NASA’s ‘Fake News’ About Water on Mars

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It was big news in 2015 when NASA declared “liquid water found in Mars.”

Now, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, the announcement that Mars contains large amounts of water was premature.

Scientists had reasoned that water must be present on the red planet to explain mysterious darkish streaks that appeared to ebb and flow with the seasons.

A new paper in Nature Geoscience says that “Recurring Slope Lineae,” or RSL, in Eos Chasma, a deep depression on the planet, are “inconsistent with models for water sources.”

The researchers — working in cooperation with the NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project — found that the RSL were instead “identical to the slopes of sand dunes where movement is caused by dry granular flows.” (Read more from “NASA’s ‘Fake News’ About Water on Mars” HERE)

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Church to Stop Referring to God as ‘He’ or ‘Lord’

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The Church of Sweden is urging its clergy to use gender-neutral language when referring to the supreme deity, refraining from using terms such as “Lord” and “he” in favour of the less specific “God.”

The move is one of several taken by the national Evangelical Lutheran church in updating a 31-year-old handbook setting out how services should be conducted in terms of language, liturgy, hymns and other aspects.

The decision was taken on Thursday at the end of an eight-day meeting of the church’s 251-member decision-making body, and takes effect on 20 May on the Christian holiday of Pentecost.

A former state church, headquartered in Uppsala, some 37 miles north of the capital, the church has 6.1 million baptised members in a country of 10 million. It is headed by a woman, Archbishop Antje Jackelén. (Read more from “Church to Stop Referring to God as ‘He’ or ‘Lord'” HERE)

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North Korea May Have Replaced Its Entire Border Security Team After Defection

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Pyongyang may have replaced its entire border security force after a North Korean soldier dramatically defected into South Korea last week.

Yonhap news agency on Friday cited an unnamed intelligence source who said there were “signs” the North had replaced its entire force of 35 to 40 men at the Joint Security Area.

The source said North Korea seems to have temporarily closed a bridge over which the defector drove a military jeep to reach the border before his dramatic escape on foot last Monday. The source said the North could be preparing to install a security gate at the bridge for strengthening its screening of personnel coming in and out of the area.

A photo posted on the Twitter account of the acting U.S. ambassador to South Korea, Marc Knapper, showed North Korean workers using shovels to dig what Knapper said was a trench at the spot where the defector crossed the border.

According to South Korea’s military, four North Korean soldiers using handguns and AK-47 assault rifles fired about 40 rounds at the defector, who rushed across the line that divides the Koreas after getting his vehicle stuck in a ditch. (Read more from “North Korea May Have Replaced Its Entire Border Security Team After Defection” HERE)

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Here’s the One NFL Player Who Kneeled During the Anthem on Thanksgiving

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New York Giants defensive end Olivier Vernon was the only NFL player to kneel during the national anthem in a Thanksgiving game Thursday.

Vernon took a knee right before his team took on the Washington Redskins in the Thursday night game. No other players demonstrated during the anthem.

It also appears no players kneeled during the day’s two previous games, which saw the Minnesota Vikings defeat the Detroit Lions and the Los Angeles Chargers win against the Dallas Cowboys.

(Read more from “Here’s the One NFL Player Who Kneeled During the Anthem on Thanksgiving” HERE)

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Tom Steyer’s Impeachment Push Has Some Dems Running Scared

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California financier Tom Steyer’s $20 million ad campaign to impeach President Donald Trump has alienated some of the Democratic leaders with the influence to make impeachment a reality.

Some within the Democratic leadership fear that aggressively pursuing impeachment will only serve to turn Republican and independents against the party and jeopardize their opportunity to flip Congress in 2018.

“I’ve been a very harsh critic of this president….But the impeachment message right now is not helpful to the possibility of retaking the House,” Democratic Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, chairman of the fiscally moderate New Democratic Coalition, told The Wall Street Journal . . .

The ads have run on CNN, MSNBC and Fox News, local broadcast stations, Times Square and Twitter. The segments, which cast Trump’s firing of former FBI director James Comey as obstruction, direct viewers to a virtual impeachment petition website, that 2.6 million people have signed in the month since the campaign began.

Steyer, who has spent over $170 million to support Democratic causes and candidates over the last three years, claims the ad campaign is designed to put sufficient public pressure on lawmakers that they secure the necessary coalition to impeach. (Read more from “Tom Steyer’s Impeachment Push Has Some Dems Running Scared” HERE)

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Trump to Troops on Thanksgiving: ‘You’re Fighting for Something Good’

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By Miles Parks. President Trump spoke to U.S. troops Thursday from his private Florida club Mar-a-Lago, telling them “we’re really winning” in the fight against ISIS and in Afghanistan — all thanks to his administration’s leadership.

“They say we’ve made more progress against ISIS than they did in years of the previous administration, and that’s because I’m letting you do your job,” Trump said, in a video call to branches of the U.S. armed forces . . .

Trump also pointed to the economy in the speech, telling the service members that “when you come back, you’re going to see with the jobs and the companies coming back into our country and the stock market just hit a record high. Unemployment is the lowest its been in 17 years.”

“So you’re fighting for something real,” he said. “You’re fighting for something good.”

The president spent the holiday at Mar-A-Lago, but made a visit to a local Coast Guard station as well. He and first lady Melania Trump provided turkey sandwiches, giant muffins, fruit, chips and cookies to the men and women on duty there, according to the Associated Press. The president also thanked them for their help in providing hurricane relief. (Read more from “Trump to Troops on Thanksgiving: ‘You’re Fighting for Something Good'” HERE)

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Thanksgiving Help for the Homeless: ‘We Haven’t Seen Numbers Like This Since the Great Depression’

By City News Service. Thanksgiving meals will be served to thousands of homeless and near-homeless individuals today on Skid Row and in Pasadena and Canoga Park amid calls for donations and volunteers for the rest of the year.

The Midnight Mission will serve Thanksgiving brunch to nearly 2,500 homeless and near-homeless men, women and children, according to Georgia Berkovich, its director of public affairs.

Scheduled volunteer servers include gubernatorial candidate and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, entertainer Dick Van Dyke and actress Nicolette Sheridan.

The Midnight Mission is seeking donations of $5 to $10 to help it cover the costs of the meals. Donations can be made by texting “Meals” to 71777, Berkovich said. The mission serves meals seven days a week, distributes hygiene kits after its meal service and conducts drives for food and clothing to distribute to its guests.

“We haven’t seen numbers like this since the Great Depression,” she said. (Read more from “Thanksgiving Help for the Homeless: ‘We Haven’t Seen Numbers Like This Since the Great Depression'” HERE)

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Roy Moore Opponent Defended Man With Ties to KKK, Holocaust Deniers

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The Democratic nominee in the heated Alabama Senate race once defended a man in court who has ties to the Ku Klux Klan and Holocaust deniers, complicating his record on the campaign trail as a civil rights champion.

Former U.S. Attorney Doug Jones is running against Republican candidate Roy Moore for the Senate seat, which was long occupied by now-U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions . . .

But the 63-year-old Democrat has built his campaign largely on his personal history and legal record during his stint as a U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, where he successfully prosecuted two KKK members linked to the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in 1963 that left four African-American children dead . . .

But while Jones and the media tout his prosecution of the KKK members, his lesser-known record as a private defense attorney in the 1980s is often overlooked. In one case, he defended Tom Posey, the infamous figure during the Iran-Contra scandal, who had ties with the KKK and Holocaust deniers . . .

Jones represented Posey in 1987 amid allegations of illegal arms shipping to the Nicaraguan rebels fighting the socialist government at a time when such activity was prohibited as the U.S. was not officially at war with Nicaragua. He got off the charges thanks to Jones’ representation. (Read more from “Roy Moore Opponent Defended Man With Ties to KKK, Holocaust Deniers” HERE)

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Holiday Hugs Under Fire From Girl Scouts

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Holidays may be a time for family members to hug each other, but when it comes to kids hugging relatives, the Girl Scouts of America are urging parents not to force the issue.

The Girl Scouts published a blog post this week stating that forcing children to hug relatives and family friends during the holidays could cause confusion about consent for those children later.

The blog came from the national office, but Amy Mountain, spokeswoman for the Harrisburg-based Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania, said, “We’re always trying to help girls find their voice and determine what makes them comfortable. If someone decides doing a fist bump or high five makes them more comfortable, we suggest the family support the girl in that.”

“The main message is children should be given a choice if they want to give a hug,” said Susan Mathias, chief executive officer of Transitions, Lewisburg, which provides services to victims of sexual assault and other crimes. “It’s empowering for girls — and boys — to learn its OK to say no, they don’t want to give a hug or a kiss.”

If a relative, especially one the child barely knows, insists on hugging or kissing the child, “I think it’s appropriate for the parent to nicely intervene if it’s not comfortable for the child,” Mathias said. (Read more from “Holiday Hugs Under Fire From Girl Scouts” HERE)

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Cabela’s Giving Away Free Guns for Black Friday

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One outdoor retailing giant is kicking off the Christmas shopping season by giving away free guns for Black Friday in Texas.

Cabela’s, is giving away “mystery envelopes” containing free guns at its Fort Worth location in Texas Friday. The store which opens at 5 a.m. will give away free guns among other merchandise for the first 600 customers above the age of 18, reported Dallas News.

“All gifts will be distributed randomly and could include outdoor products, firearms, Cabela’s gift cards and much more,” said Cabela’s Fort Worth in the promotion, adding that,”Firearm winners will be required to complete and pass a standard federal background check to take ownership of the firearm,” reported the Star-Telegram.

Some possible guns available include a Ruger LC9 Pistol, Browning BPS Hunter Pump-Action Shotgun, Badlands Release Day Pack or a Masterbuilt Sportsman Elite 30″ Window Smoker. (Read more from “Cabela’s Giving Away Free Guns for Black Friday” HERE)

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Homeless Vet Spends Last $20 to Keep Woman Safe

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Kate McClure didn’t expect to run out of gas on her drive to Philadelphia last month.

And she definitely didn’t expect that her misfortune would give her the opportunity to change someone else’s life.

Pulled over on the side of I-95, McClure, 27, was approached by a homeless man named Johnny. She was apprehensive at first, but Johnny told her to get back into her car and to lock the doors while he walked to get her help. He went to a nearby gas station, used his last $20 fill a can and brought it back to fill up her car.

Grateful, but without a dollar to repay him, McClure promised she would come back with something.

In the weeks since, she’s returned to the spot along I-95 where Johnny stays with cash, snacks and Wawa gift cards. Each time she’s stopped by with her boyfriend, Mark D’Amico, they’ve learned a bit more about Johnny’s story, and become humbled by his gratitude. (Read more from “Homeless Vet Spends Last $20 to Keep Woman Safe” HERE)

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