First completed full-scale hyperloop system set for the US is revealed

Stacy Liberatore For Dailymail.com 22 hrs ago

Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT) has unveiled designs for the first-ever completed full-scale hyperloop that is set to take passengers from Chicago to Cleveland in just 35 minutes.


The commercial system is first being constructed as a prototype in Abu Dhabi that will connect to Dubai and Al Ain.

HTT released a video showing the complete system with a stunning in-line station for travelers to board capsules that will cruise down three miles of track at speeds up to 750 miles per hour.

The pods and system are built with 'vibranium,' which the firm says is the 'safest material on Earth' and is an alien-made element from the Marvel comics - it is mentioned in 'Black Panther' and 'Captain America.'

If testing in Abu Dhabi proves successful, the firm plans to break ground for the US hyperloop in 2023 and have it running by 2028.

HTT's announcement puts the firm in the running to bring Elon Musk's vision into a reality - Musk first proposed the radical, pod-based transport system in 2013.
 

According to HTT, their pods will be able to carry a total of 164,000 passengers every day, departing every 40 seconds for the designated hub.

HTT is set to roll out the first tracks to connect the Ohio city with Chicago, Illinois, but is also exploring an expansion to include Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and New York City.

The company was founded in 2013 with a goal of solving transportation problems, including traffic and pollution.

From here they went to work pulling inspiration from Musk's Boring Company and turned the vision

 into a digital reality.© Provided by Daily Mail The in-line station will offer a self-boarding platform and responds to harness natural light, air flow, heating and cooling

© Provided by Daily Mail According to 

HTT, their pods will be able to carry a total of 164,000 passengers every day, departing every 40 seconds for the designated hub

The in-line station will offer a self-boarding platform and responds to natural light, air flow, heating and cooling.

HTT designed tubes, capsules and then invented a new material called vibranium, which it says is 'the safest material on Earth.'© Provided by Daily Mail Vibranium was made well-known in the popular 2018 movie ‘Black Panther.' Pictured is the Black Panther holding a staff made of the 'alien metal'

However, it seems the company also pulled inspiration from Marvel comics that describes it as fictional element that came from aliens that crashed on Earth.

Vibranium was made well-known in the popular 2018 movie 'Black Panther,' but also mentioned in 'Captain America' and Dare Devil comics in 1966.

But HTT is using what is known as the strongest element in the comic world to build its hyperloop.

Dirk Ahlborn, founder of HTT, said in a video: 'Vibranium is the safest material on Earth. It is intelligent, it actually senses integrity.'

'It monitors impact. We are manufacturing the capsule with a double layer, so if one skin is damaged you still have the other one.'© Provided by Daily Mail HTT designed tubes, capsules and then invented a new material called vibranium, which it says is ‘the safest material on Earth'© Provided by Daily Mail The firm plans to break ground for the US hyperloop in 2023 and have it running by 2028. The in-line station will offer a self-boarding platform and responds to natural light, air flow, heating and cooling

By rolling out miles of track, HTT hopes to solve traffic issues, but one issue has plagued the world for decades – pollution from vehicles.

With this in mind, the team is using only renewable energy to power the system that can potentially generate more power than they consume.

Estimates from 2019's Great Lakes Hyperloop Study indicate that a hyperloop system connecting Chicago, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh would potentially reduce CO2 emissions in the region by 143 million tons.

Andres De Leon, CEO of HyperloopTT, said:' The HyperloopTT system is inherently sustainable and operates with zero emissions.'

'We have pioneered a technology that is faster, safer, and far cleaner than existing modes of transportation by design.




a car parked on the side of a road: By rolling out miles of track, HTT hopes to solve traffic issues, but one issue has plagued the world for decades – pollution from vehicles. With this in mind, the team is using only renewable energy to power the system that can potentially generate more power than they consume. Pictured is part of track made of massive tubesNext Slide

By rolling out miles of track, HTT hopes to solve traffic issues, but one issue has plagued the world for decades – pollution from vehicles. With this in mind, the team is using only renewable energy to power the system that can potentially generate more power than they consume. Pictured is part of track made of massive tubes

'Because hyperloop uses less energy than alternatives, we are a smarter economic solution for many regions worldwide. With these first of their kind, complete commercial designs, we are ready to build today.'

Although the firm has only shared a concept video of the full scale design, it is well on the way to completing it.

Earlier this month, the group unveiled the world's first full scale isolation valve that can withstand up to 288,000 pounds of force.

The 16.5-foot valves will be placed every seven miles throughout the tube system that closes off a section for maintenance, while allowing cars to continue through vacuumed tubes.

Ken Harrison, president and CEO of GNB KL Group that helped with the build, said: 'It's one of the largest vacuum valves that has ever been built and one of the really amazing things is the amount of force that this valve can withstand.'© Provided by Daily Mail Although the firm has only shared a concept video of the full scale design, it is well on the way to completing it. Earlier this month, the group unveiled the world's first full scale isolation valve that can withstand up to 288,000 pounds of force

'There are 288,000 pounds of force that are applied to the gate of this valve. That's about 72 automobiles or one diesel locomotive.'

In most emergency scenarios, capsules will stop at pre-determined emergency stations along the route's length to exit the capsule and tube infrastructure.

As a redundant emergency response option, the HyperloopTT system will isolate sections of the tube for re-pressurization.

If the capsule is unable to stop at a pre-defined exit, a lit emergency path in the depressurized tube will lead passengers to emergency hatches to safely exit the infrastructure.

'These valves, built to safety certification standards by a world-class leader, are an essential part of hyperloop safety, as they allow us to isolate portions of the track in the event maintenance is needed or in the rare case of an emergency,' De Leon said.

Passaporto vaccinale e etica

 

 

March 31, 2021

 

 

 

Stephen Collinson and Caitlin Hu

'Biden’s mark of the beast'

It’s America’s next Covid-19 culture war.

 

Growing numbers of businesses, hospitality industries, and even sports teams are considering requiring proof of vaccination for customers, once the world begins to open up. For both patrons and staff, such a system might offer peace of mind -- and could stop a cruise voyage around the Caribbean, for example, from turning into a floating super spreader.

 

Countries where Covid-19 rates are low might soon start demanding inoculation information before they let tourists in. It’s not that different from parents showing proof of vaccination typically required to enroll kids in American schools, or those little yellow vaccine cards already required to travel in countries threatened by yellow fever, tuberculosis or other scourges. Yet the idea of "vaccine passports" has become the latest object of right-wing politicians' outrage.

 

Everyone’s favorite conspiracy theorist Marjorie Taylor Greene, a member of Congress from Georgia, branded vaccine passports as "Biden’s mark of the beast" and "fascism or communism or whatever you want to call it." Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a potential Republican 2024 presidential candidate, has also seized on the idea as an issue that will play to the GOP base. "It’s completely unacceptable for either the government or the private sector to impose upon you the requirement that you show proof of vaccine to just simply be able to participate in normal society," DeSantis said.

 

For the record, President Joe Biden is not actually planning to mandate vaccine passports or to set up a central vaccines database that raises the specter of Big Brother surveillance trampling American individualism. The White House says it is trying to work with companies to set standards for vaccine passports and to ensure people’s privacy is protected. 

 

Nevertheless, it is an ethical minefield. Should businesses bar people who are not vaccinated? Can employers make vaccines a condition for accepting a new job? Certainly vaccines should be available to anyone who wants one before such filtering systems are introduced. But equally, is it fair for an American who endangers others by refusing vaccination to get the same benefits as others? Rent-a-quote politicians stirring fear and anger about the issue are not doing much to help.

L' asteroide Apophis potrebbe colpire la Terra. Cavoli loro...

 

Apophis asteroid might be more likely to strike Earth

David Tholen, an astronomer at the University of Hawaii, recently reported on the status of asteroid Apophis during a virtual meeting of the American Astronomical Society's Division for Planetary Sciences. During his presentation, he outlined research he and his team conducted regarding the path of the asteroid and the likelihood that it will strike Earth. The asteroid Apophis was first spotted by astronomers back in 2004. Shortly thereafter, researchers worked out its orbital path and found that the 340-meter-wide asteroid would pass near to the Earth in 2029, 2036 and again in 2068. More study showed that there was little chance of the asteroid striking Earth; thus, it was discounted as a threat. More recently, Tholen and his team noted that earlier researchers had not accounted for the Yarkovsky effect by which from the sun strikes one side of an asteroid.

"Mi devi far suonare nella tua band…"

 "Mi devi far suonare nella tua band…" insisteva il giovane Franco Cioci frequentatore del Circolo Impiegati Civili di Firenze.

"Franco, tu sei un ottimo fisarmonicista ma io ho bisogno di un bassista, chi suona la fisarmonica ce l'ho già…" Questa la mia risposta.

Quella sera Franco Cioci si presentò sul palco dell'orchestra con un enorme contrabbasso.

A scuola non è che avesse avuto grandi risultati però a 18 anni Franco decide che era arrivata l'ora di studiare davvero qualcosa che gli andava a genio.

E si mise in maniera forsennata a studiare da privatista il pianoforte, dette tutti gli esami e fu promosso con lode.

Poi, non contento, si prese una specializzazione in Composizione diventando il vicedirettore del Conservatorio Musicale Cherubini di Firenze.

Tra i suoi allievi Dario Nardella che doveva diventare il giovane, prestigioso sindaco di Firenze ma del quale sono in molti ad ignorare il talento come violinista che gli ha consentito negli anni dell'università di guadagnare qualche soldo suonando nei grandi alberghi di Firenze.

Franco era un fiorentino puro, uno alla Dante Alighieri per quel suo incontenibile modo di esporre il proprio punto di vista spesso ponendosi in conflitto con chi non la pensava come lui.

"Ma bisogna essere onesti prima di tutto con se stessi e poi con gli altri…" Era solito dire a chi lo pregava di essere più diplomatico.

Poi Franco riusciva a recuperare con il suo acuto e corrosivo senso dell'umorismo in questo manifestando la sua grande fiorentinità.

Ero già a Roma a lavorare all'Iri quando mia moglie fu costretta a restare in ospedale per alcuni accertamenti.

Franco prese la macchina si fiondò su Roma da Firenze e gestì quell'emergenza familiare riuscendo persino a farsi rispettare da Max e Marco che del resto era il suo figlioccio.

Ogni volta che tornavo dall'America non mancavo di pianificare una visita a Firenze e a Franco.

Lunghe camminate di sera nel centro storico spendendo il tempo in seriose discussioni-conversazioni esistenziali riprendendo un filo che avevamo lasciato molti anni prima in Romagna quando, dopo aver finito di lavorare con le nostre orchestre nei locali marini alle due del mattino, chiedevamo alle stelle quale sarebbe stato il nostro futuro visto che quel mestiere di musicanti proprio non c'andava bene. E le birre bevute non è che ci aiutassero molto.

Scoppiata la pandemia ho cercato diverse volte di chiamare Franco al telefono cellulare senza successo. Suo figlio Fernando mi informava sulle sue condizioni di salute che non erano buone e in  più c'era il pericolo del virus.

Poi anche le telefonate con Fernando si sono dimostrate impossibili.

Venti giorni fa mi sono imposto di riprovare a chiamare quel benedetto cellulare che non rispondeva.

Questa volta Franco mi ha risposto, felice di sentire la mia voce e quella di mia moglie, aveva trascorso almeno tre mesi carcerato in ospedale dove gli impedivano qualsiasi contatto con i familiari, ma adesso era tornato a casa lieto di tuffarsi di nuovo nei suoi libri, di riordinare le composizioni che aveva scritto e per le quali aveva ottenuto alti riconoscimenti internazionali, assistito con affetto infinito dalla figlia Monica (anche lei grande strumentista), figlioccia del vostro redattore.

Ieri Fernando mi ha chiamato su Whatsapp e mi ha detto che Franco la sera prima era seduto nella sua poltrona di cuoio e stava ascoltando un brano di musica classica quando ha chiamato la figlia e le ha detto che non si sentiva bene e che voleva distendersi sul letto.

Si è alzato, si è disteso sul letto e ha staccato la spina.

Grazie Franco per averci dato di Te un ricordo prezioso.

Oscar

______________________________________________

Oscar riesci sempre a stupirmi con i tuoi ricordi! Sei veramente bravo e parli al cuore ! Un abbraccio anche alla cara Franca. 

Isabella D.   Roma

With Suez ship still stuck fast, Egypt’s president makes contingency plans for unloading it

The Ever Given, a cargo ship wedged across the Suez Canal, is seen Saturday. (Mohamed Elshahed/AP)
By
Sudarsan Raghavan and
Jennifer Hassan

ISMAILIA, Egypt — Efforts to dislodge the mammoth vessel blocking Egypt's Suez Canal proceeded Sunday, but it remained unclear when or how the Ever Given cargo carrier would break free from the muddy banks of one of the world's key waterways for global trade.

There were positive signs: Larger and heavier tugboats were on their way, and a full moon Sunday night bore promise of a powerful tide to aid refloating efforts. Still, Egyptian authorities resolved to explore other options.

Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sissi ordered preparations to be made for the unloading of the stranded Ever Given cargo carrier, the head of the Suez Canal Authority said Sunday.

Lt. Gen. Osama Rabie told Egyptian television that in case dredging and tug-boat operations failed, officials were preparing for the "third scenario" of unloading containers in a bid to refloat the Ever Given. The canal has been blocked since Tuesday, leaving more than 300 ships waiting to pass through.

Unloading some of the towering ship's 18,000 containers would require special equipment, which is why the president authorized its acquisition even as dredging continued, Rabie said. So far, 27,000 cubic feet of sand have been removed from around the vessel to a depth of about 60 feet.

"His excellency has ordered that we should not wait for the failure of the first and second scenarios to start thinking about implementing the third one." he said.

Earlier, there had been hopes that the vessel could be freed overnight with the high tide, but "the tidal [conditions] didn't help re-floating #EverGiven tonight," Leth Agencies, the canal's service provider, tweeted early Sunday morning, adding that "dredgers will continue their work, tugs will assist in new attempts."

Two more tugboats were dispatched to the scene, as well: the Italian-flagged Carlo Magno and the Dutch-flagged Alp Guard, which made it to scene Sunday.

The refloating process was delayed again Sunday afternoon, with the company saying another effort was likely Monday evening, once the tide was high and the Carlo Magno had also arrived.

The 200,000-ton container ship, as long as the Empire State Building is tall, is costing billions of dollars in global trade every day. The fifth day of the salvage operation illustrated the technical and weather challenges facing the international team seeking to dislodge the Ever Given and stave off a global economic calamity.

Efforts to dislodge Suez Canal container ship continue

Officials were hopeful on March 27 that the grounded ship in the Suez Canal could be freed by a rising tide brought on by the arrival of heavier tugboats. (Reuters)

Syria announced Saturday that it has begun rationing oil supplies, in particular diesel and gasoline, because of the canal blockage.

The Danish shipping giant Maersk said Sunday it is continuing efforts to mitigate the situation, including rerouting 15 ships in a bid to keep cargo moving through the waterway.

“We have until now redirected 15 vessels where we deemed the delay of sailing around the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa equal to the current delay of sailing to Suez and queuing,” the statement said. The African route adds weeks to the trip.

The company said it would consider rerouting more vessels Monday.

CNN reported Friday that a U.S. Navy team of dredging experts was expected to arrive as early as the weekend to assess the situation. As of Sunday, it was unclear whether any Navy personnel had reached the Suez or performed an assessment.


Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement, which oversees the ship’s crew and maintenance, said in a statement that the salvage efforts began again at 2 p.m. Saturday, after “significant progress” was made to free the vessel’s rudder from the sand and mud. But by midnight, with at least 11 tugs on the job, it was clear that operations to remove thousands of tons of sediment from around the port side of the vessel’s bow would require more time and effor

But as flotation attempts continued, industry experts debated whether the saga of the wedged ship may have been preventable, given years of warnings that the size of vessels using the waterway was growing to meet economic demand but risk assessments were not keeping pace.

“This is a big ship and a big problem, but it is not like we have not seen this coming,” said Lloyd’s List editor Richard Meade on a recent podcast.

On Sunday, six more ships entered the canal, bringing the number of vessels trapped in the massive maritime congestion to 327, according to Leth Agencies.

In addition to the delays, shipping companies will face higher insurance costs. Only 1 in every 10 ships surrounding the stranded Ever Given has adequate insurance to cover mounting disruption costs, analysis from the Lloyd’s List shipping journal indicated, leading to further concerns about the financial effect of the standstill, which will probably affect different businesses in myriad ways.

According to the report, an estimated 90 percent of nearby ships will be unlikely to claim for “sizeable out-of-pocket expenses” incurred amid the chaos, which has forced hundreds to consider alternate routes, led to port and transit delays and disrupted oil trade.

Experts have warned that unloading containers from the Ever Given to lighten the vessel could take days or even weeks, since doing so requires the use of extra-tall cranes and specialized helicopters. Such an effort would be extremely costly, and it’s not clear who would shoulder the expense.

On Saturday, Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly expressed appreciation for the offer from foreign allies to help free the ship.

The salvage effort, led by an Egyptian, Dutch and German team and with tugs from Italy and the Netherlands, has become a genuinely international operation, mirroring the global shipping industry and the Ever Given itself. The ship is owned by a Japanese company, operated by a Taiwanese firm, its crew is Indian, and it sails under a Panamanian flag.

Hassan reported from London. Heba Farouk Mahfouz in Cairo and Antonia Noori Farzan and Ruby Mellen in Washington contributed to this report.

Can Artificial Intelligence Replace Human Therapists?

Three experts discuss the promise—and problems—of relying on algorithms for our mental health


AI may help alleviate a shortage of mental-health professionals.PHOTO: ISTOCK PHOTO AND KEITH A. WEBB

By Lisa WardMarch  (WSJ)

Could artificial intelligence reduce the need for human therapists?

Websites, smartphone apps and social-media sites are dispensing mental-health advice, often using artificial intelligence. Meanwhile, clinicians and researchers are looking to AI to help define mental illness more objectively, identify high-risk people and ensure quality of care.

Some experts believe AI can make treatment more accessible and affordable. There has long been a severe shortage of mental-health professionals, and since the Covid pandemic, the need for support is greater than ever. For instance, users can have conversations with AI-powered chatbots, allowing then to get help anytime, anywhere, often for less money than traditional therapy.

The algorithms underpinning these endeavors learn by combing through large amounts of data generated from social-media posts, smartphone data, electronic health records, therapy-session transcripts, brain scans and other sources to identify patterns that are difficult for humans to discern.

Despite the promise, there are some big concerns. The efficacy of some products is questionable, a problem only made worse by the fact that private companies don’t always share information about how their AI works. Problems about accuracy raise concerns about amplifying bad advice to people who may be vulnerable or incapable of critical thinking, as well as fears of perpetuating racial or cultural biases. Concerns also persist about private information being shared in unexpected ways or with unintended parties.

The Wall Street Journal hosted a conversation via email and Google Doc about these issues with John Torous, director of the digital-psychiatry division at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School; Adam Miner, an instructor at the Stanford School of Medicine; and Zac Imel, professor and director of clinical training at the University of Utah and co-founder of LYSSN.io, a company using AI to evaluate psychotherapy. Here’s an edited transcript of the discussion.
Leaps forward

WSJ:What is the most exciting way AI and machine learning are being used to diagnose mental disorders and improve treatments?

DR. MINER: AI can speed up access to appropriate services, like crisis response. The current Covid pandemic is a strong example where we see both the potential for AI to help facilitate access and triage, while also bringing up privacy and misinformation risks. This challenge—deciding which interventions and information to champion—is an issue in both pandemics and in mental-health care, where we have many different treatments for many different problems.

DR. IMEL: In the near term, I am most excited about using AI to augment or guide therapists, such as giving feedback after the session or even providing tools to support self-reflection. Passive phone-sensing apps [that run in the background on users’ phones and attempt to monitor users’ moods] could be exciting if they predict later changes in depression and suggest interventions to do something early. Also, research on remote sensing in addiction, using tools to detect when a person might be at risk of relapse and suggesting an intervention or coping skills, is exciting.

DR. TOROUS: On a research front, AI can help us unlock some of the complexities of the brain and work toward understanding these illnesses better, which can help us offer new, effective treatment. We can generate a vast amount of data about the brain from genetics, neuroimaging, cognitive assessments and now even smartphone signals. We can utilize AI to find patterns that may help us unlock why people develop mental illness, who responds best to certain treatments and who may need help immediately. Using new data combined with AI will likely help us unlock the potential of creating new personalized and even preventive treatments.

WSJ:Do you think automated programs that use AI-driven chatbots are an alternative to therapy?

DR. TOROUS:In a recent paper I co-authored, we looked at the more recent chatbot literature to see what the evidence says about what they really do. Overall, it was clear that while the idea is exciting, we are not yet seeing evidence matching marketing claims. Many of the studies have problems. They are small. They are difficult to generalize to patients with mental illness. They look at feasibility outcomes instead of clinical-improvement endpoints. And many studies do not feature a control group to compare results.

DR. MINER: I don’t think it is an “us vs. them, human vs. AI” situation with chatbots. The important backdrop is that we, as a community, understand we have real access issues and some people might not be ready or able to get help from a human. If chatbots prove safe and effective, we could see a world where patients access treatment and decide if and when they want another person involved. Clinicians would be able to spend time where they are most useful and wanted.

WSJ:Are there cases where AI is more accurate or better than human psychologists, therapists or psychiatrists?

DR. IMEL: Right now, it’s pretty hard to imagine replacing human therapists. Conversational AI is not good at things we take for granted in human conversation, like remembering what was said 10 minutes ago or last week and responding appropriately.

DR. MINER: This is certainly where there is both excitement and frustration. I can’t remember what I had for lunch three days ago, and an AI system can recall all of Wikipedia in seconds. For raw processing power and memory, it isn’t even a contest between humans and AI systems. However, Dr. Imel’s point is crucial around conversations: Things humans do without effort in conversation are currently beyond the most powerful AI system.

An AI system that is always available and can hold thousands of simple conversations at the same time may create better access, but the quality of the conversations may suffer. This is why companies and researchers are looking at AI-human collaboration as a reasonable next step.

DR. IMEL: For example, studies show AI can help “rewrite” text statements to be more empathic. AI isn’t writing the statement, but trained to help a potential listener possibly tweak it.

WSJ: As the technology improves, do you see chatbots or smartphone apps siphoning off any patients who might otherwise seek help from therapists?

DR. TOROUS: As more people use apps as an introduction to care, it will likely increase awareness and interest of mental health and the demand for in-person care. I have not met a single therapist or psychiatrist who is worried about losing business to apps; rather, app companies are trying to hire more therapists and psychiatrists to meet the rising need for clinicians supporting apps.

DR. IMEL: Mental-health treatment has a lot in common with teaching. Yes, there are things technology can do in order to standardize skill building and increase access, but as parents have learned in the last year, there is no replacing what a teacher does. Humans are imperfect, we get tired and are inconsistent, but we are pretty good at connecting with other humans. The future of technology in mental health is not about replacing humans, it’s about supporting them.

WSJ:What about schools or companies using apps in situations when they might otherwise hire human therapists?

DR. MINER: One challenge we are facing is that the deployment of apps in schools and at work often lacks the rigorous evaluation we expect in other types of medical interventions. Because apps can be developed and deployed so quickly, and their content can change rapidly, prior approaches to quality assessment, such as multiyear randomized trials, are not feasible if we are to keep up with the volume and speed of app development.
Judgment calls

WSJ:Can AI be used for diagnoses and interventions?

DR. IMEL: I might be a bit of a downer here—building AI to replace current diagnostic practices in mental health is challenging. Determining if someone meets criteria for major depression right now is nothing like finding a tumor in a CT scan—something that is expensive, labor intensive and prone to errors of attention, and where AI is already proving helpful. Depression is measured very well with a nine-question survey.

DR. MINER: I agree that diagnosis and treatment are so nuanced that AI has a long way to go before taking over those tasks from a human.

How can you envision using AI to help with emotional issues? Join the conversation below.

Through sensors, AI can measure symptoms, like sleep disturbances, pressured speech or other changes in behavior. However, it is unclear if these measurements fully capture the nuance, judgment and context of human decision making. An AI system may capture a person’s voice and movement, which is likely related to a diagnosis like major depressive disorder. But without more context and judgment, crucial information can be left out. This is especially important when there are cultural differences that could account for diagnosis-relevant behavior.

Ensuring new technologies are designed with awareness of cultural differences in normative language or behavior is crucial to engender trust in groups who have been marginalized based on race, age, or other identities.

WSJ:Is privacy also a concern?

DR. MINER: We’ve developed laws over the years to protect mental-health conversations between humans. As apps or other services start asking to be a part of these conversations, users should be able to expect transparency about how their personal experiences will be used and shared.

DR. TOROUS:In prior research, our team identified smartphone apps [used for depression and smoking cessation that] shared data with commercial entities. This is a red flag that the industry needs to pause and change course. Without trust, it is not possible to offer effective mental-health care.

DR. MINER: We undervalue and poorly design for trust in AI for healthcare, especially mental health. Medicine has designed processes and policies to engender trust, and AI systems are likely following different rules. The first step is to clarify what is important to patients and clinicians in terms of how information is captured and shared for sensitive disclosures.

Ms. Ward is a writer in Vermont. She can be reached at reports@wsj.com.

This eVTOL Flies 3 Times Farther Than Most Electric Aircraft. Here’s How.

The Talyn system includes a drone and main aircraft, which can fly five people for 300 miles, or three times farther than most competitors.

By DANIEL BACHMANN  (Rob Report)

Courtesy Talyn

Almost two years ago, two space-exploration aeronauts got together to find a way for people to skip airports and fly straight to their destinations. Both had just worked on the Falcon 9—the first orbital class rocket capable of re-flight—and the SpaceX Crew Dragon, a class of reusable spacecraft that carries up to seven passengers and cargo to and from Earth’s orbit.

Inspired by their space rocket pioneering, Jamie Gull and Evan Mucasey, co-founders of LA-based Talyn Air, designed an aircraft that can fly like a plane, but launches and lands with the help of a large drone, much like a tugboat that maneuvers a ship to and from the dock.

The unmanned drone will consume its own battery power to lift the Talyn eVTOL to its flight level, where it will release the eVTOL once its rotors reach a flight-sustaining speed. The drone will then return to its base to be recharged for another lift or landing mission.



The Talyn aircraft will take off and land, thanks to the battery-powered drone on top, and will be able to fly farther since it will require no tilt-rotors. Courtesy Talyn

“The Talyn system mimics staged rockets like the Falcon 9 by separating the VTOL vehicle from the long range cruise aircraft after liftoff, just like separating the first rocket stage when it is expended,” Gull told Robb Report. “Then it transitions to forward flight; the two vehicles separate; the VTOL portion returns to the take-off pad. It’s an electric aircraft at that point that is very efficient, very aerodynamic, lower mass, so it can go much farther.”

Having saved all its battery power for actual flight, Talyn’s eVTOL will be able to fly up to five passengers at 200 mph for up to 300 miles.

“Our cruise vehicle can also fly three to five times as far as other battery eVTOL competitors because it does not have to carry around the VTOL rotors and structure, which add mass and drag,” says Gull.

The five-passenger aircraft will have a range of 300 miles at 200 mph, which is three times farther than most eVTOL aircraft. Courtesy Talyn

Talyn says its dynamic duo will be more cost effective because it won’t require the typical tilt-rotor systems found on its competitors’ designs. “Our system is also cheaper to operate because less energy is expended in flight due to it being more efficient,” he says. “They are also much less expensive to purchase.”

The company says commuter times will be dramatically shorter, since it will fly between destinations, rather than from airport to airport. An air trip from New York City to Boston, according to the company, will be four times faster with the Talyn than on a traditional commuter flight.

The founders recognize significant engineering obstacles exist for their concept eVTOL. “We look forward to tackling the extremely hard challenge of making mid-air separation and docking of vehicles a reliable reality,” they said in a note to designers and engineers, as they build the company.

Beatrice e Dante

O Oscar, si percepisce benissimo che mentre reciti stai pensando a Franca (e pure che i tuoi occhi no l’ardiscon di guardare!)

Baci Sandro

La mia Firenze

Odoardo Spadaro, un grande chansonnier, musicista, attore, praticamente dimenticato anche dai suoi concittadini. "La mi porti un bacione a Firenze e' l'inno dei fiorentini emigrati. "Tra piazza San Firenze e piazza Signoria" e' una comica istantanea della vita amorosa degli inizi del '900 a Firenze. Tra le due piazze ci sono 50 metri di distanza.

Biden leaves door open for Senate changes to advance agenda

By JONATHAN LEMIRE and ZEKE MILLER8 minutes ago



President Joe Biden speaks during a news conference in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, March 25, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)


WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden at his first news conference Thursday left the door open to backing fundamental changes in Senate procedure to muscle key parts of his agenda like immigration and voting rights past Republican opposition “if there’s complete lockdown and chaos.”

The 78-year-old president also for the first time said his “plan is to run for reelection, that is my expectation.”

Even as his administration navigates the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic damage, Biden is grappling with a host of pressing issues, including a pair of mass shootings, rising international tensions, early signs of divisions within his party and increasing numbers of migrants crossing the southern border.

The president preached the political expedience of caution in the face of mounting impatience among progressive voters eager for action on his ambitious legislative agenda. He teased changes to the congressional filibuster if necessary to achieve some of those goals.

Biden at first backed a modification — but not elimination — of the arcane procedural tactic, which stands in the way of getting the president’s agenda through the deadlocked Senate. But he then suggested, at least on certain issues, he would go further, saying the filibuster — which requires 60 votes to pass legislation in the Senate — was being “abused in a gigantic way” by Republicans.

“If there’s complete lockdown and chaos, as a consequence of the filibuster, then we’re going to have to go beyond what I’m talking about,” he said.

“I want to get things done. I want to get them done consistent with what we promised the American people,” said Biden, who spent decades in the Senate. “I am going to say something outrageous: I have never been particularly poor at calculating how to get things done in the United States Senate.”

“I am going to deal with all of those problems,” he pledged.

One key item on the list: Republican efforts to limit voting rights, an effort the president deemed “sick” and “un-American.” He argued that even GOP voters believe actions that make it harder for people to cast ballots are “despicable” attempts to undermine democracy.

The president was repeatedly pressed about the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border, where increasing numbers of young migrants have overwhelmed the government’s holding facilities. Biden promised better media access to the camps — once his administration has a better handle on things — as well as improvements to the nation’s immigration system and U.S. help to improve conditions in the migrants’ home countries.

“I can’t guarantee that we’re going to solve everything, but I can guarantee that we’re going to make it better,” he said.

And in the aftermath of two mass shootings in a week, Biden was pressed on his plans for new gun violence laws. He responded that legislating is “a matter of timing” and then gave a long-winded answer about his infrastructure plan, which he said will be his administration’s next legislative priority.

Biden had held off on holding his first news conference until he could use it to celebrate progress against the pandemic and passage of a giant COVID-19 relief package.

In his opening remarks, he declared that “hope is on the way,” and he doubled his original goal on COVID-19 vaccines by pledging that the nation will administer 200 million doses by the end of his first 100 days in office. The administration had met Biden’s initial goal of 100 million doses earlier this month — before even his 60th day in office — as the president pushes to defeat a pandemic that has killed more than 545,000 Americans.

While seemingly ambitious, Biden’s vaccine goal amounts to a continuation of the existing pace of vaccinations through the end of next month.

When Biden moved on to fielding questions, the president didn’t get a single query about the virus that has rewritten the rules of society for more than a year.

Biden was the first chief executive in four decades to reach this point in his term without holding a formal news conference, where reporters have the opportunity for extended back-and-forth with the president on the issues of the day. That delay produced a surprising level of anticipation for a chief executive who has deliberately tried to turn down the temperature in a city overheated by his predecessor Donald Trump.

Biden, who once proclaimed himself a “gaffe machine,” avoided any major stumbles even as he rambled at times and cut himself off at one point, suddenly proclaiming “am I giving too long an answer?”

He acknowledged several vexing foreign policy problems that he faces immediately, including growing concerns about North Korea’s nuclear program, a looming May 1 deadline to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan, and China’s rising stature as an economic competitor to the United States.

Early Thursday, North Korea launched the first ballistic missile tests of the Biden administration, what some analysts say was a measured provocation to catch the new president’s attention.

The Biden administration has sought to restart talks with Kim Jong Un’s regime in hopes of convincing the North to give up its nuclear program, but thus far has faced radio silence from the North. Biden was restrained as he admonished the North for the latest tests..

“There will be responses if they choose to escalate,” he said. “We will respond accordingly. But I’m also prepared for some form of diplomacy, but it has to be conditioned upon the end result of denuclearization.”

On Afghanistan, Biden committed to pulling U.S. troops out of Afghanistan, but expressed doubts about meeting the May 1 deadline that was set by an agreement signed under Trump.

“We will leave,” he said. “The question is when we will leave.”

He added that he did not believe troops would still be there in 2022. Biden also vowed that China’s ambition of becoming the wealthiest and most powerful country in the world is “not going to happen under my watch.”

The scene for Biden’s press conference was very different from what Americans are used to seeing at such events. The president still stood behind a podium in the East Room against a backdrop of flags. But due to the pandemic, the White House limited attendance and only 30 socially distanced chairs for journalists were spread out in the expansive room.

West Wing aides had dismissed the high interest in the news conference as a Washington obsession, pointing to Biden’s high approval ratings while suggesting that the general public was not concerned about the event. The president himself, when asked Wednesday if he were ready for the press conference, joked, “What press conference?”

The nationally televised event was a chance for reporters to press Biden and move him away from the carefully curated talking points produced by his extremely disciplined White House. There were none of the personal attacks on members of the press like those made by his predecessor, yet at one point he noted that the session had run more than an hour and it was time to wrap up.

“Folks, I’m going,” Biden said as he walked away.

Associated Press writer Aamer Madhani contributed reporting.

Sempre piu' soldi a Trump

Capitol riot suspects ramped up donations to Trump after his election defeat
An NBC News analysis of Federal Election Commission filings found that people alleged to be rioters upped their contributions after Election Day.
Supporters of President Donald Trump storm the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.Evelyn Hockstein / The Washington Post via Getty Images file

March 24, 2021,
By Allan Smith

After President Donald Trump lost his re-election campaign, he immediately began asking his supporters for money, a plea that he insisted was necessary to bankroll his fight built on the false claim that the election was stolen through rampant fraud.

James Uptmore, like hundreds of other people, opened his wallet. Weeks later, he was among those who stormed the U.S. Capitol, federal prosecutors say.


An NBC News analysis of campaign finance filings found that in the five weeks after the election, those charged in the Capitol riot increased their political donations by about 75 percent compared to the five weeks leading up to the election. Many had made very few or no donations at all in previous years, but they began escalating their numbers of contributions as Trump was trying to overturn Joe Biden's victory.

Trump and his aligned groups, including the Republican National Committee, raised $207.5 million in the 19 days after the election.

Uptmore, 63, of San Antonio, made just a single $250 donation to a Trump PAC between Trump's first run for president and the 2020 election, according to the Federal Election Commission. That all changed in the weeks after the Nov. 3 election.

On Nov. 15, the day Trump wrote on Twitter that he would not concede, Uptmore made five contributions to the president and his aligned groups. Three days later, when Trump tweeted, "I WON THE ELECTION. VOTER FRAUD ALL OVER THE COUNTRY," Uptmore made four more donations.

The next day, Uptmore made four more donations as Trump's attorneys held a news conference spreading wild conspiracies about the vote. And on Dec. 18 — when Trump tweeted at Republican senators to "FIGHT FOR IT. Don't let them take it away!" — Uptmore made six such contributions.

In total, Uptmore would make nearly 40 donations to Trump, the RNC and aligned groups after Trump's loss. And on Jan. 6, federal prosecutors allege, he and his son, Chance, were among the crowd that illegally breached the Capitol.


"I think, quite simply, it shows the effectiveness of Trump's messaging in the weeks leading up to the election and then how much his stolen election lie resonated with his base after the election," said Kurt Braddock, an assistant professor of public communication at American University and a fellow at its Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab. "Trump sold the idea to his followers that not only was the election stolen, but also that it was up to his constituents to help make things 'right.'"

John Horgan, who runs the Violent Extremism Research Group at Georgia State University, said he found the increase in contributions to be "unsurprising," partly because Trump had primed supporters for months.

"Trump successfully convinced many of his followers that unless they acted, and acted fast, their very way of life was about to come to an end," Horgan said. "He presented a catastrophic scenario whereby if the election was — for him — lost, his followers would suffer as a result. He made action not just imperative, but urgent, convincing his followers that they needed to do everything they could now, rather than later, to prevent the 'enemy' from claiming victory."
'Passion for Trump'

Among the first 311 people who face federal charges after the Jan. 6 riot, about 90 have histories of making political contributions. And the overwhelming majority of them were made to Trump or his aligned groups and within the past year.

The donations shed light on the political activities and leanings of the people accused in the riot — and on the effectiveness of Trump's post-election messaging, which has netted him hundreds of millions of dollars in contributions, many from small-dollar donors like those accused of storming the Capitol.

Elizabeth Neumann, who was assistant secretary of homeland security for counterterrorism and threat prevention before she left the Trump administration and endorsed Biden, said the donor findings reveal "a useful proof point to the argument that there were monetary drivers behind the Big Lie."

"It's also a useful quantitative metric for demonstrating the increased level of grievance of Trump supporters post-election," she said.

Neumann said she believes a donor's history could be useful to the Justice Department should it seek to make "a seditious conspiracy or incitement-to-violence case."

"It shows a direct tie between the lies that the election was stolen and people's deepening passion for Trump — they were seeing the money roll in and knew that the messaging was working," she said.

Some of those charged in connection with the riot made their first political contributions after the election, donating to Trump, the RNC or groups like the Trump Make America Great Again Committee. Several more made their first donations to political causes and candidates during the 2020 campaign cycle.

"I think the thing that's clear is that the people who took over the Capitol are not interested in the political process," Eric Wilson, a Republican political technologist, said in an interview, pointing to analysis that showed that some people accused in the riot did not vote in the election. "They donated to campaigns after the votes had already been cast," revealing that "they are only interested in the chaos, not the process," he said.

More than 50 politicians, political action committees and other groups and causes received donations from those charged in the riot. They include Republicans like former Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler of Georgia; House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California; Sens. Steve Daines of Montana, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Susan Collins of Maine; Reps. Burgess Owens of Utah and Elise Stefanik of New York; failed candidates like Kim Klacik, a House candidate in Maryland, Joe Collins, a House candidate in California, and Kris Kobach, a Senate candidate in Kansas; the National Republican Senatorial Committee; and the National Republican Congressional Committee.
'Cash cow'

The bulk of the donations went to Trump and his aligned groups — about 75 percent of the more than 900 such donations funneled there.

"Part of this, there's this very cynical view that this was just a total cash cow for people to fundraise off of vulnerable folks," Thomas Zeitzoff, an associate professor of political science at American University who studies political violence, said in an interview.

Yet a number of Republicans have claimed that the riot was not the product of a pro-Trump mob. They say it was driven by left-wing groups trying to damage Trump — which a majority of Trump voters believe, according to a Suffolk University/USA Today poll last month.

Some Democrats also got donations from people alleged to have been rioters, including a handful of years-old contributions to former President Barack Obama and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and more recent contributions to Democratic presidential candidates Andrew Yang and Tulsi Gabbard, who had followings on the political right.

A man charged in the riot, Brian McCreary, who was photographed inside the Capitol alongside the "QAnon Shaman," Jacob Chansley, made 34 donations to Yang from 2018 through 2020.

Wilson, the Republican digital strategist, chalked up the riot to people who were gullible.

"I don't know that there's a bigger story to tell other than there are a lot of dumb people in the world," he said. "And a lot of them stormed the Capitol on January 6th."

We are a sick country

Dear Reader,
you do not think this is too violent a statement (we are a sick country) because the facts are indisputable.

The following is a long list of mass murders that have resulted in the most diverse environments, carried out by people who are absolutely different in terms of social background, culture, motivations behind their action.

But these are people raised, built psychically, placed in a pseudo cultural context based on free violence and guaranteed by the Second Amendment of the American Constitution, justified by video communication in which 330 million individuals are constantly immersed (take for example the production of films and serials to which to add video games of maximum violence).

After each episode, the chorus of television paid mourners weeping at each other and interviewing the close relatives of the massacred rises, based on the relevant question in terms of absolute stupidity: "What are your feelings, etc.?"

Rarely do respondents express their pain with a few tears because Anglo-Saxon culture does not like Mediterranean whining, but often female hairstyles are cured before the beginning ciak.

The fact that President Joe Biden, deeply touched by this further episode of brutal armed madness, has decided to step up his legislative action by placing some obstacles in the way of the sale of assault weapons (in a nutshell those supplied by the armed forces) is commendable but will be insane in the parliamentary maneuvers put in place by the usual Republicans and a few dozen Democrats who fear having negative repercussions in their constituencies if clerk X or housewife Y is stripped of the "right" to own and perhaps use an AR15 with a 100-ammo magazine.

Immersed as we are in this paroxysmal non-gun culture we believe that the few dozen killed deaths from mass massacres when the pandemic is bringing a couple of thousand individuals here in the United States to the other world every day are laughable.

To confirm that we are not equal in the face of death because there are those who weigh the most as corpse and others that it is better to get them out of the way as soon as possible as it has occurred and is occurring with the resurgence of the virus 19.

Believing and hoping that the American people will be able to renounce the culture of gun violence is not only useless but also dangerous for those who want to assert it.

The conclusion, dear Reader of this blog, is distressing but true: this is the America desired and admired. This is the America of western movies, of detective films, of "No trespassing" or I'll shoot you.

To those who die, we feel sorry for them, but after the first two minutes of emotion (assuming we are still capable of it) everything goes on as usual and the NRA (National Rifle Association) continues to fund politicians at every level to keep the arms market high.

And all that remains for us old Italian Americans, sick of ancient love for this extraordinary country, all that remains is to cry over us and pray for the victims of these massacres but also for the future of this nation too often out of its minds.

Oscar

__________________________________________________

By Reuters, 






(REUTERS) - A MASS shooting at a supermarket in Boulder, Colorado on Monday has left 10 people dead, including a police officer


Below is a list of major mass shootings in the United States in recent history:


- ATLANTA, March 16, 2021 - Eight people, including six women of Asian descent, were shot dead in a string of attacks at day spas in and around Atlanta, and a man suspected of carrying out the shootings was arrested in southern Georgia.


- GREENVILLE, July 5, 2020 - Ten people were shot in a Greenville, South Carolina, nightclub in an outburst of suspected gang-related violence that killed two people and critically injured two others, police said.


- MILWAUKEE, Feb 26, 2020- A gunman opened fire at the Molson Coors Beverage Co brewing complex in Milwaukee, killing five co-workers before he was found dead from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound.


- ILLINOIS, Feb. 15, 2019 - Gary Martin, 45, opened fire at an Illinois factory after receiving notice of termination from his job there, killing five workers and wounding five policemen before he was slain by police.


- EL PASO, Aug. 3, 2019 - A man fatally shot 22 people at a Walmart store in El Paso, Texas. A statement, believed to have been written by the suspect, called the attack "a response to the Hispanic invasion of Texas." Authorities arrested the shooter.


- DAYTON, Aug. 4, 2019 - A gunman dressed in body armor opened fire in downtown Dayton, Ohio, killing nine people including his sister and wounding 27 others. Police killed the shooter.


- VIRGINIA BEACH, May 31, 2019 - A disgruntled public utility employee opened fire with a handgun on co-workers at a municipal building in Virginia, killing 12 people and wounding at least four before he was fatally shot by police.


- THOUSAND OAKS, Nov. 7, 2018 - A former Marine combat veteran killed 12 people in a bar in Thousand Oaks, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. He then killed himself.


- TREE OF LIFE, Oct. 27, 2018 - A gunman burst into the Tree of Life synagogue near Pittsburgh with a semi-automatic rifle and three handguns as he fired on congregants gathered for a Sabbath service, killing 11.


- SANTA FE, Texas, May 18, 2018 - A 17-year-old student dressed in a trench coat and armed with a shotgun and pistol opened fire at his high school outside Houston, killing nine students and a teacher, before surrendering to officers.


- PARKLAND, Feb. 14, 2018 - A former student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, opened fire with an assault-style rifle, killing 17 students and educators.


- SUTHERLAND SPRINGS, Nov. 5, 2017 - A man thrown out of the U.S. Air Force for beating his wife and child shot 26 people fatally at a rural Texas church where his in-laws worshipped before killing himself.


- LAS VEGAS, Oct. 1, 2017 - A gunman opened fire on a country music festival from a 32nd-floor hotel suite, killing 58 people and wounding 564 others before taking his own life.


- ORLANDO, June 12, 2016 - A gunman fatally shot 49 people at Pulse, a gay nightclub, before he was shot dead by police.


- SAN BERNARDINO, Dec. 2, 2015 - A husband and wife killed 14 people at a workplace holiday party in San Bernardino in Southern California before dying in a shootout with police.


- ROSEBURG, Oct 1, 2015 - A gunman stalked onto an Oregon college campus and opened fire, killing nine people and wounding seven before police shot him to death.


- CHARLESTON, June 17, 2015 - A White supremacist killed nine Black churchgoers at a church in Charleston, South Carolina. He was sentenced to death.


- WASHINGTON, D.C., Sept. 16, 2013 - A former Navy reservist working as a government contractor killed 12 people at the Washington Navy Yard. He was shot dead by police.


- NEWTOWN, Dec. 14, 2012 - A heavily armed gunman killed 26 people, including 20 children from five- to 10-years old, in a rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut.



- AURORA, July 20, 2012 - A masked gunman killed 12 people and wounded 70 others at a cinema in Aurora, Colorado. He received multiple life sentences.


- FORT HOOD, Nov. 5, 2009 - An army major and psychiatrist opened fire at Fort Hood, a U.S. Army base in Texas, killing 13 people.


(Reporting by Derek Francis and Shubham Kalia in Bengaluru; Editing by Sam Holmes)

Copyright 2021 Thomson Reuters.

Major Mass Shootings in the United States (Siamo un Paese malato)

Gentile Lettore,

non le sembri questa un'affermazione troppo violenta (siamo un paese malato) perché i fatti sono incontestabili. 

Quella che segue è una lunga lista di omicidi di massa scaturiti negli ambienti più diversi, eseguiti da persone assolutamente differenti quanto a estrazione sociale, cultura, motivazioni alla base della loro azione.

Ma si tratta di gente allevata, costruita psichicamente, inserita in un contesto pseudoculturale basato sulla violenza gratuita e garantito dal secondo Emendamento della Costituzione americana, giustificato dalla video comunicazione in cui 330 milioni di individui sono immersi costantemente (si prenda ad esempio la produzione di film e serial ai quali aggiungere i video giochi di massima violenza).

Dopo ogni episodio si alza il coro delle prefiche televisive che si piangono addosso e intervistano gli scampati dall'eccidio o i parenti stretti dei massacrati basandosi sulla domanda pertinente in termini di assoluta stupidità: "Quali sono i suoi sentimenti, lei cosa prova, eccetera?"

Raramente gli intervistati esprimono il loro dolore con qualche lacrima perché la cultura anglosassone non gradisce i piagnistei mediterranei, ma spesso le acconciature femminili sono curate prima del ciak d'inizio.

Il fatto che il presidente Joe Biden, profondamente toccato anche da questo ulteriore episodio di brutale follia armata, abbia deciso di intensificare la sua azione legislativa ponendo qualche ostacolo alla vendita di armi da assalto (in poche parole quelle in dotazione delle forze armate) è commendevole ma si insabbiera' nelle manovre parlamentari messe in atto dai soliti repubblicani e da qualche decina di democratici che temono di avere ripercussioni negative nei propri collegi elettorali se all'impiegato X o alla casalinga Y viene tolto il "diritto" di possedere e magari usare un AR15 con caricatore da 100 munizioni.

Immersi come siamo in questa parossistica non cultura delle armi riteniamo che siano roba da ridere le poche decine di morti ammazzati dei massacri di massa quando la pandemia sta portando all'altro mondo ogni giorno un paio di migliaia di individui qui negli States.

A conferma che non siamo uguali di fronte alla morte perché ci sono quelli che pesano di più come cadavere ed altri che e' meglio toglierli di mezzo quanto prima come si è verificato e si sta verificando con la recrudescenza del virus 19.

Credere e auspicare che il popolo americano sia in grado di rinunciare alla cultura posticcia della violenza armata è non solo inutile ma anche pericoloso per chi lo voglia affermare.

La conclusione, gentile Lettore di questo blog,  è sconsolante ma vera: questa è l'America voluta e ammirata. Questa è l'America dei film western, di quelli polizieschi, del "No trespassing" ( divieto di transito) altrimenti ti sparo.

A chi tocca tocca, ci dispiace per loro, ma passati i primi due minuti di emozione (ammesso che ne siamo ancora capaci) tutto va avanti come al solito e la NRA (National Rifle Association) continua a finanziare politici ad ogni livello perché mantengano alto il mercato delle armi.

E a noi americani, ammalati di amore antico per questo straordinario paese, non resta altro che piangerci addosso e pregare per le vittime di questi massacri ma anche per il futuro di questa nazione troppo spesso fuori di testa.

Oscar

____________________________________________________________________
By Reuters, 






(REUTERS) - A MASS shooting at a supermarket in Boulder, Colorado on Monday has left 10 people dead, including a police officer

Below is a list of major mass shootings in the United States in recent history:

- ATLANTA, March 16, 2021 - Eight people, including six women of Asian descent, were shot dead in a string of attacks at day spas in and around Atlanta, and a man suspected of carrying out the shootings was arrested in southern Georgia.

- GREENVILLE, July 5, 2020 - Ten people were shot in a Greenville, South Carolina, nightclub in an outburst of suspected gang-related violence that killed two people and critically injured two others, police said.

- MILWAUKEE, Feb 26, 2020- A gunman opened fire at the Molson Coors Beverage Co brewing complex in Milwaukee, killing five co-workers before he was found dead from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound.

- ILLINOIS, Feb. 15, 2019 - Gary Martin, 45, opened fire at an Illinois factory after receiving notice of termination from his job there, killing five workers and wounding five policemen before he was slain by police.

- EL PASO, Aug. 3, 2019 - A man fatally shot 22 people at a Walmart store in El Paso, Texas. A statement, believed to have been written by the suspect, called the attack "a response to the Hispanic invasion of Texas." Authorities arrested the shooter.

- DAYTON, Aug. 4, 2019 - A gunman dressed in body armor opened fire in downtown Dayton, Ohio, killing nine people including his sister and wounding 27 others. Police killed the shooter.

- VIRGINIA BEACH, May 31, 2019 - A disgruntled public utility employee opened fire with a handgun on co-workers at a municipal building in Virginia, killing 12 people and wounding at least four before he was fatally shot by police.

- THOUSAND OAKS, Nov. 7, 2018 - A former Marine combat veteran killed 12 people in a bar in Thousand Oaks, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. He then killed himself.

- TREE OF LIFE, Oct. 27, 2018 - A gunman burst into the Tree of Life synagogue near Pittsburgh with a semi-automatic rifle and three handguns as he fired on congregants gathered for a Sabbath service, killing 11.

- SANTA FE, Texas, May 18, 2018 - A 17-year-old student dressed in a trench coat and armed with a shotgun and pistol opened fire at his high school outside Houston, killing nine students and a teacher, before surrendering to officers.

- PARKLAND, Feb. 14, 2018 - A former student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, opened fire with an assault-style rifle, killing 17 students and educators.

- SUTHERLAND SPRINGS, Nov. 5, 2017 - A man thrown out of the U.S. Air Force for beating his wife and child shot 26 people fatally at a rural Texas church where his in-laws worshipped before killing himself.

- LAS VEGAS, Oct. 1, 2017 - A gunman opened fire on a country music festival from a 32nd-floor hotel suite, killing 58 people and wounding 564 others before taking his own life.

- ORLANDO, June 12, 2016 - A gunman fatally shot 49 people at Pulse, a gay nightclub, before he was shot dead by police.

- SAN BERNARDINO, Dec. 2, 2015 - A husband and wife killed 14 people at a workplace holiday party in San Bernardino in Southern California before dying in a shootout with police.

- ROSEBURG, Oct 1, 2015 - A gunman stalked onto an Oregon college campus and opened fire, killing nine people and wounding seven before police shot him to death.

- CHARLESTON, June 17, 2015 - A White supremacist killed nine Black churchgoers at a church in Charleston, South Carolina. He was sentenced to death.

- WASHINGTON, D.C., Sept. 16, 2013 - A former Navy reservist working as a government contractor killed 12 people at the Washington Navy Yard. He was shot dead by police.

- NEWTOWN, Dec. 14, 2012 - A heavily armed gunman killed 26 people, including 20 children from five- to 10-years old, in a rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut.

- AURORA, July 20, 2012 - A masked gunman killed 12 people and wounded 70 others at a cinema in Aurora, Colorado. He received multiple life sentences.

- FORT HOOD, Nov. 5, 2009 - An army major and psychiatrist opened fire at Fort Hood, a U.S. Army base in Texas, killing 13 people.

(Reporting by Derek Francis and Shubham Kalia in Bengaluru; Editing by Sam Holmes)

Copyright 2021 Thomson Reuters.

__________________________________________________

Ciao Oscar,

Ben detto.

Hal

_______________________________________

L’America è angosciata

Alberto Pasolini Zanelli

L’America è angosciata come il resto del mondo per la tragedia cosmica e per la persecuzione di ogni essere vivente da parte di un Diavolo che chiamiamo Coronavirus. Non sorprende che oltre alla paura si diffonda o si intensifichi una rabbia, un odio non soltanto contro un morbo e un po’ tutte le cause della morte violenta nella lunga storia dell’umanità. Compresi gli uomini che hanno ucciso o fatto uccidere, per odio o in conseguenza delle proprie ambizioni che includono la violenza. L’impossibilità di reagire a questa sconfitta continua senza un colpevole ravviva in qualcuno la tentazione di rifare il processo a lutti del passato, compresi naturalmente quelli di origine umana, vale a dire le guerre. E dunque i condottieri, più frequentemente i più famosi.

Il nome che spunta adesso è forse il più glorioso della Storia, ma anche il simbolo della violenza e della morte militare. Proprio lui: Napoleone Bonaparte. Rimasto un po’ indietro nella Storia, soprattutto in un’America che non ha conosciuto le sue guerre, le sue glorie e la sua tragedia. Non è dunque interamente una sorpresa, ma una riemersione improbabile: su un autorevole quotidiano americano è comparsa una arringa contro il generale e imperatore francese con un titolo limpido nella sua faziosità: “È ora che cominciamo a smitizzare Napoleone”. Quasi tre secoli dopo, insomma, ad applaudire quello che accadde un giorno a Waterloo. È una pagina di storia spesso promossa a simbolo. E adesso riesumata in un capitolo negativo. Bonaparte, non dimenticato in Europa ma catalogato fra i miti della Storia, ma ora meno come condottiero che come statista. Cattivo per certi americani come molti fra i Padri Fondatori degli Stati Uniti, comparabile dunque a tutti quegli “eroi” di cui tutta l’America passa di questi tempi il tempo a distruggere i monumenti e per cancellare il ricordo. Soprattutto i generali protagonisti della guerra civile, di cui si è salvato finora soltanto Lincoln. Gli altri stendono il marmo delle loro statue sotto il martello dei moralisti, soprattutto Robert Edward Lee, cui viene perdonata soltanto la sua decisiva sconfitta: Gettysburg. E dunque il suo omologo europeo: Waterloo. Secondo l’autore (anzi, l’autrice) quella sconfitta della Francia imperiale e imperialista fu una grazia della Provvidenza. Il suo significato è nuovo, quasi inedito: Napoleone doveva perdere perché era un sostenitore della schiavitù. E una sua vittoria non solo avrebbe consolidato l’egemonia di Parigi sull’Europa, ma ridato una spinta per una ulteriore espansione di quell’istituto brutale e disumano.

Come se Napoleone e la Francia ne fossero i principali padrini, mentre lo erano altri, il più famoso dei quali proprio l’America. Via col vento non è stato scritto in francese. E la Francia, già da prima di Bonaparte, aveva un ruolo minimo e decrescente in quel crudele istituto. Aveva detenuto schiavi? Sì, solo in una piccola isola del suo fragile e breve impero coloniale: Haiti, oggi Repubblica Dominicana. Era quasi inesplorata e sarebbe stata dimenticata, se non ci fosse cresciuta una spezia fino allora sconosciuta in Occidente: lo zucchero. I francesi si trovavano fra le braccia una miniera commestibile, quasi un monopolio mondiale e i suoi commercianti lo sfruttarono al massimo, ricorrendo alla manodopera locale, schiavi di pelle nera. Fu anche l’unica colonia a ribellarsi con le armi, a scendere in battaglia con i soldati di Napoleone e a sconfiggerli. Prima di Waterloo, ma lui era lontano e non se ne occupò più tanto. La Francia, sua e dei suoi successori, non ebbe grosse difficoltà ad abolire la schiavitù con molto anticipo sugli altri e soprattutto sugli Stati Uniti. Era un istituto singolare nel quadro planetario. I neri di Haiti erano schiavi finché si trovavano sull’isola. Se e quando qualcuno di loro metteva sul suolo della Francia metropolitana, automaticamente diventava un uomo libero. A uno, per esempio, capitò perché aveva accompagnato a Parigi il suo padrone. Da uomo libero si diede da fare per trovare quello che oggi chiamiamo un job. Scelse l’arruolamento nell’esercito. E fece carriera: dopo un numero non eccessivo di anni diventò generale. Collega di grado di Napoleone, che in più naturalmente faceva l’Imperatore. A un certo punto non si amarono e il Bonaparte si servì del suo potere spingendolo al pensionamento anticipato. Fu, il suo, il gesto più schiavista. Il nero liberato rimase in Francia e generò un figlio destinato a diventare uno scrittore. Il suo nome era Alexandre Dumas.

Pasolini.zanelli@gmail.com

Ed anche questa è America. Purtroppo.

 

Sono le 10 di sera a Washington D.C.

Tutti i canali televisivi stanno trasmettendo da ore le immagini del supermercato di Boulder cittadina del Colorado.

Il capo della polizia, il sindaco  ed altre autorità (tutti senza maschera) hanno detto ai giornalisti ammassati che in quel supermercato ci sono molti morti  (forse dieci ?)  tra i quali anche un ufficiale di polizia.

Si sono trincerati dietro "l'indagine sta proseguendo" senza dire chi fossero i morti, come si fosse verificato l'eccidio, chi è il tipo che in mutande è stato condotto da due poliziotti fuori del supermercato, scalzo e con una gamba coperta di sangue.

Tutto quello che si è saputo sino a questo momento è che si tratta di un indiziato. Non ne conosciamo il nome, la razza (se bianco, asiatico o latino).

Sembra che siano stati diversi a sparare ma non si hanno ulteriori elementi.

Una situazione estremamente strana e singolare se paragonata ai tanti massacri che punteggiano la vita di questa nazione privilegiata dal fatto che i 330 milioni di abitanti dispongono di almeno 450 milioni di armi la maggior parte delle quali armi da guerra.

Questo è il secondo omicidio di massa in una settimana dopo quello di otto vittime ad Atlanta di cui sei asiatiche.

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Al Senato proseguono le audizioni nel tentativo di far sì che Washington D.C. possa diventare uno stato federale.

A Washington si pagano le tasse più alte dell'America ma chi ci vive e lavora non può nominare senatori e deputati.

Il tentativo di fare di Washington D.C. (Distretto di Colombia) il 51º Stato della Federazione ha sempre trovato la fermissima opposizione dei repubblicani che non vogliono avere uno Stato a maggioranza democratica.

Oltre alle tasse a Washington la popolazione e' analoga o superiore a quella di altri Stati che invece hanno la possibilità di eleggere i propri senatori e deputati oltre ad avere membri del collegio elettorale che esprime poi in seconda istanza il voto per il presidente da leggere o da confermare.

Il mancato colpo di Stato del 6 gennaio aveva lo scopo di bloccare la riunione plenaria del Campidoglio alla quale spettava la presa d'atto della vittoria a larga maggioranza del candidato Joe Biden nei confronti dell'uscente Donald Trump.

Tra le dichiarazioni negative dei repubblicani si caratterizza quella di un deputato che ha sostenuto che Washington non ha industrie, agricoltura e miniere, suscitando l'ilarità generale e la dichiarazione della sindaca della capitale federale che gli ha detto che aveva perfettamente ragione in quanto… a Washington non c'è una industria mineraria.

Ed anche questa è America.

Purtroppo.

Oscar