Budi
Budi's JournalCritics alarmed by US nuclear agency's bid to relax rules on radioactive waste
About time this toxic topic gets its day in the headlines.
https://amp.theguardian.com/environment/2020/may/07/nuclear-regulatory-commission-radioactive-waste
Nuclear waste
Critics alarmed by US nuclear agency’s bid to relax rules on radioactive waste
Nuclear Regulatory Commission keen to allow material to be disposed of by ‘land burial’ – with potentially damaging effects
5/7/2020
The federal agency providing oversight of the commercial nuclear sector is attempting to push through a rule change critics say could allow dangerous amounts of radioactive material to be disposed of in places like municipal landfills, with potentially serious consequences to human health and the environment.
SNIP
The proposed “interpretive” rule change relaxes the rules surrounding how radioactive materials would be disposed of in unlicensed disposal sites “significantly”, said Hirsch.
“If you dump radioactive waste in places that aren’t designed to deal with it, it comes back to haunt you. It’s in the air you breathe, the food that you eat, the water you drink,” he added.
“This would be the most massive deregulation of radioactive waste in American history,” said Dan Hirsch, president of the Committee to Bridge the Gap, a nuclear industry watchdog non-profit, about a proposal that would permit “very low-level” radioactive waste to be disposed of by “land burial”.
The Lincoln Project to target Repub Senators next.
After the success of "Mourning in America", The Lincoln Project will now target key Senators..(they give no names yet"
https://twitter.com/APOVoter/status/1258136480418983938
https://www.newsweek.com/lincoln-project-donald-trump-senate-allies-new-attack-ads-1502261?amp=1&__twitter_impression=true
THE LINCOLN PROJECT WILL TARGET DONALD TRUMP'S SENATE ALLIES WITH NEW ATTACK ADS
START Treaty at risk 2020/U.S. Navy ships operate in Russia's Barents Sea for first time since 1980s
U.S. Navy ships operate in Russia's Barents Sea for first time since 1980sMilitary tensions between the U.S. and Russia remain high six years after Russia annexed Crimea from neighboring Ukraine.
MOSCOW — Four U.S. Navy ships entered the Barents Sea off Russia's northwestern Arctic coast Monday — the first time U.S. warships have operated in the area since the 1980s — according to a statement Monday from the Navy's 6th Fleet.
Although it is in international waters, the Barents Sea is Russia's naval backyard. The Northern Fleet, the heart of the Russian navy, is anchored in Severomorsk — tucked in a bay off the Barents Sea.
SNIP
The two sides are locked in disagreement over the future of nuclear arms control, with a major bilateral arms control treaty, New START, set to expire early in 2021. A decision on extending the treaty is required this year.
In its statement Monday, the Russian Defense Ministry noted that the U.S. destroyers that entered the Barents Sea — the Porter, the Donald Cook and the Roosevelt — are armed with missile defense systems.
MORE...
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna1199281
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Well gee, sanctions lifted, NATO abandoned & now Trump will have the discretion to Continue or End the START Treaty.
I don't know if he has the sole power to end the treaty
Is this Russia Barents Sea dust up a manufactured set-up for Trump & Putin to 'negotiate' an end to START?
What is his endgame with this show of force?
Maybe I'm trying to hard to predict Vlad's next move, just in case Trump really is defeated in Nov.
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START TREATY 1991
31 July 1991
Background. The U.S.-Soviet Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, known as START I, was signed 31 July 1991 by U.S. President George H.W. Bush and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev. START I was the first treaty to provide for deep reductions of U.S. and Soviet/Russian strategic nuclear weapons
NEW START TREATY 2010
On 8 April 2010 in Prague, U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dimitri Medvedev signed the New START Treaty, and Protocol.
2009
Negotiations on a new START Treaty began on 18 May in Moscow and continued throughout the year.
https://www.nti.org/learn/treaties-and-regimes/treaties-between-united-states-america-and-union-soviet-socialist-republics-strategic-offensive-reductions-start-i-start-ii/
Right to Withdraw
2011
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov declared in front of the State Duma that if the United States further pursues the deployment of an anti-missile shield near Russian border, it might "force us to use the article of the treaty that provides for the withdrawal of a state that feels violated in terms of security." Lavrov is referring to Article 14, which gives both countries a right to withdraw from the agreement.
Bets on Trump allowing a withdrawal from START before he leaves Office, thus upending decades of negotiations?
Ernst lead evaporates in Iowa Senate race...leads by just 1 point 🙂
The Senate race in Iowa is tightening, according to a new poll that shows Sen. Joni Ernst's (R-Iowa) lead over her likely Democratic opponent, Theresa Greenfield, narrowing to just 1 point.
The survey from the Democratic-leaning Public Policy Polling shows Ernst leading Greenfield, 43 percent to 42 percent. That suggests a significantly closer race than a previous poll conducted by the firm in December that found Ernst ahead of Greenfield by a 6-point margin.
The poll also shows Ernst's approval rating in her home state is underwater. Thirty-seven percent of respondents said they approve of the job she's doing in office compared to 43 percent who disapprove.
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/495937-poll-ernst-lead-evaporates-in-iowa-senate-race?amp
37% approval 😬
Hillary's Onward Together PAC joins Democracy Docket to Strengthen the Right to Vote
From: Hillary Clinton
Subject: How we can protect access to the ballot
As the COVID-19 crisis continues, it is clear that the security of November’s elections will rely on ensuring that millions of Americans can vote by mail.
For many of us, this is a shift in the way we make our voices heard, and state officials need to take action immediately to ensure that all Americans, no matter where they live, can safely cast their votes.
Onward Together is proud to partner with Democracy Docket, a new effort to proactively detect and combat suppressive voting laws and practices that could sway the outcome of the 2020 elections.
Make a contribution now and help give more people -- regardless of party or political preferences -- a fair chance to cast their ballot while staying safe and healthy.
As with any method of voting, vote by mail is susceptible to the voter disenfranchisement that has plagued our country in recent elections.
From Georgia to Wisconsin, we’ve seen the ways uneven access to the ballot can affect the outcome of critical races. Restrictions and voter purges disproportionately burden African Americans, Latinos, young and first-time voters, non-native English speakers, and voters with disabilities.
The team at Democracy Docket has identified more than a dozen specific laws in select states that they intend to challenge through litigation as we approach one of the most consequential elections of our lifetimes.
Now is when election officials must act, and it’s up to us to push them to do the right thing. Learn more at DemocracyDocket.com, then chip in to support this vital work:
DEMOCRACY DOCKET
https://www.democracydocket.com/
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Four Pillars to Safeguard Voting Rights with Vote by Mail
By Marc Elias on March 18, 2020
https://www.democracydocket.com/2020/03/safeguard-voting-rights-with-vbm/#more-4231
Increasingly, we are seeing calls for states to adopt no-excuse absentee and vote by mail. This is a very important step in ensuring the right to vote, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, as with any method of voting, there are safeguards that are necessary to prevent voter disenfranchisement — particularly among young voters and voters of color.
1. Postage must be free or prepaid by the government: No voter should have to pay to mail their ballot, period. Postage should either be prepaid, or the postal service should agree to deliver ballots to the appropriate election authorities without a stamp.
2. Ballots postmarked on or before Election Day must count: Many states reject all ballots received after Election Day, even if postmarked on or before Election Day. This is simply wrong and unfair to voters who have done everything right but have their ballots thrown out because of delays with the postal service. (MORE)
3. Signature matching laws need to be reformed to protect voters: Increased vote by mail will dramatically increase the number of ballots with signature issues. Absentee ballots with questionable signatures should be reviewed by three election officials. Only if all three find beyond a reasonable doubt that a signature does not match should it be set aside. (MORE)
4. Community organizations should be permitted to help collect and deliver voted, sealed ballots: In many states, community organizations play a vital role in collecting and delivering voted, sealed mail ballot for counting. Voters without easy access to secure and reliable outgoing mail, or who need extra help to get their ballots delivered, rely on this practice. Unfortunately, in an effort to suppress the vote, Republicans have supported laws to ban this important tool to ensure voting. (MORE)
About DEMOCRACY DOCKET:
"Democracy Docket was created by Marc Elias to serve as an extension of his voting rights and redistricting litigation and advocacy.
Following the Supreme Court’s ruling in Shelby County v. Holder, Republicans made clear that they no longer supported voting rights. Yet, as Republican state legislatures enacted hundreds of new laws undermining the right to vote, the progressive response centered on a handful of the most onerous and outrageous voting restrictions."
"Democracy Docket focuses on detecting, highlighting, and combating suppressive voting laws and practices that will have the greatest impact on the outcome of the 2020 elections and which are not otherwise being addressed.
Put simply, we spotlight those laws and practices that restrict the right to vote but may not be the most newsworthy."
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DEMOCRACY DOCKET is an excellent supportive organization focusing on the Right to Vote.
From donor PACS to those at the top with powerful ties, on down the line to all committed organizers that will be needed as we approch Nov 2020.
The Lincoln Movement rescinds endorsement of Justin Amash
https://twitter.com/DrMohamedAraf/status/1257001571684159491A word from Sen Al Franken
Miss your wit & wisdom Senator!
https://twitter.com/alfranken/status/1256317732632567810
Joe Biden "Instead of preparing our country to fight COVID-19, Donald Trump wasted months and promi"
https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1255988550522351620"Instead of preparing our country to fight COVID-19, Donald Trump wasted months and promised it would miraculously go away by April.
He was wrong. And we're all paying the price."
~Joe Biden
Now they cry "Believe Women"
https://twitter.com/WonderKing82/status/1255996189000052736Just sayin'
Jill Wine-Banks supports #MeToo & Joe Biden
She supports Michael J Stern's article on Tara Reade's accusations.
https://twitter.com/JillWineBanks/status/1255752796172963840
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Member since: Thu Apr 16, 2020, 02:50 PMNumber of posts: 15,325