chilemango

And some will claim has no culture

A 6-year-old boy from West Pottsgrove Township, Montgomery County has been named the 2023 Kids Mullet Champion.

Rory Ehrlich won the contest on Wednesday, beating out other kids across the country.

The rising first grader says life has been pretty exciting since he entered the contest and became mullet-famous in Philadelphia.

YOUNGSTOWN, OH—Midway through a tour of a construction site partially funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, President Joe Biden reportedly fell Wednesday into a cement mixer. “See, this is the kind of building we used to do in America, the kind we can do again thanks to the IRA, and if you just—whoaahoaaahoaaa,” said the president, who sources confirmed tumbled headfirst into the rotating industrial mixer, his legs kicking behind him as his cries for help were muffled by the thick concrete mixture inside. “Oh god, it’s really dark in here. Anyone out there? Hello? Hello? I’m getting dizzy in here!” At press time, a cement-encased President Biden had reportedly been inserted into a Cleveland bridge’s support beam as part of the rollout of his infrastructure package.

China is the world’s biggest manufacturer of renewable energy equipment and is making plans for how to dispose of it once it stops working

China, the world’s biggest renewable equipment manufacturer, will set up a recycling system for ageing wind turbines and solar panels as it tries to tackle the growing volumes of waste generated by the industry, the state planner said.

China has ramped up its wind and solar manufacturing capabilities in a bid to decarbonise its economy and ease its dependence on coal, and it is now on track to meet its goal to bring total wind and solar capacity to 1,200 gigawatts (GW) by 2030, up from 758 GW at the end of last year.

But as older projects are replaced and decommissioned, waste volumes are set to soar, with large amounts of capacity already approaching retirement age, posing big environmental risks.

To cope with the challenge, China will draw up new industrial standards and rules detailing the proper ways to decommission, dismantle and recycle wind and solar facilities, the National Development and Reform Commission, said on Wednesday.

The state planning agency said that China would have a “basically mature” full-process recycling system for wind turbines and solar panels by the end of the decade.

Photovoltaic (PV) panels have a lifespan of around 25 years, and many of China’s projects are already showing significant signs of wear and tear, China’s official Science and Technology Daily newspaper said in June.

The paper cited experts as saying that China would need to recycle 1.5 million metric tons of PV modules by 2030, rising to around 20 million tons in 2050.

The problem of waste from the renewable energy sector has become a growing global concern. Total waste from solar projects alone could reach 212 million tons a year by 2050, according to one scenario drawn up by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) last year.

Despite Beijing’s sponge city project, the capital was overwhelmed by recent floods with dozens dying and a new “sponge airport” shut down

Recent devastating floods in Beijing have put China’s drive to create “sponge cities” which can handle extreme rain to the test.

Since 2013, China has been trying to make cities like Beijing more flood-proof by replacing roads, pavements and rooftops with natural materials like soil that soak up water and by giving more space to water bodies like lakes to absorb stormwater.

But despite these measures, massive amounts of rainfall in recent weeks caused floods which killed at least 33 people, destroyed tens of thousands of homes and shut down the Chinese capital’s second busiest airport.

Experts told Climate Home the flooding shows the limited progress China has made on its plan to invest $1 trillion into sponge cities by 2030 – with the city still largely concrete. Sponge airport overwhelmed

Even new infrastructure, build with the sponge city concept in mind, could not cope with the rains.

Daxing airport opened a few months before the Covid-19 pandemic. Its builders described it as a “sponge airport” as it was equipped with plants on its roof, a huge wetland and an artificial lake the size of over 1,000 Olympic swimming pools.

Despite these measures, the runways flooded on July 30 and it had to cancel over 50 flights.

Waters diverted

The government tried to collect the rain in 155 reservoirs in the Hai River Basin, but the measure proved ineffective in controlling the deluge.

About 50 years ago, the basin –a natural sponge–was locked with embankments and reservoirs to manage the water flow.

In recent years though, these structures have made flooding worse as climate change has increased the frequency and intensity of extreme rainfall. These structures lead to overflow, collapse and the authorities have blown them up to ease flooding.

Reuters reported that flood waters locked in reservoirs were diverted to low-lying populated land in Zhuozhuo, a small city around 80km from Beijing, to flush out the stormwater from the country’s national capital.

Residents of Zhuozhou were angry at the government’s response, Reuters reported. The government reacted by shutting down criticism on social media. More work needed

Experts argued that these problems show that, rather than abandoning the sponge city project, China and Beijing need to double down and make them better.

Kongjian Yu is the founder of Turenscape, a company involved in the project. He said that just “maybe 1% or 10%” of the city has been converted to a sponge city.

The government’s target is 20% by 2030. “We have a long way to go,” he said.

Yu added that sponge cities are worth doing not just because they control floods but for managing droughts and refilling groundwater supplies too.

Tony Wong, professor of sustainable development at Monash University, said that progress was always going to be slow as “it takes a long time and a lot of money” to convert a city like Beijing, with lots of people and concrete buildings crammed into a small area, into a sponge city.

More work is needed, says Wong, because Beijing and many other cities lack effective urban planning, and there is no provision for a safe channeling of extreme floodwater.

“What the city needs is the inclusion of green corridors, just like Singapore – another high-density city- has done to transport excess stormwater into low-lying areas to prevent loss of lives and property.”

If China pulls this off it could become an example for many developing countries with high-density cities struggling to control urban flooding, added Wong.

Here’s a summer story you never knew you needed: an 1895 article by Eugene Debs waxing poetic about bicycles, which he said would “liberate millions” and bring “the enrapturing panorama of nature” to all.

The mission of the bicycle is greatly underrated. Human ingenuity, in evolving the bicycle, has given man a mighty boon. It is to play a great part in the world’s affairs. It is to liberate millions from the thralldom of foul atmosphere, squalid and filthy apartments, and all the multiplicity of debauching and demoralizing conditions that make the lives of workingmen and women in manufacturing and commercial centers a continuous curse. It is to be an important factor in depopulating cities and building up the country.

It will be a mighty leveler upward and downward. The bicycle will attack the fabulous value of city real estate, distribute population, lower rent, close up the tenement den, and extinguish the sweatshop hell. It will free the inhabitants of cities from the fetid odors their overcrowded conditions generate and pour a perpetual flood of fresh air upon the race. As a matter of course working people will have them and the man who trudges to his daily toil will be an object for a relief commission.

The limits of an interview will admit only the merest glimpse of the possibilities of the bicycle. The great health-giving advantages of fresh air and exercise, will by the fiat of the bicycle, be the heritage of the race. The bicycle, not the medical profession, will triumph over disease. The wheel is on the trail of Consumption and will overtake and vanquish the remorseless destroyer. Men and women and children will all ride the bicycle and the enrapturing panorama of nature will no longer be forbidden glories to most of the race.

Of course, the bicycle is yet in embryo. The wheel of the future will revolve to suit man’s fancy and the variety, design, and capacity will be practically without limit. And when monopoly and special privilege are abolished, the bicycle may be purchased for a song and will be within the reach of all. The world will yet revolve on wheels.

https://inthesetimes.com/article/chex-and-balances-comics-labor-inequality-politics

Why did they put the fruit loops in his beard though

Better late than never, and landlords get paid as a treat as they always do, but obiously can't build housing that's only for the USSR we only build $2000 a month luxury high rise apartments in places where the median income is less than $2000 a month

New York plans to use $25 million in state funds to rent temporary homes for up to 1,250 asylum-seeking families who opt to leave New York City's crowded shelters.

Gov. Kathy Hochul and state lawmakers approved funding for voluntary relocations in the state budget adopted in May. It was part of a $1 billion allocation for housing and services for tens of thousands of asylum seekers who have been bused to New York City from the southern border over the last year.

So far, 17 families have volunteered to move into state-rented homes, Gov. Hochul's office announced Saturday. State officials told the USA TODAY Network on Monday that the program will cover rent for up to a year while helping families with school enrollment, health care and other needs to settle into their new communities. The total funding amounts to $20,000 per family if 1,250 families indeed volunteer.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/ny-spend-25m-state-funds-091548844.html

International Chess Federation, FIDE, has released new guidelines targeting transgender players. The guidelines would strip trans men's titles, and potentially bar trans women from playing.

In recent months, the discussion surrounding transgender participation in sports has intensified. Several sports organizations have ruled that transgender women cannot participate in their competitions. This trend has expanded beyond traditional sports like swimming, touching even disc golf and billiards, based on perceived “advantages” of transgender athletes. The reaction to trans people in competition has grown to include non-sporting contests like beauty pageants and Jeopardy! after seeing transgender success. Now, FIDE, the world’s foremost international chess organization, has introduced guidelines that would revoke titles from transgender men and bar many transgender women from competing, asserting that trans women "have no right to participate.”

The regulations, reported online by French transgender FIDE master, Yosha Iglesias, spell out a list of policy changes that apply to transgender competition in chess. Among the policy changes:

Transgender men must relinquish their women-category titles after transitioning.

Transgender women can keep their previous titles.

Transgender women have “no right to compete” in the women’s division.

Transgender women will be “evaluated” by the FIDE Council on if they will be allowed to compete in a process that may take up to 2 years.

FIDE can mark transgender players as “transgender” in their files.

Gender changes must be “comply with the player’s national laws” and may include birth certificate documents (despite many nations refusing to change transgender birth certificates)

See the main page on transgender participation from the organization:

The unveiling of these regulations drew widespread ridicule, with numerous individuals challenging the notion that transgender women possess a “natural advantage” in chess. According to the chess news site Chessbase, the women’s category in chess exists to encourage increased participation among women, not because women inherently perform at a lower level in the game. Thus, the typical arguments against transgender women competing don't hold water, as it's implausible to claim that transgender women have an unfair advantage.

This isn't the first instance of scrutiny regarding transgender participation in non-physical competitions. In 2022, transgender Jeopardy champion Amy Schneider set the record as the highest-winning woman in Jeopardy history. Following her success, several anti-trans voices online claimed she unfairly took the title from “real women,” suggesting that transgender women possess an inherent advantage in trivia over cisgender women.

The regulations are harmful and discriminatory towards transgender individuals. The logic behind revoking titles from transgender men transitioning from the women’s category is not explained anywhere in the document. Additionally, these rules would delay transgender women from competing for up to two years while their gender is examined, and could even prohibit them indefinitely. Given that the usual "unfair advantage" argument doesn't logically apply in this context, these regulations appear to unfairly target transgender individuals while sidestepping even the usual arguments against trans competition.

The enforcement of these policies remains unclear. Iglesias took to Twitter, asking, "Am I woman enough?" She listed the FIDE council members, sharing photos that depict the majority as older cisgender men, adding, "these people will decide." The documents don't specify how decisions regarding a transgender member's participation will be made. Until further clarity, transgender international chess players face uncertainty about their continued involvement in the sport.

Tasmania has become the first jurisdiction to ban the Nazi salute, with penalties of up to three months' jail on the cards for first-time offenders.

The laws, which also prohibit the display of Nazi symbols, have passed the state's upper house and are expected to come into effect later in 2023.

"We strongly condemn any display of hate in our community," Attorney-General Elise Archer said on Wednesday.

"This (law change) is the first of its kind in Australia and will contribute to the creation of a safer and more inclusive Tasmania."

The federal government is moving to ban Nazi symbols, with a proposal introduced to parliament in June. But it doesn't cover the salute.

Victoria is among several states to have banned Nazi symbols and has flagged plans to also outlaw the salute.

A Victorian government spokesperson said legislation was being finalised and more would be revealed soon.

"These actions incite hatred towards Jewish people and other minority groups, and it won't be tolerated in Victoria,'' the spokesperson said.

Under the law changes in Tasmania, it is an offence to perform a Nazi gesture if a person knows, or ought to know, it is a Nazi gesture.

There is a defence if a person proves the gesture was reasonable and performed in good faith for a genuine academic, artistic, religious, scientific, cultural, educational, legal or law enforcement purpose.

First offenders face a $3900 fine or three months' jail, with maximum penalties doubling for further offences within six months.

Ms Archer said the law change acknowledged the importance of the swastika to the Buddhist, Hindu and Jain religious communities.

"(It) clearly states that the display of a swastika in this context is not an offence," she said.

"The bill also acknowledges other legitimate public purposes for display, including other religious, cultural, academic and educational purposes."

Ms Archer said police would undergo education and training on the new offences, including for the cultural significance of the swastika.

By Sarah Marsh and Andreas Rinke

BERLIN (Reuters) -Germany's cabinet passed a contentious bill on Wednesday to legalize recreational marijuana use and cultivation, one of the most liberal cannabis laws in Europe that could potentially provide further momentum for a similar worldwide trend.

The legislation, which still has to pass parliament, would allow adults to possess up to 25 grams (0.88 oz) of the drug, grow a maximum of three plants, or acquire weed as associates of non-profit cannabis clubs.

The centre-left government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz hopes the law will curb the black market, protect consumers against contaminated marijuana and reduce drug-related crime.

A key pillar of the plan, which removes the taboo around cannabis use, is also a campaign to raise awareness about the risks, which should ultimately curb consumption, said Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, of Scholz's Social Democrats (SPD).

Such a campaign would not gain the same level of attention if it were introduced without a change in the law, he said.

"With the current procedures we could not seriously protect children and young people, the topic has been made a taboo," Lauterbach told a news conference in Berlin to present the law.

"We have rising, problematic consumption, we couldn't simply allow this to go on," he said. "So this is an important turning point in our drug policy."

The number of adults in Germany aged between 18 and 25 years old that consumed cannabis at least once nearly doubled in 2021 from the previous decade to 25%, according to the health ministry.

Young adults are considered more vulnerable to the health risks of cannabis. The new legislation will limit the amount of cannabis young adults can buy to 30 grams a month, compared to 50 grams for older adults.

CRITICISM FROM BOTH SIDES

Opposition to the legislation is fierce, with conservative policymakers in particular warning that it will encourage marijuana use and that the new legislation will create even more work for authorities.

"This law will be linked to a complete loss of control," Armin Schuster, conservative interior minister for the state of Saxony, told media group RND.

A U.N. narcotics watchdog said in March moves by governments to legalize the recreational use of marijuana have led to increased consumption and cannabis-related health problems.

Lauterbach said Germany had learned from other countries' mistakes, however.

Scholz's government had already watered down original plans to allow the widespread sale of cannabis in licensed shops after consultations with Brussels.

Instead, it said would launch a pilot project for a small number of licensed shops in some regions to test the effects of a commercial supply chain of recreational cannabis over five years. For that, it will need to present separate legislation in a second phase.

Similar such projects already exist or are planned in the Netherlands and Switzerland.

Many countries in Europe have already legalised cannabis for limited medicinal purposes, including Germany since 2017. Others have decriminalized its general use.

Malta became the first European country to allow limited cultivation and possession of cannabis for personal use in late 2021. Germany would become the first major European country to do so.

The legislation presented on Wednesday includes strict rules for growing weed - cannabis clubs of up to 500 associates must have burglar-proof doors and windows, with greenhouses fenced off. Associates will not be allowed to smoke weed at the clubs or in the vicinity of schools, nurseries, playgrounds or sports grounds.

Germany's hemp association said the rules were "unrealistic" and the black market could only truly be fought with the introduction of cannabis sales in shops.

The parliamentary drug policy spokesperson of junior coalition partner the Free Democrats, Kristine Luetke, accused Lauterbach of continuing a "prohibition policy" and creating a "bureaucratic monster".

(Reporting by Sarah Marsh and Andreas Rinke; Editing by Angus MacSwan and Bernadette Baum)

Miners wearing safety equipment walk through an underground tunnel at the South Deep gold mine, operated by Gold Fields Ltd., in Westonaria, South Africa, on Thursday, March 9, 2017. South Deep is the world''s largest gold deposit after Grasberg in Indonesia, makes up 60 percent of the company''s reserves and the miner says it''s capable of producing for 70 years. Photographer: Waldo Swiegers/Bloomberg

The Catholic Church says it is shepherding a class-action lawsuit through the courts against mining companies in South Africa on behalf of coal miners with lung disease.

The Southern African Bishops Conference said on Wednesday that lawyers filed papers with South Africa’s High Court on Tuesday.

“Very often ex-mine workers are no longer members of trade unions and, therefore, lack the means and capacity to seek legal recourse from large companies which are responsible for their lung diseases,” Archbishop of Cape Town Stephen Brislin said.

“It is thus incumbent on the church to give assistance where it can, … so that they can access compensation that is legally due to them.”

The miners are represented by Richard Spoors, a lawyer who has won compensation in similar cases before.

Filed on behalf of 17 former and current mine workers, the case targets mining giant BHP, its spin-off South32 and South Africa’s Seriti, Dasantha Pillay, a lawyer with Spoors’s firm, told the Agence France-Presse news agency.

It seeks recourse for all miners who worked for these companies since 1965 and contracted lung disease as well as dependents of workers who died from coal dust-induced illness.

The firms did not immediately reply to AFP’s request for comment.

The church said it initiated and facilitated the case after it was approached by mine workers for assistance.

Coal is a bedrock of South Africa’s economy, employing almost 100,000 people and accounting for 80 percent of electricity production. The industry is concentrated in the eastern region of Mpumalanga, which environmental campaigners Greenpeace said has some of the dirtiest air in the world.

The class action accuses the companies of failing to provide their workers with adequate training, equipment and a safe working environment despite knowing the risks to coal miners.