Category Archives: Around the World

“North is on the move”

NPR Science: As Magnetic North Pole Zooms Toward Siberia, Scientists Update World Magnetic Model.

“North is on the move, and that’s a problem for your smartphone’s maps.

Earth’s geographic north pole is fixed. But the planet’s magnetic north pole — the north that your compass points toward — wanders in the direction of Siberia at a rate of more than 34 miles per year.

That movement may seem slow, but it has forced scientists to update their model of Earth’s magnetic field a year earlier than expected so that navigational services, including map-based phone apps, continue to work accurately.”

NPR: The North Magnetic Pole Is Shifting East, Fast. “NPR’s Ari Shapiro speaks with Nature reporter Alex Witze about a rapid shift in the Earth’s magnetic poles.”

Cold War 2.0 / Kalter Krieg 2.0?

Deutsche Welle: US announces withdrawal from INF missile treaty. “The US has begun its withdrawal from the INF treaty with Russia. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Berlin would continue talking with Moscow about its alleged violations until the withdrawal process was finished.”

Deutsche Welle: Pompeo verkündet Ausstieg der USA aus Abrüstungsvertrag INF. “Außenminister Mike Pompeo hat verkündet, was alle erwarten. Die USA steigen aus dem INF-Vertrag mit Russland zum Verzicht auf landgestützte atomare Mittelstreckenwaffen aus. Grund sind neue russische Marschflugkörper.”

“Legitimate companies don’t work this way for a reason.“

Vanity Fair: This Podcast Can’t Legally Tell You Amway Is a Pyramid Scheme. “Get an exclusive early listen to The Dream, hosted by Jane Marie, which digs into the under-explored world of multi-level marketing schemes.” By Katey Rich, September 21, 2018.

“But The Dream’s real concern is far from the key-party-and-polyester image conjured by the airplane game. Marie and her producer had, like many people, noticed her Facebook feed filling up with friends from high school selling leggings, or makeup, or handbags, asking their friends to buy them and sign up as salesmen themselves. They’re all participating in multi-level marketing (MLM) schemes, which anyone involved will tell you are not a pyramid scheme, because pyramid schemes are illegal.

“That doesn’t mean it’s not one,“ Marie, a veteran of This American Life, said in a recent phone call. “That means it hasn’t been prosecuted.“ “

Find the podcast here: The Dream. I listened to all the episodes in the past few days. Recommended!

“Das Spiel mit dem Leben anderer Menschen”

Deutsche Welle: Kommentar: Die USA dürfen Trumps sinnlose Grausamkeit nicht vergessen. “Ein richtiger “Deal” war das nicht. Trump beendet zwar die bisher längste Haushaltssperre in der Geschichte der USA, aber diese richtet weiterhin so viel Schaden an, dass es keine Gewinner gibt, meint Michael Knigge.”

“Und hoffentlich – wenn es denn überhaupt so etwas wie eine positive Langzeitwirkung des “Shutdowns” gibt – werden die Amerikaner, insbesondere die, die nun direkt betroffen waren, nicht vergessen, wer gesagt hat, er wäre stolz die Regierung lahm zu legen.

Hoffentlich werden alle Amerikaner sich an diesen gefühllosen, grausamen Präsidenten erinnern, der kein Problem damit hat, andere Menschen und ihren Lebensunterhalt aufs Spiel zu setzen für eine sinnlose Grenzmauer, die er am Ende noch nicht mal bekommen hat. Gibt es bessere Beweise für Charakterlosigkeit?”

“Mr. Trump and his campaign repeatedly denied having such contacts with Russians during the 2016 election.”

The New York Times: Trump and His Associates Had More Than 100 Contacts With Russians Before the Inauguration.

“During the 2016 presidential campaign and transition, Donald J. Trump and at least 17 campaign officials and advisers had contacts with Russian nationals and WikiLeaks, or their intermediaries, a New York Times analysis has found. At least 10 other associates were told about interactions but did not have any themselves.

Knowledge of these interactions is based on New York Times reporting, documents submitted to Congress, and court records and accusations related to the special counsel investigating foreign interference in the election.”

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