Nov 2023 Mod notice:
There may be other, more specific, threads about some aspects of US politics, but this one tends to act as a hub for all sorts of related news and information, so it's usually one of the busiest OTC threads.
If you're new to OTC, it's worth reading the Introduction to On-Topic Conversations
and the On-Topic Conversations debate guidelines
before posting here.
Rumor-based, fear-mongering and/or inflammatory statements that damage the quality of the thread will be thumped. Off-topic posts will also be thumped. Repeat offenders may be suspended.
If time spent moderating this thread remains a distraction from moderation of the wiki itself, the thread will need to be locked. We want to avoid that, so please follow the forum rules
when posting here.
In line with the general forum rules, 'gravedancing' is prohibited here. If you're celebrating someone's death or hoping that they die, your post will get thumped. This rule applies regardless of what the person you're discussing has said or done.
Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM
Except those drawbacks are increasingly being minimized by modern technology, and in terms of footprint vs power generated nuclear energy is far more efficient than solar or wind.
Building modern nuclear reactors is a great idea hamstrung by opposition tied to the shortcomings of older reactors.
They should have sent a poet.That sounds bad, but by that standard there has only been a single failure at a nuclear plenty in the history of nuclear plants. Three Mile Island didn’t manage to meet that standard of failure.
Which is the kind of safety record I’m okay betting on, I mean hot dam is that a good record.
X3 Sure newewables are better than nuclear, but I’d still out nuclear miles ahead of coal or gas, also the reliable output of nuclear that can be used to supliment the temperamental nature of renewables and thus avoiding us having to become battery dependant.
Edited by Silasw on Aug 13th 2018 at 10:20:48 AM
“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ CyranAnother aspect to consider for nuclear plants is regional stability. I actually live within 10 miles of one, and we had annual evacuation drills in school in case a meltdown ever happened, and instructed on the use of iodine tablets. That said, I live in NY State, where the risk of an Earthquake, tornado, tsunami, or other severe event is slim to none. The worst we've had here is severe winds, with the Greater Rochester area getting brutalized by strong winds in March 2017
, and power lost for a good week or two and crews coming in from as far as Canada to help get things up and running.
But in terms of damage to a nuclear facility? Pretty low chances. Compare that to California's fault lines and wildfire issues or Japan's earthquakes and tsunami threats, and trepidation is warranted, if perhaps overblown at this point.
"Why would I inflict myself on somebody else?"It's also worth pointing out that anti-GMO isn't automatically about science. GMO has non-science issues that relate to Monsanto market dominance and historic refusal to cooperate with either government or independent health/standards inspections. As a result, there's a not-insignificant resistance to GMO on the grounds of corporate and market issues. Nuanced surveys do pick up the various reasons for being anti-GMO and can therefore estimate the proportion of anti-science opposition, but a lot of surveys don't explore why someone is anti-GMO, they simply ask whether or not they are and then assume 'anti-science' is the reason.
Edited by Wyldchyld on Aug 13th 2018 at 12:09:05 PM
If my post doesn't mention a giant flying sperm whale with oversized teeth and lionfish fins for flippers, it just isn't worth reading.
And yet if someone calls themselves "anti-GMO" due to distrust of Monsanto then yes they're being anti-science, there is no reason to let the actions of a specific company influence whether or not you support a type of technology.
GMO's have no credible safety issues and have been reliably and extensively studied and tested, thus opposition to them is anti-science.
"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji YangNo, it's not anti-science at all. It's got absolutely nothing to do with the validity of the actual GMO science.
Surveys and polls who ask simplistic questions along the lines of whether or not people are happy with GMO now being in the food chain without also exploring the reasons why, lead to assumptions that there is only one reason for a negative response. Your post is an example of that very error. If you asked these people "Are you happy with the concept of GMO foods?" and "Are you happy with GMO foods being available for purchase right now?" the answers would be "Yes" and "No" respectively.
There are even GMO scientists who are unhappy with GMO being in the food chain right now as a result of the lack of regulations and independent oversight on corporations that are dominating the industry. Are you going to describe them as anti-science?
Edited by Wyldchyld on Aug 13th 2018 at 12:33:20 PM
If my post doesn't mention a giant flying sperm whale with oversized teeth and lionfish fins for flippers, it just isn't worth reading.
I will describe anyone who calls themselves "anti-GMO" anti-science.
There is a fundamental difference between opposing GMO's (anti-GMO) and opposing the apparent lack of regulation in the GMO industry.
Calling the latter anti-GMO is frankly nonsensical and is a mistake on the part of anyone who does it.
"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji YangYou're missing my point. I'm saying it's a mistake on the part of the people who put together survey/poll questions that are highly limited in what they're asking, leading to inaccurate assumptions about what's driving the answers to these questions.
That is why it gets labelled as 'anti-GMO' and what leads to people like you labelling it 'anti-science'.
Edited by Wyldchyld on Aug 13th 2018 at 12:33:39 PM
If my post doesn't mention a giant flying sperm whale with oversized teeth and lionfish fins for flippers, it just isn't worth reading.Now if pollsters are taking an answer of “I’m anti the GMO industry” as “anti GMO” then the problem there is bad pollsters, but a person says yes to “are you anti GMO” they’re either anti-science or didn’t understand the question.
“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ CyranThank you. That is a much more succinct summary of what I'm trying to get at (while observing that sometimes the questions are so ambiguously worded they can get misinterpreted by both respondents and pollsters).
Edited by Wyldchyld on Aug 13th 2018 at 12:41:37 PM
If my post doesn't mention a giant flying sperm whale with oversized teeth and lionfish fins for flippers, it just isn't worth reading.John Oliver rarely changes my opinion but his discussion of the nuclear waste issue did. Basically, it doesn't matter if nuclear technology is getting better. The current plants are old, aren't getting updated, and no one wants to deal with the fallout (no pun intended) from the issue so it's just been getting worse and worse with existing plants.
Human greed and Reality Ensues means the nuclear dream is dead.
Edited by CharlesPhipps on Aug 13th 2018 at 4:36:29 AM
Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.Look,it's OK to be wary of Nuclear energy,especially considering the waste by product and the times when Nuclear plants have gone into meltdown (which you can count on the fingers of one hand by the way)
And of course everyone is still a little nervous because of the role Nuclear bombs had in ending World War 2,that's never going away
However,untill we find a source of energy which is near infinite nuclear energy is the still the most reliable source of energy that we use,green energy will never cut it as far as I know.
Edited by Ultimatum on Aug 13th 2018 at 12:04:09 PM
have a listen and have a link to my discord serverWhite House Takes Aim At Financial Protections For Military
:
NPR has obtained documents that show the White House is proposing changes that critics say would leave service members vulnerable to getting ripped off when they buy cars. Separately, the administration is taking broader steps to roll back enforcement of the Military Lending Act.
The MLA is supposed to protect service members from predatory loans and financial products. But the White House appears willing to change the rules in a way that critics say would take away some of those protections.
"If the White House does this, it will be manipulating the Military Lending Act regulations at the behest of auto dealers and banks to try and make it easier to sell overpriced rip-off products to military service members," says Christopher Peterson, a law professor at the University of Utah, who reviewed the documents.
The product Peterson is referring to is called gap insurance. Here's how it works: Cars lose some of their value the moment they are driven off the lot. Dealers often tell customers that if their car gets wrecked in a crash they could be financially harmed because regular insurance may not pay out the entire amount owed on the loan. Peterson says some car dealers push this insurance product really hard. "They convince people they've got to have this gap insurance," he says.
That kind of insurance can actually be inexpensive. Peterson, who helped write the regulations for the Defense Department, says it often costs as little as $20 to $30 a year and is available from a car buyer's regular insurance company.
"But if you buy it from your car dealer, they may mark it up. ... I've seen gap insurance policies being sold for $1,500" over the course of the loan, he says.
The rules to protect service members effectively block auto dealers from tacking on an extra product — such as overpriced gap insurance — and rolling it into their car loans.
The industry has been lobbying to change that, and the White House appears to be sympathetic. The administration just sent the latest version of a proposal to the Defense Department, and documents show that it would give car dealers what they want. Peterson says the revised rules could also allow dealers to roll in all kinds of other add-on products.
I've noticed the Republican party seems to have a We Have Reserves mindset when it comes to our soldiers, they only stick up for them when they can fight their wars but discarded afterwards.
The son of a retiring and ranking Republican Congressman (Goodlatte, from Virginia) is donating to and campaigning for the Democratic challenger in an effort to flip the district.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-45173013
That's gotta be a little awkward.
Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.Just when I thought it couldn’t get any dumber, a celebrity that I have no idea about (Omarosa apparently) that went through the Trump revolving door was revealed to have recorded a conversation inside the Situation Room.
You fail at......Security, just any type of Security forever.
(I do like her confirmation on Trump’s failing mental health though.)
And trump has a new nickname.
While I know it’s “not presidential” to take on a lowlife like Omarosa, and while I would rather not be doing so, this is a modern day form of communication and I know the Fake News Media will be working overtime to make even Wacky Omarosa look legitimate as possible. Sorry!
Wacky Omarosa already has a fully signed Non-Disclosure Agreement!
Edited by megaeliz on Aug 13th 2018 at 11:39:17 AM
It's late but there's a few things that hadn't come up today in https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2018/08/13/day-571/
Day 571: Nothing but problems.
1/ The FBI fired Peter Strzok for violating bureau policies. Strzok is the FBI senior counterintelligence agent who sent text messages critical of Trump to a former FBI lawyer, Lisa Page. Strzok helped lead the bureau's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election until officials discovered his text messages. FBI Deputy Director David Bowdich ordered Strzok fired even though the FBI's Office of Professional Responsibility concluded he should be suspended for 60 days and demoted. (New York Times / Washington Post)
2/ A federal judge appointed by Trump ruled that Robert Mueller's investigation is constitutional and legitimate, rejecting an effort by a Russian company to invalidate the ongoing investigation. Concord Management is accused of financing a massive political influence operation in the U.S. The ruling marks the fourth time a federal judge has ruled that the Mueller investigation is constitutional. (Politico / Axios)
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/13/mueller-legitimate-court-ruling-774888
Rudy Giuliani: "I think he will give us a decision this week on our counterproposal." Trump's legal team sent Mueller a counteroffer last week, proposing terms for a possible presidential interview. (Politico)
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/13/rudy-giuliani-trump-mueller-interview-decision-774872
3/ Omarosa Manigault Newman secretly taped John Kelly firing her in December in the Situation Room, as well as a phone call she had with Trump after she was fired. On the recording, Kelly suggests that she could be facing "pretty significant legal issues" and that he wants to "see this be a friendly departure" so it doesn't "develop into something that, that'll make it ugly for you." On the second recording, Trump asks: "Omarosa what's going on? I just saw on the news that you're thinking about leaving?" He added: "Nobody even told me about it… I didn't know that. Goddamn it. I don't love you leaving at all." Trump called Omarosa "wacky" and "vicious," and claimed that Kelly called her a "loser" and "nothing but problems" in a series of tweets following the release of the tapes. (NBC News / New York Times / ABC News / Washington Post)
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/omarosa-unveils-audio-trumps-call-firing/story?id=57149028
Omarosa claimed she has tapes of private phone calls with Ivanka and Jared Kushner, too. The former White House aide says the two offered emotional support after she was fired. (Politico)
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/13/omarosa-jared-ivanka-tapes-775712
4/ The White House is looking into legal options to stop Omarosa from releasing more tapes and to punish her for recording her conversation with John Kelly. The Situation Room is supposed to be free of personal electronic devices and former national security officials said it was not clear is she had broken any laws. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that, if true, it "shows a blatant disregard for our national security." (ABC News / New York Times)
A few months into his presidency, Trump required his senior staff to sign nondisclosure agreements. Donald Mc Gahn, the White House counsel, drew up the document barring White House officials from publicly disclosing what they heard and saw at work. He privately told staff that the agreement could not ultimately be enforced. Trump tweeted that "Wacky Omarosa already has a fully signed Non-Disclosure Agreement!" (New York Times)
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/21/us/politics/trump-nondisclosure-agreement.html
5/ The government rested its case in the tax and bank fraud trial of Paul Manafort. Robert Mueller's prosecutors called 27 witnesses over 10 days. Manafort's defense will now have the opportunity, if it chooses, to present witnesses. (USA Today)
Paul Manafort's Trial: Day 10.
https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/paul-manaforts-trial/
Notables.
Stephen Miller's uncle wrote an op-ed calling his nephew an "immigration hypocrite." David Glosser wrote: "If my nephew's ideas on immigration had been in force a century ago, our family would have been wiped out." (Politico)
Kellyanne Conway said "none of us would be" at the White House if Trump was a racist. When asked to name an African-American in a prominent White House role, Conway couldn't. (ABC News / CNN)
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/kellyanne-conway-accusation-trump-racist-us-true/story?id=57142582
Trump signed defense legislation named after John Mc Cain but didn't mention the Senator's name during the ceremony. Trump praised the U.S. military and took credit for the $716 billion defense bill, which represents a $16 billion increase in authorized funding for the Pentagon over the current year. The bill is formally named the "John S. Mc Cain National Defense Authorization Act For Fiscal Year 2019." (Bloomberg / Washington Post)
The White House is proposing to rollback a law designed to protect military personnel from getting cheated by shady lending and financial practices. The administration is also wants to curtail enforcement of the Military Loan Act, which protects service members from predatory loans. Critics say the changes would leave service members vulnerable to getting ripped off by car dealers, among others. (NPR)
https://www.npr.org/2018/08/13/637992389/white-house-takes-aim-at-financial-protections-for-military
White House staffers receive discounts on Trump-branded merchandise sold at his Bedminster golf club. The discounts range from 15% off of any merchandise sold in the store, to 70% off of clearance items. One ethics expert called the discounts "absolutely wrong." (Politico)
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/13/trump-white-house-staff-golf-clubs-perks-776098
White House counsel Don Mc Gahn exempted its new communications director from ethics rules, saying it was in the "public interest" for Bill Shine to have meetings with their former colleagues at Fox News. (Daily Beast)
The interior secretary blamed environmentalists for California's wildfires and claimed – contrary to scientific research – that climate change had "nothing to do" with the fires. Instead, Ryan Zinke said the fires were exacerbated by limits on logging. (The Guardian)

The natural disasters thing has a pretty easy fix beyond newer designs, just don’t build nuclear power plants in areas with high rates of natural disasters.
Also even older designs have held up very well to gross mismanagement and natural disasters. Fukushima was contained, Three Mile Island had zero direct deaths from my understanding and Chernobyl had under 50 deaths.
Can you imagine if the worst coal or gas plant disaster had caused less than 50 deaths? We’d be ecstatic.
“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran