n2doc
n2doc's JournalTrump admin. cancels proposed limits on marine mammals and sea turtles trapped in fishing nets
Dan Weikel
The Trump administration announced Monday that it has canceled proposed limits on the number of endangered whales, dolphins and sea turtles that can be killed or injured by sword-fishing nets on the West Coast.
Although the restriction, proposed in 2015, was supported by both the fishing industry and environmental groups, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s fisheries division said studies show that the pending rule is not warranted because other protections have dramatically reduced the number of marine mammals and turtles trapped in long, drifting gill nets.
“The fishery was been under pressure for years to reduce its impact, and it has been very successful doing that,” said Michael Milstein, a NOAA fisheries spokesman. “The cap would have imposed a cost on the industry to solve a problem that has already been addressed.”
The decision brought immediate criticism from environmental groups that had joined the Pacific Fishery Management Council in an effort to further protect a variety of marine mammals and turtles.
more
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-trump-marine-mammals-20170612-story.html
Tuesday Toon Roundup 2: The Rest
Tapes
Environment
Cosby
Sexism
GOP
Alt
May
Russia Protests
Jeebus
RIP
The ocean threat you've never heard of, but Trump made easier
BY CHAD NELSEN
We recently celebrated World Oceans Day, which honors the incredible universe below the sea. But today, our oceans are in grave danger.
The Trump administration wants to expand seismic blasting and offshore drilling, wreaking havoc on our seas and jeopardizing coastal economies.
Seismic blasting is a violent, destructive part of offshore drilling. To find new oil reserves, ships tow large air guns along the surface of the ocean, blasting ultra high-volume sound waves down to the ocean floor, destroying or damaging sea life.
Blasts are emitted about every 10 seconds, 24 hours a day. Testing can last for weeks and be heard for hundreds of miles.
A typical rock concert is about 120 decibels. The volume of seismic blasts is about twice that — ranging from 200 to 260 decibels. That’s loud enough to burst the human eardrum.
more
http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/energy-environment/337446-seismic-blasting-the-ocean-threat-youve-never-heard-of
Dem aims to block federally subsidized flood insurance for Trump properties
Legislation introduced in the House on Monday would prevent President Trump from receiving federally subsidized flood insurance amid warnings that the effects of climate change could cause parts of his Mar-a-Lago resort and other south Florida properties to be underwater in coming years.
Rep. Earl Blumenauer’s (D-Ore.) bill - titled the Prohibiting Aid for Recipients Ignoring Science (PARIS) Act - would ensure properties owned by a president or family members can’t have access to subsidized insurance from the National Flood Insurance Program.
An analysis by Coastal Risk Consulting found that the Mar-a-Lago grounds in Palm Beach, Fla., could be under at least a foot of water for 210 days a year because of tidal flooding.
And it’s not just Mar-a-Lago, where Trump spent many weekends this past winter after taking office in January, that might be affected by rising sea levels resulting from climate change.
Trump’s oceanfront condos in Miami and his Doral golf course would also be threatened, according to projections by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the South Florida Regional Climate Change Compact.
more
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/337471-house-dem-wants-to-prevent-trump-properties-from-getting-federally
Shawnee Mission parents question school districts purchase of semi-automatic rifles
BY KATY BERGEN
From his office at the Shawnee Mission school district administrative center, John Douglass, the district’s director of safety and security, points to a sitting area in the hallway about 25 feet away.
It’s the distance a trained police officer can typically shoot an assailant with accuracy, he says. Next, he points to a door farther down the hallway — a distance still much shorter than the typical hallway at a Shawnee Mission school.
“To expect that I could stop somebody with a pistol from here to there....” He doesn’t finish his sentence.
Douglass cites the rising threat of active shooter situations as the reason why the district’s police department has issued eight semi-automatic rifles to its district resource officers, who have operated separately from municipal police forces since 1972.
District resource officers, responsible for security across the entire district, help school resource officers, based in schools, keep students safe.
Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article155553854.html#storylink=cpy
Crazy
Donald Trump just held the weirdest Cabinet meeting ever
By Chris Cillizza,
...
But, that wasn't even close to the weirdest part of the Cabinet meeting!
Once Trump finished touting his administration's accomplishments, he turned to several of his newly-minted Cabinet secretaries like Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. Each of those Cabinet secretaries lavished praise on Trump, which he accepted without comment but with a broad smile.
At first, I thought Trump was just going to have the new members of the Cabinet spend a few minutes praising him. NOPE! It soon became clear that Trump planned to have every Cabinet member speak. And when I say "speak" what I really mean is "praise Trump for his accomplishments, his foresight, his just being awesome."
You think I am exaggerating. I am not. Here's what White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus said about Trump: "We thank you for the opportunity and blessing to serve your agenda."
I mean, WHAT?!?
the rest-
http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/12/politics/donald-trump-cabinet-meeting/index.html
Paul Krugman - They Dont Need No Information
I’m as riveted by Trump/Russia as everyone else. But meanwhile Trumpcare — which really has very little to do with Trump, except that he’ll sign it — appears to be marching on despite the terrible CBO score on the House version and the near-certainty that if the Senate passes anything it will be barely if at all better.
This tells you a lot about the values of the modern GOP, which will happily trade off health care for ~20 million people for tax cuts that deliver almost half their benefits to people with incomes over $1 million — fewer than 800,000 tax units.
But aside from the priorities, think about the process. The AHCA was deliberately rushed through before CBO could weigh in; the Senate GOP is working completely in secret, with no hearings, and anything it passes will surely also try to preempt the CBO.
You might think that this in part reflects conservative analyses that reach a different conclusion. But there aren’t any such analyses. Remember, OMB works for Trump; it has offered nothing. Even the Heritage Foundation, which used to be the go-to source for conservative creative accounting, hasn’t produced some implausible account of how the magic of markets will make it all work.
more
https://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2017/06/11/they-dont-need-no-information/?_r=0
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