Inside Xinjiang’s Prison State ; Entire Staff of Nevada Democratic Party Quits ; and More Picks 3/10
Inside Xinjiang’s Prison State (Dana)
The author writes, “Xinjiang is one of the most ethnically diverse regions in China. In 2017 and 2018, authorities detained roughly a million Uighurs, Kazakhs, and other predominantly Muslim minorities in secret ‘reeducation centers.’ In 2019, they claimed that detainees had ‘graduated.’ Evidence shows that many were sentenced to long prison terms or forced labor instead. It is likely the largest internment of ethnic and religious minorities since the Second World War.”
Entire Staff of Nevada Democratic Party Quits After Democratic Socialist Slate Won Every Seat (DonkeyHotey)
From the Intercept: “Not long after Judith Whitmer won her election on Saturday to become chair of the Nevada Democratic Party, she got an email from the party’s executive director, Alana Mounce. The message from Mounce began with a note of congratulations, before getting to her main point. She was quitting. So was every other employee. And so were all the consultants. And the staff would be taking severance checks with them, thank you very much. On March 6, a coalition of progressive candidates backed by the local chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America took over the leadership of the Nevada Democratic Party, sweeping all five party leadership positions in a contested election that evening.”
The Conversation That Can Change the Course of a Cardiac Arrest (Bethany)
The author writes, “Over-the-phone CPR instruction by a dispatcher, also known as telephone CPR or T-CPR, can enable a caller to become a lay rescuer, and by doing so make the difference between life and death. Early CPR performed by a lay rescuer is associated with a roughly twofold increase in the chances of survival. However, T-CPR is not as widespread as most 911 callers might expect.”
Oregon’s Logging Industry Says It Can’t Afford New Taxes. But Prices Have Never Been Higher and Profits Are Soaring. (Reader Steve)
The authors write, “Legislators are considering whether to add to taxes paid by the logging industry after an investigation published last year by Oregon Public Broadcasting, The Oregonian/OregonLive and ProPublica found that timber companies, increasingly dominated by Wall Street real estate trusts and investment funds, benefited from the tax cuts at the expense of rural counties struggling to provide basic government services. During hearings last week, a parade of industry lobbyists and supporters said now would be the worst possible time to reinstate the tax. What they didn’t tell lawmakers: Lumber prices are at record highs. The huge demand for lumber and the accompanying high prices have helped to boost stock prices and profits for some of Oregon’s biggest timber companies.”
Wisdom the Albatross, the World’s Oldest Known Wild Bird, Has Another Chick at Age 70 (Mili)
The author writes, “At 70 years of age, Wisdom the Laysan albatross has hatched another chick. Regarded as ‘oldest known wild bird in history,’ Wisdom has outlived previous mating partners as well as the biologist Chandler Robbins, who first banded her in 1956. Wisdom hatched the chick on 1 February in the Midway Atoll national wildlife refuge in the North Pacific, where more than a million albatross return to nest each year.”
Is This ‘Open-Concept Bathroom’ a Dream or a Nightmare? (Dana)
From Boston: “This newly renovated condo that just hit the market in [Boston] for $899,000 has it all: sparkling appliances, gleaming new all-white kitchen cabinets, freshly installed hardwoods, windows galore, and a lovely little deck peering out over a charming street. … Where this hot new property really shines, however, is in the john. For this extra special layout in the first-floor main bathroom, the design team has done away with pesky walls and doors separating the bedroom from the toilet. A vertical rectangle of frosted glass separates the throne and a transparent shower from the rest of the room (for modesty), but other than that, this property lets it all hang out. While you do your business, you can bask in the sunlight through three huge windows, which jut out onto a deck overlooking the street below.”
