middle class is becoming increasingly uneasy and vocal as its economic position flounders. Even Prime Minister Li Keqiang has criticized the direction of his own government’s economic policy, which has reversed decades of Beijing’s emphasis on nurturing a semi-free enterprise system.

On the other hand, the American economy, despite inflation, is in a comparatively healthier state. Unemployment remains low, and while gross domestic product growth has been negative in the past two quarters, the Biden administration insists that the United States is not in recession and that the economy remains strong. Indeed, even non-government economists cannot agree whether the country is entering a recession. In any event, America is not beset by the self-inflicted structural problems that characterize China’s economy.

Xi has no way of knowing whether the Biden administration would back away from taking steps to weaken the Chinese economy even further. Even if the White House were to revert to its pattern of self-deterrence, support for the Pelosi visit indicates that Congress may not be as shy about imposing new trade restrictions, or even sanctions on China, in the event of new military pressures on Taiwan. Xi cannot afford any more economic bad news as he anticipates being crowned president for life at the upcoming 20th Party Congress. A further blow to the Chinese economy could undermine his prospects for a coronation.

If for no other reason, Xi is unlikely to do more than huff and puff about Pelosi’s visit, which included a meeting with Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen. But Xi will be very careful not to attempt to blow the Taiwanese house down.

Dov S. Zakheim is a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and vice chairman of the board for the Foreign Policy Research Institute. He was under secretary of Defense (comptroller) and chief financial officer for the Department of Defense from 2001 to 2004 and a deputy under secretary of Defense from 1985 to 1987.

Source: TEST FEED1

Rising health care costs, inflation lead Americans to skip or delay treatment

Steep inflation rates have prompted many Americans to make cuts to their everyday spending in order to pay for health care expenses, according to a new poll conducted by West Health and Gallup. 

Nearly 40 percent of those surveyed said they had cut back on driving, utilities, and food, and skipped treatments to pay medical bills in the last six months. This cohort also reported borrowing money to meet health care costs. 

In addition, 26 percent of respondents said they avoided medical care and paying for prescription drugs altogether due to costs.

“People have been making tradeoffs to pay for health care for years,” said Timothy A. Lash, president of West Health in a statement. “Inflation has only made things worse as people are also now struggling with the high price of gas, food, and electricity.” West Health is a non-profit organization with the mission of lowering health care costs for seniors. 

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A total of 3,001 adults completed the survey between June 2 and 16, 2022, the month the U.S. inflation rate reached a 40-year high of 9.1 percent. At this time, health care inflation accounted for half of this total at 4.5 percent. 

The 38 percent of adults who reported spending cuts represent approximately 98 million Americans, while those in lower-income households — earning less than $48,000 per year — were more likely to make the financial trade offs. 

However, 19 percent of households earning $180,000 annually or more also reported spending cuts and women under the age of 50 and in general were more likely to cut back on medical care and medicine than males. 

Unlike expenses for gas, food and electricity, “congress has the power right now to reduce health care prices, particularly for prescription drugs. Legislation is on the table,” said Lash, in reference to President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act which would allow Medicare to negotiate prices for select prescription drugs. 

Nearly 40 percent of participants said they were extremely concerned or concerned about paying for health care in the next six months, but when asked which expenses respondents expected to increase, only three percent reported health care costs compared with 43 percent who cited gas prices. 

“Inflation is hollowing out consumer spending habits across an array of areas. What is found just under the surface is that after gas and groceries, the role of inflation in reducing the pursuit of needed care is large and significant,” said Dan Witters, a senior researcher at Gallup, in a press release. 

“The rising cost of care itself, which is originating from an already elevated level, is having an outsized impact on lessening other forms of spending, compounding the problem,” he continued.

The majority of those surveyed also had little faith in state or federal representatives to slow rising costs of health care, a finding consistent regardless of race, gender, income level, or political party affiliation.

Source: TEST FEED1

Watch live: Senate GOP holds briefing to push back on Democratic spending

Several Republican senators on Friday morning will hold a press conference offering criticism of the Democrats’ budget reconciliation package, which is set for simple majority approval following agreement from holdout Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.).

The briefing is scheduled for 10 a.m. ET.

Watch the live video above.

Source: TEST FEED1

China halts climate, military cooperation with US over Pelosi visit

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday said that the country would halt its cooperation with the U.S. over military and the climate in response to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) trip to Taiwan.

The ministry announced eight “countermeasures” against Pelosi after she visited Taiwan “in disregard of China’s strong opposition and serious representations.”

China will no longer take part in the previously planned China-U.S. Theater Commanders Talk, Defense Policy Coordination Talks (DPCT) or Military Maritime Consultative Agreement (MMCA) meetings.

The government is also suspending cooperation on the repatriation of illegal immigrants, legal assistance in criminal matters, cooperation against transnational crimes, counternarcotics cooperation and talks on climate change.

Pelosi and a delegation of House Democrats touched down in Taipei City, Taiwan on Tuesday, where they discussed security issues with the Taiwanese government as part of a larger trip to the Indo-Pacific region.

China claimed that the visit violated their “one-China policy” and that “It gravely undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and sends a seriously wrong signal to the separatist forces for ‘Taiwan independence.’”

Earlier Friday, the spokesperson for the foreign ministry announced sanctions against Pelosi for her “disregard of China’s grave concerns and firm opposition” when she visited Taiwan.

“It gravely undermines China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, seriously tramples on the one-China principle, and severely threatens peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” the foreign ministry wrote, calling the trip an “egregious provocation.”

Following Pelosi’s visit, China began conducting military drills in the waters surrounding Taiwan.White House national security spokesman John Kirby said on Friday that Chinese ambassador Qin Gang was summoned in response to the military action and warned that it is “irresponsible and at odds with our long-standing goal of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.”

Source: TEST FEED1