The tax cuts heavily favor corporations and wealthy private citizens (which don't make up much of the rural population), and could explode the deficit, The New York Times reports.
It's not clear how much the middle class will benefit, if at all.
The plan seeks to eventually repeal the estate tax by 2024, though first it would double the exemption to $11 million. Republicans have said that the repeal will benefit farmers, but it will have no impact on small farmers and relatively little on large farmers. "If enacted, the proposal would further diminish the tax's ability to promote inter-generational mobility, which has eroded very badly over time. By now, only a tiny group of extremely large estates are subject to any tax at all," The Brookings Institution says.
"With the release of an ambitious overhaul of the tax code, House Republicans are moving to fulfill a long-held desire of corporate America: a large and audacious tax cut. Yet economists are divided over whether the plan is likely to revitalize the economy or merely bestow a windfall on the wealthiest investors, the Times reports.
Some pop culture pundits have complained that the nation is too preoccupied with Appalachia. Urban liberals may be exasperated by what they feel is an increasingly-Republican population that votes against its own interests. But the region's transformation into a Republican stronghold is worth studying, and the problems it faces--like the opioid epidemic--can't simply be quarantined and written off, because they affect the rest of the country.
"We should be thankful, then, for what Steven Stoll, a historian at Fordham University, has delivered in his new book Ramp Hollow: The Ordeal of Appalachia (Hill and Wang) — not just another account of Appalachia's current plight, but a journey deeper in time to help us understand how the region came to be the way it is. For while much has been written about the region of late, the historical roots of its troubles have received relatively little recent scrutiny," Alec MacGillis writes for ProPublica. MacGillis, who wrote The Cynic, a polemical biography of Kentucky Republican Mitch McConnell, says Stoll "has set out to tell the story of how the people of a sprawling region of our country — one of its most physically captivating and ecologically bountiful — went from enjoying a modest but self-sufficient existence as small-scale agrarians for much of the 18th and 19th centuries to a dreary dependency on the indulgence of coal barons or the alms of the government."
"Whenever we see hunger and deprivation among rural people, we need to ask a simple question: What went on just before the crisis that might have caused it?" he writes. "Seeing the world without the past would be like visiting a city after a devastating hurricane and declaring that the people there have always lived in ruins."
UPDATE, Nov. 21: "His book is a powerful and outrage-making if somewhat academic analysis of the forces that have made West Virginia one of the sorriest places — statistically, at any rate — to live in America," Dwight Garner writes in a review for The New York Times. "His book is not especially warm to the touch. But as economic history it is gravid and well made."
House Republican committee chairs retiring in droves; is your representative seeking re-election?
House Republicans are retiring "in droves," James Hohmann reports for The Washington Post, despite the GOP's control of Congress. Two Texans who serve as committee chairmen -- Lamar Smith, who heads up the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, and Jeb Hensarling, who chairs the Financial Services Committee -- say they're not seeking re-election in 2018 because they've reached the term limit for the committees they chair, and it's hard to go back to being a regular representative after having that kind of power.
"Being a "backbencher in the minority party of a majoritarian institution like the House is depressing and joyless, Hohmann writes. "Unless you're Nancy Pelosi, you're functionally irrelevant." Also, the "very real prospect of losing the majority next November makes sticking around even less desirable."
It may be a good time to ask your member(s) of the House of Representatives whether they plan to run for re-election next year, if they haven't said so yet.
Appalachia has lost more than 33,000 mining jobs since 2011, prompting the creation of numerous Obama-era job retraining classes for coal miners. Such programs are doing well in states like West Virginia and Kentucky where locals widely acknowledge that there's little hope for a comeback. But in southern Pennsylvania, more ample coal reserves and a marginally better mining job market have led miners to largely reject retraining efforts.
"What many experts call false hopes for a coal resurgence have mired economic development efforts here in a catch-22: Coal miners are resisting retraining without ready jobs from new industries, but new companies are unlikely to move here without a trained workforce," Valerie Volcovici reports for Reuters. "The stalled diversification push leaves some of the nation's poorest areas with no clear path to prosperity."
The brief upsurge in mining jobs in Pennsylvania is mainly related to a rise in foreign demand for metallurgical coal, which is used to produce steel. "Some market analysts describe the foreign demand as a temporary blip driven by production problems in the coal hub of Australia," Volcovici reports. Most U.S. coal is mined to burn for electricity, and that is the sector of the industry that Trump has taken actions to help.
Some displaced miners are turning to a surprising new enterprise: beekeeping. West Virginia resident Mark Lilly will begin training former coal miners to keep bees starting in January throught the Appalachian Beekeeping Collective, funded by a grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission. "Lilly sees beekeeping as a way for longtime Appalachians to preserve their connection to the land and to earn extra money during lean times. Some might even be able to support themselves and their families on income from bees," Marlene Cimons reports for EcoWatch. "The Appalachian Beekeeping Collective plans to process, market and distribute honey. The ultimate goal is to bring millions of dollars into the region and provide income for hundreds of Appalachians. The new beekeepers will receive hives either for free or at a reduced price, depending on their income."
U.S. stores when MarketWatch did this map earlier this year.
Dollar stores are one of the nation's fastest-growing retail segments, and they're thriving in rural America where big box stores can't survive. But some experts see them as an unsettling signpost about the future of rural America. "Some analysts see their proliferation as a bellwether of a widening gap between economic classes," Jason Nark reports for the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Garrick Brown, director for retail research at commercial real estate company Cushman & Wakefield, told Bloomberg's Mya Frazier that "Essentially what the dollar stores are betting on in a large way is that we are going to have a permanent underclass in America . . . It's based on the concept that the jobs went away, and the jobs are never coming back, and that things aren't going to get better in any of these places."
Rural Pennsylvanians told Nark that stores like Dollar General, Family Dollar and Dollar Tree fill the need for a grocery store; many live in rural "food deserts," which the Department of Agriculture defines as a low-income rural community where at least 500 people and/or at least 33 percent of the census tract's population live more than 10 miles from a supermarket or large grocery store (usually defined as one having 50,000 square feet). Rural shoppers may also be attracted by dollar stores' lineup of competitively priced name brand items that normally would only be available at larger stores.
Dollar Tree Vice President Randy Guiler told Nark that a big factor in dollar stores' rural success is saving time, when the nearest big-box store could be an hour away. "I think the customer today is time-starved," he said. Dollar stores are "an attractive spot to stop for their fill-in needs. People need items at different times of the week."
Controversial nominee Sam Clovis has withdrawn his name from consideration as the Department of Agriculture's chief scientist after his name surfaced in the ongoing Russian probe. Clovis, who serves as the USDA's senior White House advisor, was already widely criticized for having no scientific experience; this week the news broke that "he was one of the top officials on the Trump campaign aware of efforts by foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos to broker a relationship between the campaign and Russian officials," The Washington Post reports. Clovis didn't resign as the White House advisor for the USDA.
In his letter to President Trump, Clovis said "The relentless assaults on you and your team seem to be a blood sport that only increases in intensity each day. As I am focused on your success and the success of this Administration, I do not want to be a distraction or negative influence, particularly with so much important work left to do for the American people." Click here for the full text.
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters that "We respect Mr. Clovis' decision to withdraw his nomination," CNN reports. When a reporter asked if President Trump was still comfortable with Clovis serving as the USDA advisor, Sanders said, "I'm not aware of any change that would be necessary."
Poor crop prices may increase farmers' risk of dying in grain bins, Dan Miller reports for The Progressive Farmer. "The combination of low grain prices and surplus grain is motivating farmers to store more grain," Nationwide Insurance consultant Paul Stevenson told Miller. "As on-farm storage increases, so does the likelihood of grain going out of condition and farmers entering bins."
Purdue University's 2016 annual report on agricultural confined space-related injuries and fatalities documented 29 grain-bin entrapments (both fatal and nonfatal), which was up from 24 in 2015. But the report says the real figures are probably much higher: "Currently, over two-thirds of grain storage capacity in the U.S. is found on farms that are exempt from the current OSHA injury-reporting requirement standards."
Corn is the most common grain associated with grain-bin entrapment, but it can happen with other grains. Nationwide, as the country's top farm insurer, took steps to mitigate incidents by sponsoring an annual Grain Bin Safety Week, during which it awards grants to local fire departments around the country to buy special grain rescue tubes. "Simply put, we got tired of seeing people die inside of grain bins," Stevenson told Miller.
"President Trump's commission on the opioid crisis called Wednesday for a nationwide system of drug courts and easier access to alternatives to opioids for people in pain, part of a wide-ranging menu of improvements it said are needed to curb the opioid epidemic," Lenny Bernstein reports for The Washington Post. The President's Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis, led by Republican Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, was created by Trump in March. It issued an interim report on July 31.
Fewer than half of all federal court jurisdictions have drug courts; the commission wants them in all 94. The bipartisan group made 56 recommendations in its final report, including a requirement that opioid prescribers check prescription-monitoring databases to make sure patients aren't "doctor shopping" for opioids. Doctors would also have to show they've received special training on safe opioid-prescription practices.
The commission also recommended changing the way insurance rates are set, so doctors will be encouraged to try physical therapy or other non-drug treatments before prescribing opioids. And it recommended that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services "eliminate questions about pain from satisfaction surveys that are used rate hospital performance. Physicians have said they feel pressure to treat pain aggressively, often with drugs, so they are not penalized on such surveys. The start of the opioid epidemic in the early 2000s is widely blamed on the over-prescription of opioid medications," Bernstein reports.
What the commission didn't recommend: marijuana for pain management, or safe injection sites like those in Canada where intravenous drug users can inject drugs while under medical supervision.
The White House's press shop offered a noncommital response to the report, saying that "We are grateful for the Commission's extensive work since March, and look forward to reviewing these recommendations as the entire Administration continues to work to lessen drug demand and the opioid crisis."
The commission's draft report was released the same day as a Government Accountability Office study that recommended accountability measures for the Department of Health and Human Services to respond to the opioid epidemic.
When a federal study on the public-health impacts of large-scale surface mining in Central Appalachia was cancelled in August, the Interior Department said it wasn't because of the subject matter. All projects costing more than $100,000 were being reviewed because of budget cuts Interior's Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement said in a statement.
But that may not be the case. Arizona Rep. Raul Grijalva, the highest-ranking Democrat of the House Committee on Natural Resources, wrote Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke in October demanding an explanation of the fate of the remaining $400,000 in funds for the study, which had a $1 million budget. "According to Rep. Grijalva's letter, no other studies have been halted as a result of budget review by the Department of Interior of grants over $100,000. Arizona's representative expressed concern that the reasons behind the research's cancellation might be driven by ideology and not fiscal responsibility," Jan Pytalski reports for 100 Days in Appalachia.
be "mountaintop removal" as such; click on the image to enlarge it.
"It increasingly appears as if DOI ended the study because of fears that it would conclusively show that mountaintop removal coal mining is a serious threat to the health of people living in Appalachia," Grijalva wrote in the letter. "Cutting off funding for a scientific study because it will likely produce uncomfortable results for powerful administration allies is unconscionable, especially when these political games are affecting public health. Sadly, as we have seen so far this year, this Administration routinely suppresses science that doesn't agree with its ideology."
"In his letter, Rep. Grijalva recalls a joint call for the re-institution of the study with Reps. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), ranking member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, John Yarmuth (D-Ky.), ranking member of the Committee on Budget, Don Beyer (D-Va.) and Donald McEachin (D-Va.)." The representatives sent the letter one week after the Aug. 18 order to halt the study. "As of press time it remains unanswered," Pytalski reports.
Horizontal hydraulic fracturing pits big oil companies against small drilling outfits in Okla.
Oklahoma's laws encourage the practice of drilling new oil wells in old oilfields, but that has "left a trail of older wells damaged by 'frack hits,' flummoxed state regulators and started a civil war within the state's singularly powerful oil industry, Mike Soraghan reports for Energy & Environment News. Some say it could also lead to groundwater contamination.
Small drilling companies, which Soraghan says are "as revered as the family farmer" in Oklahoma, complain that big oil companies are drilling long horizontal wells through their fields, which they say siphons off their oil and damages their older, vertical wells.
An illustration of how fracking fluid from a horizontal well can hit a vertical well.
"They know they're going to ruin your well and they don't care," said Mike Cantrell, who helped lead an exodus of small drillers from the state's largest oil industry trade group earlier this year and formed a new group called the Oklahoma Energy Producers Alliance. OEPA "commissioned a study estimating more than 400 wells have been damaged by such 'frack hits' in just one county. An E&E News review found at least 10 state and federal lawsuits alleging that horizontal fracturing damaged vertical wells," Soraghan reports.
Zack Taylor, who has a small family-run oil company in Seminole and is also a state representative, told Soraghan: "The whole argument boils down to private property rights. . . You can't step on someone's property right to promote development."
Large oil drillers say there are protections in place for small drillers. Horizontal wells are supposed to stay at least 600 feet away from vertical wells (though the Oklahoma Corporation Commission can waive that). Vertical drillers can also buy into a new horizontal well, and if that's not possible, can cut a deal with the horizontal driller. Alternatively, an OCC judge can assign fair market value to the vertical driller's interest. And if all else fails, the vertical driller can file suit. And pay lawyers.
The five states with the highest percentage of "A" hospitals this fall are Rhode Island, Maine, Hawaii, Idaho and Virginia. The five states with the lowest percentage of "A" hospitals this fall are North Dakota, Washington D.C., Delaware, Maryland and New York.
"What we've learned is that transparency has a real impact on patient safety. By making the Hospital Safety Grades public, we've galvanized major changes in these states and many communities," said Leah Binder, president and CEO of Leapfrog. "Not only does it require dedication from national organizations, such as Leapfrog, to make this information public, but also from local coalitions, regional leaders, employers, business leaders and other community organizations to work with these hospitals and their communities to improve the quality and safety of health care."
The Government Accountability Office released a study today recommending that the Department of Health and Human Services, as it works to expand access to medication-assisted treatment for addiction, should develop clear measures to gauge its performance.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who requested the study, said it "will help to ensure that dollars are spent wisely to fight the crisis of opioid abuse taking lives in communities across the country. The announcement of GAO's conclusions will help us as we continue to build a comprehensive approach to combating heroin and prescription drug abuse."
Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is a combination of behavioral therapy combined with medication such as methadone and buprenorphine to manage addiction. The report found that HHS has implemented five key steps in expanding access to MAT for opioid users since 2015, but many who need MAT still don't have access to it, especially in rural areas. In addition to recommending that HHS create and implement performance measurements, the report recommends that the agency should establish timeframes for when it will evaluate efforts to expand MAT.
UPDATE, 2:35 p.m.: "President Trump's commission on the opioid crisis . . . called for a large expansion of medication-assisted treatment, which many experts have called the most effective approach and which Food and Drug Administration commissioner Scott Gottlieb has endorsed,' The Washington Post reports.
Four rural Oklahoma hospitals have sued Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oklahoma for breach of contract over crippling proposed provider reimbursement rate cuts, Dale Denwalt reports for The Oklahoman.
"BCBS does not favor supporting rural, critical-access hospitals," the lawsuit states. "BCBS, through its actions and behavior, is attempting to drive critical access hospitals out of business in favor of driving business to large metropolitan hospitals and related services."
BCBS has not confirmed the rate cuts it's asking for, but Don Buchanan, CEO of Haskell County Community Hospital in Stigler, said BCBS wants to cut reimbursement by 30 percent for all services except those in the emergency room.
"Unfortunately, it's not a rate that would allow us to continue to serve Blue Cross patients. It borders on being below the cost of actually providing that care," Randy Simmons, CEO of Prague Community Hospital, told Denwalt.
"In Prague, BCBS is the third-largest payer behind federal health care programs. Simmons said losing patients who use the insurer would be devastating for the hospital, and in turn would critically limit health care in the community," Denwalt reports. The other two hospitals named in the suit are Drumright Regional Hospital and Fairfax Community Hospital.
The hospitals' contracts with BCBS were set to expire Oct. 31, but a Tulsa judge issued a temporary restraining order. A hearing on the lawsuit is set for Nov. 3.
National Rural Health Day, Nov. 16 this year, was created by the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health in 2010 to highlight efforts to improve health in rural communities while acknowledging the unique challenges in accessing health care services.
The Federal Office of Rural Health Policy will organize NRHD events, including a series of Twitter chats and webinars in the days leading up to Nov. 16. On National Rural Health Day, the office will provide a day-long webcast of a summit that includes speeches and panel discussions of current efforts to increase accessibility to health care in rural areas. Click here to see the full schedule and to find out more information about participating in the Twitter chats or registering for the webinars.
Open enrollment for health insurance under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act begins tomorrow, but many people, especially in rural areas, may face confusion about how to sign up. That could lead to fewer people being covered by health insurance. "Much of the cutbacks and confusion, health-care advocates said, follows President Trump's constant disparagement of the law.
Congress was not able to pass a repeal or replacement law, so the administration may be knocking the legs out from under the law in other ways. The Department of Health and Human Services slashed the ACA advertising budget by 90 percent, which means there are many fewer messages to tell people when open enrollment is, or whether they qualify. HHS also cut by 40 percent grants to pay navigators, which are regular citizens trained to help people sign up for ACA plans.
The Trump administration has also decreased overall access to the plans, trimming open enrollment from three months to six weeks. The enrollment website, www.Healthcare.gov, is also being taken offline for maintenance for 12 hours almost every Sunday during open enrollment, even though weekends are generally a convenient time for people to apply.
"Most recently, Mr. Trump announced plans to cut off subsidies that reimburse insurance companies for assistance they are required to provide to low-income customers who struggle with co-payments and deductibles. The cuts resulted in a crazy quilt of premiums for 2018 that differs radically from the pattern of the last four years, which will upend expectations of consumers in many states," Abby Goodnough and Robert Pear report for The New York Times.
A newly released study found that multiple pollutants in the air and water near hydraulic-fracturing wells are linked to brain problems in children. More than 1,000 studies have looked at possible health hazards from fracking, but this is the first to focus on neurological health of children living near fracked wells. "Researchers focused on five types of pollution commonly found near the sites—heavy metals, particulate matter, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene and endocrine-disrupting compounds—and scrutinized existing health studies of the compounds' impacts to kids' brains," Brian Bienkowski reports for Environmental Health News.
Early exposure to those five types of pollutants is associated with a host of problems, from learning and developmental disorders to neurological birth defects. The study's lead author, Ellen Webb of the Center for Environmental Health, told Bienkowski that the research on children's health near oil and gas sites is "slowly emerging" but "It's only reasonable to conclude that young children with frequent exposure to these pollutants would be at high risk for neurological diseases." Webb recommends an increase in the required distance (at least a mile, she suggests) between fracking wells and places where children live or go frequently, such as schools, parks or hospitals. She also recommends "more research on low level, chronic exposure, mandatory testing of industrial chemicals used on site, and increased transparency of the chemicals used in drilling," Bienkowski reports.
Seth Whitehead, a spokesperson for the Independent Petroleum Association of America, counters that there is no hard evidence that pollutants associated with fracking do harm children. "This is not unlike saying bleach — which can be found in most folks' laundry rooms — can make you sick if you drink it and that more research is needed to understand the extent to which people get sick from drinking bleach from their laundry rooms," he said in an email to Bienkowski.
Any public-health issues caused by fracking are likely to disproportionately impact rural America, since most of the nation's fracking occurs in rural areas. Research has shown that fracking can contaminate drinking water up to one kilometer away from the well pad.
College of the Ozarks, a private institution in rural Missouri, is making headlines by requiring all freshmen to take a new course called Patriotic Education and Fitness. "In requiring the new course, the college is signaling that patriotism is largely synonymous with the military, to judge from its materials. The required course debuted last year as a retooled version of previous courses in physical education and patriotism — this time, with a more-intentional emphasis on the military," Sam Hoisington reports for The Chronicle of Higher Education.
A press release says that students will "learn map reading, land navigation, rifle marksmanship, rope systems and knots, and rappelling" as well as "the formation of American government and politics, military customs, task organization and courtesies, and flag protocol and procedures," Hoisington reports.
President Jerry Davis says the college has attracted a lot of publicity because it's willing to stand up for what it believes. "Our college, given who we say we are, needs to make a strong statement about what we represent and what we're a part of," he told Hoisington. The college was in the news last month after refusing to play sports against any team whose members kneel during the national anthem.
After widespread controversy, Puerto Rico is canceling a $300 million contract with a small Montana company to repair some of the hurricane-devastated island's electrical grid, and The Wall Street Journal reports that the FBI is investigating the deal with the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority.
Andrew Scurria writes that agents "are looking into circumstances surrounding the disaster-recovery deal the public-power monopoly known as Prepa signed with Whitefish Energy Holdings LLC," based in the northern Montana town of the same name.
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is from Whitefish, but insists he had nothing to do with the contract. "Only in elitist Washington, D.C., would being from a small town be considered a crime," he said in a statement on Oct. 27. News of the deal broke nationally on Oct. 24, but it was first reported Oct. 21 by The Flathead Beacon in nearby Kalispell.
Questions about the contract go beyond connections, The Washington Post reports. Whitefish was not required to provide proof that it would complete the work it promised, and the two-year-old company has only two employees. Whitefish CEO Andrew Techmanski said the company's structure allowed it to hire subcontractors quickly.
Changes to the North American Free Trade Agreement could have an outsized impact on many places in rural America. "Although counties containing big cities such as Los Angeles, New York and Houston generate the highest dollar volumes of exports, the most export-dependent places tend to be relatively small, often rural or suburban counties whose economies are based on a single industry – or sometimes even a single company or plant," Drew DeSilver reports for the Pew Research Center. "In fact, of the 154 counties or county equivalents where exports accounted for more than a quarter of GDP last year, only 11 had populations above 100,000 and half had fewer than 25,000 residents, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of data compiled by the Brookings Institution for its 'Export Monitor 2017' report." Many of the high-export counties manufacture automobiles or auto parts.
Pew Research map; click on it to enlarge it.
Three U.S. counties rely on exports for more than 50 percent of the local gross domestic product. Leading the pack is Hancock County, Ky., a county of 8,810 residents which brings in 55.3 percent of its GDP from manufacturing aluminum and other nonferrous metal products.
In the counties with the greatest growth in exports, "booming U.S. oil and gas production and higher precious-metals prices have turbocharged export growth in many resource-rich counties. In 17 of the 30 counties with the highest annualized real export growth rates between 2003 and 2016, the economic sector that contributed the most to that growth was mining, oil and gas extraction," DeSilver reports.
Canada and Mexico are the two biggest destinations for U.S. exports, so a change in the U.S.'s trade relationships with those countries could hurt rural America. The NAFTA renegotiation talks are ongoing, but have been granted an extension after negotiators have had a hard time meeting stringent American demands.
When big news happens in small towns, national journalists often parachute in to cover it. But Terry Corrigan, editor of the Shelbyville Times-Gazette in Tennessee, says local papers can do a better job than the outsiders, Callum Borchers reports for The Washington Post.
Shelbyville, a town of about 21,000 south of Nashville, more famous as the site of the Tennessee Walking Horse Celebration, was the site of a white nationalist rally on Saturday, Oct. 28. Crowd counts are important in stories like this, and the Times-Gazette gave itself a wide berth: It reported that the rally crowd of 200 to 400 was outnumbered by 400 to 600 counter-protesters. The Tennessean of Nashville reported "about 160" and "more than 400," respectively.
The T-G prints six days a week, and Corrigan told Borchers its news staff consists of "four old white guys" with about 65 years of combined experience covering Shelbyville. And though it lacks the resources of national news media, the paper provided an impressive amount of in-depth coverage before, during and after the event, using angles and local sources that national reporters might never have thought of.
But Corrigan knew it was still important to defend his turf against national press. When he covered a wildfire for a small newspaper in Arizona in 2002, he remembered being frustrated that the police were "enamored" of big-name reporters and would take them to places where local media hadn't been allowed. So Corrigan talked to the Shelbyville police this week and asked them not to make the same mistake.
"I said: 'Don't do that to us. We are the ones you depend on week to week. If somebody's done something bad, you want it in our paper, so maybe you can find 'em. Just remember we're the ones that are here all the time.' And they seemed okay. They understand," he told Borchers.
Monsanto Co. is fighting back against weed scientists who say its herbicide dicamba is hurting crops, Dan Charles reports for NPR. Monsanto, BASF and DuPont all sell herbicides containing dicamba, as well as seeds for corn and soybeans that are genetically engineered to withstand it. The companies came out with new "low-volatility" formulas in 2016, and have blamed reported crop damage since then on improper application of the weedkiller. But weed scientists say they weren't able to test the products before they hit the market.
"I wish we could have done more testing. We've been asking to do more testing for several years, but the product was not made available to us," University of Arkansas weed scientist Bob Scott told Charles. "These are proprietary products. Until they release those formulations for testing, we're not allowed to" test them.
When scientists were finally able to test the new low-volatility versions, they found that damage to nearby crops didn't come from physical drift--windblown droplets of dicamba--but from volatization, the chemical's propensity to turn into a powder and drift elsewhere.
"In Arkansas, where state regulators proposed a ban on dicamba during the growing season next year, Monsanto recently sued the regulators, arguing that the ban was based on 'unsubstantiated theories regarding product volatility that are contradicted by science,'" Charles reports. "The company called on regulators to disregard information from Jason Norsworthy, one of the University of Arkansas' weed researchers, because he had recommended that farmers use a non-dicamba alternative from a rival company. Monsanto also attacked the objectivity of Ford Baldwin, a former university weed scientist who now works as a consultant to farmers and herbicide companies."
Kevin Bradley, a professor of weed science at the University of Missouri, says Monsanto executives have repeatedly called his supervisors to express their displeasure with his research on dicamba. Scott says Monsanto's actions are an "attack on all of us, and anybody who dares to [gather] outside data."
Monsanto's Vice President of Global Strategy Scott Partridge told Charles, "We are not attacking Dr. Bradley. We respect him, his position, opinion, and his work. We respect him, and academics in general."
Two weeks ago the Environmental Protection Agency said dicamba use will still be allowed next year, though with additional restrictions. Some say that's not enough, because the restrictions address application, and not the fundamentally volatile nature of the herbicide. Arkansas may ban it at the state level, and will hold a public hearing for the proposal on Nov. 8.


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There is something funny going on with Sue Vincent's photo prompts. I'm finding that each week, the photo illustrates a scene I'm in the process of writing. Maybe we'll get kangaroos next week to prove me wrong.


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12 Lilly
Lilly's Antibody Treatment Gets EUA for Post-Exposure COVID Prevention
U.S. Govt. to Purchase Additional Doses of REGEN-COV Antibody Cocktail
U.S. Govt. Purchases Additional Doses of Lilly's Antibody Therapies for COVID
Lilly, Lycia Therapeutics Enter Multi-Year R&D Alliance
Lilly Forms Neuroscience and Immunology BUs
Headquarters: Indianapolis, IN
twitter.com/EliLillyCo
www.lilly.com
Headcount: 41,000
Revenues: $19,959 (+2%)
Net Income: $2,408 (+1%)
R&D: $4,796 (+1%)
TOP SELLING DRUGS
Drug Indication 2015 Sales (+/-%)
Alimta cancer $2,493 -11%
Humalog diabetes $2,842 2%
Cialis erectile dysfunction $2,311 1%
Cymbalta anxiety, depression $1,028 -36%
Humulin diabetes $1,307 -7%
Forteo osteoporosis $1,348 2%
Zyprexa schizophrenia $940 -9%
Strattera ADHD $784 6%
Effient anticoagulant $523 0%
Erbitux head and neck cancer $485 30%
In 2015 Lilly returned to revenue growth, led by Cyramza and Trulicity following their launches, with significant contributions from its enlarged animal health business, which got a boost after it completed the acquisition of Novartis Animal Health for $5.28 billion at the start of the year under review. Revenue increased 2 percent to $19.96 billion, with six products topping $1 billion in annual sales.
Lilly also reported positive advances in its pipeline of molecules in clinical development. Highlights include: in diabetes, positive cardiovascular outcomes data for Jardiance; in immunology, four positive Phase III studies on baricitinib and strong Phase III data on ixekizumab; and in oncology, Breakthrough Therapy Designation for olaratumab and abemaciclib, several important business development deals in immuno-oncology, and the approval of Portrazza for the treatment of metastatic squamous non-small cell lung cancer late in the year.
The year was active for Lilly on the collaboration front, which saw it expand already existing agreements and form new alliances as well. With Innovent Biologics, Lilly has in place a plan to develop and commercialize a portfolio of cancer treatments. In 2015 the two companies expanded the drug development collaboration, already one of the largest in China between a multi-national and domestic biopharmaceutical company. The companies said they will collaborate to support the development and potential commercialization of up to three anti-PD-1 based bispecific antibodies for cancer treatments over the next decade, both inside and outside of China. Lilly will exercise its rights to develop, manufacture and commercialize these potential cancer treatments outside of China, while Innovent will now have the rights to develop, manufacture and commercialize these potential cancer treatments for China.
Also in China, WuXi PharmaTech (Cayman) and Lilly entered into a strategic collaboration to develop, manufacture and commercialize a novel small molecule. The once-daily oral agent, discovered by Lilly, has the potential to address cardiovascular risk in patients with dyslipidemia. An estimated 276 million patients in China are affected by these conditions. The drug aims to reduce cardiovascular events in patients with elevated LDL cholesterol and triglycerides at high risk of cardiovascular events. WuXi will be responsible for regulatory, development and manufacturing activities in China and Lilly will be responsible for commercial activities. Both companies will invest in this potential new medicine in China. An Investigational New Drug ( Ind ) application will be filed in China by WuXi, and product development and registration will take place within China.
A collaboration agreement was formed with Hanmi to develop and commercialize Hanmi's compound being investigated for the treatment of autoimmune and other diseases. Lilly received rights to the molecule for all indications on a worldwide basis excluding China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Korea, and will be responsible for leading development, regulatory, manufacturing, and commercial efforts in our territories.
Another research collaboration with BioNTech aims to discover novel cancer immunotherapies. The companies will collaborate to identify and validate tumor targets and their corresponding T cell receptors (TCRs) in one or more types of cancer. These tumor targets and TCRs may then be engineered and developed into potent and selective cancer therapies.
Lilly entered a global collaboration and license agreement with Halozyme to develop and commercialize products combining its proprietary compounds with Halozyme's Enhanze platform to aid in the dispersion and absorption of other injected therapeutic drugs. For Lilly, this technology may allow for more rapid delivery of injectable medications through subcutaneous delivery.
Toward the end of the year, Lilly and Merck extended an existing collaboration to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the combination of Lilly's Alimta (pemetrexed for injection) and Merck's Keytruda (pembrolizumab) in a Phase III study in first-line nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The expansion of this oncology trial collaboration follows encouraging data from a Phase I study, which evaluated pemetrexed, carboplatin and pembrolizumab in first-line nonsquamous NSCLC.
Lilly and AstraZeneca also extended their existing immuno-oncology collaboration exploring novel combination therapies for the treatment of solid tumors. The companies will now evaluate the safety and efficacy of a range of additional combinations across their portfolios. Lilly will lead the studies and both companies will contribute resources. Earlier in the year, the companies entered a Phase I clinical trial collaboration to evaluate the safety and preliminary efficacy of combining durvalumab and ramucirumab as a treatment for patients with advanced solid tumors.
R&D expansions
In November Lilly unveiled plans to expand its global R&D headquarters in Indianapolis, IN, adding 130,000 square feet to its existing complex. The $70 million investment will feature a multi-disciplinary lab that facilitates collaboration across multiple research functions. The new building is part of Lilly's continued growth of its Indianapolis footprint, which included a $400 million expansion initiated in 2013 to increase its insulin manufacturing capacity.
When complete in 2017, the new building will enable chemists and engineers to work together a collaboration-centric workspace with modelling, analytical and formulation scientists. The company's strategy incorporates flexible labs that can adapt as research and technology needs evolve, as well as open, interactive meeting spaces that are meant to promote multi-disciplinary problem-solving.
The lab will focus its efforts on small molecules, which currently comprise about half of Lilly's investigational drug portfolio.
In May, Lilly unveiled plans to establish a new drug delivery and device innovation center in Cambridge, MA, which was opened by year's end. The Lilly Cambridge Innovation Center is designed to allow life science organizations to explore how emerging technologies and connectivity can advance drug delivery and device innovation. The center increases the company's delivery and device R&D space by nearly 50% and increasing staff by 25%.
According to the company, the center will serve as a portal for external partnerships and collaboration activities with the company's existing research facilities in San Diego, New York City and Indianapolis. During the year Lilly also said it expanded the San Diego biotech center as well as its presence at the Alexandria Center for Life Science in New York, NY.
More than half of the company's pipeline now comprises biologics that require some type of injection. The company expects its revenues from device-enabled products to double by 2020.
Valneva Appoints Ops SVP
AbCellera to Build Antibody Manufacturing Facility in Canada
Arecor, Lilly Sign Formulation Study Partnership
Lilly Modifies Purchase Agreement with U.S. for COVID Therapies
Lilly's COVID Therapy Boasts Robust New Results
Jubilant HollisterStier, Lilly Enter Bamlanivimab Mfg. Pact
U.S. Govt. Purchases 100k Doses of Lilly's COVID-19 Antibody Cocktail
Lilly, Rigel Enter Exclusive CNS Development Collaboration
Lilly Apoints SVP, CFO
Related Top Companies Report
23 Mylan
Capsules | Drug Delivery | Injectables | Supply Chain
13 Teva
Chemistry | Clinical Trials | Drug Development | Drug Discovery | Information Technology | Supply Chain
10 AbbVie
Biosimilars | Drug Development | Injectables
2 Pfizer, Inc.
Biosimilars | Clinical Trials | Drug Development | Injectables
1 Novartis
APIs | Biosimilars | Chemistry | Drug Development | Drug Discovery
3 Sanofi-Aventis
Biosimilars | Drug Development
5 Merck
6 Johnson & Johnson
Clinical Trials | Drug Development | Drug Discovery
Drug Delivery | Drug Development
Clinical Trials | Drug Development
1	Novartis
3	Sanofi
Biosimilars | Drug Delivery | Process Development
10	Teva


We are delighted to report that ESVG 2019 was attended by close to 300 participants, which showed a healthy increase compared to the 237 participants at ESVG 2017.
The participants included 110 Viola students and a similar number of parents, about 60 Suzuki Teachers and 20 observers from 15 ESA counties as well as from Canada, USA, Hong Kong and Japan.
Mr. Shin, editor of the TERI newsletter in addition to being an adult Suzuki Viola student.
ESVG 2019 was, in all respects, a great success. We were delighted – albeit at sometimes somewhat overwhelmed -- with the large number of registrants, which allowed us to offer a vibrant and varied set of classes and other events in which all attendees could participate.
We heard many expressions of delight and enjoyment over the weekend.
It is already apparent that there is great demand for future ESVGs, and preliminary plans for the ESVG 2021 are underway.
Thank you, to all of you, for a wonderful workshop and experience. I think we may have a full Viola convert on our hands!


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Фігурський Никон, чернігівський дереворитник кінця 17 — поч. 18 ст., ієродиякон. Автор гравюр до «Полустава» (1703), творів Іоана Максимовича, «Служебника» (1704), «Альфавіту» (1705), «Богородице Діво» (1707) та інші. Підписувався літерами «Н. Ф.».

На титулі «Служебника» зображена архітектурна рамка в техніці гравюри на дереві. З обох боків заголовка розташовані зображення святих, а над ним — схематичні капітелі та антаблемент. Завершено композицію фронтоном з волютами в стилі бароко.

Примітки

Джерела

Див. також

 Дереворит
 Мідьорит
 Ілія дереворитник
 Українське бароко
 Щирський Іван
 Світогляд українського бароко
 Міф «Українське бароко»

Персоналії за алфавітом
Українські барокові живописці
Українські графіки
Персоналії:Чернігів

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Home » Big signings do not guarantee title challenge says Andy Cole
Big signings do not guarantee title challenge says Andy Cole
Fact of the Day, VideosxfcediSeptember 4, 2017
Big signings do not guarantee title challenge says Andy Cole from FootballCoin on Vimeo.
Manchester United legend Andy Cole is happy with the way his former team has performed in these early stages of the season. The former striker was impressed with the team's ability to create chances and score goals, as well as defend.
Fans of the Red Devils are getting excited, not only because of the performances but also because of the signings the team has been able to make. Other Premier League teams have invested massively in bringing in top players, as well. While this shows the clubs commitment towards success, Andy Cole knows that this not guarantee them an easy trip towards silverware.
Cole says that there is plenty of competition in the Premier League. He singles out six teams that all have reasons to dream of winning the trophy. However, it's a long season and, as has clearly been obvious in the past, there are many challenges along the way, with consistency being vital for a team to win the title.
Andrew ColeManchester CityManchester UnitedPremier League
Paul Merson says Rooney chose the right time to leave United
Totti's shirt number should not be retired according to Spalletti
Conte doesn't feel the pressure of winning the Premier League trophy
Wenger to do his best until the last day in charge
"Tottenham will try to win Premier League title" says Harry Kane
Conte calls for focus ahead of game against Leicester


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Jules Lobel
Jules Lobel is a professor at the University of Pittsburgh Law School and a member of the American Society of International Law. He is author of numerous articles on international law, foreign affairs, and the U.S. Constitution in publications including Yale Law Journal, Harvard International Law Journal, Cornell Law Review, and Virginia Law Review.
Humanitarian Military Intervention
A proposal for just change in U.S. foreign policy.
Lawyers Statement on UN Resolution 1441 on Iraq
The UN Security Council has been unwilling to authorize the U.S. attack on Iraq--which makes it illegal under international law.


text:
The Questions of Scotland's Independence: The Rise of Scottish Nationalism, Trade Concerns, and the Future of Economic Regulatory Policies
Posted on September 17, 2021Gavin MartinCategories International Affairs, Journal of Regulatory Compliance, Regulation
Gavin Martin
Loyola University of Chicago School of Law, JD 2023
Collectively, four countries make up the United Kingdom (U.K.), including England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. In 2016, an overwhelming number of Scottish citizens voted to remain in the European Union (E.U.) during the U.K. referendum, which resulted in a 51.89 percent vote in favor to leave. After departing from the E.U. in January of 2020, Scottish industries suffered economic losses due to the 'red tape' policies imposed by the U.K., making it more difficult to sell Scottish products to E.U. member countries. As a result, Scotland's independence and nationalist movement grew exponentially, with forty-five of the fifty-nine Scottish seats in the House of Commons going to the Scottish Nationalist Party, with strong support of seceding from the U.K. Additionally, in 2019, Scotland's Parliament reconvened for the first time since 1707, signaling the Scotland's desire for self-autonomy and sovereignty. The possibility of seceding poses questions over the future of economic and social regulatory policies for an independent Scotland.
The double-edged panes of policy windows
Political scientist John Kingdon coined the term 'policy windows' to denote the use of specific catalysts for policy opportunities. These catalysts, or political events, prop open 'policy windows,' that convene popular support for legislation or political action. Arguably, one of these opportunities came when the U.K. voted to leave the E.U., propping open a policy window for Scottish independence. Although the exit from the E.U. has strengthen the political case for Scottish independence, Scotland would likely suffer an economic fallout with strained relationships with the remaining U.K. countries. Simply put, Scotland cannot mitigate the long-term costs of the 2020 E.U. exit by gaining independence and joining the E.U. To do so would result in the creation of customs and regulatory frictions between Scotland and the rest of the U.K. A form of these trade frictions would likely be in the form of heightened tariffs from the remaining U.K. countries, but no specific action could be pointed out, until a negotiated exit deal from the U.K. is made. Proponents against Scottish independence have argued, justifiably, that friction with the E.U. would negatively impact Scotland's economy. This is because trade with remaining members of the U.K. account for £51.2 billion, while trade with the E.U. is estimated at £16.1 billion, accounting for a 104 percent difference. But trade in this respective is not a zero-sum game. Members of the Scottish Nationalist Party have detailed the path forward to economic success w ith independence in their 2014 white paper titled, 'Scotland's Future,' and the creation of the Sustainable Growth Commission in 2016. Summatively, using the E.U. departure as the policy catalyst for Scottish independence is a double-edged windowpane. It may have strengthened a political case for self-autonomy by increasing support for a future Scotland that is a part of the E.U., but in critical areas, it arguably makes the economic case more challenging during the transitory process to independence with an inability to offset the cost of lost trade with the U.K.
Are deregulatory economies the pathway to Scotland's growth, post-independence?
To slow the economic challenge of customs and regulatory friction with the remaining members of the U.K., an independent Scotland will likely practice one of two forms for emerging small state economies. Small state growth is modeled by economic theory which dictates that emerging countries maintain a stable economy with high growth indexes through two models. A portion of these small states have stabilized and thrived by cutting spending and deregulating their economies. Subsequently, said states would have to endure growing inequalities among socio-economic classes. Some deregulatory policies that have been made in the past from countries in order to target growth have been in the sectors of banking, trade, energy, and generally mass privatization. Conversely, other small countries have maintained high public spending, which is written-off as investments and a means of reducing large gaps in earnings among citizens. If led to independence by the Scottish Nationalist Party, who are self-described as a "progressive" party and adhering to the principles of "social democracy," the extremes of deregulation might be off the table. If given the opportunity to secede from the U.K. and granted sovereignty, Scotland would have to make difficult decisions about spending, taxes, economic regulatory practices, and long-term planning.
Tags EUNationalismPolicy WindowsRegulatory AffairsScotlandScottish IndependenceScottish Nationalist PartySmall State EconomiesTradeUK
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Han Kong-sang, famously known to us as Jackie Chan, is the world-renowned martial arts icon. Chan was born on April 7, 1954, in Hong Kong to Charles and Lee-lee Chan.
He was born Chan Kong-sang, which means "Born in Hong Kong" Chan. His mother had a nickname for him, "Pao Pao" (cannonball) due to the way he would roll around as a baby.
In 1960, Chan's father was sent to Australia to work for the American Embassy. Around this time Chan was sent to the Chinese Opera Research Institute in Hong Kong to be trained in music, dance and traditional martial arts.
Aries, April 7, 1954,. 5'8"
Hey Buddy!, I found this information for you: "Jackie Chan". Here is the website link: https://themovieninjas.com/jackie-chan/. Thank you.


" A FOGGY EVENING IN THE NORTHERN FOREST!"
A late day rain resulted in an awesome view of fog hanging over the lake and in the surrounding mountains.
It was another quiet week here with the Spring clean up in the kennel and visiting with a few of my Mushing friends.
The Swallows have returned to nest in their house on the garage and have another generation of young.
The frogs are filling the night with their mating serenades.
The Loons have returned and fill the night air with their mournful cries.
The Squirrels and Chipmunks are teasing the dogs with their playful antics. They are especially of interest to the pups.
It is hard to believe the pups will be a year old this month. The time sure seems to fly by.
Yes, the forest is springing foreword with new life.
It is also with great pleasure to announce that Kara Hansen will be joining the Miortuk Team this fall.


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USGS Data Grapher
This is a data graphing utility that allows the user to build graphs of data from selected USGS stations. Select the station, the type of graph, the parameter(s) to plot, and the starting and ending dates for the graph. Then, click the button labeled "Make Graph."
Gales Creek at Old Hwy 47, Forest Grove, OR (453040123065201)
Water Temperature May-09-2001 01:00 Oct-12-2021 12:00 Jan-17-2022 00:00
Dissolved Oxygen May-09-2001 01:00 Oct-12-2021 12:00 Jan-17-2022 00:00
Oxygen % Saturation May-09-2001 01:00 Oct-12-2021 12:00 Jan-17-2022 00:00
pH May-11-2001 13:00 Oct-12-2021 12:00 Jan-17-2022 00:00
Specific Conductance May-09-2001 01:00 Oct-12-2021 12:00 Jan-17-2022 00:00
Turbidity May-08-2002 16:00 Oct-12-2021 12:00 Jan-17-2022 00:00
fDOM (370/460) Apr-21-2016 13:00 Jan-17-2022 09:00
Choose a graph type.
XY Plot
Choose the parameters to plot. For an XY plot, the 2nd parameter will be on the X axis.
1st Parameter:
Water Temperature Dissolved Oxygen Oxygen % Saturation pH Specific Conductance Turbidity fDOM (370/460) All Data Daily Mean Daily Maximum Daily Minimum Daily Median Daily Range
2nd Parameter:
-NONE- Water Temperature Dissolved Oxygen Oxygen % Saturation pH Specific Conductance Turbidity fDOM (370/460) All Data Daily Mean Daily Maximum Daily Minimum Daily Median Daily Range
Begin Date: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec - 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 - 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Include all data
End Date: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec - 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 - 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
URL: https://or.water.usgs.gov/cgi-bin/grapher/graph_setup.pl


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Home Films • TV • Web Kung Pow 2 Tongue of Fury
Kung Pow 2 Tongue of Fury
May Be Coming Soon!
Everyone enjoyed Dragonfest 2015 and we were privy to a few exciting announcements, one of which was actor and comedian's Steve Oedekerk announcement about a sequel to his 2002 Kung Pow: Enter The Fist movie parody which may be called Everyone enjoyed Dragonfest 2015 and we were privy to a few exciting announcements, one of which was actor and comedian's Steve Oedekerk announcement about a sequel to his 2002 Kung Pow: Enter The Fist movie parody which may be called Kung Pow 2 Tongue of Fury. Kung Pow: Enter The Fist is a movie within a movie. The film was created to spoof everything about the kung fu martial arts genre. Using contemporary characters, writer and director, Steve Oedekerk, splices the characters into Jimmy Wang Yu's 1976 Kung-Fu film, Tiger And Crane Fist, weaving the old with the new, like a tapestry. By digitally inserting himself and with the use of dubbed voices, Oedekerk ceates the hilarious parody.
Kung Pow: Enter The Fist's main character, The Chosen One, (Steve Oedekerk) is a very gifted kung fu fighter who sets off to avenge his parents deaths at the hands of the evil warlord and Kung-Fu Legend, Master Pain (Fei Lung). Master Pain has spent a lifetime attempting to destroy The Chosen One, starting at The Chosen One's birth, when Master Pain killed his family. On his journey, The Chosen One must fight many strange characters led by Master Pain, including a cow who has been trained in the martial arts and who squirts milk as a weapon. He continues his training with a "slightly deranged" sifu who agrees to train The Chosen One only after he sees an identifying mark, The Chosen One's tongue has a living face on it he calls Tonguey.
The ending to Kung Pow: Enter The Fist hinted at a sequel and it looks like we may finally get one with Kung Pow 2 Tongue of Fury. We will keep you posted!
Steve Oedekerk
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Movie News TV News Trailers Movie Talk
Zac Efron Is Ted Bundy in First Image from 'Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Vile'
By Adam Chitwood
Our first official look at Zac Efron as infamous serial killer Ted Bundy in the new film Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Vile has arrived. The image debut comes courtesy of the announcement that the film will have its world premiere at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival in January as part of the Premieres section. Documentary filmmaker Joe Berlinger, who co-directed the iconic Paradise Lost trilogy of documentaries that chronicled the plight of the West Memphis Three and led to their release from prison, takes the helm of this narrative feature.
Scripted by Michael Werwie, the film chronicles the crimes of Ted Bundy through the eyes of his longtime girlfriend Liz, played by Lily Collins, who refused to believe the truth about him for years. As the title suggests, Bundy was an extremely wicked and shockingly vile man who sexually assaulted and murdered a number of women and girls during the 1970s. He was described as charismatic and handsome, which is purportedly how he was able to gain the trust of many of his victims.
In that vein, Efron is pretty perfect casting here, but there's certainly a very fine line to toe with this kind of story. Personally, I'm excited to see what cinematographer Brandon Trost brings to the visual table. He's one of the most exciting DPs working today, shooting films like Neighbors, The Night Before, and Can You Ever Forgive Me?, so I'm curious to see his take on this kind of drama.
We'll see in a few months, as Collider will be in attendance at Sundance and you can look forward to reading our review of the film at that time. For now, you can check out the first Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Vile image below. The movie does not yet have a release date and also stars Haley Joel Osment, Kaya Scodelario, John Malkovich, and Jim Parsons. The 2019 Sundance Film Festival runs from January 24th through February 3rd.
Image via Sundance Institute
'Hill House' Star Oliver Jackson-Cohen Will Return for Netflix's 'The Haunting of Bly Manor'
By Vinnie Mancuso
By Dave Trumbore
New 'On Becoming a God in Central Florida' Trailer From Showtime Is an Early '90s Fever Dream
By Allie Gemmill
By Jeff Sneider
© Collider. All Rights Reserved.


Edge scrolling to the right, up, and down all work fine, but when it comes to scrolling to the left it won't do it.
could you tell us a bit about your setup ?
How many monitors do you have ?
Do you play in full windowed or windowed mode ?
I play in full windowed mode and have only one monitor.
I usually play fullwindowed too. Do have two monitors but for me it usually works, if I don't go all the way to the left.
Have you tried if it works in fullscreen mode ?


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My itch.io
My Ko-fi
Chris S. Sims
Thoughts on games, fiction, writing, life.
Advice / Game Design / Game Mastering / Opinions / Roleplaying / Roleplaying Games / Science Fiction & Fantasy / Setting / world building / Writing
World Building: Imaginary People
July 1, 2020 July 6, 2020 Chris S. Sims3 Comments
A furor among several old-guard D&D creators prompted me to write this. Hyperbole, logical fallacies, and blinkered and outmoded thinking were on full display. Dismaying was the anti-progress and anti-sensitivity in evidence. So was the clear lack of understanding about modern gaming and games, including D&D as it exists today. Unsophisticated was the understanding of how communication and other shared experiences, such as streaming, affect gaming today.
Worse was a hidebound adherence to an outdated way of thinking about how games depict imaginary people. To these veterans, evil must be absolute so the good might discern and righteously smite it. The point here is not to vilify these guys for their shallow takes. I disagree with them, though. I'll go into why, starting with the topic of recent discourse.
This discussion is about taking progressive steps with game content, especially about beings depicted as people. The controversy arose when the D&D team said it's listening to the community and taking steps. Community members have written and spoken about avoiding painting imaginary people as universally evil. In D&D, they're looking orcs and drow, among others. The conversation is also about avoiding the essentialism of racial ability score modifiers (as I covered here). Another branch is about giving imaginary people cultures complex enough to support the motivations a varied people can have.
One of the Haradrim, servants of Sauron
But this discourse goes further than D&D. Much further. It has included discussions of Tolkien, Lovecraft, the use of myth, cultural respect, and the employing of diverse creators. It's a wide-ranging issue. For example, if we take Tolkien to task, despite his remarkable work, we must admit that the monolithic evil and othering of peoples other than those "of the West" aren't the deepest or kindest takes. In some areas, Tolkien's creations are incredible in their detailed (history, language, naturalistic description, the heroic everyman, and more). In others, the lack understanding, much as with the D&D old-guard (inherent evil, the othering of people "of the East" as servants of evil [see the image], the use of such stereotypes to create orcs, and so on). Still others lack refinement (monolithic evil, the nature and history of "evil" people and monsters, and so on). Important to mention here is that Tolkien also hated overtly racist concepts, such as segregation, and imperialism. He said so. And he included bits of anti-othering in his work. Also, unlike the D&D old guard, Tolkien had no way to access to later perspectives and the wide array of information we can now consult. As one of the pioneers in popularizing fantasy fiction, he had to do a lot of what he did in stark isolation compared to how one might create or learn about creation today.
None of the previous details are to apologize for where pioneers such as Tolkien (Howard, Gygax, and so on) fall short in their creations. They had biases or lightless corners in their thinking, as do we all. We can learn from these creators' shortcomings, too. Learn about our own lightless corners and find ways to shine the light in, so we don't repeat and reinforce those flaws. The D&D team seems to be ready to learn and move forward. Some D&D depictions, from Dragonlance to Eberron and Wildemount, already have. The next lightless corner awaits.
Orcs from the movie Bright
The way forward is understanding that many forms of fiction media benefit from nuances in the depiction of imaginary people. (Or suffer from their portrayals, as in the depressingly shallow urban-fantasy movie Bright.) Absolutist ideas, such as inherent evil in people, are harmful in that they can be injurious to those who suffer stereotyping in the real world. They also work against creating interesting characters, deeper scenarios, and compelling stories. Irredeemable foes are often the least noteworthy. Predictable traits make for dull individuals, whether in heroes or villains. This design also defies what we know about individual exceptionalism. Our myths, ancient and modern, heroes and villains, defy norms.
Also, more so in the age of rapid and wide communication, cultural objects are inherently political. They contain messages, whether the creators intend such meaning or not. Games are such cultural objects. And the stance of "no politics" is, without paradox, a political stance.
My original rebuttal took the form of a Facebook post that I decided to share as a Twitter thread. That thread got a wider reception than anything I've ever posted. That surprised me. I did the long Facebook thing to cover the bases I'd seen in the previous back and forth. I didn't expect its length and tone to resonate so much out of its original context. I can't say why it did. No one else has told me why in clear terms. But I'm glad it spoke to folks.
I'm preserving that thread here in block quotes. I've added some annotations based on the feedback I've received.
TL;DR. Creating complex imaginary people is better for play and design. It's better for games as cultural objects and as spaces we learn in. (Play transmits values embedded in the tools of play.) Also, heroes consider the nature of their actions and their use of their power.
These good dogs still play 4e.
Significant among the feedback was the "you can play any way you like" truism. It's so true, I thought that went without saying. But this thread isn't telling anyone how to play. It isn't saying one way of playing is superior to another. It is stating our tools of play send messages. We internalize the messages our play carries whether we want to or like it or not. It's important, then, that our tools carry the messages we want and avoid the ones we don't. We can improve our tools of play without sacrificing how we like to play. And there are lots of great ways to play, none of which these changes hamper. Having flexible tools improves our play and possibilities for play.
In a fantasy game, we needn't treat a whole strain of people as evil any more we need to treat every human as evil. Every elf. Every dwarf. Every halfling. The belief that we do for escapist fun, heroics, or moral lessons is a misguided failure of imagination at best.
That failure of imagination is the failure to realize that others might receive different messages from the tools we use to play. Another failure is imagining that our way of playing is the only way to play. I've played roleplaying games in countless ways, from randomized light boardgame to emotional dramas. A tool meant for a diverse player base, as games such as D&D and Starfinder are, needs to be thoughtful in its treatment of beings it calls people.
We don't need to depict whole races as evil for us to have games much like they are now. Why? I'll use Nazis as examples in a heroic fantasy context. (And it's a context still much simpler than the real world.)
The rookie orc cop in Bright.
Making nuanced people in our games is better for those games, no matter what your playstyle. This design strategy makes other fiction better, too. I don't mind picking on Bright again here. It's a great example of what not to do and parallels to avoid drawing. Bright is also a fantastic example of how easy it is to draw negative real-world parallels with the portrayal of fictional people. Bright is what you get when you shrug your shoulders and say, "It's just an escapist fantasy movie. Don't take it too seriously."
Regardless, games are different from film and other fiction. But "make your game your own" and "change what you dislike" truisms aren't a defense for allowing troublesome elements to remain in our designs whether for games or other media. Some D&D team members pushed these points as stopgaps while the team works on real fixes. Knowing many of these folks, they're doing their best to make those changes. They care about the game and the community. They'll change what they can. Keep speaking up about what you'd like to see changed.
1) The "Nazis don't make all humans bad" rule. You can have evil humans (or Germans) without all humans being evil. Upper echelons in a society can be evil without the average citizen or folks in another society being evil.
This claim seems self-evident. And it is when we think of humanlike species in most games. It's only when we get to monstrous or savage (loaded terms) beings that the moral latitude fades away. But it shouldn't. If you're creating people, give them the same consideration you give the normal and civilized (loaded terms) sapients. It's always an option. Refinement in design doesn't stop folks from ignoring that nuance in their games.
As designers, we can build complexity into our imaginary people. And we can build it in layers that don't pile lore on new players. It's my experience, though, that new players take "these are another kind of people" claims seriously. Confusing to them is when these claims contradict all the other evidence a game presents.
2) The "It's okay to punch Nazis" rule. When members of a society are bad actors, it's okay to smite the bad guys. When everyone's steel clears the sheath, you don't need to consider a bad guy's moral character. See 6 and 9.
Slapping is okay, too. (Get this!)
This point is key. It's the point that proves my claim that these changes won't change the way we play for the worse. Villains are villains. Heroic fantasy often involves smiting these baddies. And that's okay. This place is where "it's just a game" claims live and die. Live because it is just a game, and defeating the villains is fun and cathartic. Die, because those who claim adding breadth to imaginary people diminishes the game use this refrain. They're wrong. The way they want to play, with definitive good and evil, is unthreatened by the change. The changes and this thread still say it's okay to buy into and enjoy this "punch Nazis" conceit of heroic fantasy. See also points 7 and 14.
3) The "It's not okay to punch the Nazi's kids" rule. People associated with the bad guys might not be bad guys. Some are innocent. It's morally reprehensible to harm and kill people guilty only by association. I get not wanting moral quandaries in your game about goblin kids. But, well, then don't put goblin kids in the goblin bandit camp.
I get not wanting moral quandaries in your game about goblin kids. Well, then, don't put goblin kids in the goblin bandit camp. If you do, you're inviting the quandary. That's on you.
These speak for themselves. Don't put kids in harm's way if you don't want the moral implication of that in your games. Video games and other media remove kids, don't place them in harm's way, or make them invulnerable. Few complain.
4) The "Some Nazis went to prison" rule. It's also okay to capture bad guys and see them tried for their crimes. Killing doesn't have to be the end of any clash with villains. Even the worst ones.
Defeating baddies doesn't have to mean killing them. Some games and stories have the consideration that the protagonists can't kill for some reason. Such games are still fun to play. Those books, comics, and films are still fun to consume.
5) The "Germans were liberated from the Nazis, too" rule. When a bad regime falls, the people that regime oppressed have the opportunity for their society to change. They no longer suffer the evil.
The point here is that removing evil frees those suffering from evil, especially in the simplified worlds of heroic fantasy. This is where "The Menzoberranzan Resistance Needs You!" campaigns live. Talk about a world-shaking drow game. Intrigue, espionage, subterfuge, and knocking demon heads. Underdark ancestries only. Freedom!
Menzoberranzan
6) The "Humans are more complex than their Nazis" rule. Having complex peoples opens the design space and allows for more and more interesting stories. Stories of liberation, stories that defy expectation, stories of understanding, stories of "the righteous" wronging "evil" people, stories of heroes being heroic in more ways than merely smiting evil.
I'm going to come clean—I love stories of rescue, liberation, and redemption. I also love turning assumptions on their heads. I've even considered an epic adventure that ends with redeeming Asmodeus.
7) The "Anyway, we still got Nazis" rule. Even with complexity espoused earlier, you still have bad guys, and plenty of them. Cruel human bandits. Hateful elf-superiority fascists. Remorseless orc raiders. Bloodthirsty goblin theocrats. (Bree Yark for Maglubiyet!) Ruthless hobgoblin warlords. Nihilistic apocalypse cultists. We're not short on potential foes.
Driving home the point that we still have plenty of villains when most of the villains are people. But we have room for true monsters, too.
8) The "The Nazis aren't the only problem" rule. Building on 7, plenty of evil beings exist that aren't people. Other creatures are destructive or predatory. Like other villains, they must be stopped. Some of these problematic creatures and villains aren't evil.
This point is the "xenomorph principle" I take from the Aliens franchise. No one stops to consider the moral character of the xenomorphs because, foremost, they're dangerous predators. They're also not presented as people. Number 11 expands on this point.
9) The "Nazis are people" rule. Even though when the war is on you might not need to consider your wicked foe's moral character, it can be interesting if you do. Doing so shows your own moral character. That's what makes heroes shine—considering the personhood even of their adversaries.
Lawful, Chaotic, Neutral
The most upright heroes avoid killing. They know the use of their power can result in harm and death. And they feel remorse when forced to kill. But they're willing to do so for the greater good. These paragons of virtue make great storytelling devices. They also make for challenging characters to roleplay. This part of the discussion reminds me of the alignment picture from the 1981 D&D Basic Set, included here. At ten years old, I understood this image.
10) The "Being better than a Nazi doesn't make you righteous" rule. Real heroes, the truly righteous, consider the meaning and ramifications of their actions. They consider the moral context of their own behavior and power.
Some of the best stories come from mending misunderstandings or finding common ground with potential foes. You know, solving the real problem instead of just beating one side into submission.
Someone said this point is a weak point, but I don't think so. I aimed at the idea, presented by the old guard among others, that smiting evil is a virtue in and of itself. A virtue of character and games of good versus evil. I disagree. Any sumbitch with a sword can kill monsters. So smiting evil is a small virtue if it is one at all. (Intent matters.) It takes a real hero to apply wisdom to a situation and choose the hard path of finding and solving the real issue. Part of the richness of Geralt's character in The Witcher (books, games, and show), what makes him a hero, is his willingness to put himself at greater risk to solve the real problem. He has the power to smite the "apparent" evil, but he chooses to look deeper. And he makes mistakes when thrust into the role of judge, jury, and executioner.
11) The "Nazis aren't aliens or devils" rule. Supernatural evils, such as demons and some undead, are often described as absolute. That can mean sapient but supernaturally evil creatures, such as many demons, exist in a moral space irreconcilable to those of mortals.
That's true of alien moralities. Mind flayers in D&D fall into this category. However, myth and fiction show us fallen angels, rising devils, and communication gaps crossed. Nuance in these creatures still provides flexibility that's good for design and play.
Irreconcilable differences are a cornerstone of conflict. We don't need "evil" to have conflict. Having differing or competing goals is enough. I mean, no player wants their character to be a xenomorph incubator, as in Aliens, or a mind flayer thrall, like you might in D&D.
Hudson and Hicks, marines in the Aliens film
12) The "Nazis aren't automatons" rule. Zombies, constructs, and other automatons often fall outside morality. Such creatures not only aren't people, they often have no personal will. They're controlled. Controlled by a villain, they are foes who aren't people.
They also provide a way you can have foes that require no moral considerations when you fight them. They're automatons, not people. Some creatures that used to be people exist in this design space, such as the darkspawn in Dragon Age or typical zombies.
Robots are a classic foe in kids shows for this reason. You can blow up a robot without remorse. Doing so isn't killing a person. It's less morally reprehensible for a villain to use automatons as an ablative shield, too.
But even Dragon Age wonders if the darkspawn can be saved. If the archdemon might be freed. Moreover, if the real problem, the pollution of the spirit world, can be fixed? And other works wonder if sophisticated automatons are people. It's a question one might ask about some elemental bindings in Eberron, given the personhood of the warforged.
13) The "Fantasy Nazis have mythic archetypes" rule. Imagine the Nazi god. A demigod leader. Nazi necromancers and diabolists raising undead or fiendish hordes. Also, what if from within Nazi-oppressed lands rose a folk hero, an ally to other heroes?
Hellboy is not a fan.
A great question in the thread asked if the reworking allows for mythic archetypes. If anything, the changes allow for more. When imaginary people have diverse and complex cultures, the mythic options are more diverse. Possibilities expand. As they do when depth allows flexibility and options.
Mythic possibilities are plain in modern fiction that fits with our game experiences and adventures. Take the Thule Society and its part in the rise of the Nazis. Hellboy's originates in the mythological treatment of that real, occult, and sinister group. Nazis and their occult preoccupation appear in plenty of other heroic fiction. In most of that fiction, such as Raiders of the Lost Ark, the heroes punch the Nazis. Like in that fiction, the baddies in our games and fiction don't have the limitations of the real world. Only the game rules and our imagination limits the evil, mythic reach of our villains.
14) The "It's okay to like punching imaginary Nazis" rule. Our heroic fantasy, from Lord of the Rings to Star Wars, uses violence to resolve conflict. It's okay to enjoy the fiction and the play. I'm not decrying that. Nuance in imaginary people still allows for that.
This place is where the statement "it's just a game" has broader validity. That statement loses validity when dismissing content others find uncomfortable or objectionable. We can have complex imaginary people in design and still enjoy the game our way.
This place is also where "you can alter the game to suit you" has the most validity. If the tools of play offer breadth, those playing can choose how to apply that freedom. Less flexibility is more prescriptive, more restrictive on play.
Be like Geralt. Look deeper.
Some folks had crises of enjoyment after reading and discussing the thread. If our imaginary foes are moral beings, then killing them could be wrong. It feels bad. I'm sorry my words caused any distress. But that's a mature approach to this sort of play. You experience a richness when you choose what your character does, knowing that the choice says something about the character. Is your character willing to be that judge, jury, and executioner? Are they willing to risk life and limb to find the truth rather than the easy path?
This leaves aside the question of respect for other players. It's also up to mature players to make sure their character choices don't do real harm to others or their enjoyment of play. To me, that's the line. It's one saying "that's what my character would do" doesn't save you from if you cross it.
But nothing is wrong with treating a game such as D&D as a tactical board game. It works great in that context. And it can be super fun that way, peeling off most considerations, crawling through a random dungeon, and beating up monster-shaped bags of hit points. At Gen Con in 2008, I did just that with friends one late evening. Random dungeon tiles, a stack of monster cards from the minis game, characters, and dice. Silly fun.
And the game works fine in plenty of other play modes, from that tactical silliness to higher drama. Other games provide for some playstyles better than D&D does, too. That's because they have tools D&D might lack. And having sophisticated elements, such as complex and considered imaginary people, only expands the play options. It doesn't diminish them.
Let's all work together to make and run better games.
And by run here, I mean running games where everyone at the table feels welcome and comfortable, respected. If our tools of play help that along, all the better. Well-designed imaginary people are one of those tools.
Support me on Patreon or Ko-fi if you like what I've done here or my other work and publications. Support allows me to keep working on essays such as this one, along with other side projects you can access on Patreon.
Top photo by Holger Link, next image from The Return of the King film, orc images from the Bright film, Lady Slaps Nazi from Francesca Berrini and Unusual Cards (where you can buy that image on a card!), next image is Menzoberranzan from Out of the Abyss, next image the Alignment illustration (by David S. LaForce) from the D&D Basic Set (1981), next image as captioned from Aliens, next image from Hellboy comics, and the final photo is Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia.
Playing Advantage and Inspiration 2
Opinion: A Dim View of Bright
3 thoughts on "World Building: Imaginary People"
A Dim View of Bright – Chris S. Sims says:
[…] of why I do like them or what I want them to become. But I wrote this one as a supplement to my blog on imaginary people. I did so not because this piece is at all timely, but because a good friend skilled in literary […]
Imaginary People – ThinkDM says:
[…] has graciously agreed to allow me to republish his comments here as a guest article. Chris has also published an annotated version, which I highly recommend you go check out on his blog. I have faithfully reproduced his original […]
Jason Tondro says:
I'm glad you expansed the original thread, as I did not entirely understand everything you were saying there. This post helps enormously. By the way, can you do a specific critique of Bright? You invoke it a couple of times here, but never get specific about how it's treatment of orcs is bad or how it's an example of "what not to do." Especially when the film seems to be -trying- to present orcs in a sympathetic way. Tell us what they did wrong?
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