text:
\section{Introduction}
All three major satellite missions designed to study the cosmic microwave background
(CMB)---COBE (Hinshaw et al. 1996), WMAP (Bennett et al. 2003), and {\it Planck}
(Planck Collaboration VII 2020)---have uncovered several unexpected features in its
temperature fluctuations. These include missing correlations at large angles and
an unexpectedly low power in multipoles $2\lesssim \ell\lesssim 30$, especially
$\ell=2$ and $3$. In spite of these apparent deficiencies, however, the agreement
between the angular power spectrum predicted by $\Lambda$CDM and the observations
is quite remarkable for $\ell>30$, forming the basis for the optimization of
many cosmological parameters.

The large-scale anomalies stand in sharp contrast to the general level of success
interpreting the CMB anisotropies, sustaining a simmering debate concerning their origin,
or possible misidentification due to unknown systematic effects (see Bennett et al. 2011,
Copi et al. 2010 for reviews). If these two unexpected features are real,
it is not even clear if they are due to the same physical process, in spite of the fact
that they both characterize variations in temperature over very large angular scales.

A thorough analysis of these anomalies was carried out with the final
release of the {\it Planck} data by the Planck Collaboration VII (2020). They studied
the statistical isotropy and Gaussianity of the CMB using {\it both} the Planck 2018
temperature and polarization data. Previous work had focused solely on the temperature
fluctuations, due to only a limited ability to also probe the CMB polarization.
The large-angular-scale polarization measurements permit a largely independent
examination of the peculiar features seen in the temperature which can, in principle,
reduce or eliminate any subjectivity or ambiguity in interpreting their statistical
significance.

The possibility that the lack of large-angle correlations in the temperature may be largely
due to a statistical `fluke,' as unlikely as that may appear to be, was raised by the fact
that the Planck Collaboration VII study found only weaker evidence of an analogous lack of
large-scale angular correlations in the polarization data.

Nevertheless, in spite of the fact that no unambiguous detections of cosmological
non-Gaussianity, or of anomalies analogous to those seen in temperature, could be claimed,
efforts at reducing the systematic effects that contaminated the earlier polarization
maps on large angular scales could not completely\break\vfill\newpage\noindent exclude the
presence of residual systematics that limit some tests of non-Gaussianity and isotropy.

A comparison of both the temperature and polarization analyses thus tends to mitigate our
ability to conclude one way or the other whether the large-angle anomalies are real. From
a theoretical standpoint, the polarization fluctuations also originated in the primordial
gravitational potential, but are largely sourced by different modes than the temperature
anisotropies. Thus, a measurement of large-scale anomalies in {\it both} the temperature
and polarization has the potential of providing a greater statistical significance. It is
important to see whether any anomalies seen in the polarization maps are related to known
features in the temperature. On the other hand, if no such anomalies are seen in the
polarization it might be the case that the temperature anomalies, if not pure flukes,
could be due to secondary influences, such as the integrated Sachs-Wolfe effect
(Planck Collaboration XXI 2016), or more exotic scenarios in which they may be due
to physical processes that do not correlate with the polarization.

The situation with regard to the large-angle anomalies is thus far from clear, and
it is essential to continue broadening the study of possible causes of such features
in either the temperature, polarization or both. In earlier work (Melia \&
L\'opez-Corredoira 2018), we showed that a likely theoretical explanation for the
missing large-angle correlations in temperature is the presence of a cutoff,
$k_{\rm min}$, in the  primordial power spectrum, ${\mathcal{P}}(k)$. Indeed,
our analysis of the {\it Planck} data revealed that a zero cutoff is ruled out by
these measurements at a confidence level $\gtrsim 8\sigma$. Instead, we found that
the observed angular correlation function, $C(\theta)$, could be reproduced
satisfactorily at all angles with a cutoff $k_{\rm min}=(4.34\pm0.50)/r_{\rm dec}$,
where $r_{\rm dec}$ is the comoving distance between us and the last scattering
surface at decoupling ($z_{\rm dec}=1080$). A truncation such as this is not
necessarily consistent with the aims of slow-roll inflation to simultaneously
fix the horizon problem and seed a quantum fluctuation spectrum consistent with
large-scale structure (Liu \& Melia 2020, Melia 2020), because $k_{\rm min}$ represents the
time at which inflation could have started, severely constraining the number of
e-folds available for the Universe to expand at an accelerated rate. It is therefore
imperative to pursue this line of inquiry further and see if additional evidence
may be found in favor of a non-zero $k_{\rm min}$.

The goal of this paper is to complete that analysis in two significant ways: (1)
to examine whether the same cutoff may be responsible for both large-angle anomalies,
and (2) to confirm that the introduction of $k_{\rm min}$ in ${\mathcal{P}}(k)$
does not adversely impact the remarkable agreement between theory and observations
at $\ell>30$. In \S~2 we introduce the basic theoretical background underlying this
work, and then proceed to study the effects of a truncated ${\mathcal{P}}(k)$ on
the angular power spectrum in \S~3. We discuss the results in \S~4, and present
our conclusion in \S~5.

\section{Theoretical background}
The inflationary paradigm posits that an early accelerated expansion persisted long
enough to create a homogeneous and isotropic Universe within our current Hubble volume.
As such, the CMB temperature, $T$, measured in some direction $\hat{e}$, is expected
to be a Gaussian random field on the sky, expandable as a series of spherical harmonics,
$Y_{\ell m}(\hat{e})$, with independent Gaussian random coefficients $a_{\ell m}$ of zero mean:
\begin{equation}
\langle a_{\ell m}\rangle=0\;,
\end{equation}
for all $\ell>0$ and $m=-\ell,-\ell+1,...,+\ell$.
If the Universe is indeed statistically isotropic, this spherical harmonic decomposition,
and the two-point angular power spectrum derived from it, contain all of the physical
information needed to interpret the CMB anisotropies.

The less used (but equally important) angular correlation function $C(\theta)$ relates the
temperature measured in two independent directions, $\hat{e}_1$ and $\hat{e}_2$, and depends
solely on the dot product $\cos\theta\equiv\hat{e}_1\cdot\hat{e}_2$. One may thus expand it
in terms of Legendre polynomials:
\begin{equation}
\langle T(\hat{e}_1)T(\hat{e}_2)\rangle\equiv C(\theta)={1\over 4\pi}\sum_\ell (2\ell+1)\,C_\ell
P_\ell(\cos\theta)\;,\label{eq:angcorr}
\end{equation}
in which the variance $C_\ell$ is known as the angular power of multipole $\ell$. Statistical
independence implies that the expectation of a product of $a_{\ell m}$'s with different
$\ell$'s and $m$'s vanishes, while isotropy requires the constant of proportionality for this
product to be solely a function of $\ell$, not $m$:
\begin{equation}
\langle a_{\ell m}^*\,a_{{\ell}^{\prime} {m}^{\prime}}\rangle=
\delta_{\ell {\ell}^{\prime}}\,\delta_{m m^\prime}\,C_\ell\;.
\end{equation}

As one can see from figure~\ref{f1} (discussed below), the standard model has been strikingly successful
in accounting for the angular power spectrum (i.e., $C_\ell$ versus $\ell$), at least on
small angular scales ($\lesssim 1^\circ$), corresponding to $\ell\gtrsim 100$. The rather
precise determination of the various cosmological parameters (Planck Collaboration VI 2020) is
based on this excellent agreement between theory and observation.

In principle, the angular correlation function $C(\theta)$ contains the same information as the
angular power spectrum (see Eq.~\ref{eq:angcorr}), but there are good reasons for analyzing the CMB
anisotropies separately using these two approaches. First, whereas the angular power spectrum
highlights the relative contributions of different spherical harmonics, the angular correlation
function describes the variations of $T$ in real space. Some features may emerge more prominently
in one description instead of the other.  Second, $C(\theta)$ highlights properties of the
anisotropies at relatively large angles (i.e., small $\ell$'s), while the power spectrum provides
ample detail in the opposite regime, namely $\ell\gg 10$.
One can easily see the reason for this with a quick inspection of figure~\ref{f1}. When using
the full angular power spectrum, the model fit is dominated by over 1,000 values of $\ell$ at
$\ell>30$, and while the optimized fit is striking in this regime, as we discuss elsewhere in
this paper, the error bars and variance at $\ell<30$ are much larger and the fit is significantly
less compelling. On the other hand, the angular correlation function displays the temperature
anisotropies with equal weighting over all angles $0\le\theta\le 180^\circ$. When fitting a
model to these data, the dominant influence is therefore at $\theta>10^\circ$, the opposite
of what happens with the power spectrum. Third, $C(\theta)$ is a
direct pixel-based measure, not requiring any reconstruction of the observed sky. Some of the
systematics may therefore have less impact in one approach relative to the other.

\begin{figure*}[h]
\vskip 1cm
\centerline{
\includegraphics[angle=0,scale=0.6]{f1.eps}}
\vskip 0.2in
\caption{Angular power spectrum (blue dots) estimated with the {\it NLIC} method, with $1\sigma$
Fisher errors. These error bars include cosmic variance, approximated as Gaussian
(see fig.~1 in Planck Collaboration VI 2020). The $\Lambda$CDM best fit model
($C_\ell^{TT}$), with a power-law fluctuation distribution and $k_{\rm min}=0$, is shown in black.
The red curve (for $k_{\rm min}=2.82/r_{\rm dec}$) is the best fit to the whole range of $\ell$'s
with an optimized $k_{\rm min}\not=0$. The two curves are indistinguishable at $\ell\gtrsim 6$,
but deviate significantly from each other for the low multipole moments, corresponding to large
angles ($\gtrsim 60^\circ$). The Sachs-Wolfe contribution to $C_\ell^{TT}$ dominates at
$\ell\lesssim 30$, while local physical effects, such as acoustic oscillations, dominate
at $\ell\gtrsim 30$.}
\label{f1}
\end{figure*}

In spite of these differences, one may nonetheless reasonably expect that, of the various
large-angle anomalies seen in the CMB (Planck Collaboration VII 2020), the one
associated with $C(\theta)$ could have the same
physical origin as a second emerging from the angular power spectrum. Many authors (see, e.g.,
Copi et al. 2010) have pointed out that the most striking feature of the angular
correlation function (as seen, say, in fig.~2 of Melia \& L\'opez-Corredoira 2018) is not
just that it disagrees with $\Lambda$CDM at a very high level of confidence ($\gtrsim 3\sigma$;
Copi et al. 2015), but that it is nearly zero at large angles ($\gtrsim 60^\circ$)---in significant
tension with inflation, which should have produced correlations throughout the visible Universe.

Most of the statistical weight in the {\it Planck} analysis of the angular power spectrum
is provided by the high-$\ell$ multipoles, and one may see in figure~\ref{f1}
that the best-fitting portion of the curve traces the data at $\ell\gtrsim 60$ much better
than those at low-$\ell$'s. Indeed, a general lack of angular power appears within the
range $2\lesssim \ell\lesssim 30$---especially with the quadrupole $\ell=2$---at a confidence
level exceeding $99\%$ (Bennett et al. 2011, Planck Collaboration VI 2020). Quite remarkably,
none of the attempted fixes invoking physically motivated inputs, such as neutrino properties,
the number of relativistic degrees of freedom, or a running of the spectral index in the
fluctuation distribution, have provided any significant improvement to the fit (see,
e.g., Planck Collaboration XXIV 2014; Planck Collaboration VI 2020). To be sure, the $C(\theta)$
anomaly is much more obvious than the low harmonic-space quadrupole and octopole power (see also
O'Dwyer et al. 2004) but, given that they both reference CMB anisotropic structure at very large
angles ($\gtrsim 60^\circ$), it is tempting to consider the possibility that these two anomalies
may have a common physical origin (see discussion in Planck Collaboration VII 2020).

This is still not generally accepted, however. The low power at large angles may simply be
due to cosmic variance (Efstathiou 2003b), in which our Universe may represent a random
extrapolation away from its most likely configuration. Another possible explanation for the
vanishing $C(\theta)$ at large angles is that a {\it range} of low multipoles are `conspiring'
to cause the cancellation (Copi et al. 2009). In this interpretation, the combined contribution
of $C_2$--$C_5$ is canceled by the contributions of $C_\ell$ with $\ell>5$, an apparent
conspiracy that seems to violate the independence of different multipole powers expected
in statistical isotropy. But all such attempts at reconciling the missing angular correlations
with low power at $\ell\lesssim 30$ have thus far been inconclusive. Sentiment has therefore
shifted to the idea that finding a theoretical explanation for the missing power at low
$\ell$'s may be best served by first explaining the vanishing $C(\theta)$ at large angles.

\begin{figure*}[h]
\vskip 1cm
\centerline{
\includegraphics[angle=0,scale=0.6]{f2.eps}}
\vskip 0.2in
\caption{Same as figure~\ref{f1}, except magnifying the view at $\ell\lesssim 30$, where the dominant
contribution to $C_\ell^{TT}$ is the Sachs-Wolfe effect. The best-fit curves are indistinguishable
for $\ell\gtrsim 6$, but the comparison with the data is greatly improved for the low-$\ell$
multipoles.}
\label{f2}
\end{figure*}

\section{Best-fit truncated spectrum}
\subsection{The angular correlation function}
We recently addressed this issue (Melia \& L\'opez-Corredoira 2018) by attempting to
show that the absence of large-angle correlations in the {\it Planck} data is best explained
by the introduction of a non-zero minimum wavenumber $k_{\rm min}$ in the primordial
fluctuation power spectrum,
\begin{equation}
{\mathcal{P}}(k) = \begin{cases} A_s\left({k\over k_0}\right)^{n_s-1} & \mbox{if } k\ge k_{\rm min}  \\
0 & \mbox{if } k<k_{\rm min} \end{cases}\;,\label{eq:power}
\end{equation}
where $n_s$ is the spectral index, measured to have the value $0.965\pm0.004$ by {\it Planck}
(Planck Collaboration VI 2020); $A_s=2.196^{+0.051}_{-0.06}\times 10^{-9}$ is the spectral
amplitude; and $k_0=0.05$ Mpc$^{-1}$ is the scalar pivot scale. Such a cutoff challenges
inflation's ability to simultaneously fix the horizon problem and produce a near scale-free
distribution of quantum fluctuations matching the observed CMB anisotropies (Liu \& Melia 2020;
Melia 2020), because the presence of a non-zero $k_{\rm min}$ implies a specific time at which
the accelerated expansion could have started, thus restricting the number of e-folds available
to expand the Universe beyond the Hubble horizon. In contrast, standard inflationary
$\Lambda$CDM has no cutoff---and hence no limit (in principle)---to the degree of
inflated expansion. This is the reason, of course, why inflation predicts an angular
correlation at all scales which, however, has not been observed by any of the CMB
satellite missions (Wright et al. 1996; Bennett et al. 2003; Planck Collaboration VI 2020).

Our earlier analysis of the angular correlation function, based on the notion that quantum
fluctuations were generated in the early Universe with this power spectrum and
$k_{\rm min}\not=0$, demonstrated that the {\it Planck} data rule out a zero cutoff
at a confidence level exceeding $8\sigma$. An optimized fit to $C(\theta)$
showed that the correlations measured over the {\it entire} sky could be reproduced
remarkably well with a cutoff
\begin{equation}
k_{\rm min}={4.34\pm0.50\over r_{\rm dec}}\;,
\end{equation}
where $r_{\rm dec}$ is the comoving distance between us and redshift $z_{\rm dec}=1080$,
at which decoupling is thought to have occurred in standard $\Lambda$CDM. Using the latest
{\it Planck} parameters (Planck Collaboration VI 2020), one finds $r_{\rm dec}\approx 13,804$~Mpc,
and therefore a corresponding minimum wavenumber
\begin{equation}
k_{\rm min}=(3.14\pm 0.36)\times 10^{-4}\;{\rm Mpc}^{-1}\;\;\;({\rm ang.\; corr.\;
function})\;,\label{eq:kmin}
\end{equation}
roughly 160 times smaller than the pivot scale $k_0$.

This previous study, however, did not complete the analysis by investigating how such a cutoff
would impact the angular power spectrum---both at low and high $\ell$'s. Given how well
inflationary $\Lambda$CDM reproduces the observed $C_\ell$'s at $\ell\gtrsim 60$ (see fig.~\ref{f1}),
the question in not merely whether a non-zero $k_{\rm min}$ could also reduce the power of the
low multipoles, but whether it could do so while simultaneously preserving the excellent
agreement seen between theory and observation elsewhere in this plot. Answering this question
is the principal goal of this paper.

\subsection{The angular power spectrum}
The idea of reducing power at large angles by modifying the potential of inflation is not
new (for a comprehensive review, see Martin et al. 2013). Other approaches have included:
(1) altering inflation's initial conditions (Berera et al. 1998; Contaldi et al. 2003;
Boyanovsky et al. 2006; Powell \& Kinney 2007; Wang \& Ng 2008; Cicoli et al. 2014;
Das et al. 2015; Broy et al. 2015; Liu \& Melia 2020; Melia 2020); (2) a reconsideration of the Integrated
Sachs-Wolfe effect (Das \& Souradeep 2014); (3) the introduction of spatial curvature
(Efstathiou 2003a); (4) the use of a non-trivial topology (Luminet et al. 2003); (5)
geometric effects (Campanelli et al. 2006; Campanelli et al. 2007); (6) a violation
of statistical anisotropies (Hajian \& Souradeep 2003); the creation of primordial micro
black-hole remnants (Scardigli et al. 2011); and loop quantum cosmology (Barrau et al. 2014),
among several others. Two particular approaches stand out in terms of their overlap with
our treatment in this paper, notably those of Iqbal et al. (2015) and Santos et al. (2018),
to which we shall return in \S~4 below, when we discuss our results in a broader context.

The analysis we carry out here is novel for two principal reasons: (i)
it is complementary to---and required for the completion of---our previous study of the
angular correlation function (Melia \& L\'opez-Corredoira 2018), and (ii) it is very
focused on the specific modification to the primordial fluctuation spectrum exhibited
in Equation~(\ref{eq:power}), which is itself highly motivated by its success in resolving the
missing correlations at large angles. Can a truncated spectrum ${\mathcal{P}}(k)$ with
the same $k_{\rm min}$ resolve both the $C(\theta)$ and low-$\ell$ anomalies?

We use the publicly available code CAMB\footnote{www.camb.info} (Lewis et al. 2000) to
calculate the angular power spectrum, based on a line-of-sight approach described in
Seljak \& Zaldarriaga (1996). The code is modified slightly to include the additional
parameter (i.e., $k_{\rm min}$) characterizing the primordial power spectrum (Eq.~\ref{eq:power}).
In addition to this cutoff, the code optimizes all of the usual standard-model
parameters but, as we shall see from an inspection of figures~\ref{f1}--\ref{f3} and Table~\ref{table1},
most of them remain unchanged from their {\it Planck}-$\Lambda$CDM values. We therefore
highlight here a comparison only of the six basic parameters between the two cases in which
$k_{\rm min}=0$ and $k_{\rm min}\not=0$: baryon density, $\Omega_{\rm b}$, cold
dark matter density, $\Omega_{\rm c}$, the Thomson scattering optical depth, $\tau$,
due to reionization, the angular size of the acoustic horizon, $\theta_s$, the
spectral index, $n_s$, and the scalar amplitude, $A_s$. Each of the quantities
$\Omega_i$ represents the ratio of the energy density $\rho_i$ of species ``i"
to the critical density, $\rho_{\rm c}\equiv 3c^2 H_0^2/8\pi G$, in terms of the
Hubble constant $H_0$. Our optimization procedure is even less sensitive to
the other parameters in {\it Planck}-$\Lambda$CDM.

In optimizing the fit, we use the publicly available code cosmomc (Lewis \& Bridle 2002)
with an initial cutoff range $0\le k_{\rm min}\le 10^{-3}$ Mpc$^{-1}$, and a combined data
set that includes: the low-$\ell$ TT and EE and high-$\ell$ TT, TE and EE likelihoods from
Planck 2018 (Planck Collaboration VI 2020), the Dark Energy Survey (DES) Year 1 results
(Abbott et al. 2018; Troxel et al. 2018), the Baryon Acoustic Oscillation (BAO) compilation
from Alam et al. (2017), and the Pantheon Type Ia SN catalog (Scolnic et al. 2018).
Note that the error bars shown in figures~\ref{f1} and \ref{f2} include cosmic variance,
approximated as Gaussian (see fig.~1 in Planck Collaboration VI 2020), and so do the
likelihoods also taken from Planck Collaboration VI (2020) used with our cosmomc calculations.

The calculated angular power $C_\ell$ for {\it Planck}-$\Lambda$CDM, with
$k_{\rm min}=0$, is indicated by the black curve in figures~\ref{f1} and \ref{f2}, in
comparison with the {\it Planck} data (blue dots). Our corresponding optimized fit using
$k_{\rm min}$ as a free parameter is represented by the red solid curve.
Based on this fit, we find an optimized value
\begin{equation}
k_{\rm min}={2.82^{+1.94}_{-1.09}\over r_{\rm dec}}\;\;\;({\rm ang.\; power\; spectrum})\;,
\end{equation}
corresponding to a maximum fluctuation size $\theta_{\rm max}\approx 127^\circ$
in the plane of the sky. For a redshift $z_{\rm dec}=1080$ at decoupling, this
cutoff represents a maximum fluctuation size $\lambda_{\rm max}\sim 31$ Mpc at
that redshift. The six basic parameters for this fit, and their confidence regions,
are shown in figure~\ref{f3} and listed in Table~\ref{table1}. Note that,
in spite of the fact that a $k_{\rm min}$ compatible with zero appears to be possible
within $1\sigma$ in the $\tau-k_{\rm min}$ panel of figure~\ref{f3}, this is not
the case because the $1\sigma$ and $2\sigma$ regions are different in 1D and 2D.
The distinction arises because the $1\sigma$ and $2\sigma$ levels in the 2D histograms
are not the $68\%$ and $95\%$ values used for the 1D distributions.  The relevant $1\sigma$
and $2\sigma$ levels for a 2D histogram of samples are $1-\exp(-0.5)\rightarrow 39.3\%$ and
$1-\exp(-2)\rightarrow 86.5\%$.\footnote{https://corner.readthedocs.io/en/latest/pages/sigmas.html.}
Using $39.3\%$ and $86.5\%$ of the region, the contour plots then do exclude a $k_{\rm min}$
compatible with zero at the $1\sigma$ (1D) level.

The fact that a non-zero cutoff $k_{\rm min}$ has minimal, if any, impact
on the optimized fit at $\ell\gtrsim 30$, is consistent with the prevailing view that
the physical origin of the fluctuations is due to different physical effects
above and below $\sim 1^\circ$. It may therefore be useful to compare this
optimized value of $k_{\rm min}$ based on the whole range of $\ell$'s with that found
when $\ell$ is restricted to the range ($\lesssim 30$) thought to be dominated by the
Sachs-Wolfe effect (Sachs \& Wolfe 1967). The optimized parameter values for this case, using
the low-$\ell$ TT data from {\it Planck} 2018, combined with the DES, BAO, and Type Ia
SNe data sets, are shown in figure~\ref{f4}. The corresponding best-fit cutoff $k_{\rm min}$
for this restricted range is $(3.3^{+1.7}_{-1.3})\times 10^{-4}$ Mpc$^{-1}$, consistent
with the full-$\ell$ range value, but even closer to the cutoff found using the angular
correlation function. In either case, the cutoff `fixing' the low-power anomaly at
$\ell\lesssim 4$ is fully consistent with the value that completely accounts for the
missing correlations at angles $\gtrsim 60^\circ$, suggesting that both of these
large-angle anomalies in the standard model are due to the same truncation in
${\mathcal{P}}(k)$.

\begin{table}
\centering \caption{Optimized Parameters in $\Lambda$CDM with and without $k_{\rm min}\not=0$}
\begin{tabular}{lcc}
\hline
\hline
&&\\
Parameters &  $k_{\rm min}=0$  &  $k_{\rm min}\not=0$  \\
&&\\
\hline
&&\\
$H_0$ (${\rm km}\;{\rm s}^{-1}\;{\rm Mpc}^{-1}$)&  $68.12\pm 0.37$ & $68.12\pm0.38$\\
$\Omega_{\rm b}\,h^2$ & $0.02250\pm 0.00013$ & $0.02250\pm 0.00013$\\
$\Omega_{\rm c}\,h^2$ & $0.11830\pm 0.00082$ & $0.11832\pm 0.00082$\\
$\tau$ & $0.0586^{+0.0067}_{-0.0078}$ &  $0.0587 ^{+0.0069}_{-0.0077}$\\
$n_{\rm s}$ & $ 0.9682\pm 0.0036$ & $0.9681 \pm 0.0036$\\
$\ln(10^{10}A_{\rm s})$ & $3.050^{+0.013}_{-0.015}$ & $3.050 \pm 0.015$\\
$k_{\rm min}$ (${\rm Mpc}^{-1}$)& 0 & $(2.04^{+1.4}_{-0.79})\times 10^{-4}$ \\
&&\\
\hline
\end{tabular}
\label{table1}
\end{table}

\begin{figure*}[t]
\vskip 1cm
\centerline{
\includegraphics[angle=0,scale=0.6]{f3.eps}}
\vskip 0.2in
\caption{The six basic parameters in $\Lambda$CDM optimized in our procedure,
based on the combined data sets SN+DES+BAO+{\it Planck}, together with
the new parameter ($k_{\rm min}$) we have introduced to represent a cutoff in the
primordial power spectrum, ${\mathcal{P}}(k)$.}
\label{f3}
\end{figure*}

\section{Discussion}
A side-by-side comparison of the best-fit parameters in $\Lambda$CDM with and without
a cutoff $k_{\rm min}$ (Table~\ref{table1}) reveals only negligible differences between
them, but the angular power spectrum for $\ell\lesssim 4$ is improved significantly
compared with the data. Thus, the excellent agreement between standard $\Lambda$CDM
and the CMB data for $\ell\gtrsim 60$ is completely unaffected by
our introduction of a cutoff to the primordial power spectrum. Yet, based on
the optimized $k_{\rm min}$ value using the whole $\ell$ range (and even more
so using the restricted range $\ell\lesssim 30$), we conclude
that a zero cutoff is ruled out at a confidence level of $\sim 2.6\sigma$.
On its own, this is already interesting enough for us to study its impact
on slow-roll inflation (Liu \& Melia 2020; Melia 2020), but when combined with our earlier
measurement of $k_{\rm min}$ based on the angular correlation function
(Melia \& L\'opez-Corredoira 2018), which showed that $k_{\rm min}=0$ was ruled out at
a confidence level exceeding $8\sigma$ for those data, these two complementary
indicators argue compellingly that the primordial power spectrum
${\mathcal{P}}(k)$ must have been truncated at $k_{\rm min}\sim 3\times 10^{-4}
\;{\rm Mpc}^{-1}$.

\begin{figure*}[t]
\vskip 1cm
\centerline{
\includegraphics[angle=0,scale=0.6]{f4.eps}}
\vskip 0.2in
\caption{Same as figure~\ref{f3}, except now using an optimization of the fit for
$\ell\le 30$, and the low-$\ell$ TT data from {\it Planck} 2018 (Planck Collaboration VI 2020),
combined with the DES, BAO, and Type Ia SNe data sets.}
\label{f4}
\end{figure*}

These results are completely consistent with the prevailing view that the CMB
anisotropies are primarily due to two distinct physical influences: the Sachs-Wolfe
effect (Sachs \& Wolfe 1967) at small $\ell$'s and acoustic oscillations for $\ell\gtrsim 30$.
The excellent fit to the data for large $\ell$'s (see fig.~\ref{f1}) reinforces the perception
that we understand fairly well the physical process associated with small-angle anisotropies,
in spite of the fact that the angular correlation function has been problematic since the
beginning (Hinshaw et al. 1996; Bennett et al. 2003; Planck Collaboration VI 2020).

The emerging evidence for a non-zero $k_{\rm min}$, on the other hand, speaks directly
to the cosmological expansion itself. At $\ell\lesssim 30$, we see the effects due to
the metric perturbations associated with the cosmological dynamics, and therefore the
direct influence of the cosmological model itself. In this range, we are probing ever
closer to the onset of the hypothesized inflationary expansion, culminating with the cutoff
$k_{\rm min}$, that signals the very first mode crossing the horizon at the beginning
of the quasi-de Sitter phase produced by the inflaton field (Liu \& Melia 2020; Melia 2020).

The idea that at least one of the large-angle anomalies may be due
to features in the primordial power spectrum, ${\mathcal{P}}(k)$, has been with us
for several decades (see discussion in Planck Collaboration VII 2020). For example,
Shafieloo \& Souradeep (2004) assumed an exponential
cutoff at low $k$'s, and found an optimized fit of the attenuation generally
consistent with the cutoff we have measured in this paper. Their ansatz for
${\mathcal{P}}(k)$ did not include an actual truncation, however, which would be
required for self-consistency with our previous treatment of $k_{\rm min}$ in
Melia \& L\'opez-Corredoira (2018). The impact on inflation is different in these two cases,
since a sharp termination signals a precise time at which inflation would have
started. An exponential cutoff is not fully consistent with the notion of
horizon-crossing for the freezing of modes. In addition, this early treatment
was based on the use of WMAP data (Bennett et al. 2003), whereas our
analysis incorporates the higher precision {\it Planck} observations (Planck
Collaboration VI 2020).  In figure~4, we have used only the {\it Planck} TT data
at $\ell\le 30$, plus other low-redshift data sets, as described in the caption.
For figure~3, however, we used all of the {\it Planck} data, including TT, TE, EE
and also both the high-$\ell$ and other low-redshift data sets. A comparison of these
results shows that the optimized value of $k_{\rm min}$ is very similar in these
two cases, suggesting that the other low-redshift data sets, such as DES, BAO and
Type Ia SNe, do not significantly affect the limits on the cutoff.

In related work, Nicholson \& Contaldi (2009) and Hazra et al. (2014) modeled a `dip'
in ${\mathcal{P}}(k)$ on a scale $k\sim 0.002$ Mpc$^{-1}$ for the WMAP data.
Their results confirmed those of an alternative approach (Ichiki et al. 2010),
in which an oscillatory modulation was identified around $k\sim 0.009$ Mpc$^{-1}$.
These are not a truncation, however, nor are they consistent with our analysis
(Melia \& L\'opez-Corredoira 2018) of a cutoff $k_{\rm min}$ in the angular correlation function
based on the {\it Planck} measurements.

Tocchini-Valentini et al. (2005) modeled both a dip at $k\sim 0.035$ Mpc$^{-1}$ and a `bump'
at $k\sim 0.05$ Mpc$^{-1}$, also using WMAP data. As with the others, however,
these features are not the same as an actual truncation $k_{\rm min}$, and our
analysis utilizes the latest {\it Planck} data, rather than the less precise WMAP measurements.
Subsequent work by these authors, notably Tocchini-Valentini et al. (2006), improved on
this analysis considerably, though they were still fully reliant on WMAP.
These authors found evidence for three features in
${\mathcal{P}}(k)$, one of which is analogous to our $k_{\rm min}$,
including a cutoff at $\sim 0.0001-0.001$ Mpc$^{-1}$, with a confidence
level of about $2\sigma$. Our analysis based on the improved {\it Planck}
data produces a tighter constraint on this cutoff, more in line with
the $k_{\rm min}$ found from the angular correlation function. For example,
their possible cutoff range exceeds the actual value we have measured for
$k_{\rm min}$ in this paper.

More recently, Hunt \& Sarkar (2014, 2015) found evidence in
the WMAP data of a cutoff $k < 5 \times 10^{-4}$ Mpc$^{-1}$ to
${\mathcal{P}}(k)$, but concluded that more accurate data, such as those
provided by Planck, would need to be used to confirm these results more
robustly. The work most closely aligned with our analysis in this paper
is that of Iqbal et al. (2015) and Santos et al. (2018). These two groups
arrived at opposite conclusions to each other, however. Though each carried out
a thorough analysis of the possible cause for the low CMB power at small $\ell$'s,
and actually agreed on approximately what value a cutoff (which they called
$k_c$, analogous to our $k_{\rm min}$) would be needed to address this anomaly,
they adopted different model-selection criteria and produced opposing outcomes.

This state of uncertainty has been with us for many years. The approach of
Iqbal et al. (2015) and Santos et al. (2018) was to focus solely on the low-$\ell$
anomaly and to compare 7 or 8 different models, using a range of model-selection
tools. Our approach in this paper has been diametrically opposite to this. We have
only one goal in mind, motivated by the physics of inflation. Most importantly,
our previous analysis demonstrated that a zero value for $k_{\rm min}$ is ruled
out at over $8\sigma$. Notice, e.g., how different this outcome is compared to
that of Santos et al. (2018), who concluded that standard inflationary cosmology,
without any adjustment to ${\mathcal{P}}(k)$, is preferred by the CMB data and
their choice of model selection criteria.

The work we have carried out in this paper is based on the conclusion of our previous
work suggesting that only a simple cutoff $k_{\rm min}$ in ${\mathcal{P}}(k)$ is well
motivated by the CMB angular correlation function. We have not compared different
models, nor have we based our analysis on a subjective choice of model selection
criteria, which seem to produce the divergent outcomes seen, e.g., in Iqbal et al. (2015)
and Santos et al. (2018).

We showed in Liu \& Melia (2020) that the cutoff $k_{\rm min}$ measured via the CMB angular
correlation function apparently rules out all inflationary models based on slow-roll
potentials, including those that may have been preceded by radiation-dominated and/or
kinetic-dominated phases (see also Handley et al. 2014). With such a cutoff,
inflation could not simultaneously have
solved the horizon problem and accounted for the observed CMB fluctuation spectrum.
This is the reason why a confirmation of $k_{\rm min}$ based on the angular power
spectrum is so essential. The two large-angle anomalies are not necessarily related
(see also Planck Collaboration VII 2020),
so our previous result with $k_{\rm min}$ does not by itself ensure that it is also consistent
with the much better studied angular power spectrum, nor that it can also mitigate
the missing power at low-$\ell$'s. This paper has therefore been highly focused on
these two issues alone. Nevertheless, the fact that our measured value of $k_{\rm min}$
is consistent with that found by Iqbal et al. (2015) and Santos et al. (2018) is crucial
because it demonstrates a consistent outcome by three different groups.

We mention in passing that an extension of the work reported by Iqbal et al. (2015)
and Santos et al. (2018) to include the angular correlation function would be very
beneficial. Our previous assessment was that only a simple cutoff in ${\mathcal{P}}(k)$
could completely account for the missing correlations at large angles. It would be
interesting to see if an independent examination of these data, using a range of
other models with various model selection tools, such as those explored by these
two groups, could alter this conclusion.

In this paper, we have met our primary goal of showing that the introduction of a
non-zero cutoff in ${\mathcal{P}}(k)$ does not at all affect the excellent agreement
between the predictions of $\Lambda$CDM and the CMB angular power spectrum at $\ell\gtrsim 30$.
This is critical because it is widely believed that the origin of the CMB anisotropies
in this domain is well understood, given that it relies on well-established astrophysical
principles.

We have also demonstrated that the origin of the missing power in the low-$\ell$
multipoles, particularly at $\ell=2$--$5$, is very likely due to the same physical
influence impacting the missing correlations at large angles. The two optimized
values of $k_{\rm min}$, i.e., $(3.14\pm0.36)\times 10^{-4}$ Mpc$^{-1}$ for the latter, and
$(2.04^{+1.4}_{-0.79})\times 10^{-4}$ Mpc$^{-1}$ for the former, are fully
consistent with each other. These complementary results reinforce the view that we are
beginning to see direct evidence of the initiation of inflation, if this process actually
did occur. Nevertheless, the disparity between the primordial fluctuation spectrum expected
under these conditions and what is actually required to produce the CMB anisotropies,
increases the tension between the concordance model and the observations.

\section{Conclusion}
The existence of large-angle anomalies in the temperature is uncontested though, given the
modest significance with which they disagree with the standard model, and the fact that
they were detected a posteriori, makes it unclear how much evidence they actually provide
for a true, physical origin (Planck Collaboration VII 2020). They may simply be statistical
fluctuations, even though such an outcome appears to be highly unlikely. Nevertheless, if
any of them do indeed correspond to a real physical effect, it would be extremely important
for us to confirm this, justifying the continued attention paid to these unusual features.

As noted earlier, however, we must still temper our conclusions regarding the
reality of these large-angle anomalies, given that the Planck Collaboration VII (2020) study
found only weaker evidence for them in the polarization data. This is why upcoming missions
designed specifically to measure the CMB polarization will be so critical to the continuation
of this work. For example, LiteBIRD has been selected for development and launch in 2028 by
the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, with the goal of mapping the CMB polarization over
the whole sky with unprecedented precision (Hazumi et al. 2019). Its required angular coverage
will correspond to $2\le\ell\le 200$, perfectly attuned to the requirements for the analysis
in this paper.

Perhaps even more impressively, the Probe of Inflation and Cosmic Origins (PICO) mission
(Hanany et al. 2019) is still in the study phase, but is projected to be an imaging polarimeter
scanning the sky for 5 years in 21 frequency bands spread between 21 and 799 GHz. If selected,
PICO will produce a full-sky survey of the intensity and polarization of the CMB with a final
combined-map noise level equivalent to an amazing 3,300 Planck missions.

And as a prominent third example, the Cosmic Origins Explorer (CORE) mission (Delabrouille et al.
2018) proposed to the European Space Agency is projected to have 19 frequency channels spanning
the $60-600$ GHz range, and an angular resolution from $2^\prime$ to $18^\prime$. It will observe
the entire sky repeatedly over four years of continuous scanning. Its design will be optimized
for complementarity with ground-based observations, performing observations---such as that
required by the analysis carried out in this paper---essential to CMB polarization science
not achievable without a dedicated space mission.

Proposed, or in-progress, experiments to map the CMB polarization from the ground include the
Simons Observatory (Ade et al. 2019), located in the high Atacama Desert in Northern Chile inside
the Chajnator Science Preserve, at an altitude of 5,200 meters. Though its goals are currently
not as lofty as those of the space-based missions, its principal aim is to produce a polarization
map of the sky with an order of magnitude better sensitivity than {\it Planck}.

The principal aim of all these future missions is, of course, to detect the B-mode
polarization in the tell-tale signature of gravity waves generated during inflation.
Nevertheless, a more precise measurement of the E-mode polarization anisotropies at a much
higher sensitivity than that available to {\it Planck} should answer the question of whether
or not the large-angle anomalies seen in the temperature are also confirmed in the polarization
maps. This would then provide compelling evidence that they are not merely due to secondary,
background or instrumental effects, further motivating a study of the impact on inflationary
theory of a cutoff, $k_{\rm min}$, in the primordial power spectrum, ${\mathcal{P}}(k)$.

For example, as shown by Liu \& Melia (2020), a $k_{\min}$ like that measured earlier in our
analysis of the angular correlation function (Melia \& L\'opez-Corredoira 2018), and reinforced
by the work reported in this paper, which is based exclusively on the angular power spectrum,
rules out the majority---if not all---of the slow-roll inflaton potentials proposed thus
far. If one insists on inflation simultaneously fixing the horizon problem and accounting
for the observed primordial power spectrum, ${\mathcal{P}}(k)$, then the accelerated
expansion resulting from these hypothesized fields misses the required comoving distance
by a factor $\sim 10$. Moreover, neither a radiation-dominated, nor a kinetic-dominated,
phase preceding inflation can alleviate this disparity (Liu \& Melia 2020; see also
Handley et al. 2014).

Our results reinforce the growing view that, at a minimum, inflation probably needs
to be modified or, at worst, needs to be replaced, in order to conform with these
observations.

\begin{acknowledgements}
We are grateful to the anonymous referee for their helpful and thoughtful review
of this manuscript. FM is also grateful to Amherst College for its support through a John Woodruff
Simpson Lectureship. This work is partially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation
of China (grant No. U1831122), the Youth Innovation Promotion Association (2017366), and the Key
Research Program of Frontier Sciences (grant No. ZDBS-LY-7014) of Chinese Academy of Sciences,
at Purple Mountain Observatory, and by the Innovation and Entrepreneurial Project of
Guizhou Province for High-level Overseas Talents (grant No. 2019-02), the National
Natural Science Foundation of China (grant No. 11903010), and the Science and Technology
Fund of Guizhou Province (grant No. 2020-1Y020), at Guizhou University.
\end{acknowledgements}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


text:
Written by Glauco Ferrari on April 13, 2016 in Art
St. John the Baptist by Caravaggio
Caravaggio, or Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, was born in 1571. He is considered the master of light, one of the few painters who with his brush and his strokes was able to capture the essence of light like only Mother Nature could. He was born in Milan and after a period of training in his native town he transferred to Rome, historically more of an art city than Milan, and clearly in high demand for artists and their work.
Caravaggio's qualities are very exquisite; they bring a sense of realism through the use of chiaroscuro, playing with light and shadows, which feels almost as someone is holding a spotlight inside the paintings. This extraordinary talent allowed him to find work all the time and rapidly become one of the most appreciated artists of its time. In addition he was able to merge religious needs with the call to express feelings and scenes dictated by everyday life, not in their content, but through the actual emotions they evoked. He felt this was a truly valid subject, often emphasized by the historical of mythological topic through which such feelings were highlighted.
If compared to modern cinema, we could say that Caravaggio brought independent movies into a Hollywood world, although he kept the values high when they transferred onto his oil paintings. This was a clear break from the standards used until that moment. This led to much criticism on the validity of his work, as if too much realism was not the true purpose of art. History proved such criticism wrong and Caravaggio today is appreciated as one of the best artists who have ever lived. However, it is impossible to deny the dark side of his paintings and the introduction of very graphic and violent images, as well as the everlasting dilemma of real art versus vulgarity. The realistic elements created controversy and major skepticism in the Church. By the same token the vivid reality of the paintings brought a new way to look at art and to experience it. This was literally, socially and culturally very new, and Caravaggio often crossed the line between religious figures and dark elements of his times, like angelic virgins and prostitutes.
In a way, it is safe to say that Caravaggio's use of light and shadow indicates internal conflict, but also a strong desire to break the customs of the past. He changed colors and moods that in his mind were too positive and more like fairy tales. He wanted to show real suffering, the dirt on the streets, the real fear in the eyes of his characters and their physical pain. Architects adopted this style, and all of that led to the beginning of the Baroque movement which, besides the arts, reshaped the actual skyline of Italy. Caravaggio changed the lingo and the ways of visually communicating, almost as if he wanted to take photographs and reveal real contemporary social problems and human weaknesses, rather than create more celebration of the ancient past. He saw a world closer to the earth, and the faces of his characters are those of simple people, who carry the burden of a difficult existence.
Judith beheading Holofernes, Caravaggio (Ph. Wikipedia, public domain)
There is no doubt that all of his art was influenced by his bizarre lifestyle. Caravaggio was far from being a saint; he was often involved in fights and criminal behavior, to the point that he was charged with homicide for killing a young man in 1606. He avoided jail, escaping to Naples where he found a safe haven and freedom to continuing producing his art. Caravaggio seems also to have wounded an officer earlier in his life, while still in Milan. After Naples, he tried his fortune internationally on the island of Malta and eventually died at the young age of 40 in a still-mysterious manner. His death, mysterious as it was, is the least important part of Caravaggio's life; his art tells us everything we need to know.
art caravaggio chiaroscuro italian art painting
Written by Glauco Ferrari
Writer. Born in Rome and dividing his life between Italy and the U.S., Glauco is an expert on Italian affairs and loves to share his knowledge and experience with a broader audience, using a conversational style. In the greater scheme of things, Glauco always believes that "if you fully understand Italy, then you can understand the deepest secrets of the world."
Art in the Renaissance
Michelangelo, Leonardo, and Raphael contributed the most illustrious and significant works of not only the Italian High Renaissance, but of Italy, and the world.
Life of Leonardo da Vinci, the quintessential Renaissance man, an artist and a scientist, one of the most creative minds to ever live.
Legends, misteries and curiosities about Leonardo Da Vinci.
Art: Early Renaissance II
Two excellent artists from the Early Renaissance: Donatello with his sculptures and Ghiberti whose magnificent doors were called "gates of Paradise"
Art: Early Renaissance
Life and career of one of Italy's greates artists ever lived, Filippo Brunelleschi, the inventor of the linear perspective and creator of the iconic dome.
Futurism In Italy
Futurism artists in Italy
Pompeii's erotic fresco
Erotic art of Ancient Rome on display in Pompeii
Mosaic: Painting with Stone Part II
Mosaic, the art of painting with stone.
Deruta Ceramics
In a spacious room enhanced by sunlight, Delia Binaglia methodically adds brushstrokes of color to […]
Artisti Donne in Italia – Italian Women Artists 3
Italian women painters of the past

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


In one of my previous Chinese New Year dish, I suggested a fish dish as fish sounds like abundance in Chinese. We all want 2016 to be a year of abundance so that we're happy and there will be plenty of laughter in the home. This brings me to my next dish which is a rather simple and easy dish to prepare and cook: Steamed Prawns with Garlic.
The word for prawns sounds like "ha" in Cantonese and some other Chinese dialects, hence symbolizing laughter (笑 "哈哈") and happiness. So I certainly hope that if you include prawns in your meals during Chinese New Year, you will have lots of happiness and laughter throughout the year. Let's have a HAHAHHA year ahead!!
If you have enjoyed our recipes, we hope that you could provide us with some feedback / comments either via our blog or by joining our Mummy's Kitchen Facebook Group. You can like us on Beyond Norm's Facebook Page to get the latest updates from our blog.
Trim away the whiskers and legs of the prawn.
With a pair of sharp kitchen scissors make a small snip between the body and the head so that you can cut through the shell of the prawns. Make sure you do not cut off the head from the body.
Use a sharp cleaver or knife to butterfly the prawn and remove the entrails.
Place the slices of ginger and green onions on a plate and arrange all the prawns on top, making sure they lie in a single layer.
Fry the minced garlic with the oil till fragrant but not burnt and set aside to cool. (If you prefer, you can just put the raw minced garlic into the mixture and combine well without frying).
Mix the rest of the garlic mixture with the fried garlic and combine well. Set aside.
Fill the wok with water and bring to a rapid boil.
Meanwhile, spoon the garlic mixture into the cavities of the prawns.
Once the water is rapidly boiling, place the prepared prawns and steam for about 3 to 3 ½ minutes. Remember to set a timer as you do not want to overcook the prawns.
Once the prawns are cooked, remove the plate from the wok.
Seasoning is to be adjusted to taste.


text:
Friday, Apr 1 2016
California Healthline Original Stories	3
Medi-Cal Expands To Immigrant Children. Here's How It Works.
Smoking-Age Bills Aim To Keep Youngsters Away From Tobacco (And Vapors)
A Nurse's Lesson: Babies In Opioid Withdrawal Still Need Mom
Sacramento Watch 1
444,000 Health Care Workers Would Be Affected By Minimum Wage Increase
CMS Theranos Report Details Lack Of Quality Control, Use Of Unqualified Personnel
Health IT 1
After Hacks On Hospitals, U.S. And Canada Issue Rare Joint Cyber Alert
Women's Health 1
Mammograms May Help Warn Women Of Dangerous Precursor To Heart Disease
Public Health and Education 2
Fentanyl Death Toll Climbs To 7 In Sacramento
'The Hardest Thing I've Done In My Life': Making The Decision To Place Loved Ones In Dementia Care
Campaign 2016 1
'Tremendous Consensus' In Anti-Abortion Movement Over Trump's 'Punishment' Comments
Editorials and Opinions 1
Viewpoints: Panel's Fetal Tissue Subpoenas Grandstanding Over Legal Practices; Opioid Epidemic Must Be Addressed
Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
New approach will provide state's low-income health care program to children in the U.S. illegally.	(Emily Bazar, 4/1)
But Jake, 15, isn't about to give up his cigs.	(David Gorn, 4/1)
One hospital in Connecticut gives babies and moms fighting addiction a quiet room where they can be together as the drugs leave their systems.	(Jeff Cohen, WNPR, 4/1)
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More News From Across The State
Sacramento Watch
SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West union filed the ballot initiative for a $15-an-hour minimum wage and it gathered more than 600,000 signatures of support. But home health care providers have been the most vocally opposed, claiming such a salary hike can lead them to bankruptcy.
Modern Healthcare: Calif. Minimum Wage Hike Will Impact 444,000 Health Care Workers
California Gov. Jerry Brown is expected to sign legislation as soon as Friday that would raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2022, increasing pay for more than 440,000 healthcare workers in the state. The proposed hike, which passed the General Assembly Thursday, will impact 5.6 million California workers, 8% of which are part of the healthcare industry, according to a UC Berkeley Labor Center report. (Castellucci, 3/31)
The blood testing startup says its new lab director has implemented extensive new procedures to improve on the failures, and that those who were in leadership during the period the federal government was investigating are no longer with the lab.
The Wall Street Journal: Theranos Devices Often Failed Accuracy Requirements
The blood-testing devices that Theranos Inc. touted as revolutionary often failed to meet the company's own accuracy requirements for a range of tests, including one to help detect cancer, according to a federal inspection report. A redacted version of the report was released late Thursday. A full version was reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. The 121-page document details deficiencies found by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services during its inspection of the closely held company's Newark, Calif., laboratory last fall. (Carreyrou and Weaver, 3/31)
The New York Times: Report Shows Theranos Testing Plagued By Problems
Among other findings in the report, which ran 121 pages, the company used unqualified or inadequately trained personnel and stored samples in freezers that were not at the proper temperature. It also failed to ensure that the quality control for an important blood-clotting test was acceptable before reporting results for patients. (Pollack, 3/31)
The governments are discouraging victims from paying hackers to restore access to their data.
Reuters: U.S., Canada Issue Joint Alert On 'Ransomware' After Hospital Attacks
The United States and Canada on Thursday issued a rare joint cyber alert, warning against a recent surge in extortion attacks that infect computers with viruses known as "ransomware," which encrypt data and demand payments for it to be unlocked. The warning follows reports from several private security firms that they expect the crisis to worsen, because hackers are getting more sophisticated and few businesses have adopted proper security measures to thwart such attacks. (Finkle, 3/31)
Plaque that has built up in the arteries can be clearly seen on a mammogram, but doctors have not been sure how meaningful those readings were. New research says the information might help combat the killer of one in four women.
The Los Angeles Times: Could Mammograms Detect Clogged Arteries As Well As Breast Cancer? Yes, Says New Research
A woman's routine mammogram is a bulwark against dying of breast cancer, which strikes 1 in 8 women over a lifetime. But new research suggests that, with little extra cost or effort, a woman's mammogram could also tell whether she is being stalked by a far more dangerous killer of women - coronary heart disease. (Healy, 3/31)
In other women's health news —
The San Francisco Business Times: SheKnows Media To Acquire HelloFlo
SheKnows Media this week announced that it will acquire HelloFlo, a women's health startup known for its lighthearted (and viral) educational videos " First Moon Party" and " Camp Gyno." SheKnows has a reach of 81 million unique visitors per month through various online channels and 275 million social media fans. When the deal closes in April, HelloFlo will become SheKnows' first women's health channel. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. (Wylie, 3/31)
Eyewitness News: Kern County Ranks Low In California Women's Well-Being Index
Kern ranks as the fifth worst county in the "California Women's Well-Being Index," released this week by theCalifornia Budget & Policy Center in partnership with the Women's Foundation of California. The study takes into account women's overall well-being and addresses issues that relate to women and their families, including their health, personal safety, employment and earnings, economic security and political empowerment. (Hall, 3/31)
The San Francisco Business Times: Meet The Bay Area Woman Bringing Whoopi's Weed Dreams To Life
Entertainment icon Whoopi Goldberg announced she's getting into the medical marijuana game with her new company, Whoopi & Maya, co-founded with cannabis industry veteran and Bay Area resident Maya Elisabeth. Whoopi & Maya products, available later in April, are intended to relieve menstrual cramps and period pain for women in California. The product line includes THC-infused bath solution, topical rubs, tinctures and cannabis edibles, which is where Elisabeth's expertise comes into play. (Wylie, 3/31)
Public Health and Education
The potent and lethal synthetic drug is 50 times more powerful than heroin and has been creeping into California's supply of street drugs in the past several months.
The Associated Press: 7 Dead, 21 Sick After Taking Street Painkillers
Northern California health officials say two more people have died in the last week after taking street drugs believed to contain a powerful painkiller, raising the total to seven. Sacramento County health officials say 21 other people have been sent to hospitals since March 24 after likely taking tablets or capsules containing fentanyl. (3/31)
The San Francisco Chronicle: 7th Death In Sacramento County Linked To Painkiller Overdose
In the new Sacramento County outbreak, fentanyl was found in fake Norco pills. Norco is a common prescription painkiller that contains hydrocodone and acetaminophen, but tests on tablets that were found on people who had overdosed showed neither of those drugs — just fentanyl. The first Sacramento overdoses were reported March 24, and the most recent patient was treated Thursday at UC Davis Medical Center, which has seen 17 cases. In one 48-hour period last weekend, 12 people suffered overdoses after ingesting tablets they'd purchased on the street or received from friends. (Allday, 3/31)
"If you had a conversation with 10 people who put someone into care," Kae Hammond, owner of Dementia Help Center, says, "nine of them would say, 'I waited too long.'"
The Desert Sun: Dementia Care: When Staying Home Is No Longer An Option
Eight years ago, with her mother diagnosed with Alzheimer's and her father in worsening health because of stress, Kae Hammond went searching for a new home for both parents, a place that could care for them more than she could on her own. Hammond made some calls and arranged to see five homes in person. The first one struck Hammond as a poor fit for her style-continuous mother, Shirley. The Indio home's dark interior and leather living-room furniture weren't surroundings that would put Shirley at ease. (Newkirk, 3/31)
Although there wasn't time to compare talking points, leaders in the movement said there was no need: It's wrong, they all agreed. Meanwhile, the Republican front-runner is blaming a "convoluted" interview for his statement that, if abortions were banned, a woman who had one should be punished. "It could be that I misspoke," he also acknowledged.
The Associated Press: Anti-Abortion Movement Unified In Swift Rebuke Of Trump
Trump soon backtracked from Wednesday's comments, but not before anti-abortion leaders forcefully repudiated him. "There was no time to get on the phone and compare talking points, but all the comments were consistent," said Mike Gonidakis, president of Ohio Right to Life. "The foundational premise of the pro-life movement is to protect both the mother and the unborn child. We don't leave one of them behind." The anti-abortion movement is by no means monolithic — there are sometimes sharp splits over political tactics and the question of whether abortion bans should make exceptions for rape and incest. But there is common ground around the belief that life begins at conception, and a consensus that this belief takes precedence over short-term political calculations. (3/31)
The Associated Press: Trump Says Abortion Comments Were Taken Out of Context
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump now says his contentious comments on abortion were taken out of context. Trump was answering questions during an MSNBC town hall taping Wednesday when he said there should be "some form of punishment" for women who get abortions if the procedure is outlawed. He later reversed his position in a statement. In an interview Thursday night on Fox News Channel's "The O'Reilly Factor," Trump blamed the flub on a "convoluted" interview. (3/31)
The New York Times: Donald Trump Acknowledges Misstep On Abortion Question
Donald J. Trump on Thursday allowed that he might have misspoken on the topic of abortion when he told the MSNBC host Chris Matthews that women who have abortions should face some form of punishment if the procedure is banned. But he insisted the media attention to a misstep — amid the volume of questions he answers — gets outsize attention. "If you answer one question inartfully or incorrectly in some form, or you misunderstood it or you misspoke, it ends up being a big story," he said. "That doesn't happen with other people." (Haberman, 3/31)
In other news, The Washington Post fact checks Carly Fiorina's portrayal of Hillary Clinton's abortion stance —
The Washington Post's Fact Checker: Fiorina's Claim That Hillary Clinton Supports Abortion 'Up Until The Moment' Of Birth
Former GOP presidential hopeful Carly Fiorina, now a supporter of Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), appeared on Fox to make the case that front-runner Donald Trump had fishy credentials as an opponent of abortion rights, even before Trump caused new controversy for saying women who get abortions should be punished. But we were also interested in her attack on Hillary Clinton's abortion position. Is it correct that Clinton supports abortion up to the moment of birth? (Kessler, 4/1)
A selection of opinions on health care developments from around the state.
Los Angeles Times: Enough Grandstanding On Fetal Tissue
It is illegal in the U.S. to sell body parts. So the release of undercover videos last summer purporting to show Planned Parenthood officials negotiating fees for tissue from aborted fetuses launched a flurry of federal and state investigations into the healthcare provider. The House Energy and Commerce Committee's Select Investigative Panel on Infant Lives was the fourth congressional entry into this overcrowded field, but its mandate is far broader than just looking into Planned Parenthood — it can investigate the entities that procure fetal tissue and look into federal funding and support for abortion providers. It is also authorized to scrutinize the providers of second- and third-term abortions (even though later-term abortions are already highly regulated). (3/30)
The Sacramento Bee: Overdoses Reveal Scary New Chapter In Opioid Epidemic
For anyone who still believes that addiction to opioid painkillers is no big deal in Sacramento, the events of the past several days should should serve as a serious wake-up call. Since Thursday, at least 28 people have overdosed on a dangerous cocktail of street drugs in what the county's top health officer, Dr. Olivia Kasirye, is calling a public health emergency. Six have died so far. Some were found unresponsive in their homes. The rest have been hospitalized. (3/29)
The Oakland Tribune: CDC Taking First Step To Stem The Abuse Of Opiods
For too many Americans, doctor's orders pushed them toward a deadly addiction. Overdoses of prescription opioids and heroin reached record numbers in 2014, killing 28,647 users, ravaging families and ruining lives. The numbers continue to grow. But finally the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stepped up and told doctors to end the madness. (3/29)
The Los Angeles Times: New Obamacare Surprise: New Customers Look Just Like Average Americans
The reason that new enrollees tend to be sicker than the previous pool of patients in the individual market, and consequently are using more services and costing insurers more, is that sick people were systematically excluded from the individual insurance market prior to 2014. The mechanism was exclusions for pre-existing conditions, which were outlawed by the ACA. (Michael Hiltzik, 3/30)
The Los Angeles Times: Block Grants Are Just Budget Cuts In Disguise — And The Targets Are Antipoverty Programs
Donald Trump's healthcare plan includes block-granting Medicaid to the states: "The state governments know their people best and can manage the administration of Medicaid far better without federal overhead." (We think he means "oversight," not "overhead," but let it go.) "States will have the incentives to seek out and eliminate fraud, waste and abuse to preserve our precious resources," he continues. Ted Cruz wants to block-grant federal education funding to "return education to those who know our students best: parents, teachers, local communities, and states." (Michael Hiltzik, 3/25)
The Los Angeles Times: The Supreme Court Floats A Contraception Compromise
Washington lawyers and journalists are scratching their heads — and spinning scenarios — after a surprise order from the Supreme Court in what is popularly known as the Little Sisters of the Poor case. (Michael McGough, 3/29)
Orange County Register: Fate Of Contraception Case Uncertain Before High Court
Once more, the Supreme Court has before it a case involving the contraceptive mandate under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, but this time the court should follow the vast majority of courts across the country and rule in favor of the ability of women employees to receive contraceptive coverage. Zubik v. Burwell was heard by the court March 23, and it raises important questions about the meaning of free exercise of religion and when it is impermissibly burdened. (Erwin Chemerinsky, 3/31)
Los Angeles Times: Prudential Pulls A Fast One On Long-Term Care Insurance Policyholders
Buying long-term care insurance isn't an easy decision. It's an increasingly pricey product that requires you to look way down the road, to the possibility of shelling out big bucks for a nursing home or some other form of assisted living. The last thing you want to worry about is having your insurer pull a fast one on you after you sign up for coverage. But that's what Prudential has done, making a sneaky change to policyholders' long-term care coverage. (David Lazarus, 4/1)
The Los Angeles Times: Why Are We Wasting Future MDs' Time And Money With This Pointless Test?
Every physician who wishes to practice medicine in this country must pass a test most Americans have never heard of: Step 2 Clinical Skills. Approximately 20,000 medical students from U.S. and Canadian schools take it each year, paying hefty fees for a decidedly ineffectual exam. For anyone who wants to end waste in medical education, getting rid of Step 2 CS is a good place to start. (Christopher R. Henderson and Nathaniel P. Morris, 3/28)
The San Jose Mercury News: From The Tampon Tax To Donald Trump, Menstruation Talk Goes Mainstream
It has long been a nightmare moment for me, and probably a lot of women who still get their, uh, monthly visitors: I'm out in public rifling through my purse. I drop it, it falls open, and out flies my stash of tampons. (Martha Ross, 3/30)
The Los Angeles Times: Who Will Exercise The Right To Die?
As California's End of Life Option Act takes effect in June, data from states where aid in dying is already legal raises a question: Who will use the new law? In Oregon, Washington, Montana and Vermont, experience shows that participants will be few in number, well less than 1% of those who die each year. We also know, based on 18 years of data from Oregon, whose Death with Dignity Act was the first such law in the nation, that most of them will be older, white and well-educated. (Ann Neumann, 3/27)
The Visalia Times-Delta: Choice For Hospital Stay/Visit: Visalia Or An Hour Away?
I am local physician practicing in Visalia and I am voting YES on Measure H, which will fund a replacement acute care hospital for our community-owned Kaweah Delta. In the 16 years we have lived in Visalia, we believe the executive leadership of Kaweah Delta has consistently developed responsible actions to meet the hospitals' mission, goals and strategies for the district. (Lechtman, 3/28)


With summer finally well and truly here, fresh berries are in abundance. Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries – they're everywhere. I know many of you will be looking for creative ways to use fresh strawberries up, and as this cake uses a whole 12 ounces of the sweet, sticky goodness known as strawberries, it's a great way to use lots of your fresh strawberries up.
It's a tasty way too, I might add. The cake itself has the consistency of a yogurt cake – dense and very moist – and the addition of lemon juice compliments the sweet strawberries wonderfully well.
They're an unlikely combination, lemon juice and strawberries. Sweet yet slightly tart strawberries alongside sour lemon juice. I don't know how they do it, but it works very well.
The glaze on top adds much-needed sweetness to the cake, so don't be sparing. It will slowly soak into the cake, penetrating the cake with its sweetness. This recipe makes a big cake, making it the perfect dessert to have at those large barbeques or picnic dinners.
Preheat oven to 325F. Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan very well. Sift together 2 1/4 cups of flour and baking soda. Mix in the lemon zest and set aside.
With an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Alternate beating in the flour mixture and the yogurt, mixing just until incorporated. Toss the strawberries with the remaining 1/4 cup of flour. Gently mix them into the batter.
Pour the batter into the pan. Bake for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Allow to cool 10 minutes in the pan, then carefully turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. Once cooled whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and the powdered sugar. Drizzle over the top of the cake.
The recipe of strawberry is great.. thanks for sharing.


On Tuesday September 25, we welcome Ryan Costanza, Executive Chef of Dija Mara. Named as one of Eater San Diego's 38 essential restaurants and "Best of North County", Costanza mixes Southeast Asian flavors with Western flair and Japanese cooking techniques to create a unique fusion of East and West on a plate.
Costanza has eaten and cooked his way around the world from running the kitchen at Post & Beam in Los Angeles to working as Executive Chef at Nosh in Singapore and Director of Operations of Chef Dominique Crenn's restaurant group. We're thrilled to have his talents in our kitchen.


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Overton – wieś w Anglii, w hrabstwie Hampshire, w dystrykcie Basingstoke and Deane. Leży 22 km na północny wschód od miasta Winchester i 85 km na zachód od Londynu. Miejscowość liczy 4431 mieszkańców.

Przypisy

Wsie w hrabstwie Hampshire

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Today Mr D. Tail is going through the yellow colour.
Yellow is probably the vaguest colours. It is the colour of sunlight, happiness, optimism, creativity and intelligence but it is also the colour of disgrace, egoism, jealousy, fear and cowardice.
Yellow is the most luminous of all the colours of the spectrum and captures everyone's attention more than any other colour. This is why yellow is used in signs that alert us to danger or caution.
Mr D. Tail likes yellow and sees it only in its positive aspect. It is a sunny day and Mr D.Tail is happily whistling and observing three gorgeous yellow butterflies. Lucky for Mr D.Tail, there is a caution sign alerting him of the imminent step. He would have tumble down and ruin his smiling bag or knock over the beautiful flower arrangement inside an old handcart.
Does yellow convey you positive or negative attitude?


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The 1988 Milwaukee Brewers season involved the Brewers finishing 3rd in the American League East with a record of 87 wins and 75 losses.

Offseason
 November 11, 1987: Bryan Clutterbuck was signed as a free agent with the Milwaukee Brewers.
 November 11, 1987: Bill Mooneyham was signed as a free agent by the Brewers.
January 19, 1988: Ronn Reynolds was signed as a free agent with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Regular season
 April 4, 1988: The largest margin of victory in a shutout win on Opening Day was the Brewers' 12-0 win over the Baltimore Orioles in 1988.
 April 19, 1988: The Orioles tied the 1904 Washington Senators and the 1920 Detroit Tigers for most losses to start the season with 13 losses after being beaten by the Brewers, 9-5, in Milwaukee.
 April 20, 1988: On a cold, wet night, 7,284 witnessed baseball history at Milwaukee's County Stadium. Baltimore became the first team in the 120-odd years of major league baseball to start the season 0-14 as the Brewers won, 8-6.
 June 12, 1988: Robin Yount had 6 RBIs in a game against the Baltimore Orioles.

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Notable transactions
 June 1, 1988: 1988 Major League Baseball draft
Pat Listach was drafted by the Brewers in the 5th round. Player signed June 28, 1988.
Mike Ignasiak was drafted by the Brewers in the 8th round.
 June 8, 1988: Ernest Riles was traded by the Brewers to the San Francisco Giants for Jeffrey Leonard.

Roster

Player stats

Batting

Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Pitching

Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Farm system

The Brewers' farm system consisted of six minor league affiliates in 1988. The AZL Brewers won the Arizona League championship.

Notes

References
1988 Milwaukee Brewers team at Baseball-Reference
1988 Milwaukee Brewers team page at www.baseball-almanac.com

External links
1988 Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Cards

Milwaukee Brewers seasons
Milwaukee Brewers season
Mil


Deets: Who, What, Where & Why?
Plume Science is a natural lash & brow brand that can be found in smaller green beauty stores like Credo & Detox Market, as well as some bigger retailers such as Nordstrom & Anthropologie (check out my previous post on other big retailers carrying green beauty brands). This brand has a curation of products and tools meant for the brows and/or lashes that contain safe, natural, but effective ingredients! We live in a world full of toxins (the air we breath in and water we shower in alone are full of toxicity) so if a brand can deliver on results while keeping the ingredients clean and safe, then why not make the switch? I have been testing out these products for months now and have a lot to say (good things, of course).
There are a ton of lash growth products on the market today, but most of them are packed with toxic/harsh ingredients. When dealing with our eyes, we should be cautious with what we are applying near them (and sometimes by default into them). Plume Science is the naturally formulated answer to our lash and brow dreams! The founder, Lauren Bilon, created this serum because she was experiencing dangerous side effects (discolored eyelids, burning skin & blurred vision) from a pharmaceutical product she was using. I have been using this serum for about 19 weeks consistently, both in the am and pm. I began using this serum after my lashes were damaged from lash extensions (as much as I loved having them on, they're just not worth it). You can see my before and after picture below- the after picture was taken 3 months after beginning the serum. I plan to snap another picture when I reach my 6th month of using this serum, so be on the look out for that!
No stinging or irritation has occurred in my eyes (I do not have sensitive eyes to begin with).
I have noticed more thickness and fullness in my lashes and some length.
I do not use it on my brows, because I want to get every last drop of product onto my lashes.
I haven't found the most dramatic results with this serum yet, compared to something like Rodan + Fields for example, but it is working! My mascara definitely looks more dramatic when I apply it now and I think I am going to continue seeing results as I use the product longer. It's worth mentioning that even the dramatic photos I have seen online from toxic products such as Rodan + Fields are usually a six month progress shot.
This serum did take a little time for me personally to start seeing some growth. I feel like I have turned a corner though and am eager to compare again when I reach six months!
Make sure you actually touch the root of your lash when you apply the serum.
Contains 5 mL of product and retails for $95 USD.
This tool is a game changer! When I started using this lash curler, I was so astonished with how crazy of a curl it left me I pretty much didn't shut up about it for a week straight. Everyone at my Pure Barre studio was asking about it and I was receiving messages on IG like crazy! The pictures below speak louder than anything I could ever say.
The curl is intense and lasts!!! I can curl my lashes in the morning and wake up the following morning with a curl left in them.
It instantly opens the eyes and makes me feel like I can go mascara-less more often.
The quality of the curler is something that surprised me. I don't know why, because Plume is a very luxurious brand, but the attention to detail on this tool just really impressed me. The handle is unique and easy to hold. Its matte black, very chic and comes inside a nice sachet (something you should keep and use to travel with).
It retails for $21 USD.
Star product for sure. You NEED this (like yesterday).
My husband is the best for letting me use him as a guinea pig (I told you, I couldn't shut up about this curler and needed to try it on someone else). You can see how straight his lashes are on his right eye!
I preordered this brow pomade before it was even officially released. I had high expectations and waited very patiently to receive it. I was using Ecobrow at the time, but Plume's ingredients looked to be better and I was intrigued with the claim that it promoted brow hair growth. This was the first product I ever tried from Plume and it is now, easily one of my holy-grails!
The color ashy daybreak is literally the most perfect shade for me. You can see the swatch above on my hand, as well as on my brows with different colored hair. This color works when I'm super blonde or when I'm brunette, so I think it would be a flattering shade for a wide range of people.
It's easy to work with and very forgiving. You can fix any errors you make pretty effortlessly, thank goodness!
It comes with an awesome angled brush & spooly! This brush is SO good. It's handle is the perfect length for being comfortable in the hand to hold. The brush itself is a little shorter, making it the perfect size to paint on those little hair-like strokes (without it going outside of my brow line). A spooly is an absolute MUST, whether you're using a pomade or pencil. It's super convenient having it all on one tool.
This pomade has some staying power! My best testament to this is the day that I woke up, put my pomade on in the morning and drove out to LA (about an hour and twenty minute drive). I took a warm level 2 yoga class and then went into a sauna for 1 hour. By the time I was done, any makeup I had on had pretty much melted off, with the exception of my brows (check out the last photo above for a shot of my brows IN the sauna- crazy)!
I have actually noticed hair growth! Do I have beautiful Cara Delevingne brows now? Sadly, no. They are filling in though where I tend to be a little more sparse and I feel like the way they are growing in is nice. It's sort of hard to explain, but lately when I just brush through them, I like how they look on their own! I never would have said that before this pomade.
Comes in 5 shades and retails for $38 USD.
Plume Science is one of my favorite green beauty brands and one I consider to be highly-coveted. Currently, there are two collection boxes available on their site- the Limited Edition Lash Collection (retails for $95 USD) and the Limited Edition Brow Collection (retails for $133 USD). If you are looking to purchase a couple of items, these boxes would be the way to go! For another point of view on this brand, check out this review from one of my favorite babes, Free Love Beauty.
**Disclaimer: The collection boxes were graciously gifted to me. I paid for the pomade with my own money! My opinions are always honest and I'm always grateful when a brand is willing to collaborate with me so I can bring even more reviews and experiences to you!


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Statehouse Blend Kansas
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12th Street Jump
Cyprus Avenue
Question Quest
Harvest Public Media
Kansas News Service
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RadioActive 2019
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Inside KCUR
Judge Blocks Kansas Effort To Defund Planned Parenthood
By Dan Margolies • Jul 5, 2016
The decision to block Kansas' effort to defund Planned Parenthood clinics comes just eight days after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning restrictions on abortion providers in Texas.
Credit Matt Hodapp / Heartland Health Monitor
A federal judge blocked Kansas' effort to cut off two regional Planned Parenthood affiliates' Medicaid funding, ruling the move likely violates federal law.
In a 54-page decision handed down late Tuesday afternoon, U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson granted a preliminary injunction sought by Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri (now known as Planned Parenthood Great Plains) and by Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region.
Robinson found that the plaintiffs would probably be able to show at trial that the grounds cited by the state for terminating their participation in the Medicaid program were inapplicable.
In a May 3 letter to the affiliates, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment cited three grounds for terminating their Medicaid funding: video evidence that other Planned Parenthood affiliates entered into illegal agreements to procure fetal tissue after abortions; an alleged failure to comply with solid waste disposal inspections; and concerns over Medicaid claims submitted by other Planned Parenthood affiliates in neighboring states.
Robinson said the Planned Parenthood affiliates were likely to prevail on all three claims.
"Medicaid patients have the explicit right to seek family planning services from the qualified provider of their choice," she wrote. "It is uncontroverted that PPKM (Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri) and PPSLR (Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region) serve hundreds of underprivileged women in the State of Kansas. It is in the public interest to allow these individuals to be treated by the qualified provider of their choice, and to have that provider reimbursed under Medicaid pending a trial on the merits in this case."
The Kansas health department notified the affiliates of its intentions nearly four months after Gov. Sam Brownback vowed to defund them in his State of the State address. Brownback accused Planned Parenthood of trafficking in "baby body parts," even though several days earlier the Kansas Board of Healing Arts had found no merit to the charge.
"We promised to fight Gov. Brownback's fool's errand in his attempt to cut funding to Planned Parenthood and today marks one more step forward in defending access for patients," Laura McQuade, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, said in a statement shortly after Robinson handed down her decision. "While Gov. Brownback continues touting baseless accusations and wasting taxpayer dollars on frivolous lawsuits, Planned Parenthood refuses to allow politics to get in the way of access to health care."
Eileen Hawley, a spokeswoman for Brownback, told KCUR that the administration will review today's ruling and move forward with the case.
"The governor is going to continue the fight to make Kansas a pro-life state," she said. "You know, this is a preliminary ruling. We need to look at the ruling more closely, but our intent is to move forward with the litigation."
The two affiliates filed their lawsuit just a day after learning it was going to lose its Medicaid funding. The suit named the head of the agency, Susan Mosier, and alleged that the agency's action was unlawful and based on spurious grounds. The affiliates were joined by 11 current and former medical providers at the two affiliates whose participation in Medicaid the agency also sought to terminate.
Kansas recently agreed to rescind its termination of the individual medical providers, leaving just the Planned Parenthood affiliates as plaintiffs.
Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri last year served nearly 450 Medicaid patients –adults with monthly income of no more than $768 who were pregnant, disabled or parents. The St. Louis affiliate operates a clinic in Joplin, just over the Kansas state line, and serves a small number of Kansas patients.
The state's move to end Planned Parenthood's Medicaid funding came just two weeks after the Obama administration warned all 50 states that they cannot cut funding to medical providers simply because they also offer abortion services.
Under federal law, Medicaid funds can't be used to pay for abortions unless the mother's life is in danger or she was the victim of rape or incest.
Kansas is one of several states, including Missouri, that have cut off or threatened to cut off Planned Parenthood's Medicaid funding. Courts in several states – Kansas is now the latest – have blocked those moves.
Robinson's decision, which was expected, comes just eight days after the U.S. Supreme Court found that two Texas restrictions on abortion clinics – requiring doctors to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals and requiring clinics to meet the standards of ambulatory surgical centers – placed an "undue burden" on the right to an abortion.
Dan Margolies, editor of the Heartland Health Monitor team, is based at KCUR. You can reach him on Twitter @DanMargolies.
Sam Brownback
© 2019 KCUR


By custom, the surface warfare officer with the earliest Officer of the Deck qualification is recognized as the Navy's "Old Salt" — an award initiated in 1988 by the Surface Navy Association.
On Friday, that distinction will be bestowed on Adm. John Harvey, commander of Fleet Forces Command, in a ceremony aboard the amphibious transport dock ship San Antonio at Naval Station Norfolk.
The current Old Salt is the recently retired Adm. Mike Mullen, who stepped back into civilian life Sept. 30 following four years as the nation's top military officer and 43 years of service. There was no interim Old Salt, according to Ted Brown, a Fleet Forces Command spokesman.
Harvey, who graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1973, earned his OOD qual on Oct. 11, 1977, aboard the nuclear-powered cruiser Bainbridge. He assumed command of Fleet Forces in July 2009.
Dec. 20 CLARIFICATION: According to Brown, Harvey earned his surface warfare officer or SWO pin in October 1977. He earned his OOD qual in the spring of that year.
Here's the Old Salt and the Old Salt-to-be back in 2005, when Mullen, then the chief of naval operations, promoted Harvey to vice admiral.
So – there was no 'Old Salt' between 30-Sep and 15-Dec?
Leave it to the SWOs to screw up something as simple as an award for longevity.
Graduated from the Naval Academy in 1973, qualified OOD in 1977. 4 years to qualify? Is it because standards are lower now since no one takes 4 years? Why? Very interesting.
To hokie_1997: Mullen apparently continued to hold the honor — "no interim Old Salt", according to CFFC.
To older Salt: Fair question. Adm. Harvey spent a good chunk of time after he graduated to attend and complete nuclear propulsion training. According to his command blog, he was about halfway through that training in the spring of 1974 when he received orders to report to Enterprise. That probably wasn't complete until some time in 1975. He was assigned to the Reactor Department, and his first priority was completing nuclear watchstanding quals so he could become the 4 Plant Station Officer. I don't know what all that entails, but it sounds pretty time-consuming.
Per the Surface Navy Association, Old Salt is an ACTIVE DUTY Surface Warfare Officer with the earliest date of qualification as Officer of the Deck, Underway (OOD-F).
No offense to the former CNO/CJCS – but he retired in late September. He should've forfeited Old Salt on 09/30/11.
A bit minor I know, but seems silly to have an award and not follow your own rules.
And despite the shrinking size of the navy, seems like lots of USN ships are running into piers/ships/buoys, etc.
So clearly, doesn't appear to be a particularly demanding, thorough, or even effective training syllabus.
Makes me wonder: Are shiphandling mishaps more frequent these days or are we just hearing about them more frequently because of social media and the Navy seeming of late to hold leaders more publicly accountable?