Snowflake's Forum

  ‘It’s insane’:  Undocumented Trump workers paid thousands in income tax while the president worked the system A wave of emotions washed over Jesus Lira when he found out that President Trump has only paid a few hundred dollars in federal income taxes since the early 2000s. © Tasos Katopodis  U.S. President Donald Trump golfs at Trump National Golf Club on June 21, 2020 in Potomac Falls, Virginia. “It was a little bit of everything — angry, sad, confused,” said Lira, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico who used to work as a cook at Trump’s Westchester County golf club. “The president, my former boss, isn’t paying any taxes. How is that even possible?” © Provided by New York Daily News  Jesus Lira in the kitchen at Trump National Golf Club in Briarcliff Manor, N.Y.   Lira, who’s among dozens of undocumented ex-employees of Trump’s company, was referring to  a Sunday report by the New York Times  that revealed the president paid just $750 per ...

How Operation Warp Speed's Big Vaccine Contracts Could Stay Secret Sydney Lupkin September 29, 2020 3:40 PM ET President Trump announced the creation of Operation Warp Speed in May to fast-track a coronavirus vaccine. He called it "a massive scientific and industrial, logistic endeavor unlike anything our country has seen since the Manhattan Project." Drew Angerer/Getty Images The Trump administration has  compared  Operation Warp Speed's crash program to develop a COVID-19 vaccine to the Manhattan Project. And like the notoriously secretive government project to make the first atomic bomb, the details of Operation Warp Speed's work may take a long time to unravel. One reason is that Operation Warp Speed is issuing billions of dollars' worth of coronavirus vaccine contracts to companies through a nongovernment intermediary, bypassing the regulatory oversight and transparency of traditional federal contracting mechanisms, NPR has learned.  Instead of entering i...

  If you were a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, what questions would you like to ask SCOTUS nominee Amy Coney Barrett, in the hearing set for October 12th? Here are mine so far: -Approximately how old do you think the Earth is? -Do you believe (accept) evolution? -Do you believe in the Rapture?   If yes, how do you think it will go? -Do you consider yourself a religious fundamentalist?   For example, do you believe the Earth was created in six literal days?   Did Moses really part the Red Sea?   Did Jonah actually live for three days inside the belly of a giant/great fish/whale?   Did Jesus literally walk on water?   Did Jesus come back to life after three days of death? -Do you always wear a mask when out in public to protect others against COVID? -At what point does “life” begin?   Is it at the moment of conception? -And for my pièce de résistance, I’d play the p*ssy tape and ask what she, as a Christian, thinks abou...

  Best time to plant a tree? Probably now Planting a tree is one of the best things you can do to help the planet, and these days it's gotten easier. There's a better understanding now of what trees need, including when they should generally be planted (the fall). © Provided by AP  This undated photo shows Japanese and sugar maple trees in Bryn Mawr, Penn. Trees benefit our planet in so many ways, as well as providing us humans with beauty, food, and shade. (Lee Reich via AP) Why plant trees? It's well-known that trees mitigate global warming by taking in and storing carbon dioxide. Their shade can cool things down in summer. As windbreaks, they can slow heat loss. Their beauty and delicious fruits and nuts are other perks. Experts used to recommend planting trees in spring. But that's changed for most species. With spring planting, there's a danger that stems can start to grow before the roots are established in the ground. Fall planting helps avoid that. Stems can...

  GENEVA - The World Health Organization reports tobacco kills 1.9 million people, or 20 percent of all those who die every year from coronary heart disease. In advance of  World Heart Day  (September 29), WHO, the World Heart Federation and the University of Newcastle Australia have released  a new report  warning of the dangers of tobacco-induced heart disease. Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death on Earth, killing an estimated 17.9 million people every year. The World Health Organization reports smoking and second-hand smoke are responsible for nearly two million of these deaths. Director for Health Promotion at WHO, Ruediger Krech said smokers should take heart. All is not lost. He told VOA even life-long smokers who quit their deadly habit can prevent dying prematurely from heart attack or stroke. “That’s the good news. If tobacco users take immediate action now and quit, then their risk of heart disease will decrease by 50 percent after ...

 By now everybody has a rough idea that this will not be like any other election. For once, we have to take Donald Trump at his word: he will not accept defeat under any circumstance. And our tradition of an orderly succession of government has always rested on the defeated candidate admitting his defeat so the nation may move on with some degree of confidence.  We even have a rough picture in our minds as to how events will play out. The true final tally will not be known for weeks after Election Day. And each day the count seems to be going against Trump he will be throwing sand in the wheels of achieving any kind of an accurate count. Worse, we can assume the cooperation of a number of Republican governors in key swing states. They can change the rules by fiat if they choose, and might even order their electors to disregard the popular vote and vote for the incumbent. Such tactics seem far-fetched to us, who have never seen a deeply dirty election play out. But Constitution...

October's clear night skies to offer backdrop to 3 major astronomy events AccuWeather October's crisp autumn nights will bring plenty for stargazers to see in the sky, ranging from a meteor shower to great views of the planets, but the top astronomy event of the month will come on the month's final night. No telescope is needed to see any of the three big events, but a sweatshirt and hat may be helpful as the nights gradually turn colder across the Northern Hemisphere. In addition to the events, the night sky in general may start to look more clear than it has during the summer months. Part of this is due to the changing weather as colder, less humid conditions provide better viewing conditions than hazy, humid summer nights. Here are the top three astronomical events to look for in October: 1. Mars Opposition When : Oct. 13 The Red Planet will outshine all other planets in the sky throughout October, appearing brighter than it has at any point dating back ...