Bits n' pieces from east, west and beyond

East, west or beyond, sooner or later events elsewhere may have a local impact. A recent sampling:

What to do about ocean-floating plastic that’s triple the size of France? Ocean Cleanup is building its first solar-powered unit that will drift while trapping plastic garbage. They hope to have removed 90 percent by 2040. Without action, some scientists say oceans will be more plastic than fish by 2050.

Sixty percent of nursing home residents are covered by Medicaid, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. But with a rising federal deficit, largely due to tax cuts in 2017, AARP says Medicaid’s future is precarious.

Last year Beijing ended plans for building 103 coal-fired power plants, a source of mercury contamination. In the previous year toxin-laden air killed 1.58 million Chinese citizens, TIME reports. The Health Effects Institute has linked long-term air pollution exposure to 6.1 million human deaths, worldwide, in 2016.

Good news for the sleep-deprived? A study from Sweden says you may be able to make up for lost sleep on weekends. But a study author cautions that more investigation is needed.

Last year China imported $130 billion in goods from the U.S., while exporting $506 billion in Chinese goods back. The Wall Street Journal says China is intentionally hitting Trump supporters by imposing tariffs on ag products and vehicles. While some claim the tariffs will have a minimal influence, information in The New York Times cautions that further escalation could see tariffs on U.S. goods go up to 60 percent, resulting in up to 10 million U.S. jobs lost.

Since taking office the current administration has increased military spending by $200 billion.

Melting ice in the Antarctic is worsening, according to a study in Nature. Of the 3 trillion tons of ice that’s melted since 1992, 40 percent of that has occurred in the last five years.

Today the planet has 1.6 billion air conditioners; that number is expected to be 5.6 billion by 2050, according to the International Energy Agency. In the U.S. 90 percent of homes have air conditioning, as compared to 8 percent in warmer areas like Africa and the Middle East. Power used to meet the new air conditioning demands could be equal to the power China uses today for all purposes.

People food that’s good for pets, according to Dr. Karen Becker, DVM: cooked pumpkin for GI help; pumpkin seeds to prevent kidney stones and reduce arthritis; blueberries, an antioxidant; finely chopped kale for liver detoxification and as an anti-inflammatory; kefir for immune support; sardines for omega threes; sweet potatoes, for anti-oxidation and anti-inflammatory properties; fermented veggies; and chia seeds, (an antioxidant with omega threes).

Researchers with the U.K-based Environmental Investigative Agency say Chinese companies are producing chlorofluorocarbons, which were banned for destroying the Earth’s protective ozone layer. After monitors found a rise in atmospheric chlorofluorocarbons, 21 Chinese factories were investigated; 18 were making the offending plastic insulation foam. The Chinese government says it will investigate.

The U.S. needs 51,000 more truck drivers, the Washington Post reports. The shortage can cause delays in delivery and higher prices for consumers. In 2016 the industry was short 36,000 drivers.

Blast from the past: “Treason against the U.S. shall consist only in levying war against them or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort. No person shall be convicted of treason unless on the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act, or on confession in open Court. The Congress shall have the power to declare the punishment of treason,” says the U.S. Constitution. Those convicted of treason include two leaders of the Whiskey Rebellion who sought to violently overturn an alcohol tax intended to pay for Revolutionary War debt. The men were pardoned from a death sentence by George Washington. In 1862 professional gambler William Mumford removed the U.S. flag from a flagpole that replaced a confederate flag post-battle. A military tribunal found him guilty of treason and he was hung. Martin Monti, a U.S. Air Force officer, defected to the Nazis, and became an Axis broadcaster. He later pleaded guilty to treason and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. A German-born couple in Chicago harbored their Nazi son, who was a spy. They were convicted of treason and sent back to Germany.

Lorraine H. Marie is a writer based in Colville, Washington.