Calculus Explained with GIFs and Pics (2014)
488 by archibaldJ | 33 comments on Hacker News.
Fox News Breaking News Alert
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Trump signs bill supporting Hong Kong protesters despite strong opposition from China
11/27/19 3:49 PM
Trump signs bill supporting Hong Kong protesters despite strong opposition from China
11/27/19 3:49 PM
Fox News Breaking News Alert
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Ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland denies report accusing him of sexual harassment, calling it 'fundamentally false'
11/27/19 3:37 PM
Ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland denies report accusing him of sexual harassment, calling it 'fundamentally false'
11/27/19 3:37 PM
New best story on Hacker News: RISC-V Foundation moving to Switzerland over trade curb fears
RISC-V Foundation moving to Switzerland over trade curb fears
372 by thesausageking | 262 comments on Hacker News.
372 by thesausageking | 262 comments on Hacker News.
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President Trump addresses Florida 'homecoming rally'
11/26/19 4:26 PM
President Trump addresses Florida 'homecoming rally'
11/26/19 4:26 PM
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Deadly earthquake rattles Albania, rescue teams search rubble
11/25/19 10:35 PM
Deadly earthquake rattles Albania, rescue teams search rubble
11/25/19 10:35 PM
Fox News Breaking News Alert
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Federal judge orders ex-White House counsel Don McGahn to comply with subpoena, appear before Congress
11/25/19 3:17 PM
Federal judge orders ex-White House counsel Don McGahn to comply with subpoena, appear before Congress
11/25/19 3:17 PM
New best story on Hacker News: Tell HN: Google should drop Quora from search results
Tell HN: Google should drop Quora from search results
744 by babuskov | 275 comments on Hacker News.
Finding answers to basically any question is now behind a walled garden that requires that you create an account. This is the exact thing expertsexchange did before StackOverflow came and ate their lunch. What do you think about it?
744 by babuskov | 275 comments on Hacker News.
Finding answers to basically any question is now behind a walled garden that requires that you create an account. This is the exact thing expertsexchange did before StackOverflow came and ate their lunch. What do you think about it?
Fox News Breaking News Alert
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Defense secretary fires Navy secretary amid controversy over SEAL Eddie Gallagher, Pentagon says
11/24/19 2:08 PM
Defense secretary fires Navy secretary amid controversy over SEAL Eddie Gallagher, Pentagon says
11/24/19 2:08 PM
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Former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg releases ‘launch ad,’ officially entering 2020 presidential race
11/24/19 7:34 AM
Former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg releases ‘launch ad,’ officially entering 2020 presidential race
11/24/19 7:34 AM
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Peter Navarro discusses counterfeit goods on “Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo” today on Fox News Channel at 10 a.m.
11/24/19 6:55 AM
Peter Navarro discusses counterfeit goods on “Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo” today on Fox News Channel at 10 a.m.
11/24/19 6:55 AM
Fox News Breaking News Alert
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Alabama suspect surrenders after sheriff fatally shot
11/23/19 11:21 PM
Alabama suspect surrenders after sheriff fatally shot
11/23/19 11:21 PM
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Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was hospitalized Friday night after experiencing chills and a fever, the Supreme Court
11/23/19 4:25 PM
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was hospitalized Friday night after experiencing chills and a fever, the Supreme Court
11/23/19 4:25 PM
New world news from Time: It’s Not Just Flooding in Venice. Here’s How Climate Change Threatens World Heritage Sites Everywhere
Venice is reeling from the worst flooding the city has experienced in 50 years, the city is “on its knees,” Venetian Mayor Luigi Brugnaro tweeted as water submerged much of the the famous historical city. The floods penetrated Saint Mark’s Basilica, a 1,000 year old church that is considered to be one of the finest examples of Byzantine architecture in the world and one of the city’s most famous landmarks.
While floods are a normal part of life in Venice, which is famously built on a lagoon at the edge of the Adriatic Sea, they have never happened with such frequency before. Experts say that climate change is likely to blame. But putting in place protective measures has proven difficult and ironically, the Venetian council voted against a measure to fight climate change just a few moments before their chamber flooded.
Flooding is just one of the many impacts from climate change that is being experienced with more frequency and globally it threatens many vulnerable areas and regions. There is a threat that is not often considered say experts — the damage from climate change to the world’s heritage. Natural and man-made heritage sites throughout the world are in danger of being fundamentally altered, damaged or destroyed by climate change.
Climate change will impact these sites in radically different ways. Some will be hit by flooding, like Venice, others by other extreme weather events or rising temperatures. For instance, George Town, the capital of the Malaysian state Penang faces rising sea levels, landslides and more severe typhoons, whereas the Yellowstone ecosystem in the western United States faces melting snows, more frequent wildfires and a changing ecosystems.
Changes in the ocean will have a profound impact on many of these sites. Warming waters threatens to kill much of the coral in the Great Barrier Reef, while rising sea levels threaten to wash away many of the world’s great archaeological sites — including the Neolithic village Skara Brae in Scotland.
Experts say that the solutions to saving these sites will be varied, although many will be very expensive.
Mechtild Rossler, Director of the World Heritage Centre, tells TIME that countries need to work together to share strategies for protecting heritage sites. UNESCO, for instance, enables countries to “exchange experiences of things that have worked – and things that have not worked.”
Adam Markham, the deputy director of the Climate & Energy program at the Union of Concerned Scientists, tells TIME that if the world wants to save these sites, countries will also need to share financial resources. Although a city as famous as Venice can likely expect massive international support, lesser-known sites may face greater challenges raising money.
“If cities have the engineering structure and the funds available, then they can do a lot to hold it back,” Rossler says. “But particularly in developing much money to manage these cities or these historic sites, they are either dependent on international aid or they’re just not going to be able to adapt.”
To take a closer look at this issue, TIME looked at how the following World Heritage Sites which are in harm’s way because of climate change — and at how scientists, park employees and archaeologists are working to save them.
Venice
Few places in the world are as threatened by climate change as Venice. As the city is built on marshland at the edge of a lagoon, its existence has always required maintaining a careful balance between the city and the natural world. But in recent years, climate change has threatened to throw off the balance.
Venetians have always lived with flooding, often caused by the phenomenon known as “acqua alta” — high water — which are unusually high tides. However, these types of floods used to be relatively uncommon, because the Mediterranean historically has not had significant tides. However, as sea levels rise, these types of tides — and the flooding they cause—have become more common. This November, Venice experience a record three “acqua alta” events in one week according to the Associated Press.
Chiara Bertolin, an associate professor at Norwegian University of Science and Technology, says that the filthy, salty water can get into the precious materials that make up Venice’s buildings and monuments and cause them to expand, crack – or even bubble and explode.
“When salt permeates the materials of these buildings, it crystallizes, and ascends vertically once the weather gets drier,” architect Kobi Karp told Architectural Digest.
Bertolin says that the historic nature of the buildings means that they cannot just replace them with materials that are more resilient and this can make it difficult to take adaptive measures “You need to clean them slowly—very slowly—and not force it to dry,” says Bertolin.
Markham says that one of the frustrating things about Venice is that it already invested billions of dollars in a project — MOSE — erecting 78 floodgates in the Venice lagoon. But while the project was supposed to have been completed back in 2012, it has been delayed by technical issues, bureaucracy and alleged corruption.
“They need to get their act together and at least try it,” says Markham. He warns that no matter what, Venice is likely to lose some of its historic buildings. Water is getting higher and higher into the buildings, and can compromise their foundations, undermining their structural integrity.
“I think there will always be some degree of flooding in Venice. The question is, does that flooding become catastrophic that you just can’t maintain the buildings as they are now,” says Markham.
Skara Brae in the Orkney Islands
Climate change is also threatening archaeological sites around the world. Some of the most vulnerable sites are those along coasts — such as the Neolithic village Skara Brae in Scotland’s Orkney Islands. The village was inhabited from 3200 to 2200 B.C.E., overlapping with the period when Stonehenge was built.
Markham says what makes Skara Brae special is that while most European villages of its age were made of wood, the village at this particular site was made from stone. That means it’s possible to get a better glimpse of how people actually lived —such as the stone bench where they sat, and the remains of their hearth.
Archaeological sites can sometimes be even more vulnerable after they’re discovered because they are open to the elements, Rossler warns. However, in Skara Brae’s case, the biggest danger is that it could be “literally washed away,” she says.
While there’s a sea wall protecting the site, it’s unstable and could eventually be breached; the area not protected by the wall visibly erodes after storms.
“You could wake up one day and it won’t be there,” says Markham.
Scientists are working to measure the extent of the danger to the Skara Brae site. Experts say that some coastal sites could potentially be protected by sea walls, breakwaters and dune restoration. But because there are so many coastal sites just in Scotland, experts warn that it’s protecting them all could be too expensive and take too much time.
Yellowstone
Protecting a large natural space like Yellowstone, which encompasses 12 to 22 million acres (depending on how you measure) in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, is different than protecting a city or historic landmark. Yellowstone isn’t going to be swept into the ocean and vanish, but Markham warns that it could look very different as it is altered by climate change, although the changes may be too slow for most visitors to immediately notice. Over time, the composition of plants and animals that live in the park is expected to change — which may mean the land has less forest and more scrub.
“It’s still going to be an amazing ecosystem, but it’s going to be a slightly different ecosystem,” Markham says. He warns that the scientists and park rangers who want to protect it will have to “go with the flow” as the ecosystem changes.
Changes in the climate can have a domino effect that reaches many aspects of the ecosystem both in the park and in the surrounding region. For instance, changes in snow accumulation and melting rates can reduce the flow of water in rivers that communities outside the region depend on for drinking, agriculture, energy and other purposes. Alterations in the flow can affect fish spawning, and encourage invasive species to expand.
The U.S. Park Service is working to make Yellowstone National Park more resistant to climate change. For instance, as beetles and fungus have damaged the park’s whitebark pine trees, scientists have worked to plant whitebarks which can better resist the fungus. However, whitebark pines are likely to be pushed to higher elevations as temperatures rise, according to NASA’s Earth Observatory.
George Town, the capital of the Malaysian state Penang
As the globe warms, scientists say that unusually strong hurricanes may become more common. In combination with rising sea levels, this is especially threatening to historic neighborhoods in many cities, which were often built low and sit close to the sea.
George Town, the capital of the Malaysian state Penang, is in danger because its historic area is low. The city, which was a colonial town and trading hub, was famed for its multicultural heritage, including unique and varied architecture. However, the buildings are made of wood, which means that they’re susceptible to rotting and insect damage if they get wet. Heavy rainfall, as caused by typhoons, can also lead to landslides, which can flow downhill towards historic areas and the people who inhabit them.
To address flooding, Penang has announced plans to implement a “sponge city model,” which aims to absorb water through permeable surfaces. The project proposal would include connecting green spaces to help soak up and clean runoff and constructing water retention areas and rain gardens. China has also announced plans to implement such sponge city technologies in cities across the country.
The Great Barrier Reef
Few world heritage sites are more vulnerable to the affects of climate change than the Great Barrier Reef northeast of Australia. Coral around the world is increasingly undergoing “bleaching” — going white — which can cause mass die-offs. Corals bleach when under stress, especially from higher temperatures. Researchers have found that there has been an 89% decline in the spawning of new coral in the Great Barrier reef and the situation is likely to only get worse.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns that if the globe warms by 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit), 70 to 90 percent of the world’s coral would decline—– but if the globe warms 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), more than 99% of coral would be gone.
“Either way, we’re going to lose a lot of coral reefs and much of the Great Barrier Reef will be amongst them,” says Markham.
Australia has launched an effort to help protect the reef, which includes a plan to combat a coral-eating starfish and an initiative to curb runoff. But Markham says that there’s really only one way to actually save it.
“If you talk to the coral reef biologists who are actually there…The only way we can save the Great Barrier Reef is by slowing global warming,” says Markham. “Coral reefs will be totally devastated by climate change. There’s just no doubt about that.”
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President Trump to speak live on 'Fox & Friends' amid impeachment inquiry, upcoming FISA report
11/22/19 5:04 AM
President Trump to speak live on 'Fox & Friends' amid impeachment inquiry, upcoming FISA report
11/22/19 5:04 AM
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Justice Department watchdog's findings on potential FISA abuses to be released Dec. 9, Graham tells Fox News
11/20/19 7:14 PM
Justice Department watchdog's findings on potential FISA abuses to be released Dec. 9, Graham tells Fox News
11/20/19 7:14 PM
New best story on Hacker News: Ask HN: What's the most valuable thing you can learn in an hour?
Ask HN: What's the most valuable thing you can learn in an hour?
766 by newsbinator | 646 comments on Hacker News.
A lot of what hackers do takes years of building knowledge upon knowledge. That's also true for physicists, marketers, salespeople, managers, etc. Are there any quick wins that 30 ~ 60 minutes of intense concentration can generate? For example an average person, if focused, can learn to read (but not understand) Korean decently in under an hour. A person can also learn a few guitar chords and possibly play a carefully-chosen song in that time. But those aren't valuable skills in themselves. Do you know of any simple + valuable wins in your area of interest? ("valuable" intentionally left vague)
766 by newsbinator | 646 comments on Hacker News.
A lot of what hackers do takes years of building knowledge upon knowledge. That's also true for physicists, marketers, salespeople, managers, etc. Are there any quick wins that 30 ~ 60 minutes of intense concentration can generate? For example an average person, if focused, can learn to read (but not understand) Korean decently in under an hour. A person can also learn a few guitar chords and possibly play a carefully-chosen song in that time. But those aren't valuable skills in themselves. Do you know of any simple + valuable wins in your area of interest? ("valuable" intentionally left vague)
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Impeachment inquiry witnesses undercut claims of 'quid pro quo,' 'bribery' and 'cover-up'
11/19/19 5:38 PM
Impeachment inquiry witnesses undercut claims of 'quid pro quo,' 'bribery' and 'cover-up'
11/19/19 5:38 PM
New best story on Hacker News: We ‘may’ have discovered a potential remedy for tinnitus
We ‘may’ have discovered a potential remedy for tinnitus
440 by DanielBMarkham | 186 comments on Hacker News.
440 by DanielBMarkham | 186 comments on Hacker News.
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Jeffery Epstein prison guards charged with falsifying records
11/19/19 8:29 AM
Jeffery Epstein prison guards charged with falsifying records
11/19/19 8:29 AM
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Vindman says Ukrainian official offered him the job of defense minister
11/19/19 8:18 AM
Vindman says Ukrainian official offered him the job of defense minister
11/19/19 8:18 AM
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Vindman says he spoke with intel official about Trump-Ukraine call, raising questions of possible whistleblower contact
11/19/19 8:12 AM
Vindman says he spoke with intel official about Trump-Ukraine call, raising questions of possible whistleblower contact
11/19/19 8:12 AM
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FBI investigating possibility of 'criminal enterprise' in Jeffrey Epstein death, prisons chief says
11/19/19 7:59 AM
FBI investigating possibility of 'criminal enterprise' in Jeffrey Epstein death, prisons chief says
11/19/19 7:59 AM
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Sweden drops investigation into alleged rape by Julian Assange
11/19/19 5:15 AM
Sweden drops investigation into alleged rape by Julian Assange
11/19/19 5:15 AM
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Taliban frees American, Australian in prisoner swap
11/19/19 2:01 AM
Taliban frees American, Australian in prisoner swap
11/19/19 2:01 AM
New best story on Hacker News: Pointless work meetings 'really a form of therapy'
Pointless work meetings 'really a form of therapy'
502 by DarkContinent | 204 comments on Hacker News.
502 by DarkContinent | 204 comments on Hacker News.
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Three people shot and killed at Duncan, Okla., Walmart, according to police
11/18/19 8:34 AM
Three people shot and killed at Duncan, Okla., Walmart, according to police
11/18/19 8:34 AM
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Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards wins reelection in tight race
11/16/19 8:05 PM
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards wins reelection in tight race
11/16/19 8:05 PM
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California school shooting suspect dies of his injuries, authorities say
11/15/19 5:05 PM
California school shooting suspect dies of his injuries, authorities say
11/15/19 5:05 PM
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Trump grants clemency to 2 Army officers accused of war crimes, restores rank to Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher
11/15/19 3:48 PM
Trump grants clemency to 2 Army officers accused of war crimes, restores rank to Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher
11/15/19 3:48 PM
New world news from Time: Why President Trump Is Playing a Surprising Role in Britain’s Upcoming Election
President Trump isn’t running for office in the U.K., but his presence is nonetheless looming over the country’s election, scheduled for Dec. 12.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who currently leads a minority government which has struggled to pass crucial Brexit laws, is seeking a greater mandate to “get Brexit done.” If he returns as Prime Minister, he will also be tasked with securing a post-Brexit trade deal with the U.S.
Johnson enjoys a close relationship with President Trump, which he hopes will translate to a favorable trade deal further down the line. But their bond has also become a political liability during election time, thanks to Trump’s widespread unpopularity in the U.K.
While Britain may be divided on the question of Brexit, when it comes to Trump they broadly agree. In a poll conducted during Trump’s state visit to the U.K. in June, Gallup reported only 26% of British adults believed he was doing a good job leading the U.S. And in a Nov. 1 YouGov survey, only 10% of British adults said Trump’s endorsement would be helpful for party candidates hoping to win seats in the upcoming election.
So the main opposition Labour Party saw an electoral opportunity when, on Nov. 1, Trump called into a radio show hosted by the Brexit party leader Nigel Farage, and urged him to make an alliance with Johnson in pursuit of Brexit.
“You and I have become friends over the years,” Trump told Farage, who was one of the leading figures during the U.K.’s 2016 Brexit referendum, and visited Trump in New York shortly before his inauguration. “I would like to see you and Boris get together,” Trump continued. “I know that you and him will end up doing something that could be terrific… You’d be an unstoppable force.”
After his discussion with Trump, Farage announced that his insurgent Brexit Party would not field candidates against sitting Conservative lawmakers — a move which took some (though not all) of the pressure off Johnson.
Labour campaigners seized on the association. “What we have before us is an alliance between Donald Trump and Nigel Farage and Boris Johnson,” Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn told reporters on Tuesday. “We know where that alliance is designed to take us – into a sweetheart trade deal with the United States that will threaten all of our regulations, all of our conditions, and threaten our public services.”
After Brexit actually happens (it’s currently scheduled for Jan. 31, but has been delayed three times), the U.K. will have to hammer out a new trade deal with the U.S. — something Johnson has made a major priority of his post-Brexit economic strategy.
“Boris Johnson wants to be able to point to the possibility of a strong U.S.-U.K. trade agreement after Brexit, so he has to be on the same page as President Trump,” says Lewis Lukens, who was the most senior career diplomat based at the U.S. embassy in London from 2016 to 2019. “It helps Johnson to have positive encouragement on the trade front from President Trump. But on the other hand, a lot of people see President Trump pretty negatively in the U.K., and Johnson doesn’t want to be seen as too close to Trump. It’s a fine line to walk.”
Labour insiders say their campaign has been bolstered by anti-Trump messaging. They say the party has done research which shows the British population has widespread anxieties about, in particular, potential U.S. encroachment into the U.K.’s National Health Service (NHS) post-Brexit. (The NHS is an institution, beloved in Britain, which provides tax-funded healthcare free for patients to access.)
On his state visit to the U.K. in June, Trump played into those fears. “When you’re dealing in trade everything is on the table, so NHS or anything else… everything will be on the table, absolutely,” Trump told reporters at a press conference.
The Labour Party, which wants to remain in the E.U.’s economic unions (thus avoiding the prospect of a bespoke U.S. trade deal), has said that after Brexit, Trump will use America’s economic muscle to force the U.K. into accepting healthcare reforms that could push up prices for patients. On Facebook, many of the campaign ads taken out by Labour refer to Johnson’s perceived willingness to cooperate with Trump on this front. “Boris Johnson’s disastrous Brexit would sell off our NHS to Donald Trump,” says one advert, which first ran the day after Trump’s call with Farage, and stayed online for a week.
“With a No Deal Brexit, your family’s medicine costs could skyrocket to unaffordable USA prices once Boris Johnson strikes a trade deal with Donald Trump,” says another ad which ran on Facebook in October.
Johnson has repeatedly denied the NHS will be a part of any trade negotiations. But according to a recent report by Channel 4’s Dispatches program, senior officials from his government have met with U.S. negotiators and pharmaceutical companies to discuss the health service.
“The U.S. trade negotiators are very skilled and experienced and tough,” Lukens tells TIME. “They will be out there negotiating as hard as they can to protect U.S. interests. A lot of interests between the U.S. and U.K. are pretty well aligned, but there will be areas where what the U.S. team wants is not what the U.K. team wants. The negotiations will be difficult at that point.”
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2 students now dead in California school shooting, sheriff announces
11/14/19 12:16 PM
2 students now dead in California school shooting, sheriff announces
11/14/19 12:16 PM
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Kentucky Republican Gov. Matt Bevin concedes to Dem Andy Beshear in reelection bid
11/14/19 11:26 AM
Kentucky Republican Gov. Matt Bevin concedes to Dem Andy Beshear in reelection bid
11/14/19 11:26 AM
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New complaint filed with inspector general alleges possible improper fundraising by Trump-Ukraine whistleblower
11/12/19 7:44 AM
New complaint filed with inspector general alleges possible improper fundraising by Trump-Ukraine whistleblower
11/12/19 7:44 AM
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3 Taliban figures to be released for held American, Australian
11/12/19 2:05 AM
3 Taliban figures to be released for held American, Australian
11/12/19 2:05 AM
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Former President Jimmy Carter hospitalized for procedure to reduce pressure on brain after recent falls
11/11/19 6:16 PM
Former President Jimmy Carter hospitalized for procedure to reduce pressure on brain after recent falls
11/11/19 6:16 PM
New world news from Time: Why China’s Conviction of 9 Fentanyl Traffickers Is Unlikely to Stop Exports to the U.S.
As part of a crackdown on the importation of synthetic opioids to the U.S from China, nine people were convicted in China on charges of trafficking fentanyl as part of a joint effort by Chinese and American law enforcement agencies. The public sentencing display and harsh sentences, including a death penalty and two life sentences, are what experts believe is China’s way of signaling to Washington that they are committed to combatting drug trafficking.
Fentanyl use has killed thousands in the U.S. About 28,000 people died from overdoses involving synthetic opioids other than methadone, including fentanyl, in 2017.
And overdose deaths specifically involving fentanyl doubled every year from 2013 to 2016. A congressional commission has referred to China as the “largest source of illicit fentanyl and fentanyl-like substances in the United States.” According to U.S. law enforcement and drug investigators China is the “main supplier” of the drug to the U.S., Mexico and Canada.
The U.S. has been asking China to crack down on its fentanyl problem for years now — and made such requests even towards the end of the Obama Administration. China has made a series of commitments indicating they will do so but the problem has persisted.
“Publicizing this is an attempt to send a message that ‘Hey, we’re really serious about this and we’re making moves to crack down,’” Regina LaBelle, who was chief of staff in the Office of National Drug Control Policy during the Obama Administration, tells TIME. American officials have long blamed China for the influx of fentanyl and similar substances reaching U.S. borders. LaBelle recalls several “high-level” discussions with China in which they made commitments in the last year of the Obama Administration to crack down on fentanyl. “They would, in official statements, say the right words,” LaBelle says.
However many believe that China’s lack of oversight over its massive pharmaceutical and chemical industry still poses a daunting challenge for any efforts to crackdown on the production and export of illegal drugs. LaBelle remains skeptical about how much has changed. Asked whether China did enough during President Barack Obama’s tenure, LaBelle responded, “They probably could have moved a little faster because we’re almost in the same place we were.”
Without being privy to classified information, it’s “really hard to tell” whether China is doing enough to stop the illicit flow of synthetic opioids, LaBelle says. She adds that it’s an “extreme challenge,” given the lack of regulation in China’s sprawling chemical industry.
Fentanyl has devastated the U.S. in recent years. The substance is 50 times stronger than heroin, and proving increasingly popular with American drug users. While the rate of overdose deaths from heroin has plateaued in recent years, the rate of overdose deaths related to synthetic opioids, including fentanyl, has been increasing — 45% between 2016 and 2017 (from 6.2 to 9 deaths per 100,000 people).
Fentanyl seizures by U.S. Customs and Border Protection have shot up dramatically in recent years, too. In FY 2013, CBP seized about 1 kg of fentanyl. By FY 2018, the agency seized almost a thousand times that amount. Much of the drug has come through the mail, prompting Trump to order the U.S. Postal Service and express shipping companies to “SEARCH FOR & REFUSE all deliveries of fentanyl” earlier this year.
President Trump has previously said that Chinese President Xi Jinping had told him that China did not have a drug problem, because it could (and does) use the death penalty to punish drug dealers. However, data and experts point to an increase in drug users in the country, suggesting China does have problems with drug abuse.
A top Chinese drug official denied allegations by Trump that China is the reason for most of the supply of America’s fentanyl just two months ago. A congressional commission previously stated that China does not have a domestic fentanyl abuse problem and this is the reason its production is not prevented. “Because illicit fentanyl is not widely used in China, authorities place little emphasis on controlling its production and export,” notes a 2017 report from the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission.
Thursday’s sentencing appeared to be a victory for the White House. Jim Carroll, policy director for the Office of National Drug Control, said in a statement issued on the same day that “the concrete action taken by China is a direct result of President Trump’s strong leadership on this issue, and the personal engagement by many members of Congress.”
As part of a wide-ranging deal between Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping last December, China had reportedly pledged to designate fentanyl and similar drugs as controlled substances, subjecting those who sell them to harsh punishments and potentially slowing their flow into the U.S. In April, China announced that it would follow through on its pledge to control all fentanyl-related substances as a class and did so the following month.
The rare collaboration between the two countries comes in the midst of an ongoing trade war that has lasted for more than a year and strained American and Chinese economies. On Friday, Trump pushed back on comments from a Chinese official that the U.S. would roll back the higher tariffs slapped on Chinese goods, the Associated Press reported.
China’s decision to very publicly convict the fentanyl traffickers at this time appears to be an attempt at political posturing and gaining “leverage” in ongoing trade talks for some experts. Bryce Pardo, an associate policy researcher at the RAND corporation who has worked with the national government on drug policy, points out that it’s important to note that some of the arrests in the case may have been made two years ago. The timing is “more than just a coincidence,” he says and likely is a message from China that “they’re doing something.”
The public sentencing does, however, highlight successful cooperation between the two countries at an otherwise tense time. Pardo notes that the convictions show the results of “a very positive collaboration effort” and that such intelligence and information sharing is key to tracking down individuals involved in manufacturing synthetic opioids.
Even if China was to successfully get the production and export of fentanyl under control, it would not necessarily mean the end of fentanyl being imported to the U.S. China is “just one piece of this puzzle,” Pardo says. “At the end of the day, fentanyl manufacturing will not stop,” even if “China does get its regulatory house in order.” India also has a massive pharmaceutical industry with little regulation and just last year, Indian authorities reported two relatively large seizures of fentanyl apparently headed for North America.
While China grapples with its supply crisis, it’s imperative for the U.S. to focus on curbing demand and enacting effective harm reduction measures to minimize and prevent overdose deaths, LaBelle says. “We have to recognize both sides of this equation,” LaBelle says. “Without customers, there wouldn’t be a market.”
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Peter King, the 14-term GOP congressman from New York, announces he will not seek re-election in 2020
11/11/19 2:56 AM
Peter King, the 14-term GOP congressman from New York, announces he will not seek re-election in 2020
11/11/19 2:56 AM
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PROGRAMMING ALERT: 'Modern Warriors: A Veterans Day Special,' on Fox News and Fox Nation
11/10/19 5:06 PM
PROGRAMMING ALERT: 'Modern Warriors: A Veterans Day Special,' on Fox News and Fox Nation
11/10/19 5:06 PM
New best story on Hacker News: It’s Not Enough to Be Right – You Also Have to Be Kind
It’s Not Enough to Be Right – You Also Have to Be Kind
479 by victorbojica | 265 comments on Hacker News.
479 by victorbojica | 265 comments on Hacker News.
Fox News Breaking News Alert
Fox News Breaking News Alert
Schiff denies GOP request for public testimony from Ukraine whistleblower, says it would be 'redundant and unnecessary'
11/09/19 7:54 PM
Schiff denies GOP request for public testimony from Ukraine whistleblower, says it would be 'redundant and unnecessary'
11/09/19 7:54 PM
New best story on Hacker News: The FCC Has Fined Robocallers $208M, Collected $6,790
The FCC Has Fined Robocallers $208M, Collected $6,790
350 by simonebrunozzi | 166 comments on Hacker News.
350 by simonebrunozzi | 166 comments on Hacker News.
Fox News Breaking News Alert
Fox News Breaking News Alert
House Republicans to call Hunter Biden, the Ukraine whistleblower to testify in Trump impeachment hearings
11/09/19 6:11 AM
House Republicans to call Hunter Biden, the Ukraine whistleblower to testify in Trump impeachment hearings
11/09/19 6:11 AM
Fox News Breaking News Alert
Fox News Breaking News Alert
EXCLUSIVE: Devin Nunes demands Adam Schiff testify in private as part of impeachment inquiry
11/08/19 5:46 PM
EXCLUSIVE: Devin Nunes demands Adam Schiff testify in private as part of impeachment inquiry
11/08/19 5:46 PM
New best story on Hacker News: Nuclear energy is a vital part of solving the climate crisis
Nuclear energy is a vital part of solving the climate crisis
354 by ericdanielski | 306 comments on Hacker News.
354 by ericdanielski | 306 comments on Hacker News.
Fox News Breaking News Alert
Fox News Breaking News Alert
Despite denial, emails show key impeachment witness communicated with Dem staffer
11/07/19 8:27 PM
Despite denial, emails show key impeachment witness communicated with Dem staffer
11/07/19 8:27 PM
Fox News Breaking News Alert
Fox News Breaking News Alert
Whistleblower attorney defends 2017 tweets in which he predicted 'coup' against Trump
11/07/19 8:07 AM
Whistleblower attorney defends 2017 tweets in which he predicted 'coup' against Trump
11/07/19 8:07 AM
Fox News Breaking News Alert
Fox News Breaking News Alert
Jeff Sessions to announce campaign for Alabama Senate seat, sources say
11/06/19 3:13 PM
Jeff Sessions to announce campaign for Alabama Senate seat, sources say
11/06/19 3:13 PM
Fox News Breaking News Alert
Fox News Breaking News Alert
Bevin campaign requests Kentucky recanvass after governor's race deemed 'too close to call'
11/06/19 12:02 PM
Bevin campaign requests Kentucky recanvass after governor's race deemed 'too close to call'
11/06/19 12:02 PM
Fox News Breaking News Alert
Fox News Breaking News Alert
2 murder suspects that escaped California jail over weekend arrested by federal officials Wednesday, sheriff says
11/06/19 9:55 AM
2 murder suspects that escaped California jail over weekend arrested by federal officials Wednesday, sheriff says
11/06/19 9:55 AM
Fox News Breaking News Alert
Fox News Breaking News Alert
House impeachment probe to start 'open hearings' on Nov. 13, Rep. Adam Schiff says
11/06/19 8:38 AM
House impeachment probe to start 'open hearings' on Nov. 13, Rep. Adam Schiff says
11/06/19 8:38 AM
Fox News Breaking News Alert
Fox News Breaking News Alert
Ex-envoy Volker told House panel Trump did not tie Ukraine meeting to push for Biden probe, transcripts show
11/05/19 10:55 AM
Ex-envoy Volker told House panel Trump did not tie Ukraine meeting to push for Biden probe, transcripts show
11/05/19 10:55 AM
Fox News Breaking News Alert
Fox News Breaking News Alert
PICTURED - US victims of Mexican cartel massacre, ranging from eight-month-old twins to mom, 43
11/05/19 9:35 AM
PICTURED - US victims of Mexican cartel massacre, ranging from eight-month-old twins to mom, 43
11/05/19 9:35 AM
Fox News Breaking News Alert
Fox News Breaking News Alert
Trump offers US support for ‘war’ on Mexican drug cartels after Americans killed in shootout
11/05/19 6:06 AM
Trump offers US support for ‘war’ on Mexican drug cartels after Americans killed in shootout
11/05/19 6:06 AM
Fox News Breaking News Alert
Fox News Breaking News Alert
At least 9 killed, including 6 kids and several Americans, in crossfire of cartel shootout in Mexico
11/05/19 2:13 AM
At least 9 killed, including 6 kids and several Americans, in crossfire of cartel shootout in Mexico
11/05/19 2:13 AM
Fox News Breaking News Alert
Fox News Breaking News Alert
Geoffrey Kamworor of Kenya wins the men's division in the 2019 New York City Marathon
11/03/19 8:58 AM
Geoffrey Kamworor of Kenya wins the men's division in the 2019 New York City Marathon
11/03/19 8:58 AM
Fox News Breaking News Alert
Fox News Breaking News Alert
Joyciline Jepkosgei of Kenya wins the women's division in the 2019 New York City Marathon
11/03/19 8:39 AM
Joyciline Jepkosgei of Kenya wins the women's division in the 2019 New York City Marathon
11/03/19 8:39 AM
Fox News Breaking News Alert
Fox News Breaking News Alert
Fox News Poll: Biden leads nomination race, tops Trump by 12 points in matchup
11/03/19 5:59 AM
Fox News Poll: Biden leads nomination race, tops Trump by 12 points in matchup
11/03/19 5:59 AM
Fox News Breaking News Alert
Fox News Breaking News Alert
Four killed, several injured after shooting during Halloween party
11/01/19 5:32 AM
Four killed, several injured after shooting during Halloween party
11/01/19 5:32 AM
Fox News Breaking News Alert
Fox News Breaking News Alert
EXCLUSIVE: Enormous price of Warren's 'Medicare-for-All' plan revealed; campaign still insists it won't raise middle-class taxes
11/01/19 3:08 AM
EXCLUSIVE: Enormous price of Warren's 'Medicare-for-All' plan revealed; campaign still insists it won't raise middle-class taxes
11/01/19 3:08 AM
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