The News Thread

I don't see how globalism, globalization, is far-right.

Not trying to be combative I genuinely don't understand how neoliberalism isn't centrism (as in center-left and center-right). Dems, Repubs, over here Labour and Liberal, in the UK Labour and Tories, they all support capitalism and free markets, free trade, only really differentiated by the amount of regulation (or deregulation) we should have.
 
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https://twitter.com/Russwarne/status/1149067917713190912

Tweet thread on genetics and IQ/educational attainment/etc. Big quotes:

>Yrs of education positively genetically correlated w/bipolar disorder & schizophrenia.
>IQ negatively genetically correlated w/both. Something non-g encourages people to stay in school...and develop mental health problems.
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We can currently predict how long a child will stay in school based on DNA taken on the day they were born with more accuracy than the traditional explanatory variable of parental SES.
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Genes that are expressed in fetal brain development are disproportionately important for the heritability for educational attainment in adulthood.
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Some of the same genes that increase head size also increase IQ, though not necessarily vice-versa (Lee, Iacono, Michael, & Chabris, 2019).
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On the first quote I wouldn't be surprised at some correlate with trait neuroticism.
 
https://apnews.com/c70a21451ac64c99af1525af0bd73a26

Kamala Harris bemoaned the influence of the powerful and connected elite last Tuesday when she called on top Justice Department officials to recuse themselves from any matter related to Jeffrey Epstein. She said their former law firm’s work on behalf of the financier accused of sexual abuse “calls into question the integrity of our legal system.”

Yet the same day, Harris’ husband headlined a Chicago fundraiser for her presidential campaign that was hosted by six partners of that firm — Kirkland and Ellis, according to an invitation obtained by The Associated Press.

Harris is going to eventually be sunk by her husband methinks, and not even by this specifically.
 
Rand Paul is 100% right on this, though it's unfortunate that he has a spotty history of fiscal conservatism overall. He should have just quietly let it pass and then save his energy for more meaningful wastes. This isn't even just about first responders, as the bill broadly opens up gibs to all forms of victims (basically anyone that happened to be in general proximity at the time) and will likely cost well above 20 billion dollars by 2090 when it finally expires. You can bet that a lot of wealthy Manhattanites that smoke tobacco will profit off of this down the line. Though the very idea that on 9/11 deserves a pension for life, while suffering in the line of duty on the other 364 days of the year doesn't, is pretty silly on its own.
 
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Private investigator has spent a decade on Jeffrey Epstein's trail.

As his investigation progressed, Fisten said he saw Epstein wield power to try and silence his accusers. He hired private investigators of his own, who Fisten said frightened and harassed the victims.

"They were former Miami cops," Fisten said. "He paid an extremely large retainer to them and all their job to do was to follow the girls around and intimidate them."

Fisten said he received calls from some of their clients who expressed fears about being followed. On one occasion, Fisten said, he drove one of Epstein's accusers to her home only to find a private investigator parked across the street in a car holding a video camera. The father of another accuser was run off the road, allegedly by one of Epstein's hires, according to court documents.
 
Ilhan Omar: Obama’s a ‘pretty face’ who got ‘away with murder’.

Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar ripped former President Barack Obama in an interview published Friday, belittling his “pretty face” and saying his agenda of hope and change was an illusion.

She cited the “caging of kids” at the Mexican border and the “droning of countries around the world” on Obama’s watch — and argued that he wasn’t much different from President Trump

“We can’t be only upset with Trump,” the freshman firebrand told Politico Magazine.

“His policies are bad, but many of the people who came before him also had really bad policies. They just were more polished than he was,” Omar said.
 
She said that a while ago and then almost immediately denied having done so after the Obamadrones shit themselves.
 
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