LEADS
Chemical Desolation in Appalachia
https://prospect.org/environment/2023-02-14-east-palestine-freight-train-derailment/
The Toxic Chemicals Released in the Ohio Train Derailment Are Horrifying
https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a42862278/toxic-chemicals-in-ohio-train-wreck/
Derailed Ohio Train Carried Toxic Ingredient for “Worst” Kind of Plastic
https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2023/02/derailment-east-palestine-ohio-train-carried-toxic-chemical-vinyl-chloride-plastic-pvc/
What Is Vinyl Chloride, The Chemical That Caused Ohio’s Immense Explosion?
https://www.iflscience.com/what-is-vinyl-chloride-the-chemical-that-caused-ohio-s-immense-explosion-67510
Authorities decided to burn 1,000,000 pounds of vinyl chloride releasing hundreds of thousands of pounds of hydrochloric acid into the atmosphere - why isn't anyone talking about it?
https://politiquerepublic.substack.com/p/authorities-decided-to-burn-1000000
Fact Check: Was Journalist Arrested in Ohio for Covering Train Derailment?
https://www.newsweek.com/fact-check-journalist-arrested-ohio-covering-train-derailment-1780787
A Derailed Train, Toxic Chemicals & An Arrested Journalist Has Residents In An Ohio Town Living In Fear
https://www.yourtango.com/news/ohio-train-derailment-sparks-fears-ecological-disaster
Ohio Train Derailment Evacuee Is Living a Real-Life Version of the Disaster Movie He Appeared in as an Extra
https://people.com/human-interest/ohio-train-derailment-evacuee-living-real-life-version-of-movie-white-noise/
Worried residents near Ohio train derailment report dead fish and chickens as authorities say it's safe to return
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/residents-ohio-train-derailment-report-dead-fish-chickens-rcna70378
‘Definitely not safe’: Animals falling sick, dying near hellish Ohio train derailment site
https://www.thechronicle.com.au/technology/definitely-not-safe-animals-falling-sick-dying-near-hellish-ohio-train-derailment-site/news-story/87f5a9a8b5be4e6f99b140a5a17946bf
Toxic Chemicals From Derailed Train Could Poison Area for Years
https://jalopnik.com/toxic-chemicals-from-derailed-train-could-poison-area-f-1850109217
EPA May Force Norfolk Southern to Pay Train Derailment Chemical Cleanup Costs
https://www.aboutlawsuits.com/norfolk-southern-train-derailment-cleanup-costs/
Attorney warning East Palestine residents about $1,000 Norfolk Southern ‘payments’
https://www.cleveland19.com/2023/02/13/attorney-warning-east-palestine-residents-about-1000-norfolk-southern-payments/
Railroad offering just $5-per-resident after derailment caused toxic mushroom cloud
https://www.indy100.com/news/norfolk-southern-railroad-toxic-ohio
Lawsuit seeks medical testing after toxic train derailment
https://fox56.com/news/local/lawsuit-seeks-medical-testing-after-toxic-train-derailment-02-13-2023
Video appears to show Ohio train on fire 20 miles before derailing
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/video-appears-to-show-ohio-train-on-fire-20-miles-before-derailing-explosion/
Ohio train derailment exposes system-wide failure
https://peoplesdispatch.org/2023/02/13/ohio-train-derailment-exposes-system-wide-failure/
Rail merger could bring more tar sands to Southeast Texas and train traffic to Houston neighborhoods
https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/energy-environment/2023/02/13/443551/rail-merger-could-bring-more-tar-sands-to-southeast-texas-and-train-traffic-to-houston-neighborhoods/
Long-running legal battle over rail deal at Port San Antonio finally goes to trial
https://www.expressnews.com/business/local/article/port-san-antonio-legal-battle-17774168.php
In Dimock, a Pennsylvania Town Riven by Fracking, Concerns About Ties Between a Judge and a Gas Driller
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/13022023/dimock-pennsylvania-fracking-judge/
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine Greenlights Fracking on State Lands
https://www.clevescene.com/news/ohio-governor-mike-dewine-greenlights-fracking-on-state-lands-41409629
States with fracking disclosure rules have higher water quality: study
https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/3855934-states-with-fracking-disclosure-rules-have-higher-water-quality-study/
EPA pressed to go stricter on air pollution limit
https://thehill.com/newsletters/3856568-epa-pressed-to-go-stricter-on-air-pollution-limit/
Air Pollution Isn't Only Bad For Lungs, Say Studies. It's Also Bad For Mental Health
https://www.sciencealert.com/air-pollution-isnt-only-bad-for-lungs-say-studies-its-also-bad-for-mental-health
New study reveals impact of climate change on mental health
https://www.wionews.com/science/new-study-reveals-impacts-of-climate-change-on-mental-health-561630
How social media affects teen mental health: a missing link
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-00402-9
CDC says teen girls are caught in an extreme wave of sadness and violence
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/teen-mental-health-cdc-girls-sadness-violence-rcna69964
N.J. school district where Adriana Kuch was attacked has a 'culture of violence,' community members say
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/nj-school-district-adriana-kuch-was-attacked-culture-violence-communit-rcna70453
Tennessee girl, high school class president, shot to death coming home from basketball game
https://nypost.com/2023/02/13/tennessee-girl-high-school-class-president-shot-to-death-coming-home-from-basketball-game/
The Michigan State University gunman is dead after killing 3 and critically wounding 5 in another US mass shooting
https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/14/us/michigan-state-university-shots-fired-tuesday/index.html
MSU shooter Anthony McRae pleaded guilty to gun charge in 2019
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2023/02/14/msu-shooter-anthony-mcrae-a-convicted-felon-with-weapons-history/69901983007/
Hartmann: Missouri Gets Famous for 'Toddlers' Right to Carry'
https://www.riverfronttimes.com/news/hartmann-missouri-gets-famous-for-toddlers-right-to-carry-39467433
POLITICS and FLEAS
Nikki Haley Is the Perfect Republican Presidential Candidate (for 2015)
https://www.thebulwark.com/nikki-haley-is-the-perfect-republican-presidential-candidate-for-2015/
'CEO of Anti-Woke Inc' Considering a Run for the White House
https://ijr.com/ceo-anti-woke-inc-considering-run-white-house/
DeSantis, legislative leaders roll out plan to prohibit ‘woke banking’ in Florida
https://www.wfla.com/news/florida/desantis-legislative-leaders-roll-out-plan-to-prohibit-woke-banking-in-florida/
Tough-guy Ron DeSantis defeats Woke Disney! Except ... he didn’t. At all.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2023/02/14/ron-desantis-woke-disney-florida-ap-african-american-fake-trump-huppke/11251923002/
The Real Reason Trump Is Calling DeSantis ‘Meatball Ron’
https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-real-reason-trump-is-calling-desantis-meatball-ron
Trump Compares FBI to Nazi 'Gestapo' While Claiming Documents Seized from Mar-a-Lago Were 'Empty Folders'
https://www.mediaite.com/opinion/trump-compares-fbi-to-nazi-gestapo-while-claiming-documents-seized-from-mar-a-lago-were-empty-folders/
Report: Trump’s Habit of Clogging Toilets With Government Documents Even Grosser Than Previously Thought
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/02/donald-trump-toilet-clogging-documents-details
Rumors swirl about balloons, UFOs as officials stay mum
https://apnews.com/article/technology-politics-united-states-government-district-of-columbia-china-8a04a3fc52516fefcbeae5492ffb25c4
'Who is behind them?': UFO fever grips Capitol Hill
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/02/14/ufo-fever-capitol-hill-00082671
The White House Wants You to Believe Those UFOs Weren’t Aliens
https://gizmodo.com/spy-balloon-china-ufo-aliens-areal-objects-1850109286
UFOs, UAPs and ETs: Why some people believe aliens are visiting us right now
https://www.independent.co.uk/space/ufo-news-today-america-recent-sightings-b2281782.html
Congressman Believes U.S. Government Has Found Alien UFOs
https://www.newsweek.com/congressman-tim-burchett-believes-us-government-has-found-alien-ufos-1780906
The legend of Area 51—and why it still fascinates us
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/area-51-aliens-ufos-real-history
FOREIGN ENTANGLEMENTS
BBC offices in India raided by tax officials after broadcaster airs documentary critical of Narendra Modi
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-14/bbc-offices-in-india-raided-by-tax-officers/101974072
Cambodia's Hun Sen shuts down independent media outlet Voice of Democracy
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-64621595
Is Freedom Of Expression Worsening In Bangladesh?
https://www.pressenza.com/2023/02/is-freedom-of-expression-worsening-in-bangladesh/
Somali Journalist Freed In Surprise Move Hours After Conviction
https://www.barrons.com/news/somalia-jails-prominent-journalist-in-security-crackdown-8e182b53
Despite Khamenei's amnesty, most protesters in Iran won't go free, advocate says
https://www.npr.org/2023/02/14/1156115697/iran-amnesty-protests-arrests-khamenei
Iranian chess player in exile in southern Spain for not wearing headscarf
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/sara-khadem-headscarf-protest-iran-exile-southern-spain-chess-b1060117.html
Captain of Israeli soccer team says Russia 'less racist than Israel'
https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/byocco86o
PANDORA'S BOXCUTTER
Is the Total Recall Villain Basically Just Elon Musk?
https://movieweb.com/total-recall-villain-elon-musk/
Elon Musk's Dirty Brain Implants Are Under Investigation
https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/a42860771/elon-musk-neuralink-hazardous-brain-implants-investigation/
How VCs are vying for a piece of your brain—literally
https://www.fastcompany.com/90848404/how-vcs-are-vying-for-a-piece-of-your-brain
THE MEDIA SCRUM
It's No Lie: Startups Fighting Disinformation Are Raking In Cash
https://news.crunchbase.com/ai-robotics/venture-startups-disinformation-primer-vinesight/
Disinformation Inc: Secret payment to 'blacklist' conservative news revealed
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/equality-not-elitism/disinformation-inc-government-backed-organization-sent-315-000-to-group-blacklisting-conservative-news
Soros-backed ‘disinformation’ group under fire for blacklisting conservative media outlets
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/feb/13/george-soros-backed-global-disinformation-index-un/
Combating Disinformation Wanes at Social Media Giants
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/14/technology/disinformation-moderation-social-media.html
Google wants to fight misinformation with 'prebunking'
https://www.androidpolice.com/google-fight-misinformation-prebunking/
Mark Cuban: Internet misinformation will only ‘get worse’ as ChatGPT and its competitors grow
https://www.cnbc.com/2023/02/12/mark-cuban-chatgpt-ai-tech-will-make-internet-misinformation-worse.html
The Bitter Truth Behind ChatGPT’s Political Correctness
https://analyticsindiamag.com/the-bitter-truth-behind-chatgpts-political-correctness/
ODDS, ENDS
The Weaponization of Weddings
https://www.marieclaire.com/career-advice/zola-shan-lyn-ma-op-ed-weaponization-weddings/
By Blessing Sin, the Church of England Will Keep People From God
https://stream.org/by-blessing-sin-the-church-of-england-will-keep-people-from-god/
The history of "better than sex" cake, a sweet dessert with a sinful reputation
https://www.salon.com/2023/02/13/the-history-of-better-than-sex-cake-a-sweet-dessert-with-a-sinful-reputation/
Is spontaneous sex better? New research casts doubt on commonly held belief
https://phys.org/news/2023-02-spontaneous-sex-commonly-held-belief.html
Monogamous Prairie Voles Reveal the Neurobiology of Love
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/monogamous-prairie-voles-reveal-the-neurobiology-of-love/
Being divorced or single increases the risk of dementia
https://partner.sciencenorway.no/ageing-children-dementia/being-divorced-or-single-increases-the-risk-of-dementia/2150180
The adults celebrating child-free lives
https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20230208-the-adults-celebrating-child-free-lives
Myth Busted: Falling Birth Rate Not Due to Less Desire To Have Children
https://scitechdaily.com/myth-busted-falling-birth-rate-not-due-to-less-desire-to-have-children/