Author: nick

Most commercial aircraft use a system known as “bleed air” to supply cabin ventilation, drawing compressed air directly from the jet engine compressor stage. When engine seals degrade, oil and hydraulic fluid containing organophosphates can enter the air supply, according to the Aerotoxic Association. Retired airline captain John Hoyte, who flew commercially for nearly 30 years, reported that he developed serious neurological damage, which he attributes to long-term exposure, according to his statements to the UK Parliament in 2007. France has formally recognized aerotoxic syndrome as an occupational disease, officials said. [1] How the Bleed Air System Works According to aviation…

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Jeffrey Wernick ScheerPost Many people ignore the Ninth Amendment. James Madison wrote it, and he wrote it to answer an objection he had raised himself. During ratification, Madison and Hamilton opposed adding a bill of rights, and their reason was precise. Enumerating rights is dangerous, because listing some implies the government may touch whatever went unlisted. When Madison drafted the amendments anyway, he wrote the answer directly into them. “The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.” The Constitution enumerates powers to the government. Limited. And…

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When the Amazon driver leaves an order at the doorstep, many may not be at home to give a quick, appreciative thank-you as the carrier races off to the next stop. Probably no thought was given to the ships and sailors who shipped goods to Amazon and America’s big-box stores in the first place. But gas station visits today have probably made customers grateful and well aware that an oil tanker and its crew may have been stranded in the Persian Gulf off the Strait of Hormuz and yet found ways to elude Iran’s shore batteries and mines to reach…

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Ida Susser Over a decade ago two innovative movements mobilized in France to take on the neoliberal assaults on the commons and the public good. The Nuit Debout was an Occupy movement that began in Paris in 2016. It was followed by the Yellow Vests, an extraordinary formation that rushed into Paris from the provinces starting in 2018. Triggered by a rise in fuel taxes, the Yellow Vests rapidly articulated broader grievances over inequality, territorial neglect, and the erosion of public services. They demanded affordable transport, pensions, hospitals, and schools.  Both movements launched “commoning” programs that addressed the needs…

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