She mentions that Galileo suspected it, and she doesn't come right out and say that Romer was the first to find evidence, but it sounds like he was the first. Kind of neat how he came to realize it.

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Covert Chinese accounts are masquerading online as American supporters of former President Donald J. Trump, promoting conspiracy theories, stoking domestic divisions and attacking President Biden ahead of the election in November, according to researchers and government officials.
The accounts signal a potential tactical shift in how Beijing aims to influence American politics, with more of a willingness to target specific candidates and parties, including Mr. Biden.
In an echo of Russia’s influence campaign before the 2016 election, China appears to be trying to harness partisan divisions to undermine the Biden administration’s policies, despite recent efforts by the two countries to lower the temperature in their relations.
Some of the Chinese accounts impersonate fervent Trump fans, including one on X that purported to be “a father, husband and son” who was “MAGA all the way!!” The accounts mocked Mr. Biden’s age and shared fake images of him in a prison jumpsuit, or claimed that Mr. Biden was a Satanist pedophile while promoting Mr. Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan.
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“I’ve never seen anything along those lines at all before,” said Elise Thomas, a senior analyst at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, a nonprofit research organization that uncovered a small group of the fake accounts posing as Trump supporters.
Ms. Thomas and other researchers have linked the new activity to a long-running network of accounts connected with the Chinese government known as Spamouflage. Several of the accounts they detailed previously posted pro-Beijing content in Mandarin — only to resurface in recent months under the guise of real Americans writing in English.
In a separate project, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a research organization in Washington, identified 170 inauthentic pages and accounts on Facebook that have also pushed anti-American messages, including pointed attacks on Mr. Biden.

​

The effort has more successfully attracted actual users’ attention and become more difficult for researchers to identify than previous Chinese efforts to influence public opinion in the United States. Though researchers say the overall political tilt of the campaign remains unclear, it has raised the possibility that China’s government is calculating that a second Trump presidency, despite his sometimes hostile statements against the country, might be preferable to a second Biden term.
China’s activity has already raised alarms inside the American government.
In February, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence reported that China was expanding its influence campaigns to “sow doubts about U.S. leadership, undermine democracy and extend Beijing’s influence.” The report expressed concern that Beijing could use increasingly sophisticated methods to try to influence the American election “to sideline critics of China.”

​

Ms. Thomas, who has studied China’s information operations for years, said the new effort suggested a more subtle and sophisticated approach than previous campaigns. It was the first time, she said, that she had encountered Chinese accounts posing so persuasively as Trump-supporting Americans while managing to attract genuine engagement.

“The worry has always been, what if one day they wake up and are effective?” she said. “Potentially, this could be the beginning of them waking up and being effective.”
Online disinformation experts are looking ahead to the months before the November election with growing anxiety.
Intelligence assessments show Russia using increasingly subtle influence tactics in the United States to spread its case for isolationism as its war against Ukraine continues. Mock news sites are targeting Americans with Russian propaganda.
Efforts to beat back false narratives and conspiracy theories — already a difficult task — must now also contend with waning moderation efforts at social media platforms, political pushback, fast-advancing artificial intelligence technology and broad information fatigue.
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Never liked it. It hurts my eyes so I boycott all BSU games on TV

/rant

The movie “Field of Dreams” famously asked if Iowa was heaven. While it may not be heaven, it’s now seen as the best state to retire in, according to a BankRate study.

Bumping Florida out of the top spot, Iowa ranked well in areas such as affordability, crime levels, and quality and cost of healthcare.

Iowa, which ranked 14th last year, also showed strong rankings this year in terms of cost of living, state health system performance, cost of healthcare per capita by state, adults 65 and older per capita, and combined state and local sales tax, BankRate said.

“People may be surprised not to see Florida, Georgia and Arizona in the top spots. But the states that were once popular for retirement have seen their cost of living rise so drastically. The housing market is so competitive in those states that it’s unaffordable for many,” Gailey said.

Florida ranked eighth in this year’s study, down from first place last year.

Gailey suggested the rankings serve as a starting point for soon-to-be retirees and retirees to explore different locations.

With states in the Midwest and South ranking as more affordable, retirees looking to stretch their budgets may want to consider them over northeastern or western states with higher costs of living.

The worst states to retire in? Alaska ranked last, with poor rankings in weather, crime, affordability, quality and cost of healthcare, and well-being. New York, California, Washington and Massachusetts rounded out the bottom of the list.

“In our overall ranking, the best and worst states for retirees are split geographically. The Midwest and the South claim the top five states, while the Northeast and West claim the bottom five states, primarily because of the differences in cost of living,” Gailey said.

“For many Americans, a comfortable retirement may feel out of reach,” Gailey said. “If you’re considering a late-life move to lower your cost of living in retirement, our rankings provide some food for thought.”

Bill Vahl fondly remembers growing up along Dubuque’s bluffs.



A love of the outdoors led him to join local Boy Scout Troop 23 of the Northeast Iowa Council in 1964 at the age of 11. Scouting provided opportunities for socializing and outdoor adventures and Vahl excelled, taking on leadership roles.


An assistant scoutmaster, Kenny Krakow, took a liking to him and some of the other boys in the troop. Vahl said Krakow would take him and a couple of other boys on outings outside the normal Scouting scheduled — on camping and canoe trips, to air shows and drag car and stock car races.




He said Krakow often would offer to give him a ride home after Scout meetings. Krakow would talk about girls, cars, Playboy magazine and masturbation, “like he was a teenager,” Vahl recalled.


“He would always make it very light and fun or entertaining,” he said. “We would park in front of my house and we would talk more.”


Krakow eventually gained Vahl’s trust enough to persuade him to visit his house to look at magazines with nude girls and to race on the slot car track in his attic.


Vahl said he was drawn in by Krakow’s charm and generosity, but now recognizes the inappropriate nature of his actions. He said Krakow sexually abused him more than a dozen times from when he was about age 12 until he was 15.





Vahl said he never was able to tell his parents, or anyone else, what happened.


“Of course, at the time I was unaware I was being groomed,” said Vahl, 71, who now lives in Tucson, Ariz. “All these activities were designed to make me feel greatly indebted to him. I had a bad relationship with my own father, and so I loved the attention and we had a lot of fun.”

Boy Scout leader named in ‘Perversion Files’​

Vahl said the alleged abuse went unreported until someone eventually turned in the assistant scoutmaster, whose name was included in the more than 20,000 pages of internal Boy Scouts of America documents dubbed the “Perversion Files” that detailed alleged sexual abuse by Scout leaders.


The files detail cases from 1959 to 1985. The records were used in a landmark 2010 court case over the abuse of six boys in a troop in Portland, Ore., and were made public in 2012.


In a letter sent to the national Boy Scouts organization in December 1970, a Scout executive from the Northeast Iowa Council notified the Boy Scouts of America that Krakow, then 49, had resigned due to “many years of homosexual activities with boys in the area.”


“This fact he admitted freely to me in a conference. We have taken appropriate action here,” wrote Scout executive Max Burgoyne in a letter included in the released files.


Krakow had been a volunteer with the troop since 1938 and had served as scoutmaster previously. He died in 1980.


Silent for most of his 71 years, Vahl is in the final stages of submitting a package of documents to the Boy Scouts of America as part of a $2.7 billion plan to give the organization a pathway out of bankruptcy while compensating tens of thousands of sex abuse victims.


The Boy Scouts of America filed for bankruptcy in 2020 after several states enacted laws letting accusers sue over decades-old abuse allegations. The organization ultimately reached a settlement, approved in court in 2022, that would pay abuse victims amounts ranging from $3,500 to $2.7 million.


The settlement involves more than 82,000 men who said they were abused as children by troop leaders. That fund — the largest of its kind in U.S. history to settle sexual abuse claims — distributing payments last fall to victims


But unless legislators take action this year to change Iowa law, the estimated roughly 300 to 350 Iowans involved in the settlement will receive a fraction of the awards they would be entitled to.


Iowa officials in 2021 lifted the state’s statute of limitations for bringing criminal charges in sexual abuse, incest, sexual exploitation and human trafficking cases. But the law does not cover civil claims.

Clock ticking to change Iowa law​

Lawmakers face a looming deadline to lift Iowa's civil statute of limitations for filing sex abuse claims related to the Boy Scouts bankruptcy and settlement. Iowa has one year from the effective date of the settlement trust, or April 19, to change the law or Iowa survivors will receive less than others across the country.


When figuring victims’ compensation, the settlement uses a matrix that weighs a variety of factors ― including the type of abuse, how long it lasted, the effect it had, whether the alleged abuser had other victims, whether the victim previously knew their alleged abuser and different states' civil statutes of limitations.


Iowa’s statute of limitations requires victims of child sexual abuse to file cases in district courts by the age of 19 or within four years of coming to the realization as an adult that their injuries and suffering are related to their alleged abuse.


Gilion Dumas is an Oregon attorney who is appealing the national settlement agreement, and represents an Iowan who has a filed claim in the bankruptcy.


Dumas said Iowa's short statute of limitations for filing lawsuits related to child sexual abuse is a significant challenge for survivors seeking justice, as they may not be able to file until they connect their abuse to adult problems.


Data from the U.S. Department of Justice suggests that 86 percent of child sexual abuse goes unreported altogether. When victims do report, a high percentage of them delay disclosure well into adulthood. A March 2020 report by Child USA, a national think tank for child protection, said the average age of disclosure for child sexual abuse is 52.


Children often lack the knowledge needed to recognize sexual abuse, lack the ability to articulate that they’ve been abused, don’t have an adult they can disclose their abuse to, don’t have opportunities to disclose abuse, and may not be believed when they try to disclose, the report states.


“So in Iowa, because of that statute of limitations, the value of the claim is reduced by up to 70 percent,” Dumas said. “So you know, a $600,000 claim would be worth only $180,000, simply because it happened in Iowa.”

Victims could get pennies on the dollar​

Because his alleged abuse took place in Iowa, Vahl estimates due to how current state law figures into the settlement formula, he will receive between 30 and 40 percent of what he initially was entitled to as a claimant.


Vahl, an engineer, estimates over his lifetime he lost a couple million dollars in wages due to crippling health issues he’s coped with his entire adult life.


And even then, people might only be paid 5 to 10 percent of the value because there’s not enough money in the settlement fund, Dumas said

Surely, there will be no end to Iowa Republicans’ invincible Statehouse majority. Their electoral dominance is clear, their agenda will make Iowa a low-tax economic Mecca and Iowa Democrats are in disarray with seemingly few prospects for a comeback.



But maybe, future Iowans won’t appreciate 2024 GOP wisdom. Unthinkable, but possible.


Just in case the Red Dynasty is ever forced to abdicate the throne, its grand edifices must be protected. So, Republicans are pushing for a constitutional amendment requiring future Legislatures to muster a two-thirds vote in each chamber to raise the personal or corporate income tax.




House Joint Resolution 2006, which includes the amendment, was approved by the Iowa House 61-35. You’ll note “yes” votes did not add up to a two-thirds majority.


To be clear, the amendment must pass the Senate this year and both the House and Senate during the next two-year General Assembly, Then it’s subject to a statewide vote. Not exactly a slam dunk.


But if the amendment is added to the constitution, it will lock in tomorrow whatever income tax changes majority Republicans and Gov. Kim Reynolds make today. When they’re through flattening income tax rates or eliminating the income tax completely, future Iowans and their elected representatives will play hell trying to undo 2024’s tax decisions, even if there’s a darn good reason.


Never mind that I can’t recall a legislative vote in my years of covering and watching the Legislature that raised the income tax. It’s hard enough without junking up the constitution.





A second constitutional amendment under consideration would bar the Legislature from enacting any income tax rates that are not flat. So, it basically outlaws the progressive income tax, where wealthier earners pay a higher percentage of their income than low and middle-income Iowans. It’s a system that is so unfair to big Republican donors. We must help them.


Lawmakers would be free to raise the sales tax, which, as a percentage of income, hits low and middle-income Iowans hardest.


The ability of Republican tax-cutters to travel into the future and tie the hands of lawmakers who may be governing in an entirely different state is just one fun feature.


Consider the fact that, no matter the situation, it will take just 34 House members and 17 senators to block legislation undoing any income tax damage done by the current majority. So, in a General Assembly with 150 lawmakers total, 51 members will rule on income tax policy. A minority becomes the majority when it comes to taxes.


In our constitutional republic, run by democratically elected representatives, giving a minority that much power seems like a bad idea. Basically, “no votes” have more clout than “yes” votes.


But Republicans would like to lock in their agenda so future libs can cry more, I guess.


In 2022, Iowa voters overwhelmingly approved an amendment saying, "The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. The sovereign state of Iowa affirms and recognizes this right to be a fundamental individual right. Any and all restrictions of this right shall be subject to strict scrutiny.”


The amendment delivers orders to future Iowa courts to subject any gun regulation to the highest level of judicial review. If someday the state bans vaporizing laser guns, it’s going to need a compelling reason for doing so.


Lawmakers also pursued a constitutional amendment declaring the state constitution does not secure a right to abortion. Then the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe, and the last thing Republicans wanted was an up-or-down vote on abortion. So, they scrapped the amendment.


This tax limit isn’t even a new idea. In 1999, voters rejected an amendment requiring a 60% super majority to raise taxes and a second limiting spending. Now, the super majority is back.


Tell you what. I won’t get worked up about these constitution changes if Republicans also consider an amendment giving Iowans the power of petition and referendum.


Let’s allow Iowans to put measures on the ballot. Want legal abortion protected? Let’s vote on it. Want legalized recreational marijuana but can’t get it through our “Reefer Madness” Legislature? Let’s vote on it. A higher minimum wage? Clean up our waters? Address mental health system failures? Let’s put all of it on the ballot.


Add this to your amendment, Republicans, and you can prove you’re not authoritarians who can’t stand the thought Iowa’s political winds might shift. Bristle at the left calling you enemies of democracy? Giving Iowans a powerful voice at the ballot would prove them wrong.


Do something right, before your invincibility runs out of juice.


(319) 398-8262; todd.dorman@thegazette.com

Opinion: Iowa Republicans want to control the future

Republicans are pushing for a constitutional amendment requiring future Legislatures to muster a two-thirds vote in each chamber to raise income taxes

www.thegazette.com

Anyone have an idea about the percentage of Iowa favoring fans today? I see that they’re setting much higher attendance numbers than the Portland site. I was stuck watching the game on an airplane today and the quality sucked.

One thing that will be interesting is that LSU is a long ways away from home compared to playing the Final Four in Dallas last year. Could be a bit of a difference maker if the crowd is significantly favoring us.

"Net Zero before I leaves office is his promise" if we put him back into the White House.

In response, the Green Party says they will endorse him if he picks a VP candidate that is also good on environmental issues.

Major evangelical groups say this shows God's influence because the bible says we must be stewards of our world.

Skeptics say you can't trust him, while some others say he has no intention of leaving office, so the promise is hollow.

What do you think?

AF, of course.

per NY Times

Makes sense.

On vacation in FLA with inlaws, so choices have been limited. I guess the Sweetwater IPA I had is the best, even though it's nothing special.

Is there an area on the beach considered to be a good value, relatively speaking? Places that are pricier, relatively speaking? Or are they pretty much all the same with gulf view and square footage as the primary price drivers? @goldmom I believe you were a realtor and have good knowledge on condos so tagging you…

Which means it’s now been exactly 42 years since Iowa last made a Final Four.

😩

Goooooooood morning ☀️🏞😄 Playboy Bunnys 😜😜🐰🎉🐇👯‍♀️👅 Today 🗓 is EASTER 🐰🥚 and its time 🕕🕘 to HOP🏃‍♂️over to DADDY’s 😍⛪️CHURCH😛✝️😌🙏 get on ur KNEES🧎🏼🦵 and BEG 🙏😫 for MERCY 😨🥵😫📿😰😩✝️ Did u kno 🧠🧐🤔😉😼 2024 Yrs ago 🗓🔙 Jesus ✝️👩🏻 DIED💀😵😭 and it took him 2️⃣ Hole 🕳 DAYS 📆📆 to respawn… ⏱ Stupid lag 🙄😒 BUT then we 👯‍♀️🌏👯‍♀️ were all SAVED 🦸🏻‍♂️😌🙏🎉🤠 by his big RES-ERECTION 😳⬆️☁️👀👅🍆😏 Since then jesus’s 💒 Church Sanctioned Fursona™ 👀🙏🛐🙊 aka the Easter Bunny 🐰🐇😉 cums ➡️🌏💦 every 🗓 year and U know what bunnys do best… 😏🥚🍑👶👶👶👶 He gonna DROP ⬇️ his 🐤 BABY C🅾️CK🥚🐣 in ur lil pink basket👜😩 til its OVERFLOWING 🤤😫🥚 with his Rainbow Eggs 🏳️‍🌈🤤🥚🍳😫 Send this 💌 this to 1️⃣0️⃣ of ur 🔥👯‍♀️ Baddest Bunnies🐰😈 If u get 🔟 back ur gettin ur 🍬 candy 🍭licked 👅😉🤤💦 Get 5️⃣ back ur a ROTTEN EGG 🥚👃🤢😰 get 0️⃣ back and u wont get a single Peep🐣👁🚫🙅‍♀️ at that BUNNY D 🐇🍆❌😭😫😓😪😣😰😥😔

While I know maybe the names of 5 players this year, it’s still one of the greatest things we have in American sports.

Who’s your winner/ team you want to win/ sleeper?

Winner: Uconn
Team I’ll root for: Uconn
Sleeper: Michigan St. (8 seed)

California Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula has introduced Assembly Bill 1840, aimed at expanding homeownership opportunities for undocumented immigrants in the state. The bill seeks to amend existing loan programs to include undocumented migrants as eligible applicants, marking a significant shift in housing policy.

Under AB 1840, an individual’s immigration status would no longer disqualify them from participating in state loan programs designed to facilitate homeownership. The proposed legislation specifically targets the California Dream for All Shared Appreciation Loans program, which currently assists in qualifying first-time homebuyers.

Assemblymember Arambula highlighted the need to address the ambiguity surrounding the eligibility of undocumented individuals for existing loan programs. He emphasized that AB 1840 aims to ensure that anyone who meets the program’s criteria, including securing a bank loan or mortgage, can apply for homeownership assistance.

Proponents of the bill argue that facilitating access to homeownership for undocumented immigrants benefits individual families and strengthens local economies. By providing financial security and stability, homeownership can have broader positive impacts on communities across California.

The California Dream for All program has already seen significant interest, with thousands of applicants expressing interest in accessing homeownership assistance. However, concerns have been raised about the program’s ability to manage demand effectively, leading to the implementation of a lottery system for applicant selection.

The introduction of AB 1840 comes amid ongoing debates about border security and immigration policy at the national level. President Biden’s recent visit to the border highlighted the importance of addressing the migrant crisis, with calls for bipartisan solutions to border security challenges.

Leaders in border security, such as National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd, have expressed frustration over the lack of effective policies to address the ongoing migrant crisis. Concerns persist about the impact of current border policies on human lives, American citizens, and the security of the border region.

As debates continue over immigration policy and border security, AB 1840 represents a significant step towards expanding access to homeownership for undocumented immigrants in California. However, the broader implications of this legislation and its potential impact on housing policy and border security remain subjects of ongoing discussion and debate.

What do you think? How might the passage of Assembly Bill 1840 impact the housing market dynamics in California, particularly in terms of housing affordability and availability? What are the potential economic implications of providing homeownership opportunities to undocumented immigrants through state loan programs? How might this affect local communities and the broader California economy?

In what ways could the implementation of a lottery system for selecting applicants in loan programs like the California Dream for All Shared Appreciation Loans program impact equity and access to housing assistance? How do you think the debate over immigration policy and border security at the national level influences state-level initiatives like AB 1840 in California?

“This is the Handy,” Wilhelmson told The Daily Beast, holding the device in his hands. “It’s a fully automated and interactive stroker for penis owners. Up to four-and-a-half-inches of stroke length. Up to 600 strokes a minute. One size fits all. No matter if you have a pen or a can, it fits.”

Who found the biggest butt plug in their fruit basket? Who is going to the big anal egg hunt sponsored by the Iowa democratic party? Who is going to beat their meat on the toilet seat to celebrate the res-erection in his panties?

Sixty minutes segment on this sport was great just now.
Bad ass

Well?