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:

Since Go Fund Me was launched online in 2010, it has raised over $4 billion for those in need, especially for education. And after opening for “business” in 2011, YouCaring pulled in over $800 million, much of that for healthcare. These crowd-fundings have been donated to by 22 percent of Americans, Pew Research Center says. Go Fund Me collects 5 percent of funds raised, and YouCaring relies on donations and only charges credit card fees, according to a report in TIME magazine.

Even mighty dinosaurs were tortured by ticks. A fossil preserved in amber of a tick on a dinosaur feather was recently found in a private collection in Myanmar.

The FCC officially ended net neutrality June 11. Sought by the Obama Administration, neutrality would have prevented internet providers from blocking, speeding or slowing access to online sites. According to CNN Tech, over 20 states filed suit against the FCC’s anti-neutrality stance; some set their own policies to retain net neutrality. But the American Enterprise Institute, part of the Trump Administration’s transition team, says the FCC does not allow states to have their own policies, and telecom companies could sue those states.

USDA figures show food insecurity in the U.S. is at 14 percent. It was 11.1 percent in 2007.

Two U.S. Senators, concerned about children separated from asylum-seeking parents, were recently blocked from touring U.S. immigration facilities for those children. The UN says the right to claim asylum for fleeing violence is a fundamental human right and part of U.S. law. And separation of children from parents is “a serious violation of the rights of the child.” Stress from separations can cause “irreparable harm” to the children, the president of the American Academy of Pediatrics stated. One senator was later allowed to visit a children’s detention center in Texas, but not allowed to take photos. After seeing what he described as large dog kennel cages for the kids, sans mattresses, that senator introduced legislation that would allow Congressional inspection with 24-hour notice.

A diet high in refined sugar is linked to impaired brain function and deeper depression, says Harvard Health Publishing. More info at Harvard Health blog’s Nutritional Psychiatry, Your Brain on Food.

The Los Angeles Times has pointed out that several big media sources failed to do their homework when reporting on the recent Social Security and Medicare annual Trustees’ report. The Times said a claim that Medicare would be insolvent by 2026 was one example of impaired reporting: actually, it’s Medicare Part A that would see a shortfall, but it would still be able to pay out 90 percent. And some media failed to note that Social Security is entirely stable until 2034, after which it could pay out 77 percent. The Trustees, who are mostly Republicans, blamed Congressional Republicans for threatening the stability of both programs. The trustees also said there is a simple and affordable fix for assuring stability: eliminate the $128,400 wage cap for paying into Social Security.

The 2018 Guide to Sunscreens, released by the Environmental Working Group, found two-thirds of products were “inferior.” Problems included use of hormone disruptors. Hawaii has banned sales of sunscreens with oxybenzone and octinoxate, which are linked to coral bleaching.

The USDA’s proposed labeling for genetically modified foods are misleading the Center for Food Safety claims. They look like radiant smiley faces; the eyes are the letters “b” and “e,” which stand for bioengineered, rather than the more familiar GE or GMO. But the overall message can be interpreted as “be happy.” The USDA also proposes a label that can only be read by smart phone; a third of Americans don’t own one.

The behavior of atmospheric rivers can be hard to predict, making it difficult for water managers to know how they should manage water reservoirs to create more storage space. But new research, a combined effort of the National Weather Service and the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes (at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography), is hoping to create the ability to know where atmospheric rivers will make landfall, how strong they will be, and if there will be rain or snow. Since climate change’s warmer air can hold more moisture, more intense atmospheric rivers is the result. Taking advantage of enhanced precipitation knowledge could help deter drought conditions when water managers know when to store and when to let go.

The Los Angeles Times says oil companies have rebuilt their infrastructure to make it more resilient to rises in sea level and to storms.

A U.S. District Court judge has ordered the EPA to produce evidence that would back the agency administrator’s claim that climate change is not caused by humans, Scientific American reports.

Blast from the past: In 1948 the U.N. General assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which recognized the dignity and equality of all humans.

Lorraine H. Marie is an independent writer based in Colville, Washington.