Gulf War syndrome, which has left a quarter of a million veterans suffering long-term illness, may have been caused by exposure to sarin nerve agent - not debris from depleted uranium munitions, a study has found.
Scientists from the University of Portsmouth believe the symptoms suffered by thousands might have been caused by the toxic gas released widely when troops destroyed caches of Iraqi chemical weapons.
The illness affects about 250,000 of the 750,000-plus service personnel from the armed forces of the UK, US and other allied nations who served in the conflict between August 1990 and February 1991.
It has caused a range of acute and chronic symptoms including fatigue, headaches, joint pain, indigestion, insomnia, dizziness, respiratory disorders and memory problems, and scientists believe it appears rooted in neurological impairment.
Researchers tested sufferers to examine levels of residual depleted uranium in their bodies and say their study “conclusively proves” that none of them were exposed to any significant amounts of the radioactive substance.
A highly sensitive method of testing in conjunction with metabolic modelling was used which took into account the predicted decline in depleted uranium from normal metabolism over the time since any potential exposure.
Professor Randall Parrish developed a method of detecting depleted uranium in urine from an exposure many years earlier and tested 154 well-monitored US Gulf War veterans who have the illness.
There was no trace of depleted uranium in any of the samples, and the testing was said to be 10 times more sensitive than previous procedures.
Prof Parrish said: “For decades, medics and scientists have been looking for the elusive cause of Gulf War illness.
“That depleted uranium is not and never was in the bodies of those who are ill at sufficient quantities to cause disease will surprise many, including sufferers who have, for 30 years, suspected depleted uranium may have contributed to their illness.”
Prof Parrish said the most likely remaining causes for the illness were low-level and widespread exposure to sarin nerve agent, possibly compounded by the use of organophosphate anti-nerve agent medication and the liberal use of pesticides to prevent malaria exposure to allied forces.
He said: “Depleted uranium munitions were used in the conflict as an effective weapon to destroy Iraqi tanks and its use has littered Iraq and Kuwait with uranium contamination, potentially affecting local people.”
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), the deputy whip of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, unveiled a bill that calls for an additional $100 billion in funding for the IRS over 10 years, with $70 billion of that money going to enforcement.
The bill would require the IRS to use the additional enforcement funds to increase audits of the wealthy and corporations. The measure would require the agency to meet targets of auditing 95 percent of corporations with more than $20 billion in assets, 50 percent of individual tax returns with income of more than $10 million, 33 percent of individual tax returns with income of between $5 million and $10 million, and 20 percent of individual tax returns with income between $1 million and $5 million.
The bill also would increase penalties for millionaires who falsify their tax returns to pay less than they owe.
In addition to the funds for enforcement, Khanna’s bill would provide the IRS with $20 billion for taxpayer services and $10 billion to improve its technology.
“We know our tax system is broken, and it’s long past time we start fixing it,” Khanna said in a statement.
The congressman announced the bill hours before a House committee holds a hearing about the GameStop stock market frenzy. Khanna linked his bill to the hearing, saying that “today’s hearing is just one example among thousands of the ways in which the ultra-wealthy play by different rules than the rest of us.“
Khanna estimates that his bill would raise $1.2 trillion in federal revenue over a decade, citing estimates from former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, University of Pennsylvania law professor Natasha Sarin and former IRS Commissioner Charles Rossotti.
The Congressional Budget Office has also estimated that increasing IRS funding for enforcement would raise federal revenue, but by a smaller amount than Summers, Sarin and Rossotti have estimated.
Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), the chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, announced Thursday that he is reintroducing a separate piece of legislation that similarly would increase IRS funding and set target audit rates for wealthy individuals and corporations.
“My bill would make significant investments in the IRS to equip the agency to collect from top earners what the government is owed and set minimum audit levels to ensure the wealthiest are held accountable and pay what they legitimately owe,” DeFazio said.
The two bills are supported by a number of left-leaning groups, including Americans for Tax Fairness, the Center for American Progress and the Patriotic Millionaires.
Increasing funding for the IRS has long been a priority for Democrats and tax professionals, and there is also some support among Republicans for boosting IRS funding as well. The IRS’s budget has been cut by about 20 percent on an inflation-adjusted basis since fiscal 2010, according to a recent report from the National Taxpayer Advocate.
If you are experiencing low water pressure or no water at all, you are not alone. Some cities have issued boil water notices and others have had to shut off water service.
Here are what officials are saying:
Anahuac
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is requiring the city of Anahuac public water system to issue a boil water notice to all residents prior to consumption.
Bacliff
Notice to the Bacliff water customers, due to the extreme weather conditions the water system was unable to meet water demands and the water system was shut off at 3:30 am 2-17-2021. Once the water is restored a Boil Water Notice will be in place. The Bacliff Water District will be releasing updated information to the public as it becomes available. The Bacliff MUD can be reached at 281-339-1634.
Baytown
Baytown is under a boil water notice. Baytown got its water plant back online and is currently filling its storage tanks. The process to continue through early afternoon and the water plant will begin distributing water into the system at approximately 2: 00 p.m. Depending on where residents live, they should begin seeing gradual increases in water pressure by early evening, city officials said. Initially, there will be air in the lines, which will need to be released. It may take several hours for pressure to reach a usable level and a few days for the system to return to normal operation. Officials urge residents to ensure that their taps are in the off position to minimize demand, which will assist in pressuring the system. Residents can report any water main leaks by calling 281-420-5300. Anyone with a burst pipes in their home is cautioned to turn off the water supply to their home.
The City of Bellaire says the low temperature is causing multiple frozen waterlines. Most of the freezing has occurred within the smaller pipes from the street to your home.
The City of Bellaire released a statement saying, “Water pressure with the City of Bellaire main water system is within normal levels. All fire hydrants tested so far have water available and are working as they should.”
Following conversations with the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, and Newsweek, white supremacist Bryan McCafferty was reportedly exhausted Thursday after a long day of interviews with mainstream news outlets. “God, I really want to just get home and sleep, but I still have a sit-down with the New York Times at 7:30, and my CNN segment is filming right after at nine,” said McCafferty, lamenting that he didn’t have a spare minute to finish email correspondences about rural neo-Nazis with NPR and PBS NewsHour because a Salon reporter accompanied him this week to better understand his hatred of black and Hispanic neighbors. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m excited to spread the message of a white ethnostate, but I just can’t do any more phone interviews with Chris Hayes or Jake Tapper while I’m driving my kids to school. It’s draining.” McCafferty added that he’s at least been fortunate enough to still find time to harass local minorities and Jews.
For anyone who hasn’t heard, applications for insurance through the Affordable Care Act are going to be open from February 15th to May 15th this year. It’s a special open enrollment period and if you’re not insured, please take advantage of it.
I’m gainfully employed (not in need of financial assistance) and healthcare.gov is how I got my health insurance! It’s an excellent, easy tool that walks you through the mind-numbingly complex process of shopping for policies.
With all the talk about telling people to start planting and growing crops to feed themselves and their communities during this time of crisis, I’m surprised I haven’t seen much about HOW MUCH to plant to feed people. Here’s a good article to serve as a jumping-off point, to give people an idea of when to plant and how much to plant to keep people fed. Keep in mind that unless you live on a fairly sizeable plot of land that has ideal growing conditions, you probably won’t be able to completely feed a family of four, at least with traditional gardening methods. However, you can still heavily supplement your diet with homegrown food if you plot your garden carefully.
Some things you can do to save space include growing plants in stackable towers rather than flat rows. Not everything can grow this way, but growing herbs or even strawberries or some kinds of tomatoes in them can save a lot of space. Bonus points if you can get some vertical vining plants like beans or tomatoes to grow up the sides of them to maximize the space used.
Hanging planters can also be used for things like tomatoes, herbs, some berries, etc. The people who grew up watching TV in the 2000s may remember ads for the topsy-turvy tomato planter. I can’t vouch for the effectiveness of them, but it may be good inspiration for creative DIY hanging planters.
Many people don’t seem to know this (to be fair, it’s not very intuitive), but small melons and gourds can be grown vertically on a trellis. You will need pantyhose or something else that can act like a sling for when the fruit gets large enough, and you’ll also want to make sure the trellis is very sturdy. Here is an example of a watermelon growing on a trellis, with squash growing in the background:
Other good options that require a bit more DIY are hydroponics towers and walls. It’s basically just a series of pipes with holes for plants to grow out of. The only downside is they will require very regular fertilization and supplementation with other micronutrients that are essential for plant growth, because the plants are typically grown in either a non-nutritious medium like coconut coir or nothing at all.
Planter walls are the next step down, basically just building shelves with pots in them to fill with soil. Put these on a wall that gets good morning sun and some afternoon sunlight for best results. These and hydroponics both also have the advantage of being able to hook up to your gutters so that rainwater will go towards watering your plants rather than just being wasted.
If you want to get really fancy, aquaponics is the next step up. With aquaponics, you create a system that circulates water between plants and a tank full of fish. The fish waste provides fertilizer for the plants, and the plants help filter out the waste so the water stays cleaner. I’ve heard they’re a bit tricky to establish, but once you find the right balance, all you’ll need to do is feed the fish. This has the added bonus of providing a source of fish for people who can’t eat things like nuts and legumes but need protein. Here is a link to an article explaining what aquaponics is, how it works, and how it differs from hydroponics.
I also want to add that if you don’t have the space or ability to maintain a large garden, there are other options. Find or create a group with access to enough food to supplement or completely fulfill your diet, and offer another service. If you have space for a vermicompost bin or tower, that can still help contribute to the garden. Learning other skills like soap making, cooking, sewing/knitting/crocheting, electrical skills like wiring and soldering, welding, woodworking/carpentry, etc. means you will still have valuable skills to contribute towards the group, and this will set up the basis for a larger mutual aid network within your community.
Unless you have a huge amount of land, resources, a shitload of free time and a lot of gardening skills, trying to live completely off your own garden within a year is a ridiculous idea.
Most of us can’t do it ever even if we use all our space perfectly. Some of us can do it after years of building those skills, and we might still have bad years. And in the end, what does it get us? Self-reliance is a right-wing preppers dream but it isn’t what we should be aiming for.
If we’re thinking about collective survival and we’re looking at food as part of that survival, there’s two things that work:
Start a community garden. Bring together the resources, time and skills by getting together in a big group.
Or learn to grow a few crops really well and share them with all your friends.
The last one is what I’m going for and it works great. You can chose a few crops that are perfect for your soil, shade/sun conditions, skill level, amount of time, etc. Perfect those crops so you’ll have a huge harvest, and share share share. With a couple of friends doing the same, it’s much easier to get to a point where you’re no longer relying on stores for your fruit and veg.
