#Radioactive Chemicals Database

[chemxpert]

How to Find a Reputable Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) Supplier

The pharmaceutical industry relies heavily on high-quality Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) to manufacture safe and effective pharmaceutical products. Finding a reputable API supplier is crucial for ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements, maintaining product integrity, and sustaining business success. In this article, we explore key considerations for identifying reliable API suppliers, including the importance of drug master file (DMF) registration and leveraging pharmaceutical company datasets.

[rametarin]

This is actually absolutely amazing.

So the tl;dr of this stuff.

Think of proteins as nature's home grown biodegradable nanomachines that can do all kinds of absurd shit that sounds like it's from a videogame.

And in short, after they developed ways to distiguish and tell proteins at a glance from one another, creating a catalogue and database using artificial intelligence and even the ability to recreate and synthesize them in nature, we can do something absolutely amazing.

We can make custom proteins, now. The ramifications for medicine, agriculture; it's absolutely staggering just how much this is going to change in exactly how many areas.

Imagine being able to synthesize any given protein we usually get from rare and exotic animals, like horseshoe crabs. Horseshoe crab blood is very useful in medicine. Why? Because of things they produce in their blood. Why? Because nature naturally selected to do that for that purpose. Some qualities in their blood, the proteins, made them uniquely suited for stuff. Their scarcity meant we could only use so much, which meant higher price. And likewise for so many other animals, or bacteria. All enzymes and proteins and such.

Antivenins and it's not impossible that we'll be able to manufacture blood in such volumes that blood drives never need to be had, again.

Radioactivity resistant proteins that could make a person more resilient in contaminated areas.

Everything animals in nature do? It's all fucking proteins. It's all fucking biodegradable and benign to the rest of the meat being around them. And now we have a way to near instantly intimately know every protein and what it chemically does in an organism with near 100% comprehension. Whereas before we were plodding along with multi-year long excursions just to document singular proteins.

And now we'll be able to have that stuff practically on TAP. Every little chromo and ribosomal machine swimming about in animal blood is now collectible and synthesizable and tweakable and can be put to work outside a singular organism's body. For medicine, for pollution cleanup, for nutrition, for sanitation of everything from tools, to machinery, to environments, for manufacturing.

You're going to see this the most in energy and healthcare and it's going to smash older models hard, for higher dividends, less work and greater yields. Exactly how is worth longer paragraphs by people that know much more than I do, but I know enough to know we've crossed a massive fucking threshold here.

[chemanalystdata]

Potassium Iodide Price | Prices | Pricing | News | Database | Chart | ChemAnalyst

Potassium Iodide prices is a chemical compound used primarily for its role in protecting the thyroid gland from radioactive iodine exposure, especially in cases of nuclear emergencies. It is also widely used in the production of iodized salt, in certain medical treatments, and in industrial applications. The pricing of potassium iodide is influenced by several factors, including global supply and demand dynamics, raw material costs, production processes, and market conditions. In recent years, the potassium iodide market has witnessed fluctuations in pricing, driven by various economic and geopolitical factors.

The cost of potassium iodide can vary significantly depending on the region, the application, and the scale of purchase. In the pharmaceutical and medical industries, where potassium iodide is used for its protective effects against radiation, prices are often higher due to the stringent quality control and safety standards required. In contrast, the cost of potassium iodide for industrial and agricultural purposes may be lower. However, even within these sectors, market prices fluctuate based on the production costs and availability of raw materials.

The price of potassium iodide is heavily influenced by the global demand for iodine, a key raw material used in its production. Iodine is primarily extracted from brine wells, particularly in countries like Japan, Chile, and the United States. As iodine is a limited resource, any disruptions in its supply—such as natural disasters, mining issues, or geopolitical tensions—can lead to a rise in potassium iodide prices. For instance, changes in iodine extraction methods or labor shortages in iodine-producing regions can have a ripple effect on the prices of potassium iodide, making it more expensive for consumers.

Get Real Time Prices for Potassium Iodide: https://www.chemanalyst.com/Pricing-data/potassium-iodide-1619

In addition to supply-related issues, the production process for potassium iodide itself plays a significant role in its pricing. The chemical synthesis of potassium iodide requires specialized facilities and equipment, which contributes to its overall cost. The production process can be energy-intensive, particularly when large quantities of potassium iodide are needed, which further drives up prices. The growing demand for potassium iodide in various sectors, such as healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and nuclear energy, has prompted some manufacturers to ramp up production, but the need for highly regulated and controlled manufacturing processes limits the speed and flexibility with which the industry can meet this demand.

In the case of the pharmaceutical industry, where potassium iodide is used in protective medical treatments, regulatory approvals and certifications can also impact the price. Potassium iodide products intended for medicinal use must meet specific quality standards set by health authorities such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the European Medicines Agency (EMA). These regulatory requirements not only ensure the safety and efficacy of the product but also add to the cost of production and distribution, making potassium iodide more expensive in these markets.

The demand for potassium iodide tends to increase during periods of heightened concern over nuclear risks or radiation exposure, particularly following events such as nuclear accidents or disasters. The global interest in nuclear energy and the increasing number of nuclear reactors worldwide also contribute to an uptick in potassium iodide demand, as governments and organizations stockpile the compound in case of emergencies. This trend often results in short-term price increases as markets react to perceived risks. The spike in prices during such times is typically followed by a period of stabilization once the immediate threat subsides, although it can still have lasting effects on the broader market.

Economic factors also play a role in potassium iodide pricing. For example, inflation, changes in fuel prices, or fluctuations in the exchange rates of major currencies can impact the cost of production and, consequently, the price of potassium iodide. In times of global economic uncertainty or when key raw materials experience price increases, manufacturers may pass these costs onto consumers, resulting in higher prices for potassium iodide.

In recent years, there has been an increasing focus on sustainability and environmental concerns in the chemical industry. Potassium iodide producers are under pressure to adopt greener practices in their manufacturing processes. This can involve investing in cleaner technologies or using renewable energy sources, which may add to the cost of production. While such efforts are important for long-term environmental benefits, they can lead to temporary price hikes as companies absorb the costs of implementing new processes.

Moreover, the rise of global trade has made the potassium iodide market more interconnected, with importers and exporters in various regions facing price volatility based on international shipping costs, tariffs, and trade policies. For example, any changes in the trade relationships between major iodine-producing countries can influence the availability and cost of iodine, thereby impacting the price of potassium iodide in international markets. Import and export restrictions, particularly in times of political instability, can further exacerbate these price fluctuations.

As the demand for potassium iodide continues to grow, particularly in response to increasing nuclear risks and healthcare needs, market players must navigate a complex web of factors to determine pricing strategies. The key to stabilizing prices lies in addressing both supply-side and demand-side challenges. Manufacturers are increasingly looking for ways to reduce production costs while ensuring the quality and safety of their products, which can help manage price volatility. Furthermore, as new suppliers emerge and the global supply chain adapts to changing conditions, prices for potassium iodide may experience fluctuations as the market finds a new equilibrium.

In conclusion, the price of potassium iodide is influenced by a combination of factors, including the availability of iodine, production costs, regulatory requirements, geopolitical risks, and global market dynamics. The growing demand for potassium iodide in various industries and applications, particularly in response to increasing concerns over nuclear risks, ensures that the market for this essential chemical compound will remain dynamic. Understanding the broader economic, environmental, and geopolitical trends is crucial for businesses, governments, and consumers alike in anticipating price fluctuations and making informed decisions in the potassium iodide market.

Our Related News for Potassium Iodide Prices: https://www.chemanalyst.com/NewsAndDeals/NewsDetails/global-markets-jolted-as-potassium-iodide-prices-surge-30364

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[slipping-is-doing-things]

Galactic Federation most wanted persons database

Pro Tip - read this in dark mode for the best experience!

Threat level: highly dangerous and unpredictable

Name: Morty Roux Sanchez

Known alias: Silas Quinn, Moore, Kari

It's unknown how many are in active use. The ones provided have been used on both interplanetarial, Federation and Citadel documents.

Dimension number: A-19

Spoken languages: English, Talorin

Current bounty information: 45K in whatever currency of your choosing. Wanted dead or alive, alive preferable with bonus.

Crimes: Breaking and entering, murder, transportation of highly dangerous and outlawed chemicals, stolen highly classified documents, destruction of federation property, escaping prison on multiple occasions, conspiracy, corruption of federation data, arson, distribution of biohazards, distribution of illegal weapons, distribution of dangerous and outlawed chemicals.

If the full list is requested it can be acquired, the full list is its own document in and of itself.

Known collaborator/s: Samuel, Morty L'amour Smith, Hitotsume, C&K Inc.

Current whereabouts: Unknown, last seen outside of Federation and Citadel space.

Known information:

Known and shown to be an skilled chemist with multiple unknown chemical weapons at there disposable.

There personal guns are highly deadly, there are no known survivors for those shot with those guns.

There blood is highly radioactive like the 𝙳𝚊𝚝𝚊 𝚌𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚞𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚍. While being around them poses no affects, if they are bleeding there is extreme risk of radiation poisoning, sickness and lifelong health issues. Take measures when attempting to arrest this individual to not harm them unless one can withstand high levels of radiation.

Known agreements:

𝙳𝚊𝚝𝚊 𝚌𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚞𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚍 - Agreement made with Federation to not work with Citadel moveing forward. No major Citadel attacks have happened since 𝙳𝚊𝚝𝚊 𝚌𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚞𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚍.

2015 - Agreement made with Federation to cease attacks on Federation databases if the Federation completely ceases any form of communication/settlement/development/ANYTHING with the plant Talorin and it's people. No attacks on Federation databases have been made since.

Hey, if you see this look below the cut for more detailed information on Silas including his appearance and some other fun things!

Artwork credit: Edhelsen through Fated character maker

Voice claim: N/A

Fun facts and major details:

Silas is my second oldest OC and has gone through the most vigorous and intense rewriting.

Most of the genuine character development for this character outside my own story's has been with an dear freand of mine.

Silas is from an dimension that if it wasn't so outwardly hostile they would have became evil Morty. Due to this there intelligence is the same if not extremely close to any intelligent Rick.

The portal guns Si has made and uses are all branded with the same logo, there twin pistols as well.

Dimension A-19 and it's earth is more hostile then other dimensions. It's earth being seen as uninhabitable by most of not all other plants! The earth there is very different from our own.

Rick A-19 is an abusive bastard who needs to get knocked down an few pegs for Silas's sake. That's comeing from the person who written Rick A-19 and every little thing that monster did to Silas.

[endrusmithreal]

The Rising and Falling Iodised Salt Price Trends: A Comprehensive Analysis

Iodised Salt (NaI) is a white solid state that appears in a deliquescent (ability to be turned to liquid) crystal form. It is an inorganic sodium and iodide salt made naturally in the body and is fortified to a table salt to meet the dose of the mineral required for preventing any deficiencies like goitre. It is found in an iodide and iodate form and functions like a supplement for iodine, an expectorant or a diagnostic aid in its radioactive (I-131) form, mainly in thyroid function tests.

Request for Real-Time Iodised Salt Prices: https://procurementresource.com/resource-center/iodised-salt-price-trends/pricerequest

It also supports the healthy weight management of the body, maintains healthy pregnancies, and removes toxins which lead to constipation, headaches and fatigue. It has a molar mass of 149.89 g/mol and a density of 3.67 g/cm³. Its respective melting and boiling points are 661 °C and 1,304 °C.

Key Details About the Iodised Salt Price Trends:

Procurement Resource does an in-depth analysis of the price trend to bring forth the monthly, quarterly, half-yearly, and yearly information on the Iodised Salt price in its latest pricing dashboard. The detailed assessment deeply explores the facts about the product, price change over the weeks, months, and years, key players, industrial uses, and drivers propelling the market and price trends.

Each price record is linked to an easy-to-use graphing device dated back to 2014, which offers a series of functionalities; customization of price currencies and units and downloading of price information as excel files that can be used offline.

The iodised salt price trends, including India Iodised Salt price, USA Iodised Salt price, pricing database, and analysis can prove valuable for procurement managers, directors, and decision-makers to build up their strongly backed-up strategic insights to attain progress and profitability in the business.

Industrial Uses Impacting Iodised Salt Price Trends:

Iodised Salt, upon being consumed moderately, helps maintain a healthy body and lowers the chances of any deficiencies. The myriad of health advantages of vitamin A, such as improved thyroid function, metabolism functions, getting rid of toxins, and the prevention of bacterial growth while boosting heart health and maintaining blood pressure levels, the demand and market for Vitamin A has been on a surge in recent times.

Key Players:

Tata Chemicals Ltd

Kutch Brine Chem Industries

Vibrant Global Salt Pvt Ltd.

Indo Brine Industries Ltd

United Salt

About Us:

Procurement Resource offers in-depth research on product pricing and market insights for more than 500 chemicals, commodities, and utilities updated daily, weekly, monthly, and annually. It is a cost-effective, one-stop solution for all your market research requirements, irrespective of which part of the value chain you represent.

We have a team of highly experienced analysts who perform comprehensive research to deliver our clients the newest and most up-to-date market reports, cost models, price analysis, benchmarking, and category insights, which help in streamlining the procurement process for our clientele. Our team tracks the prices and production costs of a wide variety of goods and commodities, hence, providing you with the latest and consistent data.

To get real-time facts and insights to help our customers, we work with a varied range of procurement teams across industries. At Procurement Resource, we support our clients, with up-to-date and pioneering practices in the industry, to understand procurement methods, supply chain, and industry trends, so that they can build strategies to achieve maximum growth.

Contact Us:

Company Name: Procurement Resource Contact Person: Chris Byrd Email: sales@procurementresource.com Toll-Free Number: USA & Canada – Phone no: +1 307 363 1045 | UK – Phone no: +44 7537 132103 | Asia-Pacific (APAC) – Phone no: +91 1203185500 Address: 30 North Gould Street, Sheridan, WY 82801, USA

[importexportdata]

Namibia import export data | World’s Biggest Exporter Of Radioactive Chemicals

Our expert team always keeps an eye on all the shipping activities happening in African countries and updates our database on a weekly basis. So that the clients who gather our Namibia import export data can stay up to date with the latest trends and technologies related to the Namibian country. Check out the sample import export data by clicking the link. Namibia, “World’s Biggest Exporter Of Radioactive Chemicals”. Reach Out To The Genuine Namibian Exporters Through Our Global Trade Intelligence Platform.  https://eximtradedata.com/namibia-import-export-dataMore information about Namibia's Radioactive Chemical Market Seek Rapid Growth in 2022 : https://importexportdatank.blogspot.com/2023/02/namibias-radioactive-chemical-market.html

[docfuture]

Partners

     [A new vignette from not long before Princess, as I try to get back into writing.  My Stories page is still up but needs to be updated.  Since there is no table of contents it is no longer easy to find the most recent chapters of Maker's Ark (currently here) or either the start or latest chapter of Princess (here and here), for which I apologize.      There are also severe issues with the new post editor (it is not fit for purpose for posting fiction chapters formatted elsewhere), so I am using the ‘legacy’ editor, after accidentally discovering it wasn’t already on, as it appeared to be. If and when that stops working I will likely no longer be able to post stories here, so if you like my stuff and communicate with anyone at tumblr, let them know that.]

       Journeyman remembers.       A sunny day on an arid plain, smiling at the small group looking past him to the distant building, and the fire.       "...no brighter than the sun," he says, "but--"       Light blooms bright behind him, throwing new shadows as the watchers flinch and squint against the new blaze.       "There we go.  You don't want to look directly at the Sun, either."       "Whoa," says one of the onlookers.  "This is supposed to help?"       "Already has.  That's my partner.  Any biological and chemical problems at the former installation are now gone."       He waves a hand theatrically.       "As is the building, so they won't return.  Nor will the sloppy safety practices and ignored regulations that allowed it to fester.  And no radioactivity has been added, before you ask.  I'm sure there will be arguments about what just happened for years--but they won't be here anymore."       "We've been complaining about that place for years," says a woman.  "No one listened."       "Doc's Database did.  Those complaints are on record.  This will be handy when the owners of a former reasonably foreseeable public hazard try to make a fuss.  You helped."       Another smile.  "And you can help again, any of you on social media.  You can post the no doubt quite spectacular photos from your handcomps and camera phones, and inform everyone that what you witnessed was not, in fact, a nuclear explosion, but a problem departing for good."       A chuckle, and several of them lift phones to join the ones already recording.       There is no warning.  One moment there is nothing. The next...       Flicker is beside him.       A don't-call-her-goddess in indigo blue with silver tracery and a green visor, floating inches above the ground from treading lightly at speed before she lowers her feet to stand as humans do.  Sparks fly from the tracery as the ghosts of plasma wreathing her hands dissipate, leaving the scent of lightning and hot lava, mixed with the tang of vaporized metal.       Her face is calm but not quite impassive.       Journeyman faces her and opens his hand, and they touch fingertips.       "Done," she says.  "Shock soon.  Nothing much."       The warning keeps the group from excessive startlement as the rumbling boom from the shockwave arrives, sound catching up after far faster things have paused.  The glow has already faded, and he doesn't need to look to know the shape of the cloud.       He turns back to the group with another smile.  "Well, I'm afraid the show is over except for some 'after' pictures, so our work here is done.  Take care, folks."       He sweeps off his hat and bows.  Flicker nods slightly, and there is a chorus of thanks.       "Home?" he asks.  The tension was clear when she first appeared.       His magic has been almost superfluous today, his help little enough. Designated human--smiling, talking, making reassuring noises, spreading much needed calm, crafting a comprehensible mental framework for witnesses of the aftermath of marvels performed too fast to see.       "Home," she replies.       A twitch of his hand and he is between places, space twisting as he visualizes a pattern, then untwisting elsewhere.       His ears pop.  Doc's HQ.  The duty room.       He stretches his arm back and opens his hand again.  He feels the partner touch repeated, then she moves, and rests her hands lightly on his shoulders, as she leans her cheek against the back of his head.  He feels an unsteady breath.       Her hands could brush aside steel like tissue, compress coal to diamond, hurl stones to tear the sky asunder, and extend to nearby objects the beyond-normal physics that enabled her body to survive her speed.  It was a profound gesture of trust, and slow-developed comfort, that let her touch with anything but fingertips, for reasons both physical and psychological.       "Bastards," she whispers, not meaning the crowd.  A longer breath.  It is not just onlookers that needed calm, once she slowed down and emotions made themselves known at human speeds.       "Management?" he asks.       "Board of directors.  They knew.  But not provably, unless they try to sue, so they won't."       "Ah.  Want me to adjust the patrol parameters?"       "Already did.  Thanks."       "I hear New Zealand is pretty this time of year, but the way things are going, we'd get mobbed by keas. And they're protected."       A breath of a laugh.  "Heh.  Yeah."       "Anything else I can do?"       "You're doing it already.  Partner..."  A pause. "Database says we should be done for the day, and I should eat.  Food sounds very abstract to me right now, though.  Any suggestions?"       She was both very human and very far from human, and the parts co-existed not always smoothly.  He thought for a moment.       "Chifa?  Peru?  That stir fry over rice you liked last--"       "Yes!  Where?"       He sent a set of GPS coordinates from his phone.       Ten minutes, and they were looking down a Peruvian mountainside from under a portable canopy, the sun low in the western sky.  Eating lomo saltado, as he told her about the takeout server who joked that the 'hungry magician' brought good luck (as well as a generous tip.)       Flicker laughed, her good humor restored.       There were so many things they needed to talk about, eventually.  Boundaries, plans, the dangerously overloaded and ambiguous word 'partner'.       He smiled as Flicker shifted suddenly to talking about something she had 'meant to tell him', technical details of physics behind a new wrinkle in her constant quest to reduce the impact of shockwaves when she needed to move something in a hurry. He could follow along, barely--she knew which areas he understood already and elaborated as needed, her eyes alight.       Partners.       The rest could be dealt with... later.

[thinkingimages]

An Orthodox church stands near an oil refinery that caught fire in an early April missile attack near the Ukrainian port city Odessa. (Nacho Doce/Reuters)

How Russia's Invasion of Ukraine Is Harming Water, Air, Soil, and Wildlife

The environmental impact of a single bomb falling in a field is disastrous — the crater opened up in the earth, the wildlife destroyed, the ensuing immolation, the explosive release of heavy metals and toxic chemicals spreading throughout the landscape and atmosphere.

Now imagine thousands of bombs across one of the most industrialized countries in the world, exploding in towns and cities, in manufacturing zones and wildlife refuges.

This environmental nightmare is happening in Ukraine, where the Russian military is routinely targeting critical infrastructure and hazardous sites. As efforts to stop the war rightly focus on minimizing the death toll and ongoing displacement of citizens, an environmental catastrophe is unfolding that will last long after the final Russian troops leave the country and could harm Ukrainian communities for years to come.

Environmental advocates have labeled the situation an "ecocide" and are trying to bring international criminal charges against Russia for the environmental destruction its military has already caused.

“Russia should pay for these crimes,” said Evgenia Zasiadko, the head of the climate department at Ecoaction, a Ukrainian environmental advocacy group. “Not only for the people who have been killed and harmed, not only for the infrastructure and cities, but also for the damage to the environment.

“My worst fear is that the damage will be so huge that we won’t be able to rebuild,” she said.

Zasiadko has been working with her colleagues to record the environmental crimes of the Russian invasion. They’re scouring news reports, social media, and have a dedicated Telegram channel for receiving tips.

As of March 28, her team had documented 110 explicit environmental crimes — and these only represent a fraction of the total, she said. The incidents are far ranging and affect the country’s water, soil, and air quality, as well as wildlife.

“The Pentagon database has recorded 1,200 [precision] missiles, and all of these missiles, bombs, and tanks contain waste,” she said. “Now and in the future, heavy metals will be in our groundwater and soil. We’re an agricultural country, and when it’s not an active war, I don't know how we’re going to rebuild anything because it's going to be polluted.”

There have been at least 36 attacks on fossil fuel infrastructure, 29 attacks on electricity stations, 7 attacks on water supplies, and 6 attacks on nuclear facilities, Ecoaction has noted.

After an attack on the Sumykhimprom chemical plant in northern Ukraine, ammonia began leaking until it covered an area with a radius of 2.5 kilometers, Zasiadko said, threatening nearby communities by contaminating groundwater supplies, the soil, and wildlife.

Forest fires caused by missiles near the Chornobyl nuclear facility have caused radioactive material to enter the atmosphere. Rockets fired by Russian soldiers at the ​​Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant nearly caused a nuclear disaster.

Oil and gas facilities in Kharkiv have come under heavy fire since the war began, disrupting Ukraine’s energy supply, and releasing enormous amounts of greenhouse gas emissions and other contaminants into the atmosphere that make it difficult to breathe.

Each day brings new reports of the Russian military destroying Ukraine’s environment with thermobaric bombs and other powerful weapons. Some cities, like Mariupol, have become so heavily bombarded that they are now unlivable, due to both a lack of infrastructure and extreme toxicity in the environment.

Wildlife refuges are being targeted and zoos have been attacked. Zasiadko said that 44% of the country’s most vulnerable environmental areas are in active war zones, with bombs causing significant harm to various ecosystems.

Russia is also targeting the country’s food sector, destroying agricultural equipment and warehouses.  

article continues

[dr-archeville]

INDY Daily: Five Bills That Should Pass in the N.C. Senate Before the Crossover Deadline

It’s Friday, May 7

Thank  you to this week's sponsor, UNC Summer School, offering over 700 affordable online courses.  Summer term begins on May 19th; registration opens now.  Explore a new interest, move toward your goals, earn college credit.      

Good morning, readers.

The crossover deadline—the date by which all bills must have passed either the House or the Senate chamber in order to be eligible for consideration throughout the remainder of the legislative session—is next Thursday, May 13. (Bills with provisions related to finance or appropriations, constitutional amendments, appointments, or elections laws are exempt.)

Here are five bills we think should pass in the Senate before the crossover deadline.

Senate Bill 393 + Senate Bill 634

Part of the suite of Sen. Natalie Murdock's Momnibus package, these bills seek to improve health outcomes for Black pregnant mothers by supporting doula services through grants and asking DHHS to consider funding doulas under Medicaid. Read more here and here.

Senate Bill 439: Hate Crimes Prevention Act

Filed on March 31, two weeks following the shootings of six Asian American spa workers in Atlanta, the bill would create a hate crimes database, expand protections against hate crimes and increase punishments for hate crimes, and require training for law enforcement officers and prosecutors. Read more here.

Senate Bill 544: 2021 Water Safety Act

A bipartisan bill that would provide funding of $10 million or more to North Carolina universities to study ways to address PFAS ("forever chemicals"), including GenX, in the state's waterways.

Senate Bill 710: A Tax Plan for a Just Recovery

This bill would increase state funding by close to $2 billion dollars per year by rolling back Republican tax cuts on corporations and families making over $500,000 per year. The money would go into the general fund to support education and other goals set forth in the state constitution.

Senate Bill 669 + 711: N.C. Compassionate Care Act + Senate Bill 646: Marijuana Justice and Reinvestment Act

The bipartisan Senate Bill 711 would legalize medical marijuana for patients suffering from debilitating illnesses, as would Senate Bill 669. Senate Bill 646 would legalize marijuana for recreational use.

Honorable mentions:

Senate Bill 459: Improve Pipeline Safety

Read more here.

Senate Bill 510: Release Body-Worn/Dashboard Camera Video

Read more here.

Feel free to forward this email to your Republican lawmakers. Have a great weekend!

For more information, resources, and promotional opportunities please contact sales@indyweek.com

Like the INDY Daily? Share it with your friends and ask them to subscribe!

Orange County

UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz and other university leaders shared plans for transitioning to full, in-person operations this fall at an employee forum this week.

Derek Torres and his wife, Julianna Villarosa, a UNC-Chapel Hill alumna, are working on a documentary that explores the racial impacts of the very problematic South of the Border tourist attraction located off of I-95 just south of the North Carolina boarder with South Carolina.

Durham County

The City of Durham is considering naming a poet laureate after three local poets brought the idea before the City Council. The city's cultural advisory board will begin to flesh out plans. Chapel Hill and Carrboro already have poet laureates.

Singer and musician John Legend gave Duke University's commencement speech this year and warned graduates of the dangers of zero-sum thinking. Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett will speak to UNC's graduates this weekend.

State officials are urging Durham residents to be on the lookout for a gauge that measures potentially hazardous, radioactive material stolen from a Durham construction site on Thursday.

Wake County

The City of Raleigh presented plans for the 14-acre Deveraux Meadows Park, located along the Peace Street corridor between Glenwood Avenue and Person Street and once home to a professional baseball team and stadium, the Minor League Raleigh Capitals, from the 1930s until 1979.

The area has been revitalized in recent years with the Smoky Hollow Development that includes a Publix grocery store. This stretch of land will be reimagined as a sculpted green space with a waterfront into downtown following restoration of the Pigeon House Branch of Crabtree Creek.

Wendy Wishart, the Brier Creek woman charged with shooting and killing her husband, Sean Michael Wishart, this week, is a well-known local anti-abortion harasser, according to the Triangle Abortion Access Coalition, a group of clinic escorts.

Elsewhere

At a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting this week on the controversial farm bill, committee leaders shut down public discussion of contentious portion of the Farm Act. The bill itself limits public input on swine farms that install biogas systems and anaerobic digesters.

House Speaker Tim Moore, who doesn't usually file bills, is a co-sponsor of legislation that would make rioting a felony if it leads to significant property damage or if someone is injured or dies. Citing the protests and the aftermath of the George Floyd killing last summer, Republican lawmakers want vandals to be held for 48 hours in jail, charged with felonies, and imprisoned for two years. The ACLU of North Carolina calls the bill unreasonably harsh.

A bill that removes language from state laws listing violations as not serious enough for long-term school suspension (including using inappropriate language, noncompliance, dress code violations and minor physical alterations) passed in the N.C. House yesterday. Democratic lawmakers say the bill could unfairly target Black students.

Will lawmakers do anything to address the harmful "forever chemicals" in the state's waterways this legislative session? Ten bills have been introduced for them to consider.

Pasquotank County Commissioners voted unanimously Thursday to ask lawmakers in the General Assembly to change the state's body camera law following the shooting death of Andrew Brown Jr. by sheriff's deputies and a Superior Court judge's ruling not to release the body camera footage right away.

Statewide COVID-19 by the numbers: Wednesday, May 5

1,798 New lab-confirmed cases (978,566 total; seven-day average leveling)

1,031 Current hospitalizations reported (seven-day average trending down; 12,738 total deaths, +17 over Thursday)

34,310 Completed tests (12.59 million total; most recent positive rate was 4.4 percent)

7,456,842 Total vaccinations administered (State data not updated daily)

Today's weather

Cloudy with showers and potential thunderstorms. Cooler with highs in the mid 60s.  

Song of the day

Hiss Golden Messenger and Megafun–Red Rose Nantahala

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[gov-info]

Find the most comprehensive and complete 50-state information in the National Council of State Legislatures’ (NCSL) bill tracking databases. You can search by text, subtopics, year, status (e.g., pending, enacted, to governor, etc.) and/or  keyword to identify bills. The status of bills listed in most of these databases is updated every week.

Topics include:

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The 9-1-1- database covers issues related to fees, service fees or surcharges; funding and appropriations; administration, plans, boards and commissions; privacy and confidentiality; enhanced 9-1-1 (e9-1-1); next generation/advanced 9-1-1; and wireless 9-1-1.

Autonomous Vehicles

(2017 to present)* Tracks state autonomous vehicle legislation, including issues relating to commercial use, insurance and liability, privacy and cybersecurity, infrastructure and connected vehicles, and vehicle inspection, licensing, registration and testing.

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Tracks state legislation related to campaign finance processes and reform in 20 categories. Bills found here deal with campaign contribution limits, disclosure requirements, independent expenditure requirements and other campaign finance-related issues. The database covers legislation in 2015 to the present.

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Tracks campaign finance legislation in a variety of topics, such as contribution limits, disclosure requirements, pay to play, spending limits and much more. The database covers legislation in 2014.

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The NCSL Education bill tracking database tracks state education legislation on more than 50 issues. The database includes enacted legislation.

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The Education bill tracking database tracks state education legislation on more than 50 education issues, including charter schools, school choice, and religion and teacher issues. The database contains enacted legislation only.

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This database contains state legislation related to the administration of elections. Topics include absentee voting, ballot access, and poll worker issues.

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This database contains state legislation related to the administration of elections that was introduced from 2001 - 2010.   Topics include voter registration, access to polling places, and candidate qualification.

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The Environmental Health Legislation Database is grouped into six topics: asthma; children's environmental health; indoor air quality (includes mold and radon); pesticides (includes mosquito control); toxics and chemicals (includes asbestos, lead and mercury); and environmental tracking, surveillance and biomonitoring.

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The Energy and Environment database brings you up to date, real-time information on bills that have been introduced and enacted in state legislatures, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. Topics include climate change, composting, energy efficiency, fossil energy, green jobs, grid and transmission, landfills, radioactive waste, recycling, renewable energy, transportation energy, utility policy, water conservation and water planning.

Ethics and Lobbying (2010 to present)*

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Health Reform (2014)**

The database contains legislation filed in response to the Affordable Care Act. With the major features of the federal law in effect as of Jan. 1, 2014. The database includes measures considered in 2014 legislative sessions.

Health Reform (2011-2013)**

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NCSL has partnered with the federal Office for Victims of Crime to develop a database of state human trafficking enactments. The database addresses laws related to sex and labor trafficking, the trafficking of children, and the intersection with child welfare agencies, survivor services, judicial protections for survivors, collaboration among state agencies and training for public and private personnel on human trafficking issues.

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Federal immigration decisions have direct and indirect effects on state and local governments in the form of their budgets; the composition of their citizenry; the utilization and quality of their services; and the general social, political, and economic character of their communities. This database tracks enacted legislation only.

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This database tracks constitutional amendments, legislative alternatives to initiated measures, recall issues, and numerous other issues, across the 50 states, from 2014 onward.

Initiative and Referendum (1993-2013)**

This database contains constitutional amendments, legislative alternatives to initiated measures, recall issues, and numerous other issues for all states from 1993-2013.

Injury Prevention (2015 to present)*

This database, developed in cooperation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, brings you up to date information about injury prevention legislation that has been introduced in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Search legislation by state, topic, keyword, year, status or primary sponsor. Injury prevention topics include: Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs, Prescription Drug Abuse: Rescue Drugs, Prescription Drugs: Other, Traumatic Brain Injury; Older Adult Falls, and Teen Dating Violence.

Juvenile Justice (2008 to present)*

NCSL has partnered with the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to develop a juvenile justice legislation database. Search legislation from a variety of topics, ranging from truancy to mental health and substance abuse.

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The Military and Veterans Affairs database includes legislation relating to base realignment and closure (BRAC), education, employment benefits and licensing, health, insurance and death benefits, mental health, mission sustainability, readiness, Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) benefits, taxation, and spousal employment issues.

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Minimum wage bills from the current legislative session are available in a searchable database. Track specific issues by selecting a topic, such as proposed increases to the state minimum wage, indexing of future increases to the cost-of-living, tipped wages, subminimum wages, state authority over local minimum wages, Constitutional amendments, or other issues.

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This database on pensions and retirement legislation is made possible through the generous support of the Pew Charitable Trusts. Search on topics such as contribution rates, early retirement incentives, cost-of-living adjustments, elected officials retirement programs, deferred retirement option plans, retiree health benefits, defined benefit plan changes and divestiture.

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Covers current legislation relating to prescription drugs, including four broad categories of state regulation and involvement: 1) Specialty pharmaceuticals, 2) Biologics and biosimilar substitutions, 3) Compounding pharmacies and patient safety, and 4) Pharmaceutical access and affordability.

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This searchable legislative database brings you up-to-date, real-time information about scope of practice legislation that has been introduced in the 50 states and D.C. You can search 2015 and 2016 legislation by state, topic, keyword, year, status or primary sponsor.

Scope of Practice-Health Professions (2011-2013)**

The Scope of Practice Legislation Tracking Database contains 2013 legislation dealing with commissions and reports, licensure and credentialing, Medicaid/health insurance plan reimbursement, practice autonomy, prescriptive authority, truth in medical education, and truth in advertising for 22 health care professions.

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Sex offender policies have been high on state legislative agendas. Some enactments respond to the federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) provisions of the federal Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006. Other state actions place residence and other restrictions on sex offenders.

State Tax Actions (2011 to present)

The State Tax Actions database contains details on recent state tax changes and allows you to search and view the changes in various categories. The database includes all actions enacted from 2011 on.

State Tax Incentive Evaluations

States across the country are gathering data and using evidence to systematically evaluate tax incentives. To illustrate what sort of evaluations states are conducting, NCSL, with the generous support of The Pew Charitable Trusts, created a database of state tax incentive evaluations. Evaluations published since the start of 2008 are included and more reports will be added over time.

State-Tribal (2010 to present)*

Every year numerous bills are considered by state legislatures that can affect tribal communities. These bills address a variety of issues including the environment, education, health care, taxes/revenue and education.

Term Limits (1999-2013)

This database contains term limits legislation on topics such as: judicial term limits, congressional term limits, and efforts to reduce or increase those term limits, among other issues.

Traffic Safety (2007 to present)*

The Traffic Safety Database covers legislation related to: aggressive driving, automated enforcement/photo monitoring, child passenger protection, distracted driving, driver’s licensing, impaired driving, motorcycle safety, pedestrian and bike safety, school bus safety, seatbelts and occupant protection, senior driver issues, slow-medium speed vehicles, speed limits, and teen driver issues.

Transportation Access and Mobility Legislation Database (2013 to 2015)**

NCSL's Transportation Access and Mobility Legislation Database provides up-to-date information about legislation in the states and territories that aims to improve transportation access and mobility for people who have challenges accessing transportation options due to income, disability or age. See the Disability Employment Database for legislation starting in 2016.

State Transportation Coordination (2000-2012)**

The State Transportation Coordination Database provides information about legislation, executive orders and statutes related to the coordination of human service transportation programs. The database covers six topic areas including comprehensive coordination, coordination studies and special transportation funding.

Transportation Funding and Finance (2013 to present)*

NCSL's Transportation Funding and Finance Legislation Database tracks legislation and executive orders in many topic areas including motor fuel taxes, sales taxes, bonding, fees, public-private partnerships, vehicle-miles traveled or VMT fees, tolls and other ways to fund or finance transportation infrastructure. Legislation from 2013 and later is included.

Transportation Funding (2007-2012)**

This archived database tracked legislation and executive orders related to transportation funding and finance that were introduced in the states and territories from 2007 to 2012.

Unemployment (2010 to present)*

State unemployment legislation from the current legislative session is available in a searchable database. You may search all unemployment-related bills or select specific topics, such as SUTA, employee misclassification, and taxes and solvency.

Workforce Innovations

(enacted legislation only; 2015)**

[chemxpert]

Preparing for Success: How to Have a Positive FDA Inspection

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is very important in promoting health in the United States as it makes sure that human and animal drugs, biological products, and medical equipment are safe and effective. For pharmaceutical and biotech companies, adhering to the FDA’s rules is not only a requirement, but also a step towards achieving success. FDA inspections can be frightening when approached incorrectly, but like most things, when done well, can even turn stressful scenarios into incredible inroads towards improvement and development. This blog will look at the key components of how to prepare for a successful FDA inspection.

[thecomicsnexus]

BATMAN #393-394 MARCH - APRIL 1986 BY DOUG MOENCH, PAUL GULACY AND ADRIENNE ROY

SYNOPSIS (FROM DC DATABASE)

Batman is informed by Commissioner Gordon about an international affair between the CIA and the KGB, in which both organizations are trying to capture the Dark Rider, a terrorist who plans a plutonium deathtrap for America.

Travelling to Italy, Batman is unable to stop the Dark Rider and follows the terrorist's trail to Germany, where an ancient statue is being auctioned. While in Germany, Batman meets a Russian agent called Katia and they work together to follow the Dark Rider's trail.

Avoiding dangers, the two of them travel to Switzerland, where Batman makes sure that a CIA agent recovers the statue, ending the threat of the Dark Rider. However, a few hours later, Katia joins Batman and informs him that Dark Rider has killed the CIA agent, recovered the statue with the plutonium inside and is heading to Gotham City.

Batman has returned to Gotham City, but the threat of the Dark Rider still remains. Working along with Robin and the KGB agent called Katia, they collaborate with the Gotham City Police Department in order to prevent the Dark Rider's arrival to the city. Unfortunately, Dark Rider has managed to get inside Gotham with the statue full of plutonium and the authorties can only capture the man responsible for smuggling the criminal into the city. After interrogating the criminal, they learn that the Dark Rider doesn't plan to create a bomb with the plutonium, but instead, he plans to release the radioactive chemical into the Gotham Water Supply.

Batman requests Commissioner Gordon to let him and Katia handle the situation and give them at least half an hour before he alerts the entire city about the impending threat. After Gordon agrees, Batman, Robin and Katia go to the Gotham Reservoir, where they confront the Dark Rider's thugs. Knowing that his plan is bound to fail, the Dark Rider takes matters into his own hands and covers his body with the plutonium, pretending to submerge his own body into the reservoir to fasten the process. Katia finds the Dark Rider first, but she is unable to capture him and the terrorist is about to jump into the water when he is stopped by Batman and Robin, for good. Gordon and the police force arrive just seconds after the Dark Rider is captured and the criminals are all finally dealt with.

REVIEW

This is one of the earliest Batman stories I ever read, and to this day, I am amazed by the quality of it. Sure, it reads like a James Bond story for the most part, but it is very superior to the other Moench Batman stories of the time.

What makes this look more like an event is the art. Gulacy is perfect for spy dramas, and his Batman is very iconic as well.

As for the Dark Rider, he will return in around ten years from this story.

I give this story a score of 10

[waterfiltergurus]

Uranium in Drinking Water: What You Need to Know in [year]

Uranium is a heavy metal that has dangerous health effects if it's found in high levels in drinking water. This glossary will discuss uranium in water, including how it gets there, its potential health risks, and how to protect your family from this contaminant. ❔ What is Uranium? Uranium is a chemical element and heavy metal that has been used for decades an an energy source. This silvery-gray metal is weakly radioactive because all its isotopes are unstable, with half lives ranging from around 160,000 years to 4.5 billion years. Uranium slowly decays, releasing alpha particles. Uranium's nuclear properties make it a popular material for nuclear weapons. Uranium produces a nuclear reaction that generates heat in nuclear power reactors, making it a commonly used material in nuclear power stations. Uranium also has some medical purposes. 💡 Due to its toxicity and radioactivity, and its status as a carcinogen (cancer-causing substance), uranium doesn't have any uses in day-to-day life. 🩺 What are the Potential Health Effects of Uranium? According to the CDC, some of the known health risks of uranium exposure are: - Kidney damage (the main health concern) - Changes in urine composition - Liver or bone cancer As one of the known radioactive substances, uranium has health risks even when found in low concentrations in the air or water. High levels of uranium affect the kidneys so strongly that they may cause death. Uranium is also known to decay into radium, another cancer-causing radioactive substance. 🚰 How Does Uranium Get Into Drinking Water? Naturally occurring uranium, or environmental uranium, is found in nearly all rocks, soils, and groundwater and surface water supplies. The uranium concentrations in the earth vary depending on the location. U-235 and U-238 are the most common types of naturally occurring uranium in the environment. When water flows through rocks and soils containing natural uranium, some of this uranium dissolves, leading to higher levels of uranium in the water. Uranium contamination is most common in private wells, as well water is often sourced from water that has seeped through bedrock with a high uranium concentration. Well water in areas with shale bedrock and granite or alkaline sandstone is most likely to contain low levels of uranium. Uranium mining may also increase uranium concentrations in the environment due to radioactive waste production, with the highest concentrations in states where uranium is mined heavily. Another human activity that may cause elevated levels of uranium in groundwater is the use of some phosphate fertilizers containing uranium. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WntKDqICkLU 📉 Do Water Treatment Facilities Monitor Levels of Uranium in Drinking Water? Yes, water treatment facilities are legally obliged to protect public health by monitoring and treating public drinking water to reduce uranium exposure. According to the Water Quality Association, there are several guidelines and regulations that public water suppliers must adhere to: - Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Maximum Contaminant Level: 0.030 mg/L (or PPM) - EPA Maximum Contaminant Level Goal: 0 mg/L (or PPM) - World Health Organization (WHO) Guideline: 0.030 mg/L The EPA's Maximum Contaminant Level is the maximum level allowed in public drinking water, while the Maximum Contaminant Level Goal is the maximum level of uranium that is thought to pose no public health risk. This suggests that even the legally allowed uranium level in drinking water may be too high. The Environmental Working Group has its own health guideline of 0.43 pCi/L (picocuries per liter) for radium. According to the EWG's Tap Water Database, more than 100 utilities in 22 states served around 63,000 people water containing uranium above the legal limit. 🔎 How Can I Tell if Uranium is in My Drinking Water? Uranium has no odor or flavor, despite its chemical toxicity and radioactive nature. This means that you won't know by looking at, smelling, or tasting your water whether or not it contains uranium. The only way to tell if uranium is in your drinking water is with testing. We recommend laboratory testing, which will provide you with accurate information on your water's radium concentrations, and the potential risk of exposure. You'll need to take several water samples and mail them to your chosen testing lab, and you'll usually receive results within 1-2 weeks. 📌 Private well owners have a greater requirement for uranium testing than people who use a public drinking water supply. If your private well is your primary source of drinking water, it's important to test your water to determine whether or not it contains harmful contaminants. 👩🏽‍⚕️ How Can I Protect My Family from Uranium in Drinking Water? You can't prevent uranium contamination in the first place - but you can remove uranium from your water supply before it reaches your faucets. The best way to protect your family from drinking water uranium is to install a suitable water treatment system. Some of the most capable water treatment options for uranium removal are: - Reverse osmosis - A reverse osmosis system sends water through a semi-permeable membrane with tiny pores that most contaminants, including uranium, are too large to fit through. Most reverse osmosis systems are installed as countertop or under-sink units, although some point of entry (whole home) systems can now be found. If you have a private well, you may need to install a pre-filter for your reverse osmosis system to prevent minerals and sediment from damaging the membrane. - Distillation - A water distiller removes uranium from drinking water through boiling and condensing. When water evaporates in a distiller, it travels down a cooling corridor and condenses in a separate container. Impurities (like uranium) that are unable to evaporate and condense with water are left behind in the boiling chamber, and can be washed away. Most distillers are countertop systems. - Anion exchange - Ion or anion exchange can remove up to 99% of uranium by exchanging the metal with an ion that isn't harmful to health (such as sodium). Ion exchange is most commonly used in point of entry water softeners to remove calcium and magnesium minerals, but it can also be used to treat water containing uranium, gross alpha, radium, and beta particle and photon emitters. ⚠️ How Else Can I Be Exposed to Uranium? Uranium exposure doesn't only occur from drinking water containing this contaminant. Some of the other causes of uranium exposure are: - Eating contaminated food containing naturally occurring radium or radium produced by waste or mining activities. Foods that commonly contain uranium are eggs, fish, beef, poultry, and root vegetables. - Inhaling uranium powder in the atmosphere. This is most likely in workers or people living in areas where uranium mining or milling, coal combustion, recycling, or enrichment takes place. - Dermal contact with uranium. Dermal exposure is unlikely to affect the general public. Workers who come into contact with uranium wastes, powders, and metals are most likely to be exposed to uranium via direct skin contact. 📝 Where Can I Get More Information? To learn more about uranium in drinking water, including the potential health effects of drinking uranium, follow the links below. - WQA: Uranium in Drinking Water Read the full article

[liesmyteachertoldme]

Analysis discovers US tap water is a ‘cocktail of chemicals’

Tap water across the US is riddled with chemical contaminants and even radioactive material, a new study has shown, with the situation complicated by outdated safety standards.    

The worrying state of American tap water was highlighted in recent analysis by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a non-profit organization based in Washington, DC that has maintained a database of drinking-water contaminants across the country since 2014.

Hazardous chemicals, including pesticides and radioactive materials, are “often found in drinking water at potentially unsafe levels, particularly in low-income and underserved communities,” it said in a press release.

“When some Americans drink a glass of tap water, they’re also potentially getting a dose of industrial or agricultural contaminants linked to cancer, brain and nervous system damage, fertility problems, hormone disruption, and other health harms.”

More than 50 new pollutants have been identified in water supplies, with the main culprits behind the increase being perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. This class of substances, commonly referred to as ‘forever chemicals,’ due to their stability and slow breakdown process, are widely used across multiple industries.

Nitrate pollution is also a major concern, affecting some 60 million people. While the cancer-causing chemical is commonly associated with rural areas and their fertilizer use, it has also made its way into the water supply of major cities. At least 22.7 million of those affected live in California, with Arizona, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey the next most affected.

The tap-water situation may be even worse than it appears, according to the EWG, given the lack of a stringent regulation process and the fact that ‘safe’ levels are set way too high. Guidelines limiting the presence of hazardous materials have not been updated in decades, so the EWG has proposed its own, which are a good deal lower than existing legal limits.

“The EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] has become very good at constantly reassuring the public that all is well with the water coming out of their taps,” EWG President Ken Cook said.

“That message is music to the ears of polluters, who’ve fouled source water and water utilities, wary of treatment and infrastructure costs. But it’s just not true – and the EPA’s own scientists know it.”

Another unresolved problem plaguing the US water supply is the use of antiquated, toxic lead pipes in service lines, according to the EWG. It’s calling for an increase in federal funding to allow a long-overdue upgrade to be carried out to the system to align it with modern standards.

[docfuture]

Princess, part 10

      [This story is a prequel, set several years before The Fall of Doc Future, when Flicker is 16.  Links to some of my other work are here.  Updates were theoretically biweekly–more realistically, I’m going to try to get the next one out by early July.]

Previous: Part 9

      Flicker was going to lose pieces of self.  She could put memory summaries in the Database, but that wasn't enough.  She could only permanently store her emotional context in her squishy human brain, which was offline.  This constricted connections between memory, place, and time.  Her older memories should be intact.  When the isotope exchanges were complete and she could finally restart everything and heal, everything should still be there.  But that didn't help now; anything old that she didn't already have loaded into her speed mind was inaccessible, and any new context would be ephemeral--gone after her next proper sleep.       And that 'should'... wasn't a would.  Itchy spots in her speed mind hinted at losses on the boundary, reflexes and habits needed for her squishy and speed halves to work together that she might have to relearn.  Her speech synchronization problems might return, or her chronic self-interrupting.  Old sensory issues might come back, too.       Those losses might extend to memory access.  Which was a little scary.  Moments perfectly preserved in a box did her no good if she forgot where she put the box.  Perhaps because the original link to the first box was now in a junk box labeled 'Misc' on a shelf somewhere.       But that was life when she wasn't technically alive, with a heart that couldn't beat, lungs that couldn't breathe, and a whole reconstituted flesh body locked down in suspended chemical animation while the isotope exchanger worked.  Force fields helped protect everything else from her still-considerable radioactivity.  She probably wouldn't remember exactly how the half-pain, half-itching from her speed body felt, or how her claustrophobia was combining with sensory deprivation to make everything more unpleasant.  The best she could do was to take notes for the Database, which she could finally talk to again.  Slowly.       Doc had rigged up inductors to transmit visual signals that her speed mind could sense.  They could give her low res video if she slowed down to near human speed, but for anything faster she was limited to text.  She was already used to virtual typing, and there were more inductors to pick that up.  The biggest problem was lag--if she typed too fast, she had to wait and watch characters slowly appear to catch typos.  She was watching slowly updating video stills of Doc as a background while they talked by text.       It was way better than nothing.       "... too many versions of the 'alien invasion' story out," sent Doc.  "It wasn't worth trying to correct them.  The Volunteer kept his press brief honest but short and vague--he mentioned non-hostile non-humans who were injured but would recover, he just didn't say they were whales--and then flew off before anyone could ask him any more questions."       "Okay," sent Flicker.  "Can we go back a bit?  No immediate crisis is good.  But I'm still missing a lot.  It's making my mind itch.  More.  It's itching for other reasons, too, but this you can help fix."       "No problem.  What first?"       "What was the bit with Breakpoint?  He wasn't trying to warn you or me?"       "No.  I got a notification just as you started your final run.  The warning was for Journeyman, he listened, and the danger passed."       "More details, please?  Did you forward the warning?"       "I didn't need to; Journeyman was standing beside him.  That was one of the precautions I arranged before you left, and they were quite willing to help.  Journeyman had his own detection setup coordinated with the Database, and they had the attack triangulated in a fraction of a second.  And then Breakpoint got the danger sense spike, just before Journeyman wanted to port, which delayed them for a second."       "A trap?"       "Possibly.  But I think a potential time loop was more likely."       "Caused by what?"       "I don't know."       "Surely you have a theory?"       "Lots.  Theories are easy, distinguishing them is harder," sent Doc.  "Too many parameters we don't know.  But your trap did confirm the attack was based on some kind of foreknowledge--the timing was far too precise for any other explanation to make sense.  Perhaps Journeyman and Breakpoint would have caught the attacker, triggering a loop.  Or killed it, with the same result.  Or they did get caught in a loop and broke out."       "How would that even work?"       "Several possible ways.  Time loop theories are hard to falsify.  But after it was safe, they ported in and swept the arrival location for clues.  The attacker apparently came from and returned to the Topaz Realm, a common intermediate stop for interdimensional travelers who wish to evade pursuit or tracking.  The two of them declined to pursue further, and returned unhurt, though rather drained from the double port.  Journeyman went to ground quote 'somewhere safe' unquote, and Breakpoint is with Jumping Spider.  I'm sure we'll get additional details later, but the attacker was almost certainly an extradimensional being who portaled in specifically to try to assassinate you, with implications of harm to the entire planet."       "And got away.  Whee."       "An overt repeat attempt seems unlikely.  This was a clear worldwide threat, in a way Hermes was not, and now there is a specific event to track from.  The compatible world probability background has shifted by quite a bit.  There are a wide variety of entities with extraordinary perceptions and abilities that are now aware of the attacker and united in the desire for Earth to keep existing, if little else.  The Database has been getting messages from all over the world.  Hideki told me he already had to gently dissuade a group of young Japanese superhumans from charging off on an interdimensional mission of vengeance.  They vividly recall your help during the quake, and feel inclined to track down whoever tried to kill you given the slightest opportunity.  I was also asked to convey their wishes for your speedy recovery."       "That's..."       Some emotional thing.  But Flicker didn't have a working human brain to feel it, and her emulator wasn't up to the task.       "...nice."       She sent a note to the Database to relay a socially safe thank you.  Her mind still itched.       "Okay," she sent.  "Thanks for the summary.  Now... I have a problem.  Your UI works--I can talk to you and the Database.  And if the exchanger were going to be done in a couple of hours, that would be enough.  But it's going to take longer.  I can tolerate the physical part--but I'm not so sure about the psychological.  Sensory dep, and I have to keep shifting what I'm doing to maintain concentration.  I've been recording the more organized parts of my raw impressions and alerts into the Database.  But it's as tedious as hand-typing an endless stream of hex codes.  That's making my attention wander.  I've lost my spot a couple of times already and had to pattern match to find it again.  I hate to complain, but is there anything better you can manage?"       A pause, and the background picture updated to show Doc with his hands clasped in front of his face, looking somber.  Then he started typing again.       "I've been fabbing something that may help.  I'll let you know when it's ready."       The rhythm of the isotope exchanger changed slightly, the ion beams stopped, and the discomfort eased a little.  A message from the Database appeared:       "First pass complete, left leg."       "Well," sent Doc.  "Ready to start lowering the tritium load in the bone marrow of your other leg?"       "Yes.  But it doesn't really matter," she sent back.  "It's the next thing.  We need to get as much as we can done while I keep my chemistry clamped down or I don't get a livable body back."       "Yes.  We may be able to speed up later.  But at least it's working."       "Yeah..."       *****       Tedious hours passed.  Then there was a pause and shift, while radiation-hardened robots installed a new set of inductors for her head, along with an elaborate set of shielding, wiring and cooling pipes.  Flicker took an all too brief run around Doc's test range.  Even though she was still blind and deaf, the flow of air and the sudden bright crispness of her mass sense made it a welcome break.  But she made a little of that air radioactive--she was still giving off too many neutrons--so it would have been indulgence to stay outside the force fields for more than a millisecond or two.       Then tests and adjustments.  Fiddly and annoying, but Doc was determined not to set off an immune reaction from Flicker's high speed nervous system, and DASI concurred with the need for caution.       Another shift... And a world turned on.       A better interface, through a virtual body representation.  Audio, distorted but functional.  Video.  And faster text and data when Flicker sped up.  The grinding background of confinement, restlessness and inability to fully relax was still there.  As was the discomfort from the isotope exchanger.  But her sensory deprivation was greatly reduced.  It worked.       There was one rather jarring issue.       "I feel this sense of cosmic dread," she said.  "Like I'm on the edge of a precipice to dimensions I can't even see, and might at any moment slip and lose my connection to sanity, or drag anything and everything I care about into the abyss."       "Good," said Doc.  "Sounds like your alarm systems are appropriately compatible."  The wide video window showing his image floated in front of her.  The darkness around the edges was still flecked with the writhing static of closed-eye hallucinations, but they were less intrusive.       "Good?  It's not exactly--"  She blinked and suddenly everything was gone, then the old interface returned--text and a fixed picture.  And the static everywhere else.  She sped up.       "DASI?" she sent.  "What happened?"       "You blinked for too long, and the interface interpreted it as a user shutdown request.  I can adjust that, but the safety shutdown thresholds are necessarily quite stringent.  One moment."       Another blink and Doc was back, eyebrow raised.  Half a second had passed.       "--fun," she finished.       "Fun was not a design goal," said Doc.  "This is a high performance multi-sense cybernetic interface.  It's not remotely safe.  The basic sensory relays I started you with were already as high-bandwidth as I could manage safely.  But they weren't enough.  I don't know how to make a full cybernetic interface that's comfortable but not psychologically addictive.  I keep the controller in the vaults for a reason.  I fabbed spare inductors.  They'll probably break frequently.  And shut down for other reasons.  Don't get attached to the interface.  I wouldn't even consider using it if your biological brain was functional.  I put together a list of other ways it's dangerous.  It's just not as dangerous as risking sensory deprivation for what might be days."       "Okay.  But if you think the alarm system for my high speed mind is compatible with a cybernetic interface... Don't I already have one?"       Doc looked down, then back up.  "Possibly.  But you'll want to be careful how you conceptualize that.  Because right now, if your body has a cybernetic interface, you might be that interface.  So it's not a good time to shift your self image."       "Yeah, yeah, because my flesh body is dead," said Flicker.  "I get it.  My internal conceptualization has been pretty consistent.  Messed up, but consistent.  It's like a meat demon with a little metal bug on the forehead.  High speed mind is the bug.  And only the demon is dead.  The bug is mostly worried about staying sane and connected.  And I've got the connected part now, but sane requires something to do.  I can't move while the exchanger is working, can't put things in long-term memory, and my emotion emulation is bad, so my options are limited."       Doc put a hand on his chin and looked back at her image in the video window.  "Could definitely be worse.  You'll want to test the interface at speed.  DASI will keep monitoring.  Perhaps we can tune down the doom response a bit.  And Armadillo will be here in a little while.  She's rather better at cheering people up than I am.  I'm sure she'll be happy to talk about whatever you want."       "Might help a little.  But I'm not sure talking will be enough.  Sec."       Flicker sped up.  The interface speed lagged noticeably and the temperature of the inductors rose.  The temperature in her brain would have gone up too, if she hadn't already been entropy dumping to get rid of the heat from radioactive decay and the isotope exchanger.  She skimmed the hazard list.  Doc hadn't been exaggerating.  And the full interface would not be able to keep up with her mind if she sped up all the way.  The problem was cooling, which was the usual problem that stopped Doc after he'd solved everything else.       So.  Use restraint.  Don't push it all the way to the limit, and it would break less frequently.  She adjusted some preferences with DASI's help, so the interface would gradually degrade to monochrome text and virtual typing input at higher speeds.  That would give her fast responsiveness as well as the increased sensory feedback she needed when she slowed back down.  A few tests verified it worked.       At DASI's suggestion, she tried taking notes at speed with the better interface as a direct substitute for long term memory.  A slower and more structured version of the memory dumps she did before sleeping when her memory was overleveraged and she couldn't stuff everything into squishy brain in time.  With the memory dumps, she could put keys into her squishy brain to connect by reference--but not with everything locked down.       More tests.  The notes were accurate on rereading, though seemed kind of passive-aggressively gloomy.  Upon reflection, she decided that was accurate as well.       What to do?  The data from Speedtest was recorded.  Talking was... talk.  Little point in reading or trying to learn.  Introspection could become a problem fast--her mood was already pretty dark.  But she couldn't get renewal from physical rest, so she was going to slowly go squirrelly from lack of sleep and contact with squishy brain.  And she already felt the kind of frustrated dissatisfaction that she usually handled by going on patrol.  Then she might still end up frustrated, but at least she'd saved lives.  Now she couldn't even do that.       She wasn't helpless.  She still had a net connection, her database node, and assorted bots, both physical and virtual.  But what was safe to try?  She slowed back down.       "Interface works," she said.  "But the doom abyss is getting old real fast."       Doc was studying his own display intently.  He tapped out something on his keyboard then looked up.  "How's that?"       The tension eased somewhat.  "Better," she said.  "Less cosmic dread, more dangerous machinery in operation alert.  I can live with that.  But I could really use something to do."       He shook his head ruefully.  "I understand.  Sometimes the hardest thing to do is nothing.  But you have a very good chance of surviving your bit of existential roulette if you can manage to keep yourself together and stationary long enough for the exchanger to do its work."       She frowned.  "Is that what you call the kind of trap I set?  I thought you said we're safe now."       "No, I said further direct attacks were unlikely.  Whether that's because they wouldn't succeed or aren't necessary is still open.  We can't be reasonably certain until the next time you sleep, then wake up functional and something approximating sane."       "That's disturbing."       "Yes.  But what's done is done."       "So you don't think trying it was a good idea?"       "I'm reserving judgement.  And if you were going to try, the Moon was a better place than Earth.  You minimized direct collateral damage.  However..."  A crooked grin.  "Now probably isn't the best time for critical analysis.  Survival and data recording were the right priorities once you made it back.  We can hash out details later."       "Yeah, but it does give me something to focus on, which I need.  I think that finally getting to go fast was so wonderful, so freeing, that I got overconfident."       Doc studied her image for a moment.  "Based on my preliminary analysis of the Database summaries, I think you may be underestimating another effect.  I can explain, if you think it will help."       "Well, yeah."       "When you left the earth's atmosphere, you were hit with mental changes and a flood of alarms and activations on top of your acrophobia.  Which you coped with very well.  I think your caution, careful safety compartmentalization, and lockdown checking were absolutely correct and optimal reactions.  Having a previously unknown part of your mind wake up and suggest you mess with Planck's constant locally?  That would have terrified me.  But you handled it."       Doc waved a hand.  "That was a way more drastic reaction than I expected, and means I need to rework a lot of my theories.  Anyway, you took care of everything, and landed safely.  You jumped to the Moon.  Your landing message sounded like you were euphoric."       "I was."       "And your fear went away.  You had mass again, the alarms stopped, and you were finally getting to run Speedtest.  Of course you were feeling great.  And I made a mistake.  Before you started your final run, I suggested you go as fast as you felt safe.  I didn't include a stronger warning because I didn't want to interfere with your joy.  But I knew.  I know that feeling, it's Now I Am Invincible, it's incredibly dangerous for a superhero, and I knew the way you usually keep it in check is your care for all the people and other living things on Earth, and there was nothing living on the Moon except you."       He looked down.  "I should have warned you.  I didn't.  I'm sorry."       "Doc, no," said Flicker.  "I'd have done it anyway.  Nobody died.  I got the data.  And whoever or whatever that was, we needed to know about them, and now we do.  I'm going to keep going."       She bared her teeth.  "Even when I can't move for a while."       Doc kept looking down for a moment, then wiped his eyes and looked back up.  "Yeah.  On that note, it's time to move the exchanger focus again, and Armadillo is here.  Shall I invite her in?"       "Sure.  And thank you for--"  She waved the hand of her virtual body.  "This, and the list of reasons why it's dangerous.  Both.  They both help."       The crooked smile was back.  "I do what I can manage."

Next:  Part 11

[xtruss]

Damning Analysis Discovers US Tap Water is a ‘Cocktail of Chemicals’

— 3 November, 2021 | RT

© Reuters/Regis Duvignau

Tap water across the US is riddled with chemical contaminants and even radioactive material, a new study has shown, with the situation complicated by outdated safety standards.

The worrying state of American tap water was highlighted in recent analysis by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a non-profit organization based in Washington, DC that has maintained a database of drinking-water contaminants across the country since 2014.

Hazardous chemicals, including pesticides and radioactive materials, are “often found in drinking water at potentially unsafe levels, particularly in low-income and underserved communities,” it said in a press release.

“When some Americans drink a glass of tap water, they’re also potentially getting a dose of industrial or agricultural contaminants linked to cancer, brain and nervous system damage, fertility problems, hormone disruption, and other health harms.”

“For too many Americans, turning on their faucets for a glass of water is like pouring a cocktail of chemicals.”

More than 50 new pollutants have been identified in water supplies, with the main culprits behind the increase being perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. This class of substances, commonly referred to as ‘forever chemicals,’ due to their stability and slow breakdown process, are widely used across multiple industries.

“It speaks to the fact that we don’t have nearly strong enough regulations in place to protect drinking water, and the regulation process is much too slow,” EWG senior scientist Tasha Stoiber told The Guardian.

Nitrate pollution is also a major concern, affecting some 60 million people. While the cancer-causing chemical is commonly associated with rural areas and their fertilizer use, it has also made its way into the water supply of major cities. At least 22.7 million of those affected live in California, with Arizona, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey the next most affected.

The tap-water situation may be even worse than it appears, according to the EWG, given the lack of a stringent regulation process and the fact that ‘safe’ levels are set way too high. Guidelines limiting the presence of hazardous materials have not been updated in decades, so the EWG has proposed its own, which are a good deal lower than existing legal limits.

“The EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] has become very good at constantly reassuring the public that all is well with the water coming out of their taps,” EWG President Ken Cook said.

“That message is music to the ears of polluters, who’ve fouled source water and water utilities, wary of treatment and infrastructure costs. But it’s just not true – and the EPA’s own scientists know it.”

Another unresolved problem plaguing the US water supply is the use of antiquated, toxic lead pipes in service lines, according to the EWG. It’s calling for an increase in federal funding to allow a long-overdue upgrade to be carried out to the system to align it with modern standards.

“With more funding, stronger federal safety standards, and a greater focus on helping historically disadvantaged areas, safe water could finally be a given for all communities across the country,” Cook said.