World

Op-Ed: We Need To Get Through This Time And Tighten Our Belts, Just As We Have Through Two World Wars, Terrorist Attacks And Other Epidemics

by

By MATTHEW ADELMAN
President
National Newspaper Association

Newspapers in the United States have traveled rough seas to the First Amendment freedoms we enjoy today.

From the colonial Stamp Act through wartime censorship to today, when thousands of newspapers were slammed with the public health emergency known as COVID-19, people who work for newspapers have never had completely smooth sailing.

Now most of the businesses that advertise with us are shut down. The pipeline to make our payroll shut down with them. People are restlessly waiting in their locked-down homes for us to bring the news Read More

U.S. Sen. Tom Udall To Join Leading Scientists To Discuss Nexus Of Coronavirus And Nature Crises

by

U.S. Sen. Tom Udall

U.S. SENATE News: 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and world-renowned scientists Thomas Lovejoy and Enric Sala will lead a press call At 11:30 a.m. Monday, April 20, to discuss the intersection between the coronavirus pandemic and the nature crisis. 

The speakers will explore how the global collapse of nature is increasing the risks of pandemics and other disasters across the globe. Habitat loss, overexploitation of wildlife, and climate change have contributed to the increased spread of infectious diseases, such as COVID-19, from animals to humans. Read More

WHO: Diverse Team Working Toward COVID-19 Vaccine

by

Under WHO’s coordination, a group of experts with diverse backgrounds is working toward the development of vaccines against COVID-19. Courtesy/WHO

WHO News:

The World Health Organization (WHO) issued this public statement Monday for collaboration on COVID-19 vaccine development:

WHO was informed Dec. 31, 2019 of a cluster of cases of pneumonia of unknown cause detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province of China.

Chinese authorities identified the SARS-CoV-2 Jan. 7, 2020 as the causative virus, and the disease was named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Feb. 11, 2020 by WHO.

As part of WHO’s Read More

Catch Of The Week: IRS Warning Over COVID-19 Stimulus Payment Scams

by

By BECKY RUTHERFORD
Los Alamos

IRS Warning:

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued a warning on April 2nd, urging taxpayers to be on the lookout for incoming calls and phishing attempts about the COVID-19 stimulus payments.

According to the IRS website, IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig said, “We urge people to take extra care during this period. The IRS isn’t going to call you asking to verify or provide your financial information so you can get an economic impact payment or your refund faster. That also applies to surprise emails that appear to be coming from the IRS. Remember, don’t open them Read More

World Futures Institute: Modeling – Part One

by

By ANDY ANDREWS
Los Alamos World Futures Institute

In making decisions about what action to take we create models, mental or mathematical, to help make our decision.

The Cheshire Cat continues harassing us about knowing where we are going or it does not matter which road we take. If very few variables are involved and the quantities are small, it is easy. But as the numbers grow, disciplined modelling is appropriate.

Let us start by building a “silly” model for what most of us would consider a “silly” issue to investigate.

Assume the issue is time reporting for a company, institution, agency, or Read More

AFRL NM STEM Academy ‘Mission To Mars’ Goes Virtual

by

During ‘Mission To Mars’, students are invited to virtually participate in eight days of activities. Courtesy/mars.nasa.gov

AFRL NM STEM News:

The Air Force Research Laboratory New Mexico (AFRL NM) STEM Academy is virtually continuing its “2020 Mission to Mars” experience for 4th-6th grade students.

Students are invited to virtually participate in eight days of activities, centered on planning a simulated manned-mission to Mars.

“Traditionally this event was held in the Albuquerque Convention Center, but this year it will be held in the kitchens and living rooms of hundreds of 4th- to Read More

AFRL Gives Warfighters New Weapon System

by

Air Force Research Laboratory Tactical High Power Operational Responder (THOR). Courtesy/AFRL Directed Energy Directorate

Raytheon’s High Energy Laser Weapon System (HELWS). Courtesy/Air Force Strategic Development Planning & Experimentation Office

AFRL News:

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio – The Air Force Research Laboratory has set up the Air Force’s first high-energy laser weapon system overseas for a 12-month field assessment.

The Air Force Strategic Development Planning & Experimentation (SDPE) Office located here is leading the project.

“The receiving Read More

NIJ Examines Research About Mass Shootings

by

DOJ News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Office of Justice Programs National Institute of Justice released an article Monday summarizing findings of a literature review on mass shootings.

The article highlights past challenges to effective research, including the absence of a uniform definition of mass shootings and lack of consistent data, and discusses steps researchers are taking to address those obstacles.

TITLE:  Advancing Mass Shootings Research to Inform Practice

AUTHOR:  National Institute of Justice

WHERE:  https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/advancing-mass-shooting-research-inform-practice Read More

Sharing Poem Amidst Tragedy We’re Experiencing…

by

Evening falls recently over downtown Los Alamos. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com

By JOE STANEK
Los Alamos

I’m just an average fellow that lives and works on the hill and I thought I’d attempt to share some words, a poem, that came to me last night amidst the tragedy that we are experiencing:

​Houses​
​
My breath is but a candle light​
the in and the out ​
of the light and the darkness​

Yet taken for granted​
for measure by measure​
​
If the eye is the window​
then the lung is the house​
But in a house is a ceiling and a floor​
​
And if candles are people​
they are locked in their houses​
​
And many candles Read More