Among the vast holdings at Houghton Library is a signed copy of the Emancipation Proclamation once owned by Charles Sumner, Abraham Lincoln’s confidante and Secretary of State during the Civil War.A note scrawled in a rough black script at the bottom of the page reads: “President Lincoln: Proclamation. Office copy from the Secretary of State. Charles Sumner.” The document is part of the library’s extensive archive on Sumner, a Harvard graduate, U.S. senator from Massachusetts, and prominent abolitionist.Houghton also holds a rare and fragile early version of Lincoln’s order. Measuring three inches long by two inches wide, and four pages in length, the booklet published by Boston industrialist and abolitionist John Murray Forbes in 1863 “is believed to be the first and only contemporary printing of the Proclamation in book form,” said Peter X. Accardo, the library’s coordinator of programs. The booklet’s form serves its function. It was designed to be small enough to “fit in a pocket,” explained Accardo, and be easily distributed by Union troops to freed slaves in the South.Accardo said abolitionists “flooded the South with these almost ephemeral publications that had a deeply serious purpose,” helping to “shape public opinion, both in the North and in the South.”— Colleen Walsh read more
Nine Harvard researchers are among the 443 scientists who have been named fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest general scientific society.The lifetime appointment honors individuals for their efforts in advancing science applications that are deemed scientifically or socially distinguished. The fellows from Harvard are Andrew Biewener, Darren E. Higgins, Vinothan N. Manoharan, Stephen Marks, Marsha A. Moses, Kornelia Polyak, Joan Y. Reede, Samuel O. Thier, and Dyann F. Wirth.Along with the other 2019 AAAS fellows, the scientists will be honored at the organization’s annual meeting in February where they will be given a certificate and ceremonial pin.The research of the Harvard fellows ranges from studying neuromuscular control in mammals to the development of vaccine strategies to work in international law.The AAAS includes more than 250 affiliated societies and academies of science, serves 10 million individuals, and publishes the journal Science. It was founded in 1848 and its tradition of naming AAAS Fellows began in 1874.Election as an AAAS Fellow is an honor bestowed upon association members by their peers. For more information on the nomination process, visit the AAAS website.Listed are why each fellow was voted in:Biewener, the Charles P. Lyman Professor of Biology in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, was honored for his contributions to animal biomechanics, particularly his studies of neuromuscular control.Higgins, professor of microbiology at Harvard Medical School, was honored for his contributions in microbial pathogenesis and the development of vaccine strategies for cellular immunity to parasitic microorganisms capable of growing and reproducing inside a host’s cells.Manoharan, the Wagner Family Professor of Chemical Engineering and professor of physics at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, was honored for his study of condensed matter and biophysics, especially showing how systems and materials organize themselves in three dimensions.Marks, the François-Xavier Bagnoud Professor of Health and Human Rights at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, was recognized for his contributions to the field of human rights and international health from the perspectives of law, politics, organization, and international economics.Moses, the Julia Dyckman Andrus Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School and the director of the vascular biology program at Boston Children’s Hospital, was recognized for her work in biomarker medicine and targeted nontoxic nanomedicine to treat cancer.Polyak, a professor of medicine at HMS and at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, was honored for pioneering studies on clinical and functional relevance of intratumor heterogeneity and demonstrating the role of the microenvironment in breast tumor progression. Her goal is to identify differences between normal and cancerous breast tissue and use the information to improve the clinical management of breast cancer patients.Reede, the dean for diversity and community partnership and professor of medicine at HMS, was named for her mentoring and work in leadership development in biomedical sciences and health policy.Thier, a professor emeritus of medicine and health care policy at HMS and physician at Massachusetts General Hospital, was chosen for contributions to the field of internal medicine and kidney disease, as well as his leadership and expertise in national health policy, medical education, and biomedical research.Wirth, the Richard Pearson Strong Professor of Infectious Disease at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, was honored for her work in molecular microbiology, particularly using molecular genetics and genomics to study the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. read more
Due to an abnormally dry January and February, drought conditions have returned to much of Georgia. And it could get worse.By the end of last year, the state, with the exception of the northeast quarter, wasn’t in drought. This has changed.Northeast Georgia remains in severe to extreme drought conditions. Northwest Georgia is classified as being abnormally dry. The southwest and extreme southeast parts of the state are in mild drought. More specifically, extreme drought conditions are currently found in Hart, Elbert, Madison, Oglethorpe, Clarke, Jackson, Banks and Stephens counties. Severe drought conditions are found in Lincoln, Wilkes, Oconee, Barrow, Hall, Lumpkin, White, Habersham, Fannin, Union, Towns and Rabun counties.Mild drought conditions are found in Camden and Charlton counties as well as south and west of Chattahoochee, Marion, Schley, Sumter, Lee, Worth, Colquitt, Cook and Lowndes counties, inclusive.Abnormally dry conditions are found in the northwest Georgia counties of Dade, Walker, Catoosa, Whitfield, Chattooga, Gordon, Floyd and Bartow.The remaining 102 counties are in moderate drought.The cool season – October through April – is critical for the state. That’s when it typically receives moisture recharge to the soils, groundwater, rivers and reservoirs. Without significant rain in the next two months, Georgia is primed for another year of drought. Over the past 30 days, almost the entire state has received less than half of normal rain. Much of the northern coastal plain has received less than a quarter of normal rain.Over the past 60 days, less than half of normal rain has been reported south of a line from Heard to Henry to Morgan to Clarke to Elbert counties, inclusive. Much of the northern coastal plain has received less than a quarter of normal rain over the past 60 days. While the past two months have been extremely dry, total rain since Oct. 1, the beginning of the recharge period, has been near normal across southwest and northwest Georgia and the lower Savannah River basin.Stream flows across the piedmont and northern coastal plain are at or near record low flows for late February. Across the southern coastal plain, stream flows are near normal to abnormally low, but are not at record low flows. The major reservoirs of Lanier, Hartwell, Russell and Clarks Hill remain near record lows with diminishing hope for recharge unless there is a major weather pattern shift over the next few months. Groundwater levels are generally near normal across southwest and northwest Georgia. The levels are abnormally low across much of the northern coastal plain and the piedmont. Groundwater levels can and do vary over very short distances especially when measurements are taken from different aquifers. Additional drought information and updates can be found at www.georgiadrought.org. Automated weather data is at www.georgiaweather.net. Daily rainfall data is at www.cocorahs.org. U.S. Geological Survey data is at ga.water.usgs.gov. Water conservation information is available at www.conservewatergeorgia.net. read more
Before you spend time or money with a professional carpet cleaning company contact local teacher, Grady Turner, the co-founder of ALL CLEANED UP LLC™ Vermont’s Socially Responsible Carpet Cleaning Company. Turner’s brainchild supports his passion for teaching and addresses his concern for our surroundings. “Carpets act as a trap for indoor air-pollutants that affect the air our children breathe. We created a cleaning system combining science and technology to provide value in terms of; performance, health and environmental benefits. Our services deliver proven performance while remaining competitive in price as a socially responsible company, our obligation is to the environment using only organic products that are readily biodegradable and safer for people” stated Turner recently from his home, the quaint All Tucked Inn Bed & Breakfast, he shares with his two Labs, Fred and Opal. Turner extensively reviewed the “green” products available and given the growing interest and demand in “green” cleaning products, he concluded, “Seventh Generation® and Enviro-Solutions® have the demonstrated value our customer’s demand…• Naturally Based Renewable Ingredients• Considered Essentially Non-Toxic• Exceeds Acute Toxicity Standards• Minimizes Impact on Fish, Wildlife, Drinking Water and Swimming Locations Satisfied customer Maureen Finnerty stated recently, “Performance of their products and services are excellent, considering their products are safer for our surroundings. I was also impressed because they actually showed up on time and completed a five-step process. I was about to rip up my carpets but they brought them back to life, I was happy to save the money.” As a new company Turner stated that “We already have many happy customers, both residential and commercial. Besides our earth-friendly approach we use high performance portable machines that are not affected by the cold weather and go where most truck mounted companies cannot.” Turner also notes that, “Many cleaning companies use harmful chemicals and only offer a two-step cleaning process, some don’t even vacuum! While ALL CLEANED UP LLC™ offers five-steps…” 1) Proper vacuuming to remove dust and other contaminants 2) Pre-spray to penetrate and dissolve most stains and soils 3) Apply Envirocide™ shampoo which breaks down and emulsifies particles 4) High solvency, low pH, high-heat, extraction – rinses and dries quickly with no residues 5) Mist and spray Envirocide™ odor eliminator – which leaves carpets hygienically sanitized.“Our expertise in carpet care is available 7 days a week for those emergency spills and pet stains. Customerservice and user-friendliness are important aspects of ALL CLEANED UP LLC™ please urge your boss, co-workers, family members, friends and neighbors to call us at 802.878.5680 for a free consultation.” read more
FacebookTwitterLinkedInEmailPrint分享Bloomberg BNA:Coal companies from outside Appalachia, and the Republicans in Congress representing them, are taking a dim view of West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice’s efforts to win a $4.5 billion subsidy for eastern coal.To those non-Appalachian coal companies, Justice’s request for a $15 per ton subsidy to power plants that burn regional coal smacks of unfair treatment. Justice announced earlier this month that he would switch from the Democratic to the Republican party.Amy Estes, a spokeswoman for South Dakota-based Black Hills Energy, told Bloomberg BNA the company “has never asked for anything more than a level playing field for our fossil fuel resources.”Travis Deti, executive director of the Wyoming Mining Association, said he understood Justice’s desire to protect his state’s coal industry.“However, the federal government should not be in the business of picking winners and losers in the market through subsidies that pit one coal producing region against another,” Deti said.Justice told Bloomberg News Aug. 9 that Trump is “really interested” in the subsidy idea, and that the president is “trying to vet the whole process.” White House spokeswoman Kelly Love told Bloomberg News that the administration had nothing to announce.The pushback from out-of-state producers competing with West Virginia should come as no surprise, said Tom Sanzillo, finance director at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis. The institute conducts research and analyses on financial and economic issues related to energy and the environment.“Do you think the Illinois and Powder River Basin producers would become Mother Teresa? I don’t think so,” Sanzillo told Bloomberg BNA.Some 60 percent of the nation’s coal now comes from Western states, according to the Energy Information Administration.More: ($) West Virginia Governor’s Coal-Subsidy Pitch Troubles Westerners Competitors Don’t Like West Virginia Governor’s Proposal for Federal Subsidy to Coal Producers in His State read more
Your outdoor news bulletin for May 2, the day the Loch Ness Monster was sighted in 1933, creating a media – and marketing – frenzy:2013 Appalachian Trail Hall of Famers AnnouncedThe third class of the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame will be inducted on June 7 at the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Banquet in Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania, and it’s a doozie with five honorees. Ruth Blackburn, David Field, David Sherman, David Startzell, and Eddie Stone will all be honored for their service to the A.T. and dedication in perserving it. The class is highlighted by Blackburn (1907-2004) who served the Appalachian Trail and the Appalachian Trail Conference for 50 years. In 1983, she was cited by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior as “the single most influential volunteer in shaping the successful National Park Service protection program.” The inductees will be honored at the Appalachian Trail Museum in Pine Grove Furnace State Park, Pa.West Virginia Fly Fishing Tournament Draws Big NameThe Harman’s North Fork Invitational Fly Fishing Event draws anglers from across the country to the two-day fly fishing tournament, and now it is drawing one of the biggest names in outdoor media. Curtis Fleming, the host of the Outdoor Channel’s popular “Fly Rod Chronicals” show will be participating in this year’s tournament, happening this weekend in West Virginia, and he’ll be bringing his film crew along for the ride. The tournament pits teams of two against each other over two days of fishing on the North Fork of the South Branch of the Potomac River, known for holding large rainbows. Fleming is a West Virginia native and routinely participates in the tournament, but this is the first time he’ll be bringing along his posse of cameramen. This will certainly add a bit of spectacle to the event, which is open to the public, and bring some attention to the great trout fishing the Mountain State has to offer.Chattooga Court DecisionThis one is a touch old, but still very important to all the paddlers down South. In mid-April a federal judge ruled to uphold the current U.S. Forest Service policy of allowing paddling on Georgia’s Chattooga River for December through April, above 350 cfs, on 15 miles of the 21 miles of upper Chattooga. You may remember that the world-class upper Chattooga was closed to paddling from 1976 to January, 2012, much to the chagrin of paddlers everywhere. This court ruling was a win-some, lose-some decision for paddlers who wanted the river open year round, but faced the chance of the upper Chattooga being shut down again due to the concerns of Georgia Forest Watch and private property owners. American Whitewater has been the main driving force in getting the river back open to boaters, and they have the story here. read more
By Andréa Barretto/Diálogo July 06, 2017 Piracy; trafficking of drugs, arms, and people; illegal immigration; and terrorism are considered some of the new threats to maritime security throughout the world. In order to share experiences about confronting this international problem, which affects nations to different degrees and in different ways, representatives of 12 foreign navies, in addition to Brazil’s, met for five days in Rio de Janeiro to ponder and apply solutions to real cases but in simulated situations. The exercise, called “Bell Buoy,” is held annually under the direction of the Pacific and Indian Ocean Shipping Working Group (PACIOS WG). The Brazilian Navy (MB, per its Portuguese acronym) has been a member of the group since 2012. This was the first time that the event included the participation of 30 Brazilian service members and 23 members from foreign navies, including those of the United States, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Argentina, and Ecuador. The activities took place May 8th–12th in the War Games Center, a unit of the Navy War College, which has 16 gaming rooms where the crisis-case simulations were performed. Because it was essentially a simulation exercise, naval assets were not mobilized. “We created situations with a navigation accident, port infrastructure sabotage, vessel hijacking, seizure of an oil-production platform, environmental pollution, piracy, immigration crisis, fighting an infectious disease epidemic, and terrorism,” said Brazilian Navy Captain Paulo Renato Rohwer Santos, the commander of Maritime Traffic Naval Control (COMCONTRAM, per its Portuguese acronym), the MB organization that planned “Bell Buoy 2017.” International doctrine Given the circumstances, the proposal was to apply the doctrine of Naval Cooperation and Guidance for Shipping (NCAGS), together with measures specified by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to fight the so-called new threats. “Bell Buoy is the successor to the exercises of the Naval Control of Shipping (NCS) doctrine, performed since 1951 in the context of the Cold War, and the result of an agreement signed between the U.S. Navy and the Royal Australian Navy,” explained Brazilian Navy Rear Admiral Flávio Augusto Viana Rocha, the director of the Navy’s Social Communications Center. The transition from the NCS doctrine to the NCAGS doctrine occurred when a shift was perceived from a scenario of allied states acting against a common and powerful threat to a regional scenario involving asymmetrical, non-governmental threats, i.e., “threats made by agents of clandestine groups (not necessarily associated with a state), often with simple techniques and with huge ideological appeal,” Rear Adm. Rocha clarified. Facing the simulated problems, the participants were also given the opportunity to learn and employ the protocols established by the Brazilian governmental agencies, bearing in mind that “Bell Buoy” was being carried out in this country. The solutions that the participating groups devised were applied virtually in the naval war simulator system. Through its graphic interface, the simulators portrayed various aspects of the created scenarios, the logistical capacity used, the results of engagements between units, the means available, geographic information, and climate conditions. With this, the participating players could collect the data necessary to support their decisions. Terrorism on the sea Terrorism is not a threat present in Brazilian waters today, according to Capt. Rohwer. Therefore, he says, considering this hypothesis, MB foresees a response through an operation to guarantee law and order, authorized by the president’s office, as determined by the Federal Constitution. However, in many countries, terrorist threats in the water are a reality. Capt. Rohwer pointed out that “the Brazilian Navy is closely monitoring the evolution of NCAGS and its highly effective results, mainly in the Horn of Africa (coast of Somalia and neighboring countries) and the Gulf of Aden, with regard to piracy and terrorism.” The observation of what happens in the world, combined with an awareness of national specifics, helped in devising terrorist situations that challenged the service personnel participating in “Bell Buoy 2017.” Among the events that take place, the following stand out: the infiltration of armed terrorists on a passenger ship, the attempt by extremists on board a speedboat to board a merchant ship, and the attempt by terrorists to board and damage an oil-production platform. All of this would hypothetically occur in Brazilian jurisdictional waters. Based on NCAGS doctrine and their own experiences, participants offered alternative solutions for each of the problems presented. “For us, any experience brought by those who practice NCAGS in real situations against terrorism is extremely valuable,” said Capt. Rohwer. For him, this exchange is one of the aspects that makes the “Bell Buoy” exercise so beneficial. “The importance of participating as an effective member of PACIOS WG, as well as the “Bell Buoy” exercises, lies fundamentally in the unparalleled opportunity to closely monitor developments in doctrine also allowing us to adapt their best practices to our doctrine, when identified as appropriate for our situation.” read more
By Raúl Sánchez-Azuara / Diálogo September 26, 2019 “Organizations like IS and al-Qaida and related groups are a threat to the individual and collective security of citizens. Hezbollah and Hamas armed militias continue with their international operations, many of them in the Western Hemisphere,” the decree says.Combined workThe tri-border nations have worked together to counter terrorism since the attacks in Buenos Aires, Argentina, against the Israeli Embassy in 1992, which killed 29 people, and against the AMIA Jewish center in 1994, with a death toll of 85.In July 2018, Argentina designated Hezbollah as a terrorist organization and ordered a freeze on the assets of the Bakarat Clan, a group specialized in software piracy and counterfeit money, after finding that its members operated through a casino in Puerto Iguazú, Argentina, to launder $10 million for Hezbollah. In September 2018, clan leader Assad Bakarat was arrested in Brazil at the request of Paraguay, said Argentine newspaper La Nación.Although terrorism has not caused any fatalities in Paraguay, the presence of criminal groups in the country facilitates illegal commercial transactions to fund Hezbollah. In November 2018, Paraguayan newspaper ABC Color called Hezbollah’s activities “mega-laundering,” referring to the largest money laundering scheme in Paraguay, reaching $1.2 billion. Hezbollah raises funds using methods such as fake charity organizations, money laundering, and weapons trafficking, but its main business is narcotrafficking, said news agency CNN.New lawThe new Paraguayan decree provides legal weapons to the limited judiciary arsenal of the authorities. The executive order says that any person who takes part in, or supports funding, planning, or committing terrorist attacks will be brought to justice.After the Paraguayan decree, Brazil is considering following in the footsteps of its two neighbors, although the measure won’t be easy to implement due to legal flaws in its counterterrorism laws. The measure might also upset the powerful Lebanese community in Brazil and strain relations with Iran, a Hezbollah partner that imports $250 billion in Brazilian products a year. The government also fears becoming the target of terrorism, said the Brazilian newspaper O Globo.Paraguayan Interior Minister Juan Ernesto Villamayor told the Paraguayan State Information Agency that the decree will activate surveillance protocols over the funding of these groups, so as to defeat international terrorism. “[We are going to] improve terrorism prevention tasks within the National Police and the systems of currency control through SEPRELAD [Secretariat for the Prevention of Money Laundering] and similar institutions,” Villamayor concluded. read more
ShareShareSharePrintMailGooglePinterestDiggRedditStumbleuponDeliciousBufferTumblr Tokenization and smart cards create a one-two punch to protect member transactions.by: Michelle ThorntonCUs are rightfully excited about the tokenization security process that underpins the much-talked-about Apple Pay. However, as CUs start to leverage tokenization, they can’t afford to ignore EMV (“chip”) cards, heralded as a huge leap in card security as they made a bigger foray into the U.S. market this year.In simple terms, tokenization enhances security on cardless transactions in mobile and online commerce, as well as at the contactless point of sale. (It does so by removing the credit card number from a transaction and replacing it with a randomly generated number.) In contrast, EMV secures card-based transactions, using a specialized computer chip housed right in the plastic.It’s possible to become confused because EMV and tokenization are often talked about in the same breath. They both use cryptography, and are both fraud prevention tools.As a result of the confusion, some credit unions might wonder if having tokenization makes having an EMV strategy and adoption irrelevant. It doesn’t. Each technology is brilliant at what it does. And each one is less brilliant at standing in for the other.In fact, choosing between tokenization and EMV is a little like choosing between your twin children. It’s the wrong idea. To fight fraudulent transactions in as many good ways as possible, credit unions need both tokenization and EMV. continue reading » read more
Would you like to read more?Register for free to finish this article.Sign up now for the following benefits:Four FREE articles of your choice per monthBreaking news, comment and analysis from industry experts as it happensChoose from our portfolio of email newsletters To access this article REGISTER NOWWould you like print copies, app and digital replica access too? SUBSCRIBE for as little as £5 per week.