Hurricane Matthew death toll nears 900 in Haiti, cholera takes lives 

On By peanutgallerynhIn Caribbean,Leave a comment

AU-PRINCE (Reuters) – Hurricane Matthew’s trail of destruction in Haiti stunned those emerging from the aftermath on Friday, with the number of dead soaring to 877, tens of thousands left homeless and outbreaks of cholera already claiming more lives.

Hurricane Matthew death toll nears 900 in Haiti, cholera takes lives | Reuters

Sigh….

Area archaeologist reflects on big Keene find, the ‘most significant’ of a long career

On By peanutgallerynhIn Science and Stuff,Leave a comment

There, a few feet down into the sandy soil of what now rims the southern edge of the new Keene Middle School’s athletic field, Goodby was to find the oldest evidence of human habitation in Northern New England and one of the most significant archaeological finds in the northeastern United States.

What he found there was a settlement of four ancient homes dating to between 12,570 and 12,660 years ago, proof that humans were living here thousands of years before conventional wisdom previously held and placing it on a list of the oldest prehistoric communities to be found in the United States. Putting this in timeline perspective, these dates were only a few thousand years after mile-high ice sat atop New England in the Great Ice Age.

Area archaeologist reflects on big Keene find, the ‘most significant’ of a long career

When it comes to giving credit or the benefit of the doubt to peoples who lived more than 300-400 years ago conventional wisdom is 3 steps shy of brain dead.

Amid questions of Gary Johnson’s interest in details, Libertarian VP nominee viewed as losing faith

On By peanutgallerynhIn Domestic Affairs,Leave a comment

 SANTA FE, N.M. — For state lawmakers here who used to work with Gary Johnson, something is familiar about the former governor’s baffled looks that have turned into an embarrassment for his third-party presidential campaign.

Longtime Republican state Sen. Stuart Ingle recalled how Mr. Johnson, soon after taking office in 1995, mostly shrugged and stared during their first meeting together. As Mr. Ingle asked Mr. Johnson questions about his agenda, Mr. Ingle said, Mr. Johnson’s most common refrain was, “I don’t know.”

…Over the next eight years, New Mexico lawmakers would struggle to work with a governor who paid little attention to details. Those who worked closely with Mr. Johnson, then a Republican elected as a political novice vowing to shake up the established order, recall a chief executive who would speed through meetings and often preferred to discuss his fitness routine than focus on the minutiae of policymaking.

…Although he describes himself as a social liberal, Mr. Johnson angered many on the left when he ended collective bargaining for state employees and cut off Medicaid funding for abortions that doctors deemed medically necessary. Mr. Johnson now says he regrets the Medicaid decision.

(but apparently not the whole depriving women of medical procedures deemed necessary by their doctors part. He’s totally OK with having done that.)

Meanwhile, Mr. Weld vowed to remain Mr. Johnson’s running mate but said his main goal was to stop Mr. Trump.

“Mr. Trump’s proposals in the foreign policy area, including nuclear proliferation, tariffs and free trade, would be so hurtful, domestically and in the world, that he has my full attention,” Mr. Weld said.

In theory, Mr. Weld’s efforts could help Democrat Ms. Clinton, whose allies have sought to minimize support for Mr. Johnson and Green Party candidate Jill Stein, especially in three states where third parties could make a big difference: Colorado, Missouri and New Mexico. President Barack Obama has suggested that Americans who vote for Mr. Johnson or Ms. Stein, or who decline to cast ballots, are in effect voting for Mr. Trump.

Amid questions of Gary Johnson’s interest in details, Libertarian VP nominee viewed as losing faith | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

hmmm