Zorro
Zorro's JournalVenezuelan defense minister denies troops entered Colombia
Venezuelan defense minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez denied Saturday that troops from his country had intruded on Colombian territory.
Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos said Thursday he had complained to his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro about the "totally unacceptable" move by Venezuelan troops who had camped out for more than 48 hours near the Colombian border town of Arauquita.
Colombia said the troops withdrew Thursday only after Bogota's energetic protests.
But Padrino insisted that his troops had never left Venezuelan soil.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/venezuelan-defense-minister-denies-troops-entered-colombia-191453073.html
Is Venezuela trying to manufacture a wag-the-dog incident?
Vegas Strip reopens after gunman surrender, fatal shooting
Source: AP
People are returning to the heart of the Las Vegas Strip after a gunman shot people on a public bus and then barricaded himself inside, shutting down the busy tourism corridor for hours.
The standoff began about 11 a.m. Saturday with a shooting that killed one person and injured another. It happened on a double-decker bus stopped on Las Vegas Boulevard near the Cosmopolitan hotel-casino.
"He was on the bus. He was shooting people on the bus. He was just contained to that location. He never exited the bus," Clark County Assistant Sheriff Tom Roberts said.
Two people were taken to the hospital after the shooting, University Medical Center spokeswoman Danita Cohen said. One died, and the other was in fair condition.
Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/news/vegas-strip-shut-down-gunman-bus-203526068.html
Bad luck with random DNA errors is responsible for two-thirds of cancer mutations, study says
Even in a world with a pristine environment, no cigarettes and the ability to fix faulty genes inherited from our parents, most of the cancers diagnosed today still would occur thanks to a combination of biology and bad luck.
Every new case of cancer depends on a collection of specific mutations in our DNA, and a sweeping new study finds that 66% of the mutations that put us at risk for cancer are the result of unavoidable errors made by cells as they copy themselves millions of times throughout our lives.
In research published Thursday in the journal Science, geneticist Bert Vogelstein and biostatistician Cristian Tomasetti demonstrate that most cancer risk stems not from bad genes, environmental toxins or poor lifestyle choices, but from simple random mutations.
Every time a normal cell divides, about three mutations occur. The body has ingenious DNA-repair mechanisms to limit the damage, and not all mutations occur in parts of the genome that are active. So sometimes our luck is good, Vogelstein said.
http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-cancer-bad-luck-20170323-story.html
If we're going to rule out negotiations with North Korea, we have to be ready for war
During a visit to Seoul last week, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson drew some reddish lines around North Korea.
“Twenty years of talking has brought us to the point we are today,” Tillerson said at a news conference. “Talk is not going to change the situation.” If North Korea threatens South Korean or American forces or elevates the level of its weapons program, Tillerson warned, preemptive military action is “on the table.”
Tillerson’s comments did not come entirely out of left field. For months, Washington has been abuzz over the possibility that North Korea may successfully test an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of delivering a nuclear weapon to an American city. In a New Year’s address, North Korean ruler Kim Jong Un indicated such a test could come sooner than we think.
But Tillerson’s warning did signal that the Trump administration is taking U.S. policy toward North Korea in a new direction — that we may be serious about abandoning engagement and willing to pursue containment through military action.
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-gallucci-north-korea-icbm-missiles-tillerson-20170323-story.html
Robots could take over 38% of U.S. jobs within about 15 years, report says
More than a third of U.S. jobs could be at “high risk” of automation by the early 2030s, a percentage that’s greater than in Britain, Germany and Japan, according to a report released Friday.
The analysis, by accounting and consulting firm PwC, emphasized that its estimates are based on the anticipated capabilities of robotics and artificial intelligence, and that the pace and direction of technological progress are “uncertain.”
It said that in the U.S., 38% of jobs could be at risk of automation, compared with 30% in Britain, 35% in Germany and 21% in Japan.
The main reason is not that the U.S. has more jobs in sectors that are universally ripe for automation, the report says; rather, it’s that more U.S. jobs in certain sectors are potentially vulnerable than, say, British jobs in the same sectors.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-pwc-robotics-jobs-20170324-story.html
Californias vow to reduce auto pollution may be setting up a full-out war with Trump
Wielding the same authority created decades ago to fight smog, California regulators on Friday moved forward with tough new pollution-reduction requirements for automakers selling cars in the state.
The rules set escalating targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from 2022 through 2025, and officials are planning tougher steps after that. There’s also a requirement for automakers to sell more zero-emission vehicles and plug-in hybrids in the state, with a goal of more than 1 million on the road by 2025.
The decision to push ahead with cuts to greenhouse gas emissions came even as President Trump has begun rolling back federal rules intended to battle global warming over the next several years.
California has a long history of pushing the envelope to reduce tailpipe pollution, and the latest move signals the state is prepared to do battle with Trump’s White House.
http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-sac-california-vehicle-emissions-20170324-htmlstory.html
Suspected Hack Attack Snagging Cell Phone Data Across D.C.
An unusual amount of highly suspicious cellphone activity in the Washington, D.C., region is fueling concerns that a rogue entity is surveying the communications of numerous individuals, likely including U.S. government officials and foreign diplomats, according to documents viewed by the Washington Free Beacon and conversations with security insiders.
A large spike in suspicious activity on a major U.S. cellular carrier has raised red flags in the Department of Homeland Security and prompted concerns that cellphones in the region are being tracked. Such activity could allow pernicious actors to clone devices and other mobile equipment used by civilians and government insiders, according to information obtained by the Free Beacon.
It remains unclear who is behind the attacks, but the sophistication and amount of time indicates it could be a foreign nation, sources said.
Mass amounts of location data appear to have been siphoned off by a third party who may have control of entire cell phone towers in the area, according to information obtained by the Free Beacon. This information was compiled by a program that monitors cell towers for anomalies supported by DHS and ESD America and known as ESD Overwatch.
http://freebeacon.com/national-security/hack-attack-cell-phone-data-dc/
TRUMP BREAKS WORLD RECORD FOR UNCONSTITUTIONAL TRAVEL BANS
WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—Notching the first major achievement of his Presidency, Donald Trump has broken the world record for unconstitutional travel bans, the White House confirmed on Wednesday.
In an official statement announcing the new world record, the White House called Trump’s second unconstitutional ban “especially impressive” because it came only thirty-eight days after his first.
“In addition to the world record for unconstitutional travel bans, President Trump has also smashed the speed record for signing them,” the statement read.
Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary, touted the new world record in a press briefing that sometimes resembled a victory lap.
http://www.newyorker.com/humor/borowitz-report/trump-breaks-world-record-for-unconstitutional-travel-bans
GOP Recommends Americans Set Aside Income From One Of Their Jobs To Pay For Healthcare Under Bill
WASHINGTON—In an effort to address concerns about the affordability of coverage, Republican congressional officials advised Americans Monday to set aside the income from one of their jobs to pay for healthcare costs under the newly introduced American Health Care Act.
“Under this bill, you would simply set up a separate savings account for the total earnings from one of your jobs, which will ensure that you can comfortably cover your healthcare expenses each month,” said House Speaker Paul Ryan, adding that the GOP’s proposed Affordable Care Act replacement would keep healthcare costs for the average American from exceeding the entire salary of one full-time job.
“If you budget things correctly, you’ll have plenty of money left over from your other job or jobs to spend on food, rent, and any other personal expenses. In some cases, healthcare will even be low-priced enough to afford using only the income from a part-time side job on the weekends. The important thing here is that this legislation will allow Americans—not the federal government—to decide for themselves what kind of healthcare they want and how many jobs they choose to have in order to pay for it.”
Ryan also recommended that in order to be prepared for the added costs of a sudden medical emergency, Americans should create a dedicated savings fund using the money from at least two of the mortgages on their homes.
http://www.theonion.com/article/gop-recommends-americans-set-aside-income-one-thei-55515
Ryan Leaf shares his harsh assessment on his journey from the NFL to prison to recovery
People might say there was no debate, but don’t believe them.
The football world was deeply divided 19 years ago when the Indianapolis Colts were deciding whether to use the No. 1 draft pick in the NFL draft on Tennessee’s Peyton Manning or Washington State’s Ryan Leaf. There were respected evaluators on both sides of the argument.
The Colts chose Manning, launching a Hall of Fame-caliber career that included five most-valuable-player awards and Super Bowl victories with Indianapolis and Denver.
Leaf was the No. 2 pick by San Diego — one spot ahead of future Hall of Fame defensive back Charles Woodson — and essentially flamed out in his rookie season, although he lasted four more years in the league.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/nfl/la-sp-ryan-leaf-20170311-story.html
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