Wildlife Dying En Masse as South American River Runs Dry —  The Pilcomayo River in Paraguay is littered with dead caiman and fish carcasses as the government scrambles to find a solution. Vultures rest in the tree’s upper branches, their black bodies in stark contrast to the blanched wood beneath their feet. Below them, caimans and capybaras crawl in sucking mud through the Agropil lagoon, seeking water that is unlikely to arrive for many months. The river has dried up, and there is nowhere for them to go. The lagoon, located in the western Paraguayan province of Boquerón, is just one of many stretches of the Pilcomayo River suffering an extensive die-off of caiman, fish, and other river creatures. There have not been any official estimates from the Ministry of the Environment, but Roque González Vera, a journalist for ABC Color in Paraguay, reports utter devastation in some places: Up to 98 percent of caimans (Caiman yacare) are suspected dead, and 80 percent of the capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) population has died. Paraguay is in the midst of an ecological crisis. The crisis stems from a combination of drought and mismanagement that has left the Pilcomayo River dry for nearly 435 miles (700 kilometers), according to Vera. On June 24, Paraguay declared an environmental emergency, but little has been done, or can be done, to provide relief for the imperiled animals until the wet season returns. The dry season typically lasts through October, and the annual recharge does not generally occur until January. So, what went wrong? A Perfect Storm of Drought and Mismanagement The Pilcomayo River originates in the Bolivian Highlands, which form the upper basin of the river. The lower reaches run through the Gran Chaco—a hot, semiarid lowland also known as the Chaco Plain—and form a 518-mile (834-kilometer) international border between Argentina and Paraguay. This stretch of the river relies on an annual, three-month pulse of water from the upper basin during its rainy season (roughly January to March). Quite simply, this past year did not deliver. View Images  According to the Ministry of Public Works and Communication (MOPC), the drought is the second worst in the past 30 years, and the paucity of rain has not been seen since 1996-97. Alone, the drought posed a threat to wildlife and agriculture, but the crisis has been exacerbated by the mismanagement of water resources and infrastructure by the Paraguayan government, according to Vera. In a recent article, the reporter argues that the government is complicit in the wildlife die-off, alleging laziness, inefficiency, and irresponsibility in the rehabilitation of the Paraguayan channel. To some extent, the government agrees. The MOPC concluded that the National Commission of the Pilcomayo did an insufficient job of maintaining the river’s channels and canals and recently fired the head of the commission, Daniel Garay. Garay was also charged for the alleged irregularities. However, the mismanagement also extends across the border to Paraguay’s neighbor, Argentina. In 1991, the two countries signed a water distribution agreement for the Pilcomayo, but they have struggled to maintain a fair distribution of water. In any given year, the river largely flows in one country and not the other. A recent review of the river proposed that the country that gets the water is either lucky the river shifted to them, and/or they were more diligent in canal work. Both countries have built up artificial canals outside the agreement—ample mistrust between the nations fuels the construction—but Argentina appears to have done a better job managing theirs, while also adding some reservoirs to hold water surpluses. In recent years, they were luckier and more diligent: Argentina has the water now. How long Argentina keeps the water is largely dependent on a third factor: the natural characteristics of the Pilcomayo River. Natural Phenomenon? Oscar Orfeo, an Argentinean geologist at the Center for Applied Coastal Ecology, believes the lack of water is simply a natural result of the river’s morphology; the river simply does what it wants. The artificial canals cannot control the slope of the plain or the river’s shaping capacity, he says. Orfeo also believes that the current environmental emergency cannot be attributed to a period of extreme drought but is really due to the “wandering” behavior of the river. This wandering is largely related to the significant amounts of sediment the Pilcomayo transports downstream—some 140 million tons of sediment every year, one of the highest amounts in the world. The sediment, in combination with wood debris carried downstream, has created a blockage that disperses the river outside the channel into the surrounding land. As the blockage moves farther upstream every year, the dry river channel grows. It has now been nearly a hundred years since the Pilcomayo’s main channel connected with the Paraguay River in Asunción. With both human and natural forces at play, scientists in Paraguay worry the current crisis could easily become an annual occurrence. Seeking a Solution In the face of public pressure, the Minister of Public Works and Communication, Ramón Jiménez Gaona, announced that the government is working with local authorities, indigenous groups, and residents to remedy the situation. Yet, despite the claims of the government, so far there has been little action to address the situation, says Vera. At the time of this publishing, National Geographic had not received a response from the Ministry of the Environment or the National Commission of the Pilcomayo, which is housed in the MOPC. In reality, it is hard to see a clear solution right now; there is no water to release or divert. Existing options to rehabilitate the Pilcomayo mostly center on cleaning and updating the canals that are filled with sediment, but it is neither quick nor easy to do so. To restore a consistent flow on both sides of the border, Paraguay and Argentina must commit to sharing water, but cooperation has been hard to come by. Until the infrastructure is developed and maintained, observers can only watch and wait, hoping that it rains enough next year to save the animals, or that the river shifts back into its Paraguayan channel. Politics, water, and wildlife: Welcome to 21st-century river management. Rachel Brown contributed reporting for this story.       Article Title:Will Zimbabwe Sell Off Its Rare ‘Painted Dogs’?   Article URL:http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/05/160512-zimbabwe-selling-wildlife-wild-dogs-conservation-elephants-lions/   Article author(s)Carly Nairn   Article date: MAY 12, 2016   News source: nationalgeographic    Zimbabwe’s plan to sell its wildlife could hasten the decline of Africa’s endangered wild dogs. Last week Zimbabwe announced that because of the drought that’s ravaging the country—and leaving four million Zimbabweans in need of food aid—it will “destock” its national parks and reserves by selling off wildlife. The announcement by the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (also known as Zimparks) doesn’t say when the sales would begin, nor does it specify which species would be offered and at what prices. Some of the country’s animals can’t be sold off—those already protected against sale or hunting under the Parks and Wildlife Act, dating back to 1975. These include pangolins, pythons, and rhinos. Elephants and lions aren’t protected under the act, and elephants in particular, given their high value, would likely be priorities for sale. Surprisingly, African wild dogs, which are endangered continent-wide, aren’t on Zimbabwe’s no-sale list. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which sets the conservation status of species, these elusive canids are critically endangered and number only 3,000 to 5,500 continent-wide. Zimbabwe claims it must sell wildlife to replenish its coffers in the face of cash shortages so extreme that ATMs can’t be refilled, a scorching drought that’s causing the country’s exports of tobacco and maize to plummet, and a recent bid by the European Union to ban trophy hunting imports, which the government says would deprive the country of additional crucial revenue. (The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service banned the import of elephant hunting trophies from Zimbabwe in 2014, on grounds that killing elephants for trophies there would not enhance the population’s survival, a requirement under the Endangered Species Act.) But Ross Harvey, a senior researcher at the South African Institute of International Affairs, says that if Zimbabwe had been governed responsibly, there would be no need reason for it to put its wild animals up for sale. “Zimbabwe's economy has been intensively mismanaged since the late 1990s, and the recent drought has had a more devastating effect than it otherwise would have if the economy was in fact being run properly.” According to Harvey, “the idea that the sale of elephants would help to assuage the country's economic woes is unworkable.” He notes that there’s no assurance that any money the government acquires from wildlife sales would be earmarked for conservation or drought relief. “In a system where lack of accountability has been baked in over a long time,” Harvey says, “there’s no guarantee that the money would be directed towards those who need it most.” Zimbabwe has been criticized by wildlife and animal rights advocates for its previous arrangements to use animals as financial leverage. In July 2015 the country exported 24 wild elephants to China. How the money from the sale has been allocated remains an open question. And the killing last year of Cecil the lion by Walter Palmer, an American dentist and trophy hunter, in a private reserve bordering Hwange National Park caused a furor that primed animal advocates to keep a critical eye on Zimbabwe. But so far Zimparks has escaped widespread criticism for its new wildlife sale plan. Will Wild Dogs Take a Hit? One of the continent’s largest populations of wild dogs—also called painted dogs for the splotches of black, tan, and gold on their coats—is in Hwange National Park. Although their exact numbers are unknown, experts believe that the park holds about 150. Zimbabwe as a whole may have around 700. Even without a crippling drought, survival is hard for wild dogs—they get caught in snares set by poachers seeking other animals, and many have been roadkill victims. At the news of the Zimparks proposal to sell wildlife, Peter Blinston, the managing director of the Painted Dog Conservation, a nonprofit based in Hwange, said he didn’t believe that wild dogs would be put up for sale. “Painted Dog Conservation has very good relations with Zimparks," he said. “Thus our standing carries some weight, and if there was talk of dogs being on the for sale list, we would fight hard, and I suspect we would win.” Speculating on what animals Zimparks would find attractive to sell, Blinston said there was a “perceived abundance” of elephants, yet their exact numbers, like those of wild dogs, are unknown. Estimates vary from a low of 60,000 to a high of 100,000. He also pointed out that “in some areas impala are over-represented. I don’t think anything else is.” If numbers play into the decision about which animals to sell, elephants and impalas would be high on the list. If impalas, an important food source for wild dogs, are sold and suffer drought losses as well, that would be a double whammy of deprivation for Zimbabwe’s already troubled painted dogs. Zimparks and Zimbabwe's Ministry of Environment, Water, and Climate did not respond to requests for comment.   Article Title:South Australia belted by second storm in 24 hours with winds of up to 140km/h   Article URL:https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/sep/29/south-australia-on-alert-again-as-adelaide-braces-for-strongest-storm-on-record   Article author(s)   Article date:Thursday 29 September 2016 05.51 EDTLast modified on Thursday 29 September 2016 14.11 EDT   News source: theguardian    Intense low-pressure system sweeps across state, causing heavy rain, flooding and major damage after emergency services tell Adelaide workers to go home   South Australia has copped another belting with a destructive storm lashing the state just 24 hours after super cell thunderstorms knocked out the state’s entire power network. The intense low pressure system raged across Adelaide and parts of SouthAustralia late on Thursday. The storm packed winds of up to 140km/h, among the strongest the city has experienced, prompting an unprecedented warning from police for workers to head home early and stay home amid concerns emergency services might not be able to cope. The winds brought down trees across a wide area, causing major damage, and ripped some mid-north buildings apart. Heavy rain caused widespread flooding, from the Patawalonga River in Adelaide, through to the Barossa and Clare valleys, which copped 54mm of rain.   In Clare, a caravan park was under threat and in the Barossa, a dam burst, prompting an emergency flood warning for the town of Greenock. Storm surges and huge waves also inundated some communities along the Spencer and St Vincent gulf coasts with the worst centres affected including Port Pirie, Port Broughton and Moonta. The State Emergency Service responded to more than 660 calls for help, taking the tally to well over 1,000 in the past 36 hours. The police commissioner, Grant Stevens, said extra police could be brought in from interstate to help cope with the crisis. The SES chief officer, Chris Beattie, warned the service was at risk of being stretched beyond capacity. The latest emergency came after Wednesday’s blackout when ferocious winds ripped up more than 20 transmission towers in the mid-north, taking out three of the state’s four major transmission lines. The premier, Jay Weatherill, described the storm as “catastrophic” and said it had involved weather events not seen before in South Australia, “such as twin tornadoes, which ripped through the northern parts of our state”. By late on Thursday, 30,000 properties remained without power, some because of Wednesday’s statewide blackout and others as a result of new damage caused by the continued wild weather. Weatherill warned some households, particularly in northern areas, could remain without power for at least a couple of days. At the height of the drama on Wednesday, super cell storms with destructive winds and tornadoes ripped more than 20 transmission towers in South Australia’s north out of the ground, bringing down three major transmission lines. Lightning also damaged energy infrastructure, with 80,000 strikes hitting the state over a short period. It caused a state-wide blackout that plunged South Australia into darkness. South Australian power transmission company ElectraNet will bring in temporary towers from interstate to repair the transmission lines. ElectraNet executive manager of network service, Simon Emms, said the company hoped to have one of the three backbone circuits restored by Sunday and would build on that as fast as possible. Emms said the company continued to work on restoring power to those areas of the state still without electricity but establishing a timeline was difficult. “That’s a very fair question but very hard to answer at the moment,” he said. “Obviously, the current wind conditions are hampering restoration efforts. Access to the sites is very difficult and we haven’t finished fully patrolling all the lines yet to ensure we can safely energise them. “When we’ve finished the patrols, then we’ll safely energise. We’ll then restore the assets with emergency towers.” Emms said he was not aware of any power system in the world that could handle losing as much energy so quickly without going into blackout. He said such events were not common but were not unheard of.   Meanwhile, parts of New South Wales were being hit by the tail of the storm cell as it moved on from South Australia. The weather bureau had warnings in place for damaging winds and potential flash flooding for much of the state, but had revised down warnings for heavy rains. Broken Hill has borne the brunt of the destructive winds, with gusts reaching up to 90km/h. Thunderstorms were hitting towns in the north of the state along the Queensland border. The Riverina, central and south tablelands and parts of the Hunter, Snowy Mountains and mid-north coastal regions were all on alert. Towns in flood-ravaged central NSW were also being told to prepare for potential flash flooding and further flooding in the next few days. The central west community of Forbes could be inundated by a second peak of the Lachlan River at the same time the town’s weekend floodwaters reach downstream Condobolin. The SES predicts the high water marks would occur sometime next week, with 30mm of rain expected on Thursday and up to 20mm on Friday. At least 50,000 sandbags had been transported into the towns from Maitland in the Hunter Valley and extra crews brought in from around the state. About 100 properties remained subject to an evacuation order while sittings at courthouses in Forbes, Condobolin and Lake Cargelligo had been cancelled for next week. The SES was calling on those going to the Deni Ute Muster or travelling inland to check for potential road closures.

After reading the article, my heart just breaks for all the wildlife that was affected. I believe it is mostly human fault that this is happening in the first place. The animals as well as wildlife needs to affected because of the bad decisions we make. It is terrible and i feel like it's time for humans to make a change to really help other living things.


The person is female. Racially, the person is white. The person is 25 years old. The person has a college or university degree. The person earns 60000 dollar per year. According to the Big Five personality test, on a scale of 10, the person has scored 5.0 in openness, 6.0 in conscientiousness, 2.0 in extraversion, 5.0 in agreeableness, and 6.0 in stability.

It's crazy how many creatures are dying from the river drying up, but it just goes to show you how important water is. I think we often take water for granted in the US (or at least, in parts of the US), so we don't think about how precious it is. It's insane that that one species was almost entirely gone because of it.


The person is male. Racially, the person is hispanic / latino. The person is 32 years old. The person has a college or university degree. The person earns 35000 dollar per year. According to the Big Five personality test, on a scale of 10, the person has scored 5.0 in openness, 5.5 in conscientiousness, 2.0 in extraversion, 5.5 in agreeableness, and 4.5 in stability.

We need to do more to protect the wildlife in this world. The fact that we let rivers and land go so littered with these carcasses but do nothing to try and help alleviate the situation. We need to do better. I think with time we might improve on this but I won't get my hopes up. We as humans are not the most caring species it seems.


The person is female. Racially, the person is white. The person is 47 years old. The person has a college or university degree. The person earns 110000 dollar per year. According to the Big Five personality test, on a scale of 10, the person has scored 6.5 in openness, 7.0 in conscientiousness, 4.5 in extraversion, 5.5 in agreeableness, and 7.0 in stability.

This is an article about wildlife dying in Paraguay because of drought and mismanagement of the water resources. The area doesn't get water year round so they have to find ways to save water for the dry months. The dry area is between Argentina and Paraguay and currently Argentina has figured out ways to make the water last for them and is essentially taking the water and leaving the other side dry. I think it's sad and scary for the wildlife in the area.


The person is female. Racially, the person is white. The person is 38 years old. The person has a postgraduate / professional degree. The person earns 42000 dollar per year. According to the Big Five personality test, on a scale of 10, the person has scored 3.5 in openness, 7.0 in conscientiousness, 6.5 in extraversion, 5.5 in agreeableness, and 6.5 in stability.

This was sad and I hope they can do something about it.  I hate that the wildlife is suffering since it is so innocent.  Maybe the government should make more efforts to fix this situation or at least improve it.  I get that it takes resources to do things but maybe they could find some small way to make a difference.  It seems like the ecosystem is in serious danger if nothing is done so someone needs to act fast for the sake of the animals who are helpless victims of this situation.


The person is male. Racially, the person is white. The person is 29 years old. The person has a went to college but did not get a degree. The person earns 39000 dollar per year. According to the Big Five personality test, on a scale of 10, the person has scored 6.5 in openness, 6.0 in conscientiousness, 1.0 in extraversion, 6.0 in agreeableness, and 5.5 in stability.

2 U.S. troops killed fighting Taliban in Afghanistan; civilians hit by airstrike —  KABUL — At least 26 Afghan civilians were killed and many others injured in airstrikes early Thursday while NATO and Afghan forces were battling Taliban fighters in northern Kunduz province, Afghan officials and witnesses said. Two American service members also died in ground clashes there, U.S. military officials confirmed. Details of the incidents were murky, with conflicting reports on the number of casualties and no official account of the airstrikes. Some local officials claimed that up to 100 civilians were killed or wounded in a series of airstrikes around Kunduz city. [NATO and government forces are increasingly responsible for Afghan civilian deaths] A portion of the strategic provincial capital was briefly overrun by insurgents last month, and Afghan troops assisted by U.S. forces have been trying to clear them from the area. The confusing and deadly drama recalled the tragic events in Kunduz just over a year ago, when the Taliban overran the city and Afghan and NATO forces were trying to beat them back. In the chaos, a U.S. airstrike mistakenly targeted an emergency hospital operated by Doctors Without Borders, killing 42 patients and staff members.  As of late Thursday, NATO officials had not confirmed or commented on the reported deaths of the civilians, who were said to be members of several families living in a neighborhood near the city. Photographs published on the Internet showed the bodies of small children crumpled on a blanket and being carried in a cart by weeping adults.  Angry relatives of the victims attempted to parade their bodies through the city to the provincial governor’s residence in a protest caravan, but they were stopped by security forces, Amruddin Wali, a member of the provincial council, said in a telephone interview.  A security official in Kunduz said an “operation against the opponents” resulted in the deaths of more than 20 civilians from “various families.” Ghulam Rabbani, another provincial council member, said 36 people were killed. Other officials said homes in various locations were destroyed by the strikes. [Kabul not spared Taliban strikes] U.S. military officials in Kabul confirmed that two U.S. service members were killed and two others wounded when they came under insurgent fire. “Despite today’s tragic event, we are steadfast in our commitment to help our Afghan partners defend their nation,” said Gen. John W. Nicholson, the senior U.S. military commander here, referring to the deaths of the U.S. troops.  Late Thursday afternoon, Brig. Gen. Charles Cleveland, the chief spokesman for Resolute Support, the U.S.-led NATO mission in Afghanistan, issued a statement that referred to airstrikes by “friendly forces” but did not confirm any civilian casualties. It said all information on that matter should come from Afghan officials. The NATO mission’s mandate is to assist, advise and train Afghan defense forces in their war against insurgents. Almost all foreign combat troops withdrew at the end of 2014, leaving Afghan troops facing an aggressive Taliban militia. “As part of an Afghan operation, friendly forces received direct fire and airstrikes were conducted to defend themselves,” Cleveland’s statement said. “We take all allegations of civilian casualties very seriously. As this was an Afghan operation, we’ll work with our partners to investigate but refer you to them for additional details in the near term. We’ll provide updates as we have them.” The senior Afghan Defense Ministry spokesman, Brig. Gen. Dawlat Waziri, said three Afghan special forces members were killed in fighting with the Taliban. He said he had no information on civilian deaths.  A spokesman for the Taliban, Zabiullah Mujahid, said three Taliban fighters were targeted by the Afghan and foreign forces and were then killed in a firefight in which Afghan and American troops also died. He said a large number of civilians also were killed. Pajhwok Afghan News quoted a farmer in Kunduz named Taza Gul as saying: “I was working on my farm when the bombardment started. On coming home, I saw seven members of my family, including women and children, killed in the raids.”  After the deadly 2015 airstrike in Kunduz, a U.S. military investigation led to the disciplining of 16 military members who were said to have made mistakes leading to the strike. Doctors Without Borders called the attack a war crime.

It seems like every other day you hear about a drone attack in the middle east that has killed innocent people. Frankly, I could care less about the number of American soldiers who are killed in conflicts overseas. They knew what they signed up for and they paid the ultimate price in service of their country. These entire families that are being killed and maimed did absolutely nothing to deserve this kind of treatment.


The person is male. Racially, the person is white. The person is 29 years old. The person has a college or university degree. The person earns 85000 dollar per year. According to the Big Five personality test, on a scale of 10, the person has scored 6.75 in openness, 6.75 in conscientiousness, 6.75 in extraversion, 6.75 in agreeableness, and 7.0 in stability.

I think that this whole war situation just needs to stop. People are dying left and right. There are innocent bystanders that are getting killed as well because of the actions of others. It is not fair and it is not right that innocent people need to be killed. It is also sad for the fmailies of these American soldiers as well having to see this news.


The person is female. Racially, the person is white. The person is 28 years old. The person has a two year associate degree. The person earns 50000 dollar per year. According to the Big Five personality test, on a scale of 10, the person has scored 6.0 in openness, 6.0 in conscientiousness, 5.0 in extraversion, 4.5 in agreeableness, and 3.5 in stability.

It id very troubling how many innocent people are dying from events that did not need to happen. The air stroke that struck the wrong area and accidentlally hit a hospital killing dozens really seems sketchy. There is no regard for human life and that is truly scary. We never hear about this in the new and it is just a normal occurrence there.


The person is male. Racially, the person is white. The person is 31 years old. The person has a two year associate degree. The person earns 82000 dollar per year. According to the Big Five personality test, on a scale of 10, the person has scored 2.5 in openness, 3.5 in conscientiousness, 2.0 in extraversion, 4.5 in agreeableness, and 5.0 in stability.

I can't bleieve we're still dealing with this shit in Afghanistan.  I also really don't blame the peope there for developing a hatred of the US and the Western Powers.  With all these strikes ending up with their civilians dead, I would probably have animosity towards the invaders who only want my oil money, too.


The person is female. Racially, the person is white. The person is 33 years old. The person has a college or university degree. The person earns 110000 dollar per year. According to the Big Five personality test, on a scale of 10, the person has scored 4.5 in openness, 7.0 in conscientiousness, 1.5 in extraversion, 7.0 in agreeableness, and 7.0 in stability.

Two US troops and twenty six Afghan civilians were killed and many others were injured following an airstrike that occurred early on Thursday while NATO and afghan forces were battling Taliban fighters in the northern Kunduz province. The capital had recently been overrun with insurgents last month from nearby areas.


The person is male. Racially, the person is white. The person is 30 years old. The person has a college or university degree. The person earns 5000 dollar per year. According to the Big Five personality test, on a scale of 10, the person has scored 5.5 in openness, 3.5 in conscientiousness, 1.5 in extraversion, 3.5 in agreeableness, and 4.0 in stability.

Surprise! British Red Squirrels Carry Leprosy —  Some of them harbor strains that infected medieval Europeans, but that have been eradicated on the U.K. mainland for centuries. In 2006, Anna Meredith came across a dead red squirrel with a weird skin disorder. Its ears lacked the characteristic red tufts, and were instead swollen, smooth, and shiny, like the cauliflower ears of boxers and rugby players. Its nose, muzzle, and eyelids were similarly swollen and hairless. Meredith, a professor of conservation medicine at the University of Edinburgh, had never seen anything like this before. But she soon saw the same problems again—in six more squirrels over the next six years. She and her colleagues analyzed tissue samples from the dead animals. And to their surprise, they discovered that the squirrels had leprosy. That’s astonishing for two reasons. First, even though leprosy still affects at least 385,000 people around the world (including a few hundred in the U.S.), the disease was eradicated from Britain several centuries ago. Second, squirrels aren’t meant to get leprosy. The disease is mainly caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium leprae, which attacks the skin and peripheral nerves. Chimps and some monkeys can occasionally catch it from people, but until now, scientists knew of only two species that naturally harbor the disease: humans, and nine-banded armadillos in the southern United States. The latter actually acquired the disease from the former; European settlers brought leprosy to the New World and then passed it onto armadillos several centuries ago. Meredith’s discovery generated enough publicity that members of the public started sending her pictures of squirrels from their own backyards, some of whom had the same lesions. Most of the shots came from Scotland, but one was from Brownsea Island—an island off the southern coast of England, and some 480 miles away from Edinburgh. “Someone had done a day trip there, seen a squirrel, and said: Is this leprosy?” says Meredith. “I looked at it and said: Wow, it’s identical!” Working with Stewart Cole, from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, Meredith analyzed the cadavers of 110 red squirrels from Great Britain and Ireland, and found that almost a third of them had leprosy, including several without any clinical signs. Those in Scotland, Ireland, and the Isle of Wight were infected with Mycobacterium lepromatosis—a second species of leprosy bacterium that was only identified in humans in 2008. By contrast, all the squirrels from Brownsea Island had M. leprae, the more traditional leprosy microbe. By comparing the microbes’ genomes, the team showed that the M. leprae strains currently infecting the Brownsea squirrels are almost identical to those recovered from a medieval human skeleton buried in the nearby city of Winchester some 730 years ago. So it’s possible that humans passed M. leprae to red squirrels several centuries ago, and that the Brownsea individuals have harbored the microbe long after its eradication on the mainland. Could the squirrels ever pass the disease back to us? Armadillos certainly do in the United States, but for the moment, there’s no evidence of squirrel-to-human transmission in Britain. “It’s not impossible, but there’s no evidence that we’re at risk,” says Meredith. “We’re more concerned about the squirrels.” Red squirrels are an endangered species in Britain. Once common, they’ve had to contend with the introduction of gray squirrels from the Americas, which outcompeted them and infected them with squirrelpox—an often fatal disease. As a result, the country is currently home to more than 2.5 million grays but just 140,000 reds, most of which live in Scotland. Those that get leprosy can live for many years with the condition, but Meredith wants to see if their health suffers in the long run. They might eventually die because they’re unable to feed properly, or because leprosy makes them more vulnerable to other infections. (Contrary to stigma, leprosy doesn’t make body parts fall off; instead, deadened peripheral nerves sometimes stop people from noticing injuries or infections in their extremities, leading to eventual amputations.)   Why did the squirrels become infected in the first place? They belong to a different order of mammals than either humans or nine-banded armadillos, and all three species are separated by around 100 million years of evolution. And yet the three of us, out of all the mammals in the world, are the only ones know to harbor M. leprae. And for that matter, why does the red squirrel get infected when the closely related grey squirrel doesn’t seem to? No one knows. Meredith’s team looked at an immune gene called TLR1. A few mutations in this gene have been linked to either a greater or lower risk of leprosy in humans, but none of these specific mutations are found in either armadillos or squirrels. Some squirrels did seem to have their own TLR1 mutations that reduced their risk of infection, but with such a small sample, it’s hard to say for sure. Perhaps the weird troika of host species simply reflects our ignorance about where leprosy hides. It may be lurking in more animals than we realize. “We need to look more closely at the possibility of a wildlife reservoir,” says Meredith. And “there is circumstantial evidence that M. leprae has an environmental reservoir,” says Helen Donoghue, from University College London. That is, the microbe might hide out in water, soil, vegetation, or something else. Perhaps that’s how the red squirrels originally became infected, she adds. The idea of an environmental reservoir has been long disputed, but perhaps needs to be revisited in light of the squirrel discovery. “Although leprosy has been known since biblical times, and still remains a major public health problem in many parts of the world, our understanding of how this infection transmits and causes disease is very limited,” says Anura Rambukkana from the University of Edinburgh. And since the infected squirrels develop symptoms that “somewhat resemble human leprosy”, he adds, they may help us to understand how the disease manifests in humans, and how it spreads between us.

Wow, I had no idea squirrels had leprosy. That's crazy. And it's the same type that afflicts humans? I didn't think it was a very big problem or something worth paying attention to though. I wonder if this article is really true. It probably is. Leprosy is a pretty sad disease since it makes people nto feel pain and injure themselves.


The person is female. Racially, the person is white. The person is 27 years old. The person has a went to technical / vocational school. The person earns 25000 dollar per year. According to the Big Five personality test, on a scale of 10, the person has scored 6.0 in openness, 6.0 in conscientiousness, 6.0 in extraversion, 6.0 in agreeableness, and 6.0 in stability.

This article really brings you back down to earth. It shows everything in science is not correct and there is still much for us to learn. It is scary that these animals were never known to carry this disease and now they do and I wonder if somewhere someone mutated there genes and now there are many out there spreading the disease. It is so sad these little guys much be in so much pain at the end and theres nothing they can do to alleviate it. I hope somehow they do more research to find some way to stop the spread of it before the whole species goes extinct. I feel grateful this conservationist is the one who noticed and gained more attention for the cause as other people came forward witht the same concerns.


We need to run more tests on other animals and see what they carry as well. I think the fact that we are just barely now finding this out is troublesome. With the millions of different animal species around the world there is a guarantee that they carry more diseases that we are not aware of as well.


I guess i hope those red squireels are going to be ok.  to be honest, i don't reallllyyy care thaaaat much, but I don't want to see them go.  I like keeping as many species of animals around as possible for our future generations to be in awe of.  It's unfortunate that humans keep fucking it up for native species.


Articles like this really scare me. You have a disease that spreads with so much mystery behind it that it is hard to contain or stop it. So many poor little creatures are at risk for this and that makes me feel so sad. They die such a painful death or have a very bad quality of life. More should be done to aid these animals and get help, more protocal if you see an animal like this to help stop it from spreading the disease.


'This isn't Pompeii, this is Aleppo' —  As 200 airstrikes hammered Aleppo last weekend, activists and aid workers posted dozens of pictures and videos online. Each of them heartbreaking, each helping to convey the horror of the besieged Syrian city. On Friday afternoon, a photo emerged of Brahim Sawas and his 10-year old son, Mahmoud, who had fallen victim to the war. They were covered in blood and dust, the pressure of the rubble holding their final postures in place. "This isn't Pompeii, this is Aleppo," one social media user wrote. A family devastated   The tragedy of this family doesn't end there. Another image shows Sawas' 8-month-old baby, Muhammad, buried under rubble in a separate room as Syrian Civil Defense workers try to recover the child's body from the dirt and dust. Um Mahmoud, Sawas' wife and the mother of the two dead boys, survived the airstrike along with her daughter. The mother and daughter were sleeping in the same room with the 8-month-old baby. Weekend of horror Sawas and the two boys were among more than 300 people killed last weekend in a new wave of violence. The deadly strike that hit the family home at 5 a.m. Friday in eastern Aleppo's rebel-held neighborhood of Qaterji was the first of a series of hundred. One activist from Aleppo described to CNN a level of bombing never seen before in a conflict that began more five years ago. In response to the surge in airstrikes, activists took to Twitter, using an Arabic hashtag that translates to #HolocaustAleppo and sharing pictures and videos from the city. Some had mistakenly described the photo of the father and son as that of a mother clutching her baby.

After reading the article, my heart just breaks for the people that are affected by this. Not only are innocent people being killed daily but also little children as well as babies. These children do not deserve this and it's sad because they have their whole lives ahead of them. I really hope that war will end one day although it is looking unlikely.


This  is terribly disturbing.  It is horribly clear that the military actions in this area are directly affecting families and children which is just horrifying.  These are innocent victims who have nothing to do with this whole conflict and it is totally unfair that they should have to suffer as a result.  I think that something desperately needs to be done here, but what to do is the big question.  This area is always full of conflict thanks to terrorist forces and groups.  We have been there trying to help for so many years and it seems like nothing ever gets any better.


The person is male. Racially, the person is black / african american. The person is 37 years old. The person has a college or university degree. The person earns 40000 dollar per year. According to the Big Five personality test, on a scale of 10, the person has scored 5.5 in openness, 7.0 in conscientiousness, 1.0 in extraversion, 6.5 in agreeableness, and 6.0 in stability.

Living in a war tore country must be horrible. I feel the pain of all the lost. Having air strikes hit your home has to be horrible and seeing love ones buried under what is left from your home is also horrible. I do not wish this on anybody. I hope that the country can find peace and the people can return to a normal life.


This is such a hard read. I cant imagine living in a war torn place where everyday you fear for your life. How sad these people died such a horrible hard death. The mother and sister have to live and rebuild there life without the kids and husband. How do you even go on after such a thing. There needs to be more aid and relief and stop all the bombing and violence. It is such a silly way to die over nothing.


The person is female. Racially, the person is white. The person is 21 years old. The person has a high school degree or diploma. The person earns 20000 dollar per year. According to the Big Five personality test, on a scale of 10, the person has scored 3.0 in openness, 5.0 in conscientiousness, 5.0 in extraversion, 4.0 in agreeableness, and 3.5 in stability.

This kind of this is so so sad to read about! I can't imagine living somewhere like that, where destruction can just happen so suddenly. It would be nerve wracking. I can't imagine trying to recover after devestation like that either... it would be so hard. Those people are strong willed I will give them that!


13 civilians killed by cross-border shelling in Kashmir, say India, Pakistan —  India and Pakistan say 13 civilians have been killed in cross-border shelling from both sides of the Line of Control, the de facto border between the two countries in the disputed region of Kashmir.   At least seven civilians on the Indian side of the Line of Control (LoC) were killed Tuesday and 15 others injured in shelling that came from the Pakistani side, according to local Indian authorities. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that six civilians on the Pakistani side had been killed by shelling from India Monday, and eight injured. Could India and Pakistan go to war? Women killed 'inside their homes' The casualties on the Pakistani side were in the Nikial and Jandrot areas, the statement said, adding that Pakistan's Director General had summoned India's Deputy High Chief Commissioner on Tuesday to strongly condemn the "unprovoked ceasefire violations." Of the Indian casualties, five civilians were killed in heavy shelling in the Ramgrah sector of India's Samba district, Sheetal Nanda, Samba's district magistrate, told CNN. Nine others were injured in the area. Two women were also killed in shelling in the Manjakote area of Rajouri district, according to Johnny Williams, deputy inspector general of police in the district. "The two ladies were inside their homes when shells landed there. They died on the spot," he said, adding that three others were injured in the strikes. Three civilians were also injured in India's Poonch district, police chief J.S. Johar told CNN. Neither side has responded to the allegations of ceasefire violations. The latest clashes come at a time of heightened tension between the neighbors over Kashmir, a Muslim-majority region that has been disputed territory between India and Pakistan for the past 70 years. Both of the nuclear-armed countries hold separate parts of the region and have fought two wars, in 1947 and 1965, over their claims. They came close to a third, in 1999. Tensions have flared since 19 Indian soldiers were killed in September in an attack by armed militants on an army base in Uri, about 63 miles (102 kilometers) from Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir. In the aftermath, India launched what it described as a "surgical strike" across the Line of Control to attack what it said was a terrorist launching pad. Pakistan denied that the target was a terrorist base, pointing out that two of its soldiers were killed. Amid the continuing fallout, India has relocated more than 10,000 people from around the disputed border area, and a top Bollywood director has refused to hire Pakistani actors.

I hate senseless violence like this so much, when the people that are dying aren't even the ones involved in the conflicts and are just minding their own business. Like, these are people just walking home or making bread or getting water for their families and then they're just... gone. It isn't fair.


The person is male. Racially, the person is asian / pacific islander. The person is 33 years old. The person has a went to college but did not get a degree. The person earns 36000 dollar per year. According to the Big Five personality test, on a scale of 10, the person has scored 4.25 in openness, 4.25 in conscientiousness, 4.5 in extraversion, 4.25 in agreeableness, and 3.75 in stability.

These people are always bombing each other I say let them nuke each other the planet could use a good depopulation There are too many Indians running around already and we don't need more of them a bonus would be that Pakisatnis are mostly muslim so there would less terrorism if they died in a nuclear war.


The fact that 13 civilians were killed shows that this rivalry between India and Pakistan is something that needs to be fixed. They were killed in Pakistan land as well and India should be the one to blame here if what they're saying is true. Surgical strike was also launched and I don't know if that can be justified.


It is so sad the uprest that is happening in the middle east right now. I dont understand how cultures that rely on peace and light like india are involved in such violence. They need to have a meeting with leaders and figure things out diplomatically. I think war is just to tossed around over there when you have innocent victims and civilians being killed. They need to do things like trump be firm and have sanctions build walls but dont rely on iolence to get your way. The fact that the cease fire was broken and both sides have nuclear weapons scares me, that there is no line that they can not cross or break.


Justice For Disturbing Case Of Kitten Strangled To Death in Spokane, Washington —  Last month, a man named Wesley O’Dell and his wife, were walking around their neighborhood in Spokane, Washington and found something that changed their lives and opened their eyes to the cruelty that humanity can possess. *The real image of the kitten they found was too graphic and disturbing to display. The couple spotted a baby kitten on the side of the road completely wrapped in phone and electrical chargers and dumped like a piece of garbage on the sidewalk. When they approached the helpless kitten, they noticed that it was methodically wrapped so tightly around the kitten’s little body, from its tiny neck, to its small tail and back legs so that so that the poor things appendages were tied up next to its face. When O’Dell began to cut the cords off the the kittens small body, he felt that rigor mortis had already set in and it was hard for him to seperate the wires from its stiff figure. He also saw that the kitten’s jaw was ripped down, with a cord running through its mouth and around its neck. O’Dell was absolutely disgusted with this sight and is now determined to take action and find the culprit accountable for the horrendous crime. This act of cruelty is inhumane, disgusting and it is truly unthinkable that someone would do such a thing to a kitten who had barely even opened its eyes. The couple is now standing up and fighting for animal rights and animal welfare until justice and equality is received by all beings living on this earth. O’Dell is making a point to voice his story so that everyone is aware of the animal abuse that happened in Spokane, Washington and the lack of empathy that his local governing body has over the gruesome death of a helpless baby kitten. “Can you imagine how that would feel? What you would think, the fear in your heart, to be completely helpless at the hands of something much bigger and more poweful than you. Try to feel the pain and sadness this infant feline would have felt. Imagine what you would be thinking as the terror welled up in your swelling throat? The darkness that you would experience as you took your last breath, while someone laughed at you. Think how it would feel to be snuffed out in a cold dark street, scared and alone.” This act happened just two blocks from the couples home while their local police and animal shelters have done nothing about it. O’Dell says that this horrific situation must be remedied and he will try his hardest to ensure justice is served. Since this occurrence, O’Dell has spoken to people throughout the nation who would like to help, including the group “Gaurdians of the Rescue”. The rescue group has sent him flyers to be posted around his neighborhood as well as in local veterinarian hospitals and emergency pet clinics. He is hopeful that by distributing these flyers around town, someone will come forward with information on this crime and possibly who is at fault. O’Dell is asking for the public to repost this tragic story on social media and to talk about the kitten with friends and neighbors, not allowing for the kitten’s death to be in vein. Raising awareness of this story is one of the most important things we as animal lovers can do at this point.

I can't imagine the kind of person that would do this to a sweet cute innocent kitten. Not only did they dump it on the side of the road, which is one kind of evil, but they tortured it in the process. Who ties up a kitten like that? It's so easy now a days if you don't want a kitten, put it on facebook or cragslist to get rid of it.


The person is male. Racially, the person is white. The person is 41 years old. The person has a college or university degree. The person earns 28000 dollar per year. According to the Big Five personality test, on a scale of 10, the person has scored 2.0 in openness, 2.5 in conscientiousness, 1.5 in extraversion, 2.0 in agreeableness, and 1.0 in stability.

This is a disturbing story and I feel badly for the kitten who was obviously abused and presumably tortured.  I assume this was done by a psychopath who likes sadistic things.  Those people exist and aren't all that rare, so this type of thing doesn't totally surprise me, although it's still disturbing and chilling.  However, the tone of this article and these people is absurd.  They want equality for all living things.  So, what, that means I'll be charged with murder if I swat a fly?  If a dog kills a child they'll be arrested, read their Miranda rights and be appointed an attorney?  People are stupid.  It reduces the empathy and sympathy I feel when I read a story like this.


This story really just hit me in the gut I did not want to even read any further. These stories disturb me for months I can't stand animal abuse. It is scary to think of the lack of remorse people like this have while doing it they are purely evil and should not be allowed to live in society. This poor kitten suffered so much before it's death. It was so deliberate to not only get rid of the animal but to hurt it also. They were right by a shelter if they did not want the animal they could have brought it there. I can't imagine the pain that animal felt as it took its last breath and that truly hurts my heart. There needs to be more actions taken against animal abusers so they dont do this to more animals.


Wow, this is unbelievable!!!  Who would do something like this to a tiny harmless kitten?  I'm shocked and thoroughly disgusted that someone would even be able to go through the actions to harm a kitten like this.  It is just sickening and hopefully they can find this person and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law, this is just outrageous and ridiculous.  It sounds like a precursor to serial killer behavior, honestly, because who does something like that except an extremely depraved person?


I hate reading stories like this... I don't get how there are still people in the world that can do this to an innocent animal... And not even just dumping it on the side of the road, that's one thing, but tying it up just to make it suffer? That is some pretty sick stuff. This person obviously is not mentally sound


Video Shows Cop Punching Woman In The Face, But She’s The One Arrested For ‘Assault’ —  A uniformed Arizona police officer who was filmed punching a woman has been placed on administrative leave while the incident is investigated.   “Our agency is very concerned by what is depicted in this video,” police in Flagstaff, Arizona, said in a Wednesday evening press release.   The footage, shot and posted to Facebook on Wednesday, shows a woman struggling with two officers who apparently believe there is an outstanding warrant for her arrest. She can be heard on video saying the issue has already been resolved.   “You cannot arrest me until I know I have a warrant,” she tells the officers as she struggles with them.   Suddenly, one of them strikes her in the face with a closed fist.   Authorities have identified that officer as Jeff Bonar. They haven’t released the name of the woman, but she identifies herself in the video as Marissa Morris. “You just fucking punched me in the face,” Morris can be heard yelling after Bonar hits her.   A number of people appear to be watching the scene from a porch. The man who filmed the confrontation — identified by The Arizona Republic as Danny Paredes — can be also heard shouting, “Hey, you can’t hit a girl like that.”   Bonar cuffs Morris and the two other officers lead her away and place her in the back of a patrol car while a man ― presumably Paredes ― can be heard saying, “I got it on video, Marissa.”   Morris’ boyfriend, Jimmy Sedillo, told The Arizona Republic he and his children, ages 3 and 9, witnessed the incident.   “She had a warrant a few weeks ago,” Sedillo said. “He still assumed she had a warrant.” Sedillo told Phoenix’s KTVK his girlfriend was ultimately charged with assaulting an officer and resisting arrest.Morris, who reportedly remains behind bars, could not be reached for comment.   “An internal affairs investigation is being initiated,” Flagstaff police said. “Further details will be released as the investigation progresses.”

Another story about police brutality... I'm not surprised. While it does sound like this individual was giving the police a harder time than was needed, they are the professionals here and need to act like it. I don't think what she was doing warranted getting punched in the face. That is not a professional measure to subdue someone.


cops can do and say whatever they want with impunity they have a serious problem with power and most are stupid with very low iq also they are on steroids so that makes them even more aggresive add to that most people hate them they should really be trained better they are so dumb and idiotic I hate them


I feel like there is more to this story.  Apparently the officer was trying to protect himself because she was punching and kicking him to try to resist arrest.  That doesn't make it okay for him to punch her in the face, though, he should have been more professional.  But he is human and it might have been his first instinct, who knows.  I saw that she is suing the city for a million dollars, I bet she is trying to bank on this whole incident.  I don't know how I feel about this really.  I don't feel much sympathy for the woman.


The person is male. Racially, the person is white. The person is 38 years old. The person has a two year associate degree. The person earns 96000 dollar per year. According to the Big Five personality test, on a scale of 10, the person has scored 5.0 in openness, 4.0 in conscientiousness, 5.0 in extraversion, 5.5 in agreeableness, and 4.5 in stability.

A woman was arrested for assault, and during the arrest, the officer punches her in the face. The police department acknowledges this and it was captured on camera by several onlookers for the incident. Even the children witnessed the incident occur. It isn't clear if they even had a legitimate reason to arrest her.


I feel like this is another example of why the police need to be better trained! It is as important as drinking water everyday to live that a cop be trained to the best of ways possible. There is no way a cop should be punching a woman in the face! I feel like a parrot repeating this over and over throughout the years but enough is enough.


3 U.S. military trainers killed in gunfire by security units at Jordan base —  At least three U.S. military trainers in Jordan were fatally shot by security forces Friday when their vehicle failed to stop at the gate of a military base, Jordanian and U.S. officials said.   The U.S. military service members “came under fire” as they approached a Jordanian training facility, said Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook. Few other details about the incident were given. Cook said U.S. and Jordanian authorities were investigating the cause.   Earlier, Jordan’s military said there was “an exchange of gunfire” after the vehicle’s driver ignored demands to stop outside an air base in southern Jordan. A Jordanian officer was injured, the statement said.   Other details of the incident at the King Faisal Air Base were not immediately clear. Investigators were trying to piece together the events, including whether a possible miscommunication was to blame.   The U.S. official said two of the service members died later in Jordan’s capital, Amman, where they were airlifted for treatment.   Jordan is a close ally of the United States, and military training by U.S. personnel is common. Jordan is also part of the U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State in neighboring Syria.   [Prominent Jordanian writer gunned down]   The U.S. Embassy in Amman said in a statement it was “in contact with the appropriate Jordanian authorities, who have offered their full support.”   A U.S. diplomat in Amman, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief reporters, said American and Jordanian officials “do not believe” the incident was terrorism-related, but he offered no further details.   The King Faisal base, about 150 miles southeast of Amman and near the border with Saudi Arabia, has long been used for joint exercises between Jordan and its various allies, including the United States, Britain and Saudi Arabia. The base is also part of the network in Jordan to train Western-backed Syrian rebels.   According to U.S. diplomats and Jordanian officials, there are more than 1,000 U.S. military personnel based in Jordan, the majority serving as advisers to Jordan’s armed forces and Syrian rebel factions.   Jordan’s military has been on high alert since June, when a suicide attacker driving a bomb-rigged truck barreled through Syria’s border with Jordan, setting off a blast outside a Syrian refugee camp that killed seven Jordanian troops. It was the deadliest attack along the tense border, which hundreds of thousands of Syrians have crossed during the more than five-year conflict in their homeland.   In November 2015, a Jordanian police officer opened fire at a police training academy south of Amman, killing two U.S. contractors.

I really feel for these soldiers on both side american and jordanian. It seems like it was a tough call because we are there allies and the us soldiers should have followed protocol by stopping.If it was a miscommunication I hope they take steps to make sure this doesnt happen again as fighting and killing eachother is a waste that needs to be for the bad guys. I can understand with the jordian people being on high alert with syrian suicide bombers attacking them earlier. I wonder if it was a miscommunication or somehow the soldiers flipped into that bad guys. Either way I hope a full investigaton is done to try and prevent anything of this nature from happening in the future.


I think things like this are terrifying, especially because it seems like things are just starting to heat up in Syria and we haven't even started sending that many troops over there. It makes me nervous that it's going to be another long war and one that will will fight for seemingly no real benefit of our own.


I think anytime somebody dies because of gunfire it is terrible. This case in particular is interesting because the deaths happened at some security units. They failed to stop at the gate and were shot. I believe maybe it was a mistake on their part and this happened unfortunately. It is quite bad but these things happen.


I don't know why we have a need to put our troops in all these different countries our army should be used to protect our borders and defend against enemy attacks on the homeland the time for us to be the policemen of the world is over there are places here that look like its a third world country bring all our troops home


The person is female. Racially, the person is white. The person is 30 years old. The person has a college or university degree. The person earns 55000 dollar per year. According to the Big Five personality test, on a scale of 10, the person has scored 5.5 in openness, 6.5 in conscientiousness, 2.5 in extraversion, 5.5 in agreeableness, and 4.5 in stability.

It is pretty alarming that an accident like this could happen, to me it seems like an accident but you never know. It's so sad that three soldiers lost their life due to a miscommunication, US is doing a favor to them by helping and they do not seem to fully appreciate that, they need to be more careful with their allies.


The Jewish Struggle to Understand Trump's Election —  Synagogues hosted prayer and healing services on Wednesday for congregants grappling with the outcome of the U.S. presidential election. PHILADELPHIA—On November 8, 1938, Nazi paramilitary soldiers and German civilians looted and vandalized thousands of Jewish businesses and synagogues. Jews were murdered. Up to 30,000 Jewish men were arrested and taken to concentration camps. On November 8, 2016, Donald Trump was elected president of the United States. The next day, a man discovered that someone had painted swastikas on an abandoned storefront in South Philly, placing the symbols next to Trump’s name and the words “Sieg Heil,” a salute used by Nazis during World War II. Maybe it was an anti-Trump protester. Maybe it was an anti-Semite. Either way, it underscored the ways in which Trump’s election has evoked the persistent Jewish nightmare: That America will become like Germany in 1938. Jews, who have a keen eye for the repetition of history, might be forgiven for worrying about the fragility of American democracy. This is the scale of fear, grief, and anger about Trump in some Jewish communities across America. In Philadelphia, at least three synagogues held prayer services on Wednesday; congregations in a number of other cities, including Durham, North Carolina, and Washington, D.C., held similar events. “No matter who we voted for and how we are feeling this morning, we all know that we and our country are in desperate need of healing,” read the Facebook invite for an event at the Germantown Jewish Centre in north Philly. “We will sit together, sing together, pray together, and have a chance to share what is on our hearts with the support of the community.” A woman was crying when I walked into the cavernous sanctuary of GJC on Wednesday night. Roughly 100 people were gathered in a circle of chairs toward the front of the room; the cream ceiling and warmly brown furniture gave the space a living-room feel. In the center of the gathering, a single candle sat burning on a small round table. The space was still except for the occasional baby squeal or patter of toddler feet at the side of the room; people had brought their children because, as someone on Facebook observed, they need to heal, too. Trump’s daughter Ivanka came up—whether Jews would be safe because one of the president’s children is an Orthodox convert. The congregants were concerned about the racism and sexism revealed during the campaign, and discussed the stages of grief. They talked of making aliyah, or emigrating to Israel—not as a plausible possibility, but as a back-of-mind option in case things get really bad. And yes, people brought up Nazi Germany. Unlike Muslims, Mexicans, African Americans, the disabled, and women, Jews have not been directly insulted by Donald Trump during this election. Anti-Semites have arguably been empowered by his campaign: Jewish journalists have been consistently threatened and harassed on Twitter since the election got underway, often by people who self-identify as Trump supporters. But the fear seems to be less that Trump will specifically persecute Jews than the sense that America under Trump will become an increasingly hostile space for Jews and other minority groups. Trump doesn’t have to be an anti-Semite to bear responsibility for anti-Semitism. While exit polls suggest that roughly 25 percent of American Jews voted for Trump—fewer than voted for Mitt Romney in 2012, but more than voted for John McCain in 2008—the group as a whole is overwhelmingly liberal and Democratic. Adam Zeff, the rabbi at GJC, said in an interview that the synagogue’s neighborhood, Mt. Airy, is so left-wing that it’s almost “self-parody.” Most Jews live in cities or stay concentrated in “little enclaves,” as Zeff called them—he pointed out that on the map of the election results, there are tiny blue spots even deep in Trump country. “That’s where Jews live,” he said, along with other minority groups. It wasn’t Jews Trump promised to ban some 13 months ago. It was Muslims. This clustering creates a dual challenge for Jewish communities. People at GJC spoke about Trump’s election like they might about a death in the family—with a sense of real and personal loss, and a staggering alienation from their fellow Americans. “It is kind of shattering to people to feel like, wow, there’s such a difference,” said Zeff. “To think that racism, anti-immigrant sentiment, and misogyny could be given a pass by so many people makes Jews feel like anti-Semitism could also be given a pass.” And yet the congregants also spoke about the need for understanding. “The people for whom this is a happy day—we have to think about them, too,” Zeff said during the prayer service. Mt. Airy is about a half hour drive from Bucks County, a swing area in Pennsylvania where nearly half of voters went for Trump this year. But even within such a short distance, it’s difficult to imagine how the liberal Jews of Philadelphia and the Trump supporters one county up would start to know one another or be in community. The other challenge for Jews who are scared is putting that fear into context. Other groups are hurting just as much as Jews are right now, and in some cases, their fears are more tangible. It wasn’t Jews Trump promised to ban from entering the country some 13 months ago—it was Muslims. It wasn’t Jewish neighborhoods Trump described in apocalyptic terms in the presidential debates—it was black neighborhoods. At times, Jews have struggled or declined to find solidarity with both of those groups, often over the issue of Israel. “When disaster strikes, the Jewish impulse is to look inward, to say, ‘What t’shuva,’” or repentance, “do I need to do?” Zeff said. If his community looked inward and asked what kind of allies they have been to African Americans, Latinos, and other groups in Philadelphia, Zeff said, “I know what [those groups’] answer is, which is: not very good ones.” For Jews, as for other groups who feel threatened by Trump, this new era has begun with a struggle of contradictions: to understand Trump supporters while maintaining their value commitments; to experience their particular and unique pain while finding solidarity with others. When Zeff sent out a note to his synagogue about the election, “I got a response back from a congregant that said, ‘This is very nice, rabbi, but you’re asking us to do two contradictory things: You’re asking us to reach out, and you’re asking us to stand up,’” Zeff told me. He wrote back, “‘Yes, and isn’t that the lot of the Jew?’”

I think it is very funny that the Jews did not want Trump. I think this is a lie I think they are very happy that Trump won the presidency they talk out of both sides of their mouth all day they are permitted to lie to non jews and that is perfectly acceptable according to the Torah they are cheaters


I did not know that the Trump election hit the Jewish community that hard. I guess if my family went through what happened during world war 2, I would also be on the look out for history to repeat it self. I wish that all the communities that were mentioned in the article would band together to support each other.


After reading the article, it's easy to  understand the anger and confusion for the Jewish people towards electing Trump as president. They are still thinking about their history and what happened to them back then. It's easy to understand why they don't believe in some of the same principals as others. I think Jewish people still need to be helped in the future.


I feel for anyone feeling targeted or unsafe under this president in office. I find that alot of worries are just fear mongering from liberal media. I think this happens with any president I know many whites were afraid of obama being in office and only serving african americans and same here they believe trump only will help out upper white class. But this just is not the case people need to be open and see he is actually helping many diverse communities and make us be one instead of dividing and hating. Also, I think it is right that more of the illigal immigrants should be worried as he directly said he is going after them which is just since they are breaking out us laws.


The person is female. Racially, the person is white. The person is 62 years old. The person has a college or university degree. The person earns 29000 dollar per year. According to the Big Five personality test, on a scale of 10, the person has scored 2.5 in openness, 6.5 in conscientiousness, 1.0 in extraversion, 6.5 in agreeableness, and 2.0 in stability.

Another article about politics slamming one side or the other.   The article refers to America has to heal.   The only way it can heal is people have to quit thinking about me, me, me, and look out for the nation and others.   It seems it just comes down to what vitriol will be posted to some social media site.  People are numb to all of it yet all the national media continues to support one side or the other and not see it as what it is.


Spain’s Deadly Train Crash —  A train crash in Spain has killed at least four people and injured nearly 50 others after it derailed in the northwest region of the country.   About 65 people rode the Portugal-bound train, including crew, when it crashed just before 9:30 a.m. local time. Photos of the wreck showed the train’s carriage flipped on its side and smashed from where it likely hit part of a bridge near the tracks. It crashed just 20 minutes after leaving the Spanish city of Vigo, in Galicia, and was headed for Porto, Portugal.   It’s not clear what caused the wreck, but passengers said the train began to rock. As the BBC reported:   A passenger in a video posted by local daily La Voz de Galicia said the train had suddenly started swaying from one side to the other.   "It wouldn't stop," she said. "I was sitting down and I fell to the ground. And then the train stopped. It was that quick."   A witness woman told Spanish television about hearing a "very strong bang" before seeing billowing black smoke. Friday’s crash is near the site of a 2013 train crash, one of the country’s worst in recent decades. In that crash, a high-speed train derailed and hit a wall near Santiago de Compostela, about a 30-minute drive northeast from Friday’s wreck.

After reading the article, you can't help but feel bad for the people that were involved in the train crash. IT was a freak accident and something you can't control. It 's just sad because they had to leave all of their family behind and their lives will most likely never be the same. While reading it, i felt really worried because it could happen to anyone.


The person is male. Racially, the person is white. The person is 37 years old. The person has a postgraduate / professional degree. The person earns 30000 dollar per year. According to the Big Five personality test, on a scale of 10, the person has scored 7.0 in openness, 6.0 in conscientiousness, 1.0 in extraversion, 7.0 in agreeableness, and 4.0 in stability.

I just read this article about a train crash. They don't know what caused it, but several people were killed and many more were injured. There was an interview with one of the people on the train and they said that the train started to rock back and forth and it wouldn't stop. That must have been terrifying. It makes me not want to travel by train, even though I now these types of events are rare. I wish there were better regulations about transportation safety.


The person is male. Racially, the person is white. The person is 32 years old. The person has a college or university degree. The person earns 50000 dollar per year. According to the Big Five personality test, on a scale of 10, the person has scored 4.0 in openness, 4.5 in conscientiousness, 4.0 in extraversion, 5.0 in agreeableness, and 3.5 in stability.

This is a very bad tragic all the people that that was on that train died families was lost cause of this. I know how the mother's fathers aunt sisters etc... must feel to lose there loved ones to never kiss them goodnight. Husband and wife split apart cause this wreck and for the survivors, I know they must have been scared after this happen my heart goes out to everyone affected.


It's amazing to me that you hear more about train crashes than you do about plane crashes. I just read about a train derailment in Spain that killed 50 people. The way it was described is that the train started swaying and just didn't stop until it was on its side. I can't imagine the dread that must have come over people as each sway became more pronounced. Terrifying.


It must be terrifying to be in a trail derailment like that.  Every mode of transportation is dangerous in some way, but I think trains feel particularly safe.  And yet they're these enormous things with tremendous momentum and when they get off the tracks the result can be devastating.   They use plenty of trains though in europe so eventually something like that will happen.  I just never quite understand why trains derail nowadays.  Sort of seems strange that they're capable of going fast enough to derail themselves.  I guess if the tracks get damaged maybe that could do it.  But I still don't understand it.  Train derailments always puzzle me and seem shocking because they seem like they should never happen.


Americans feel guilty about wasting too much food, but still do it —  Americans eat a lot, also throw a lot of food. That is the main point worth underlining in the new study published at Plos One, a peer-reviewed journal. Surprisingly, it is just one of the two large-scale papers about food waste.   In 2010, the study says that about one-hundred and thirty-three billion pounds of edible food both at the retail and consumer levels went uneaten. That’s about one-thousand two-hundred and forty-nine calories per person per day. Two-thirds of which were attributed to consumers, meaning people in homes that waste the food that they purchase.   In addition to the significant waste of resources, the paper says that this behavior of consumers has a substantial negative impact to the environment as about ninety-five percent of food waste enter the United States landfills.   In a press release, Ohio State University professor Brian Roe explains that the results provide the data required to develop targeted efforts to reduce waste of food each year. “If we can increase awareness of the problem, consumers are more likely to increase purposeful action to reduce food waste,” he said. “You don’t change your behavior if you don’t realize there’s a problem in the first place.”   The team of researchers has developed a national survey to identify the awareness and attitudes of Americans regarding food waste. Last year, it was administered to five-hundred people representative of the country’s population.   The study has found that about fifty-three percent of American respondents said that they’re aware that it is a problem; that’s about ten percent higher than the related research published by Johns Hopkins last year.   Doctoral student Danyi Qi, one of the authors of the research, says that they’ve found three things that people consider regarding food waste: First, about sixty-eight percent of respondents believe that throwing away edible food after the package date has passed is reducing the chance of food-linked diseases and illnesses. Meanwhile, about fifty-nine percent believe that some food waste is ‘necessary’ for freshness and flavorful certainty.   Second, seventy-seven percent said they feel a “general sense of guilt” when throwing food away. Also, about fifty-eight percent claimed to understand that throwing away of food is bad for the environment. Meanwhile, only forty-two percent said they believe wasted food is a “major source of wasted money.”   And third, which is perhaps the most interesting, is that fifty-one percent of respondents believe it would be difficult to reduce home food waste. Plus, about forty-two percent said they don’t have enough time to worry about it. For the economic perspective, fifty-three percent admit that they waste a lot of food but still buy more in bulk or in large quantities during store sales.   For the throwing-the-blame perspective, about eighty-seven percent believed that they waste less food than other similar households.   The research in full is available at the PLOS One website, and it is titled ‘Household Food Waste: Multivariate Regression and Principal Components Analyses of Awareness and Attitudes among U.S. Consumers.’

This article is very interesting to me. I think alot of consumers have a lack of education when it comes to food, food safety, labeling, and disposal. If it was more well know what expiration dates and use by dates mean im sure more people would throw less away. People need to figure out proper ways of handling food instead of thinking everything will give them a food borne illness. More compost piles should be put into place instead of throwing food into landfills. I have seen many more ads on tv for food waste and think this is a great step for awareness. I think most people are just ignorant to it because they thin its natural it wont cause any harm to the enviroment to throw it away.


I think that it is shocking that people waste so much food yet think that everybody is wasting more food than them. I go to the grocery store and see how much stuff people have in their carts and how much money they spend so it's no shock to me that people waste so much food, there is no way they can eat it all. Maybe they are not aware that they are wasting so much food and how bad it is for the environment.


I am definiltly guilty of wasting food. I buy it all with the best of intentions, but either don't use as much as I need, or end up eating out and not cooking at home a night or two  a week, thus wasting all the food I bought for those specific meals. It's definitly sad how much money and resources we was on this, where there really is very little reason forit.


I just read an article about the amount of food that Americans waste. I knew that it was high, but I never imagined the numbers that people have been putting up for the last few years. Did you know there are people who refuse to eat leftovers? What kind of first world dystopia do we live in where people won't eat food that isn't straight out of the kitchen?


I think that food waste is a large problem.  I think that American's are lucky to be in position of  having more food than they need, but we do need to start thinking about the environment.  I was surprised that the wasted money factor did not get more people to monitor the amount of food waste that they generated.


Shooting Occurs Near California Polling Station —  Police have rushed to the scene in Azusa on the night of the election. The person who opened fire earlier this afternoon is dead. Police identified him as a Hispanic male. Police found the suspect dead when they entered the home he had barricaded himself in. It is unclear if he killed himself or whether he died from police fire. The suspect had an assault-style rifle. Police are now searching the area to make sure there are no other suspects and there are no victims. Officials also confirmed the shooting was not related to the election. Previous reports the suspect was a woman were false, police say. Shooting Victim Identified The one fatality from the shooting Tuesday afternoon was a man in his 70s, police say. He was killed after an assailant with an assault-style weapon opened fire. The shooter is still surrounded by police, barricaded in a nearby home.

I know it is odd but I always feel a sense of compassion for these shooters. Yes they are evil and need to be punished but thinking of what lead them to try and kill innocent people they must have had something horrible in there life happen or been in a very toxic enviroment. There should be more talks of mental health and treatment for people instead of banning guns. There should be training for people who sell guns to ask questions or maybe just assess mental health a bit before people can buy the guns. This was also odd because he was older 70 years old,and hispanic I wonder if the tension and state of the US made him angered and want to carry out this act.


The person is male. Racially, the person is white. The person is 47 years old. The person has a two year associate degree. The person earns 29000 dollar per year. According to the Big Five personality test, on a scale of 10, the person has scored 6.5 in openness, 6.5 in conscientiousness, 7.0 in extraversion, 7.0 in agreeableness, and 7.0 in stability.

It's amazing that people still debate the issue of gun rights. If someone had a gun at that station, they would have taken out the crazy lunatic who opened fire. Instead, there was one tragic fatality, a 70-year old man, an innocent life taken out so suddenly and he did not deserve this end, I'm sure. People need to stop this political correctness and resort back to logic: we need to protect ourselves and our families, no ifs or buts! There is no time to rely on the police or the government to bail us out-our sefty is in our own hands people!


This story basically didn't bother me at all, except for the fact that the media seemed to unnecessarily conflate the shooting with the election, even when they later admit that the shooting had nothing to do with the election. There weren't many details in the story about why the shooter did what he did.  Was he targeting someone in particular?  Or did the old guy who died just get unlucky?  I guess the implication is that this was, or was supposed to be, a mass shooting.  Then again, i don't trust the media to report accurately on these things, or truthfully.  Not that they outright lie.  But they imply and conflate and do all sorts of disingenuous things.  I have no idea what this shooting was and honestly do not care.


I wish this article had given us more info. Were there any people hurt? Where did this shooting take place exactly? I'm honestly a bit glad the guy killed himself, one because he can't hurt anyone else that way.  And two because that way a police officer does not have to deal with the trauma of killing someone.


After reading the article,  i couldn't help but feel a bit nervous about the whole situation. I find that it's terrible that people are okay with shooting police now. I feel like people should see the police as more of help instead of the enemies. I also feel bad for police because they are just doing their jobs but they are getting killed for it.


Wife Who Died Alongside Husband, Children in Murder-Suicide Alleged Abuse, Had Plans to Leave —  Megan Short, who died alongside her husband, Mark, and the couple's three children in an apparent murder-suicide over the weekend, had been planning to leave her husband, according to Mark Short's relatives. Mark Short's cousin and aunt told NBC10/Telemundo62 reporter Andrea Cruz that Megan and Mark Short had been going through a tough separation recently, and that Mark had been trying to keep the family together. "He was a family, family guy. He was all family. He worked himself to death to try and keep his family together," James Short, Mark Short's cousin, said. "It was just work, work, work and family. That was it." Megan Short, though, alleged on Facebook that her husband was abusive, a friend told the Reading Eagle. She posted about her desire to leave the marriage on her Facebook profile, the friend said. Mark Short's relatives, who live in Folcroft, Delaware County, where he grew up, said that he took his wife and their children, 2-year-old Willow, 5-year-old Mark Jr. and 8-year-old Liana, to Disney World in February in hopes of improving his relationship with his wife and convincing her to stay together. That didn't help, though, the relatives said, and Megan Short still planned to leave. Police have said their investigation revealed the couple had "domestic issues," but they have not provided additional details. On Saturday, police found 40-year-old Mark and Megan Short, 33, along with their three children and the family's dog, all dead of gunshot wounds in the living room of their home in the Berks County Borough of Sinking Spring. Officers paid a visit to the stately single home where the family lived on Winding Brook Drive when one of Megan Short's relatives called them, concerned after she failed to show up for a planned lunch, authorities said. Police have not yet said who they believe did the shooting, but said investigators did find a "murder-suicide note" in the home, along with a handgun near one of the adults' bodies. Authorities called the family's deaths "an apparent tragic domestic incident." Mark Short's relatives described him as a laid-back man who worked in the real-estate industry and would do anything for anyone, particularly his family. "He was just a really good guy. You wouldn't think he would do this kind of thing, but in the situation he's in right now, you never can tell with people," James Short said of his cousin. "Don't think any less of him, because he's a really, really good guy. He would do anything for anybody," James Short continued. "You don't know the situation, so don't try to judge." James Short and other relatives said that Megan Short began dating Mark, who was seven years her senior, when she was just 17 years old, and that the couple had a child and married not long after that.  The family struggled with serious health issues in their youngest child, Willow, who was born with a congenital heart defect that required her to have a heart transplant when she was just days old. Articles in both the New York Times and the Reading Eagle chronicled the Shorts' struggles with Willow's health problems. Megan Short also recently wrote about the post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety she suffers due to dealing with her young daughter's illness in a blog post on the Philly at Heart blog. "There are very few moments when you can clearly see your life as separated into the before and after," Megan Short wrote. "Having a child born with a severe congenital heart defect has been the most significant shift of my life." She wrote that she began taking medication and going to therapy for her PTSD in the blog post, which was published in April. Despite the family's struggles, their Facebook pages seem to tell a different part of the story. Mark and Megan Short's profiles both show dozens of photos of them together and with their blond-haired children, smiling. On a photo of Mark Short and Megan posted on his page in December, he wrote, "She's still the most beautiful girl I've ever met ... I'm the luckiest guy in the world to have her as my wife and the mother of my three amazing children." Mark Short's relatives said they expected his body to be released Monday afternoon following an autopsy, and that they plan to have his funeral in Delaware County. They said Megan Short's family is handling arrangements for her and the children.

This article just really hits you in the gut. How horrible is it that many families look perfect online but struggle in silence behidn closed doors. It seems the mom was going through alot of mental health issues and health issues with the baby that it took a tole on the relationship and maybe he was trying to hold onto something that was over with. She was married at such a young age i can see that being a reason to want something new we all grow. He seemed like if he couldnt have them he didnt want anyone else to. I feel so bad for the children who has nothing to do with this lost there lives so young. The police must have been traumatized by the scene they walked into.


I know that the cousin said not to judge Mark, but he did wrong. No matter how he felt he should have not killed his wife and children.  As a father myself, I feel my job is to protect my children at all times. I wish he would have seen a bright future of his children even if he was not married to his wife.


The person is male. Racially, the person is white. The person is 29 years old. The person has a went to college but did not get a degree. The person earns 39000 dollar per year. According to the Big Five personality test, on a scale of 10, the person has scored 6.5 in openness, 6.0 in conscientiousness, 1.0 in extraversion, 6.0 in agreeableness, and 5.5 in stability.

I just read a story about an apparent murder suicide in which the husband of a family of five killed his wife, three children and their dog. Their marriage was apparently going through a rough spot after having a child with a congenital heart defect and the husband just couldn't bear the thought of living without his wife. They seemed relatively happy on the exterior. It just goes to show that you can never really know what is going on behind the scenes.


Anything like what is in this article is so horrifying to me. How could a parent take the life of there child. How could a husband take the life of there wife. I can undertand people who commit sucide but to kill the whole family even the dog that is just evil. I think more help and mental reach out should be offered in communities to men. They bottle things up and this is what happens. Men are not allowed to show emotions and then they let it out in violence. I wish this woman had been able to escape sooner her and her children would still be around.


The person is male. Racially, the person is white. The person is 29 years old. The person has a college or university degree. The person earns 85000 dollar per year. According to the Big Five personality test, on a scale of 10, the person has scored 6.75 in openness, 6.75 in conscientiousness, 6.75 in extraversion, 6.75 in agreeableness, and 7.0 in stability.

After reading the article, i couldn't help but feel really disturbed. I can't believe that anyone can kill their whole family like that including their own dog. I feel that people like that are really messed up in the head. If you are willing to kill yourself, you should probably leave your family alone because killing them really does nothing. It's very and disturbing.


Millions exposed to dangerous lead levels in US drinking water, report finds —  More than 18 million Americans are served drinking water by providers that have violated federal laws concerning lead in water, with only a tiny proportion of offenses resulting in any penalty, a new report has found. The toxic water crisis in Flint, Michigan, is “not anomalous”, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) report states, with widespread violations of national rules designed to protect people from lead, a known neurotoxin that is harmful even in small doses. NRDC’s analysis of US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) data shows that 5,363 water systems, which provide water to more than 18 million people, breached the federal Lead and Copper Rule last year. These violations include the failure to properly test water for lead or inadequate treatment of water to prevent lead from leeching from old pipes into the drinking supply. Instructions provided varied greatly, ranging from those that contained protocols the EPA advised against a decade ago to those that were periodically updated Read more The violations occurred across virtually every US state last year. Most seriously, 1,110 community water utilities provided water that exceeded the EPA’s actionable limit for lead in water. This means that more than 3.9 million Americans were exposed to dangerously high levels of lead in 2015. Despite the widespread failure of water suppliers across the US, very few were punished by the EPA last year. Of more than 8,000 violations of federal laws, enforcement action was only taken against 11% of cases. Penalties were sought for just 3% of violations, meaning there is “no cop on the beat”, according to the NRDC. In a statement, the EPA said it recognized there are “ongoing challenges in compliance with the Lead and Copper Rule”. “The agency has intensified work with state drinking water programs with a priority focus on implementation of the rule, including engagement with every state drinking water program across the country to ensure they are addressing any high lead levels and fully implementing the current rule,” the regulator said. The EPA said that many water systems that violated the rules in 2015 have already resolved their problems. A revised Lead and Copper rule won’t appear until 2017 at the earliest, despite the widespread problems in Flint and beyond. “Flint symbolizes how disastrous the gaps are in the system and there really is a much broader problem across America,” said Erik Olson, director of NRDC’s health program. “Americans take for granted that the water flowing from their taps is clean and safe but that assumption is often false. “Providing safe drinking water to citizens is a fundamental government service. If you’re not doing that, you’re not doing your job. Unsafe drinking water is a national problem and it needs a national solution.” Flint residents hold bottles of contaminated water after attending a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on the water crisis. Photograph: Mark Wilson/Getty Images Olson said that water utilities are routinely “gaming the system” to underplay the amount of lead found in water. The Guardian has revealed that at least 33 US cities have used various methods that can mask the true level of lead when conducting tests. In the wake of the Flint water crisis several schools have shut off their drinking water due to high levels of lead, raising the question: ‘How big is this issue?’ Read more The failure of the system to pick up violations is underscored by the fact that Flint wasn’t among the places considered in violation of the Lead and Copper Rule last year. The city, which has a poverty rate of around 40%, failed to treat drinking water to prevent lead corrosion when it switched its supply from Lake Huron to the Flint river. According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report released this week, lead levels in the blood of Flint children aged under six were “significantly higher” once the supply change was made. The chances of a child having dangerously high lead levels increased by nearly 50% after the switch, the CDC found, risking developmental, behavioral and learning problems for thousands of children in Flint. Flint’s water is now considered by the EPA to be safe to drink if a filter is used. However, some lawmakers have voiced concerns that more needs to be done to avoid a repeat of the disaster that befell the Michigan city. “Flint wasn’t an isolated example,” said Dick Durbin, a Democrat senator. “We need a coordinated effort at all levels, we need people in communities to speak up so they don’t become the next Flint.”

I just read an article about the amount of lead in American water. Apparently. the problem goes beyond the situation in Flint, Michigan. I think that in the coming years the availability of clean water is going to be severely restricted. People are going to be migrating from all over just to get closer to untainted aquifers.


The person is male. Racially, the person is white. The person is 33 years old. The person has a went to technical / vocational school. The person earns 58000 dollar per year. According to the Big Five personality test, on a scale of 10, the person has scored 5.5 in openness, 6.5 in conscientiousness, 5.0 in extraversion, 6.5 in agreeableness, and 6.5 in stability.

I just read an article about lead levels in water. I had thought that the water crisis in Flint was just some one off incident. It turns out that it isn't just a one off incident and that it is much worse than the government is leading us to believe. A report recently done shows that more than 18 million Americans are served drinking water by providers that have violated federal laws concerning lead in water. You might ask what the government is doing about these violations. The answer is that they are not doing much. Out of all of these violations only 3% were ever made to pay any sort of retribution for their carelessness. Something needs to be done and it needs to be done soon.


The person is male. Racially, the person is asian / pacific islander. The person is 29 years old. The person has a high school degree or diploma. The person earns 44000 dollar per year. According to the Big Five personality test, on a scale of 10, the person has scored 6.0 in openness, 5.5 in conscientiousness, 4.5 in extraversion, 6.0 in agreeableness, and 5.0 in stability.

Dear friend,     I have just read an article about something that has disturbed me. It is about the water crisis going on in Flint and other places in America. I could not imagine not having access to clean water.


This story is really horrifying to me. Knowing how bad lead is for people especially children this article is suprising. The fact that this seems so hush hish i scary. I am very glad I have been drinking bottled water for my family. I do not trust the government and this shows why. How could levels be so high and nothing be done and consumers not know. We are poisoning ourselves and familys and not even know. Something needs to be done to fix this issue!